Development of story In these chapters Dunmore is able to give us the back story. We find out all the important information about the family, and are told of the awful situation in Stalin’s Soviet Union even before Nazi aggression brought it into the War. Dunmore makes the horrors of Stalinism as concrete as she can. Anna’s father, Mikhail, seems to have a tough time and Anna on the other hand gives up everything to help run household. Time has come a long way and now Anna seems to learn to change with it , experiencing new people and feelings all along.
Characters introduced Anna- The protagonist Kolya- Brother of Anna Vera- Mother of Anna Mikhail- Father of Anna Marina Petrovna- A friend of Mikhail Oyla- Mother’s protégée Elizaveta Antonova- Anna’s boss
Anna Realistic Reasonable Hardworking: tries to do the best for her family so they can make-do Adaptive Efficient Strong Thinks ahead Knows the effects of Stalinism but manages to push away her fear by immersing herself in her work. Very attached to Koyla
Koyla He is a representation of the life of a child in a war situation. He draws the pity of the readers. Small attention span Innocent Lazy Stubborn
Vera Dedicated Realistic Calm Intelligent Understanding An expert in her field- but also manages to look out for Anna. She is used to describe Anna’s upbringing and current situation, to show how the protagonist came to be and to introduce the presence of Koyla. She is also used to introduce other characters that depict the flaws of Stalinism.
Mikhail Ilyich Unable to support himself Claustrophobic Stubborn He is a testament to the way Stalinism was crushing people. He is idealistic and is unable to accept the changing times, the rejection of his ‘good’ stories. He is scared of Stalin and accepts the situation but is unable to change, and in that was is impractical. Slowly under the iron fist of Stalin, he is breaking down.
Marina Petrovna Mikhail’s friend who also wishes to befriend Vera but is rejected. She is slightly self-obsessed and is an actress in every fiber of her being- striving to make everyone like her. She is another representation of talent crushed by fear. Despite her social nature, circumstances force her to recede from society.
Oyla Oyla is the personification of talent oppressed by the fear that follows in the wake of Stalinism. She is highly intelligent and was a promising radiologist. She lost her job, that meant everything to her due to Stalin’s general orders.
Elizaveta Antonova She is a portrayal of all the superiors in this situation, helpless and living in fear. She is unable to deal with the pressure and is constantly worried as there is no one to stop her from making a mistake. Thus she does her job for the sake of it, ready to comply to any of Koba’s orders.
Plot The scene seems to open as winter lifts from Leningrad, describing the joy of the people, along with the fear of vaporization. Anna has travelled to a dacha where she is staying with her brother and father. We are drawn back into time as it presents how they all ended up here. Mikhail’s father , failing as a writer , publisher, and Anna quitting learning to draw to be here, still an amateur. The plot revolves around the case of the family as death of Anna’s mother is dramatically brought in. With a saddening tone to it , life now seems to go on and Anna seems to adjust to it bluntly, having no choice. Thus with a moving and yet beautifully written plot, the first two chapters come to an end.
Summary The first two chapters of ‘The Siege’ give a background to Leningrad, some of the main characters, the general situation and act as a prologue, introducing the reader to the scene of the story. It begins with an outline of the harsh climate there, the almost never-ending winter with a spring that gives false hopes. The story then depicts the general situation in that time, the fear of vaporization and the difficulties that people lived with. That is followed by an introduction to Anna, Koyla and their father, depicting how they came to their current situation, living in a dacha, Anna doing all the work for the family. Anna’s mother’s death is explained, after a description of their relation and an insight into her mother’s character, as well as an interaction with Marina, who Vera, Anna’s mother, clearly dislikes. There is also tension in Anna’s parents relationship before Vera’s death. The father's character is also introduced and it is seen that he is too idealistic to change with time. His character also represents how Stalin is slowly leeching the life out of his own people, through fear and false hopes. Anna’s life is looked into, an amateur artist forced by situation to leave college, a nursery assistant and the support system of the family. , living in constant fear she takes care of Koyla and her father,. Another presentation of the way Stalin’s control was ruining the life of the people is brought up through the description of Marina, an actress who was shunned for her contacts and Oyla, Vera’s promising protégé who lost her job due to his orders. The chapters end with Anna leaving to visit Marina, as her father wishes.
The surrounding The climate of Leningrad is severe, months of winter followed by a spring that makes one question how they could have bared the winter. •There is an atmosphere of fear, a fight for survival with the vaporizations going on, that leaves one to feel a twisted relief if their neighbor is taken instead of them, that contrasts with the companionship that the people generally feel in the summer months, the feelings of joy and excitement that leads them to recklessness, when in the fear they can barely cross the road. •There are frequent food shortages in the area, and many people losing their jobs due to the evaporation fear as well. •The entire population is focused, like Stalin, on making everything appear to improve, though in reality the people are slowly dying off, situations worsening behind the masks they put up.
