Between Shades of Gray

Weeks go by, and the commander has them woken every other night to sign the paper, but they continue to refuse. During the long hours of waiting at gunpoint, Lina “allowed [her]self to wish from the deepest part of [her] heart” (170). She does this in order to escape the present and draw strength from this almost meditative state. Eventually, however, some people give in and sign the document, including the grouchy woman. Lina and her mother can tell who is likely to sign by the defeat on their faces, and while her mother tries to talk to them and give them hope, Lina draws their faces and writes down how they were pushed to their defeat. 

Lina herself feels strengthened by her opposition to the NKVD. She questions why anyone would give in to their tormentors and lose their self-respect. After the grouchy women signs, screaming that she has to feed her daughters and that the rest of the hold-outs are “imbeciles” (171), they decide to take advantage of her decision and bribe her to mail their letters for them: now that she has signed the paper, she is allowed to visit the town.