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    Independentreadingessay

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    The document summarizes Lina's experience in the novel "Between Shades of Gray" where she and her family were taken from their home in Lithuania and sent to Soviet labor camps. Over the years in the camps, Lina witnessed extreme hardships like living off meager food rations and seeing people killed senselessly. She realized how much she took for granted about her previous life, where she had comforts like three meals a day and time with family. Witnessing deaths like her mother's and the casual killing of others taught Lina how precious human life is and how easily it can be lost. Her time in the camps showed her to appreciate every moment and never take things like family and a secure life for granted

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    Independentreadingessay

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    The document summarizes Lina's experience in the novel "Between Shades of Gray" where she and her family were taken from their home in Lithuania and sent to Soviet labor camps. Over the years in the camps, Lina witnessed extreme hardships like living off meager food rations and seeing people killed senselessly. She realized how much she took for granted about her previous life, where she had comforts like three meals a day and time with family. Witnessing deaths like her mother's and the casual killing of others taught Lina how precious human life is and how easily it can be lost. Her time in the camps showed her to appreciate every moment and never take things like family and a secure life for granted

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    The document summarizes Lina's experience in the novel "Between Shades of Gray" where she and her family were taken from their home in Lithuania and sent to Soviet labor camps. Over the years in the camps, Lina witnessed extreme hardships like living off meager food rations and seeing people killed senselessly. She realized how much she took for granted about her previous life, where she had comforts like three meals a day and time with family. Witnessing deaths like her mother's and the casual killing of others taught Lina how precious human life is and how easily it can be lost. Her time in the camps showed her to appreciate every moment and never take things like family and a secure life for granted

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    14 views3 pages

    Independentreadingessay

    Uploaded by

    api-283763327
    The document summarizes Lina's experience in the novel "Between Shades of Gray" where she and her family were taken from their home in Lithuania and sent to Soviet labor camps. Over the years in the camps, Lina witnessed extreme hardships like living off meager food rations and seeing people killed senselessly. She realized how much she took for granted about her previous life, where she had comforts like three meals a day and time with family. Witnessing deaths like her mother's and the casual killing of others taught Lina how precious human life is and how easily it can be lost. Her time in the camps showed her to appreciate every moment and never take things like family and a secure life for granted

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    of 3

    RachelCondon

    Colombo
    HonorsEnglish1
    6January2015
    Haveyoueverwonderedwhatahumanlifeisworth?Thatmorning,my
    brotherswasworthapocketwatch(27).OnfourteenJune1941,Lina,herbrother
    Jonas,andhermotherwerealltakenfromtheirhometowhatwastobetheworst
    decadesoftheirlife.Inthenovel
    BetweenShadesofGray,
    RutaSepetysdescribes
    howthefamilywasputintodirtycattlecarsandshippedmilesonmilesfromtheirhome
    witharoundfortyotherthievesandprostitutes.Foryears,allthesepeoplesurvivedoff
    ofonebagofluggage,threegramsofbread,whichwasneverpromised,rainwaterthey
    collectedthemselves,andotherproductstheymanagedtosuccessfullysmuggle.None
    ofthesepeoplehaddoneanythingwrongtobetorturedliketheywere,andneveragain
    didtheygettoseetheircherishedlovedones.HusbandsandWives,sonsand
    daughterswereallseparatedfromtheverybeginningandweretoneverbeseenagain
    unlesstheywereluckylikeJonas,whowastradedforapocketwatch.Allthestruggles
    Linafacedinheryearsofforcedlaborhelpedherrealizehowprecioushumanlifeis
    andhowniceofalifeshehad,whichsheneverhadnoticedbeforeshewasputintothis
    terribleexperience.
    Linasexperienceinforcedlaborhadtaughtherhowluxuriousherlifewasbefore
    shewastaken.Herfamilywasfairlyrich,shehadacousinwhowasmorelikeasister
    toher,shewasveryclosetoherfamilymembers,andplusshehadmanyotherfriends.
    Shehadshelter,threefullmealsaday,purifiedwater,andmanyotherluxuries.Down
    thestreet,adooropenedandMotheremerged.Herbluehatmatchedherdress,which
    flutteredaroundherlegsasshewalkedtowardme.Shehelduptwoicecreamcones
    andsmiled,ashoppingbagdanglingfromherarm.Theboyswillhavetheirdayand

