Due to the school computer virus, I have been unable to create a pdf for your reading. Handouts are on my desk.
"Slavenka Drakulic has been called the Simone de Beauvoir of Eastern Europe, and this book is a testament as to why." Robin Morgan
Read the two chapters "A Chat with My Censor" and "How We Survived." Respond to at least two of the prompts below:
What do these chapters reveal about ordinary life under a communist regime?
What are three things the author said that you think are important?
How do panty hose, shoeboxes, cans and old pants relate to the title of the final chapter?
Is this picture of communism what you expected? How does it compare to CNN's The Cold War - Spies?
Due Monday MORNING
64 comments:
These two chapters reveal very different but significant aspects of life under communism. The first chapter reveals a lack of trust with everyone a person comes in contact with on a daily basis. As the main character ponders about the reason as to why her SDB officer is contacting her, she immediately thinks of the worst. She begins analyzing every aspect of her life and her past to try and weed out an “error” that she had committed. It seems as though privacy is a mere wish to people in a communist society, and anything slightly negative about you could be turned inside out and upside-down in order to have a case against you. At the end of the chapter, her editor and chief had to censor their conversation in his office because there is a bug in the ceiling. This shows paranoia in the eyes of the government, because they bugged possibly all public buildings in order to find spies or someone sneaking information. The second chapter reveals the ordinary life of living in a communist society. The woman begins telling her stories of how she and her mother never wasted anything. From dirty, worn underwear to burnt out light bulbs, they found a use for every insignificant object that came their way. She explained that because everyone in society was in that sort of position, never throwing anything out was normal. When outsiders saw these mannerisms they laughed, but everyone in a communist society understands how that way of life must be lived in order to survive.
Panty hose, shoeboxes, cans and old pants relate to the title of the chapter “How we survived Communism,” because those objects were the reason why these people did survive communism. The mindset of recycling is how civilians wore clothes, cleaned houses, prepared and stored food, etc. The mother explains how they never know when objects are going to run out at the store, so nothing is ever thrown away. Old, broken objects are also reused into several other ways until it is completely useless. This saved people money so they could buy food and attempt to live a normal life.
This article reveals the state of fear that existed during communism. Every citizen was forever in fear of the present as well as the future. The first type of fear was fear of the government. In this case Drakulic was a journalist and had her own censor assigned to read everything that she wrote. The censor also had to determine how she thought and how she would respond to changes and events. This shows the great fear that each person lived under. Drakulic could have been jailed if the censor had an incorrect evaluation on the meaning of her work. I would find it very hard to live a normal life knowing the power to jail me is in someone else’s hands. I would need some kind of security. Also, it shows the uncertainty of the future. Shortages were very common occurring on all types of goods. I think it would be very hard to live in this manner. I need some kind of certainty. I agree with Drakulic in her belief that uncertainty caused communism to fail. The society was so unstable that nobody could really live consistently throughout the period.
This is the picture of communism that I suspected. Communism has been proven to not work and this is another example of it. I expected to see a society in which individuals were heavily influenced or controlled by the state. It did not surprise me that Dakulic had a censor assigned to her because in communism as practiced by Yugoslavia the state controls everything that an individual does. I also get the sense when reading this section of the book that society is not technologically advanced. They talk about plastic bags, a common object in American society, being a new and stylish invention in which you actually have to pay more money to get a bag from a store. The U.S. introduced plastic bags without having to pay for them. The CNN story cites how the spy technology of the Soviets was inferior to the American’s technology. The plastic bag would give an example of how far behind the technology really was.
Slavenka Drakulic is a breath of fresh air to the study of Communism in Eastern Europe, and her novel, ‘How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed’ combines wit and insight to provide a glimpse into the realties of daily life under a communist regime. Her reflections on her experience meeting with a censor reveal the daily pressures and scrutinies professionals and average citizens in Yugoslavia were subject to. A simple meeting eventually turned out to be an investigation, and Drakulic’s stark observations that even with a lack of evidence, she could be convicted of a crime pointed to the injustices of a totalitarian system. She further explores the criteria she was expected to follow as a journalist, remarking that censors were in place to ensure that “the ‘line’ laid down by the party” was being followed. This however wasn’t always an easy job, and Drakulic’s description of the ever-changing political balance exposes the volatile and unstable political situation throughout the time period. Her detailing of a typical train conversation also points to everyday life in the region, where topics such as inflation, the dangers of nationalism, and the prices of food were common. Living under such conditions undoubtedly had a massive impact on the people of Yugoslavia, and Darkulic’s describes an autocensorship that every Yugoslavian was trained to follow. Following the conclusion of her meeting with the censor, Drakulic writes of thoughts of paranoia; she begins to search herself for errors and interrogate herself so as to find what the state might find fault in, but her ultimate discovery is that she was powerless against the state machine, a realization that enabled the Communists to maintain power initially.
The final chapter, entitled ‘How We Survived’ Communism also enables the reader to look into the daily lives of Yugoslavians, and through a collection of random household objects, Drakulic demonstrates the deep mistrust in the Communist government among the general population. Drakulic for example used an old pair of pants to mop her floors as habit from the times when everything had to be saved. Shortages were common in Communist Yugoslavia and saving, repairing and finding new uses for pantyhose became the “national sport” of the nation. Saving seemingly useless items enabled the nation to sustain themselves through some of the toughest economic times and standards of living witnessed in Communist Yugoslavia, and their ability to foster an interdependence among themselves as well as a faith that they could survive in spite of the government helped the survive Communism and even come to overthrow it.
Gloria Steinch’s book gave insight into the mind of the everyday life of a Russian civilian. The first chapter revolves around the fear of one individual when singled out and reviewed by a censure. This censure had complete power over her and could have decided she was writing articles against Russian policy. This is something many individuals in Russian society faced. Individuals were subject to the whims of the government. One could be accused for a minor incident even if it occurred long ago. Russian citizens in this era were completely afraid of the government and the power it had something people living in America know nothing about. In Russian society individuals were sent to jail for with very little evidence and suffered under scrutiny from the police and other organizations these factors lead to a lack of trust the fundamental building block of a society. This view of Communism is what I expected individuals who were any threat to the system or even appear to be a threat to the system are singled out. The other view from the second chapter is also a result of communism to be expected. When governments control the production sooner or latter everything becomes a commodity and the day to day life of the Russians in the chapter shows just that. They go day to day storing anything they can get a hold of to live a more normal life. The foreigners of course could not understand why they were doing what they were because they had never experienced anything like it. This is just another result of the communist system. In today’s society we would never find the use for a ruined pair of pants or newspaper but as a result of the shortages of the Soviet Union people adapted to the changes and continued to maintain them. This picture of communism is similar in some ways to the CNN documentary but differs in others. The first chapter about the censure is similar to the spies of the CNN program. The Russian government was completely paranoid. The government had men everywhere searching for the smallest anomaly in society. Just like the individual in this story who was put threw the searching counter rebellion measures of the Soviets. The second part differs from the program because it views the day to day life of the larger portion of the population of Russia. The picture painted is of a dull life similar if not worse then that of the great depression of America. It focused on what people did just to get by rather then the interrogation and paranoia of the Soviets. The final chapters relation is how outsiders viewed the Russian’s who were saving and using everything to its full potential. They saw this as comedic and eventually the Russian’s got so used to there situation they were no longer for the most part suffering under the harsh conditions. To them it was just normal life in Soviet Russia.
Both chapters reveal great insight into the ordinary life under a communist regime. The first chapter portrayed the amount of fear journalists such as Drakulic were surrounded by. Each article they wrote caused them paranoia as they understood the level of scrutiny they were under. Drakulic’s story showed exactly this; her meeting with the interrogator was not just some pleasant chat. It caused her to censor herself, and this was evident as she began to feel uncomfortable even though she knew she was an honest and open person. It made her question her own work and become nervous. Drakulic knew that it was simply up to how the government interpreted someone’s work to get him or her into trouble regardless of what the truth and facts were. The second chapter provided a look into the lifestyles of those who lived under communism. It was astonishing to see what people collected in regards to what they expected would become a shortage. People made use of items in a way foreigners would have laughed at, but for those under this regime, it was the only practical means of getting by when they had no idea what to expect. They borrowed and shared items, and were not deprived of only material things, but also their privacy. These people were truly an example of economical lives that collected and recycled not for environmental reasons, but because they feared what the future would bring. The title “How We Survived Communism” connects to items such as panty hose, shoeboxes, cans, and old pants because by not wasting such simple things, people were able to endure what they were deprived of. They saved and made the most out of just about everything, and that is how they survived.
These chapters of "How We Survived...." show that everyday life in communism was very boring because you were not allowed to do much. The author describes how she was interviewed by a censorship official and she thought that she was in serious trouble. It seems that everyone had to live in fear of being taken away from family and friends. At the end of that chapter, the author tells how her bosses office was even rigged with sound equipment so higher officials could spy on what he was doing. In addition, everyday items were hard to come by since no one knew what the next day may bring. I know that I would definitely not want to live in such conditions because it is unpredictable. One day, you may living like a king, and the next, you may have no food and could be taken away to be interrogating.
Pantyhose, shoeboxes, cans and old pants relate to the title of the final chapter, which is "How We Survived Communism," because they are all the everyday items that the author feels helped to bring down communism. The author deeply feels that communism was destroyed because the leaders during this period did not actually prepare for what was to come. Instead, they only thought about it. Therefore, these items, which people were finding and keeping in order to be better off in the years to come, were actually like what the communists should have been doing-actually get something done instead of just pondering the idea. By collecting goods and items, people were able to survive communism, and if the leaders had done so, communism would have lived on.
