Paradox In One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich

Seventeenth century British philosopher Thomas Hobbes proclaimed "during the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called warre ; and such a warre as is of every man against every man." Hobbes refers to a powerless state, but twentieth century author Alexander Solzhenitsyn demonstrates “warre” to exist in the authoritarian regime of the Soviet Union in the 1950s in which citizens are powerless. Solzhenitsyn’s assertion that “a zek's worst enemy is another zek” parallels Hobbes' views of every man versus every man. However, paradoxically, camaraderie and companionship that are juxtaposed with brutality and social Darwinism are the very traits that enable zeks to survive the bleak conditions of the Soviet gulag. Through the use of paradox in One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Alexander Solzhenitsyn depicts the complex internal and external conflicts prevalent in the gulag. Throughout the novel, Solzhenitsyn describes incidents that highlight the intense competition and conflict among zeks. Whether it is for the extra ration of bread or scrambling for food trays , zeks clash and externally conflict with one another. Cooks, foremen and guards abuse their positions of power by denying prisoners

Shukhov perceives real jail to be “when you were kept back from work”(7); externally, work provides zeks with warmth and the possibility of hot food. It rescues them from their illnesses and distracts them from thinking about their misfortunes. For Shukhov, work is a “relief”. Once he starts working, he forgets all about his aches and pains. Internally, work provides the opportunity to exhibit dignity, pride, and perfection while building the wall. Shukhov’s attention to detail and strong work ethic drives him to finish his task instead of laying down his tools as required to do so upon hearing the siren which signals the end of the