Chapter 12, A Communist Eye or What did I see in New York? Summary and Analysis

One day at the Subway in New York, Slavenka sees a good muffin on the ground. She instinctively reaches to pick it up. While she restrains herself, she is still baffled that she reacted in that way. Communism programmed her to grab food whenever she could and the instinct had kicked in.

Slavenka starts to notice the homeless on the street and wonders if they lie about their need. Poverty sticks out in America; at home, it is ubiquitous and few are beggars. Americans struggle to solve the beggar problem, but they cannot. Under socialism, there is no charity, so this is not an issue. Her friend Evelina from Bulgaria mentions the same shock at seeing the poor. They...