The Soviet Union in the 20th Century - Essay Example

Everything Flows Everything flows is about the Soviet regime’s inhumane treatment of the people of other minorities. The novel talks about the character Ivan Grigoryevich who is lost in the Soviet Union where he has no one to resort to and is trapped in an unfamiliar world. The novel takes on the tragic of society history. Ivan has returned to Russian capital Moscow after spending twenty nine years in soviet labor camps. When he encounters his cousin Nikolay Andreyevich who is compassionate could not help Ivan as he expected. Ivan return to his hometown was only to find that the society has changed to a place where he could no longer survive. Everything Flows shows that the Ivan being a former prisoner had no future in a country where racism and genocide was a norm. (Thesis) The story talks about a man who is caught up in extra – ordinary circumstances. The whole life of Ivan had passed by in obeisance, submission, torture, in fear of hunger and forced labor in Siberia. When Ivan meets Anna he finds from her about the genocide by Stalin which killed farmers at large. The author through the novel explains about the Russian slavery, feudalism and racism .The story is a tale of emotional conflict and political regime of Soviet Union which made the life of minorities a hell. The author tells about the different types and forms of denunciation available to the Soviet citizens. Ivan mediates on the nature of Russia and the totalitarian state. For the author, the life of the Jews will be in suffering. For him, the fate of Jews will be distinct from other as it is the community which faces cruelty, racism and brutality at the hands of Nazis and soviet people. The Jews had been a victim of greatest crime and he did not show a positive future for the Jewish community. The fate of Jews according to the novel was to get killed or incarcerated or wanders around places with no shelter, job or relatives. The Jews were hated and despised and could not practice their religion. They were alienated and whole Europe disliked them. The Jews fate was to flee from their homelands and lose family members and security. As per ( Grossman 128) “ Only one judgement is passed on the executioner. He ceases to be a human being. Though looking on his victims as less than humans, he becomes his own executioner. He executes the human being inside himself”. The genocide and torture of humanity shows the animalistic tendencies of the Nazi people who execution it. Ivan was released from labor camp after the death of Stalin. He has not anything wrong but a victim of time and circumstances. He was one of the innocent people who were condemned and executed in the labor camps of Soviet Union. In the novel, everybody is influenced by the corrupt influence of the Soviet Union regime. Some even compromised on their morality and ethics to climb the social ladder like Ivan’s cousin. The militants, bureaucrats, the informers, the system all are turning their backs on the sufferings of others. Ivan’s own cousin is boasting about his career as a Soviet scientist and is intimidated by the presence of a former political convict. He sees how his relatives have accommodated to the Soviet regime. We can see that Ivan is rejected by his society, relatives and community. We can see that Stalin had place the interest of State above humanity and freedom. As per (Grossman 96) “State terror was directed not against those who had committed crimes but against those who, according to the security organs, were more likely to commit crimes”. In the story, the author shows that a person from a labor camp had no source to live which would be the fate of any Jews who would be released from death camps. Even their relatives would hesitate to help them and they would remain in poverty and despair. The Jews had no right to protect their race and many were their enemies. The author tries to present a scenario in his novel which is not in favor of Jewish people. Jews had no human right in Soviet Union. Ivan felt that the condition of minorities was horrible and pathetic. According to (Grossman 110) “He had seen this very same struggle in the people in camp. Freedom, it seemed, was immortal on both sides of the barbed wire”. The story shows how much value people had in the Soviet Union in the 20th century .Ivan had no place for shelter and was roaming around the place with no support. His life was not worse than it was in labor camp. In Soviet Union, the Jews had no right to practice their religion and no place to socialize .The Soviet regime closed down all institution of Jews religion, cultural and political life. They were treated like mere animals and no human rights and freedom were applicable to them. As per ( Grossman 126) “But the evil committed by the honest people were no less than the evil committed by the bad people “So the fate of Jews is evident in the novel which is victimization to cruelty, torture, slavery and discrimination. They were people with no homeland, religion or identity. The author shows that their children had no right to get education or progression. The Jewish people had no right to raise a family and have cultural events or religious festivals. These people were murdered in mass and their fate was uncertain. In the story we can see that Ivan has no place to go after he is released from the labor camp. So we can see that the situation of Jews is pathetic and they have no means to live a life in peace and security. It was inhumane to understand that most of the Jews who could not escape to other region were slaughtered. The fate of the Jews in the novel is to wander in a country where they were born like orphans. There was spiritual ruin of Jewish community. In the story, we can still see the legacy of Stalinism. The political and racial tension in Russia and the atrocities doomed upon Jews can be vividly understood. The Nazi extermination camp and a person who suffered had been showed clearly. In his novel, he tells the story of millions of victims who died at the hand of Soviet Nazis. The Grossman is showing through his novel that the crime against Jews is crime against humanity. According to him the fate of Jews was to live in terror and fear. As per (Grossman 96)“State terror was directed not against those who had committed crimes but against those who, according to the security organs, were more likely to commit crimes”. The story “Everything Flows” shows the victimization of Jews at the hands of Nazis. Ivan who spends 30 years in forced labor camp finds his life is wrecked while in camp and while he was released. He did not get any help from his cousin in Moscow as they were pre- -occupied with petty success secured by co – operation with state sanctioned campaign of anti - Semitism. He then stays with a widow who falls in love with whom has to share her story of pain. The Ukraine genocide shows the value the Soviet Union politicians placed upon humanity and freedom. Everywhere Ivan goes he is met with despair and disappointment. He does not find peace in his own home land and feels like an alien in his country. Sufferings are everywhere and Ivan finds no glory or hope in Soviet Union. The terrifying life of Ivan show how inhumane was Stalin’s regime. The author suggests that during the 20th century the life of Jews was pathetic. The author is depicting the disastrous life in labor camp in Soviet. The world was informers and denouncers are treated with brutality and people were encouraged to invoke enmity against each other and destroy each other in racism and discrimination. The dictatorship of Stalin has forced the Jews to quit the country or die in desperation. The only moment of happiness in the life of Ivan was when he met Anna. However her agony and death make Ivan think that life was better at labor camp. The killing and deportation, starvation and famine were all the adversities in Soviet Union which made the life of people difficult. Lenin’s and Stalin’s contempt for freedom, fanaticism of faith, cruelty towards enemies all are the characteristics of Russia during 20th century. The non freedom and slavery of Jews during the Russian Nazism is the message of the story. The absurd propaganda of the Russian regime states that the future of Jews was in danger. The villagers are dying because the grains are confiscated and winter is imminent. People are eating worms and cats and children are crawling starving on the streets. Mother eating their own children, decomposed bodies falling apart shows the grotesque scene in Russia during Stalin’s regime. The terror famine and the desperation of a former political prisoner all conclude the life in Russia for minorities was in vain. Read More