Slavenka Drakulic showed the true feelings of people who had to endure life during Communism as well as the hardships that they faced. In the chapter, A Chat with My Censor”, Drakulic describes a meeting she had with her censor, as she was a writer from a political newspaper. She was led to believe that Censors would be powerful looking and authoritative, as the Communist Party wanted to instill fear in people, so they would do nothing wrong. She was told that her name was found in the address book of a criminal, and she believed he probably made up the name. In Communist countries, the government often made up stories and problems so that high-ranking people would reveal secrets and condemn themselves. When going back to editor in chief, she learned that they had a microphone in his office, and that the party could find you guilty based on their interpretation of the facts and not the actual facts. People had to live in the constant fear that they would be found guilty for something they did not do.
In the chapter, “How We Survived Communism”, Drakulic talked about how during Communism a person would stock up on supplies that would often run out, because they were a basic necessity for most people. These would include coffee, notebooks, clothes, eggs, detergent, soap, and many other items. She said that if the people who had invented Communism had taken time to look up how much people had to stock up on because things often ran out, they would have seen the terrible future that Communism would have.
Panty hose, shoeboxes, cans, and old pants relate to “How We survived Communism”, because these items were often stored as they had many uses during shortages. Panty hose were often repaired many times because buying new ones were too expensive, shoeboxes were used to hold family photos, cans were used as pots, and as storage, and old pants were used to mop the floor. Everything was re-used in a Communist country. And without saving these items a person may not have survived living under a Communistic regime.
These excerpted chapters brought out my sympathy. They revealed how everyday life in a communist nation was filled with fear. People lived in fear of the censors and the future in general. The first chapter, “A Meeting with my Censor,” reminded me of the movie we watched in class on spies. Censors seemed everywhere trying to crack down on dissenters. For example, even the editor’s office was bugged. Meanwhile it was amazing the amount of fear in the people. The censor set up a simple meeting for no particular reason. However, just meeting the censor made the author worry and reevaluate all her actions.
Meanwhile, a different kind of fear permeates everyday life in the next chapter, the fear of the future. Common necessities that we take for granted could be taken away at any time. Minor fluctuations in the economy or government measures could cause shortages of things like stockings. Therefore people, fearing the future, would save everything. This fear was so powerful and common that even after the need to recycle was gone, people continued. These chapters reveal that ordinary life under a communist regime is fear.
This picture of communism is mostly what I expected. Distribution of the wealth and government control of the economy led to shortages in basic necessities. Therefore I’d expect the widespread poverty and use of “recycled” goods that Drakulic describes. Communism’s failures also provided a strong sense of no security. Therefore I’m not surprised that people worry for the future. What did surprise me, however, was the censorship. The CNN special on spies depicted a communist regime that was filled with informants and government workers finding the names of dissenters. Therefore it did not surprise me that Drakulic was targeted by a censor for her journalist publications. What did not fit my picture of Communism was the mind games the censor played with Drakulic. By calling a meeting with her, the censor go Drakulic to reevaluate her own work. Meanwhile, I would have thought that the censor would be more forceful and less tolerant of Drakulic. Drakulic described the many suspicious activities that could warrant the attention of the government. I was under the impression that Communist governments are more strict and would have dealt with Drakulic in a harsher manner.
It is interesting to see the effect communism had on the people who had to live by it. These people lived in fear and intimidation. In the first chapter it talks about the paranoia the government had and why they didn't trust any citizen. The main character has to deal with her SDB officer. She was scared and thought she was in trouble. Under the communist your rights were of course restricted. Your life was inevitably boring and many lived in fear on a daily basis. You always had to watch what you say and who you speak to. The government was ultimately paranoid about everything and everyone. They needed to be in control at all times. Even more so, they wanted to control everything in your life, telling you what you can and cannot do. When the SDB officer contacted her she immediately begin to think about the worst case scenario, weighing all her options. what could she have possibly done wrong? This type of scenario not only demonstrates the fear aspect under a communist government, but also the privacy restrictions. If there was one wrong misinterpretation, you could be jailed instantly. Along with this immediate fear was fear of the future. In a communist regime, there are fixed prices. A fixed price provides misleading information to both the buyer and seller, transmitting an artificial, non-market price. Surpluses and shortages occurred frequently and ultimately were problematic. In the other chapter it was said how not throwing things out was considered to be normal. People did everything they could to survive. To us, some of these things sounded ridiculous, but it was how they had to live because of there all too powerful government. I don't know how anyone could live under such a restrictive policy. Its actually scary. People feared the life they'd have to live. The society was extremely unstable and unsustainable. I wouldn't be able to live like this. Not having and private property rights, no sense of security, and having to feel on guard at all times. I agree that such factors led to the fall of communism.
The two chapters from Slavenka Drakulic’s story How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed reveal what every day life was like living under a communist government. There are two aspects main aspects that I learned about how people lived under the communist regime. The first was the need and obsession to collect and save everything. The very thought that everything mattered and could have several purposes until they are finally and regretfully thrown away. By reading a small part of Drakulic’s story I have been able to somewhat understand what it meant to them to save the small things. The other idea about everyday life under a communist regime that I got from the story was the utter distrust and fear of the government that they possessed. The fear could be seen in the first chapter when she was anxious about what her censor had to say. She was going through her memories and picking out every possible thing that they could possibly accuse her for. The mistrust can be seen the last chapter when Drakulic talks about the recycling. She says that her grandmother had closets filled with the necessities out of the fear of a possible shortage later on down the road.
It was interesting to read about all the different ways a single object could be used. The anecdotes concerning the panty hose, shoeboxes, cans and old pants relate to the title of the last chapter. The small tales reveal just how little the people had and the fact that any one of those things could go missing at any time. In order for them to survive communism they had to recycle everything. Drakulic mentioned that her grandmother, mother, and she herself used old pants to clean the floor because they simple could not throw them away. They were living in a time when certain things were not always available to them so they had to make due with what they had. They could not waste a thing so they recycled everyday objects such as shoeboxes and cans to get by.
Salvenka Drakulic displayed the monotonous, controlling lifestyles under the communist regime. Though she shows that however monotonous life was, it was still subject to change at any moment. The government was very strict, especially with censorship, even Drakulic was interviewed by a censorship official. People often had to live in fear of whether or not they were suspected of suspicious action because if they were even of slight suspicion their lives could change forever. She explains that communist governments would often make up names and problems/issues in order to get high-ranking people to admit to something. People’s interrogations often would not be trusted and would be under close watch through having the room rigged, so that the recordings of the facts could be interpreted later. Many suspects would even be taken away from their families and friends. Drakulic shows this in the anecdotal account of her boss’ office being rigged with sound equipment, so that higher officials could spy on him. Life was very strict and controlled and at the mercy of the government, therefore one day you could be living the good life and the next day you could be taken away for interrogation and left with nothing.
The pantyhose, shoeboxes, cans, and old pants connect to the way that people saved these items tactfully due to the whimsy of the communist government, where one day the market could be short and you’d never know how long it would last. People saved these items and reused them- pantyhose often ripped and were too expensive to go out and buy a new pair, shoeboxes held belongings and family photos, cans were used as pots and containers, and old pants were used as mops. Drakulic makes it a point to say that the communist governments failed to take action on their thoughts, and were mainly just idealists. The leaders of communism failed to take action on their thoughts, which Drakulic believes led to the downfall of communism during the period. She feels that if the leaders had acted upon their thoughts and utilized their foresight such as the people had in their saving and reusing of everyday items, and then perhaps they would not have seen the downfall of communism.
What do these chapters reveal about ordinary life under a communist regime?
These chapters show the struggles and desperation of life under a communist regime. One chapter shows the struggles of day-to-day life and being unable to trust another person. The other shows the desperation of people to have the supplies they need to live and to what lengths they will go to ensure they have those things. In the first chapter, she describes how a simple meeting with a censor sends her into a mental roundabout. What was her “error”? What should she prepare for in this meeting? What will he think? Am I in trouble? The communist regime basically forces her to question her whole life. The second chapter shows how desperate she and others were to beat the countrywide poverty and have the things they wanted and needed. The communist Regime turned them in to scavengers and hoarders.
What are three things the author said that you think are important?
“The guilt I’m talking about is not a question of facts but of their interpretation” I found this to be archetypal of living under a communist regime. It’s not what is intrinsically true, its what the government thinks. Its up to them, justice isn’t a necessity.
“You never know what might happen” This had a significant impression on me. I think that this is so true of the time period but even now. Its better to be prepared like Vesna’s mother than to just assume things will stay good. Especially under the communist regime, you never knew what was going to be available to you.
“There is no such thing as a self-sufficient communist household” I just think this shows really the underlying concept of communism; for the public to be completely reliant on the government. Everything they needed was distributed by the government and all decisions were made by the government; life was what the government made it
These chapters give a snapshot of daily life under the communist regime. This first focuses on a journalist and her career. Compared to other careers in her society, this is one that would allow for more behaviors that the regime would be critical of due to the investigative nature of journalism. So while it is hard to say that this shows ordinary life, it is indicative of that people lived in constant fear and anxiety that they were being watched and kept track of. The author was wracking her brains trying to figure out what she could have done wrong in her lifetime to be contacted by the SBD officer. When people live in fear that their actions may be interpreted in the wrong way by the government, they limit their daily activities and live dull and suppressed lives. Even the people higher up in the government than the SBD officer were spying on his conversation with the journalist. These chapters also show that under the communist regime, supplies were scarce, as part of the failure of their command economy. People had to collect, borrow, and share items, and be innovative to meet their daily needs by recycling. It was common for people to run out of things and have no way of obtaining more of it. These chapters reveal that in the communist society there was no sense of stability; you never knew if you crossed the line and would be ripped away from your friends and family, or if you would run out of toilet paper and not be able to get any more for a month.
