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Chapter 22
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Between Shades of Gray, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Morality, Integrity, and Sacrifice
Strength and Identity
The Power of Art
Genocide
Women and Mothers
Summary
Analysis
The men who arrived look at all of the deportees. When they arrive at Lina’s group, Mrs. Arvydas begs Elena to tell them in Russian that Andrius is a simpleton. Elena tells them, and they leave the group alone. They are given food and water and finish it quickly. They discuss running, but hear a gunshot and presume it’s not a good idea. The NKVD inspect the train cars and yell at the passengers for “disrespecting” the cars. Andrius theorizes they will go back for more deportees, so that they can sell and get rid of all of them.
The fact that the NKVD yell at the passengers for “disrespecting” the trains show that not only do they have total disregard for their lives, they are actively pretending that they are not human beings with basic bodily functions. This is further evidence that the NKVD seem to stop at nothing in dehumanizing these civilians, and Lina still has no idea why her family is being targeted.
Themes
