The historical novel excerpt illustrates how East German citizens felt trapped by the wall. The imagery of Grenzers standing guard with stern expressions and long rifles emphasizes a sense of oppression and surveillance, suggesting that the wall was not just a physical barrier, but also a symbol of confinement. The narrator describes the Grenzers watching the citizens rather than the westerners, highlighting the fact that the real threat was to the people within East Germany who were denied freedom and movement. This portrayal builds on the idea that the Berlin Wall was constructed to prevent people from fleeing and emphasizes the feeling of entrapment experienced by those living in East Germany.
Read the following text from a historical novel. This excerpt is about the construction of the Berlin Wall.
It was Sunday, August 13, 1961, a day I would remember for the rest of my life. When a prison had been built around us as we slept.
Lines of Grenzers—our nickname for the border police, the Grenztruppen—stood guard along a fence of thorny wire, in some places higher than their heads, and for as far as my eyes could see. They stood like iron statues with stern expressions and long rifles in their hands. It was obvious that anyone who tried to cross would get far worse than a rip in their clothes. Because Grenzers didn't face the westerners on the other side of the fence. They watched us.
From Jennifer A. Nielsen, A Night Divided. Copyright 2015 by Jennifer A. Nielsen
The previous text suggested that the Berlin Wall was built to prevent people from fleeing East Germany. How does this historical novel build on or challenge that idea?
it suggest east German citizens had expected a wall to be built.
it demonstarates how the wall made east German citizens feel safe.
it illustrates how east German citizens felt trapped by the wall.
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