Things have been put behind glass, but they are not yet over.

Stasiland shows that no one can ever be free from the horrors of
tyranny. To what extent do you agree? (Julia going to America and is now
free, Miriam getting a new house (Both rebuttals))
Anna Funders work of creative non-fiction, Stasiland, explores the lasting
effects of autocracy and oppression through the eyes of innocent victims of the
earlier German Democratic Republic. In Funders journey to uncover the truth of
the past, she comes to terms with the effects of the Stasi regime and how it has
psychologically traumatised those who resided within it. Her personal
interference is such that hinders the recovery of the fragile victims as she revisits
their painful past continually. The trauma, although, originated via the actions
and motives of the dictatorship, who implemented several techniques in order to
subjugate civilians. Control of education, employment prospects and surveillance
are some of the considerable tactics, negating those who may seem to be
enemies of the state and thereby deteriorating their reputation and emotional
state. However, the recovering situation of East Germany and its citizens seems
prosperous as certain individuals form coping mechanisms for themselves, yet
others are still unable to overcome the effects of the past tyranny.
Quote Analysis:
It encapsulates the authors views and values about remembering the past.
Funder has visited a number of museums, detailing the tangible items on view to
the public. She sees things such as posters, smell jars, neat rows of desks and
telephones, surveillance equipment and photographs. However, she knows there
are intangible things that cannot be kept in museums. These are the physical
and psychological consequences of the brutal methods used by the regime to
control its citizens: the grief, loss of privacy, mistrust, betrayal, paranoia, fear
and anger. It is not yet all over for the population of the former GDR, whether
they were victims or perpetrators. Things have not yet been resolved, whether
for Miriam, Julia or Frau Paul, some of the ex-Stasi and also the ordinary person in
the street who feels nostalgic for past times.
Funder
Funder also gives the reader emotional cues. As we are drawn into the sad,
poignant stories of Miriam, Julia and Frau Paul, Funder shares her emotions as
well. Her change in tone when interviewing men like Herr Winz and von
Schnitzler positions the reader to respond to these characters in a very different
way. If Funder finds them difficult to warm to, so do we.
At times, Funder moves from her first person, closely involved narration, into a
more formal style. This shift occurs when she feels it necessary to provide the
reader with background history in order to prepare them for the next stage of her
storytelling.