From Journey into the Whirlwind by Eugenia Semyonova Ginzburg

 2/22

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From Journey into the Whirlwind by Eugenia Semyonova Ginzburg

“So I had no business to be sorry for myself. I was luckier than most” (306).

Ginzberg utilizes strong imagery in all of her writing. It feels as though the reader is there with her. You can taste, see, smell, hear, and feel all the things Ginzberg describes in depth. She also gives the reader inside into her deepest thoughts. Even in this vulnerability, Ginzberg keeps a strong mentality, which is the key to survival. 

Ginsburg, although wrongfully imprisoned, looks for the positive in everything she experiences (299). For example, she finds true companionship with the brief, vital moments she shares with the other prisoners (302). When she describes how they talk and react, it is easy to see that these people are genuinely good, and also wrongfully imprisoned, like Ginzberg (304). Eugenia also finds comfort in her own strength and health (306). These can be easily taken for granted and they are lacking in many of the other inmates. Physically and mentally, Eugenia is a force to be reckoned with and will do what she must to survive and stay true to herself. 

The biggest mental battle Eugenia faces is the humiliation she suffers (306). In the conditions of the prison and through the brutality and mistreatment given to the inmates, dignity and morale are often lost. Eugenia must find it within herself to reshape her mindset into believing a new narrative instead of the one she was originally given (306). Now she must believe that these evil acts done to her are not the work of humans (who have some understanding of right and wrong), but rather senseless creatures (306). She also must start to believe that this evil inflicted upon her by these senseless creatures does not take away her worth and dignity.