If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel. Need help on characters in ruta sepetyss between shades of gray. Between shades of gray summary from litcharts the creators of. During world war ii jewish civilians were put into concentration camps where they were forced to work and live in horrible conditions, were fed poorly, and were tortured almost every day. Fifty shades of grey is a 2011 erotic romance novel by british author e. I have read this book about 3 times now, and i love it even more. Discuss the character traits that allow lina, jonas, and andrius to ultimately persevere. Reading between shades of gray reminded me, once again, the importance of reading books. I feel grateful for a writer like ruta sepetys who bravely tells the hard story of what happens to the innocent when world leaders and their minions choose hate and. They are part of the soviet union who take lina and her family to a work camp in siberia.
Between shades of gray characters from litcharts the creators of. Between shades of gray born and raised in michigan, ruta sepetys is the daughter of a lithuanian refugee. Shades of gray is young adult historicalfiction about the aftermath american civil war. Lina and her mother are forced to dig holes in order to get a small amount of bread. D barracks to get her reward for the portrait, the officers threw the bread and potatoes at them, then started throwing garbage. It is not just that she wants us to understand that love can conquer hate in many small ways. I have become obsessed with her books and her outstanding level of writing. As this is a story seldom told, ruta wanted to give a voice to the hundreds of thousands of people who lost their lives during. They started from lithuania and ended up in a concentration camp in siberia and the novel described the. Related questions and answers for characters in shades of gray. An international best seller, a numberone new york times best seller, and now a major motion picture ruta sepetyss between shades of gray is now the film ashes in the snow. Richard peck, newbery awardwinning author of a year down yonder between shades of gray is a story of astonishing force. Sepetys is very deliberate in her framing of love as a choice one makes. Between shades of gray major character analysis supersummary.
While on the train to the artic circle lina writes to andruis and hides them in the dickens book andruis gave her for her sixteenth birthday elena vilkas lina and jonass mother married to kostas vilkas long honey colored hair goes out of her way to help everybody. Despite the situation lina is placed in at the young age of fifteen, she audaciously chooses to write about the terrible cruelties the soviets are doing to those around her as well as. It is through her perspective that we experience the soviet genocide of lithuanians, as she serves as a witness to many. Pdf between shades of gray book by ruta sepetys free. This book gets a strong 3 for a variety of reasons. The between shades of gray community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you.
Parents need to know that between shades of gray is a story of horrific cruelty and violence for mature tweens and up. Theme 1one of the first themes that you will get from this story is courage. Between shades of gray is a riveting novel that steals your breath, captures your heart, and reveals the miraculous nature of the human spirit. Lina fights for her life, vowing that if she survives she will honor her family, and the thousands like hers, by burying her complete story in. It is notable for its explicitly erotic scenes featuring elements of sexual practices involving bdsm bondage. It is notable for its explicitly erotic scenes featuring elements. Free download or read online between shades of gray pdf epub book. They started from lithuania and ended up in a concentration camp in siberia and the novel described the whole travel and setting just like in history. Analysis of the book between shades of gray 888 words. Between shades of gray is a story about family, suffering, survival, hope, evil, and friendship. Shades of gray is a young adult novel that was written by carolyn reeder.
The main character in the novel is lina vilkas, a fifteenyearold lithuanian girl. It became the first instalment in the fifty shades novel series that follows the deepening relationship between a college graduate, anastasia steele, and a young business magnate, christian grey. Lina vilkas is the major character in the book and also the narrator. To survive an ordeal such of this took an almost inhuman determination and endurance that certainly appears in the characters in the book. In the book between the shades of gray, ruta sepetys gives a very compelling account of the soviet invasion of the country of lithuania in 1941.
Linas old vs new selfman vs self lina struggles in the book to hold on to the happiness and love from her life before the camps, while also having to grow up fast in order to survive the harsh emotional. Teen, 15 years old written by al watson august 9, 2019. William page is a young man and the main characterwho. Before reading this book, i was unaware of the mass deportations carried out in lithuania by stalin during and after the second world war. Between shades of gray is one of the best novellas ive ever come across. Learn more at about the author born and raised in michigan, ruta sepetys is the daughter of a lithuanian refugee. The inspiration for the major motion picture ashes in the snow.
The beauty of this book comes from the main character, a 15 years old girl who. Lina struggles to retain her strength as they force them to do hard labor in return for meager food rations. Between shades of gray isnt the type of book id normally read, but im extremely glad that i decided to read it. Lina vilkas is fifteen years old when she and her family are deported from their comfortable middle class home in lithuania in 1941. The polar night is a time during the winter when the sun falls below the horizon for 180 days. Where does the book between shades of gray take place in. During world war 2, the soviet union red army and the germany nazis were battling over the baltic states for power. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 344 pages and is available in hardcover format.
