Write 500 words on this topic. “Describe Kourdakov’s use of contrasts to strengthen his narrative.” Examples: Sunday afternoon’s activities, or the meetings — public and private — where he got his award, or the leaders of the USSR vs. the leaders of the victims. Do you think these contrasts make his narrative more powerful?
Kourdakov strengthens his narrative a lot of times through contrasts. During his book, The Persecutor, Kourdakov compares two very different sides of his life, such as violence and peace, corruption and faith, and being powerful or becoming powerless. Through these contrasts, it truly shows what his life was like during not only the Soviet Union but also what it was like living with Communism. Kourdakov slowly began changing his opinions throughout the book, learning to be good, trying to do what’s right, and changing his morals. His book is a window into his life and what the time period he lived in was like.
There are a lot of major contrasts in this book, but one of them is the contrast between the Communist leaders and the Christian believers. The Communist leaders in this book are shown for how they really were: violent, selfish, and hypocritical. The leaders use their power for themselves and treat others in a very cruel and oppressive way. One big turning point in Kourdakov’s story happens during the celebration of Lenin’s 100th birthday. As Kourdakov enters the dining hall, he sees many important Communist leaders drunk and openly talking about government secrets. This becomes a major moment in Kourdakov’s life because he begins to realize that what Communism teaches is very different from how its leaders actually act. But in contrast, the Christian leaders are very different. They risk their homes, safety, and even their lives to spread the Gospel and to help other Christians. Not only this, but they also risk everything just so they can have a place to worship. Throughout all of the attacks and persecution, they still remain loyal to God and their faith.
Another important contrast is shown during one of the Sunday raids on Christians. During these raids, the secret police officers often treated the day like a fun outing. The officers would gather together, sing songs as a group, eat food, and joke with each other. Meanwhile, later that same day, they would break up baptisms and beat innocent people. This shows a big contrast between the officers and the believers. While the officers were enjoying themselves and preparing to commit violent acts, the Christians were gathered peacefully just so they could worship and baptize believers. When the police finally attacked them, the Christians did not fight back and instead prayed while they were being beaten. This reaction from the Christians only made the officers even angrier.
One of the hardest moments in the book to read if not the hardest to read is when the officers kidnapped young girls from a baptism, stripped and beat them, and publicly humiliated them before taking them to the police station. This shows a massive contrast between the peaceful Christians and the violent officers.
Kourdakov also uses contrasts to show the difficult choices he made in his life. Throughout the whole book, he constantly has to choose between doing what is morally right and doing what would help him survive. One example of this is when he joins the special police groups that attacked Christians, like I mentioned above. The pay for Kourdakov was extremely high compared to what he normally earned. The pay seemed so high because he grew up very poor, so the money was very tempting to him. He had to make a tough choice between staying poor or accepting violent assignments.
Another important contrast is how his own beliefs slowly changed over time. Right in the beginning of the book, Kourdakov fully believed in and supported Communism. He thought that Christians were dangerous enemies to society because that is what Communism taught him. But after witnessing the cruelty of the government toward the believers, he slowly began questioning everything he had ever been taught.
These contrasts make Kourdakov’s narrative so much more powerful because they clearly show the difference between both sides of his life. They help anyone reading understand why Kourdakov stopped believing in Communism and started having faith in God. By comparing violence with peace and corruption with faith, Kourdakov shows what his life was like and why he changed as a person. The contrasts also help us better understand the struggles he faced and make the book not only a look into his life and history but also something very personal.
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