Character Strength in One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn

In Alexander Solzhenitysn’s story “Matryona’s Home”, Solzhenitsyn creates a relationship between an out of town visitor, Ignatch and an elderly woman, Matryona. Matryona reluctantly opens up her home to Ignatch, over the course of their housing together they begin to form some sort of a friendship. Ignatch begins to understand Matryona’s way of life that “she illustrates a spirituality that eschews greed and self-interest” (Paloni). Her willingness to help others without expecting anything in return is her main flaw and ends up becoming the death of her. Foreshadowing and irony are used throughout the story to show how society misuses Matryona.

Viktor E. Frankl, an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who also had survived the Holocaust, writes “When we are no longer able to change a situation – we are challenged to change ourselves” (BrainyQuote). Frankl survived genocide against his own people and still chose to have a positive outlook on it because he understands that if he did not, he would continually live an unhappy, upset life. Like Frankl, Ivan Denisovich Shukhov, the main character in One Day In The Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, contains a similar outlook to that of Frankl. The novel takes place during Soviet Russia in a gulag in Siberia, or otherwise known as a labor work camp. The whole book is about only one day that Shukhov lives; from 5 in the morning to 10 at night and all that happens in between. In this labor camp, not only are the weather conditions very cold, making it difficult to work in such circumstances, but also the workers are punished and harshly treated if they do not obey the guards. When placed in this environment, it is easy to be discouraged and miserable, but instead of facing the negatives of his situation, Shukhov remains affirmative in his thoughts – which are most important in order to survive not only physically, but also mentally. This stoicism portrayed in the narrative can also be found in Epictetus’s work, The Handbook. In this text, Epictetus discusses how he believes people can live a happy life, despite the hard conditions they are put through

Shukhov could not dwell on his past even if he wanted to due his situation in the camps. Little by little he forgot what life was outside of it. With spending 8 years in the labor camps, Shukhov had little to remind him what home looked like. “As time went by, he had less and less to remind him of the village of Temgenyovo and his cottage home. Life in the camp kept him on the go from getting-up time to lights-out. No time for brooding on the past” and “Since he’d been in the camps Shukhov had thought many a time of the food

In One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn shows how Soviet prisoners, known as Zeks, are treated while being in the gulag for one day through the eyes of the protagonist and omniscient narrator named Ivan Denisovich Shukhov. Despite being in an environment such as the Soviet Union, where there is harsh tundra and not much food to eat, Shukhov tries to make good use of what he has received while trying to keep himself alive. The purpose of Solzhenitsyn’s portrayal of food is to show its overall significance and that it is used as a means of trade and survival. Over time, the power of food reveals its significance to the Zeks and especially to Shukhov and food allows both groups understanding towards the necessity of food for their vitality and well-being additionally.

According to Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, “The battleline between good and evil runs through the heart of every man.” Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn is a Russian novelist, born on December 11, 1918. From an early age, Solzhenitsyn was interested in becoming a writer, and began sending his writings for publication. He received a degree in mathematics and physics from the University of Rostv-na-Donu but had to put his career aside due to World War II. In 1945, Solzhenitsyn was arrest for letters he wrote that criticized Joseph Stalin. This led to him spending eight years in prison and labor camps. Following these events, Solzhenitsyn went on to publish numerous novels: Odin den iz zhizni Ivana Denisovicha (One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich), V kruge pervom (The First Circle) Rakovy korpus (Cancer Ward) and Arkhipelag Gulag (The Gulag Archipelago). The Gulag Archipelago discusses Solzhenitsyn’s experiences in labor camps and the way the system worked. This led to Solzhenitsyn being brought to court for treason. These works received critical acclaim and he was bestowed with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1970. In his quote, Solzhenitsyn is saying that human beings are always having internal fights with themselves over good and evil. They always try to overcome one or the other, with most cases being humans try to drive the evil away. No matter how hard human beings try to turn it away, it isn’t possible; humans are inherently evil.

In Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, Rakitin responds to a central question throughout the novel, “What is permitted?” when he proudly states to Dmitry that “An intelligent man can do anything he likes as long as he’s clever enough to get away with it” (788). While Rakitin has found his answer to this question, multiple characters in the novel are still stuck on that question. Throughout the novel, Dostoevsky seems to separate these characters into two groups: the characters like Dmitry who wonder if all actions are permitted and the characters like Ivan who wonder if all thoughts are permitted. These groups seem completely separate until Book 10 when a boy named Koyla Krasotkin comes onto the scene who seems to be in both groups at once as he tests for himself exactly what thoughts and actions are permitted. In Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, Dostoevsky uses Book 10 and Kolya to introduce the idea that the “free thinkers” and the “free doers” are one in the same in that they are wondering who will punish those who go beyond “what is permitted” and by extension sets up an argument between moral and legal punishment throughout the rest of the novel.

