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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 are Ginzburg and the other prisoners no longer permitted to do?

2. What does Kucherenko demand?

3. What has Julia been saving?

4. Why are the window fans in the cells shut off?

5. What is different about the women in Hut 7?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Vasily Petukhov decide to help Ginzburg survive?

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

3. What happens when the Prison Governor comes to visit Ginzburg?

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

5. What are some of the rules Ginzburg mentions as being cited on a paper hanging on the wall?

6. Why does Ginzburg waken one day to find Krivitsky standing over her?

7. How old is Ginzburg when she is writing this book and what does she find difficult to believe?

8. What routine do Julia and Ginzburg maintain?

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

10. What new rule is forced upon the prisoners and how do they react to the restriction?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Grandmother warns Ginzburg that a trap is being set for her, and that she should go as far away as she possibly can. But Ginzburg wants to prove her innocence, and her husband dismisses the idea of leaving. Ginzburg recounts that some intelligent people did indeed escape Communist oppression by slipping away to distant places. But Ginzburg admits she was not one of them.

1. Why do you think Ginzburg felt so strongly about proving her innocence? Use examples from Journey Into the Whirlwind and your own life to support your response.

2. Discuss how you think someone like Ginzburg might feel about her decision to not leave by the end of her ordeal. Do you think she may have regretted not leaving? Why or why not? Use examples from Journey Into the Whirlwind and your own life to support your response.

3. Discuss what it might imply about a person to know that a trap by an oppressive government might be set for her and still not take steps to avoid the trap. Use examples from Journey Into the Whirlwind and your own life to support your response.

Essay Topic 3

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).

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