This portrayal of communism is for the most part just as I had anticipated. The economic failures make perfect sense, as the government failed to properly distribute wealth and resources, and because they only relied on themselves for economic fulfillment had no way of getting emergency supplies. It also does not surprise me that the government spies on everyone and requires suppression of all dissidents. The government would tap phone calls and bug average citizens just because they were suspicious of everyone. Communism is shown in these chapters as causing fear, boring lifestyles, and dissatisfaction, and this is just how I had perceived that society before reading this.
These chapters reveal the fear and inefficiency of the communist regime in Eastern Europe. The first one describes the fear that she feels for being summoned by her censor, showing that she was important enough (according to the state) to have a censor because the author was a feminist and this meeting made her think about what ideas she should share and those she would not. This was strange and representative of ordinary life because even in her job as an author she did not have the creative freedom authors in Western Europe and elsewhere possessed. The censors own office was ironically bugged as well, which shows how paranoid the government was and how afraid it made the people. In the second chapter, the author explains how Eastern Europeans did not recycle out of luxury like many people in America today but instead had to recycle everything from old light bulbs to stockings. Ironically without recycling these objects those under communism wouldn’t have survived communism, which relates back to the title of the chapter.
In these chapters of “How We Survived Communism” you as the reader learn that being under a communist regime is quite boring. Since the government controls every aspect of your life there isn’t much that you are allowed to do. Many people lived in constant fear of being sent off to jail for any of the littlest things. The girl in the chapters even says that at her place of work the offices are bugged so that higher up officials can essentially spy on them. It was hard for everyone to get all the necessities needed and you never knew what each day might bring so that you would have to live on a constant high alert. Because it was so hard to get all of these necessities people would quite often stock up these basic supplies as much as they can to last as long as they can. Panty hose, shoeboxes, cans, and old pants relate to “How We Survived Communism” because these items were used for many different odd uses. Cans were used as pots, pants for mops, and shoeboxes for storage. In these chapters it puts in perspective how bad Communism is.
These chapters written by Slavenka Drakulic reveal a lot about the life of the ordinary person under communist rule. The most obvious way in which she does this is through her description of the way in which her mother and herself would collect everything they could. She describes how the recycling in the west is very different from the recycling of people under communism. They would collect everything they could, as they we never able to rely of the economic efficiency of the Soviet System to provide the necessary materials they would need at any given time. When Slavenka’s grandma was in the hospital, they went through her cupboards, and they displayed the fear of lacking what they needed which was such a part of ordinary life. Her grandma even had insulin on hand, even though no one had diabetes. The smart, ordinary person would collect everything they could, because when they needed it, it probably would not be there. The title of Chapter 19 is How We Survived Communism, and the collection of supplies that the author and her mother had showed how people had to live. They would use old pants as mops because they did not have enough money to by a real mop, and they would refuse to want to waste supplied that they should use. She describes how every piece of what would be western garbage provided some necessary function for them to live successfully under communism. A shoebox provided as a safe place for family photos or bills that could be life saving. Can’s of all different sizes served as places to store items that maybe hard to find in times of need. The collection and use of the variety of items shows how people lived under the failed system, by having to improvise to be able to survive worst form of government in modern history.
What do these chapters reveal about ordinary life under a communist regime?
How do panty hose, shoeboxes, cans and old pants relate to the title of the final chapter?
These chapters reveal, for one thing, that there was a certain lack of privacy under the communist regime. ¬This is most explicitly shown in the chapter “A Chat With My Censor.” The author stated “Sometimes they open my mail, and I have heard strange sounds on my phone more than once.” In America, we take our privacy for granted. It’s a crime to open someone else’s mail in America. The average citizen can feel fairly safe to express their own beliefs without fearing government action. Another thing the chapters reveal about ordinary life is that everything was saved and recycled. One page 185, the author explains how people would collect cans to use as flower pots. After reading this section, I had a vision of streets lined with windows filled with tin cans. Along with flower-filled tin cans I imagined various other conglomerations of “garbage” that was utilized to survive everyday life. The degree to which they could reuse and recycle everything was a testament to human determination.
Panty hose, shoeboxes, cans, and old pants relate to the title “How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed” because they had to reuse all of these things to survive. The author describes the reuse of all of these items because they were so scarce under the communist regime. Because production was monitored by the government and factories were only required to meet a certain quota, they did not produce any extra. Panty hose had to be mended using burnt out light bulbs as a wooden mushroom. Shoe boxes housed family portraits rather than photo albums, because photo albums were scarce and expensive. These various acts of recycling relate to the title because they explain how Communism taught them how to reuse everything and make the best out of their situation. Because they were able to do this, they survived, and were even able to enjoy themselves.
In the first story, the narrator starts off saying that she is going to have a meeting with a state security police officer. She says that meetings with officers weren’t uncommon in Yugoslavia, and that she almost expected it happening to her because she was a political journalist. Before the interview, she thought about what she might’ve done. While she’s thinking, she reveals that the editor is also in charge of censoring. When she was brainstorming what she might’ve done wrong, she brings up her private life. This is interesting because it means that she knows the police have information on her private life and history, which is not common in today’s society. At the interview, some of the “normal” topics they talked about were inflation and the danger of nationalism, which is pretty unique. At the end of the story, her conversation with the editor was being eavesdropped on, but the editor knew it and signaled the narrator. In the second story, the narrator talks about the consumer economy and how volatile the markets were. At some times, certain products were rare and/or expensive, but in the next day, there could be a surplus of them. She talks about how everything is recycled or reused for different reasons. The unpredictable availability of things caused people (including herself) to hoard lots of items because they feared the future and what might happen next. For example, she talked about how plastic bags were once very expensive, but then they became free, and now they are average price. The lifestyle she talks about is very similar to someone living in poverty because they have to save everything. The items they saved connect to the title because they helped them “survive communism.” These stories are what I expected communism to be like, and the CNN documentary on the spies was somewhat related to this, especially the first story when the room was wiretapped.
The two assigned chapters of “How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed” highlight the degrading and unhappy qualities of living a life in a Communist state. The first chapter is a description of a meeting that the narrator, a writer, has with a censor official. This puts the narrator in great distress, as she wonders what error she must have inadvertently made. She immediately fears for her safety, for an error under this type of government is not likely to be forgiven easily or quickly. During the conversation, held in an office, wording is controlled and stressful, as the participants are aware that their office is bugged. This bug in a somewhat unimportant building typifies what the government is doing in a Communist environment; they are listening to all possible interactions to root out spies and dissenters, even in such an unassuming location as that office. These reveal the fear and apprehension felt in everyday life under a Communist regime. Furthermore, the life of the citizens was under a strict observance of self-control. With shortages and restrictions common, the people had to conserve everyday goods, even when they seemed useless or trivial. Coming up with new uses for old equipment is the only form of innovation dem Commies encouraged, and that was by default. Items ranging from panty hose, shoeboxes, cans, and old pants were kept and reused lest one be caught short (that’s not what I meant, cans have plenty of practical uses). These, as Drakulic suggests, are the heart of the problem with Communism; they represent underplanning, inaction, and want. This is what most would expect from Communism, where the people are so ignored that they must make do with so few commodities that they recycle even the broken, old, and useless ones. Life under Communism seems almost as pitiful as the political understanding of those who think that government is a good idea. You know who you are. Drakulic gives an informative and grittily realistic view of the everyday life of a citizen of Communism.
These chapters reveal important aspects of communist life. They do reveal, as may be connotedley thought, a certain degree of paranoia and anxiousness that existed under communist rule. However, the nature of this fear is not so much in a fear of government censorship, imprisonment, and torture-as is commonly thought-but more so a fear of how to survive. The first chapter asserts that censorship became almost inbred within the people, and that they gre accustomed to censoring thmeselves, and became quite adept at not showing any potentially fishy behavior. Therefore, there was less concern about censorship than commonly tohught. however, there was a deep concern as to how one would survive form day ot day. The government, the economy, and through a combination of those the consumer market became so sporadic that people living under a communist regime were uncertain as to where their bread and butter were to come form. Hence, they became accusotmed to saving almost everything they found useful, and recycled and reused everything that they owned, oftentimes for decades until it was absoultely certain no further use could be squeezed from them. There was no reliabilty in what goods would be available the next day; hence, the people saved everything and reused everythging on the chance it may be useful, if not vital, in surving in the future.
Pantyhose proved quite helpful in surving communism, for they were a particularly useful object to have around. They could be used for storing items, as ties for bags, and also were useful as cleaning rags. Also, they were frequently repaired and darned, even when they ran, becuase people were uncertain if there would be any pantyhose on the market in the future. A shoebox served two main purposes: it could be used to store bills, often over many decades, and could then be procured to show ot government officials asking questions. This could have saved many lives form interrogators. Also, they were useful in storing old family photos, an encouraging itme in dark communist times. Cans were incredibly useful, in that they were saved over long periods of time, in all shapes and sizes, and were used to grow flowers, eat out of, as storage for various items, and generally proved to be an incredibly utilitarian article. The cottoin pant of a man were highly absorbant, and were efficeint at removing dust and grime form the floor; hence, they were used to mop floors when mop rags were unavailable. All these items proved helpful in living under communism.
