Between Shades of Gray: Chapter 10 Summary & Analysis

Lina counts forty-six people in the train car, and imagines it to be a rolling coffin. She begins to draw in the dirt on the floor to pass the time. People speculate as to where the train might be heading. Lina and Jonas begin to chat with a boy Lina’s age named Andrius Arvydas while Elena speaks to his mother. Andrius says his father is in the army, and that he has been gone for a while. Lina observes that his mother seems “fancy and unaccustomed to dirt.” Jonas wonders if he will be let out to look for Kostas at the station, but Andrius says he saw someone beaten for trying to run away. Lina calls the NKVD “pigs,” and Andrius tells her to be careful with what she says.

Andrius’ mother tells Elena that she had to bribe and tell the NKVD that Andrius is mentally disabled in order to keep the two of them together, much like Elena had to bribe the officer to keep Jonas with her. Ona’s baby cries continually, and Mrs. Rimas reports that the baby cannot latch onto Ona’s breast in order to feed. Long, hot hours pass without food or relief. Andrius tries to jump off the car to use the bathroom, but is punched and thrown back. The passengers eventually discover a small hole in which to relieve themselves. Mrs. Rimas organizes the children to tell them stories and distract them from the smells and horrors of the train car.

In a flashback, Lina recalls being a young child listening to a librarian tell a fantastical story. As she listens to the tale, Lina draws the dragon and princess being described. She is so absorbed in her drawing that she does not notice the end of the story and that the other children have departed. She shows her drawing to the librarian, who is immediately impressed by her skill.