Howard Wang
World Literature
Mr. O’ Hagen
October 21st 2009
Ivan Denisovich Shukhov
(Solzhenitsyn Essay Topic #3)
“One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” by Alexander Solzhenitsyn is a novel that takes place in a harsh Siberian labour camp. The reason Ivan Denisovich Shukhov is the ideal protagonist is because not only does he have diligence and good morality but he is also a common Russian peasant. Because of these traits that Shukhov possesses, Solzhenitsyn is able to portray the unfairness of the gulag and the strength of the human spirit.
One of the first things that one notices about Shukhov is his diligence; at the very beginning of the novel it says that “Shukhov never overslept reveille. He always got up at once...” (7). to immediately get up at 5:00 every morning requires a lot of willpower but to do so everyday knowing that there is a full day of cold, hard work is something that clearly shows the strength of Shukhov’s spirit. Shukhov also possess an almost positive attitude even in the harsh environment of the gulag. An example would be “...Shukhov was no longer seeing that distant view...He was no longer seeing the prisoners...Shukhov was seeing only his wall” (79) and at the end of the novel Shukhov says “...he’d built a wall and enjoyed doing it” (142), Not only does Shukhov put his full attention and hard work into building the wall he is also able to turn hard labour into something he enjoyed. Shukhov’s diligence gives him so much spirit that he even feels content in the gulag. Shukhov was put into the gulag for treason even though there was no proof of his betrayal, however there was proof of his loyalty. “Shukov volunteered for the front again, though he could have lain there in bed for 5 days”. (22) Only a loyal patriot would make such a brave decision, not a traitor. Overall Shukhov’s positive attitude and diligence shows the strength of the human spirit to continue to survive and live even in the most horrible circumstances and environments.
