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Mrs. Arvydas
Better known to Lina as “the bald man,” Mr. Stalas is a postman who is placed in the same train car as the Vilkases when they are deported. He is an extremely pessimistic person, and throws himself from the train car in an attempt to commit suicide. He only succeeds in mangling his leg, which he uses as an excuse to lament and avoid work for the rest of the novel. Lina has an intense dislike for Mr. Stalas, as he says crude things that only succeed in frightening the deportee children. Yet despite his rude nature, Lina’s mother Elena is kind to Mr. Stalas and frequently brings him food. He reveals later on in the novel that he is Jewish, which likely contributes to his pessimistic attitude, since Jews were one of the main groups targeted during World War II. Mr. Stalas functions as a foil to the little hope that the deportees inspire in each other, and often serves to bring together members of the deportees in retaliation to his flippant remarks. However, he unfortunately also often acts as a rude awakening to the reality of the grim situation of the Baltic genocide.
Mr. Stalas (The Bald Man) Quotes in Between Shades of Gray
The Between Shades of Gray quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Stalas (The Bald Man) or refer to Mr. Stalas (The Bald Man). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 4 Quotes
The truck stopped in front of the hospital. Everyone seemed relieved that they would tend to the bald man’s injuries. But they did not. They were waiting. A woman who was also on the list was giving birth to a baby. As soon as the umbilical cord was cut, they would both be thrown into the truck.
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Chapter 6 Quotes
“Sir,” said Jonas, leaning around me. He held out his little ruler from school. The old woman who had gasped at my nightgown began to cry.
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Chapter 64 Quotes
“The Jews are the scapegoat for all of Germany’s problems,” said the bald man. “Hitler’s convinced racial purity is the answer. It’s too complicated for children to understand.”
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Mr. Stalas (The Bald Man) Quotes in Between Shades of Gray
The Between Shades of Gray quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Stalas (The Bald Man) or refer to Mr. Stalas (The Bald Man). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 4 Quotes
The truck stopped in front of the hospital. Everyone seemed relieved that they would tend to the bald man’s injuries. But they did not. They were waiting. A woman who was also on the list was giving birth to a baby. As soon as the umbilical cord was cut, they would both be thrown into the truck.
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Chapter 6 Quotes
“Sir,” said Jonas, leaning around me. He held out his little ruler from school. The old woman who had gasped at my nightgown began to cry.
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Chapter 64 Quotes
“The Jews are the scapegoat for all of Germany’s problems,” said the bald man. “Hitler’s convinced racial purity is the answer. It’s too complicated for children to understand.”
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Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
