Morality and Dehumanization in One Day in the Life of...

The novel, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, presents moral issues, and daily dehumanization of men living in a camp in Russia in 1951. Ivan Denisovich, the protagonist in the novel spoke out against Stalin, and was then put in a prison camp because of it. The novel presents a terrible situation in which Ivan must overcome daily circumstances, which only a person living in a prison camp would know how to survive. The tone and mood of the novel are able to work together to show the theme of the novel, that human self-respect is achieved as long as one is still holding onto it. The extract that was chosen occurs on the last page of the novel. Shukhov has just returned from being counted, and helping out another Zek, Tsezar, whose†¦show more content†¦An example of this is on lines one through five. â€Å"Now they released you faster, for they were counting one by one.† The word you in the above quotation, shows how either Shukhov or the narrator may have been spea king in the quotation; showing the free indirect discourse. The free indirect discourse helps show the bleak tone of the novel. The bleak tone of the novel communicates the theme; human self-respect is achieved as long as one is still holding onto it. Because the tone is bleak, the theme is more emphasized through Shukhovs actions of holding his self respect. Whether it may be by holding onto items of sentimental purpose, or hoping for a letter from his family. The mood of the novel also fits in with the bleak tone. The dreary mood is seen through the tone, but goes deeper and describes the emotions portrayed throughout the novel. The last paragraphs of the novel, lines 40-45, show the dreary mood of the novel. â€Å"A day without a dark cloud. Almost a happy day. There were three thousand six hundred and fifty-three days like that in his stretch.† The quotation continues on, but from this quotation one is able to notice the irony in it. That it may have been a happy day, but there are still so many days to come that it is impossible to tell what those days will bring. The dreary mood is thus demonstrated from the quotation. TheShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Alexsandr Solzhenitsyn, A Russian Author With Personal Experience Of Labor Camp Conditions1478 Words   |  6 Pagesconditions, relates the experiences of his fellow prisoners by showing the world that humanity can be maintained in the most degrading of places. Such a theme can be observed closely in his novel One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, first published in 1962. As the title suggests, the novel is about a day in the Gulag (prison) from dawn to dusk from Ivan’s perspective. The Gulag is designed to strip the Zeks of their individual identities and dignity. The zek’s names are taken from them and replacedRead MoreThe Horrible Experiences of the Jewish People during The Holocaust1670 Words   |  7 Pagescircumstances this is â€Å"appropriate† or justifiable. I argue th at the ruthless manifestation of evil validates the loss of self and therefore the loss of morality. For those that have survived the Holocaust, there are implications of the loss of humanity and face the test of readopting their humanity in order to assimilate into society once again. Morality is defined as the â€Å"beliefs about what is right behavior and what is wrong behavior.† It is a â€Å"code[s] of conduct put forward by a society.† Members