Please respond to the following prompts. Make sure your answers are complete and written with thought.
1. Solzhenitsyn describes the mortar carriers as "winded horses" (101). Was this wording chosen to illustrate the disparity between the skilled and unskilled laborers?
2. Why was Buinovsky (the Captain) given the job that requires no skill? How is this ironic?
3. How does the detailed narrative mirror the content?
4. Give two specific examples of how the gulag equalizes all men. (Quotes required)
5. How does Shukhov choose the guard to be frisked by? Was it a sound decision?
Due: Friday, 9.16
1. Solzhenitsyn describes the mortar carriers as "winded horses" (101). Was this wording chosen to illustrate the disparity between the skilled and unskilled laborers?
2. Why was Buinovsky (the Captain) given the job that requires no skill? How is this ironic?
3. How does the detailed narrative mirror the content?
4. Give two specific examples of how the gulag equalizes all men. (Quotes required)
5. How does Shukhov choose the guard to be frisked by? Was it a sound decision?
Due: Friday, 9.16
1.) Yes, "winded horses" was used to differentiate the skilled and unskilled laborers. When an unskilled worker works on the mortar carrier, it's not going to turn out well. Since the mortar carrier was not fixed properly it sounds like a winded horse because the parts are not functioning properly.
ReplyDelete2.) Buinovsky was given the job that required no skill because he is aging and tiring. He is getting too weak to do skillful jobs. He is tiring and dragging his feet, and thus, it would be risky of him to do a job with skill. This is ironic because Buinovsky is the captain and he should be as energetic as possible carrying the team. He should be taking on all the hard jobs, but he is too weak.
3.) The detailed narrative lets the readers really get a feel for the book. Describing everything that goes on really allows the readers to engage and participate in one day in the world of Shukov. It mirrors the contact because it is describing what it going on. It describes its rawness without adding eloquent adjectives to jazz up the book because that is not what the book is about.
4.) The gulag equalizes men because even though there are captains, the captains treat everyone equally. The captains don't signal people out, "he spoke to everyone as if in command" (49). Also, in the labor camp people are following the system of communism. They are expected to share everything equally, "you're not behaving like communists" (34) which was said when the prisoners were not following the Criminal Code.
5.) Shukhov chooses the older guard to be frisked by because even though he is older and more experienced, he is probably more fed up with his job. It was a sound decision because Shukhov got away with his blade.
1. It actually doesn't really mention anything about skill too much in my opinion, so no it doesn't. I just think that Solzhenitsyn describes the scene this way, because "the mortar carriers were snorting like winded horses" (Solzhenitsyn 101). To me, it just gave me the ideas that the men were tired from working, and were breathing heavily like tired horses would.
ReplyDelete2. I actually wasn't really sure why he just so happened to get the "easy" job, especially because he isn't necessarily the oldest of the squad, although he is getting weaker. I think the reason this is considered ironic, is because he is used to giving orders rather than receiving them, since he was a former captain in the soviet navy. The ironic part about this is probably because he is suddenly put in charge of a bunch of other prisoners, who don't really have much intentions in listening to him too much. This makes the rank of being "captain" not too effective.
3. The first thing I noticed in this section was how short the sentences were structured. It really gave you the idea that things were done in a brisk manner, because that's what the sentences sound like. "Slap on the mortar. Down with the block. Press it home. See it's straight. Mortar. Block. Mortar. Block. . . ." (Solzhenitsyn 105). I felt like I was actually in the scene of the block-laying.
4. The gulag equalizes men because they are all treated the same under their leaders that they are assigned. ""Listen, men," he said, "give your trowels to Gopchik. Mine's not on the list. So I won't have to hand it in. I'll keep going" (Solzhenitsyn 104). Another point would be how men are treated equally throughout the distribution of materials as well. "It was against the rules for a prisoner to possess two pairs of footwear at the same time" (Solzhenitsyn 12). These rules give the men equal rights.
5. The guard that Shukhov chooses to be frisked by was an older man, who seemed to be fed up and tired of his work. This is why Shukhov places himself so he can be checked by him, and successfully gets away with his blade.
1.Yes I think the wording illustrate the disparity between the skilled and unskilled laborers; because men are doing a job that they can use an animal to do if they could. It’s the level of job that an animal will do and not the men.
ReplyDelete2.When I think of a soldier I think of man who can only shoot guns and nothing else. In wars men who doesn’t have skills gets sent to battlefront. So I think the other prisoners have that steriotypical idea towards the Captain and because of that he gets a job that dosen’t require skills.
