Chapter summaries Between Shades of Gray Ruta Sepetys

Chapter 17: A Rainy Memory and the First Deaths

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

The chapter opens on the train with Lina reflecting on the men’s voices heard earlier—proud and confident—and wondering where they and her own car are headed. The women tend to Ona and her baby, who cannot nurse because Ona’s ducts are clogged and she is dehydrated. After days of travel, the train stops in a remote area so prisoners can empty latrine buckets. It is Lina’s turn to go out. Before descending, she flashes back to a rainy day in Kaunas when she was splashing an umbrella and accidentally sprayed a gentleman outside a restaurant. The memory includes a rainbow and a concert in the park she planned to attend with her mother. Back in the present, the sky is gray and rain is falling. When the door opens, an NKVD guard spits on Lina after she stumbles into the mud. She sees two dead children thrown from the train and a woman struck with a rifle butt. Lina is paralyzed by the sight and briefly considers running into the field. Andrius takes the buckets from her and retrieves water and gray animal feed. The NKVD throws her back inside. Lina tells her mother she wanted to run. Mother responds that while the desire is understandable, they must stay together as Papa said. She insists the family knows who they really are, and that the NKVD is wrong to treat them like animals. Lina notices that some prisoners already appear hopeless.

Key Events

  • Lina has a flashback to a peaceful rainy day in Kaunas involving an umbrella, a gentleman outside a restaurant, and a rainbow.
  • On the train, Ona’s baby refuses to suckle because Ona is too dehydrated.
  • The train stops in a secluded spot; Lina is allowed out with buckets.
  • An NKVD guard spits on Lina and hurries her; she sees dead children thrown from the train and a woman beaten.
  • Lina freezes, tempted to run, but Andrius retrieves the buckets and fetches water and feed.
  • Back inside, Lina whispers to her mother that she wanted to run; Mother affirms the urge but stresses unity and self-worth.
  • Mother declares they will soon be home once the world learns of Soviet atrocities.

Character Development

Lina is shaken by her first direct encounter with death on the journey. Her instinct to flee shows her desperation, but her mother’s words anchor her. The memory of Kaunas reveals how deeply she clings to her former identity as an artist and a carefree girl. Mother (Elena) emerges as a resolute moral anchor, refusing to let the NKVD’s cruelty define her family’s self-image. Andrius acts practically, taking charge of the water and feed despite his own bruised face. Ona and Mrs. Rimas highlight the physical toll of starvation and dehydration on the most vulnerable passengers.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Memory as escape: Lina’s detailed recollection of the umbrella, the restaurant, and the concert serves as a mental refuge from the horror of the train car.
  • Dehumanization vs. self-knowledge: The NKVD throws bodies like garbage and spits on prisoners, yet Mother insists “we know us” and that their identity cannot be stolen.
  • Death as a new presence: The sight of children’s corpses being dumped in the mud marks the first explicit on-page deaths, signaling that mortality has now entered the narrative.
  • The field as temptation: The green field beckons Lina to run, symbolizing the pull of individual survival against the collective promise of staying together.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter introduces death as an active force on the deportation train—no longer just a threat but a reality. Lina’s flashback contrasts sharply with the present violence, emphasizing what she has lost. Mother’s defiant speech about not allowing the guards to convince them they are animals becomes a central statement of resistance. It also sets up the ongoing struggle between hope and despair among the prisoners.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. What does Lina’s flashback reveal about her life before the deportation?
    The flashback shows Lina in Kaunas, enjoying a rainy day, splashing an umbrella, and planning a concert picnic with her mother. It reveals her former comfort, artistic sensibility, and innocence, all now shattered.

  2. Why does Lina freeze and consider running when she sees the dead bodies?
    The shock of seeing dead children and the brutality of the NKVD triggers a survival instinct. She perceives the green field as a chance to escape, but her mother’s voice and her own loyalty prevent her from acting.

  3. How does Mother counter the dehumanization the NKVD imposes?
    Mother insists that they know who they truly are—human beings with dignity—and that the guards are wrong to treat them like animals. She commands Lina never to let the guards convince her otherwise, reinforcing their shared identity.

Navigation