reading:
John Bowe (ed): Gig: Americans Talk About Their Jobs
Gail Simone: Birds of Prey
Sarah Vowell: Take the Cannoli
Howard Zinn: People's History of the U.S.
In her later years she becomes a more dynamic force with a strong belief in the party line, but even then she's simply acquiescing to a larger ideal -- which makes her a great Communist, but a poor protagonist.