Diary Of A Survivor: Literary Analysis :: essays research papers

Title Diary of A Survivor Nineteen Years in a Cuban Womens PrisonAuthors Ana Rodriguez and Glenn GarvinPublished St. Martins PressType of Book Assisted auto-biographyPlot SummaryDiary of a Survivor follows nineteen years of Ana Rodriguezs life, a Cuban womanhood arrested by Cubas State Security in her late teens. As a teenager she had been an activist against the Batista dictatorship which governed Cuba, and at first welcomed Fidel Castros take-over of power. Gradually, however, she realises that Castro has no intention of leading Cuba democratically and joins the fight against him. She is betrayed to the authorities by an informant, is arrested, tried and convicted, and is sentenced to thirty years in prison.Diary of a Survivor tells of Ana Rodriguezs unvarying resistance against political intimidation that eventually breaks her captors rather than them breaking her. This strong will and courage earns her legendary among fellow political pris unrivalledrs and civilians as a plant ada one who can non be broken.Themes/ Thematic StatementsThe ill-effects of communism/ dictatorships on a society is explored through the entire book as it was a constant part of Anas life, in fact it is what caused her imprisonment.Human rights abuses in Cuba and in communist countries in general Cubas corrupt government hierarchy and legal system also gas throughout the books, like the continual rapes and beatings the prisoners face.People who betray one group of passel will end up betraying anyone they come into contact with. This is shown in Isis Nimo, the blemish who initially gets Ana sent to prison but eventually gets fired from all her government jobs because of her untrustworthiness.Racism can work in reverse but ease produce adverse effects. There are two mentions of black political prisoners (most are white). They are considered unusual because Fidel Castros regime was meant to favourable to black people in general.Even people who are said to have firmly set ideas can have doubts, like the hard-line communist soldiers who do not join in when the women are being attacked and the guards that in one particular incident slip the starved prisoners food.The pros and cons of the chivalrous Cuban idea that women are considered proficient and passive, and therefore only the most offensive women criminals are jailed in Cuba, and the disregard of it by some officials. This is touched on whenever there is contact with the greens prisoners, and in an especially disturbing scene where a group of female common prisoners are let into a cell where a young female child is held as a traitor to the Fidel Castro regime.