In "How We Survived" and "A Chat with My Sensor," the life of ordinary people under a communist regime is exposed to the reader. It is revealed that these inhabitants are not allowed to do much of anything, as they are confined to certain areas for a certain amount of time. It seems that any contact with higher officials and censorship officials will lead to fear. The author of this book was approached by one, and she started to fear that she would be taken away. This is a daily occurrence, as many people in the regime live in fear of being taken away from their family and friends. It is not confined to the ordinary people, however, as the author says in the end of "A Chat with My Sensor" that her bosses office was sound-rigged so that any conversations he had could be monitored. Everyday objects in this kind of life were hard to come by, as things such as everyday food items and toilet paper were closely rationed. However, this schedule was random, and so one day could bring a surplus of items, and the next few days could bring nothing.
In the final chapter, pantyhose, shoeboxes, cans, and old pants relate to the title "How We Survived" because they are ordinary objects that helped to destroy Communism. The leaders of the Communist regime may have had good intentions, but they did not plan for the long haul. They failed to look at the long-term plans for their ideas. People living under them collected these items in order to be prepared for the troubles they would face, and to ensure that there would be a future to be ready for. The author says that if the leaders had planned for the future and "collected these items," then they would have survived their tests. The people that they were governing collected these items, and so they survived communism.
These chapters reveled that ordinary life in Communist Russia was sort on pleasures and often necessities. It showed that people had to struggle to survive. In addition it showed the regulation that the USSR put on the information that its citizens received. The panty hose, shoeboxes, cans, and old pants are connected to the title “How we survived” because the needed to reuse everyday items to get by because the Russian factories did not account for demand; they just had a quota to fill and did not care about the quality of items. This caused things to be ineffective and to break easily. Because of this finding ways to reuse items was vital for the ordinary citizen’s survival.
These two chapters reveal a great deal about ordinary life under a communist regime. One thing that really stood out to me is the sense of almost paranoia that ran rampant throughout the people. It seemed to me that no one felt like they could trust someone 100% and certain actions may cause trust to be broken easier because of the looming threat of communist leaders. The main character begins to over analyze everything after a certain amount of time. No one seems to be trust worthy and her life seems to dive into uncertainty. It also sheds light on the fact that in a communist regime nothing was thrown away. Because everything was deemed to valuable, new items were hard to come by so the old were used and reused as much as physically possible. This made life a little tougher on every in the communist regime because of the lack of items and necessary supplies for standard living.
This is the picture of communist I had painted in my head. I believed communism to be a type of government that unfortunately bred poverty. And that not all people were these die hard communists that dreamed of tearing down the USA's capitalistic ways and western mannerisms. Most people would be suffering because of the minimalistic ways of society.
Whilst sitting and thinking one day,
I felt compelled to say:
“I can’t stand any more,
AP Euro’s a bore,
And Communism is totally gay.”
-Please don’t fail me. I answered the 1st (life in communism was gay) and 4th (i expected communism to be gay.
When we normally consider the Communist regime, we rarely stop to consider what life was like for the everyday citizen. These two chapters from Slavenka Drakulic’s book really enlighten the reader to how ordinary life was. Life was guarded and censored for citizens, and there were a lot of things that were banned. People were all guaranteed a job, so everyone worked a normal day five days a week. Life was pretty monotonous and even rather boring for the everyday citizen, since everyone was pretty much living the same life. Even though it was boring, it was also scary. People could be arrested or killed for what seem like small crimes, and any words against the Communist Party were punished.
This picture of Communism in this book was very different than the one in the CNN video about espionage. In that video, life was dramatic and exciting. Everything could be a clue to the next huge political scandal, and the Communist government did not seem frightening or neglectful, like they were portrayed as in the book. The Communist government was rather incompetent in reality, even though the movie did not make it seem that way.
Feminist, Slavenka Drakulic's writes a tantalizingly interesting novel on life under communism. The two chapters covered touched upon important aspects of communism that were different to outside life. It revealed that life under a communist regime was oppressive and enclosed. Everyone lived in constant fear of being bugged and accused of a spy. The character, a journalist, had to fear that what she wrote might be seen as anti-government and had to constantly worry if she stayed within the censoring guidelines and risk getting jailed. This type of opressive life shows the lack of trust and openness in the society. Like what we watched in class, anyone could have been a spy either for the government or for some other nation. You never knew who you could be safe talking to (even your husband apparently). Ordinary life lacked stability. You never knew when things were going to run out and people got into the habit of saving whatever, whenever they could. The pantyhose, shoeboxes, cans, and old pants symbolize the extent they have to save and reuse. Ordinary objects are horded like these objects because one never knew if they would one day need it. The title of the final chapter, "How was survived Communism" is explained by these objects. It was through living on a constant edge and constant worry for the future that they and many others were able to survive communism. Old pants, shoeboxes and pantyhose that they were barely able to pull through. This furthur shows the instability of communist life because they had to go as far as to rely on scraps to get by.
The chapters reveal that ordinary life went on as normal with a few key exceptions under the communist regime. As was said in class, not every person was concerned about the KGB bursting in their door and gunning them down. While some journalists did have the fear of being thought a 'problem' like the author, the fears turned out to be relatively unfounded as the claim was one that could be discounted relatively quickly and the man admitted he really orchestrated the meeting to see the author in real life. The hoarding of things was also a more realistic view of things. Most people worried more about their daily necessities then anything else, and they focused on trying to make use of everything so as to improve their quality of life. This book really reinforces the idea that these were real people more concerned with finding ways to get by then political upheaval and repression.
The title of the last chapter is significant for two reasons. Firstly, it alludes to the hoarding that needed to be done to survive. Shortages were frequent, and it was not unusual during the time period to find yourself wanting for something. These people needed to survive communism by getting together things in case there was a shortage. But it's also more then that. To survive communism, you needed to achieve a certain mindset. You had to understand that everything was important and had multiple uses, and you had to learn to think differently to get by. This chapter is about the rationing, but it's also about the mental shift that had to take place for people to see possible second uses in things that seem so straightforward.
I think the chapters, especially the second chapter, reveals how poor the conditions were for the people of the communist countries and how that was the lifestyle for all the citizens. The author really elaborates on how these poor conditions forced the people to have to recycle everything to its very last use. Describing how pants would eventually become rags with which to clean surfaces, how jars formerly used to contain food items are later reused again for the same purpose for food or for other objects such as nails. There was no such thing as luxury for these citizens. Nothing was thrown away therefore nobody ever had enough money for new things or foreign commodities. In any case, it is shown quite vividly how the life of a communist citizen was very poor and how as a result of that, they must keep everything they have collected and reuse everything, due to the lack of money, due to the lack of stock, and also due to the lack of government care to the people. Pantyhose, shoeboxes, cans, and old pants very much do relate to the last chapter. It was these fundamentals which were used and reused every day of their lives. It may not be so much as to the reason why they lived through to see communism end, but rather how they lived through communism. This is how they lived, surviving off of recycled old clothes and containers, throughout communism.
In a communist regime these chapters reveal how hard life was for these people, for example how they wanted to sew the ripped pantyhose to save money . The author is trying to convey that living conditions were poor and how the people must conserve what they have and reuse it time and time again so they can keep what little money they have. The authors show how these people reuse their clothes and many other household items until they can never be used again. They could not just go out and buy new clothes or new containers they had to reuse the ones they had so they could buy what was absolutely necessary for their survival and not waste their money. The items mentioned relate to the last chapter because they were the items that were reused again and again, and because of the communist regime this is how they have to live and it did not look like there was going to be any improvement any time soon.
These chapters let us get a glimpse into the Communistic lifestyle that one would not have previously had the opportunity to view. The author, Slavenka Drakulic, takes an interesting approach to tell her audience about it. What the chapters show about life under a communist regime is that they lived within repetitive, fearful routines. The Russian government was consistently spying on people, and bugging technology to do so, no matter who you were. Your life was subject to change at any moment, given that citizens went to jail
(despite the lack of evidence) basically whenever the government felt like sending them. Clearly these poor people were living in a constant anxious state, and frankly, who can blame them? I would be paranoid too if I had to worry about the government listening into my conversations and invading my privacy on a daily basis.
This representation of Communism is pretty much the basis of what I expected. Obviously I don't know much about it first hand, but from what I knew before, it does not really surprise me. I've been brought up thinking things like invasions of privacy and limitations on freedom and basic necessities were not the norm, and bad factors affecting people's lives. Over the last few years I have learned to associate these things that we take for granted every day with Communism. As unfortunate as it is, this is what I suspected Communism to essentially be like.
The first chapter shows the lack of trust throughout the people. The thought of being contacted by her SDB officer is terrifying because of the terrible things that can happen to her. In this paranoid society anything and everything that seems even slightly suspicious is due cause to be interrogated. If interrogated the chances were that you were pretty screwed so the apprehension going into even a talk with an SDB officer would cause intense fear. The second chapter talks about how everything has its use. Nothing could be wasted and everything was precious. They used things that would be laughable to us everyday to survive. Panty hose, shoeboxes, cans and old pants relate to the title of the chapter “How we survived Communism,” simply because its true. Items like these were how people survived communism.
