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

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

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.

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

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.

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

Summary of Major Ideas In his article “Men Have Forgotten God,” Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn impressively describes how people today have forgotten God. Solzhenitsyn goes over his observation of Russia being turn apart after World War II, blaming the West for ignorantly allowing the 20th century world to destroy itself, and the Christian life in Russia after the war. After World War II, Russia fell in to agony and was turn apart by a “Band of cannibals,” as Solzhenitsyn implies, meaning the Russian government was destroying itself by abandoning and outlawing God in their country. He saw the 20th century pulled into a pit of atheism and self-destruction, all because, as he claims, “Men Have Forgotten god.”

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.

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

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.

During our interactive oral, we discussed the cultural and contextual considerations of the work One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich written by Alexsandr Solzhenitsyn. The subjects referred to where the importance of time and place, setting, and culture.

“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?”

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, whose stubborn, lonely and combative literary struggles gained the force of prophecy as he revealed the heavy afflictions of Soviet Communism in some of the most powerful works of the 20th century, died late on Sunday at the age of 89 in Moscow.

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.