3. I think I saw some detailed narrative in the section when Shukhov and his squad are building a wall with bricks until the section where the squad returns inside the prison. The flow was very fast but it was detailed and impressive.
4. Gulag equalized men by giving group and individual resposivility. An example of group responsibility is shown when men are not allowed to go back in until all the squad members were there. Men in the squad say “There’s man missing from the thirty-second” (Solzhenitsyn 111). You see that people are very sensetive about group responsibility. An individual responsibility is seen when the book mentioned about “workers gather chips, sticks, and broken laths, and tie them together… carry back with them” (Solzhenitsyn 110). This individual responsibility of gathering firewood decided how warm the prison will be for the night.
5. Shukhov did choose the guard carefully. He saw the younger guard who he assumed to be less experienced and easy to miss things. Then he saw the older guard who he thought that he would be more experienced but will be fed up his work. So you can see that he had calculated whom he should choose out of the five guards.
When Solzhenitsyn described the mortar carriers as "winded horses", he means to tell the reader how tired and out of breath the men were. I think in a way it does tell us of the skill differences, because like in many sports and strength related activities, the skilled people are more capable of doing a better job than the unskilled because they're bodies are more used to the situation. The term "winded horses" makes the readers visualize the mortar loaders gasping for breath etc. just like a horse after a long gallop. I also noted that several times in this section, Solzhenitsyn talks about horses which might be the reason why he wanted to connect the men specifically to horses in order to create a connection, but this is merely my guess.
ReplyDeleteBuinovsky was given the job that required no skill because it is apparent that he is not well and he is fading fast. He is seen struggling to accomplish his work. I think this is considered ironic because Buinovsky was a captain. Usually a captain is a person who must motivate others to accomplish their work and take on hard jobs as a role models to the other men. However, Buinovsky has no strength or will to be able to be enthusiastic about his work. He seems to be giving up gradually.
The detailed narrative gives the reader a thorough knowledge of the situations the characters are in among with emotions, etc. We actually imagine being in Shukov’s feet and experiencing all of the different kinds of things that occur in the book. In the scene where the zeks are counted and inspected by the guards, I feel like I can hear the harsh words and curses in the air. Detail is what makes the book more realistic.
The equality in the gulag can be seen in the way the men work. When working, everyone was equal. They are all men trying to accomplish something on time with a lot of effort. At the end of the work, Shukhov feels like he has gained the confidence to consider himself as “equal to the squad leader” (Solzhenitsyn 105). Also since there are hundreds and thousands of people in the gulag, squads and individuals are all addressed with numbers and not with names. “One hundred and fourth all present” (Solzhenitsyn 111). I think this kind of shows that in the end they are all part of a huge group of people and they are all the same and can be classified with a number.
Although the younger guard had less experience, Shukhov figured that it was better to choose the older guard because the guard was probably fed up with his job and was slacking off. It is hard to tell whether it was a sound decision because it was such a close call, but Shukhov got away with his blade, which is what really mattered. I guess he was EXTREMELY lucky though.
Zen Sugino
1.)If the mortar carrier is a machine, then it sounded like "winded horses" due to the fact that machinery in Soviet Russia is probably not the best of the best. Also, the cold and the fact that it's essentially a concentration camp makes it all the more understandable that machines are breaking down left and right. If the mortar carrier is a person, then they sound like winded horses because they're angry. By reading it I couldn't quite tell if it was an inanimate object or not. However it does carry symbolism about the difference between skilled and unskilled laborers. The fact that Solzhenitsyn used the word "horse" makes me think that the prisoners are reduced to beasts of burden.
ReplyDelete2.) The irony in the fact that Buinovsky is given the job that requires the least amount of skill is that he was once a high ranking, respected captain. This fall from grace seems especially distinct due to the fact that these two situations are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Once trusted by the Soviets, he is now put into one of the lowest ranks of work, and also into the GULAG, where anyone suspected of treason was put. Although still "in charge" of the small band of prisoners within the prison camp, he is one of the older men in the group and is getting to the point where he can no longer keep up with the rest of them. Therefore he was given one of the lower jobs.