Striking lines- Chapter 1 Page 1: ‘hallucination…given up expecting’, ‘murky and doubtful’, ‘spring hurts’, ‘bear what…been’, ‘can’t trust…yourself’ •Page 2: ‘roads are too wide’, ‘so many…much fear’, ‘black vans’, ‘sweat of relief’, ‘shamefully’, ‘birds had no doubts’, ‘drink the light’, ‘can’t bear to part’, ‘their baptism’, •Page 3: ‘understand how they feel’, ‘can’t stay indoors’, ‘promise and recklessness’, ‘getting ready to fly’, ‘no greater possible happiness’, ‘doesn’t belong…celebrating’, ‘overworked mothers…back again’, ‘crush them’, ‘no good letting herself dream’ Page 4: ‘food shortages all the time’, ‘can’t get his work published’, ‘dangerous assets’ Page 5: ‘tone was pessimistic’, ‘life has... More cheerful’, ‘not what people want’ Page 6: ‘what has…anything?’, ‘expected to be thanked’, ‘scouring him out from the inside’, ‘little world…made sense’ Page 7: ‘gets it wrong… on her?’, ‘someone clamped a hand…well-fed hand’, ‘Koba’s’, ‘wouldn’t come off’ Page 11: ‘change in weather’, ‘not before…me’ Page 14: ‘instead off…her arms’, ‘I’m here’
Striking lines- Chapter 2 •Page 15: ‘habit of…easier’, ‘never knew…house’ ‘perfectly well himself’ •Page 16: ‘Anna is…enough’, ‘failing to denounce’, ‘strong’, ‘stick at the job’ ‘maybe its worth…spring’ •Page 17: ‘growing by magic’ •Page 18: ‘losing interest’, ‘as long as…come through’, ‘take off…his too’ •Page 19: ‘capable…are’ ‘unpublishable’ ‘actually released’, ‘disappeared, along with her name’ •Page 20: ‘brilliantly intelligent’ ‘lost my job’ •Page 21: ‘ripping off…flesh’, ‘sees your shadow…him’ •Page 22: ‘wrong-unnatural’ ‘saying goodbye…go’
chapter 3 Characters mentioned Anna Levin (the protagonist)
Kolya (Anna’s younger brother)
Mikhail(Anna’s father)
Marina Petrovna (an actress and a close friend of Mikhail)
Elizaveta Antonovna (The head of the nursery where Anna works)
Lyuba (who works at the nursery)
summary; As Anna reluctantly makes her way to Marina Petrovna dacha to paint a portrait of her, readers get to know more about her life as she thinks of her work in the nursery where she waits on kids all day long just so that she can take care of her little brother, kolya and her unemployed father. She shares with the readers her feelings on her father. She is making her way to marina petrovna’s house just to please her father who seems to feel inferior about not being able to take care of the family and having to depend on his daughter to care of him and kolya . Anna is not confident about her talent. She feels that she is an amateur artist and that she isn't good enough to draw marina . Secretly she just wishes to get out of drawing a portrait of marina as she knows that her mother never used to like the actress. She is so reluctant to meet marina that she almost cycles right past her house!
evidences Pg 23 The wall is crumbling (, para 3 line 2) You could shut your eyes (para 4, last line ) Never gets enough sleep (last para, line 1) Ther isnt enough time (last para, line 2) Pg 24 Feels as if she’s abandoning him (first para, line 2) Pg 25 Never meant her to find the place (para 3, line 2) Much more of her wages than they could afford (para 3, line 4) He was too conscious (para 3, line 7) Praise and encouragement that sounded false in her years(para 3, line 9) Getting hold of an extra hundred grammes of sausage (para 4) Pg 26 I can’t even afford materials (para 2, line 2) Everyone knows and no one talks about (last para,line 3)
chapter 4 summary This chapter focuses on Anna’s encounter with Marina Petrovna. Dunmore highlights one of Anna’s many abilities which is art. She creates a paradox by displaying Anna’s humble nature and how she refuses to take pride in her drawings but showing the readers how Anna knows exactly how to sketch Marina and in what position. The other highlight of the chapter would be the deterioration of Marina’s image and fame. Dunmore points out how she went from the peak of her fame, beauty and wealth to a rather anxious woman who smokes and lives in isolation but still carries her discomfort at being given directions in life.
characters ANNA Anna is portrayed as a humble and talented woman in this chapter. Her artistic thoughts and abilities are brought to the surface during her encounter with Marina Petrovna. Readers also notice how Anna’s artistic sense allows her to envision the drawings in her mind and adjusts the surroundings accordingly. Anna’s keen observation is evident as she analyzes Marina’s situation and compares it to her previous status.
