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Chapter 25
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
Elena translates that ten people will go and bathe at a time. The women undress as the guards ogle at them. A guard gropes Lina’s breast, and it makes her feel sick, dirty, and violated. Elena yells at the guard in Russian and pulls Lina behind Ona, who is still caked in blood from her rushed delivery. The guards scream at Elena to remove the rest of her clothing, and they are marched into the bathhouse.
The scene becomes even more ominous when the women must strip in front of the guards, who could easily assault them if they decided to. Lina is molested by an officer, but their guns and her nakedness don’t allow her to fight back. This scene shows how women were particularly vulnerable during times of war.
Themes