3.) The detailed narrative in this section made me see how bleak everything was in the camp. For example" The work went with a rhythm. once two rows were laid and the old faults leveled up it would go quite smoothly. But now was the time to keep your eyes peeled" (Solzhenitsyn 94). The mundane task of setting bricks in the cold is the perfect situation for someone to focus so much on one task, to desperately escape from everything else, that they eventually create a little microcosm for themselves. Almost like a sanctuary of some sorts. The bricks also remind me of the prisoners. I felt like each brick was the same, each was placed in the same way, they were stuck there forever in the same way, and were forgotten as soon as the new one came into place. But they all eventually would end up in a giant wall, which would be stronger than one brick alone. I felt a lot personification coming from the narrative without the author even trying.
4.) Example 1: " They counted the prisoners twice on the way out: once before they unbolted the gates, to make sure they were safe in opening them, and again when the gates had been opened and the prisoners were passing through" (Solzhenitsyn 104). This kind of shows how no one can get away from working their shift.
Example 2: "Want to sit down in the snow? All right, I'll have you down in a minute I'll keep you here till dawn" (Solzhenitsyn 115). This depicts the head of the escort threatening all the prisoners with his authority.
5.) Shuvkov chose to be frisked by an older man who seemed to not have any interest in his occupation. He seemed to only be going through the motions, gullible by routine, and as a result, Shuvkov gets to keep his blade.
To me, it didn’t give me the feeling that “winded horses” were to differentiate skilled and unskilled laborers. “Winded” simply means that you are out of breath or that you are tired, so in this context I believe the author was trying to express how the laborers were tired, especially in a camp.
ReplyDeleteBuinovsky is old and weak, and even if he did had the skill, the job that he was given required no skill; because he is weak and he does not have much power. This is very ironic since he is the Captain, and he is in charge, but he gets the job without the skill? My image of captains especially in Russia reminds me of someone with great power, however it is disappointing to see this captain having a job requiring no skill.
The detailed narrative is a major part of the book that makes the reader feel like they could relate to the characters in the book. Personally I think every little bit of the book is very detailed, for instance even when you describe the weather outside.To me I feel like the book is over detailed because there is not much light throughout the story, but by making the context a little bit more detailed makes the book fairly interesting.
Surprisingly the Gulag equalizes men and the squad leader Tiurin was very good at distributing work equally to the prisoners. “‘You, Pavlo take a couple of men, collect the tools... We’ll use up the last two loads of mortar before we knock off”’ (Solzhenitsyn 103). Also this definitely isn’t something pleasant for the prisoners but for a job as a guard, they must equally find if prisoners are hiding something, and since people don’t have favourites, they check every prisoner and if they get caught with something, tough luck to the prisoners. “The guard slapped Shukhov’s sides and back, and the outside of his pants pocket” (Solzhenitsyn 124).
Shukhov decided to chose a old guard, and he definitely put some thought into choosing a leader. The old man probably has seen many young men like Shukhov trying to be frisked, and to him being an experienced guard, he probably does not care. Since all he is here for is to do his job, checking if he has something hidden under his clothes. Luckily Shukhov got away with the blade, but maybe this was luck.
When I read this part in the section of the book it didn`t really sound like the disparity between the skilled and unskilled labors. I didnt find that it really did try to explain it through the tet that is present in the novel. Still, if it was, I personally felt that it displayed how the mortars were broken and how it sounded like winded horses.This was caused by the unskilled workers. Still, even if I really connected it didnt really sound like it was referring it to this. I just felt and could imagine the weird sound from the motar carrier and the sounds of the workers breathing, their actions causing the sound of the winded horses.
ReplyDeleteTo tell the truth I am not really sure why Buinovsky the captain was given a job that required no skill or either easy skills. Either, he lacked the ability to do skilled job due to his age, or that he is weak in general. The irony presented here is that he is the captain and yet he is presented as the person who gets the easy job. I would not want my leader to be a weak and non working man. The captain would usually be the strongest, fittest man.
I think that the part where they talk about their work and the living they are having is really detailed. You get a image of how Shukhov tries to aim for perfection in his work. Everything is neatly done and in fast speed. The reference to the cold is also very detailed. We get the feeling of how each and every prisoners face the fear in freezing in the camp. Their belongings and the clothes are really important and the detailed narrative for these things really reflect towards the hard lifestyle they are spending.
I do not think that the gulag itself equalizes all men in a good sense. I guess everyone of them get the same kind of outfit and are restricted amongst them. I think men are equalized amongst themselves not physically but more emotionally. I cannot really explain this well, but through the work Shukhov does he feels equal as the squad leader. In the quote “Don`t wait, leader. Go ahead, your needed there. Shukhov usually addressed tiurin, more respectfully, as Andrei Prokofievich, but now, after working like that, he felt equal to the squad leader” you could see how Shukhov kind of obtained the feeling of equality through the things he did (Solzhenitsyn 105). I think basically they all get the equal treatment. Everyone of them has to suffer the cold while waiting for the missing person to come. They have to go through the same things such as being frisked (Solzhenistyn 123).