MARINA In this chapter, readers are introduced to Marina Petrovna. Marina is portrayed as a fragile and lonely woman who lives in complete isolation. Despite her image, in this chapter, Dunmore presents Anna’s interpretation and descriptions of the scenario in a way that almost allows the readers to sympathize with her.
evidences Page 28 She might never reach it at all Prickling with excitement Page 29 Her beauty is cool, not warm Page 30 Neither cruel nor kind, but accurate Page 31 This is your idea, not mine You’re a threat to her private world Page 32 She can get free only by drawing her way out of it The arm of a swimmer doing the butterfly stroke. It looks easy, but how the arm aches afterwards
Chapter 8: Summary- The eighth chapter of ‘The Siege’ gives an idea of the hard work, the loss of time and the basic priorities of the war. The chapter starts with Anna finding herself digging out anti-tank defences with Evgenia and the others, realising the hard work and the pain brought by the experience, and finding herself unnerved by the shelling over Leningrad. She finds herself in a strange and bizarre environment of the war. At this point, the curiosity of the well being of Kolya makes her recall her reasons for joining the war. This leads to a flashback of the period during which, Marina leaves her dacha and requests to spend a few nights in Anna’s house until she could live at her friend’s house. While her stay, Marina tries hard to make Anna accept her as a part of the family. This effort often leads to her ending conversations with a reference to Anna’s mother. As days pass by, Marina is unable to move to her friend’s house as their children haven’t been evacuated. The effort put by Marina to change her image on Anna’s mind is clearly portrayed in this chapter. Eventually, Anna leaves Kolya behind, in the hands of Marina, to join the war. The atmosphere of the story and switches back to the defence lines in which Anna is situated. The loss of time is carefully depicted within the last few paragraphs of the chapter with characters like Katinka, who dies and there isn’t time to bury her and Raisa Fyodorovna.
Striking lines- - Pg 57, Acrid stink of fear -pg 57, Green and golden land of summer is changing -pg 57, The german front line is close, but no one knows how close - pg 58, Nothing gets you disappeared faster than a joke overheard by the wrong person -pg 59, Night and terror dissolve -pg 61, Stared around the apartment, as If challenging its reality -pg 62, There’s a screw of salt in the basket - pg 63, Fine, you don’t want to join the grown ups, I shan’t spoil things for you -pg 65, And then everything had changed -pg 65, A fleeting thought as stray as a fragment of a dream, but alive with terror -pg 68, So there was Kolya waving goodbye, in the arms of a woman he had never seen a week before -pg 69, Evgenia stands up, and twists her hair into a knot. Pg 70, The germans aren’t going to wait while our Raisa cleans her fingernails
The attainment of hope and the strong belief that the Mikhailovich family has to stay alive is influentially and respectably portrayed by Dunmore. Despite the 'impossible arithmetic", Anna's family along with Marina and Andrei "believe in their bones" that they will survive and the way they shudder when thinking about the future can be seen by their will to live in the present and be happy with the fact that "tonight...eat". The writer hence portrays that the spirit of Elpis is still inside Pandora's pithos and vividly portrays how when opened, it unleashed a torrent of famine, war and bloodshed leaving hope to thrive inside since it survives best at the hearth of their family comfort and positive beliefs.
Q:12 Booklet PEEP Firstly Dunmore presents the dreads of humanity and the nightmarish awakening of these monsters who seem to be stalking the Russian civilians as they frantically try to rescue themselves from a bottomless abyss they have fallen half way through, of darkness and eternal sleep. "General Hunger" and "General Winter" seem to be punishing the ignorance of the civilians in summertime, who forget "how strong" these deities are. Dunmore's vivid descriptions and their relevance to the context of the German invasion to be matching perfectly. Occurrences which were previously uncommon became a commonplace such as corpses being "strewn across" the streets, worthless as polyethene bags choking a drain.She hence portrays the mentality of the Russians to be one man for himself. As is done so the winter and hunger seem to be pouncing on the minds of the civilians, driving their food deficient brains to insanity, hence evoking empathic feelings in he minds of the readers who now see the victims turning into villains.
Dunmore cleverly foreshadows the upcoming events in Leningrad and during the war. The discussion between General Hunger and General Winter reveals suffering, which the Lenins are going to struggle through the war. The readers are shocked to read that a “five-year old” can be converted to an ”old man” by the extreme coldness and war. The changes of skin color from “red to purple” surprises the reader and make images in the reader’s mind about the painful situation of the Lenins. Thus, Dunmore portrays the situation of war in the novel Siege.
Dunmore portrays the patriotism of the Leningraders during the war. The readers are impressed to read that the Leningraders value their city more than their own lives. The Leningraders either store them in a “cellar” or else if that is not possible they are “wadded with sandbags”. The historical importance of the monuments among the people in such a difficult situation should be appreciated. The readers are shocked to read that the statues and monuments are more valuable for the country rather than its citizen, this seems to be ironical as a countries identity is its citizens.
