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Sex Pregnancy And Power In The Late Stalinist Gulag Analysis

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“Sex, Pregnancy, and Power in the Late Stalinist Gulag” Review
“Sex, Pregnancy, and Power in the Late Stalinist Gulag” by Dr. Wilson Bell is an article that is as informative as it is captivating; it is an article that draws the reader’s attention to knowledgeable material and the fascinating description of relationships in the Gulag camps. Bell illustrates the ability to find evident relationships in the Gulag camps, whether it is for protection, sex, love, or food. He presents key examples of how the female body was used in the camps. “Sex could mean survival.”
The article expresses that women were able to have a sense of freedom to their bodies; if they did not want to use their body for favors they had the ability to say no and search …show more content…

“There was nothing about the camps’ overall structure that would prevent interaction between men and women.” Bell presents significant points throughout his article, he educates the reader about the possibility of pregnancy and how women were taken care of during and after their child was born. It exposes the significant differences between pregnant mothers in the Gulag compared to ones in the concentration camps. It is shocking to believe that women in concentration camps were either forced to have an abortion or killed because of their ability to carry a child, however, Bell informs the reader that the Gulags provided nurseries and maternity wards for the pregnant women. “Nazi concentration camps, where guards subjected women who became pregnant to forced abortions or, in the death camps, killed them immediately.” An interesting fact for pregnancy in the Gulag is in order for pregnancy to happen heterosexual sex had to occur. Heterosexual sex was policed often, however, it happened regularly. “Inability to control sexual behavior.” What is so interesting about this

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