Shukhov chooses one of the older guards to be frisked by. His theory for this is that he thought that the older man would have much more experience but he will be fed up and tired of his job and therefore would not inspect so thoroughly. I felt like this time Shukhov was actually really lucky to get away with being punished. I cannot say that it was a sound decision and I think Shukhov should have been a little more careful. Even though he was in the prison for so many years I believe that he should not foolishly think that he can get away with everything.
1. "winded horses" refer to Captain Buinovsky, who is exhausted from carrying mortar. He does not have much skill, nor does he have enough stamina to endure such backbreaking work. Solzhenitsyn must have used the word to show the difference between not only the skilled and unskilled workers, but also the gap between their original social status and ineffectiveness of such in the gulag. Also he used the words to illustrate how the guards and gulag officers abuse the zeks, excreting till the last bit of use.
ReplyDelete2. Buinovsky is give the job that requires no skill, basically because he posses no skills. It is a bit ironic that former navy captain who had profound knowledge and even interacted with high rank officials, now treated useless in the gulag. Neither does the past glory save him from the work.
3. The detailed narrative of Shukhov reflects the life of miserable, yet durable life in gulag. Readers can vicariously looks around the physical environment, following his detailed narratives, or understand the feelings and thoughts of the zeks. The detailed narrative mirrors both the physical condition of gulag and mental state in which the zeks are, as well as how zeks think of each other and their attitude for the life.
4. The gulag equalizes all men, or more likely fuse all individuals into one being, an organized group of tools: squad. Everyone is called by their number, or squad name. "'Seventy-fifth over here,' 'This way, thirteenth,' 'Thirty second here'" (Solzhenytsin 110). All the zeks must move as a squad, helping and watching over each other. The another example may be how Buinovsky and Shukhov talk and rely on each other. The former social rank does not matter, and their differences are some what modified. Buinovskyl and Shukhov have friendly conversation, which sometimes develop into arguements like fighting. "'I've never met a sailor as stupid as you in my life'" (Solzhenytsin 108). Also the work equalize all men from Tiurin to Fetiukov, perhaps since the rations come from group effort, rather than individual talents.
5. Shukhov chooses the old guard, who are more experienced, hence more condoning. I believe it was a sound decision, for Shukhov must be the master of the art of survival, and also it is often true that more experienced people tend to be more slothful. It is probably due to the fact that they are used to their job and therefore, don't put as much as efforts as they used to do. On the other hands, if Shukhov has gone to the younger one, he may have been discovered by the assiduous guard,
1. I don’t quite see how the description of “winded horses” would be referring to the skill level of the worker but rather, I see it as providing as a simple reference to the heavy breathing of Buinovsky. When I read this bit, it just made me picture Buinovsky to be an older horse that has been used out on the field for a while and was now tired from all his labor, talking about although “he might not be forty” he was pretty close to it, getting tired more easily than the rest of the imprisoned workers (101 Solzhenitsyn).
ReplyDelete2. The irony in Buinovsky receiving the job that requires no skill is that he was formerly a man of high, official rank as a well respected captain. Though his former occupation he must have attained a good deal of skill however, by receiving the job that requires no skill, he is unable to put any of his former knowledge to good use. Although Buinovsky was a high ranked official, he now “wasn’t far” from becoming over the hill where people thought him to be less capable of working. He was considered to be one of the lesser workers because he’s unable to keep up with the work quota of the other younger workers, that’s why he must have been given one of the easier jobs.
3. The section in which Shukhov is immersed in his work, conveyed to us though the detailed narrative shows us how much concentration he gave to his task of making a wall and how little he paid attention to anything else. Rather than narrating what Shukhov was thinking about as he built the wall, the narrator emphasizes the fact that Shuhkov was only thinking about the wall, and what living in the gulag has reduced him to, not only physically but mentally as well.
4. Living in the Gulag has reduced all the men to the same humiliating, goalless state; broken and beaten down physically and psychologically. The zeks are not individuals in the prison, they are only a number and are often called by their barcodes, “K 460 shouted Priakhov” (125 Solzhenitsyn). The prisoners all lived the same lives regardless of who they were before they were imprisoned, with little variation, they would all“stay in camp all day”, perform “odd jobs” have them return from work and “give them a number” (127 Solzhenitsyn).
