Analysis Of Ruta Sepety's Between Shades Of Gray

Taken in her nightgown, Lina Vilkas, a young and innocent 15 year old girl, was abducted from her home, along with her mother and brother. In the book, Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepety’s, her and her family were forced out of their home and taken by the Soviets during the Holocaust and sent to prison camps where they were forced to work like slaves, along with many others. All Lina wants is to see her father, who was also taken earlier, and reunite their family. Suffering for months at a time with little food and water, Lina and her family realize how careless the Soviets are. Along with how they have no escape from the horror they are experiencing in addition to what is yet to come. After many people have been treated poorly and forced into harsh situations
for so long they begin to feel guilt and like nothing, but that doesn’t define them. They need to have courage and ignore what others label them as.

NKVD and Soviets during the Holocaust abducting many innocent and maybe some guilty and Lina Vilkas and her family seemed to have been unfortunately a part of. June 14, 1941, a horrific day for Lina Vilkas and her family. Like an ordinary family loving and caring for each other the going get hard when they are taken from their own home. For an unknown reason that Lina knows of. Lina and her family were forced out of their home or be killed. With this unexpected horror from the Vilkas family they do as the NKVD officers order. Put onto cattle cars like animals, the Vilkas’s and many other abducted people are along the ride of terror. For many miles in the train cars Lina and her family and many of the others suffer while it’s just the beginning. Not knowing anything about what cruelty they were about to face. Line, her brother, Jonas and her mother ride the cattle cars with little food and water they learn dreadfully what their lives are worth to the NKVD and Soviets. A pocket watch. Jonas Lina’s brother was able to stay with his family after his mother begged the officers to let him stay with her, giving them her pocket watch in exchange for Jonas. Realizing the carelessness of the NKVD and the Soviets Lina could not believe the tragedy that was happening to her and her family and many others. Confused and questioning why these men would want to be so cruel to people. Knowing that she did not deserve any of this she looked around at all the suffering people and thought she never going to escape, she lost hope.

Riding in the cattle cars for many months at a time they finally reached a destination which was only temporary.
Arriving, everyone was told to take all of their clothes to take a shower with a limited time. Lina was slapped by a soviet and screamed at like she was a dog. Being treated like she was worthless and nothing. Put to work, Lina and her family only getting little portions of food to survive each day but only if they complete their work they were ordered. While working like they were ordered one day, to dig holes, a soviet came and told them to get in the holes that they dug, the soviet barking orders shot into the holes but didn’t seem to shoot them actually. Ordered to get out Lina and her mother got out and got their portion of food for the day. Her mother, always positive never seemed to be down. Trying to set good examples to the young kids trying to show them that they would get through this and they would go home but everyone knew they would never escape or be free from this. Being forced to work like slaves many people had gotten sick and ill, thinking that everything was over that they would never go home, back to their normal loving families and lives. Everyone became very
negative.