Identity Maintained Anonymous 12th Grade

B. R Ambedkar says that, “Man's life is independent. He is born not for the development of the society alone, but for the development of his self.” In Alexander Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Ivan and Alyosha battle allowing unfair circumstances attempting to take and destroy their personal identity. To remain true to themselves, they maintain certain mannerisms and attitudes that they value. Ivan chooses to maintain his personal identity by always working hard when it comes to his physical labour and valuing his manners when he eats. Alyosha maintains his identity by rooting himself in Christ and focusing only on Jesus instead of his personal struggles.

Ivan maintains his personal identity by never allowing circumstances to steal his mental strength and work ethic. “Even 8 years a convict hadn’t turned him into a jackal - the longer he spent in the camp, the stronger he made himself.” (Solzhenitsyn 123) Ivan values hard work and pushes himself to be better always. He takes pride in being a man who works for his pay and this strength helps him maintain his personal identity. This is proven when Ivan explains how he does not appreciate the idea of making easy money from selling painted carpets with his...