Chapter 19: How We Survived Communism Summary and Analysis

Vesna, the daughter of Slavenka's friend, finds that a pair of her stockings has a leg that is ripped. She wants to throw the pair away, but her mother wants her to save it, reflecting the scarcity mentality of communism. Vesna's mother anticipates war. She mentions that this method of saving is how the people survived communism. In fact, Eastern European households became adept at collecting and recycling anything and everything. The Eastern European poor do not recycle as a luxury; they are forced to recycle. They have to stockpile even items meant to be thrown away—like juice bottles. Cans are collected as well, but glass jars are the most valuable. Vesna still cannot break the habit of washing plastic yogurt cups. They also learn to adore the intricacies of foreign...