To even consider saving the every-day items we discard without a second thought, sure that a supply is readily available at the nearest show, is a strange concept for those of us who have experienced a democratic world. Knowing now how difficult ordinary life was for those under the reign of communism is eye-opening; they lived in a constant state of paranoia over the simplest things, like if there will be sugar or even soap available the next day. The chapters revealed how stressful a life during that time could be, what with censors following people's every move and installed microphones strategically placed in "threatening" work environments. People were able to cope, yes, but in ways where poverty was a nation-wide commonality and repairing items over and over until they are completely worn out was a necessity. It seems like a struggle, but one in which the outside "Western world" is so foreign they didn't have to face their suffering as a comparison to what others had. It became a normal way of life to be frugal and communal with items, as any sense of privacy was literally nonexistent.
The most important things the author said that really stuck with me tended to fall in the beginning or ends of the chapters. Towards the ending of the first chapter, the author explains how the meeting with her inspector was not as significant as the time between that was spent under self-analysis searching for errors. In the final sentence, she states "The guilt I'm talking about is not a question of facts but of their interpretation" (81). I found this sentence striking, as it speaks of the real underlying issues with the government intrusion in people's lives and their ability to create falsehoods to convict anyone. It speaks of the psychological states all people were forced into, with safety not always ensured. In the second chapter, the author then speaks of the living conditions experienced during communist control. "The living conditions kill all privacy - or spread it out to the whole community, if you wish" (183). It is a significant thing to say, relating back to the first chapter as well, as it shows the other side of the privacy barrier. Not only was there no privacy considering government intrusion, but due to the constant need to share items any other possibilities for private home lives disappeared. Taking all of this censorship and poverty, it made sense that the author wrapped up the second chapter explaining how communism eventually failed. It was a fitting image to include in that last section - one of the leaders not looking where they should have, in the drawers full of stocked items rather than anti-state material. Overall, the chapters gave a fresh new look at the system under communism and helped to give a picture of how different life was for them compared to us "Westerners".
These two chapters both take a very close look at the effects of communism and what people have to deal with under that type of government. The first chapter looks at the paralyzing effect of not being able to trust anyone. People led such insecure and trepidatious lives with constant worry. No matter what type of situations people were in, they also had to think about how it would look according to other people and the government. They all had to leave extremely solitary lifestyles, because of their fear of not being able to trust others because everything they did and said could somehow be turned around and used against them. The next chapter exposes what day to day life is in a communist society. Because with communism money is so scarce they can never throw anything away. Everyday they have to think about the most efficient was to recycle objects that one would normally consider trash. In this day and age not throwing things out is a major societal taboo. There are even television shows like, “Hoarders” that uncover how dangerous and disgusting it is when people never throw things away. However, back then reusing and recycling are so needed that they are considered too much. The title of the second chapter is “How we survived Communism” which definitely relates to household objects like panty hose, shoeboxes, and the old pants. Under communism people had to use all the resources they could find, which often involved these household goods. People living in this society were so desperate for some money and food and shelter, that they had no other choices and had to make the best out of what they had.
These chapters show the daily life of people under the communist regime. The first chapter focuses on the life and career of a journalist. Under the communist regime, journalism was a dangerous career to uphold, for the government was often critical of what was being written, and the investigations journalists undergo for their job. It can be concluded from the government’s censorship of the written word that the people living under the communist regime are living a deprived life from the truth. It can also be concluded that fear is an emotion felt by the public often: fear of saying the wrong things at the wrong time, fear of being watched, and fear of being punished were all emotions the citizens of the regime had in common. Under such fear, the citizens lived lives suppressing themselves and their lives, which led to the dull and uncreative lives of those under the regime. Had people rebelled or forgotten to watch their mouths, they would be taken away from their families, and “justly” punished as seen fit by the government. The government, which spent much of if time and effort on spying on its citizens, neglected its other duties as a government, such as a commanding economy. Due to the lack of competition in the regime, supplies were scarce, and as a result, people had to collect, borrow, and share items, as well as create innovative ways to meet their daily needs through recycling. It was common for people to run out of supplies, with no means of obtaining more until the next set arrived. These chapters reveal that in the communist society, though the leaders preached of stability and equality, these ideologies were never actually instituted in society. This portrayal of communism was slightly surprising for me. Yes, I had expected economic failures in a nation under complete communist regime, for competition was not evident, yet, I have seen the people under the Chinese government in present-day China, and in no way is their economy failing. And though the citizens under this particular regime were shown as to having no privacy and little security, I feel as though people living in other nations, even the United States, do not have complete privacy. A government that works for one nation does not necessarily work for another, and, perhaps in the case of Eastern Europe, communism did not “work”. Yet, it can be concluded that a democracy, an ideology preached by the United States, does not work in nations such as India. So before any criticism, why not look at ourselves and try to improve ourselves?
These chapters show the daily life of people under the communist regime. The first chapter focuses on the life and career of a journalist. Under the communist regime, journalism was a dangerous career to uphold, for the government was often critical of what was being written, and the investigations journalists undergo for their job. It can be concluded from the government’s censorship of the written word that the people living under the communist regime are living a deprived life from the truth. It can also be concluded that fear is an emotion felt by the public often: fear of saying the wrong things at the wrong time, fear of being watched, and fear of being punished were all emotions the citizens of the regime had in common. Under such fear, the citizens lived lives suppressing themselves and their lives, which led to the dull and uncreative lives of those under the regime. Had people rebelled or forgotten to watch their mouths, they would be taken away from their families, and “justly” punished as seen fit by the government. The government, which spent much of if time and effort on spying on its citizens, neglected its other duties as a government, such as a commanding economy. Due to the lack of competition in the regime, supplies were scarce, and as a result, people had to collect, borrow, and share items, as well as create innovative ways to meet their daily needs through recycling. It was common for people to run out of supplies, with no means of obtaining more until the next set arrived. These chapters reveal that in the communist society, though the leaders preached of stability and equality, these ideologies were never actually instituted in society. This portrayal of communism was slightly surprising for me. Yes, I had expected economic failures in a nation under complete communist regime, for competition was not evident, yet, I have seen the people under the Chinese government in present-day China, and in no way is their economy failing. And though the citizens under this particular regime were shown as to having no privacy and little security, I feel as though people living in other nations, even the United States, do not have complete privacy. A government that works for one nation does not necessarily work for another, and, perhaps in the case of Eastern Europe, communism did not “work”. Yet, it can be concluded that a democracy, an ideology preached by the United States, does not work in nations such as India. So before any criticism, why not look at ourselves and try to improve ourselves?
There is great importance in panty hose, shoeboxes, cans and old pant. All of these items were saved, even though they were almost unusable. This shows the frugality of common Russian life. However most importantly it does reflect the title of the chapter. This is how they survived communism. In the USSR supplies were constantly low. If the people did not reuse their possessions one could not possibly live. They never know when stuff is going to run out at the store so they save everything they can and always plan for the worst. Those who didn’t would die. This is very similar to the living style in all third world countries and poor oppressive governments. In time of need, usually during ration periods people of the age learn frugality. This is shown during the Great Depression in which many of the employed and unemployed saved whatever they could. They saved anything they had, like broken objects and used them until they could not be used anymore. Thus they were able to use their money for other stuff, stuff more necessary in order to live.
The second chapter gives us a good example of how the Soviets lived. The main theme of the second chapter we had to read was frugality. The people lived in desperate ways in desperate times. The government’s job was to provide for the people, but it did not deliver, so the people had to pick up the pieces. People made use of items in a way foreigners would have laughed at, but for those under this regime, it was the only practical means of getting by when they had no idea what to expect. However this grueling lifestyle as I mentioned above is not very special. As Americans today we feel that is a low lifestyle however there are those less fortunate than us. Given our settings with their mindset, many could possibly achieve more and do greater things. This book not only shows the lifestyle of a civilian in the USSR it is also inspirational to all those have the affluence to afford to read the book.
These two chapters were as different as could be; one was from the viewpoint of a traveling journalist while one was from the viewpoint of an everyday citizen in a Communist regime. These women had very different lifestyles but there is a common trait that exists between them. Both of them live in fear. After receiving a cryptic phone call from the state security police, or rather the censorship police, the journalist was in fear of what might happen. She started to review everything she had written, every idea, every word. Fearing she might have written something too bold or too controversial, her fear gets the best of her. She becomes paranoid and starts to fear her personal life. She was afraid they would come after her just because she had been with two men who were both in America. With just a phone call, communism made this journalist paranoid until she arrived at her interview, which she left with a feeling of uneasiness. When she went to speak to her editor, he had to secretly point to the hidden microphone in his office. The journalist realized, even more now, exactly what kind of place she was living in. Communism had done this to her. In the next chapter, a woman describes how she ‘collects’ various things. Not collecting in the normal fun hobby kind of way, but collecting in order to survive. Living in poverty she describes how she and her grandmother re use things over and over again until they cannot be used anymore. Keeping everything and stocking up on things was the only way she could be reassured that she would be able to survive in case anything happens. This fear, once again, was created by communism. No matter how different this life is from the journalist’s life, it is evident that both women were living in fear. The author-or rather the narrator in chapter 19-discusses how important it is to always keep items maintained as long as possible and to use even the simplest of items for important tasks. This involves using a shoebox to store photographs or old bills or using a household jar to make a vase. She stresses that it is important to make the best use of everything you have. Another important thing mentioned is at the end of chapter 19. The narrator discusses the fail of communism. She uses her cupboards and closets to represent the poverty of people under Communism. If the authority had bothered to take a glimpse at how she was piling things up for her own well-being, things might have gone differently. In other words, if the government had recognized the issue of nearly the entire population being poor, Communism might not have gone down the way it did.
