Characters
Lina- Lina, the protagonist is a 15 year old girl who is free thinking and independent. Most of the girls that were taken were under the age of 13, they were all really young. They all had different personalities, some were outspoken and rude while the other were similar to Lina. On rutasepetys.com she describes Lina and the situations she is put through.
Jonas- He is Lina's 10 year old little brother. Jonas is a strong, brave young boy who tries his best to protect his family. Ruta Sepetys based this character on her grandfather, who was a refugee and his personality was very similar to Jonas.
Andrius- A 17 year old boy Lina met while in the concentration camps. Andrius is loving, courageous, and does anything to help others out. According to gulaghistory.org, most of the boys around Andrius' age were full time workers who had to mine gold and copper, use handsaws to cut trees, and dig the harsh, frozen grounds.
NKVD Officers- These officers are secret Russian officers who order people around in the Siberian concentration camps. They were rude, tough, and fierce people who controlled all the prisoners. On spartacus.schoolnet.co, it states names of some of the NKVD soliders. For example, in Between Shades of Gray, one of the main officers were names Nickolai Kretzsky, even though he was one of Stalin's men he helped prisoners out more than the other officers.
Elena Vilkas- This is Lina's mother, who is similar to glue, because she's optimistic and holds the group together, allowing them to survive one day at a time. According to an article on gulaghistory.org it states that women were very strong and protective over their kids and made sure everyone was safe.
Mr. Stalas- Known as the bald man, Mr. Stalas is always pestimistic and believes everyone is going to die. He is a very lazy and grouchy man who always says rude comments to others. On the train cars and in the concentration camps, there were many who had a similar personalities to Mr. Stalas; always grumpy, wanting to die, and begging for necessities.
Mrs. Rima- Similar to Mrs. Arvydas and Mrs. Vilkas, Mrs. Rima is a watchful woman whose help is very much appreciated. These women back then were the "main moms", they helped cure others, sacrificed food for younger kids, and suffered through anything. They would give up everything, so that people could survive.
Stalin- Stalin is the man who caused all the suffering and terror. He is the one in charge of the concentration camps, pain, and violence. On pbs.org/stalin, it shows what he did, the conditions people suffered through, and what life was like when Stalin was in charge.
Dr. Lazar Samodurov- This doctor was the lifesaver. He saved many lives and also attempted to escape all the prisoners. He was a brave, courageous, helpful man that saved many lives. In the 1940's Dr. Lazar was a real doctor and he saved many, many lives. He bravely entered the concentration camps and sacrificed his life for the people who were suffering.
Jonas- He is Lina's 10 year old little brother. Jonas is a strong, brave young boy who tries his best to protect his family. Ruta Sepetys based this character on her grandfather, who was a refugee and his personality was very similar to Jonas.
Andrius- A 17 year old boy Lina met while in the concentration camps. Andrius is loving, courageous, and does anything to help others out. According to gulaghistory.org, most of the boys around Andrius' age were full time workers who had to mine gold and copper, use handsaws to cut trees, and dig the harsh, frozen grounds.
NKVD Officers- These officers are secret Russian officers who order people around in the Siberian concentration camps. They were rude, tough, and fierce people who controlled all the prisoners. On spartacus.schoolnet.co, it states names of some of the NKVD soliders. For example, in Between Shades of Gray, one of the main officers were names Nickolai Kretzsky, even though he was one of Stalin's men he helped prisoners out more than the other officers.
Elena Vilkas- This is Lina's mother, who is similar to glue, because she's optimistic and holds the group together, allowing them to survive one day at a time. According to an article on gulaghistory.org it states that women were very strong and protective over their kids and made sure everyone was safe.
Mr. Stalas- Known as the bald man, Mr. Stalas is always pestimistic and believes everyone is going to die. He is a very lazy and grouchy man who always says rude comments to others. On the train cars and in the concentration camps, there were many who had a similar personalities to Mr. Stalas; always grumpy, wanting to die, and begging for necessities.
Mrs. Rima- Similar to Mrs. Arvydas and Mrs. Vilkas, Mrs. Rima is a watchful woman whose help is very much appreciated. These women back then were the "main moms", they helped cure others, sacrificed food for younger kids, and suffered through anything. They would give up everything, so that people could survive.
Stalin- Stalin is the man who caused all the suffering and terror. He is the one in charge of the concentration camps, pain, and violence. On pbs.org/stalin, it shows what he did, the conditions people suffered through, and what life was like when Stalin was in charge.
Dr. Lazar Samodurov- This doctor was the lifesaver. He saved many lives and also attempted to escape all the prisoners. He was a brave, courageous, helpful man that saved many lives. In the 1940's Dr. Lazar was a real doctor and he saved many, many lives. He bravely entered the concentration camps and sacrificed his life for the people who were suffering.