Short Summary Of Natasha By Mark Berman

the book, Natasha, written by _________ , is a collection of short stories narrated by Mark Berman, a six year old boy from a family of jews immigrating from Russia to Toronto, seeking to learn the language and customs of modern society. Mark devolops into an adult through social interaction and cultural adaptation to society, establishing a new found identity for himself through the relationships he shares with characters found throughout the stories.

The introduction story, “Tapka” begins with mark and his cousin accidently killing their neighbours dog. Rita and ___ , were the only other Russians in the apartment building. The narrator expains ““Except for the Nahumovskys, there were no other russians in the building. For this priveledge,

She begins yelling at Mike, saying “ You are liars. Liars! She uttered the words with such hatred that we again burst into sobs.(Bezmozgis,15) She refuses to accept that it was an honest and truthful mistake, and begins to lash out and mike and his family. Tapka was her only love since she didnt have any children, and the narrator expresses her emotional outrage using distintive forms of imagery which help us visualize Ritas reactions. “Oh children, what have you done? She pinched compulsively at the loose skin on her neck, raising a cluster of pink marks.(Bezmozgis,14)” The narrator expresses mikes thoughts about the situation in the closing paragraph of the story. “Who are you kidding? You killed Tapka and you will never be forgiven(Bezmozgis,18)”. Mike reflects on the situation allowing readers to understand his perspective through 3rd person omniscient, which gives us better understanding of both the character and conflict in the

The story follows Mike and his personal bond with a gymnast, Sergei, who was coached and trained by his father. Mike narrates that Sergei had a large impact on his childhood, explaining “Sergei left a deep impression on my four-five and six year old mind. There isnt much i remember, my memories and mental artifacts mainly involved sergei(Bezmozgis,45) Mike sees Sergei as a role model, and provides a backstory explaining their personal relationship and why Sergei had such an affect on him. Sergei was the first to convey a society outside of Russia, “He told us about strange lands where everything was different- different trains, different houses, different toilets and different cars(Bezmozgis,45)” Mike later distinguishes this land as Canada, and embraces the Influence Sergei left on his childhood. Mikes later years lead into the story “An animal to memory”, which explores his life as he travels through adolescence, expressing the conflicts and barriers he faces. The narrator explains the diffuculties mike endured throughout school, because of his economic and social