These chapters that we read really shed some light upon the issue of spies in the Cold War for me at least. Having read this I realized out how foreign a life of communism seems to me. I certainly find it hard to comprehend living in a world where people’s lives are completely predestined I guess is the best word to describe it. There was an overall lack of trust between people living in a world of communism as shown in the chapters that we read. I honestly would hate a life of communism just due to the fact that every day is the same from the time you get up, eat, work all day and come home. Although some peoples’ lives are like that in a democracy, at least these people have the freedom to pursue different objectives. That is what I understood from reading these two chapters.
In an attempt to make life as comfortable as possible with all the necessities that most people today take for granted, such as shoeboxes, cans, and pants, people living under a communist government had to go to far extents to save and reuse objects such as these. After reading about how this family survived the strict rules of communism, I can understand why the title of this chapter is “How We Survived”. By reusing objects such as shoeboxes, cans, and pants, they did survive.
Slavenka Drakulic’s account of life under Soviet communist rule provided an inside look into the harsh life that was forced on the citizens. All aspects of life was controlled and monitored by government officials who have “eyes and ears” hidden in the fabrics of society. Any statements made by Soviet Union’s citizens are carefully considered for ulterior motives against the Communist Party. The woman in the second chapter believes that the government spends all its time rummaging through people’s belongings and not enough time attempting to improve citizen’s lives. Freedom of speech was unheard of during the Soviet regime. Any proponent of outwardly speaking against the government were taken away by the state security police and most likely never seen or heard from again. As illustrated by the author’s fear of being taken to Lubyanka or exiled to Siberia. The leaders only speak of the perfect future that will be achieved for the nation and not on the suffering of the people. Items of daily importance were a rampant issue during the Soviet regime; the citizens and in example of her grandmother’s fear for future. They rationed everything from plastic bags, shampoo, and food. Supplies of daily items were unstable; everyone in the country rationed because they knew that the government did not focus on their needs primarily, but on the survivability of the communist ideology. The final chapter’s title describes the woman’s methods of rationing every item that they owned to make the most out of them. For example, used and ragged pants were placed on floor mops. Social anomalies are not considered in their daily lives when the day to day mindset was just to survive. It was only when her friend pointed out the silliness of having ragged pants on a floor mop was it apparent to her. For generations, her family had been rationed and living using these means; only to an outsiders would these habits seem bizarre. The limited goods forced the citizens to innovate with what little they possessed. Objects that had already been used for its original purpose was reused and reused until further recycling was not possible. These aspects of life under the communist regime defined Soviet daily life.
Slavenka Drakulic's book, "How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed" reveals much about daily life in the Communist regime. The first chapter details Drakulic's meeting with her censor. This anecdote reveals that in a communist regime, the government watched everyone and everything and that nothing could be kept private. For starters, the censors monitored the media in general to ensure that nothing going through was opposed to the state. The workers themselves, the journalists, the editors, everyone involved in the process, were also closely watched. For example, Drakulic's censor knew her almost as well as she did. He had read all her works and had photos of her. He knew what was going through her mind, how it worked, and how she would respond to situations. Additionally, her editor in chief was also under constant surveillance since his room was bugged. This thought of being under constant surveillance brought about autocensorship. Driven by the fear of being caught by the government and the consequences that would ensue, people gave them no reason to be suspicious and they were careful of what they said and how they said it. Drakulic's boss censored their conversation and even she herself began to look for faults in herself that the government could use against her. The second chapter talks about the process of collecting and recycling, evidenced in the grandmother's house. In a communist regime, nothing was thrown out unless it was deemed completely useless. Everything was collected and reused in some way, shape, or form. Everything was collected, from wrappers, rubberbands, and jars to worn out clothes, old shoes, and their boxes. The grandmother, who was still in the mindset of the communist regime, had stockpiles of sugar, coffee, etc. and even kept old bags. This just shows how deprived the people were and how ineffective the government was. Government policies created shortages of most goods, including the basic necessities. This lead most people to save everything they could so that if they were to need something, they would he sure to have it. Panty hose, shoeboxes, cans, and old pants are only a handful of the basic items that the people collected. These items relate to the title of the chapter because basic items such as these and the saving of them were the people's way of surviving the shortage and dearth brought on by Communism.
The two chapters of the book show that the ordinary people were very poor under a communist regime. The chapter titled "How We Survived Communism" shows how people recycled whatever they could because of the threat of war and the fact that many essential items were in short supply. Vesna's mother experienced life under a communist regime and her daughter didn't understand why her mother was being so frugal. Ordinary life under communism was very difficult.
One important thing the author said was that people saved everything they could because they were uncertain of the future. Although this applies less to people living in developed countries, in many third-world countries it is a reality. The people living under a communist regime were unsure about what items might be limited or what wars might break out. Another important thing the author said was that people should reflect on their lives and actions. She said that even though she didn't write a bad article about the the communist regime, she still "interrogated herself as a censor would." Finally, I found it surprising that the communist regime didn't care a lot about the ordinary people. The communist leaders were too busy focusing on fighting wars and spreading propanganda to their people that they didn't care about their people's welfare. The leaders were focused on their ambitions that they didn't see the lives of ordinary people. The author belived that the poverty and despair of the people foreshadowed the future of communism, but the leaders never noticed these signs.
The two excerpts on "How We Survived Communism" painted a very interesting picture for the life of people in Communist Europe. From the first chapter, it showed us how everyday life was full of fear. Censors abounded everywhere. The office of the newspaper editor was bugged, and they were constantly being watched. Journalists were carefully groomed to write articles that did not contradict the state's "lines", and if they did, that was the end of you. The KGB interrogated what the author says were millions of people. However, disregarding that fear, life in Communist Europe seemed boring and dull. Daily life seemed to be unexciting to the point that "foreign" wrappers would appeal to children and collecting them became a hobby. Considering that they found even candy wrappers entertaining, it's hard to imagine how boring daily life was. It also shows the deep poverty most people lived in, saving and recycling everything and utilizing everything to its maximum potential. Altogether not a very appealing life.
Panty hose, shoeboxes and old pants are all things that any typical American household would throw away without a second thought. But in communist Europe, these were all things to be valued and repaired or reused. The final chapter is entitled, "How We Survived Communism", and ultimately, saving all these seemingly useless things is symbolic of how the author believes she survived communism: by fearing and preparing for the unknown future. By saving all of these things that the West may perceive as trash, the author prepared for the worst. In so using this mentality for not just this, but everything, the author believes she survived communism.
The two chapters reveal great insight into what life for an ordinary person might be comprised of under a communist regime. The first chapter showed the amount of fear journalists felt on a day to day basis. Every article they wrote was intensely studied and scrutinized. Drakulic's story highlights this, as her meeting with the interrogator was no normal conversation. She was forced to censor herself, and this proved the level of stress and danger she was under as she was normally known as a very honest person. Drakulic knew that her status of life was simply up to the governments loose interpretation of her work, regardless of what the facts in the story were. The second chapter provided an in depth look into normal life under communism. It was surprising to see how people collected items that were frequently in shortage in a manner that most people in free market countries would laugh at. For example, people in communist Russia would line up at the grocery store early in the morning to collect one month's supply of toilet paper, as they knew it would run out soon and if they didn't get it then, they would be using newspaper for the rest of the month. However, this was often the only practical manner in which to collect things as man people had no idea what to expect from their regime. These people lived truly economical lives, and continually collected and recycled items, because they never knew when they would need that item to perform a certain task. The title“How We Survived Communism” connects to items such as panty hose, shoeboxes, cans, and old pants because by not wasting such simple things, people were able to endure what they were deprived of, and that is how they survived.
The readings from Slavenka Drakulic mainly show that the idea of living an oppressed life under communism was a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. The citizens of Russia, Croatia, Hungary, and countless other Eastern Bloc countries lived in a state of constant surveillance; everyone was in close proximity of each other, and, according to Drakulic, a case can be made against you “even if it [evidence] doesn't exist.” As such, citizens start to “autocensor” themselves, looking back at their life and actions in an attempt to discredit anything questionable. On top of this, they must think long and hard about their actions, lest they say something that does not follow the party line, and end up in jail, interrogated, or worse. In this way, censors did not have to perform actual censorship most of the time; rather, it was the idea of them and the fear they created that made people censor themselves. This paradox, where censors are employed in such a way that makes their original purpose obsolete, is very essence of the communist system.
Drakulic put across multiple intriguing points, but the three below particularly struck me:
1. Communism ultimately failed because of distrust. The communist system was irregular and inefficient; its command economy often resulted in shortages, and people were constantly in a state of poverty. Because people couldn't rely on the very basic necessities of life, they stockpiled, and trusted few. The reason that people stored goods for later was because they couldn't believe in the government to provide for them in the long term.
2. Under communism, privacy was not a reality, but at the same time, this could be a benefit. This didn't surprise me in the larger sense, as the idea of surveillance and censorship goes hand in hand with Stalinist communism. However, the readings revealed the intimacy of home life, between neighbors. People all around you could be seen in their “around-the-house” clothes, and everyone had to constantly ask favors of everyone else, so that they could have their basic needs filled. This web of trust and interdependence is in such contrast to the general image of the communist state; with the preconceived idea of constant fear and poverty under communism, it is difficult to imagine one having to walk across the hall to borrow sugar. But the weight of this request has deep implications about how one had to survive as best as possible.