Dunmore presents the increasing demand for food during winter and very less supply, which leads to people thinking that small quantities of food as a great deal. Anna feels that “1 teaspoon honey” as to be so much and refuses even when Kolya pleads for “two teaspoons” even for a single day. Kolya is asked to chew on “Liqourice root” even if all the taste has been used up as it is good to have “something in the mouth”. The readers understand the scarcity of food in Leningrad.
what features of the siege do you think are most vividly created in this novel? Support your views with detail from Dunmore's writing
through her novel, The Siege, Helen Dunmore has linked different spheres of life that would never go together in any situation other than that of war. Her brilliantly carved out human behaviour to factors such as death, hunger and winter , elucidates a picture that is beyond the imagination of the readers thus keeping them enthralled throughout the novel.
the novel commences with the protagonist's thought on the change in weather as she 'hallucinates of summer' that might never come at all. As summer finally gets through to Leningrad, people finally feel as though they have something to hope for with no idea about the cold and treacherous days to come. The summer symbolizing the tiny spark of belief of the citizens among the forbidding dark clouds of winter and hunger. Thus through her symbolism of the citizens' emotions linking to the change in weather , Dunmore vividly creates the feeling of hope and its destruction.
the fact that the most preposterous circumstances seem normal to the Leningraders seem to shock the readers. as Anna claims the noises of bombs to be 'just the shelling' , as though it is as normal as eating or sleeping. the reference to 'war as if it was weather' shows just how inhuman the Leningraders are becoming. supressing their fear and preventing themselves from going insane after seeing the result of war. thus vividly creating the beginning of people losing their human spirit which is one of the major subjects that are at play in this novel. It is most ironic to see that the Russians are treated like outcasts and misfits in their own land. Leningrad being an 'island of Russia in a sea of Germans' makes the citizens feel more insecure than they really are.it is as though the Russians have infiltrated the German's territory and not the obverse.It is also amusing to know that the Russians are referred to as 'thieves' on their own land, showing the extremity of the war situation that the Russians find themselves to be the enemy of the warfare. Thus through her idea of believing in two completely opposed ideas , Dunmore has created dilemma in the minds of the readers and the citizens of Leningrad alike, on who is the real enemy. Going deeper into the novel, the sense of dignity and patriotism of the Leningraders come into play.as the citizens believe that they would ' blow it up rather than let them have it'. ' them' referring to the Germans who are the real enemy. Showing the patriotism and passion they have for their city and its survival. they do not want their history and heritage going into the wrong hands. They'd rather let it burn to ashes along with the citizens themselves. Dunmore ingeniously brings in the idea of nationalism and pride into the circumstances of bloodshed, thus highlighting it as an important feature of the siege.
Hunger plays a huge role during the time of war. the fine line between survival and death is determined by the degree to which hunger eats its way through the Leningraders. Comparing a 'bag of flour' to 'days of life' shows the extent to which the citizens have bared the excruciating pain of 'shelling and starvation' , the two root causes for the mass destruction of the city of Leningrad. thus through her vivid descriptions of Leningrad at the time of hunger and winter , Dunmore has brilliantly carved out the key feature in the novel.
The value of food has gone so high up that readers find it impossible to comprehend the depth of the situation. The fact that 'no one says... this bread' shows the height of desperation among the citizens of Leningrad. Food is so scarce that people are willing to do absolutely anything. People wish each other 'good luck' as though survival of the war, getting past the cold and starvation as as good as passing an exam with high honours. Thus carving out the value of food and the change in the human spirit of the Leningraders.
in conclusion, I feel that the siege is a novel with a message which was written with a purpose of bringing to the attention of the readers, the value of the most simple things in our lives thus giving a very meaningful end to the poem.
Booklet Question 15 Intro: Dunmore eloquently elevates the progressing friendship and dependence Anna and Marina possess for each other. The union of a well wisher and an ancestral adversary are hence depicted. This aims a crucial notch in the novel as life, to be sustained during such instances of crisis single handedly is a task worthy of being deemed as impossible. As a result of this, a symbiosis takes place with both parties gaining something unto themselves and losing a bare minimum. Dunmore delivers this prospect as a crucial part and parcel, helping Elpis to still be retained in the end, however with some losses.
The readers sense the fear of being vaporized in the families in Leningrad. The people’s thinking has changed due to the vaporization. The people's humane nature has been destroyed and do not feel any pity if one is taken away. Nowadays, people have a “sweat of relief” that it was some other “poor” person is taken in the “van this time”. The readers are shaken at how the people’s thinking has been disturbed under the control of Stalin.
Chapter 1 and 2
ReplyDeleteDevelopment of story
In these chapters Dunmore is able to give us the back story. We find out all the important information about the family, and are told of the awful situation in Stalin’s Soviet Union even before Nazi aggression brought it into the War. Dunmore makes the horrors of Stalinism as concrete as she can. Anna’s father, Mikhail, seems to have a tough time and Anna on the other hand gives up everything to help run household. Time has come a long way and now Anna seems to learn to change with it , experiencing new people and feelings all along.
