Because of the communal nature of the prison camp, Shukhov is accustomed to sharing everything with the other Zeks, but his spoon stands as his singular possession which he can call his own. Ivan carries this metal spoon in his boot at all times and uses it to eat the meager meals in the Siberian gulag. One of the symbols is one Shukhov’s most prized possessions: a crude, metal spoon “He’d cast himself from aluminum wire” and engraved with the words 'Ust-Izhma 1944” (89). Through the use of symbolic physical objects, Solzhenitsyn expresses the oppressive nature of the bitter Siberian gulags and the effect of the environment on the souls and spirits of the prisoners. Hidden throughout the book are symbols used to convey the deeper meaning of the work to the audience. The Russian novella One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn uses physical objects such as the spoon, bread, hat, and parcels, to represent Shukhov's inner struggle to survive his circumstances.
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