Alexander Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

This assignment is based on Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. Through a creative approach, I will be demonstrating some of the aspects of Solzhenistsyn’s text. I will be inserting a scene in which Shukhov, the protagonist, is sitting outside, adjusting his boots. This text is full of a plethora of literary techniques and symbols but the aim of my piece is to specifically demonstrate the stylistic feature of time, two of the three narrative styles and certain symbols via the above scenario.

First published in 1962, this work depicts Stalin’s forced-work camps through labour-camp inmate Ivan Denisovich, Shukhov, and his struggle to maintain his dignity in the face of communist oppression. This novel portrays the lives of prisoners in a Siberian prison camp , in the post World War Two Stalinist era. The setting itself is symbolic of the Soviet government oppression.

The style of text flows evenly, although only one day has been illustrated. The entire story itself is focused on central characteristics in a specific location and fixed period of time. Although there is no distortion in time, we are given an impression that it takes place longer than just one day and it is symbolic of the day to day survival of the prisoners.

The time period seems longer than in reality and I will demonstrate this aspect through my piece, in which, only a small action takes place, yet the time frame it is encompassed within seems longer.

There are three narrative styles present in this text. One style used is ‘skaz’, a variation of traditional Russian narrative form, wherein there is an anonymous narrator who is on the

same intellectual level as the protagonist but gives an impression that the story is b...

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...ite my piece in the same manner as Solzhenitsyn has, I will exhibit the stylistic feature of time by making the reader feel that the action had taken place over a longer period of time than in reality. I will be incorporating the ‘skaz’ and omniscient educated narrative perspective. The ‘skaz’ will allow me to be at the same educational level as Shukhov, but not Shukhov himself. The omniscient educated narrative will allow the author’s views to be displayed. I will be displaying the three symbols mentioned above through my piece by putting emphasis on them. The setting will be, of course, in the prison, but outside, as the prisoners spent most of their time outside. This will allow Shukhov to interact with the external environment.

I will demonstrate all of the above features of Solzhenitsyn’s novel through an ordinary scene in the life of an ordinary man.