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Analysis Of Shukhov In One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich

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Shukhov reveals how he survives the day in and day out in the gulag. In One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Shukhov is in the gulags for being wrongfully convicted of treason. He must deal with the destruction of humanity, created a ritualization for eating, and most important, he treats time as a valuable possession. To begin with, Shukhov makes sure that he keeps his dignity despite the destruction of human solidarity that the forced labor camps. For example, This quote refers the lack of solidarity caused by the gulags, because for the lack of food, dignity, and the harsh weather. ”Who’s a Zek’s main enemy? Another Zek. If only they weren’t at odds with one another—ah, what a difference that’d make.”(45) The …show more content…

For instance, this shows how Shukhov learns the new ways of consuming his food to survive longer at the gulag. "You had to eat with all your mind on the food-like now, nibbling the bread bit by bit, working the crumbs up into a paste with your tongue and sucking it into your cheeks." (40) It refers to those zeks who do not make it in the gulag, because they scavenge for food instead of earning it by working. "The ones that don't make it are those who lick other men's leftovers..." (4) The hunger will always come back no matter how well you eat at the gulag. "The belly is a demon. It doesn't remember how well you treated it yesterday; it'll cry out for more tomorrow." (118) In brief, the ritual of eating in this book is important and Shukhov survives becauses of this crucial …show more content…

To illustrate, this quote shows that he stop planning for the future in the gulag because the Soviet authorities can control what time it is for the zeks. “During his years in prisons and in camps he’d lost the habit of planning for the next day, for a year ahead, for supporting his family. The authorities did his thinking for him about everything…..”(32) The idea acts as a constant undercurrent to Shukhov's entire day. “The hammer banged reveille on the rail outside camp HQ at five o'clock as always. Time to get up.” (1) We learn about Shukhov's character by showing how disciplined he is and how he carefully manages his time. We also learn about how valuable time is in the camps, since there's so little free time available. ”Shukhov never overslept. He was always up at the call. That way he had an hour and a half all to himself before work parade - time for a man who knew his way around to earn a bit on the side.” (4) Altogether, Time is valuable in in the camps, so prisoners should use their time wisely like Ivan Denisovich. In conclusion, Shukhov learned to deal with life in the horrible gulags. In One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, we discovered that he deals with the destruction of human solidarity, created a ritualization for eating, and most important, he treats time as a precious

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