How was Ivan treated in prison? (god sees the truth but waits)
Answers
The prisoners’ treatment of the Moldavian shows that brutality is inflicted not just by the guards but also by fellow prisoners. The beating the Moldavian receives is a disturbing reminder that nasty prejudices occur among the inmates as much as among the administrators. This is the first time we see a prisoner’s nationality despised, as this one’s Romanian nationality is (Moldavia is a province of Romania). Nor do we ever see a prisoner brutally beaten by his fellow men (the other beatings are by guards or officers). Solzhenitsyn’s bleak view of the hatred of prisoners by other prisoners comes as something new. We have seen prisoners show mild irritation to other prisoners before, as with Shukhov’s annoyance at Fetyukov’s scrounging, but nothing of this power or magnitude. The optimistic picture of prisoner solidarity we see elsewhere is balanced here by Solzhenitsyn’s reminder that men are often cruel to one another, and Shukhov is no exception.