5. Shukhov selects an older guard to be checked by possibly because he thought there was a chance that this one would be lazier and less interested in his job or was less committed to it because of his age. I believe Shukhov made a sound decision because had he picked a younger guard there may have been the risk of the guard overcompensating in order to make up in his lack of experience and Shukhov’s blade might have been discovered.
1) I personally don’t think that the wording suggests any disparity between the skilled and unskilled laborers because horses are, in general, hard workers; ‘“what do you think we are-pack horses? Carrying blocks up to the second story by hand”’ (Solzhenitsyn 99). This quote explains that ‘the whole squad’ sweats to keep things working (Solzhenitsyn 100), thus generalizing everything to be as hard-working as a winded horse. No disparity is suggested between laborers.
ReplyDelete2) Buinovsky was given a job that required no skill because he ‘lacked the strength’ required for the other jobs, he ‘wasn’t used to the work’ (Solzhenitsyn 102). This is ironic because one would expect a Captain to have great strengths, especially when they are known for having the strength to push people around. Buinovsky, however, is displayed as a weak character who has yet to learn the rules of prison.
3) The detailed narrative mirrors the novel’s depressing “average” day, ‘A zek would pull off his boot and, hopping on one foot, turn it upside down and shake the footrag. No knife, damn you’ (Solzhenitsyn120). This quote shows that the clear narration magnifies the attitudes and the physical characteristics of the characters and plots.
4) Through the novel, we see that the gulag equalizes all men; the guards would call everyone by their numbers, ‘“K 460”’ (Solzhenitsyn 125), and the hard work that everyone deals with equalizes them. ‘Shukhov usually addressed Tiurin, more respectfully, as Andrei Prokofievich, but now, after working like that, he felt equal to the squad leader’ (Solzhenitsyn 105). This quote, by definition, could apply to the Gulag as an encouragement to communism.
5) Although the old guard has more experience, Shukhov chooses him, through sound decision, because he believes that the older you are, the more ‘fed up with the job’ you get (Solzhenitsyn 124). Shukhov, perhaps through experience, finds that less effort is put into the same job.
1. The term “winded horses” clearly distinct the skilled and the unskilled. Carrying the mortars did not ask for any competence therefore, could be done by anyone or anything. In a way, this showed how their level was low and how the characters considered them weak. We, as readers, also understand that they are not the strongest within prisoners which proves that the use of words can influence more or less the readers.
ReplyDelete2. Honestly, I did not really understand that part. Buinovsky is said to be weaker and tired easier despite his status as captain. The irony here would be that, though ordering to prisoners and acting harsh on them, he is not able to work at the same lever as them.
3. The descriptive narration mirrors the content because the book is only talking about one day in his life, incorporating many details about the life as a prisoner in gulag. The sentences in this book are quite short therefore, impacting descriptions are needed to keep the readers in focus and to let them as many things as possible about the prisoner’s situations.
4. Shukov felt equal to Turin, the squad leader after working one of the leading person at the Power Station. “After working like that, he felt equal to the squd leader” (105 Solzhenistyn). This quote shows that he treatment by Tiruin was not too harsh on the prioners but also, they could get advantages no matter their social place was, if they had the skill of it. The second example is when Senka stopped to wait for Shukov. “Senka would never leave anyone in a jam. Pay for it? Then together” (106 Solzhenitsyn). This showed how Senka had a strong mind about connection with others and trust.
5. He chose he older man because he thought the guard to be more experienced and fed up. I think he made the right decision because he actually got through it, though it might simply be his luck.
B3 Kana
1. Yes, the term “winded horses” was deliberately used to differentiate between the skilled and unskilled laborers. In this case, Shukhov had the upper hand in building walls because he was proficient and experienced. The Captain and Aloysha, on the other hand, were ignorant and inept, hence worth nothing but “horses” to carry the mortars.
ReplyDelete2. Buinovsky was given the job that requires no skill because as a former navy captain he was too used to giving orders rather than following them and was incompetent. He was clumsy and would get exhausted easily. The amount of work that he was doing greatly exceeded the amount that he did in his life prior to the gulag.
3. The detailed narrative of the story greatly aids our understandings of the life in the gulag and our empathy for the prisoners. The narrative brings us around in the third person point of view that revolves around Shukhov but at times also jumps into the perspective of Shukhov himself and creates the feeling of familiarity in the prison.
