For Ivan Denisovich, the old man is a model prisoner. He is the one who sends Captain Buynovsky to the cells for arguing about the true ideals of communism. A young man who has an assistant job indoors and is frequently sent packages from his family.

priest (in Polomnya) : Ivan Denisovich, in his conversation with Alyosha, tells him about a priest in his former parish in Polomnya, whom he considers a hypocrite. He reminds Shukhov of his dead son. He represents the spiritual element that survives despite the atheism that is a cornerstone of Communism, in which the State is the only religion. He has no standards and collects cigarette butts. Ivan Denisovich, before the morning roll call, decides to stay in bed a bit longer because he thinks One-and-a-half Ivan is on duty. Imprisoned for taking food to a traitorous Soviet general during the war, Gopchik fawns on the members of the 104th. Instead of taking Ivan Denisovich to the cells, he makes Ivan Denisovich clean the floor of a guardroom. Security officer at camp. They always talk together and share tobacco. Used to be in the navy.

He serves his squad leader well.

He goes with Shukhov to get the roofing felts since he knows where it is. Ivan works with him and respects him as a fellow survivor. He reads his Bible and is protected by Ivan, who respects his faith. Young medical assistant at the dispensary. As the 104th is working, Der comes to confront Tiurin about the stolen prefabs. The man missing from the gang: no one knows if he is sick or a squealer. Survives through his religious faith; he has a New Testament which he hides in the wall. In One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Solzhenitsyn utilizes the literary technique of understatement to highlight the extent to which dehumanization is present in …

He also stands up to Der for Tyurin. He also believes that Gopchik has the abilities to get along well in the camp. Alyosha is content with prison life because it gives him time to think about God and about his soul. Shukhov says that after ten days in solitary, a man would be so weakened that he would have a difficult time getting back on his feet again. Met in camps and became like brothers. Many of the stupid rules to curb prisoners' freedom are attributed to the camp commandant. Called by his nationality, he is one of the guards, thin and hairless, who threatens to send Ivan to solitary confinement but then relents and sends him to mop the warders' office. One of the most dependable members of Shukhov's squad, the 104th. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich Major Characters Ivan Denisovich Shukhov: The main character of the story, Ivan Denisovich is in the eighth year of a ten-year prison term. Art is his god. The main character, Ivan is a peasant who was drafted during World War II. They 'steal' prefabs to insulate the machine room and they work together as masons. Before the prisoners go to sleep, Alyosha shares his faith with Ivan Denisovich.

Sukhov thinks he is on duty in the morning but he actually isn't. Despite being imprisoned unfairly, he remains patriotic to the Communist authorities and genuinely believes in the Soviet regime.

A latvian who has been in camp for only 2 years but knows the ins and outs. A guard on duty in the morning who catches Shukhov in his bunk after reveille so he sentences him to 3 days of work. Ivan's bunk mate, he is known by his religion. He controls entrance to the mess hall and hits people selectively with his birch club. But after receiving a thank-you gift from a British officer for his good service, he was sentenced to twenty-five years of hard labor. Kilgas: A member of the 104th, he and Ivan Denisovich are the top two workers in the squad and are often paired together. Ivan Denisovich notes that of all the Estonians he met, he's never seen a bad one. A tall, thin guard, he is the most easygoing of the lot.

Knowing that the old man has come back from a cold, hard day of work, Ivan Denisovich is impressed to see that he sits upright at the mess hall while all the other, younger prisoners are hunched over. Ivan Denisovich Shukhov wakes up at five AM in a camp for political prisoners in Siberia. squealers: Prisoners who resort to 'squealing' on fellow prisoners to the authorities in exchange for protection and better treatment.

Shukhov doesn't believe he will last his sentence. Lieutenant Volkvoi: The security chief of the camp, he is feared by both the prisoners and the guards. From Temnenovo, serving for treason. Ivan thinks he will go far in the camps. He works well with Ivan, who realizes he has more in common with the Latvian than with his own family.
Although his name is Johann, Ivan Denisovich calls him Vanya. Only sixteen years old, he is enthusiastic and alert. Pavlo: The deputy squad leader under Tiurin, Pavlo is a young West Ukrainian with good leadership skills. While Ivan Denisovich buys some tobacco from the Lett in Barracks 7, two prisoners talk about Stalin. He is friendly and gives out extras. The foreman at the construction site, he treats his fellow prisoners badly, but Ivan's gang sticks together against him to keep him in check. Tyurin's deputy squad leader. He taught Shukhov how to make a spoon and taught prisoners to survive with a code.

