Questions on Von Geldern and Stites for Week 9
Mister Twister (S. Marshak, 1933)
What image of foreign capitalists is presented in this children's story? Their attitude towards other social classes? Towards other racial groups?
What image of the USSR does it present?
The does the story suggest about the (supposed) status of non-European racial groups in the USSR?
In what ways does the story emphasize Soviet internationalism?
Is the USSR of this story a place where money gives one power?
What is the "moral" of the story?
Anecdotes (pp. 212-213)
As you've probably already realized, irony is an important element of Russian humor. Read over these jokes and be ready to explain what the political, economic, or social context was that made each ironic.
Granddaddy Sebastian Went Godless (Gr. Bortnik, 1934)
According to this "real life tale," what made Granddaddy Sebastian turn against religion?
According to this tale, what sort of values were the Communists instilling in the villages?
Why is it important to the tale that the neighbors helped bury Sebastian's wife? That he wanted to have violin or accordion music at his own burial?
The Road to Life (Anton Makarenko, 1932-34)
Makarenko was the most famous educational expert of the Stalinist era, and his books were actually popular with a general audience (as was a 1934 movie based on his career). This selection is from his best selling book...
The story here is about how Makarenko dealt with a boy at his school in a labor colony (for juvenile delinquents) who was stealing. What does the story suggest about the boys' attitudes towards work, towards socialism, and towards politics?
What crime by Burun did the boys find most reprehensible?
Why is it important to the story that the boys who had been protecting Burun came out with evidence against him?
How did Makarenko punish Burun? Explain. What is the "moral" here? What lesson are we supposed to learn?
March of the Happy-Go-Lucky Guys (Lebedev-Kumach and Dunaevsky, 1934)
Be ready to analyze each verse in this song. What political message does each individual verse send? What is the overall message?
This song clearly is "political," but it was a huge hit. What about the song's "spirit" might have made it so popular?
Life is Getting Better (Lebedev-Kumach and Aleksandrov, 1936)
(Be sure to read the two anecdotes at the bottom of p. 237, too!)
What is the connection between this song and the 1936 "Stalin" constitution?
What message does the song give about the quality of life in the USSR? About the threat of internal and external enemies? About Stalin?
Radio Speech of K. E. Tsiolkovsky (May 1935)
Who was Tsiolkovsky? When and why was this speech broadcast?
What image does the speech create of the scientific and technical achievements of the USSR?
According to Tsiolkovsky, what will allow the USSR to send explorers to Mars?
What is the political message of this speech?
Song of the Motherland (Lebedev-Kumach and Dunaevsky, 1935)
What about this song invokes patriotism? What image does it paint of the USSR?
What image does it paint of the relationship between the various Soviet peoples?
What image does it paint of politics and of human rights in the USSR?
What about this song might have made it so enormously popular?
In Praise of Modesty (Mikhail Koltsov, 1936)
This is an excellent example of the sort of satirical essays published in the Stalinist era.
What kinds of behavior are being made fun of here?
What is the political "message" of the essay? EXPLAIN!
Anecdotes (pp. 283-285)
Again, most of these jokes are based upon irony. Read over these jokes and be ready to explain what the political, economic, or social context was that made each ironic.
Narkom Ezhov (Dzhambul Dzhabaev, 1937)
Remember that Ezhov was the official conducting the terror in 1937, the year at which the terror reached its peak. Dzhabaev was a famous Kazakh (not Cossack! From Kazakhstan!!) story teller whose work emphasized the benefits that Soviet power had brought to the Kazakh people.
How is Ezhov (who, by the way, was a "little guy," just over 5 feet tall) depicted in this poem?
In the poem, is Ezhov's cause just? Is it good for the people of Kazakhstan? Explain.
In the poem, against whom is Ezhov protecting the Kazakhs?
Anecdotes (pp. 328-330)
Who says that this course isn't funny?!? Again, read over each of these jokes, and be ready to "explain" what makes it ironic and funny. (But first read them to enjoy the humor--there is an old saying that explaining a joke makes it go away...give yourself a chance to chuckle a bit before thinking about why its funny.)