ivan
1. How and when did the guard sound reveille, and why did he not sound it for long
5 in the morning by hitting a hammer against a rail near staff quarters; it was cold outside
113. Who breaks line in front of the zeks, How do they get away with this
A camp barber, a bookkeeper, and a man who worked in the C.E.D, they had soft jobs in the camp and were close with the guards
119. Why was the dinner stew usually thinner than the morning stew
Because if they are going to work after their morning stew, but at night they are just going to bed
11. How does Shukhov's decision to stay in bed go away
Because there was a different guard on duty than he had expected (the tartar is the guard on duty)
88. Why does Shukhov insist that Pavlo and Senka let him set the last few blocks of the day
Because they already started it so finish it off
52. What do the men do as soon as they step onto the building site
Bends down to pick up a scrap of firewood for the stove, so they have a warm place to get heated up.
23. What is the best and worst time of the year to eat in the camp
Best time was june, worst time was July (what vegetables were in and in the soup)
51. What is the importance of the squad leader; How do his men treat him
Having a good squad leader is important "in camp the squad leader is everything, a good one will give you a second life, a bad one will put you in your coffin"; you treat your squad leader well. Tiurin's men respect him and realize how lucky they are to have him
129. Why does borrowing someone's knife obligate you to give him something in return
Having a knife is a big deal, it can get you put into a cell
30. What is the new doctor's attitude toward the sick prisoners and work
He believes working is a cure for sickness, work is good for you when ill
32. After his temperature is read, what are Shukhov's options
He can either go to work, or take the chance of staying and risk getting in trouble
126. Why didn't Shukhov ask Tsezar if he had received his parcel
He didn't want to hint to "i did keep that place in line so i deserve a fair share" even though the right was his he would not turn into a jackal
111. Why did Shukhov tell his family to stop sending him parcels
He didn't want to take the food out of the kids mouths, parcels were expensive
5. Why does Shukhov linger in bed this morning
He doesn't feel good that morning
21. Why does Shukhov eat his cold breakfast slowly; What does this say about his life
He eats it slowly to relish the time he has. He knows that this is one of the only times he gets to himself. Eating at his own pace also reminds him of home and keeps his sanity intact. Savor the time eating so you feel a bit more full
133. What happens anytime a zek gets warm, Why
He falls asleep because you lose so much sleep during the week
78. Why is Tiurin in a good mood after lunch; Why is this important
He fixed the work report, this is important because a good and clever work report meant good rations for 5 days
77. What does Shukhov find on the ground, and what does he do with it and why
He found a bit from a hacksaw blade, he picked it up to later hide at the power station because you never know when there might be a use for it in the future
91. What does Shukhov's refusal to throw away the mortar tell us about him
He is a hard worker and does his best to keep himself and his squad out of trouble, he didn't waste anything without good reason either
56. Why is Fetiukov such a jackal
He is selfish, he sneaks around and scrounges for food because is he worried about his own survival, he doesn't get packages, he has no financial resources to fall back on, he doesn't have a good job. collects cigarette butts
6. Why does Tiurin (the squad leader) look worried this morning; What is his very important "job" this morning
He is worried that the men will have to work on the Socialist settlement; find a better job for his men
2. Why does Shukhov never oversleep reveille
He likes to have the 90 minutes to himself, he also uses that time to make things like mittens to sell for money
137. How does Shukhov sleep to keep warm
He put his feet into the sleeve of his jacket, then he put his blanket on top of him with his coat on top of that
24. Describe the rules of etiquette that Shukhov follows at breakfast
He removes his hat when he eats out of respect...he has a spoon, he nearly guards the spoon- he wipes it off, he sticks it inside
134. What is Shukhov's response when Aloysha urges him to pray
He says that prayers go unanswered and are worthless
36. How does Shukhov put his skill as a tailor to work to save his bread
He sews the bread portion into his bed
114. Why does Shukhov offer to bring Tsezar his supper to the barracks
He thinks tsezar will surely give him his supper
99. Why is S311 in the camp? What is ironic about this?
He was in the camp because he had contact with the enemy, but it's ironic because he use to have a high social status, says he never imagined his life without gold shoulder straps and had "hobnobbed" with british admiral. He was also a military leader.
