fact, Solzhenitsyn suggests that Shukhov maintains his strategy for survival based on
observations of other characters and of the ramifications of their actions. Fetyukov is
presented as the antithesis of Shukhov; while Shukhov struggles doggedly to refrain from
falling victim to dehumanization, Fetyukov completely succumbs to it. Consequently, the
guards and the other inmates constantly ostracize Fetyukov for his uncivilized manner,
“Fetyukov…was crying…he must’ve gotten beat up again for trying to scrounge
somebody’s bowl” (One Day…, Page 181). By vicariously participating in Fetyukov’s
adversities, Shukhov is reminded of the degradation that results from a disregard of
preserving human dignity. Fetyukov’s circumstances indicate the significance of
maintaining personal dignity to establish and maintain quality in life and ultimately
survival. This assertion is further reinforced through Solzhenitsyn’s presentation of the
similarities between Shukhov and prisoner Y-81, who share an appreciation for selfrespect.
Shukhov realizes the positive consequences of his struggle by observing Y-81,
“You could see that his mind was set on one thing-never to give in” (One Day…, Page
172). Because he portrays Shukhov similarly to Y-81, Solzhenitsyn suggests an
auspicious outlook for his protagonist. Solzhenitsyn furthermore presents the struggle to
maintain dignity as onerous; Shukhov risks his health and consequently his life by
maintaining practices such as refusing to eat the fish eyes of an already scarce portion.
However, Y-81’s survival reminds Shukhov that although succumbing to dehumanization
is relatively easier than thwarting it, his struggle provides him with the desire to survive.
Y-81’s success therefore foreshadows Shukhov’s potential for survival. Through his use
of foils, Solzhenitsyn depicts the need to preserve personal dignity for survival.
In Woman at Point Zero, Nawal El Saadawi depicts a society in which men
physically and emotionally abuse women in attempt to attack women’s dignity and to
assert their own dominance. El Saadawi establishes a discrepancy within the female
minor characters regarding their attempts to endure such victimization. Her presentation
of Sharifa Salah el Dine suggests prostitution as a survival strategy. Despite the negative
connotations of such a profession, Sharifa is ironically described as proud when
introduced, suggesting that she dignifies her job, “She stiffened her back and neck with a
movement full of a strange pride” (Woman at…, Page 53). Sharifa understands that a
demand for prostitutes exists, implying the potential of accumulating wealth. Her
earnings are then in turn spent to accommodate a comfortable lifestyle, purchasing a large
house and other luxuries. El Saadawi, therefore, depicts Sharifa as equating survival with
materialism. Taking a more conservative approach, women such as Fatheya attempt to
gain independence from men’s oppression by performing legitimate office work. This
occupation, however, does not entail luxuries. In fact, when Firdaus temporarily works in
the office, she endures many assaults to her dignity, including waking up three hours
before work starts to queue for the public shower. Despite such deprivation, Firdaus
continues working, like Fatheya, because she transiently believes it provides self-respect.
Therefore, El Saadawi depicts various methods of enduring oppression by establishing a
disparity within significant female minor characters regarding their survival methods.
Furthermore, El Saadawi portrays relationships between Firdaus and significant
minor characters to suggest that their methods of survival fall short in providing respectability and independence from men. El Saadawi portrays Firdaus as undertaking
both prostitution and legitimate work to experience the outcomes of both methods.
Firdaus is oblivious to her body’s power until Sharifa suggests prostitution, “A man does
not know a woman’s value…the higher you price yourself, the more he will realize what
you are really worth” (Woman at…, Page 55). Sharifa teaches Firdaus to manipulate
men’s desire for her body to attain control. Since El Saadawi has portrayed males as
power-hungry, men will pay the higher price since it challenges their dominance.
However, Firdaus realizes that although her profession alleviates her struggle for survival
financially, it forsakes respectability and independence. Despite her comfortable lifestyle,
Sharifa is still powerless to Fawzy and all men. Her material achievements, therefore, fail
to protect Sharifa from men’s oppression. In addition, El Saadawi suggests that
prostitution does not imply respectability through the significant minor character, Di’aa,
who bluntly tells Firdaus, “‘You are not respectable’” (Woman at…, Page 70). By
denouncing her work and attacking her dignity, Di’aa minimizes Firdaus’ power and
exercises control over her. Through these significant supporting characters, El Saadawi
suggests the significance of respectability in order to endure ongoing victimization.
Therefore, Firdaus replaces prostitution and money with Fatheya’s strategy of office
work. However, even with her legitimate job, Firdaus cannot escape men’s dominance.
Ibrahim, whom she loved, abandons their relationship to marry the boss’ daughter,
forsaking revolutionary ideas for the comfortable lifestyle of the establishment. Through
these relationships, El Saadawi suggests that men have concocted both professions to
oppress women and concludes that respectability, in men’s eyes, is unattainable. When
Firdaus returns to prostitution, as it is lucrative, she realizes that money empowers men.
Since she understands the deceit of money, Firdaus can transcend the power of wealth
and sex, established when she rips the money and neglects the prince. Her epiphany
empowers her over the prince, whom she reduces to a coward. Since she finally attains
dignity on her own terms, Firdaus welcomes death as a liberating experience.
Both Solzhenitsyn and El Saadwai signify dignity through the motif of
victimization by presenting relationships between the protagonist and significant
supporting characters. Furthermore, both authors portray a discrepancy within their minor
characters to present the protagonist’s choices in survival. Shukhov concludes, through
Solzhenitsyn’s presentation of Fetyukov and Y-81 as foils, that maintaining dignity
alleviates oppression. Similarly, El Saadawi creates a discrepancy within her female
characters regarding their interpretation of power. Firdaus, through her encounters with
these foils, realizes that attaining dignity is the preferred method. Both authors,
furthermore, present other significant minor characters as the oppressors; both Ibrahim
and Di’aa deceive Firdaus to assert their own dominance, just as Shukhov is victim of the
guards’ torment. The authors portray these characters as attempting to dehumanize the
protagonist, and are therefore responsible for the protagonists’ desire to establish a
method for survival. Through their foils, Firdaus and Shukhov are presented with several
remedies to this inner-conflict. However, this raises a difference regarding the extent of
the influence of the foils. While Shukhov vicariously observes the ramifications of these
possible methods, Firdaus adopts the strategies to experience their outcomes. Throughout
his novel, Solzhenitsyn portrays Shukhov as constant, maintaining the same method of
attaining dignity throughout the novel. This differs from El Saadawi’s depiction of her
protagonist, who repeatedly changes her occupation in her plight towards self-discovery.
Although the protagonists of the two works behave differently, their mindsets are formed
similarly through their relationships with significant minor characters. This shared
method enables the authors to suggest that their protagonists are influenced by the
supporting characters to strive for dignity and to endure victimization.
Through the depiction of the supporting characters, Solzhenitsyn and El Saadawi
establish the mood of victimization as well as the various methods available for their
corresponding protagonists to endure oppression. By presenting these relationships, the
authors lead the audience to a heightened understanding of the need to preserve personal
dignity for survival. Shukhov values life and therefore refrains tenaciously from
succumbing to dehumanization. Firdaus, however, isolates herself from society and
therefore views death as her only means of escaping oppression. Regardless of the
differences in these resolutions, such acts represent the culmination of the encounters
between the significant minor characters and the protagonists.
Word Count: 1,490