3. The endless cycle of collecting and recycling was secondhand to people under communism. Today, in the US, so much waste is created that it is impossible to read this packet without feeling guilt and shame. Whereas people today reuse and recycle because its “good for the earth,” these people embodied reuse, in that their entire well being centered around being able to jerry-rig pantyhose and other “inconsequential” goods into something else, to maximize usage. Communism, from this article, seems to exude an image of hardiness and survival, and every citizen had to take what they could, and use it until the very point that it fell apart
Both of these chapters reveal the everyday life of ordinary men during a communist government. After this reading, I would say that life was pretty boring under communism. There wasn’t much to do and everyone was scared of what was to come. For example: In the chapter “A Chat with my Sensor,” the author describes her thought process when she was going to meet Comrade Inspector M. She was scared about what was going to be asked. She went through everything in her head from her work to her private life. She also talked about how her boss’s office has secret sound equipment, so the government officials could know what he was doing. There was no privacy. Everyone had to be ready, if they were taken away from their friends and family for interrogation. People were in constant fear of being found guilty for something they did not do. At the end of the “A Chat with my Sensor” chapter, the author says, “ But I also understand that if he really needs to, he will find evidence even if it doesn’t exist.”
In the next chapter, “How we survive Communism” the author talks about how people managed to survive during communism. People would stock up on panty hose, shoe boxes, cans, and old pants because these things were what the people needed on a day to day basis. The message she is trying to convey is that if the communist leaders had seen how much people stocked up on these basic necessities of life to survive, they would have realized that the future of communism was not headed in the right direction. They thought about what to do, rather than doing it. The people stocked up on these items because they knew that in the long run they would need them. On the other hand, the communists didn’t stock up or prepare for the future. Here, the author is trying to say that the only reason communism fell was because the leaders didn’t plan well while the people stocked up on the items they would need in the future, helping them survive communism.
The two chapters within the reading offer and incredible insight into daily life under a communist regime. Communism doesn't 'play nice' with democracy in our world, and as such is often painted black. We know it is bad, but we aren't always aware why. The readings outline this perfectly. Communism imposes a continuous stress of worry and fear on its people. The strict policies of the state can leave one constantly afraid that they will be called off and imprisoned or killed for some trivial crime. This led, as the first reading pointed out, to a form of self-censorship, where a person would be constantly fearful and repressed simply because they expected something bad to happen. It also shows that poverty was engrained as a way of life, and created more fear and misery in the people. The reason they all had to save their belongings was worry that a shortage or supply break would occur. It reveals that ordinary life is a harsh place, where one is constantly living in wonder of a better world outside the borders. The author's obsession with foreign goods displays almost painfully how the people longed for some unknown contact with the outside world. They were forced to live in miserable conditions, and were pressured to keep quiet about it out of fear.
The first thing I think the author said that was important was her declaration that she had no need to meet the censor- she had censored herself simply in worrying about what he could have wanted or done with her. Whether or not she actually committed any offense against the state, she was sure she might have, and was already preparing to reform herself and give some sort of excuse. It shows the depth to which the fear of persecution has grown in her, and the other people under the communist regime.
The second important statement the author made was that she found it hard to adjust to not saving items when she moved to America. There is no reason to do so here, and it even made her look somewhat silly. It shows, to an extent, a certain resilience that each person had to develop to survive. Yet that fact in itself is sad- that survival was such a difficulty for the people. It shows that the fear and uncertainty about the future penetrated so far into her core, she was influenced by them when they had no reason to still exist.
The final important statement she made was that communism does not work because people loose faith in the government. I think it extremely interesting that people feel that way about their own government, and it gives some legitimacy to the need for censors and police. I agree with her, in that people are likely to loose faith in their government when it consistently fails to deliver. I find it more interesting, however, that the repression is built into the government so that nobody can do anything about it.
What do these chapters reveal about ordinary life under a communist regime?
These two chapters reveal that ordinary life under a communist regime is bleak. It seems that there were a lot of shortages, which psychologically affected the citizens to constantly prepare for future shortages. People recycled everything until the material fell apart or it was given to the gypsies; many also collected necessities such as staple foods, wool, and pantyhose.
What are three things the author said that you think are important?
The author made many important points, but four (sorry, I couldn’t pick just three!) statements stood out to me. The first was at the end of the first chapter, when she admits, “I began to examine myself, to search for my errors, to look at my life through his eyes, to interrogate myself as my censor would.” That signifies that writers consciously controlled their writing as to not be punished by the government. Next, during her discussion about recycling, she mentioned, “Perhaps there is a good side to that; people don’t have any illusions about each other,” with [that] representing around the house clothes. That remark surprised me because she found such an optimistic perspective in a rather depressing topic; she turned seeing people wearing embarrassing clothes into cherished insight into other people and conveyed that recycling could be good. Another significant sentence she said was, “The only thing important was that they were foreign.” I was shocked to realize that people within the Soviet Union yearned for different circumstances. Lastly, the author commented that the USSR “failed because of distrust, because of a fear for the future.” I feel as though that was significant because it acknowledged one of the central mistakes of the Soviet Union: its own citizens didn’t believe in the government.
How do panty hose, shoeboxes, cans and old pants relate to the title of the final chapter?
All related to the title by showing examples of how extreme the recycling had to be to survive. The pantyhose was constantly repaired by the mother who lived amidst times of shortages while the daughter wanted to just get a new buy because she had the luxury of throwing things away and buying replacements. The author used the old pair of pants as a floor mop, which was a habit that developed when times were rougher. Lastly shoeboxes were once used to store photos and old bills like a cheap album or computer, and cans were used as pots to grow flowers or vases to display them. The varied list shows that people survived communism by being creative and recycling everything.
The excerpt of “How We Survived” demonstrated to readers that life under the rule of communism was rather restrictive, which essentially made life boring. Under these strict conditions, people were conscious of their every move in fear of being held captive by law enforcement. Families were constantly being broken apart, parents taken away from their children. The author wrote about her encounter with a censorship official. She was extremely scared and later found out it was only an interview. This example perfectly shows how constant fear and paranoia plagued daily life. Also, attaining daily life items was difficult and living was generally difficult. People were constantly either losing jobs or being prosecuted by the law. Life was a constant change, and often times this was a result of the inconsistent economy.
Pantyhose became a novelty item while living under communism. They worked as bags for storage, carrying items and could be used to clean homes. Many homeowners kept their destroyed pantyhose because the future of the product was uncertain like every other aspect of life under communism. Cans at this time were useful, and easy to obtain. People kept their cans to drink out of, grow food in, and store household items. People generally became thrifty under the communist force, because they were so constricted in their lifestyle. Shoeboxes were another item used to store things, often times important documents. Lastly, cotton pant of man were good for cleaning, like the pantyhose. The pants could dry spills, wash floors, and wash counters. It is pretty interesting to hear about the different ways these objects were used during a time of desperation under the communist rule.
Slavenka Drakulic's novel is fascinating and about her life under communist rule. These chapters of her novel were able to touch upon aspects of communism unlike any other source we have ever read. As a reader, I was able to understand why everyone lived in constant fear, especially of being accused of being a spy. It was interesting to understand the writer’s inner conflict: she was afraid that that everything she wrote, being a journalist and all, would be seen as anti-government and would not meet the censorship guidelines leading to her jailing. This alone shows the lack of trust and freedoms in the society, that they scrutinized their every move. Just like the video in class said, anyone could be a spy. You never knew who so you better not bad mouth the government unless you want to go to jail. Apparently, even your husband would turn you in. Ordinary life was full of the unknown. One never knew when suddenly they would run out of supplies or they would need something, thus people tended to save everything they thought one day they might happen to need. Even old underwear or cans because they thought it was necessary to save and reuse these items. However, living with constant fear and always on the edge was what made these people able to survive communism. It is ironic that the one thing destroying them, helped save them. A government in which its citizens need to rely on scraps (old pants, cans, ect.) is clearly a unstable one. This reminded me of my oral history report and how my great grandmother would tell my grandmother how you always had to watch your back and be careful what you said because people would disappear suddenly and never return. Life under the communist government was undesired and scary.
These two readings show the daily lives of regular men while under a communist government. Following the completion of them, I can say that day-to-day functioning was rather trite, as compared to what I would have thought. It was much more the fear of the impending, rather than the actually happening. In “A Chat with my Sensor”, the writer explains her thinking pattern whilst meeting Comrade Inspector M. The author, during this section, felt anxious concerning the questions she was to be inquired about. She mentioned, as well, the various recording equipment the government had implemented in the office, which leads to the conclusion that privacy was no longer a social norm during this era. As a result, this forced everyone to be on their toes, and fend for themselves, always protecting against the slightest misstep. If one was to cause a disturbance, their entire family could be pulled away for questioning. Unwarranted interrogation would often lead to false convictions. In “How we survive Communism”, we read an account of survival during this era. Men and women would hoard items such as shoe boxes, cans, old pants, and panty hose, due to the fact that they were vital to daily functioning. This theme of this, would be that if leaders during the era had realized that clear flaws of their system, they would have realized that communism was looking to end badly.
So people said my first blog response would not cut it, so I am trying again.