27. What is the physician's assistant's reaction to Shukhov's reporting sick that morning
He was mad he couldn't handle being sick, says that they are closed and he is too late, he should have come in last night
12. What is Shukhov's reaction to his punishment; Why does he react this way
He's angry because he hadn't done really anything, but he accepts it and goes on with it...once he realizes his punishment tho, he's kinda happy because it is a good punishment.
68. Why is Shukhov in prison; What really happened
High treason; he surrendered to the Germans with intentions of betraying his country, he carried out a mission for the German intelligence Shukhov was with a group with no food, no ammunition so the germans rounded them up and he remained in german captivity for a couple days (he was captured by the germans and when he left was caught by the russians who thought he was out spying)
35. What is waiting on Shukhov's bunk when he comes back
His bread and sugar ration
72. What is Shukhov's job at lunch; What does this job say about the conditions there
Shukhov gets and counts bowls for his squad but he makes sure he gets more than needed
118. What two things does Shukhov have to take care of while passing out the stew
Shukhov had to remember who he had served and he also had to watch out for the tray
17. Describe Shukhov's dental condition. What was its cause
Shukhov has many gaps in his teeth; Scurvy at Ust-Izhma in 1943
123. How did Shukhov earn money
Shukhov made slippers out of prisoners rags or patched torn jackets to make money
105. What does Shukhov realize just before the guards search him, What decision does he make, Why does he decide to do this
Shukhov realizes just before the guards search him that he has the hacksaw blade on him, he doesn't throw it down, instead he tries to hide it by putting it inside one of his mittens
117. Why does Shukhov say Gopchik will do well
Shukhov says that Gopchik will grow up in about 3 more years and become a bread cutter, he is fated for it
83. What kind of worker is Shukhov; What is the advantage of having an attitude like his
Shukhov was a hard worker, he did what he was supposed to, he listened when he was told to do something
38. What does Shukhov wear to go to work; What does this say about the conditions under which he will be working
Shukhov wears many layers, a coat, mittens, he grabs two pairs of foot rags, rope to use as a belt, cloth with tape at both ends to cover his face
25. Describe Shukhov's most prized possession and how he cares for it
Shukhov's most prized use to be his shoes, he would softened the leather with grease until they got taken away, but now it is his spoon that he created himself
122. Why is money not so important in the camp, What can be purchased with it
Soap, moldy biscuits, and "prima" cigarettes
70. What "new" thing had been happening at the camp
Squealers were having their throats cut in their sleep
28. What is Shukhov's reaction to sitting in the clean, warm infirmary
Strange because he was use to the cold dirty environment of the barracks he couldn't stand the silence...this is a good place to sit tho, warm.
69. What do the men know about Senka
Talking about the germans Senka said "three times I escaped and three times they caught me" it is also known that he had been in Buchenwald where he worked underground and smuggled in arms for the mutiny, was punished by the germans, they tied him up by his wrists and whipped them
121. Describe prisoner U81. What makes him stand out
Tall old man,apart of the 64th, whose squad was sent to the Socialist way of life Settlement, he had no hair and had lost all of his teeth, all life had left his face and it was left hard and dark like a stone, he had spent years in the camp, after his 10 year mark was up they always sentenced him another one
94. Why was it so important to be the first column back to the camp
The column that was back first was top dog in the camp that evening - the mess hall was theirs, they were first in line to get their packages, first at the private kitchen, first at the C.E.D to pick up letters or hand in their own, first at the dispensary, the barber, the baths, everywhere most importantly they were the first to eat
44. How did the morning and evening prisoner searches differ
The morning officers were thoroughly searched and made to take off their extra garments, by the evening, the guards were in more of a hurry and only quickly searched the prisoners, those who had broke regulation were made to report to an officer later that night and explain why they broke regulation
7. How will Tiurin accomplish this "job
bribe officials with salt pork
104. What does Shukhov offer to do for Tsezar? Why does he make this offer?
he offers to go stand in line for Tsezar package. He makes this offer because he know if he does something for him, Shukhov would get something in return.
