The government’s primary stance rests primarily on their need to serve and attend to the needs and welfare of the people and/or the major public. Thus, one of the vital roles which the government portrays is to provide and protect the rights of every human being as a citizen of the land. Working out in the most positive way towards the achievement of common interests and goals, which is that of improving the people’s quality of living and enhancing the social stability of a particular country, are just some of the many required roles and functions that the government has to fulfill in performance of their sworn statement of service for the people. However, as observable in the entire history global political scene, these significant fundamental functions and role of government are not constantly the pictures that describe a specific government.
With the enormous amount of power and influence that is often vested upon the government and its officials, the tendency is to abuse and oppress people. Instead, of helping the society and providing the people of their needs, there are some governments in specific countries across the globe that are abusive of the power vested upon them by the people and tend to be more oppressive to the public.
Thus, with regard to this topic, this paper would further discuss the issue of government’s oppression to the public and the sufferings of people on this tyranny using Eugenia Ginzburg’s book “Journey Into The Whirlwind” which tells about the oppression and abuse of power of the Russian government through their prison and labor camps during the era of the “Great Purge” in Russia on the early 19th century.
The book of Eugenia Ginzburg entitled “Journey into the Whirlwind” was
published in the 1967, which served as one of the first two books of Ginzburg, which basically tells about and renders details of her adverse experiences in the span of eighteen years on the tyranny of Russia’s oppressive Government, under the leadership of Joseph Stalin, during the time of Great Surge in Russia that have started in the early 1930’s.[1] Through this book, the author Eugenia Ginzburg, draws a clear picture of the building presence of fear in the entire Russian society during the time when the Great Surge in the country started.
In the early pages of book, Ginzburg provides details about her early difficulties in the hands of the perpetrators of violence from the Government, from the time she has been relentlessly arrested, from the stages of her interrogation and trial, up to the moment she is incarcerated and has been transferred from various prisons and labor camps.[2] Through a total summation of the reading, this specific account of Ginzburg about her initial ordeals in the time of the Great Purge in Russia only presents the more brutal and painful illustration of her experiences in the prison and labor camps made by the Russian Govenrment.
Prior to her arrest and actual time which she spent in the system of labor camps, which back then is often called as “Gulag,” Eugenia Ginzburg works as a college professor specializing in Communism in one of the most prominent Soviet university and as a local writer/author which has a direct connection to some of the local communist newspaper such as “Red Tartary.”[3] Just like most of the prisoners and/or inmates in the Gulag, Ginzburg has been arrested and sentenced to spend time in labor camps as she is accused to be a political criminal who opposes the
leadership and governance of Joseph Stalin’s administration. Thus, the system of labor camps or Gulag in Russia during the Great Purge is a way of Stalin’s Governance to prevent the rising number of people who are protesting against the government.[4] In this same system, the people are being tortured and forced to admit a crime that they have never committed. However, unlike any other inmates in Gulag, Ginzburg refuses to submit himself to all the cruelties she has experienced and confess the crime that is being accused of her, which in reality are things that she never really committed[5].
There is no-doubt that the story of Eugenia Ginzburg, being one of the inmates in the labor camps, is definitely painful and traumatic, which have prolonged in the span of eighteen years of suffering and cruelty.[6] Thus, the illustration and depiction of Ginzburg’s painful experiences in Gulag is emotional and tragic, as a whole, wherein she has been through numerous brutal and inhumane treatments. Aside from the brutal forced labor and torture coming from the guards and interrogators, she also shares the same fate with other inmate in labor camp of resting and eating in a polluted and an unsanitary condition. Though the story of suffering and difficulties which Eugenia Ginzburg has experienced in the labor camp is regarded to be typical for Russians who have lived during the Stalinist Period, which also shares a common fate of cruelty, Ginzburg’s survival of the entire experience is what sets her apart from other tale of Russians who are not able to make through and died from this horrific incident.
