"One Day in the Life of Ivan" -- Alyoshka

"What d'you want your freedom for? What faith you have left will be choked in thorns. Rejoice that you are in prison. Here you can think of your soul." (198) Amongst the characters in the novel "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich", Alyoshka has the most enduring faith. The author, Solzhenitsyn, portrays the Baptist as a dedicated and extraordinarily persevering character. In a novel about a Russian forced labor camp, Alyoshka represents the strength …

…inner peace throughout the novel, demonstrates that religious faith offers strength in the face of hardship. These traits are maintained throughout the book and represent to the reader the survival of the spiritual world progressing further into society, as the conditions get worse. The religious faith of Alyoshka is admirable as it signifies a defiance that no authority can crush. His impact on Shukhov makes him one of the most important characters in the novel.