In these 2 Chapters of "How we Survived…" Drakulic describes the basic life under communist rule. Life under communism was hard. The news was always censored, and if you ever said anything about the government that was not proper or made the government look bad, you would be questioned and possible sent to Siberia to die. As for home life, communism led many to save everything from old stockings to extra pants. Even professors had old close that they wore around the house. When outsiders came, they laughed at the state of things in communism.
Panty hose, shoeboxes, cans and old pants relate to the title, because it tells what the people had to do to live under communist rule. They had to save everything, such as panty hose, shoeboxes, cans and old pants. Using pants as brooms or getting panty hose fixed 20 or more times. Communism was tough.
I expected communism to be tough. A lack of basic supplies was evident. There were no incentives for people to produce what they needed to live, so the quality and quantity of the necessities were drastically lowered. Life in such filth and dearth shows the failures of communism.
The chapters reveal the sense of fear that was present in ordinary people during the Communist regime. People were afraid that they would unintentionally do, say, or write something that would be seen as anti-Communist. There was the ever-present fear of the government, the fear of being watched constantly, and the knowledge that even if you had done nothing wrong, the government would alter the story to convict you. The second chapter, 'How we Survived Communism' shows how ordinary people were able to survive the Communist era by using pantyhose, shoe boxes, cans, and old pants. The chapter is an example of how ordinary people used objects most foreigners considered trash to survive the Communist regime. The pantyhose and other items are demonstrative of how the people of the former Soviet Union were able to survive.
Communism creates fear in people and this book reveals the communism that the people during this time experienced. Communists did not want anyone to have any different opinions compared to the government. If her work was any what against the government than she could be jailed, so she lived in fear of being jailed and wouldn’t have much control over her fate.
Communism obviously doesn’t work because it virtually takes away any competition and leaves people in fear of the government. This picture of communism doesn’t surprise me because communism is obviously bad, even though many people think it is great. When people say communism looks great in writing, it doesn’t at all because on paper it basically says everyone is equal which leads all people to not even carrying about what they do because in the end they will be equal. Hard work and laziness will be rewarded the same amount in a communist government. The shortages that she discussed in her book is exactly what I pictured in a communist government because supply and demand is controlled by the government and the supply isn’t what it should be which results in shortages. Communism whether it is on paper or in real life doesn’t work and is one of the stupidest types of governments that anyone has ever created. In the end everyone can’t be equal because people deserve different rewards based on the work they put in. If you like communism so much than let me ask one question would you like if our AP European History class grade counted the same amount as a level three introductory class to reading?
Ordinary life under communist regime was far from ordinary. I would most closely relate the era of the communist regime to the Salem Witch Trials. People were constantly being inspected, spied on, and accused for doing things they were innocent of. Such unfair accusations were often supported by little or made up evidence that had no relevance. For instance as I was reading ‘How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed’ I found that the main character, Drakulic, was constantly having her personal and private life invaded by the communist regime. For her, going to a simple meeting was risky because there was a chance it could be a confidential investigation run by the communist regime. Also, Drakulic had to watch her every move because if she did anything that seemed at all suspicious, her censor could have twisted it and interpreted it as crime. This is why not along with her, many people during the time of the communist regime were overcome with intense paranoia; everything from public buildings to telephone calls were bugged b y the government. The government maintained complete control over the lives of all citizens. This was not limited to the products sold in stores; because people never knew what was going to be limited in supply, they had to save everything from shoe boxes to cans to toilet paper. This explains why the title of the last chapter was "Panty hose, shoeboxes, cans and old pants". Nothing was guaranteed during this time, especially privacy. As a communist regime would automatically entail, the government runs all aspects of citizens lives. Therefore, regardless of your so-called "rights" the government had the freedom to invade themselves in your life. This kind of invasion of privacy could become so extensive as in Drakulic's cases where she had an SDB officer inspecting her every move until she slipped up or made some tiny "error". This unnecessary surveillance caused incessant paranoia among the entire society, restricted living conditions, and over all controlled all aspects of daily living.
The two chapters we read about communism really gave the reader an inside look into the subject. The first chapter shares an individual's experience living under a communist regime; how the government played a role in every aspect of her life, including her work. As a journalist, she was forced to censor the work she produced during the time of communism, because the government would not allow otherwise. The second chapter was more general, it shared what daily life in a communist country was like. Everyday objects like shoe-boxes, panty-hose, and cans were scrounged and saved, just in case they were needed to substitute for another object in the case of a shortage. For example, people would have to use newspaper clippings as toilet paper when the nearby stores ran out of their supply of toilet paper. Living in a developed, democratic country, it was never something that crossed my mind, the notion that stop and shop would suddenly run out of their supply of Charmin and I would be forced to use newspaper clippings until they received their next shipment. This reading provided an amazing example of how life can be so drastically different depending on where and when you are living. Government plays such a large role in your life, even if it is a limited government, because it shapes the laws and standards for your country, it sets the rules that you will have to abide by in your life. I can't imagine being under the rule of a government, gripped by such intense paranoia.
I think that this book highlights the mistrust bread by the communist regime. The constant bugging of offices and public workplaces as well as houses and the fact that the secret police had so many informants that you couldn't trust anyone. This lack of trust is probably what led to the downfall of communism. Also the food shortages and shortages of everything else probably led to a lot of the mistrust of government in the people. Also the cases of the government using the smallest details or faults in character to convict you of a crime led to unrest in the homes of many soviets. In the second chapter shows how hard pressed the average soviet person was when the woman begins telling her stories of how she never wasted anything. From dirty, worn underwear to burnt out light bulbs, they found a use for every object that came their way. The woman explained that because everyone in society was in that sort of position, never throwing anything out was normal. Having to live like that probably drove many citizens to the breaking point and caused many serious hardship in their lives having to just barely scrape by must have been extremely difficult for everyone in soviet society.
‘How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed’ is a fantastic read and gave us a witty perspective of life in a communist country. In the first chapter after Slavenka Drakulic is requested for a chat with the Censor, she herself looks at herself the way a censor would. She viewed all of her actions in a different light: where she went, who she communicated or slept with, what she read, her feminist stance, her entire life was under critical view. This illustrates how cautious everyone was with the way they behaved, so as not to cause any investigations. This chapter also detailed the role of the censor, the person who made sure that writers did not criticize the government or saying anything against the party. Near the end Drakulic commented that though the meeting went well, she was sure that if the Censor wanted to he could find or make up evidence against her. Again, this thought was further displayed during her conversation with her Editor in Chief, whose office was bugged illustrating how the government truly controlled every aspect of the media and peoples’ lives.
The next chapter, was a more in depth look into the daily lives of people, interestingly with the use of household objects. Drakulic comments that the people in a communist country were poor and were continuously preparing themselves for tomorrow because the people did not trust the communist government would ever help them. Pots, jars, nails, shoeboxes, panty hose were used until they were unusable for their initial purpose then recycled and inventing into something new. For instance, using the panty hose as a filter for homemade juice. When the economy was unable to support these people, and living standards were dropping, these people were able to provide for themselves and pull through with their resourcefulness.
I found these chapters very interesting and they gave a new look to communism for me because they look closely at the effects on communism and the effects they have on the people in that Government system. The initial chapter looks at the fact that very little people could trust anyone, and the effect that had on society. Everyone was in a constant state of worry because of their strong insecurities towards society. Their lifestyles were extremely solitary because they always had to evaluate their actions and see if what they did could possibly be turned against them by their neighbors or the government. The next chapter continues this and looks at the daily life of a person under a communist government. Because of the scarcity of money and supplies under a communist government, very little can be thrown away and everyone must look for ways to recycle all of their used goods and put them to use once again. This was what was most surprising to me because in the world today, everybody throws out everything, and people are considered weird if you don’t throw anything out (but it could get you a show on TLC). You could see the significance of the old pants, shoeboxes, and panty hose in the second chapter because they were all items that were always reused and recycled no matter how bad of a condition they were in. I found these chapters very eye opening and gave me a much better look at those who had to spend their daily lives under communism.
These two chapters reveal quite a lot about daily life under the soviet regime. The fear that the main character is instilled with upon hearing the news that the SBD wanted to talk to her is a perfect example of the everyday fear of the government. This chapter also shows how controlling the government was on everyday life, the main character is told to change what she writes about, and the editor has to censor what he says because he believes his room to be bugged. The panty hose, and other objects play into the title of the last chapter because the main character describes how nothing was ever wasted. If something broke down and could be fixed, it would be fixed. People in the Soviet Union were forced to reuse many things to simply get by because many items could not be bought or were very hard to come by.
Communism had taken hold of this one period in history, in the early 20th century and it fell just as fast as it came. For some people, it made life miserable, but for others, it was just another way of life that they learned to live with. Whatever the case, Slavenka Drakulic provides her experience of the life under communism and post-communism in "How we Survived Communism and Even Laughed." In the first chapter, she conveys that aspect that everyone is always on the defensive. She thinks the worst of people and she is constantly trying to figure out what she did wrong and what people are up too. Basically, the only person you can trust is yourself. She also noted the lack of goods and the "pack-rat" style of living. Her family saved everything because they never knew what they would run out of or what they would need. She said that under a communist rule, they expected stagnation and change. This is the picture of communism that I expected, because even though their slogan is everyone is equal and prosperous, history has proven otherwise. With just a small group of people in charge of the state, there is bound to be unequal treatment and poverty. It goes along with human nature. The priviledged will do what they want and everyone else will lag behind. That's why Drakulic's story does not come as a surprise, but as support for an already set opinion.
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