Analysis: One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich

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“Communism is the death of the soul. It is the organization of total conformity - in short, of tyranny - and it is committed to making tyranny universal.” is a quote said by Adlai E. Stevenson. This quote is stating that which is evident by the use of the word “tyranny” which means the “arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power”, mainly from an absolute ruler. When picked apart, this quote is stating that communism only spreads arbitrariness through the total conformity that communism instills. The message that this quote is sending is alluded to in the book One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. This book follows Ivan Denisovich, or commonly referred to as Shukhov, through a normal day in a Soviet prison camp called …show more content…

In the book, it is referenced numerous times and not only in the context of weather. The quote “When you’re cold, don’t expect sympathy from someone who’s warm.” (18) holds meaning to this. This quote means that the prisoners shouldn’t expect sympathy from higher-ups or guards because they are isolated within the cold themselves. The comparison between being warm and cold explains this. In the context of this quote, the prisoners are represented by the cold whereas the guards and higher-ranked individuals in the camp are represented by the warmth. This comparison can be validated by looking at characteristics and privileges that the two groups have: prisoners work and live in the cold, are not mixed in with the guards, and they are not allowed to have personal possessions, whereas guards and higher-ups live in the warmth of better offices and buildings, are separated from the prisoners, and receive at least a share of the unique possessions that the prisoners have. Because of the privileges that the higher-ups have, there is no reason they should be sympathetic towards the prisoners, thus making the prisoners isolated. This theme is reminiscent in the book Night by Elie Wiesel when the Jewish prisoners in concentration camps are also given limited privileges and are isolated from the guards because of a difference they have. Both groups of prisoners were shown very little compassion and received no sympathy, even when the conditions were

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