The sense of identity is what defines the human being, what distinguishes each person from the other, it is the constitution of an individual. In the novel One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksander Solzhenitsyn, the author uses information from personal experiences in Soviet prison camps, or gulags, to create a story that explains the identity of a fictional character named Ivan Denisovich Shukhov. As the reader assimilates the passages that outline this character's life, one can see how his environment strips him of his identity, how he preserves his individuality with dignity and etiquette, and how he has established bonds with those around him. The novel portrays a day in Shukhov's life, but it also describes exactly what and how his identity became. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The environment of the gulag is extremely harsh. Filled with political prisoners who had opposed Stalin's regime in some way, the prisoners feared not so much each other as the harsh guards, the frighteningly cold climate, and hunger. The gulag appears to be trying to strip him of Shukhov's identity, replacing his name with a sound and a number. “Shcha-854, the Tatar read from the white spot on the back of the black jacket” (Solzhenitsyn 7). In addition to the functionalism of not having to know each prisoner's name, it allows the guards to extract the prisoner's identity, telling him that he is nothing more than a number, a part of their scheme, no longer a person. Gulag prescriptions also remove a person's individuality by removing their privacy. “…Ivan Denisovich heard a roar of protest: they are taking our shirts off” (Solzhenitsyn 32). Prisoners were searched every day upon entering and leaving the camp, and the more clothes they had to remove, the more exposed a zek felt, the more a zek belonged to the camp rather than to himself. Through this injustice Shukhov stolidly moves on to disinvestment of identity, clinging tightly only to his dignity. He passively rebels against the regime, unlike Buynovski, who often shouts protests at the guards and is punished for it. Shukhov stays strong by following personal routines, such as his eating etiquette. “Then he took his cap off his shaved head – no matter how cold it was, he didn't allow himself to eat with his cap on… even if the roof caught fire he still wouldn't hurry” (Solzhenitsyn 17). Shukhov always follows a routine, takes off his hat, checks the contents of his bowl and eats slowly. By performing his series of personal movements, he reminds himself that he is an individual who can still do things his own way in these few moments of his time. The routine also helps him ensure that there is nothing harmful in his food and that the meal is more filling than if he gulped it down quickly. Shukhov also stands out with his personal spoon. “Shukhov took the spoon out of his boot. That spoon was precious, it had traveled with him throughout the north. He had cast it himself with aluminum wire in a sand mold and engraved on it: Ust-Izhma, 1944” (Solzhenitsyn 16). One of the few zeks to own a spoon, Shukhov attaches more meaning to his spoon than to his secret handmade knife. Although the knife has multiple uses and is a tool more appreciated by the average prisoner, Shukhov prefers a tool that feeds him rather than a tool that destroys. The final way Ivan Denisovich maintains his identity is by bonding with his fellow zeks. For every person who knows him and understands his identity, he is that much stronger. Form bonds with those who love you”.