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Aleksandr Solzhenitsy's One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich

1938 Words8 Pages

How was your understanding of cultural contextual consideration of the work developed through the interactive oral?

Learning about both the author (Aleksandr Solzhenitsy) and the situation is Russia in 1952-54 proved very informative for me, especially to understand the harshness in the life of our protagonist Shukhov (and potentially all the prisoners during that time period).

It was interesting to know that Aleksandr had actually went to several camps; both a “normal” camp and a more political or Stalinist camp. Needless to say he found the political camp far worst then the normal ones.

During Stalins reign (1879-1953) the citizens of Russia were subjected to insane poverty, hunger and distress. They had a constant threat of getting thrown into the Gulag if they spoke against Stalins way. During our discussion a very good point was raised about how Russia itself was almost like a Gulag. The citizens were not allowed to speak their own opinion in fear of being …show more content…

It is designed to serve up a series of onslaughts on its prisoners’ both physical and spiritual dignity and pride. With features of the camp ranging from; the nearly intolerable living conditions, to guards forcing the prisoners to strip off their garments for body searches at temperatures of minus forty degrees, to having their (the prisoners) names replaced by unwelcoming combinations of the alphabet and numbers. By doing these horrendous acts the camp erases all traces of individuality and self-worth. However some prisoners counteract, and passively fight against the ‘system’. In this essay Shukhov is taken as a prime example of how he counteracts and holds on to his dignity and pride. (this essay will look at Ivan d uses certain behaviours, such as resistance throughout his believes, meal time and personal discipline to maintain his

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From the biting frost of the weather to a rare stub of cigarette, ‘One Day in the life of Ivan Denisovich’ by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn is a short novel about a prisoner named Ivan Denisovich Shukhov, who is one of millions heartlessly imprisoned for countless years in a Stalinist labor camp located in Siberia sometime in the 1950’s. Though he is somewhat uneducated, he is hardworking a working-class and his daily struggle represents that of the average Russian citizen, along with the other inmates in the camp. In ‘One Day in the life of Ivan Denisovich’, Solzenitsyn uses the two minor characters, Alyosha and Fetiukov to show the significance of how two characters with contrasting personalities influence Shukhov’s life, not forgetting the fact they have different perspective of the camp, despite the fact that they are all the same prisoners who share a similar everyday routine.

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