Chapter 63 Summary & Analysis
⚠️ 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 group travels all morning in a truck through wooded roads. Lina thinks of Andrius and feels relief to have left the commander and Kretzsky behind, hoping they are closer to Krasnoyarsk and Papa. The truck stops in a field for a brief break; Kretzsky’s voice confirms he is still with them. Late afternoon they reach a train station at Biysk. Unlike the chaotic deportation in Kaunas, exhausted gray people move slowly toward the cars. The bald man instructs everyone to crowd near the door to discourage more passengers. They succeed and end up with only thirty-three people in a longer car with a lamp. A sick girl with yellowed skin and swollen eyes boards with her mother; Lina learns the girl is Lithuanian. Mrs. Rimas complains about the filth. The bald man retorts sarcastically. The sick girl coughs relentlessly. Lina speaks with a young girl named Janina whose doll was killed by NKVD—shot in the air like a pigeon. Janina shows a scar from when a guard hit her for crying. She notices Lina’s scar and they compare injuries. Janina asks about Andrius’s stone and wants it, but Lina keeps it. Mother says the stone is good luck. The tall man brings news: Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, and the United States and Britain have declared war. Mother recalls Dr. Seltzer’s words about Stalin wanting to protect Leningrad from the West after the invasion of Finland.
Key Events
- The group rides in a truck through the woods and stops briefly at a field; Kretzsky is present.
- They arrive at Biysk train station and board a freight car, successfully limiting its occupancy to thirty-three people.
- A sick Lithuanian girl (the “lemon girl”) enters the car with her mother; Lina and Mother help them.
- Lina talks with Janina, a young girl whose doll was murdered by NKVD; Janina shows a scar from a guard’s blow.
- Janina notices Lina’s scar and asks about Andrius’s gift (a sparkly stone). Mother declares the stone good luck.
- The tall man announces the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the US and British declarations of war.
- Mother reflects on Dr. Seltzer’s earlier warning about Soviet invasion of Finland.
Character Development
- Lina: Shows empathy by helping the lemon girl and listening to Janina. She holds onto Andrius’s stone as a token of hope and connection. Her thoughts often turn to Andrius and her father, indicating her emotional anchors.
- Jonas: Minor presence; nudges Lina when the lemon girl enters, showing attentiveness.
- Mother: Maintains her optimism (“try to think of the positive”) and practical kindness, offering planks to the sick girl and Jonas. She recognizes the stone’s return as good luck.
- Janina: A traumatized child who has witnessed extreme violence (her doll’s murder) and suffered physical abuse. She copes by imagining her doll in heaven and forms a quick bond with Lina.
- The bald man: Competent and pragmatic, uses strategy to avoid overpopulation of the car. His retort to Mrs. Rimas shows his sharp tongue.
- The tall man: Nervous, with a speech tic, but brings crucial global news that affects the prisoners’ understanding of the war.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Brutality of the NKVD: Janina’s story of her doll being shot like a pigeon and the scar on her forehead illustrate the casual cruelty inflicted even on children. Lina’s sardine-can scar echoes this theme.
- Childhood resilience: Despite trauma, Janina chatters, makes friends, and seeks connection. The game of secrets (“NKVD are going to hell”) shows a child’s way of processing horror.
- Hope and luck: The return of Andrius’s stone is framed by Mother as good luck. It symbolizes Lina’s attachment to Andrius and a fragile belief in positive outcomes.
- Isolation from world events: The prisoners are cut off from news. The revelation of Pearl Harbor and US entry into the war is a rare moment of global context entering their confined world, suggesting that the war is larger than their personal suffering.
- Displacement and dehumanization: At Biysk, the prisoners are described as “gray people” moving like “exhausted ants,” contrasting with the frantic chaos of Kaunas. The gradual erasure of identity is reinforced by the cramped, filthy train car.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter marks the transition from labor camp to another train journey, deepening the sense of endless displacement. The introduction of Janina and the sick girl personalizes the suffering of children, reinforcing the novel’s critique of totalitarian cruelty. The news of Pearl Harbor expands the story’s historical canvas, reminding readers that World War II is unfolding on a global scale while these Lithuanian deportees remain trapped. Lina’s exchange with Janina and her mother’s interpretation of the stone underscore the importance of small tokens of hope in sustaining humanity.
Study Questions & Answers
1. How does the scene at Biysk train station differ from the deportation scene in Kaunas earlier in the novel?
At Kaunas, people were frantic and screaming; panic was everywhere. At Biysk, the deportees move slowly, “like a group of exhausted ants.” The contrast highlights how repeated displacement strips away energy and resistance, leaving only resignation.
2. What does Janina’s story about her doll reveal about the NKVD’s treatment of children?
Janina’s doll was murdered in a manner mirroring the shooting of a baby seen earlier, and she was physically struck for crying. This shows that violence is indiscriminate and psychological cruelty aimed even at symbolic objects deepens trauma.
3. Why does the bald man tell everyone to crowd near the door, and how does this reflect the prisoners’ agency?
By intentionally looking uncomfortable near the door, they deceive guards into thinking the car has no space, thus reducing their numbers. This act of small rebellion shows prisoners using their limited agency to improve their situation, even under overwhelming oppression.