The Theme of Hope in One Day in the life of Ivan Denisovich In Alexander Solzhenitsyn^s novel One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich, the strong themes of hope and perseverance are undercut by the realization that for Ivan there is little or no This is not to say that the themes of hope andperseverance do not exist in the novel. There are numerousinstances in the novel where Shukhov is filled with hope. However, these moments of hope amidst the banal narrative of thenovel raise the interesting question: Are these moments of hopepointless? The answer to this question may lie more in theindividual human nature of the reader than in Solzhenitsyn^sliterary technique. Whether pointless or not, Solzhenitsynoffers many instances in the novel where the themes of hope andperseverance are evident. The glimpses of hope which IvanDenisovich sees includes the few moments after reveille that theprisoners have to themselves, respecting his fellow prisoners,taking pride in a job well done, and enjoying simple food andtobacco. Solzhenitsyn wrote One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich insuch a fashion that the brutality of the Soviet labor camps isnot emphasized. Instead of focusing on the brutality of thecamps, Solzhenitsyn focused on one day in the life of a veryordinary prisoner. However, the fact that Ivan DenisovichShukhov is such an ordinary man and is still able to find hope inthe most menial of tasks is inspiring. Joseph Frank states that^Solzhenitsyn^s fundamental theme is precisely the affirmation ofcharacter, the ability to survive in a nightmare world wheremoral character is the only safeguard of human dignity and thevery conception of humanity itself is something precious andvaluable^ (3302). Much of the Soviet leadership despisedSolzhenitsyn because he instilled within the Soviet people muchof the same hope that is visible in Ivan Denisovich Shukhov. Solzhenitsyn gave people hope:Solzhenitsyn^s literary mission,...
