Name: Caroline (Hae-Joon) Jun

Candidate Number: 001495-023

Teacher: Mrs. S. Cairns

In One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich, a novel by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the illfated protagonist Shukov, a prisoner of a Stalinist Labor camp, is forced to withstand the nearly
insufferable living conditions. By using overpowering external forces stripping prisoners of
their identities by allocating them numbers instead of names, the removal of individuality,
through the character of Fetyukov who has lost his dignity, symbolism spoon and blade, the
Solzhenitsyn depicts how the protagonist, Shukov, has succeeded in maintaining his dignity.
Shukovs struggle to maintain his dignity throughout the imprisonment despite the
overpowering external forces is remarkable. Solzhenitsyn portrays this dignity in two different
ways, one is being treated with respect, and the other one is his own self-worth. The labor camp
degrades the prisoners piously by substituting their names into letter and number combinations
such as Schcha-854 and grouping them into one mass such as Gang 104. This clearly shows
that in the camp prisoners have had their identities are taken away. By eliminating their
individuality of name, their individual characteristics are ultimately eradicated. The prisoners are
reduced to insignificance by mere digits to represent who they are. This taking of their dignity is
further exacerbated as Shukov and the prisoners are treated with such disrespect that they seem
as insignificant as objects, as they are given a total lack of privacy. Although other prisoners
sheepishly accept these combinations of letters and numbers as their new identity, Shukov
constantly questions this new coding system and strives not to accept it as his true identity. He
feels almost ready to rebel against the coding system believing that his name represents himself
as an individual. Shukov uses passive rebellion rather than physical rebellion and this is a very
clever choice as physical rebellion such as running away in the night, he would be punished
severely. The underlying purpose of the Stalinist camp is to demoralize the prisoners and keep
them under full control. Shukov rises above the purpose of the Stalinist camp and takes pride in
his work, environment and enjoys camaraderie with his fellow prisoners.
Through the intricate details of the living conditions in the labor camp, it is evident that
the guards showed no respect for the prisoners as humans. Mattresses do not have sheets;
prisoners only given two hundred grams of bread per meal; and the guards force the prisoners to
undress for body searches at temperatures at forty below zero at any time of the night or
morning. Solzhenitsyn artfully reveals the Shukovs struggle through the almost cryptic
descriptions of his actions; - however cold it was, he wouldnt let himself eat with his cap

Name: Caroline (Hae-Joon) Jun

Candidate Number: 001495-023
Teacher: Mrs. S. Cairns

on Shukov shows his maintenance of dignity by behaving like a gentleman, which can be
linked as a vestige of his past life, even though manners seem obsolete or wasted in such
inhospitable living conditions, Shukov still maintains at least a semblance of normality.
quickly checking what he had found its way into his bowl. Solzhenitsyn creates a disheartening
atmosphere and shows Shukhovs resilient stoicism about his environment and situation. The use
of the adverb quickly shows Shukhovs aversion to the contents of the bowl, indicating his
method of coping as he tries to avoid noticing the distasteful reality of his life. Solzhenitsyn
utilizes the passive formation of the sentence to denote that Shukhov did not even have any say
over the contents of his bowl. what had found its way into his bowl Shukhov as a
character seems to hold on to every bit of what is left of his human dignity. The reader is inspired
to sympathize with the protagonist and marvel at his quiet maintenance of this little shred of
dignity. Solzhenitsyn further emphasizes that the camp did not succeed in eliminating Shukhovs
dignity. This is exemplified in Shukhovs insistence of removing his cap before eating, even
though it was cold. It can be gleaned from this that even in the camp, Shukhov still adheres to the
civilized tradition of doing so, and in a way asserts his dignity. It almost seems the degradation
of the camp was to such an extent that Shukhov was in practiced resignation to this fact.
Although the conditions are subhuman the protagonist, Shukov, through his belief system, denies
conforming.
Shukhov does not allow himself to take on the degrading behavior of others, as portrayed
by the foil character Fetyukov, a fellow prisoner often called a filthy rat as he is frequently
caught licking bowls. Through this character, Solzhenitsyn accentuates the importance of
maintaining dignity and shows the reader what happens when one has lost his dignity and human
qualities. He must have been beaten up again for licking out dishes Solzhenitsyns use of
Fetyukov exemplifies him as a foil character distinctly contrasting to Shukovs determination to
maintain his dignity. The degradation of Fetyukovs dignity is placed in sharp contrast to
Shukhovs admirable actions. he knew his rights, of coursebut even after eight years he
was no scrounger While Fetyukov obtains bread by begging, Shukhov works doubly hard at
the Power Station work site and earns his bread and is determined to be an exemplary citizen.
Instead, it almost seems as if his morality increases in several ways in the camp. Through the
portrayal of the times when Shukov felt pleased with life as he went to sleep,

