One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

Many (including the author of the introduction of my edition) claim that One Day shows how dehumanizing the gulags were. This is not a constructive argument. Gulags were made by humans. Humans were sent to gulags by humans. You went into a gulag as a human, and, if you lived through it, you came out as a human.

One Day is simultaneously a lament about humanity as well as an ode to humanity. Readers ask, “how could humans do this? how is any of this human?” when the fact of the matter is that this is what humans do. Humans are cruel. Humans have done terrible things. Many humans reject the idea that our shared humanity is a basis for kindness and mutual goodwill. Still, even in the most “dehumanizing” of environments, we still realize that Ivan Denisovich is human. 8 years in the gulags, and he still hopes for freedom. He still takes pride in his work. He still looks out for his fellow man. One Day is a reflection of the brave human spirit.

One Day isn't a book about being a prisoner in a gulag. It isn't a book about living in the Soviet Union. It's about humanity, and about each one of us.