Reading for the discussion: the introductions by Sheila Fitzpatrick and Yuri Slezkine in In the Shadow of Revolution.
Also review the other autobiographical writings you have read in this book up to now.
Pick one of the memoirs that you like best and be prepared to say why.
Bring your own questions and arguments to class; think about how these questions will relate to the memoir you have chosen for your long paper as well.

Also think about the following questions:


I. Autobiography as historical genre

1. Fitzpatrick and Slezkine discuss different types of narratives (testimony, confession, etc.) Does this suggest that these narratives you read are not simply "freely written stories," but follow certain rules and models? How does this affect the narratives’ ability to convey "truth"?

2. How do autobiographical narratives differ from fiction as historical sources?


II. Autobiography as historical source

3. What are the key themes of the "Soviet narrative," according to Fitzpatrick and Slezkine? How do the narratives you have read so far illustrate these themes?

4. How does social position (class, status) affect memory and these personal narratives?


III. Women’s narratives

5. How do the narratives read so far address the question: how to be a woman under socialism?

6. Do women experience the revolution (1917-1932) differently from men?