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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. How are the sections divided up at the transfer camp?

2. What is interesting about the prison library?

3. How is Julia and Ginzburg's existence described?

4. What happens when Ginzburg and Karepova are put in a cell together?

5. When is the worse time for Ginzburg at the prison?

Short Essay Questions

1. Upon what does Ginzburg reflect when she hears that Lenin's widow has died?

2. About what do the female prisoners disagree during their discussions on the train ride?

3. What happens when Julia and Ginzburg see a flower in the courtyard?

4. What does Ginzburg say about the ongoing political purges and how do some of the prisoners view the likely incarceration of some of those fallen under the most recent purges?

5. What happens that causes Julia and Ginzburg to eat their hoarded supply of sugar and bread?

6. When is Ginzburg freed and what does she persist in believing in despite her life in prison?

7. What range of sentences are the women whom Ginzburg meets given, and why does Ginzburg consider herself lucky?

8. How do Ginzburg and her mother write letters to each other in code and what is an example of one such letter?

9. Who teaches the new prisoners how to fake their lumber quota?

10. What routine do Julia and Ginzburg maintain?

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

Titles often play a vital role in making a person decide to read a particular book. Discuss the following:

1. Fully explain why you think Journey Into the Whirlwind is titled as such. Do you think it is the best title for the book? Why or why not? Can you think of a better title? Why would you choose it?

2. How important is a title in influencing you to consider reading a book? Explain your answer.

3. Do you think a title needs to have direct relevance to a book's content? Explain your answer.

4. Have you ever read a book that when you finished you do not understand the relevance of the title? Does it discourage you from "trusting" that particular author again?

Essay Topic 3

Many memoirs, and perhaps a majority, of memoirs ends on a happy note. Discuss the following:

1. Why do you think many (most?) people want what they perceive as a happy or good ending to a memoir? Explain your opinion. Do you? Why or why not?

2. What are three reasons to read memoir? Discuss each one in light of Journey Into the Whirlwind and whether or not it fulfills all three, two or one of the reasons you mention. Give examples as to why Journey Into the Whirlwind is or is not successful in fulfilling the reasons you discuss.

3. Do you think reading solely for entertainment is as good a reason to read as any other? Why or why not? Can any work of fiction or non-fiction, no matter how poorly written, enlighten, teach, stimulate thought? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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