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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What eventually happens to Sagidullin?

2. What form of communications does Ginzburg learn?

3. What does Ginzburg's husband advise against her doing?

4. Why is Ginzburg's watch inaccurate?

5. What is Ginzburg told about her husband?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who are some of Ginzburg's cellmates at Krasin Street Prison?

2. Who is Professor Elvov and how does he have bearing on Ginzburg's life?

3. What does one prisoner do and others follow that breaks up the horror of their situation momentarily?

4. What happens on February 7, 1937, and why is one of Ginzburg's former students in particular agony about it?

5. What does a friendly soldier tell Ginzburg on her way back to Butyrki after her trial?

6. How do the prisoners communicate in Krasin, and what disturbing piece of news does Ginzburg receive in one such communication?

7. Where is Ginzburg taken and what does she remember after seeing the place?

8. Who is Garey Sagidullin and what does Ginzburg learn from him?

9. What do Ginzburg and her husband decide to do for the school holidays and what does she say about the people who are at the same vacation spot?

10. Where is Ginzburg being transferred and what is significant about the watch returned to her?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

1. Research and give a brief biographical sketch of Eugenia Ginzburg.

2. What in Ginzburg's background may have helped her in writing Journey Into the Whirlwind? What may have influenced the way she depicts various people and scenes?

3. Do you think all of the events in a memoir are true? Why or why not? Give examples.

4. How is a memoir affected by memory? Is every memory a person has strictly accurate? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Choose one of the following to discuss:

1. Choose two significant symbols and trace and analyze their appearance in Journey Into the Whirlwind. Are these universal symbols? Would they be understood in any culture? Are there other symbols that would portray the same idea? What are they? Why do you think Ginzburg chooses the symbols he does?

2. Choose two important metaphors and trace and analyze their appearance in the memoir. Are these universal metaphors? Would they be understood in any culture? Are there other metaphors that would portray the same idea? What are they? Why do you think Ginzburg chooses the metaphors she does?

3. Discuss Ginzburg's use (or lack ) of literary device (such as foreshadowing, clifthangers, deux ex machina, etc.), and how they add or detract from the story. Does Ginzburg use too many or too little literary techniques? State which of the five major elements of fiction the literary device is related to (style, character, plot, setting, theme).

Essay Topic 3

Oftentimes, a book has more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and oftentimes the other way. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

5. What type of plot do you think Journey Into the Whirlwind is? Explain your response.

(see the answer keys)

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