    RachelCondon
    Colombo
    HonorsEnglish1
    6January2015
    wellhaveours,saidmother...(111).Linahadmanyluxuriessomepeopleonlycould
    wishtohave,andsheneverrealizedhowprecioustheywere.Linawasalsoavery
    talentedartist,andhertalentbroughtherallthewaytoapplyingtoaschoolwhereshe
    wouldstudy/sketchwithsomeofthegreatestartists.Icant[openit],Imtoonervous
    [w]hatiftheydontacceptme?[Lina]asked.[Lina]slidthesilverbladeundertheflapon
    thebackoftheenvelopYes!Theysaidyes![Lina]screamed(118).Here,Linawas
    acceptedtotheartschoolwhereshewasgoingtogotoforthesummer.Althoughshe
    nevermadeittoattendingtheschool,shestillhadagrandlifethatshelaterlearned
    wasmorepreciousthanshehadeverthought.
    AfterLinawastaken,thewaytheSovietshadtreatedherandothersaroundher
    obviouslyhadasignificanteffectonherthoughtsofhumanlifeingeneralaswellasher
    ownlife.Linawasluckyifshegotthreegramsofbreadadayandanywateratall.She
    livedinadilapidatedshackatonepoint,andthenwasmovedandhadtobuildherown
    shelter.Shelivedoffofstolenfoodandwhateverscrapsofclothingshehadinher
    suitcase.Thiswasnotthelifeshewasusedtoliving,especiallythewaytheNKVDhad
    treatedherandothers.Theykilledpeopleasiftheywerenteventakingsomeoneslife
    itwasalmostafunnygametothem.ThecommandersteppedupandpulledOnafrom
    thetrack.Hiseyesnarrowedandhissquarejawtightened.Motherscrambledto
    jumpoffthetrucktoOna.Itwastoolate.Thecommanderpulledoutapistolandshot
    Onainthehead(101).WatchingOnaloseherlifewiththesimplepullofatriggerright
    atLinasfeetmadeherthinkofhowpreciouslifeisandhoweasilyitcanbelost.Also,
    whenLinahadworkedforaroundherfifteenthyear,shehadheardarumorabouther

    RachelCondon
    Colombo
    HonorsEnglish1
    6January2015
    fatherbeingshotathisprisoncampandhadalsowatchedhermotherdieinherown
    lap,allwithinthreemonths.Afterthedeathsoftwoofthemostbelovedpeopleinher
    lifeallatonce,itwashardforhertokeepthatwillpowerinherhearttopushon.It
    seemedasthoughallhopehadbeenlostforher,butshehadtostayaliveforherlittle
    brother.Throughallthesetragediesshefaced,shewastaughtjusthowvaluablethe
    humanlifeisandhowluckyshewastoatonepointbefed,warm,andloved.
    AllthoseyearsLinawasunderSovietcontrolhadtaughtherhowmuchshe
    shouldhavecherishedandappreciatedthosemomentsshelivedbeforeshewastaken
    away.Throughmanypainfullessons,shewasshownhowprecioustoevenbegivena
    lifeis,andhoweasilyitcanbetakenaway.Onas,hermothers,herfathers,andmany
    otherpeoplesdeathsshewitnessedaretrulychangedherforever.Herlifebeforeshe
    wastakenawaywassoamazing,thatsherealizedtoevenliveatallisthegreatest
    luxurytohave.Nevertakeanythingforgranted,foryouneverknowwhenitwillbe
    gone.

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