Hello again, Decathletes! I hope your summers are being daily filled with awesomeness!
We will use this week as a bit of a catch-up: if you missed reading a part of Dr. Zhivago, do it now. If you did not think about and refine your idea for a speech, do it now. This week's questions (below) are summative for Part One of Dr Zhivago. Next week, you will be reading the first two chapters of Part Two, but let's make sure we are understanding the major themes of Part One. No quiz this week, but there will be one next week.
1. What is changing about Russian society? Last week, Mr. Riggs asked you about changes in family and wealth, think about those things as you answer, but also think about social position and hierarchy and any other potential changes you see. How does Strelnikov symbolize the change in social position?
2. What is the Russian revolution all about? (you may be able to glean this information from the novel, but if not, you have the internet at your disposal). Who was fighting for what? Who were the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks?
3. Is this novel meant to be romantic in any way? What has been said/implied about love so far? What is the relationship in this novel between marriage and love?
4. What do you predict will happen in the second part of the novel?
5. What have you not understood in this first part? Is there anything you would like eplained to you? What things do you understand better now than you did in the beginning?
1. There are a number of things changing about Russian society. The obvious being changes in family and wealth. People who were once considered wealthy are now poor and family situations are changing for better and for worse in that many families are being reunited, while others are being separated. Social position and hierarchy are changing in that peasants and working-class people are gaining a lot of power that they didn't have before.
ReplyDelete2. The Russian revolution started because many workers were unhappy with their working conditions and since Russia was an autocracy ( system of government, where there is one person with absolute power) , it seemed that a revolution was the only way to bring about change. The Bolsheviks and Mensheviks were mass organisations who split from each other due to their beliefs. The Mensheviks wanted to work with a provisional government while the Bolsheviks wanted to destroy the provisional government and create a communist state.
3. Yes, I think the novel is meant to be romantic. There is a total love triangle between, Zhivago, Lara and Tonya. I think that some of the characters who are married are not necessarily in love with their spouses because they got married quickly and without much thought. Lara married Pasha to escape from Komarovsky and Yuri married Tonya because that's what her mother wanted. So I think what the novel is implying about love is that you should only marry somebody you think you love if you are doing it for yourself. The relationship between marriage and love in this novel is complicated. The book is implying that marriage and love don't always go hand in hand. There can be other reasons for marriage.
4. I predict that Zhivago will do one of these two things. He will either cheat on Tonya with Lara or leave Tonya because he feels he would be betraying her when he has such strong feelings for another woman. He might also never admit that he has feelings for Lara and stay with Tonya but I feel this is unlikely. I think things are going to get even crazier with the revolution. A lot of characters will probably be killed off. I think Pasha will make a re-appearance.
5. Have we finished part one? It thought we only had to read chapters 5 & 6. There is still chapter 7. This may be why I do not know who Strelnikov is.
I can understand what the characters are going through now more than the beginning because I know more about the revolution now.
(Sorry if this is rushed. I had to write this fast as I will not have access to a computer during the next few days).
I like your response, especially for #3! I got the same impression that marriage in the book wasn't a love thing, but formed more out of necessity.
DeleteAnd I'm pretty sure Strelnikov is Pasha, though I don't recognize the name from the book, either. I have the same question you do.
1. In Russian society, more social opportunities are presenting themselves, but people are becoming more uncertain of their surroundings. Revolutionary ideas are also gaining popularity. Strelnikov symbolizes the rapid change in a person's social position. At one time he was a student and then he became a rebel leader.
ReplyDelete2. The Russian Revolution was about fighting economic oppression. People wanted to go from a feudal dictatorship to a democracy. Everyone was pretty much fighting for reforms. The Mensheviks were a socialist group led by someone named Plekhanov. They were suppressed in 1921. The Bolsheviks became the Communist Party of the Soviet Union later on. The Bolsheviks were led by Lenin. They were more professional and disciplined than the Mensheviks.
3. The novel isn't that romantic, but I guess there are some romantic parts. For example, when Lara proposes to Pasha in the candlelight. The only person I remember talking about love was Zhivago, but in was in the "loving your neighbor" kind of way. In the book, love and marriage pretty much don't go hand in hand. Marriage was done to gain social power.
4. In part 2, I think that Lara will do something of importance and Zhivago will get more involved in the Revolution.
I completely agree with you; Russia was definitely changing in ways that people weren't familiar with, after all those years under the Czarist rule. And marriage didn't have the passion it has today, though we'll find out later if it had commitment...great answers! :)
Delete1. Many things have changed about Russion society. Revolution ideas began to get popular. Family situations changed.
ReplyDelete2. The Russian Revolution was series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union.
3. I think the novel is suppossed to be a little romantic. It seems like people didn't necessarily marry for love. An example is that Yuri married Tonya because Tonya's mother wanted Yuri to marry her.
4. In part two I think that more will happen with Lara and they will talk more about Zhivago.
1. The old standards of wealth are becoming irrelevant in the face of Russia's revolutionary changes. Everyone, whether they have never had to confront the harsher aspects of life (Tonia) or grew up in a working class environment (Lara), must struggle through the same problems: intense winters, shortages, street fights, war. Families are also changing, as they are brought closer together (the Zhivagos) and torn apart (Galiullina, who wanted to protect herself by not acknowledging her association with her son). With social position, someone like Yusupka would never have found himself a lieutenant in the war if it wasn't for the changes. Pasha Antipov (who I'm guessing is Strelnikov) also joins the war after his relatively calm career as some sort of intellectual, a drastic change that no one would have predicted unless they knew his deep dissatisfaction with his life.
ReplyDelete2. The revolution began in 1917 with Russian workers rebelling against Czarist rule and long-time oppression. When revolutionaries successfully overthrew the Czar, a provisional government took over, setting up their own institutions. Lenin soon became outspoken about the Marxist theory of socialism, which led to the Bolsheviks takeover. The Bolshevik party, led by Lenin, was made up of Communists who believed in spreading social revolution internationally, with Russia at the core. The Mensheviks were also Marxist supporters of socialism, but advocated a gradual approach opposed to the aggression of the Bolsheviks.
3. I think Dr. Zhivago is meant to be romantic. At least, the poetic language Boris Pasternak uses feels romantic. Though so far in the book, love isn't a major priority - Lara marries Pasha for the wrong reason, she goes after him in war for the wrong reason, Komarovsky protected her for the wrong reason, Mademoiselle Fleury makes love feel like one big tease...I feel like the characters don't take love as seriously, but maybe that's because this is only the beginning. Marriage was necessary for stability in life; with Lara, she didn't marry with passion and pleasure on her mind. She married for the normality.
4. Since the Zhivagos are escaping to the Urals, Yura and Lara will once again cross paths unexpectedly. Pasha will mysteriously show up in the next chapter, completely alive and no longer in love with Lara. And maybe we'll find out what's going on with Lieutenant Galiullin from his perspective, because I'm curious to see his point of view of the revolution.
5. For the most part, I think I'm getting a hang of this. The more I learn about Russia during this time, the more I understand the situations some of the characters are placed into. Though I do have a question about where we're supposed to be in the book. Didn't we already start Part 2 last week, or do the starting points for each part differ depending on the edition of the book you're reading?
1)Social postitions have changed, the idea of a Revolution grew, and the relationship between families changed.
ReplyDelete2) The Russian Revolution was series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union.
3)I do not think it is, other than the neighborly love Zhivago spoke of, and Marriage and love don't work together in this book.
4)I think Zhivagao will make a important impact on the Revolution.