The quote that sticks out to me the most from this section of Journey into the Whirlwind is one from the prison conversations: “I tell you frankly that I’m glad the Communists are beginning to get a taste of their own medicine” (Ginzburg 112). This is in response to the mass arrests of the communist leaders and party heavyweights. The people that had formerly been in power and had been spoiled with the power that they had received over the past 15 years were now getting a taste of the other side. The point that Derkovskaya is making in this statement is based on her own experiences with the communist party and there were most likely other people in the prisons and camps that felt the same way. She had been imprisoned for their opposition by the leaders like Genia, and now it is her turn. Do you think that there were enemies within the prison system that were glad to see people like Genia join their ranks? Do you that Genia and other party leaders bear responsibility for the crimes of the party and this is part of their punishment?
I think that Derkovskaya’s sentiments likely resonated with many prisoners. I feel like it’s only natural to be a little happy when you see the people who’ve taken advantage of you for so long be pulled from their pedestal and “get a taste of their own medicine”. I think party members definitely bear a little responsibility as they were complicit within the system, but it is nowhere to the point of responsibility from those higher-up who actually made and enacted policy.
I agree with Ana, I think that it is human nature to want the people who have hurt you to understand how that felt and be knocked down a peg. I think that the way Genia and party leaders acted was not always appropriate, but I don’t think that anyone deserved the punishment they got. If anything, the people that should be punished would be Stalin and his cabinet.