4. In the gulag, every men was equal. It didn’t matter whether you were a former captain or official, once your put in there, you are equivalent to all the others prisoners. Every man was worth the same, so a missing man from the column “was a matter of life or death to them” (Solzhenitsyn 115). No one could use their rank or authority as an excuse to get privileges because they didn’t exist. Everything depended on their own physical abilities and so when they were lined up to return to the camp, “they forgot to talk; they forgot to think; everyone in the column was obsessed by one idea: to get back first” (Solzhenitsyn 119). This also lowered the men to states of being mere animals fighting against each other to become the fittest in order to survive.
5. Shukhov once again shows his peasant wisdom when choosing the guard to be frisked by. Instead of selecting the new, inexperienced guard, he ironically chooses the older guard and it was indeed a sound decision. The older guard, who had been doing the job for decades now, was growing tired of it, completing the search in a more careless manner. Whereas. if it was up the younger guard, he probably would have discovered the blade because he was still fresh in his job and was enthusiastic.
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ReplyDelete1) With my knowledge I don’t really don’t know what “winded horses” refers to or sounds like. But, my interoperation with this metaphor is the breathing of Captain Buinovsk. Since it is normal to breathe heavily after carrying such heavy artifact, I am guessing he is trying to tell us that he sounded like a worn-out horse. I don’t really see where the class division comes into this quote. I can guess that it refers to the fact that he is working like an animal (i.e. horse) or in terms like another animal.
ReplyDelete2) He has the skill of intelligence, although the skill that is not needed in the gulag. Even if you have the smarts, people look down on you because you don’t have the skill to survive or do the work. Buinovsk has probably done more elite work then any one else in the camp since he doesn’t have the skills which are needed in camp to do the work that is assigned. This is where the irony plays its role. Buinovsk used to have power, but now is stripped down to the lowest class in the camp grounds. In the real world, he was elite as the high class and in camp is the lowest out of the classes.
3) The story is written as if we are in it; he explains in great detail and draws the picture in our minds for us to see. This picture isn’t over exaggerated, but more of a tour on his daily life, and how he is surviving in such harsh conditions. This puts us into the story, and into his shoes.
4) I think that we are given a gift from our parents, which is our names, since it is the thing that will not leave your side. Yet the camp easily can remove you from your name and replace it with a number. You are given the same clothes, same room, and same gear. This makes everyone stripped down the basics of life, and therefore to have the common problems, such as food for an example. “How often has Shukhov in his youth fed oats to horses! Never had it occur to him that there’d come the time when his whole soul would yearn for a handful of them” (Solzhenitsyn 72). “” The twelfth five of the fifth hundred moved ahead” (Solzhenitsyn 109).
5) When you think of old, you think of a wise old man, a know-it-all as well as a loose figure. This may have been the logical thinking of Shukhov as he thought about his choice of the guard. A real life example for me with this type of logical thinking is with border patrol guards. The older have more experience, and they would let you go freely with out asking too much questions because they have the experience to find out who is suspicious. On the other hand, if he is new, he will follow the manual book and the training with great care. However, in the end, even they loosen up, since not many can keep it up for years of the basic manual training. Technically, this would make them slackers in other words. Reflecting to this example, Shukhov probably saw through this as well.
1. I guess you could say that when Solzhenitsyn refers to the mortar workers as "winded horses" he means that they were somewhat tired from the work. The workers who were given the mortar job were considered incompetent to the other jobs, so yes, there is some differentiation between them and the skilled worker.
ReplyDelete2. The Captain was given a job that required no skill because, as a Captain, he was not equipped with the skills that were required to do hand-to-hand work. Since he was a Captain, you could say he was probably somewhat aristocratic, so he wouldn't know how to do anything that difficult. This is ironic because before he was sent to the prison, he was in full control. Now that he's in prison, he doesn't have anything anymore, except the easiest job that requires no skill.
3. I really like the detailed narrative because it describes the setting in which the the story takes place. This lets the reader absorb the content much more effectively.
4. The Gulag both equalizes the zeks mentally and physically. For one, they're all given the same clothes, are all given numbers for identification, and are all put into squads. During their work, no matter what position they have in the squad, they all have equal work to do. After Shukhov worked with his squad, "he felt equal to the squad leader" (Solzhenitsyn 105).
5. Shukhov chooses the older and more experienced guard. Because this guard had had the same job for quite a long time, he didn't bother to check Shukhov so thoroughly. So in the end, this was a sound decision, because Shukhov managed to get away with his blade.