In a sense, there are various reasons as to why Ginzburg, unlike most of the other
unfortunate inmates who have died in the labor camp, has survived the brutality and torture in Gulag. One of these reasons is her luck, which is in a sense considered to be a major factor in her survival from the test of brutality she had in the labor camp. As observable in the narrative of Ginzburg, she is more fortunate to have been excluded from suffering and receiving more of the Stalin’s physical brutality, as performed by the guards and interrogator. Instead, Ginzburg has only received most of the psychological torture as she has been reassigned to be a medical attendant in a prison facility, which definitely influence her survival as this specific reassignment served to be a lucky break for her. Due to this, she is able to escape the hell of Kolyma labor camp and evade the probable death from the cruel hands of the guards and interrogator.
Moreover, Ginzburg’s shown profound attitude of steadfastness despite of all the hardships and brutality she has been experiencing in the labor camp is also one of the major reasons that affected her survival from the imminent death that she almost had during her stay in the Gulag. Unlike her other inmates in the prison camp, Ginzburg has shown profound physical and mental steadfastness in all of the challenges she has faced and received from her abductor. Because of this attitude, Ginzburg has managed to stay determined and positive that she will surpass every challenge and brutalities in the camp, which have made him more capable to endure all the sufferings and pains as one of the prisoners.
Her positive disposition has given her the advantage to give over the others as she constantly expressed her will to live and go through all of the difficulties she is facing right now. From her own words, she said, “I intend to survive.”[7] This is a clear indication that she would not allow the circumstances to simply eat her dignity and perseverance away. There is the will in her to do what is necessary in order for her to survive and get through it alive. Sometimes, it is not the courage alone or the strength that allows a person to become the fittest and survive through difficulties. Rather, it is the positive approach towards difficulties that make them suitable for surpassing difficulties.
More so, the firm stand she takes on her pride is also an important factor in her existence in the camp. Despite the position she is in and the fearful conditions provided in going against the ruling authority, she managed to fight for her rights everyday and assert what she thinks should be legally and ethically. She always stood for what she thinks is right based on sound and rational principles that she carried from her past experiences and jobs. Idealism may not be the right virtue that she can hold on to during times when it is her personal security that she needs to be after. However, she did not hesitate to defend herself and the rights of others, which would clearly send the authorities the message that she is not the kind of person who would simply accept the tings offered to her. This also offered her the chance to never stop in thinking and engaging in critical analysis in order for her to understand the circumstances and consistently find a way through which she can address issues by making her own personal contribution.
Thus, it can be seen that the conditions to which Ginzburg has been subjected is nothing out of the ordinary during that time. However, what makes her experience extraordinary is the fact that she survived it and did it successfully. There are several characteristics within her that allowed her to do this. Among these are courage, optimistic approach to difficulties, brevity in addressing issues which she does not think is right, and circumstances which saved her from being subjected to negative physical conditions. These are lessons that can be learned from especially with the historically important role that she played.
Bibliography
“Eugenia Semyonovna Ginzburg.” Spark Notes. Accessed O6 March 2009, Available from http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/whirlwind/terms/charanal_1.html.
Eugenia Semyonovna Ginzburg. Journey Into the Whirlwind. San Diego: Harcourt,Brace & World, 2002.
Ginzburg, Eugenia. “Journey into Whirlwind – Context.” Spark Notes. Accesed 06 March 2009, Available from http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/whirlwind/context.html.
[1] Eugenia Ginzburg, “Journey into Whirlwind – Context,” Spark Notes, Accesed 06 March 2009, Available from http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/whirlwind/context.html.
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid
[4] Eugenia Semyonovna Ginzburg. Spark Notes. Accessed O6 March 2009, Available from http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/whirlwind/terms/charanal_1.html.
[5] Ibid
[6] Ibid
[7] Eugenia Semyonovna Ginzburg. Journey Into the Whirlwind (San Diego: Harcourt,Brace & World, 2002), 175.