Characters introduced
Anna- The protagonist
Kolya- Brother of Anna
Vera- Mother of Anna
Mikhail- Father of Anna
Marina Petrovna- A friend of Mikhail
Oyla- Mother’s protégée
Elizaveta Antonova- Anna’s boss
Anna
Realistic
Reasonable
Hardworking: tries to do the best for her family so they can make-do
Adaptive
Efficient
Strong
Thinks ahead
Knows the effects of Stalinism but manages to push away her fear by immersing herself in her work.
Very attached to Koyla
Koyla
He is a representation of the life of a child in a war situation.
He draws the pity of the readers.
Small attention span
Innocent
Lazy
Stubborn
Vera
Dedicated
Realistic
Calm
Intelligent
Understanding
An expert in her field- but also manages to look out for Anna.
She is used to describe Anna’s upbringing and current situation, to show how the protagonist came to be and to introduce the presence of Koyla. She is also used to introduce other characters that depict the flaws of Stalinism.
Mikhail Ilyich
Unable to support himself
Claustrophobic
Stubborn
He is a testament to the way Stalinism was crushing people.
He is idealistic and is unable to accept the changing times, the rejection of his ‘good’ stories.
He is scared of Stalin and accepts the situation but is unable to change, and in that was is impractical.
Slowly under the iron fist of Stalin, he is breaking down.
Marina Petrovna
Mikhail’s friend who also wishes to befriend Vera but is rejected.
She is slightly self-obsessed and is an actress in every fiber of her being- striving to make everyone like her.
She is another representation of talent crushed by fear.
Despite her social nature, circumstances force her to recede from society.
Oyla
Oyla is the personification of talent oppressed by the fear that follows in the wake of Stalinism.
She is highly intelligent and was a promising radiologist.
She lost her job, that meant everything to her due to Stalin’s general orders.
Elizaveta Antonova
She is a portrayal of all the superiors in this situation, helpless and living in fear.
She is unable to deal with the pressure and is constantly worried as there is no one to stop her from making a mistake.
Thus she does her job for the sake of it, ready to comply to any of Koba’s orders.
Plot
ReplyDeleteThe scene seems to open as winter lifts from Leningrad, describing the joy of the people, along with the fear of vaporization. Anna has travelled to a dacha where she is staying with her brother and father. We are drawn back into time as it presents how they all ended up here. Mikhail’s father , failing as a writer , publisher, and Anna quitting learning to draw to be here, still an amateur. The plot revolves around the case of the family as death of Anna’s mother is dramatically brought in. With a saddening tone to it , life now seems to go on and Anna seems to adjust to it bluntly, having no choice. Thus with a moving and yet beautifully written plot, the first two chapters come to an end.
Summary
The first two chapters of ‘The Siege’ give a background to Leningrad, some of the main characters, the general situation and act as a prologue, introducing the reader to the scene of the story. It begins with an outline of the harsh climate there, the almost never-ending winter with a spring that gives false hopes. The story then depicts the general situation in that time, the fear of vaporization and the difficulties that people lived with. That is followed by an introduction to Anna, Koyla and their father, depicting how they came to their current situation, living in a dacha, Anna doing all the work for the family. Anna’s mother’s death is explained, after a description of their relation and an insight into her mother’s character, as well as an interaction with Marina, who Vera, Anna’s mother, clearly dislikes. There is also tension in Anna’s parents relationship before Vera’s death. The father's character is also introduced and it is seen that he is too idealistic to change with time. His character also represents how Stalin is slowly leeching the life out of his own people, through fear and false hopes. Anna’s life is looked into, an amateur artist forced by situation to leave college, a nursery assistant and the support system of the family. , living in constant fear she takes care of Koyla and her father,. Another presentation of the way Stalin’s control was ruining the life of the people is brought up through the description of Marina, an actress who was shunned for her contacts and Oyla, Vera’s promising protégé who lost her job due to his orders. The chapters end with Anna leaving to visit Marina, as her father wishes.
The surrounding
The climate of Leningrad is severe, months of winter followed by a spring that makes one question how they could have bared the winter.
•There is an atmosphere of fear, a fight for survival with the vaporizations going on, that leaves one to feel a twisted relief if their neighbor is taken instead of them, that contrasts with the companionship that the people generally feel in the summer months, the feelings of joy and excitement that leads them to recklessness, when in the fear they can barely cross the road.
•There are frequent food shortages in the area, and many people losing their jobs due to the evaporation fear as well.
•The entire population is focused, like Stalin, on making everything appear to improve, though in reality the people are slowly dying off, situations worsening behind the masks they put up.
