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One Day In The Life Of Ivan Rochovich Essay

1416 Words6 Pages

To what extent are the minor characters and their background information important in the novel?
By Mani Jaff

A labour camp is defined as a prison camp in which a regime of hard labour is enforced. The book One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is a translated short novel written by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. The book describes one day in the life of a prisoner, also called Shukhov, who was put in the labour camp for unfair reasons. Shukhov’s day consists of harsh labour, strict inspections, and desired meal times. Throughout the novel, the reader is exposed to different kinds of people, whose stories are shared through flashbacks and events. Two minor characters who are introduced are Alyosha and Fetiukov, both having personalities on opposite ends of the scale. It is the the role of the minor characters which shape the development of the novel; they make up the novel like bricks in a pyramid.

Alyosha is introduced to the reader with a title: the Baptist. He is a man who values religion over anything else, which is the reason why he was put into the labour camp. When Shukhov is given bread by their team-leader, Pavlo, Shukhov decides to hide a piece of the bread in his mattress, even though he knows he is not allowed to do so. While trying to hide the bread, Shukhov becomes nervous from the fear of being caught. It is then when Alyosha reads a verse from the Testament under his breath, probably wanting Shukhov to hear it.
Alyosha: “If you suffer, it must not be for murder,

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