1. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich can be read on three different levels of meaning. Give a coherent review of each, providing examples from the work and show how the three levels are related to each other. 2. Cancer Ward is another work by Alexander Solzhenitsyn which […]
Read more Study Help Essay QuestionsCritical Essays Style and Narrative Perspective in One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
The choice of a protagonist created a problem of narration for Solzhenitsyn. Ivan is certainly not unintelligent, but his educational background is not suited for narrating a lengthy story. On the other hand, it would not have been suitable to have a highly educated narrator tell us about Ivan, because […]
Read more Critical Essays Style and Narrative Perspective in One Day in the Life of Ivan DenisovichCritical Essays Levels of Meaning in One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
A Prison Novel Most worthwhile pieces of literature operate on multiple levels of meaning. One of these is the literal level — that is, a level on which one requires only an understanding of the basic denotation of the terms and concepts employed by the author. Expressed simply, on this […]
Read more Critical Essays Levels of Meaning in One Day in the Life of Ivan DenisovichAlexander Solzhenitsyn Biography
Alexander Isayevich Solzhenitsyn was born in Kislovodsk, a small resort town in the Caucasus mountain range on December 11, 1918, six months after the death of his father in a hunting accident. Shortly afterward, Solzhenitsyn’s mother moved to Rostov-na-Donu, a city some 600 miles south of Moscow. Life was extremely […]
Read more Alexander Solzhenitsyn BiographySummary and Analysis Ivan’s Code of Survival
The final paragraphs of this short novel are the most memorable ones. After our initial horror at the inhumane conditions of life in a “special” camp, the reader gradually begins to see Ivan’s day through the eyes of a man who has become used to much of this horror and, […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Ivan’s Code of SurvivalSummary and Analysis Small but Important Triumphs
Alyosha the Baptist hears Ivan’s mumbled “Thank God” and asks him why he does not pray more often. Ivan answers that he does not believe in the efficacy of prayer. His pragmatic nature does not place much stock in matters of the spirit, and his personal acquaintance with a worldly […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Small but Important TriumphsSummary and Analysis Ivan Reviews the Day
Ivan settles down for a few small moments of relaxation before the evening roll call and lights-out. He considers several ways that he can use the little piece of steel which he has smuggled in. Then he hides it in a safe place. Fetyukov comes into the barracks crying. He […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Ivan Reviews the DaySummary and Analysis Buying Tobacco
Ivan goes to Barracks 7 to buy some tobacco, thinking about the differences between the “special” camp and the previous camps he has known. In the “special” camp, prisoners do not get paid, while in Ust-Izhma, he was given at least thirty rubles a month. Here, Ivan makes extra money […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Buying TobaccoSummary and Analysis Supper Rations
When Ivan returns to his barracks, there is a commotion because somebody’s bread ration has been stolen while they were at work. Ivan finds his own bread intact in its hiding place and runs to the mess hall to join his gang for supper. In the mess hall, the manager […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Supper RationsSummary and Analysis Markovich’s Package
After his close call with the authorities, Ivan hurries to the package room to see if he can do Caesar Markovich a worthwhile favor by standing in line for him. As he waits, he remembers that in the Ust-Izhma camp, he received packages a couple of times. Since not much […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Markovich’s Package