1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Yelchin, Eugene. 2011. BREAKING STALIN'S NOSE. New York: Henry Holt. ISBN 9780805092
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Growing up in Stalin-era Russia, ten-year-old Sasha Zeichek lives with his widowed father and 46 other hard working communists in a one kitchen, one toilet apartment - komunalka. Sasha's dream is to become a Young Soviet Pioneer to demonstrate his devotion to Russia and his loyalty to Comrade Stalin. Sasha's father is a respected State Security officer but is suddenly arrested the night before Sasha is to become a Pioneer. Suddenly everything's amiss! Sasha gets in a snowball fight, he hides from blame, and as he envisions his Pioneer Parade in Moscow's Red Square, he breaks off Stalin's nose from a plaster bust in the school's corridor. He has become an enemy of people before he ever knew what happened. As his world shatters, Sasha faces a new reality and truth and must make a courageous decision to do what is right.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Yelchin transports the reader back to the USSR. The setting is ice cold Moscow, but the ambiance of fear and suspicion in the story is far more frigid. Yelchin's pencil illustrations only enhance the gloominess and oppression of communism in the story. The naive point-of-view of the story's main character offers a first hand look at what it must have been like to grow up under Stalin's rule. Sasha is so proud of his Stalinist spirit and can hardly contain his excitement to realize his dream of becoming a Young Pioneer. He takes pride in Russia's "Communist 'WE' instead of capitalist 'I'." No one can keep secrets, everyone is equal, "we know who gets up at what time, who eats what for dinner, and who said what in their rooms." The theme of paranoia and developing a communist character is a constant, "always be vigilant, because our capitalist enemies are never asleep." This message is repeated at home, on the playground, in the classroom, everywhere - it presents the tyrannical pressure to be spies and turn in anyone who might be suspect of betraying communism.
Although the story takes place between 1923 and 1953, the main issue "transcends time and place." The Author's Note states, "To this day, there are places in the world where innocent people face persecutions and death for making a choice about what they believe to be right." The conflict Sasha faces with himself and with the values instilled in him are profound and enlightening. The heavy subject matter (imprisonment, killing, arrest and capture of "enemies of the state" - some children) is given some comic relief when Stalin's nose comes to life through magical realism (use of magical elements in an otherwise rational world - http://www.magicalrealism.info/p/definitions.html). Yelchin also provides his Russian background and an insightful prospective in his Author's Note at the end of the novel. Great read!
Although the story takes place between 1923 and 1953, the main issue "transcends time and place." The Author's Note states, "To this day, there are places in the world where innocent people face persecutions and death for making a choice about what they believe to be right." The conflict Sasha faces with himself and with the values instilled in him are profound and enlightening. The heavy subject matter (imprisonment, killing, arrest and capture of "enemies of the state" - some children) is given some comic relief when Stalin's nose comes to life through magical realism (use of magical elements in an otherwise rational world - http://www.magicalrealism.info/p/definitions.html). Yelchin also provides his Russian background and an insightful prospective in his Author's Note at the end of the novel. Great read!
4. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS
John Newbery Medal, 2012
Mitten Award, 2012
Hazel Rochman (Booklist, Oct. 15, 2011 (Vol. 108, No. 4))
Picture-book illustrator Yelchin was raised in post-Stalinist Russia in the 1960s and left the country when he was 27. In his first novel, he uses the child's innocent viewpoint to dramatize the heartbreaking secrets and lies, and graphite illustrations show the terrifying arrest of enemies of the people, even children, like Sasha's classmate.
Jody Little (Children's Literature)
The main character is thoughtful, spunky and courageous, and the book's illustrations will captivate readers. This is a well-written and accessible work of historical fiction for young readers.
Publishers Weekly (Publishers Weekly)
An impressive . . . compact novel. Through Sasha's fresh and optimistic voice, Yelchin powerfully renders an atmosphere of fear that forces false confessions, even among schoolchildren . . . Readers will quickly pick up on the dichotomy between Sasha's ardent beliefs and the reality of life under Stalinism, and be glad for his ultimate disillusion, even as they worry for his future."
The main character is thoughtful, spunky and courageous, and the book's illustrations will captivate readers. This is a well-written and accessible work of historical fiction for young readers.
Publishers Weekly (Publishers Weekly)
An impressive . . . compact novel. Through Sasha's fresh and optimistic voice, Yelchin powerfully renders an atmosphere of fear that forces false confessions, even among schoolchildren . . . Readers will quickly pick up on the dichotomy between Sasha's ardent beliefs and the reality of life under Stalinism, and be glad for his ultimate disillusion, even as they worry for his future."
5. CONNECTIONS
* Discuss the literary technique of magical realism with the appearance of Stalin's nose as a character. What is its purpose?
-This and other guided questions are available at:
http://media.us.macmillan.com/discussionguides/9780805092165DG.pdf
*Engage readers to investigate further on Sasha's parents, his school, and the Young Soviet Pioneers by visiting the book's interactive website:
http://www.eugeneyelchinbooks.com/breakingstalinsnose/index.php
-This and other guided questions are available at:
http://media.us.macmillan.com/discussionguides/9780805092165DG.pdf
*Engage readers to investigate further on Sasha's parents, his school, and the Young Soviet Pioneers by visiting the book's interactive website:
http://www.eugeneyelchinbooks.com/breakingstalinsnose/index.php
* Under dictator Stalin, an anonymous accusation was enough to get someone killed or imprisoned. How does this process differ from laws in the United States? Compare the rights of citizens from both countries.
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