Siege of Leningrad
Izzy Usle
Background
Hardships
Hunger
Cannibalism
Winter
Journal #1-Hardships and Hunger
Life Before War
Life During the War
Lev's life during the war is clearly shown in the book. While he was walking through the streets, he talks of seeing bodies in the street, "...a small body wrapped in blankets... a bloodless bare foot dragging..." on page 42. This shows that life was very difficult during the war. After Lev and Kolya are sent on their mission for eggs, they are sent on mission that lasts about a week, they have to leave the city, only to face the dangers of opposing German troops, leaving Lev with only part of his finger, after the chess match with Abendroth.
Life After War
Journal #2- Physical and Emotional Challenges
The horrors of war in the Siege of Leningrad caused both emotional and physical challenges. In the book, Lev and Kolya run into a sheepdog, which was maimed after it was trained to act as a bomb, resulting in it being shot. Kolya had to put the dog out of itÅ› misery. The second horror of war was the story of Zoya, who was a young girl forced into prostitution. When she escaped, the Germans caught her and cut off her feet in punishment. The final challenge was the chess match with Abendroth. Lev had to kill Abendroth or be killed, and he was struggling on if he could kill him.
The physical challenges of the war stories is a very important side to see. The sheepdog had a physical challenge. The story of the sheepdog was physically taxing to the dog who was wounded, and dragged itself through the snow. The story of Zoya physical in the way that Zoya was mortally wounded by the loss of her feet. The chess game with Abendroth was possibly the most challenging physically. Lev had to kill Abendroth, using a lot of strength to end his life.
The mix of both emotional and physical challenges made war a very difficult scenario to live through, and the characters of City of Thieves are put through a very difficult and scarring series of events.
The emotionally challenging aspects of the war were equally atrocious. The sight of the sheepdog not only upset Lev, but forced Kolya to put it out of it's misery, which as upsetting. Zoya's story was also emotionally challenging, for both Zoya, who was emotionally broken, but the fear it put fear in Lev and Kolya's hearts. Lastly, the chess game was a huge emotional challenge. It forced Lev to kill someone, not to mention that the suspense of trying to figure it out when to kill someone.