Cliffs Notes: One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

by Franz G. Blaha

• ISBN13: 9780822009603
• ISBN10: 0822009609
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1986-04-01
• Publisher: Cliffs Notes
• More Book Details
• Purchase Benefits

Summary

The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format.In CliffsNotes on One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, you explore the short book that established Alexander Solzhenitsyn's reputation and instantly placed him on the master list of human rights advocates. It describes a typical day in the life of an inmate in the Siberian prison camps of Stalinist Soviet Union.This study guide carefully documents the ordeal of prisoner S-854 through his ten-year sentence in the Gulag. You'll find a summary and critical analyses of each section of the novel, and explore the life and background of the author, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, and gain insight into how he came to write the novel. Other features that help you study includeCharacter analyses of major and minor playersA history of the Gulag prison system and what crimes could get people sentenced to themCritical essays on levels of meaning in the novel and narrative perspectiveA review section that tests your knowledgeSuggested theme topics and a selected bibliographyClassic literature or modern modern-day treasure _ you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.

Table of Contents

Life and Background of the Author	5	(2)
The Gulag System	7	(2)
Article 58	9	(2)
A Brief Synopsis	11	(1)
List of Characters	12	(4)
Preface to the Original Edition	16	(3)
Critical Commentaries
An Unexpected Trip to the Commandant's	19	(2)
Mopping the Guardroom Floor	21	(2)
Breakfast	23	(1)
A Sicklist Attempt Fails	24	(2)
Morning Search and Departure	26	(2)
Daydreams of Home and of the Kolkhoz	28	(2)
Some Thoughts on Comrades and Bread	30	(2)
The GULAG Work Ethic	32	(2)
Ivan Considers his ``Treason''	34	(1)
The Midday Meal Caper	35	(1)
A Discussion of Art	36	(1)
Tyurin's Story	37	(1)
The Art of Bricklaying	38	(1)
Foreman Der Is Put to Shame	39	(1)
Ivan's Zealous Perfectionism	40	(1)
Ivan Speculates about Faith and Astronomy	41	(1)
An Unexpected Race Homeward	42	(1)
The Risky Search	43	(1)
Markovich's Package	44	(1)
Supper Rations	45	(1)
Buying Tobacco	46	(2)
Ivan Reviews the Day	48	(2)
Small but Important Triumphs	50	(2)
Ivan's Code of Survival	52	(7)
Critical Essays
Levels of Meaning in the Novel	52	(5)
Style and Narrative Perspective	57	(2)
Questions for Review	59	(1)
Suggested Theme Topics	60	(1)
Selected Bibliography	61