Name: Caroline (Hae-Joon) Jun

Candidate Number: 001495-023
Teacher: Mrs. S. Cairns

Solzhenitsyn delineates Shukhovs acceptation of his identity as a prisoner in a camp and he tries
his best to think of it positively. Instead of falling into depression or questioning his
circumstances, Shukhov puts on an impressive display of dignity. This is evident in the intensity
in which he goes about doing all his daily tasks, be it eating or working. Solzhenitsyn describes
Shukhovs focus while working on a brick wall as if he owned every inch of it. This simile
gives the reader the impression that he carried out the tedious task with a sense of importance.
Although he is a prisoner, he puts in his best effort, he even enjoyed working on the wall.
This shows his triumph over adversity. He also enjoys the work he is allocated to and takes a
positive stance towards it. Through his assertion of his humanity, he almost seems to be quietly
rebelling and resisting the demoralizing effect of the Stalinist camp. By juxtaposing these two
characters, (one has lost his dignity and the other strives to maintain his dignity), Solzhenitsyn
underlines the importance of having self-worth.
In this novel, Shukov attempts to preserve parts of his dignity through symbolic objects
such as a spoon and blade. Shukhov had in his possession a spoon and a blade that represented
his individuality. Solzhenitsyn emphasizes that he hadnt been caught with the blade at the
search point that he hid this blade from the guards by keeping in the inside of his boots. This
reminded Shukhov of his individuality, the very thing that the camp tried to strip him of. This
object remains undiscovered by the authorities, one of the few things Shukhov can keep in
private. Possession of the spoon and blade reminds Shukov of his individuality and uniqueness
as the other gang members do not have the spoon and blade. The privilege of having these
cutlery sets him apart from the rest of the prisoners and he attaches a lot of importance to these
objects as they are part of his identity. Possessing them blade and spoon comes to mean that
he possesses his own identity and dignity under these subhuman conditions. The spoon
symbolizes how in this oppressive camp, a prisoner must carefully hide the unique part of him
that sets him apart, no matter how small a thing it is. Solzhenitsyns description of this spoon as
his most prized possession reflects on the dignity he struggles to maintain. The symbolism of the
spoon is a double-fold, delineating Shukhovs priority in taking care of himself both physically
and spiritually. This symbolic object serves as proof that Shukhovs efforts to maintain his
dignity are deliberate and implicit at the same time. He projects his identity and dignity on the
spoon and blade.

Name: Caroline (Hae-Joon) Jun

Candidate Number: 001495-023
Teacher: Mrs. S. Cairns

The maintenance of dignity portrayed at the end of One day in the life of Ivan
Denisovich, shows that Shukhov has grown increasingly stronger as a character and he has
found various ways of maintaining his dignity. Although external forces of the Stalinist camp
constantly make it extremely hard for him to earn respect and keep his self-worth, he has
succeeded in earning respect from his fellow prisoners. This shows his own strength of character
and belief system. Solzhenitsyn has successfully depicted that no matter how tough
circumstances are, Shukhov seems to be proof that even in a Stalinist camp; no one can strip a
person of his dignity completely as there are choices one can make to preserve it. Solzhenitsyn
has employed symbols and intricate descriptions, to portray the maintenance of dignity in the
protagonist in his novel.

Solzhenitsyn, Aleksandr (translated by H.T.Willetts), 2003, One day in the life of Ivan
Denisovich, Vintage Future Classics, London