Striking lines- Chapter 1
ReplyDeletePage 1: ‘hallucination…given up expecting’, ‘murky and doubtful’, ‘spring hurts’, ‘bear what…been’, ‘can’t trust…yourself’
•Page 2: ‘roads are too wide’, ‘so many…much fear’, ‘black vans’, ‘sweat of relief’, ‘shamefully’, ‘birds had no doubts’, ‘drink the light’, ‘can’t bear to part’, ‘their baptism’,
•Page 3: ‘understand how they feel’, ‘can’t stay indoors’, ‘promise and recklessness’, ‘getting ready to fly’, ‘no greater possible happiness’, ‘doesn’t belong…celebrating’, ‘overworked mothers…back again’, ‘crush them’, ‘no good letting herself dream’
Page 4: ‘food shortages all the time’, ‘can’t get his work published’, ‘dangerous assets’
Page 5: ‘tone was pessimistic’, ‘life has... More cheerful’, ‘not what people want’
Page 6: ‘what has…anything?’, ‘expected to be thanked’, ‘scouring him out from the inside’, ‘little world…made sense’
Page 7: ‘gets it wrong… on her?’, ‘someone clamped a hand…well-fed hand’, ‘Koba’s’, ‘wouldn’t come off’
Page 11: ‘change in weather’, ‘not before…me’
Page 14: ‘instead off…her arms’, ‘I’m here’
Striking lines- Chapter 2
•Page 15: ‘habit of…easier’, ‘never knew…house’ ‘perfectly well himself’
•Page 16: ‘Anna is…enough’, ‘failing to denounce’, ‘strong’, ‘stick at the job’ ‘maybe its worth…spring’
•Page 17: ‘growing by magic’
•Page 18: ‘losing interest’, ‘as long as…come through’, ‘take off…his too’
•Page 19: ‘capable…are’ ‘unpublishable’ ‘actually released’, ‘disappeared, along with her name’
•Page 20: ‘brilliantly intelligent’ ‘lost my job’
•Page 21: ‘ripping off…flesh’, ‘sees your shadow…him’
•Page 22: ‘wrong-unnatural’ ‘saying goodbye…go’
chapter 3
ReplyDeleteCharacters mentioned
Anna Levin (the protagonist)
Kolya (Anna’s younger brother)
Mikhail(Anna’s father)
Marina Petrovna (an actress and a close friend of Mikhail)
Elizaveta Antonovna (The head of the nursery where Anna works)
Lyuba (who works at the nursery)
summary;
As Anna reluctantly makes her way to Marina Petrovna dacha to paint a portrait of her, readers get to know more about her life as she thinks of her work in the nursery where she waits on kids all day long just so that she can take care of her little brother, kolya and her unemployed father. She shares with the readers her feelings on her father. She is making her way to marina petrovna’s house just to please her father who seems to feel inferior about not being able to take care of the family and having to depend on his daughter to care of him and kolya . Anna is not confident about her talent. She feels that she is an amateur artist and that she isn't good enough to draw marina . Secretly she just wishes to get out of drawing a portrait of marina as she knows that her mother never used to like the actress. She is so reluctant to meet marina that she almost cycles right past her house!
evidences
Pg 23
The wall is crumbling (, para 3 line 2)
You could shut your eyes (para 4, last line )
Never gets enough sleep (last para, line 1)
Ther isnt enough time (last para, line 2)
Pg 24
Feels as if she’s abandoning him (first para, line 2)
Pg 25
Never meant her to find the place (para 3, line 2)
Much more of her wages than they could afford (para 3, line 4)
He was too conscious (para 3, line 7)
Praise and encouragement that sounded false in her years(para 3, line 9)
Getting hold of an extra hundred grammes of sausage (para 4)
Pg 26
I can’t even afford materials (para 2, line 2)
Everyone knows and no one talks about (last para,line 3)
chapter 4
summary
This chapter focuses on Anna’s encounter with Marina Petrovna. Dunmore highlights one of Anna’s many abilities which is art. She creates a paradox by displaying Anna’s humble nature and how she refuses to take pride in her drawings but showing the readers how Anna knows exactly how to sketch Marina and in what position. The other highlight of the chapter would be the deterioration of Marina’s image and fame. Dunmore points out how she went from the peak of her fame, beauty and wealth to a rather anxious woman who smokes and lives in isolation but still carries her discomfort at being given directions in life.
characters
ANNA
Anna is portrayed as a humble and talented woman in this chapter. Her artistic thoughts and abilities are brought to the surface during her encounter with Marina Petrovna. Readers also notice how Anna’s artistic sense allows her to envision the drawings in her mind and adjusts the surroundings accordingly. Anna’s keen observation is evident as she analyzes Marina’s situation and compares it to her previous status.
MARINA
In this chapter, readers are introduced to Marina Petrovna. Marina is portrayed as a fragile and lonely woman who lives in complete isolation. Despite her image, in this chapter, Dunmore presents Anna’s interpretation and descriptions of the scenario in a way that almost allows the readers to sympathize with her.
evidences
Page 28
She might never reach it at all
Prickling with excitement
Page 29
Her beauty is cool, not warm
Page 30
Neither cruel nor kind, but accurate
Page 31
This is your idea, not mine
You’re a threat to her private world
Page 32
She can get free only by drawing her way out of it
The arm of a swimmer doing the butterfly stroke. It looks easy, but how the arm aches afterwards
Try this out
ReplyDeleteHow does Hellen Dunmore powerfully portray the sense of fear and control in the city of Leningrad in the novel The Siege?
