One Day the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Rona, Klaire, Monica, Ariel- B7
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is a novel about a Russian man who gets torn away from his family, and then thrown in jail because he wrote a letter against a Soviet Union leader. Ivan gets sentenced to ten years in prison, and he is serving his eighth year when the book is written. Each day, Ivan goes through inspections, eats watery soup, and watches men die of starvation or hypothermia.
This novel taught our group that we should not take anything for granted. We have warm quilts on our beds, and multiple pairs of shoes. Our government doesn't throw us in prison for treason, and they do not take away our rights. Each day when we eat our meals, we have silver wear and napkins. Ivan made a spoon for himself and he carried it everywhere.
This book also taught us that we have to think about the consequences of our words. Ivan wanted to speak his mind about the Soviet Union leader, but he did not realize what he was going to have to suffer as a result. We may always want everyone to know what we are thinking, but sometimes it is better to keep our mouth shut to help ourselves in the long run.