Under A Cruel Star Critical Analysis

“Under A Cruel Star” despite being an excellent book to read was not credible or believable as compared to Kevin McDermott’s scholarly article. Heda Kovaly depicts popular opinion under Communist dictatorship as being controlled by terror of the government. She states that popular opinion no longer comprised morals or humanity, but instead was uttered by fear and doubts of the consequences of their actions and the domination of the government. This significance of life can be explored and tested against details found in secondary sources. “Under A Cruel Star”, a primary source, provides personal experiences through the political difficulties of Jews while secondary source in Kevin McDermott’s article provides accurate facts of events that

“A minority explicitly demanded the death penalty; most called for the “strictest punishment” of the “traitors”, “villains”, and “imperialist agents.” As opposed to Heda’s descriptions of the letters to the editors that were proposing the death penalty, McDermott justified that throughout the course of several weeks, the death penalty was the minority of what was claimed by the people sending telegrams and resolutions. Heda made up what happened to make it look like everyone was in favor of the death penalty. Another difference that can be found in both works is the difference between the vindications of how the Czech citizens responded and reacted to the trial. In “Under A Cruel Star”, Heda described how most of the Czech citizens felt that the trial was the right thing to do. The citizens believed that the arrested Communist party members were traitors and that they should suffer for what they had done. They definitely deserved it over the innocent people that were sentenced to death. Heda depicted that she was one of the few that believed the trial was false. In contrast, McDermott justifies that the reactions to the trial of the Czech citizens had mixed feelings. Instead of being in agreement with the trial, most of the people reacted with shock. “Large of number of Czech citizens, communists and noncommunist alike, reacted to Slansky’s arrest and trial with utter dismay and disbelief that he

Heda felt a certain way due to her religious and political standing in the Czech society and reacted due to what was done to her. Her involvements tend to differ from proof found in McDermott’s article. There are many similarities that strengthen Heda depiction of popular opinion under Communist dictatorship. When Rudolf, her husband, was arrested, he was forced to admit things that he did not do. Heda analyzed that he must have been drugged because she could tell by the tone and attitude of his voice. “He spoke in such an odd, tense, monotonous voice that, at first, I though he had been drugged.” Heda disclosed how the Communist party would do anything they could to get their way, even if it meant drugging innocent people into announcing that they were guilty for doing something wrong. Why would they do such a thing like that? It was not the best idea because it shows that people were saying lies and that they do not deserve