"Mother pulled a bundle of rubles from her pocket and exposed it slightly to the officer. He reached for it and then said something to Mother, motioning with his head. Her hand flew up and ripped the amber pendant right from her neck and pressed it into the NKVD's hand. He didn't seem to be satisfied. Mother continued to speak in Russian and pulled a pocket watch from her coat. I knew that watch. It was her father's and had his name engraved in the soft gold on the back. The officer snatched the watch, let go of Jonas, and started yelling at the people next to us.
Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth? That morning, my brother's was worth a pocket watch" (Sepetys 26-27).
I think this quote is really significant because it emphasizes how the NKVD do not see any value in the lives of their victims. They do not stop to consider that these people are mothers and fathers and children. They only are concerned with their own comfort.
Log in with Facebook 
