In his novel One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Alexander Solzhenitsyn illustrates the struggle for survival faced by the zeks at interior of the GULAG. It makes this clear effectively through the depiction of the experiences of a day in the life of Ivan Denisovich Shukhov, a working-class prisoner in a Stalinist labor camp. Having had first-hand experience with this communist regime himself, Solzhenitsyn establishes that Ivan and his routine represent that of a commoner within Russian society; just like he once was. It vividly presents the character of Ivan through the use of various techniques to portray Ivan's existential approach to captivity and survival within a brutal system of injustice. In One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Solzhenitsyn develops Ivan as an existential character to juxtapose and contrast the grueling environment propagated by the GULAG authority through the exemplification of Ivan's behavioral code and his seamless transition into the absurd setting of the GULAG, in turn produces symbols that serve to compliment Ivan's existential characteristics. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Solzhenitsyn expands on Ivan's existential nature through one of Ivan's most significant traits; the behavioral code by which he lives. Existential notions, according to the philosopher Sartre, often emphasize the idea of ​​choice; “Individuals are condemned, because they are free, to choose what they will be through their daily actions.” In other words, to stand out, Ivan must maintain control of his actions by choosing to act rather than simply follow instructions. Solzhenitsyn highlights this through the depiction of the code of life that Ivan upholds entirely by himself. From the beginning of the novel where the alarm clock was called, Solzhenitsyn suggests that the aspect of choice not only defines the day, but allows Ivan to maintain his self-esteem despite the strict disciplines of the camp. For example, Solzhenitsyn reveals that "[Ivan] never overslept his alarm clock... for the next ninety minutes... they belonged to him, not to the authorities...". Furthermore, Ivan always remembered the words of his first team leader, who told him that self-sufficiency was the key to survival, words that Ivan uses to maintain his individuality. In this way Solzhenitsyn exemplifies Ivan's insistence on maintaining his freedom of choice by refusing to devote his time to the authorities. Ivan's attitude towards food and how he chooses to eat is also directly related to this, because Ivan firmly believes in his strict approach on how food should be properly viewed and consumed within the camp; “you had to eat with all your mind on the food” (Solzhenitsyn 43), because when “[it] is swallowed [it is]…wasted” (Solzhenitsyn 25). Are the camp authorities determined to strip the prisoners of their humanity by tampering with one of the most basic human needs? food. However, Ivan's ability to distinguish when and how he eats places him ?in the place of the prison guards? he is in control of his own actions, and therefore his choices maintain his existentialism. Despite Ivan's ability to behave with dignity through his code, the GULAG remains an environment of chaos and absurdity, deepening Ivan's connection to existentialism. The idea of ​​the absurd in the existential world is present when "the world is not so explainable, but exists without apparent justification,foundation or purpose" ("What is existentialism?"). Ivan readily accepts his sentence and seamlessly assumes the role of prisoner, despite existing in a world "without apparent justification." A world in which men often die frozen and starving. The GULAG itself is founded on absurdity, a camp where most of the prisoners are innocent men who die condemned; a place where even corruption is dismissed as something customary and corruption is the basis on which the entire regime is built on. However, Ivan doesn't spend time reflecting on the reason for his reality, because after all he was the one who pleaded guilty in the first place. Instead he accepts the consequences because it is his reality, which is a 'another quality of the existentialist; [he] has realized what [his] situation is and who [has], within that situation, chosen to engage [himself] responsibly in the world that [him] surrounds] in a way that affirms [its] freedom" ("What is existentialism?") ?"). Ivan behaves in a way that is necessary despite his circumstances, and in a way the understatement of his chaotic environment only emphasizes the chaos present. Solzhenitsyn also uses specific literary devices to demonstrate Ivan's approach to life within the GULAG, namely symbolic objects, which are produced through his institution of the absurd. Existential philosophy suggests that one of its defining characteristics is an emphasis on personal freedom, and as adapted from Sartre, “To be free is to recognize one's complete independence; make one's own life on one's own initiative” (“What is existentialism?”). Ivan's homemade spoon, which he is tremendously proud of and even calls "his little baby," is Ivan's way of maintaining his own "initiative," allowing him to separate himself from the absurd behavior that the GULAG environment fosters ( Solzhenitsyn 84). This gives him independence, which in turn distinguishes him from the majority of prisoners. The spoon itself becomes a medium in which Ivan can freely express himself as an individual of his own free will, further isolating himself from the GULAG and allowing him to not only focus on survival, but to survive with decency. it becomes a symbol, that is, of independence. This connects to the existential philosophy of alienation adapted from Kierkegaard, in which “the task of the self is the overcoming of alienation through the becoming of the self” (“What is Existentialism?”). This concept is present within the GULAG where “a zek's worst enemy is another zek,” further highlighting the true isolation that Ivan experiences, even from his fellow prisoners (Solzhenitsyn 90). However, Ivan's ability to overcome this alienation by focusing on his own existence is what not only further defines him as an agent of existentialism, but what allows him to ultimately overcome other zeks and, more importantly, authority GULAG. While at the same time opposing Soviet ideology, these concepts reflect existential philosophies. Solzhenitsyn uses this philosophy to oppose Stalin's regime, where unity is expected as conformity, as opposed to independence. He does this by revealing the control and power that Ivan creates through his free will despite the pressures and constant commands of the system to do the opposite. Thus, through the use of Ivan's specific symbolism, Solzhenitsyn establishes Ivan as an existential agent as a means of countering the power of the GULAG. At the end of the novel, Ivan reflects on his day, calling it “almost a happy day” because “he had not been ill” or imprisoned (Solzhenitsyn 139). This reflects the existential quality of facticity as addressed by Sartre and de.