Analyze the role of the Gulag within the Soviet economic system. How did it serve both political and economic ends? How does Applebaum explore this dual function in Gulag?

Explore the evolution of the Gulag system from its inception under Lenin through its expansion under Stalin and eventual decline in the post-Stalin era. How did shifts in Soviet leadership and political ideology affect the operation and justification of the labor camps?

Examine the psychological and social effects of the Gulag on prisoners. What were some of these effects? How did various prisoners respond to these effects in different ways?