one day in the life of Ivan Denisovich

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One Day in Life of Ivan DenisovichIntroduction
One Day in Life of Ivan Denisovich is a novel that portrays the oppressive Stalinists regime. The author has achieved this by featuring Shukhov’s life in the prison camp. The novel revolves around the hardship and oppression that prisoners undergo at the Gulag prison camp. They are subjected to adverse weather conditions, limited clothing, and fed just enough to make them survive and work in the camp (Solzhenitsyn 73). Therefore, the prisoners have no options but to device survival methods (Solzhenitsyn 59). Despite featuring a detailed account of the daily operations of the prison camp during the oppressive Stalinists regime, the novel has failed to feature prominently the broader Soviet society in regards to social, economic, and political aspects. Nevertheless, the paper will cover the reflection of the novel “One Day in Life of Ivan Denisovich.”
From the novel, I can claim without any reasonable doubt that prison life is a direct contrast to the normal life. Life is very harsh and it is a matter of survival of the fittest. Prisoners are wasted and the rule of the jungle is what rules: either you eat or you are eaten. The author tried to communicate to the world what was happening during that time. However, he put it clearly that strong-willed, wisdom, making friends with the right people, and restraint is the key ingredients towards survival during the trying moments. The confrontation was not the answer to survival and overcoming the oppressive Stalinist (Solzhenitsyn 59).

The regime was very oppressive and the prisoners were not even spared. It represents a high degree of oppression that Stalinist regime imposed on the Russians (Solzhenitsyn 55).
Besides, from the novel, I can argue that prisoners need a distractor to enhance their chances of survival. The prisoners were imprisoned both physically and mentally. They were made to think that their world only revolved around the prison camp. As a way of survival, Shukhov identified the spoon as a source of his distractor. According to Shukhov, the spoon represented the freedom a prized possession. It was very dear to him and even called it baby. Moreover, the fact that he designed the spoon himself made Shukhov feel a sense of freedom and satisfaction. The spoon liberated his mind and gave him perceived freedom that helped him from being wasted further. Apart from being liberated by the spoon, Shukhov also used the spoon to feed well. At the prison camps, the prisoners enjoyed only two moments: the feeding time and the sleeping time. Therefore, having a right tool to feed represented a perceived relief that very few of them could enjoy (Solzhenitsyn 86).
A closer look at the treatment of the prisoners at the prison camp reveals that some cases were justifiable. It is worth noting that these were the prisoners of war. The Soviet Union suffered great casualties following the Second World War. Therefore, the regime was justified to treat them oppressively. Besides, nowhere in the world have the prisoners of war were treated fairly. It is always oppressive and inhuman treatment. Moreover, some positives could be derived from the prison camp. Notably, the prisoners were given food, clothed, and sheltered. These are some of the basic human needs (Solzhenitsyn 68). Additionally, just like any other prison, the Gulag camp denied freedom to the prisoners as one of the ways of advancing punishment.
Work cited
Solzhenitsyn, Alexander. One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich. Signet Classic, 1962, pp. 1–95.