41 pages • 1 hour read
Aleksandr SolzhenitsynOne Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1962A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Shukhov’s Spoon
Shukhov has a spoon that he made himself and takes everywhere with him. The spoon’s importance is demonstrated through him remembering it in the morning even in his rush to prepare for the guardhouse: ”[H]is spoon tinkled to the floor—though he’d made himself ready for the guardhouse in a hurry, he hadn’t forgotten his spoon” (25). The spoon serves as a symbol of Shukhov’s individuality. He uses it during meals, a time of relative freedom in his highly circumscribed life.
The spoon also connects Shukhov and Gopchik, supporting the theme of Survival and Solidarity Under Extreme Conditions. Gopchik asks Shukhov to help him cast his own spoon, and Shukhov agrees, partly because Gopchik reminds him of his son. In agreeing to teach Gopchik the art of spoon-making, Shukhov assumes a pseudo-paternal role in the young man’s life, illustrating how genuine connections can emerge despite difficult circumstances.
Shukhov’s Trowel
The trowel Shukhov keeps for himself is the second symbol of his individuality. Shukhov finds joy and dignity in work, and he adapted to the forced labor camp by learning masonry, which is a respected skill among the squads. The trowel helps him optimize his work performance and the enjoyment he extracts from working: “For a mason a trowel is a serious matter—if it’s light and easy to handle” (60). Shukhov’s work ethic, symbolized through the trowel, develops The Power of the Human Spirit by demonstrating how a sense of purpose and contentment can be found in the harshest of environments.
The trowel also speaks to the tension between Survival and Solidarity Under Extreme Conditions. Shukhov feels the need to hide the trowel even from his squad mates: “Although he was among his own men, one of them might swap it for his own” (65). The environment of the prison impedes total solidarity among the prisoners by restricting the resources to create competition. The lack of solidarity, in turn, prevents an uprising. However, the trowel also allows Shukhov to keep working after the others turn in their tools, sacrificing himself for his squad. In this way the trowel also symbolizes solidarity.
Uniform Numbers
The prisoners all have numbers painted on their uniform articles, and these numbers symbolize their oppression. Shukhov’s resentment of the numbers is shown in his anxiety over their condition: “They spelled nothing but trouble, those numbers: if they were distinct the guards could identify you from any distance, but if you neglected to have them repainted in time you’d be sure to land in the guardhouse for not taking care of your number” (39). The numbers are oppressive no matter their condition.
Although Shukhov first resents the numbers, he later feels largely unbothered by their presence. During his argument that life in the camp is easier, he says:
Here, when the shift’s over, we go back to the camp whether our job’s done or not. That’s a law. And bread—three ounces more, at least, than up there. Here a man can live. All right, it’s a ‘special’ camp. So what? Does it bother you to wear a number? They don’t weight anything, those numbers (73).
His view is informed by his experiences of starving in the frigid wilderness before being taken prisoner by German soldiers. This quote underscores the fact that conditions outside the prison are unfavorable to the point where he would prefer to be in a forced labor camp. He accepts the numbers in return for a stable life.
The Hacksaw Blade
Shukhov, when leaving the office after delivering Tzesar’s lunch, finds a piece of hacksaw blade that he pockets for later use. He forgets about the blade until he is going through the end-of-day search, but he is able to sneak it past the guard by hiding it in his glove. The blade becomes a symbol of Shukhov’s luck and his positive nature.
Shukhov considers finding the blade as stroke of luck. If he is not caught, he can turn the blade into a cobbler’s knife, which will help him secure more small jobs among the prisoners in the future. The second stroke of luck, along with the climax of the novel, occurs when Shukhov is passing through the search before returning to the prison. Smuggling the blade into camp boosts Shukhov’s mood, in turn impacting the theme The Power of the Human Spirit.
The Cold
The cold appears as a motif that reflects the cold, dark, isolated moods in the story and the concept of surviving in extreme conditions. The temperature at the start of the day is -17 degrees—bitterly cold, but nowhere near cold enough to evade work. The cold, like the forced labor camp, is largely inescapable; the walls of the barracks are coated in ice, and the prisoners are forced to drop the small bits of scrap wood they find to feed their stoves. The prisoners have to stand out in the cold during counts and have to cross a barren steppe before and after working all day in the frigid cold.
One of the primary themes of the novel is, and the motif of the cold is used to demonstrate The Human Cost of Stalinism and to make it relatable. Not everyone has been in a forced labor camp, but most individuals understand the cold. By using sensory language to express the coldness of the setting, the text makes the figurative coldness of oppression more palpable.
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