Stalinist tactics of control created fear and paranoia among its citizens. There are a lot of literies that show us how bad and evil is Stalinist tactics. The book “Breaking Stalin’s Nose” is a very easy to read and understand, also it shows us very clear about how Stalin was forcing fear into his citizens. The book will bring the reader to Russia before WWII through the eyes of a young boy who thought that Communism and Stalin are everything. One day, he dreamed that he would become a real Communist like his father, a hero as he says, and serve Stalin. But, he didn’t know the truth behind the evil face of Stalin and soon, he will. 

Sasha, the young boy, he was believed in Communism without a doubt, but lately, after seeing the fear from other people and even the fear from himself, he changed his mind.

  In the beginning of chapter 4, Sasha noticed that people in the apartment were  afraid when his dad came in. Why did they afraid? Sasha thought that because they are just respected his father but, what they were afraid of was the fact that his father was a secret police which his job is to find out and catch the “enemy of the people”. They are afraid that if they do something wrong, his father will catch them and they will be sent to the prison. Or maybe because they know that Sasha’s father was an enemy of the people and they didn’t want to get involved in? 

 Another detail in the book that shows us how fearful people living under Stalin’s communist system  were , is when Sasha came to his Aunt Larisa’s apartment. At this time, Sasha still didn’t see the real face of Stalin-ism and kept believing that Communism and Stalin are the greatest. So, when he met up with his aunt, Larisa refused to let him in. Why did she do that? Because if you get involved with an “enemy of the people”, you may get yourself a ticket to the prison. The fear of going to prison and the fact that she was having a baby, she refused to let Sasha in. “We have to stay alive”. Don’t get it wrong that Larisa was a heartless person because when she told him to go away, “she pushes something into the palm of my hand, folds my fingers over it, and runs upstairs. I know it’s money. I’ll need it, so I’m grateful.”. It was the fear that make her doing that. Chapter and page? 

In chapter 18 , page 82, the teacher, Nina Petrovna, also a very good example to show how the authorities and the power people forcing fear onto other people.  Specifically in this situation is the student Vovka Sobakin. “Vovka used to be our model student-first to finish tests, never a grade below an A, helping those lagging behind”, not until they found out that his father was “an enemy of the people”, Nina refuse his existence, treat him like a person who has no voice, no rights. She even mock him about his father. Also, “She looks at us significantly. “Finkelstein refuses to cooperate with authority, which is me, the teacher. In capitalist countries, the teacher would decide whether to admit Finkelstein back into the classroom or send him to the principal to receive his punishment. … We don’t allow those who vote against the majority to handle the sacred banner. You’re a smart boy, Zaichik; you understand”. Clearly, by using fear, Nina threaten Sasha to do what she wanted. She also used fear to make the student to write down the name and choose who was the one that broke the Stalin statue’s nose without having any evidence. She just going to allegations any person that she thought was an enemy. 

After been through all those problems, Sasha finally, just a little bit, realized  how evil was the Communism and ran away from it. With this book, you can see what is the purpose and danger  of Stalin’s system: to suppress people’s will and control it.