Try this out
ReplyDeleteExplore how Hellen Dunmore vividly portrays the people of Leningrad unemotional/unsentimental of death during block out in the novel The Siege.
Chapter 8:
ReplyDeleteSummary-
The eighth chapter of ‘The Siege’ gives an idea of the hard work, the loss of time and the basic priorities of the war. The chapter starts with Anna finding herself digging out anti-tank defences with Evgenia and the others, realising the hard work and the pain brought by the experience, and finding herself unnerved by the shelling over Leningrad. She finds herself in a strange and bizarre environment of the war. At this point, the curiosity of the well being of Kolya makes her recall her reasons for joining the war. This leads to a flashback of the period during which, Marina leaves her dacha and requests to spend a few nights in Anna’s house until she could live at her friend’s house. While her stay, Marina tries hard to make Anna accept her as a part of the family. This effort often leads to her ending conversations with a reference to Anna’s mother. As days pass by, Marina is unable to move to her friend’s house as their children haven’t been evacuated. The effort put by Marina to change her image on Anna’s mind is clearly portrayed in this chapter. Eventually, Anna leaves Kolya behind, in the hands of Marina, to join the war. The atmosphere of the story and switches back to the defence lines in which Anna is situated. The loss of time is carefully depicted within the last few paragraphs of the chapter with characters like Katinka, who dies and there isn’t time to bury her and Raisa Fyodorovna.
Striking lines-
- Pg 57,
Acrid stink of fear
-pg 57,
Green and golden land of summer is changing
-pg 57,
The german front line is close, but no one knows how close
- pg 58,
Nothing gets you disappeared faster than a joke overheard by the wrong person
-pg 59,
Night and terror dissolve
-pg 61,
Stared around the apartment, as If challenging its reality
-pg 62,
There’s a screw of salt in the basket
- pg 63,
Fine, you don’t want to join the grown ups, I shan’t spoil things for you
-pg 65,
And then everything had changed
-pg 65,
A fleeting thought as stray as a fragment of a dream, but alive with terror
-pg 68,
So there was Kolya waving goodbye, in the arms of a woman he had never seen a week before
-pg 69,
Evgenia stands up, and twists her hair into a knot.
Pg 70,
The germans aren’t going to wait while our Raisa cleans her fingernails
The attainment of hope and the strong belief that the Mikhailovich family has to stay alive is influentially and respectably portrayed by Dunmore. Despite the 'impossible arithmetic", Anna's family along with Marina and Andrei "believe in their bones" that they will survive and the way they shudder when thinking about the future can be seen by their will to live in the present and be happy with the fact that "tonight...eat". The writer hence portrays that the spirit of Elpis is still inside Pandora's pithos and vividly portrays how when opened, it unleashed a torrent of famine, war and bloodshed leaving hope to thrive inside since it survives best at the hearth of their family comfort and positive beliefs.
ReplyDeleteQ:12 Booklet
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Firstly Dunmore presents the dreads of humanity and the nightmarish awakening of these monsters who seem to be stalking the Russian civilians as they frantically try to rescue themselves from a bottomless abyss they have fallen half way through, of darkness and eternal sleep. "General Hunger" and "General Winter" seem to be punishing the ignorance of the civilians in summertime, who forget "how strong" these deities are. Dunmore's vivid descriptions and their relevance to the context of the German invasion to be matching perfectly. Occurrences which were previously uncommon became a commonplace such as corpses being "strewn across" the streets, worthless as polyethene bags choking a drain.She hence portrays the mentality of the Russians to be one man for himself. As is done so the winter and hunger seem to be pouncing on the minds of the civilians, driving their food deficient brains to insanity, hence evoking empathic feelings in he minds of the readers who now see the victims turning into villains.
hi everybody,
ReplyDeletethese are the themes that we discussed in class today on The Siege
-fear and high control
-war and destruction
-human spirit
-survival
-friendship
-family and relationships
-hunger
-love
Dunmore cleverly foreshadows the upcoming events in Leningrad and during the war. The discussion between General Hunger and General Winter reveals suffering, which the Lenins are going to struggle through the war. The readers are shocked to read that a “five-year old” can be converted to an ”old man” by the extreme coldness and war. The changes of skin color from “red to purple” surprises the reader and make images in the reader’s mind about the painful situation of the Lenins. Thus, Dunmore portrays the situation of war in the novel Siege.
ReplyDeleteDunmore portrays the patriotism of the Leningraders during the war. The readers are impressed to read that the Leningraders value their city more than their own lives. The Leningraders either store them in a “cellar” or else if that is not possible they are “wadded with sandbags”. The historical importance of the monuments among the people in such a difficult situation should be appreciated. The readers are shocked to read that the statues and monuments are more valuable for the country rather than its citizen, this seems to be ironical as a countries identity is its citizens.
