One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich 999repetitive actions. Since the prisoners have almost
no personal freedom, their individualness is unable
to flourish, which Shukhov decides to accept. Prison
society is a ceaseless rhythm with which men such as
Shukhov and U 81 learn to move along.
The acceptance of brutal, exhausting prison life
is one of the most surprising aspects of this novel,
especially for first-time readers. Very little action
occurs in the plot, and there is almost no story
to follow. Once introduced to the situation, and
knowing the typical patterns of literature, a reader
probably expects there to be some type of revolt or
escape attempt during the novel. Yet Shukhov never
once tries to sabotage the guards. The novel shows
how the prison environment develops into a society
of its own, with its own set of characters. In many
ways, Shukhov thinks of the guards as fellow suffer-
ers, working and living in the prison in a similar and
not much easier type of experience. At the end of
an uneventful day, Shukhov falls asleep feeling “fully
content,” thinking about “the many strokes of luck
that day.” His sickness could have worsened in the
cold, or he could have been locked up alone. From a
reader’s perspective, the character’s situation is ironic
since he is content in a brutal lifestyle. Shukhov,
however, sincerely knows that his day could have
been much worse.
Elizabeth Walpole
Sur vIvaL in One Day in the Life of Ivan
Denisovich
When deprived of all ordinary joys, such as good
meals or family gatherings, the prisoners in the
gulag cherish survival itself as their last hope. In the
brutal conditions, staying alive is a difficult goal but
one that the prisoners can obtain if they act carefully.
What differs from prisoner to prisoner is the type of
survival they value most.
Fetiukov tries to survive moment to moment
without thinking ahead. Like certain animals, he
devolves into a scavenger; he is often referred to
as “the jackal.” In the canteen, Shukhov witnesses
Fetiukov “hunting for leftovers (if someone doesn’t
finish his stew and pushes his bowl back, there
are always people hustling to pounce on it, like
vultures).” Fetiukov’s impatient desperation causes
him to act without thinking. Since he sees food as
an immediate necessity for survival, he eats every-
one’s leftovers without thinking that the bowls may
contain viruses from the many mouths that have
already eaten from them. Likewise, he smokes the
ends of cigarette butts that other prisoners have
already smoked. He does not stop collecting waste,
even when another prisoner warns him that reusing
these cigarettes will give him a “syphilitic lip.” In
addition to putting his health in danger, Fetiukov’s
recklessly tight grip on survival requires him to give
up his dignity. He “slobber[s] . . . unable to restrain
himself ” when he begs for a puff on someone else’s
cigarette. Shukhov thinks Fetiukov is disgusting in
his blatant display of hungry longing. In response,
Shukhov decides that he “would never lower himself
like that Fetiukov, he would never look at a man’s
mouth,” as though there is perversion in such display
of neediness.
Alyosha the Baptist provides another view of
survival. He works to keep his faith alive even in
the gloom of prison. By reading his carefully hid-
den Bible each night, he reflects on his situation
and believes that by surviving through his suffering
days, he is strengthening his love of God. Amaz-
ingly, Alyosha has adapted to the extent that “his
voice and his eyes left no doubt that he was happy
in prison,” because he believes that “here you have
time to think about your soul.” Unlike Fetiukov, who
is consumed by greed and hunger, Alyosha has an
easier time surviving their difficult circumstances.
Alyosha transcends his basic desire for “parcels or
extra stew” and prays only for “our daily bread.” His
spirituality generally keeps him safe in the prison,
since he is too peaceful to become involved in fights.
His only hope for change is “that the Lord Jesus
should remove the scum of anger from our hearts.”
This anger could come from Shukhov and many
other prisoners who are incarcerated for crimes they
did not commit. Alyosha, who may be in a similar
situation, turns to God as the only reason why he
should try to survive such an unjust situation.
For Shukhov, his needs are all related to survival,
and he prefers it to be that way. The reason that
Ivan is in the gulag in the first place is because of
his desire to live. He is imprisoned because he was
accused of spying for the Germans, when really he
had only escaped from a prisoner-of-war camp. He