There is one more that needs to be mentioned and that is at the home of Snegiryov where there are three documented visits. In the first visit Alyosha makes, it is to try and mend fences that were broken by Mitya and the fight in the tavern. During this visit, Alyosha also brings financial support from Katya for the family and all the bills that they are accruing. In the second documented visit it is learned that the school boys and he visit the bedside of Ilyusha every day. In this visit, he gives fraternal correction to Kolya and engages the young man in a discussion about faith, God, and life. Alyosha also engages in the ministry of presence by just being with the family through this tough time. He does not say much to the family, but by him being there day in and day out the family is comforted knowing that they are not alone. Alyosha knows that we someone feels alone, they become weakened, and can easily lose faith and hope so he brings others. He brings the children to lift the spirits in the house, to give Ilyusha people to talk to, to distract the family, for a time, of the difficulties that they are experiencing, and to bring joy into the house. On the third visit, Alyosha comes to bury dead and comfort the morning. He comes to give final respect to Ilyusha and to again bring peace and healing to the family and

During the formation of the Soviet Union, leaders such as Stalin not only wanted to attain all authoritarian and political based rule, but also wanted to attain and achieve a much more complicated task. Several Soviet Union leaders wanted to attain what was known as the “New Soviet Man”. This meant that all forms of society and communities would detach from their former ideals and fully take on being a soviet and acknowledging the culture in a religious manner. This meant the eradication of culture and all other religions Stalin disapproved of, and the formation and practice of one religion. This also meant the disintegration of ethnic communities, and the detachment of religion, such as islam.”The acknowledgement of cultural diversity did

In the novel of One Day of Ivan Denisovich, written by Alexander Solzhenitsyn published in 1963. It was a cold morning like every other day. It was time for all the prisoners to go to work. Some prisoners to get out of the job they pass as sick patients. That is what Shukhov had in mind walking into the hospital that morning. Nikolay Vdovushkin demonstrates a different perspective other than of Ivan Denisovich, how gulags are portrayed in the novel and how his opinions affect the reader’s observations.

This written description of Shukhov’s morning meal exhibits Shukhov's daily grapple with self-respect, regardless of the ignominy of the camp experience. Shukhov has no voice in which he can state what he desires for breakfast each morning. As the quote says, “He stirred up the cold gruel and took a quick look to see what was in his bowl”, he doesn’t even know what is in his morning meal. This makes it look like the elements in the meal have more of an knowledge of what their fate will become more than he does. Shukhov continues and he stirs the meal knowing this action will determine what his future holds.

World War 2 not only had terrible battles where many people were killed, but had many other acts of brutalization. People who were deemed to be outsiders were brutalized for political beliefs, race, religion and many other reasons. Most of these reasons seem illogical and a lot of people wonder how someone can be brutalized because they look different or think differently. The most famous example where outsiders were brutalized is the Holocaust in Germany, but there are many other examples. Outsiders were even brutalized before in the United States. There are many different accounts of brutalization throughout World War 2 and after World War 2. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn is one piece of literature that portrays what life in the Gulag system was life through the eyes of Ivan Denisovich. The film Stalingrad shows the brutalization of the Russian soldiers by the German soldiers. The play In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Heiner Kipphardt shows the brutalization of people with communist views or pasts. All three of these works portray how groups that are brutalized are viewed as outsiders. These works are important because they document what happened to these “outsider” and how they were brutalized.

Written Assignment First Draft Light is a major recurring motif in the novel ‘One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich’. Light fundamentally comes in two major ways- artificial and natural. The artificial light deals with more negative concepts and comes across as a weapon of the Soviet regime. The natural light is symbolic of hope and optimism for the prisoners.

Count Leo Tolstoy's novella, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, was published in 1886. Despite being written over 100 years ago, it contains themes and ideas that are universal and still applicable today. These themes include mortality, authenticity of life, and suffering. Mortality, or transiency of life, is central in Tolstoy's novella. Like most people, the main character, Ivan, ignores his mortality until he becomes sick. In chapter 6, Ivan recalls studying Keiswetter's philosophy, and the idea of mortality (1464). Tolstoy writes, "And Caius is indeed mortal and and it's right that he should die... for me it's quite different. And it cannot be that I should die" (1464). Ivan can not grasp that he has to face death just like everyone else. Among

“Nothing has ever been more insupportable for a man and a human society than freedom.” –The Grand Inquisitor” “Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.” - Father Zosima. These two quotes voice the polarized philosophies that impregnate the book, The Brothers Karamazov. Ivan, the second of the three sons, and Zosima, the old monk, are huge commentators on the question, “Is the burden of free will to much for a human to bear?”

Raskolnikov lives an ordinary life as an ordinary man. He is a good man and has a good heart, but he soon commits a crime that will forever change his life. Raskolnikov is a good man; I believe he is kind, generous, and selfless. Now, how are all of these positive traits found in a murderer? I think was caught in a psychotic moment, his mental state was not all there, and he had a dream, he made a plan, and he committed this terrible crime. A good example of Raskolnikov being a kind hearted person, and selfless is when he sees a young girl at the end of the street, he sees by her a rough looking man staring at her. He starts to get very worried what this man might do to this young girl. He goes down the street to get this young girl, and he pays for a taxi to get her home. This was so generous, and small yet so impactful. Raskolnikov cared about what might happen to this young girl, and did something about it. This showed how selfless Raskolnikov is, and what a kind heart he has. I think this shows Raskolnikov’s true character. From here, he makes some terrible decisions, and is engulfed by guilt, but I believe he is a generous, kindhearted person. In this book, Crime And Punishment, Raskolnikov goes from being an ordinary man with an ordinary life to a murderer, tortured by guilt, haunted by the memory of his crime, and him finding himself again in society after the murders.