Within The Novel, ?One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich? Essay, Research Paper
In Alexander Solzhenitsyn?s, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, a novel
based on a Russian labour prison camp during Stalin?s rule, the point of view is
a limited third person. Through the narration, we follow a prisoner named Ivan
Denisovich Shukhov and experience a single day of his life in a ?special?
Russian prison camp. The purpose of the point of view is to provide details and
to convey emotions to the reader. There are also advantages to the use of a
limited third person which make the novel much more enjoyable. Thus, the point
of view acts as a window to the novel and controls what the reader experiences
by providing a vivid picture of a Russian prison camp.
Due to the reason that there are neither chapters nor major breaks within the
novel, it leaves one to conclude that there is only one point of view, which is
a limited third person. The lack of ?I? and the use of ?he?, ?it? and ?they?
such as in, ?He had longed for the morning not to come,? (p. 8) eliminates the
first person and leaves one with the third person. However the third person may
be divided into two groups, omniscient and limited third person. The viewpoint
of the novel always follows Shukhov around such as in the beginning, ?The
clanging ceased, but everything outside still looked like the middle of the
night when Ivan Denisovich Shukhov got up to go to the bucket,? (p. 7). Never
once does the novel delve into the mind or thoughts of others, only what Shukhov
believes the others are thinking. Therefore the omniscient is eliminated. Thus
the point of view for the novel is a limited third person.
The limited third person point of view acts as a window through which the
reader views the events of the novel. It is a method of rendering or a means by
which an author creates a narrative personality through which the reader
receives the narration. It may simply be described as the perspective of a
novel. By the use of a limited third person within the novel, Solzhenitsyn is
able to provide both a detailed description of events and maintain emotional
contact with the reader. For example, ?With the snow creaking under their boots,
the prisoners hurried away, each to his own business, some to the parcels
office, some to hand in cereals to be cooked in the ?individual?
kitchens?(p.12). This is a detailed description, which easily provides the
reader with mental picture of the situation. Details are an important factor
because without them the reader would not know what is occurring within the
novel. Emotional contact is also very vital in a novel. It helps capture the
reader?s interest by making the reader more emotionally involved with the
characters and the situations. Such is the case when Shukhov is about to be
frisked and had forgotten to hide the hacksaw blade he had brought back. ?The
guard crushed it in his hand, and Shukhov felt as though pincers of iron were
crushing everything inside him?(p. 107). With this view into Shukhov?s mind, an
element of suspense is created and the reader becomes more emotionally involved
fearing for what would occur. Thus the function of the limited third person is
to provide the reader with details of situations to create a better mental image
and convey emotions to make to novel more enjoyable.
There are many advantages of writing in the limited third person. Using this
point of view the author may achieve an excellent median between the first and
omniscient. It is flexible and provides a certain intensity, which contributes
to the reader?s experience. In Solzhenitsyn?s novel the use of the limited third
person provides an excellent method of allowing the reader to ?live? the life of
a prisoner within a Russian prison camp. Due to the reason that the reader is
limited to only what Shukhov experiences, the reader therefore is strongly
influenced by the opinions and attitudes of Shukhov. Such is the case when
Shukhov refers to Fetiukov as ?that jackal.? From that point on the reader tends
to look upon Fetiukov with disgust or contempt. Also when the Moldavian is
missing at the count and is later found, the reader could feel the anger as
Shukhov shouts, ?You rat!? (p.99). Thus by being limited to following Shukhov,
the reader experiences what Shukhov experiences. Some omniscience is also
needed, for without it one would not be able to gain a better understanding of
the events occurring. For instance, the discussion between Tsezar and X 123
about Eisenstein?s, ?Ivan the Terrible.? A man of Shukhov?s education would not
have followed the conversation at all, and would not have been able to repeat
it. Therefore the reader needs a narrator to repeat the discussion. Also when
describing Shukhov?s actions, such as when he ?sprang nimbly down,? Shukhov
would not have described himself as such and therefore the reader knows it is an
omniscient narrator describing the events. Thus, in some cases, an omniscient
narrator is also required to provide a better understanding of the events
occurring and provide a more flexible and detailed look at the lives of
prisoners. Therefore, the limited third person makes the reader become more
involved emotionally and intellectually with the novel.
Therefore the point of view of any literary work is very important. In
Solzhenitsyn?s, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, the point of view is a
limited third person. It serves as a tool to convey thoughts and emotions,
capturing the reader?s interest and imagination. Using the third person,
Sozhenitsyn is able to have both flexibility and intensity of emotion within his
work. Therefore providing a literary work, which allows the reader to understand
the events with great interest and emotional involvement. Thus without a point
of view, no literary work would be complete, for it would neither posses a way
to convey emotions nor would it contain cohesive thought.