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Book Report on One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
“One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” written by Aleksander Solzhenitsyn is a book about a man named Ivan Denisovich and his gang 104, which was a group of prisoners jailed in Soviet Russia in the 1950s In my opinion, the title’s meaning is trying to explain what is the daily life of Ivan Denisovich was like. The author also named it this because he probably wants to easily explain what is going to happen in the story. The genre of this story is a prison novel and a political novel. The setting is located in Soviet Russia in a labor camp called HQ.
Exposition
The characters that are in the book are Ivan Denisovich, Tyrin, Teszar, Fetyukov, and Alyoshka. Ivan the main character is a somewhat uneducated man he is an inmate in the prison, he is not religious, he is a member of a gang called 104, he is hardworking and Ivan was wrongfully imprisoned because the Russians thought he was a spy because he was in a prison in Germany. Tyrin is one of the leaders in the gang, he is tough and strong he is also a bit strict but nice. He was locked up unfairly because of his father’s class which Stalin the leader of Russia swore to exterminate.
Teszar is a prisoner, he is also part of the gang 104, he is described as mysterious, he is from Moscow, and he is privileged in the prison so most people are envious of him, and he was a well-cultured film director. Fetyukov is an eager person always begging for extra food, or cigars he is a prison inmate who would horde all his food and tries to live his best life in prison. Alyoshka is an inmate who is the priest of the gang and prison. He is very religious, he reads the Bible every day, and he is strong when faced with problems.
Conflict
The conflict in the novel is individuals vs society. This is because Ivan and his gang face many scary and evil torments but the worst one is wondering if they will leave. The labor camp makes them think that they are going to stay there for the rest of there life and never get to see their family again (prezi.com). The guards also force them to work in the cold when they are sick, making them feel even worse. All this adds up and makes them feel terrible every day. The labor camp also gives just enough food to survive and do work so they are always hungry and cold. They fought every day just to keep themselves at ease.
Rising Action
The rising action of the novel is when Ivan works hard and does the most work in on the wall they are building and then decides to keep a piece of steel and use it as a weapon. He graves this piece of steel in the worksite, which is near the wall they are making (cliffnotes.com). This was the third time he ever put himself in danger. He got this piece of steel because he wanted to use it to protect himself and his friends. He decided to try to hide it in his mitten so he would not be caught and severely punished. If he were to be caught he would probably get killed or serve ten times the years he already has. He decides to do it anyway because he wants to help out his friends if they ever get in trouble.
Climax
The climax of the novel is when Ivan goes to get searched by the officers. He was thinking about dropping the weapon but it was too late he was about to get checked. He decides to stand his ground and get searched(cliffsnotes.com). Luckily for him, they don’t find the weapon. When he comes to lunch his friends feel like they need to give him something because he was the fastest worker in laying down the bricks and did some of there work (SparkNotes.com). All his friends now see him as a good worker and a good friend.
Falling Action
The falling action is when he gets extra bread from working so hard. He also gets a lot of respect from his friends. He feels even better when he gets some bread from one of his friends called Tsezar (SparkNotes.com). This is because Tsezar likes to steal food or beg for extras so when he gives him food from him he knew it was rare. He then hides the extra bread and savors it before he goes to bed. The next morning the guards do the daily check and don’t find the bread so he was lucky.
Resolution
At the end of the book, he still remains in the Labor camp. He feels better because he does not get caught and he was thinking of some of the things that could of happen to him if he did get caught. He felt very fortunate because he did a lot of things that could have turned out bad. In the book, he states, “Shukhov went to sleep, and he was very happy. He’d had a lot of luck today”(Solzhenitsyn).
Main Character
The main character of this story is Ivan Denisovich. This is because we see what’s happening through his eyes. It also explains what he is feeling in more detail than the other characters. He also talks in the first person while the other characters don’t. He also explains what the other characters are feeling through his eyes.
Antagonist
The antagonists are the wardens and the guards. This is because they enforce the rules and give the main character a hard time. In the book, they threaten Ivan and force him to work. They also send him to a chamber where there is no light and make the main character lose his mind (Shmoop). They also torments Ivan by making him work in the cold while he is sick.
Favorite Character
My favorite character is Ivan because seeing how he goes through life is sad. It makes me feel pity for him. He seems like a kind and hard-working man who tries to live his best life while blocking all the negativity coming to him. He is also very strong because he can’t see his family anymore and he keeps a healthy mindset. He also seems courageous because he risks his life a number of types.
Theme
The theme of this book is never giving up. This is because in the book he does not give up on his life even though he can’t see his family anymore. He also knows he is going to stay there for life and still continue on (Shmoop.com). Another reason is that he tries to live his best life by working harder and getting extra bread. He also makes many friends on the way that are just like him.
Opinion
In my opinion, the book could have been better. This is because there is not much action. The book just talks about normal life in a labor camp with a bit of a twist sometimes. It would have been better if there was more action. The one thing I like about this book is the character development. The author explains the character’s backstory well and how they develop.
Vocabulary
The five worde is torment, endorsement, Stalinists, orderlies, and quarreling. First torment means severe mental or physical suffering. Endorsement means an act of giving one public approval. Stalinists is a supporter of Stalin or communism. Orderlies mean a soldier who cares about orders. Quarreling means have a heated argument.
