Non-Party Members

Abstract

Compared to those who join the Communist Party, there are many more people who prefer to stay away from becoming its members. Their reasons are various and manifold. He or she may be the children of Jewish parents or of those having kulak origins. His parents or close relatives may have been repressed under Stalin or after his death. Their relatives might live abroad or have recently emigrated there and others are afraid to apply for membership because they do not want to divulge before a curious public what is concealed in their hearts. Some others do not even think about joining the Party. These do not understand why they should join an organization which will prescribe how they must behave, what friends to have and what books to read. This group of people includes a good percentage of women who consider the Party membership as utterly alien to their feminine nature and future goals. These women may think that their real or future husbands will join the Party lest their family lead a much more modest existence than they wish, but they themselves would unequivocally refrain from swelling the ranks of that body. To enroll oneself in the Party means to be a different woman. Too often those women who sign up for the Party cannot rely upon their feminine charms. These people do not want to join the Party ranks and are devoid of any illusions about the Communist Party and its numerous members. In their judgment, all those people have entered the Party because they care about their careers and want to earn better money. As a rule, members of this sizable group which stays away from Party membership are not very ambitious for personal gain.