Imagine being captive in a concentration camp for over eight years. Ivan Denisovich Shukhov has experienced just this. In analyzing only one day of Ivan’s life in a concentration camp, he displays many traits that show that he is a hero. Hero, can be defined in many different ways. The definition from Webster’s dictionary states: Hero- a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. Shukhov definitely portrays courageous characteristics. He also has gained many abilities that people do not have, due to his experience in the concentration camp. Shukhov shows emotional, physical, and moral strength throughout this book. I believe this alone makes him a hero. In analyzing Shukhov’s thoughts throughout his day in the concentration camp it is very clear to me just how emotionally strong he really is. Shukhov has been in this camp for so long, doing forced labor every day. He has grown a custom to working in freezing weather and eating nothing but bread and gruel. Deep down it seems Shukhov never really expects to get out of the camp, but yet he still maintains hope and keeps a very strong personality. He took pleasure in small things that would be irrelevant to us in our daily lives, such as eating a meal. One would have to be a strong person to get true happiness just by eating a meal. Shukhov didn’t daydream about getting out of the camp or about anything in the future. He lived for that particular day and moment. Shukhov stated, when eating a meal, “It was great! This was what a prisoner lived for, this one little moment.”(p. 169) Another example of Shukhov’s emotional strength was at the end of his day, he was content and happy. This was only because he accomplished small tasks such as getting extra food for dinner, making a wall, and not being put in the cooler. It is so hard to imagine actually being completely happy about things like this. I...
