How We Survived Communism And Even Laughed Essay
of cheese, ten pounds of flour, less than half a pound each of coffee and butter.” (18) Their lives had been controlled all the way down to the measurements and types of food given each month. Along with controlling food, communists also controlled beauty; in the third chapter, Drakulic discusses women’s beauty and materialistic desires during their time under communism. One poignant lines states, “Even if hungry, women still wanted to be beautiful.” (23) The Soviets had created the states fashion by a “lack of products and a lack of choice.” (26) A common theme throughout How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed is that deprivation decreases individuality: it is difficult to be unique among everyone else with such a lack of makeup or clothing
to buy. One of my favorite lines in the text is written in this chapter: “Sometimes I think that the real Iron Curtain is made of silky, shiny images of pretty women dressed in wonderful clothes, of pictures from women’s magazines.” (27) Everything from makeup, tampons, hair dye, and simple clothing were hard to find during life under communism. Drakulic also shines light on women’s daily lives through the story about laundry in the fifth chapter; with a lack of washers and dryers, women were forced to hand wash and air dry every piece of clothing.
Throughout the rest of How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed, Drakulic tells similar stories of her experiences under the regime. She shares just how dehumanizing communism really was through a lack of food, a lack of privacy, and a lack of individuality. Throughout her life under the regime, Drakulic meets countless amazing people who each have their own unique story and lesson to teach. Eventually, she survives life under communism and lived to tell the tale through an incredibly powerful novel filled with fascinating essays that each have their own story to tell. Drakulic’s novel is unique both structurally and stylistically. The novel contains twenty chapters, none of which are in chronological order; Drakulic designs the text in a way so that
to buy. One of my favorite lines in the text is written in this chapter: “Sometimes I think that the real Iron Curtain is made of silky, shiny images of pretty women dressed in wonderful clothes, of pictures from women’s magazines.” (27) Everything from makeup, tampons, hair dye, and simple clothing were hard to find during life under communism. Drakulic also shines light on women’s daily lives through the story about laundry in the fifth chapter; with a lack of washers and dryers, women were forced to hand wash and air dry every piece of clothing.
Throughout the rest of How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed, Drakulic tells similar stories of her experiences under the regime. She shares just how dehumanizing communism really was through a lack of food, a lack of privacy, and a lack of individuality. Throughout her life under the regime, Drakulic meets countless amazing people who each have their own unique story and lesson to teach. Eventually, she survives life under communism and lived to tell the tale through an incredibly powerful novel filled with fascinating essays that each have their own story to tell. Drakulic’s novel is unique both structurally and stylistically. The novel contains twenty chapters, none of which are in chronological order; Drakulic designs the text in a way so that