Minor characters are memorably and vividly drawn, and the first half of the book, in particular, roars along. She sent in an application for an art school and she got in, but then she got taken away by the nkvd. Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important. They know something bad is coming but they try to stay positave and not give up hope. The novel, between shades of gray, mirrors the time period it took place in. In this book, kids are sent to a summer camp where they are forced to dig holes 5 feet around. Welcome to the first meeting of our two main characters. Between shades of gray by ruta sepetys plot summary litcharts. Analysis ofthe book thief, and between shades of gray. Watch the moving and poignant author video at discussion questions as the novel opens, lina explains that though the signs were in place, she has little understanding that her parents had planned to attempt to escape lithuania. I feel grateful for a writer like ruta sepetys who bravely tells the hard story of what happens to the innocent when world leaders and their minions choose hate. In conclusion, the author of between shades of gray portrayed the setting accurately to describe the vast distance and places lina and her family traveled through. The nations of lithuania, latvia, and estonia disappeared from maps in 1941 and did not reappear until 1990.
Between shades of gray characters ruta sepetys this study guide consists of approximately 32 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of between shades of gray. In the novel, sepetys provides many examples of human beings treat those who are inferior to them poorley. The pictures depicted all through the book are astounding. Who are the characters in shades of simon grey answers.
She is arrested alongside her mother, elena, and tenyearold brother jonas. Between shades of gray character analysis litcharts. Main characters the main characters are lina, a 15 year old lithuanian, linas younger brother, jonas, elena vilkas, there mom, nikolia kretsey, a russian gaurd, and andrius, linas friend. It follows the stalinist repressions of the mid20th century and follows the life of lina as she is deported from her native lithuania with her mother and younger brother, and the journey they take to a labor camp in siberia.
Author the author of between shades of gray is ruta sepetys beginning middle they arrive. The main characters are simon gray, devon, danny, liz, and kyle. The difference is in holes, they have to dig 5 foot holes, and in shades of gray, they have to dig 2 foot holes. Ruta sepetyss between shades of gray is now the film ashes in the snow. While this book was hard to read, lina is an incredibly strong, likeable heroine and her mother, elena, was the voice of optimism, hope, and kindness. Their educational value cannot be underestimated whether its fiction or nonfiction. Lina is fifteen years old when she is taken prisoner by the nkvd and it will. He is a major character, beloved by all, including the sour mr. It was nominated for the 2012 cilip carnegie medal and has been. There is no real resolution or end to the story it just stops without allowing the reader to gain any sense of where the main character or anyone else is at the end.
May 31, 20 in the year of 1941, the small countries of latvia, estonia, and lithuania were all absorbed by the soviet union, and became immediately subject to joseph stalins communist rule. The washington postfrom new york times and international bestseller and carnegie medal winner ruta sepetys, author of salt to the sea, comes a. Between shades of gray, a new york times best seller, is the debut novel of american novelist ruta sepetys. Between shades of grey, has a central theme of human value which is expressed in the quote above. In june of 1941, fifteenyearold lina vilkas is arrested by the soviet secret police, the nkvd, from her home in kaunas, lithuania. Between shades of gray kindle edition by sepetys, ruta. His sweet and innocent personality is evident throughout the book, although lina is. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. The first book is fifty shades of gray, the second book it fifty shades darker, and the third book is fifty shade freed.
The family is given very little time to pack before they. The book explained in great detail the sacrifices, the fear, and the pain that these lithuanians faced. Between shades of gray major character analysis lina vilkas it is through her perspective that we experience the soviet genocide of lithuanians, as she serves as a witness to many atrocities and experiences the loss of both her parents. Between shades of gray by elizabeth anderson on prezi. Her father kostas has been arrested earlier, and they dont know where he is.
Lists of people who were considered enemies of the state were compiled and these people were removed from their homes and workplaces. To go through what they went through you have to be couragest. The testimony of these characters is produced to create an absolute record, to speak in a world where their voices have been extinguished sepetys 338. Pdf downloads of all 1297 litcharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish.
From a writing and character point of view, between shades of gray does a solid job delivering as a work of historical fiction. Apr 07, 2011 between shades of gray is a story about family, suffering, survival, hope, evil, and friendship. Until one night when soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life. One of the first themes that you will get from this story is courage. Author interview ruta sepetys, author of between shades of gray. Lina had to make the picture flattering but every time she looked at the commander all she saw was smoke and snakes crawling out of a grey skull lina and jonas went to the back of the n. Lina is just like any other fifteenyearold lithuanian girl in 1941. The main way i think the book could have been exceptional is whether we could really have had a visual of linas drawings. Her parents, elena and kostas, also have a son, the tenyearold jonas. The story takes place shortly after the civil war in america. Recommended resources discussion guide between shades of gray. While reading between shades of gray you will see how much courage these people have. The main characters of this young adult, historical story are lina, jonas. The between shades of gray community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and.
Although between shades of gray is sepetys debut novel, she is no stranger. This reminds me of the moviebook holes by louis sachar. Mar 12, 2015 the polar night is a time during the winter when the sun falls below the horizon for 180 days. The first edition of the novel was published in march 22nd 2011, and was written by ruta sepetys. Between shades of gray by ruta sepetys, published in 2011, is a fictional story based on reallife testimonies of peoples experiences during the stalinist repression of the midtwentieth. The washington post from new york times and international bestseller and carnegie medal winner ruta sepetys, author of salt to the sea, comes a story of loss and of fear and ultimately, of survival.
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