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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. To what does Ginzburg attribute her not signing anything that was false?

2. What is the evidence that many people are being charged?

3. Who is Yefrem?

4. How is Ginzburg's new prison described?

5. How does Stalin label sections of the book that Elvov writes?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Ginzburg's mother-in-law described and what does she advise Ginzburg?

2. What does Ginzburg discover about the charges against her as she is traveling back to Moscow?

3. How is Ginzburg's situation changed on Red Army Day?

4. What is mentioned about the Red Tatary and why does Ginzburg threaten one prisoner in French?

5. What is the "Conveyor Belt" interrogation method and how is it used on Ginzburg?

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

7. Describe the situation that occurs concerning Carola Heintschke.

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

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

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

Journey Into the Whirlwind belongs to the memoir genre. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term "genre" and give several examples of three other genres in addition to the memoir genre.

2. Discuss two reasons why it might be useful to label a text by genre and two reasons it might be disadvantageous to label a text by genre.

3. What do you think is the difference between a memoir and a historical novel?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss one of the following:

1. Thoroughly analyze how the setting informs the plot in Journey Into the Whirlwind.

2. Trace and analyze one major theme of Journey Into the Whirlwind. How is the theme represented by symbolism? By the characters' behaviors? By the action?

3. Trace and analyze two secondary themes of Journey Into the Whirlwind. How are the themes represented by symbolism? By the characters' behaviors? By the action?

Essay Topic 3

The train ride is especially telling of the life that the women are about to be plunged into. It also reveals a host of ideas and differences among the women with respect to Communism, Stalin, and themselves. A few fanatical women believe Stalin is innocent of the evil of his subordinates; others have come to hate the entire system. But just as their political differences threaten to pull them apart, they decide to band together and look out for each other as best they can.

1. Discuss the reasons some women might still hold to the idea that Stalin himself was not personally responsible for what was going on. Use examples from Journey Into the Whirlwind and your own life to support your response.

2. What do you think can happen to a system of government if a majority of its citizens begin to hate the system? Use examples from Journey Into the Whirlwind and your own life to support your response.

3. How do you think the women were able to set aside political differences to help each other and what does that imply for other groups of people in the world? Use examples from Journey Into the Whirlwind and your own life to support your response.

(see the answer keys)

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