ReplyDeleteDunmore presents the increasing demand for food during winter and very less supply, which leads to people thinking that small quantities of food as a great deal. Anna feels that “1 teaspoon honey” as to be so much and refuses even when Kolya pleads for “two teaspoons” even for a single day. Kolya is asked to chew on “Liqourice root” even if all the taste has been used up as it is good to have “something in the mouth”. The readers understand the scarcity of food in Leningrad.
ReplyDeletewhat features of the siege do you think are most vividly created in this novel? Support your views with detail from Dunmore's writing
ReplyDeletethrough her novel, The Siege, Helen Dunmore has linked different spheres of life that would never go together in any situation other than that of war. Her brilliantly carved out human behaviour to factors such as death, hunger and winter , elucidates a picture that is beyond the imagination of the readers thus keeping them enthralled throughout the novel.
the novel commences with the protagonist's thought on the change in weather as she 'hallucinates of summer' that might never come at all. As summer finally gets through to Leningrad, people finally feel as though they have something to hope for with no idea about the cold and treacherous days to come. The summer symbolizing the tiny spark of belief of the citizens among the forbidding dark clouds of winter and hunger. Thus through her symbolism of the citizens' emotions linking to the change in weather , Dunmore vividly creates the feeling of hope and its destruction.
the fact that the most preposterous circumstances seem normal to the Leningraders seem to shock the readers. as Anna claims the noises of bombs to be 'just the shelling' , as though it is as normal as eating or sleeping. the reference to 'war as if it was weather' shows just how inhuman the Leningraders are becoming. supressing their fear and preventing themselves from going insane after seeing the result of war. thus vividly creating the beginning of people losing their human spirit which is one of the major subjects that are at play in this novel.
It is most ironic to see that the Russians are treated like outcasts and misfits in their own land. Leningrad being an 'island of Russia in a sea of Germans' makes the citizens feel more insecure than they really are.it is as though the Russians have infiltrated the German's territory and not the obverse.It is also amusing to know that the Russians are referred to as 'thieves' on their own land, showing the extremity of the war situation that the Russians find themselves to be the enemy of the warfare. Thus through her idea of believing in two completely opposed ideas , Dunmore has created dilemma in the minds of the readers and the citizens of Leningrad alike, on who is the real enemy.
Going deeper into the novel, the sense of dignity and patriotism of the Leningraders come into play.as the citizens believe that they would ' blow it up rather than let them have it'. ' them' referring to the Germans who are the real enemy. Showing the patriotism and passion they have for their city and its survival. they do not want their history and heritage going into the wrong hands. They'd rather let it burn to ashes along with the citizens themselves. Dunmore ingeniously brings in the idea of nationalism and pride into the circumstances of bloodshed, thus highlighting it as an important feature of the siege.
Hunger plays a huge role during the time of war. the fine line between survival and death is determined by the degree to which hunger eats its way through the Leningraders. Comparing a 'bag of flour' to 'days of life' shows the extent to which the citizens have bared the excruciating pain of 'shelling and starvation' , the two root causes for the mass destruction of the city of Leningrad. thus through her vivid descriptions of Leningrad at the time of hunger and winter , Dunmore has brilliantly carved out the key feature in the novel.
ReplyDeleteThe value of food has gone so high up that readers find it impossible to comprehend the depth of the situation. The fact that 'no one says... this bread' shows the height of desperation among the citizens of Leningrad. Food is so scarce that people are willing to do absolutely anything. People wish each other 'good luck' as though survival of the war, getting past the cold and starvation as as good as passing an exam with high honours. Thus carving out the value of food and the change in the human spirit of the Leningraders.
in conclusion, I feel that the siege is a novel with a message which was written with a purpose of bringing to the attention of the readers, the value of the most simple things in our lives thus giving a very meaningful end to the poem.
(P.S. sir could you give me marks on my essay?)
Booklet Question 15
ReplyDeleteIntro: Dunmore eloquently elevates the progressing friendship and dependence Anna and Marina possess for each other. The union of a well wisher and an ancestral adversary are hence depicted. This aims a crucial notch in the novel as life, to be sustained during such instances of crisis single handedly is a task worthy of being deemed as impossible. As a result of this, a symbiosis takes place with both parties gaining something unto themselves and losing a bare minimum. Dunmore delivers this prospect as a crucial part and parcel, helping Elpis to still be retained in the end, however with some losses.
The readers sense the fear of being vaporized in the families in Leningrad. The people’s thinking has changed due to the vaporization. The people's humane nature has been destroyed and do not feel any pity if one is taken away. Nowadays, people have a “sweat of relief” that it was some other “poor” person is taken in the “van this time”. The readers are shaken at how the people’s thinking has been disturbed under the control of Stalin.
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