The Theme of Hope in One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich Essay

The topic of Hope in One Day in the liveliness of Ivan Denisovich In Alexander Solzhenitsyns novel One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, the knock-down(prenominal) themes of rely and perseverance atomic number 18 undercut by the realization that for Ivan in that respect is little or no purpose in life. This is not to reckon that the themes of hope and perseverance do not exist in the novel. on that point are numerous instances in the novel where Shukhov is filled with hope. However, these moments of hope amidst the unoriginal narrative of the novel raise the interesting question Are these moments of hope atrophied? The answer to this question may lie more in the individual human nature of the reader than in Solzhenitsyns literary technique. Whether pointless or not, Solzhenitsyn offers many instances in the novel where the themes of hope and perseverance are evident. The glimpses of hope which Ivan Denisovich sees includes the few moments after reveille that the prison ers have to themselves, respecting his fellow prisoners, victorious pride in a job well done, and enjoying simple forage and tobacco. Solzhenitsyn wrote One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich in such a fashion that the brutality of the Soviet labor camps is not emphasized. Instead of think on the brutality of the camps, Solzhenitsyn focused on one day in the life of a very fair prisoner. However, the fact that Ivan Denisovich Shukhov is such an ordinary man and is still able to find hope in the close to menial of tasks is inspiring. Joseph Frank states that Solzhenitsyns fundamental theme is precisely the affirmation of character, the competency to survive in a nightmare world where mora... ... Research Inc., 1992. Lucid, Luellen. Solzhenitsyns Rhetorical Revolution. Twentieth Century Literature 23 (1977) 498-517. Rpt in Solzhenitsyn. globe Literary Criticism 1500 to the Present. Ed. James P. Draper. Detroit Gale Research Inc., 1992. Remnick, David. Ressurrection The Struggle for a peeled Russia. New York Random House Inc., 1998 Solzhenitsyn, Alexander. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. Trans. Max Hayward and Ronald Hingely. New York Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group Inc., 1990. Terras, Victor. A History of Russian Literature. New Haven Yale University Press, 1991. Wilson, Edmund. A Window on Russia For the Use of Foreign Readers. New York Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1943.