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Ivan knew him at another camp but wasn't in his gang. Tiurin was arrested for being a son of a kulak.
As his name implies, he is handicapped, but uses his disability to secure a good job. On his second sentence, this gang boss does everything he can to take care of the gang. During the morning inspection, Buinovsky gets ten days in the guardhouse for speaking out against Lieutenant Volkvoi. He was a member of the resistance. Tsezar Markovich: A member of the 104th, Tsezar is a young Muscovite filmmaker of mixed nationalities (Greek, Jew, Gypsy, etc.). He tries hard working even if it is challenging.

The new doctor at the dispensary. He is a former forest sniper. A Latvian and former bricklayer, he receives two packages a month, speaks Russian like a native, and jokes most of the time. He is 41 and serving his 8th year out of his 10 year sentence. Pyotr Mikhailych: A fellow Muscovite whom Tsezar talks to while waiting in line for his parcel, Pyotr tells Tsezar about a film premier that he has read about in an evening newspaper. He used to be a big shot in an office, but in prison he is beaten up for scrounging. Ivan Denisovich considers their conversation too learned for him. Get One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich from Amazon.com, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich from, teaching or studying One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. In the mess hall, Fetiukov often gets beaten up during fights over leftovers. Having known Ivan Denisovich since their days at Ust-Izhma, Tiurin personally picks him to join his squad when they transfer to their current camp. Ivan Denisovich feels sorry for Senka because he is deaf, but also considers him the smartest of all the prisoners because he understands everything even without words. Ivan Denisovich notes that Gopchik has already learned cunning because he eats his packages by himself at night. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, is a novel full of many kinds of betrayal, both real and imagined.

help you understand the book. One of the two, called Eino, fills Ivan's request for tobacco after first consulting with his best friend. Takes pride in his work.

One of them is named Eino. He falls asleep in a warm corner during the work day and fails to turn up for the count. In fact, Ivan wonders how Alyoshka can survive without extra rations and shares his cookie from Caesar with him. He is a relative newcomer to the camp. He is willing to stay with Shukhov and risk being late. He managed to escape a German prison camp and return to Russia. Stepan Grigorych: The doctor that runs the dispensary (infirmary), Stepan Grigorych is described as a fussy, loud-voiced fellow who advocates work as the best therapy.

Old Whiskers: The name the prisoners use to refer to Stalin. This old man has been in prison for many consecutive terms, but somehow has been able to maintain a cool, reserved dignity.

Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Shukhov doesn't count on him to let him off so he decides if he can walk he will be ok. A short man who was missing at the evening roll call. He also has an assistant.

(prisoner) U 81: A tall, old man of the 64th division--his squad is sent to the 'Socialist Way of Life settlement' instead of the 104th. Ivan Denisovich observes wryly that Muscovites seem to be able find one another right away and that they talk fast, as if to outtalk one another. Alyosha the Baptist responds that the Orthodox Church has departed from Scripture. He is often dismissed from work by the authorities because of the information he provides them. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich study guide contains a biography of Alexander Solzhenitsyn, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. These two seem like brothers although they first met in camp; both are tall, fair, and thin and sleep in the same bunk.

Before the evening count, he takes Captain Buinovsky to the cells for his morning outburst. Moldavian: Prisoner K 460 of the 32nd squad (known to be a genuine spy)--he falls asleep during the workday and holds up the after-work count. Shukhov calls him "heavenly" and says that he … Kilgas has a reputation for being a joker. two Estonians: Members of the 104th, they first meet in camp, but they stick together like brothers. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich Characters Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn This Study Guide consists of approximately 33 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn chapter summaries, themes, characters, analysis, and quotes!

According to Kuziomin, squealers will not survive, but Ivan Denisovich feels that Kuziomin is wrong on this point--squealers seem to get by rather well in the prisons.

Shkuropatenko: Prisoner B 219, he is temporarily given the job of guarding the prefabs from the other prisoners. Imprisoned unjustly during WWII for treason, he has learned over the years not to be bitter, but live every day for itself. Of all the men in the camp, Tyurin is the one man Ivan would never cheat; the gang boss is crucial to survival. An old man Shukhov worked with at Ust-Izhma. Although new, he is already known as a loudmouth, know-it-all doctor who believes work is the best cure for illness. He is considered a good leader because he can finesse work reports to protect his men.