48. Why is Shukhov unexcited about the prospects of writing home
there was no sense in writing
13. What do all articles of Shukhov's outer garments have in common
they all have a number written on them
18. How does Shukhov wash the guards' floor; Why does he do it this way
Shukhov began by sloshing a bunch of water on the floor in order to get all the mud off but he was yelled at for that so he just wiped it down and then dried it, didn't even clean it
106. By which guard does Shukhov choose to be frisked, Why did he choose this one
Shukhov chooses the older guard to be searched by because he is older and tired of his job so he won't try as hard or search as thoroughly
130. When dealing with the guard, "Snubnose," how does Tiurin once again prove his skill as squad leader
Tiurin comes up with smart answers
39. What is Tiurin's reaction to the junior guard's complaint that squad 104 is late; What does this say about Tiurin
Tiurin ignores the guard, this tells us Tiurin doesn't let others take control of him, he's more confident and bold in themselves then others, Tiurin is also a really good leader, he has lots of personality strength and he has been at the camp long enough to know he can get away with things. His men are loyal to him, and the guards won't mess with him- he's a good leader & his squad gets alot of work done.
50. Why does Shukhov describe Tiurin as a "true son of the Gulag
Tiurin is very familiar with how the camp works, he did what he could to make sure his squad got better rations, he's been there for a long long time
80. How did Tiurin get on the train; What good fortune did he have once he was on board; How did he repay this good fortune in the future
Tiurin pretended to be a soldier and jumped on the train, once he was on board the girls on board used their raincoats to cover him up and hide him, later on he gave her a job
110. How do the guards handle and distribute the parcels, Why do they do it this way
Guards opened the parcels with hatchets and rummaged through everything in it, anything liquid or in a glass tin was dumped out, they didn't give you the jars, they ate anything home-made or sweet and tasty and if you complained they said what was sent to you was forbidden and they will keep your entire parcel, you had to give a little bit of your parcel to every guard, they wouldn't give you the box that it came in either, and they would hurry you off so that you would accidently leave something behind
124. Why does Shukhov refer to the tobacco as the "stuff
" He said "stuff" on purpose because the Lett had the habit of dropping the tobacco in loosely
81. What is the difference between the guards' power over the men and the squad leaders' power over them
"A guard cant get people to budge, even in working hours, but a squad leader can tell his men to get on the job even during break and they'll do it because he is the one who feeds and he'd never make them do work for nothing"
63. What has Gopchik already learned; What proof does Shukhov give
"He already learned cunning: he ate the contents of his food packages alone, sometimes during the night" so that he doesn't have to share and people aren't stealing from him
115. How does "the Limper" decide whom to hit and whom not to hit, What does this say about him
"He was smart and could tell when it was better to leave a man alone, he hit the downs- and- outs, he hit anyone that tried to go through with the wrong squad, this shows that he wants everything to be in order by his standards
64. How are days and years different in the camps
"How time flew when you were working. The days rolled by in the camp, but the years, they never rolled by, they never moved by a second"
97. What would the zeks do to the missing prisoner if the guards gave him to them? Why?
"They'd tear him apart like wolves with a lamb"cause he is a trader to them
43. Why does Shukhov say Volkovoi is named appropriately
"Volk" in russian means wolf. How inhumane he is to the prisoners makes him like a wolf
54. What is the "proper" way to eat
"You had to eat with all your mind on the food, nibble it bit by bit" you had to eat slowly and savor the food, take your hat off
14. At what temperature is it too cold to send the prisoners out to work; What does this tell you about working conditions in the camp
-41 degrees. This tells us it is very hard to do work, and its extremely cold.
71. How much grits does each man get for lunch; Why don't they get more
1.5 ounces, they don't get more because the cook didn't like carrying the sack of grits two miles himself as well as the water and the firewood
131. What happens to those who serve ten "hard" days in the cells, Fifteen days
10 days resulted in tuberculosis which leads to death, and 15 ended in straight death.
20. Why does Fetiukov keep Shukhov's breakfast for him
All members in that squad look out for each other, so they help each other out by saving things like food. They rely on each other.
37. What is Aloysha's most prized possession, and how does he protect it
Aloysha's most prized possession is his bible, which he hides in the crack in the wall
29. How often do the prisoners bathe
Approx. every 2 weeks (about every 13 days/ couple times a month)
75. What important transformation is Captain Buinovsky undergoing; Why is it so important
Captain Buinovsky is getting use to camp and its rules, he is not doing very well at learning the survival of the camp, he use to be a naval captain, he is use to commanding and being in charge
87. Why does Der threaten Tiurin, and how do Turin and his men react
Der threatens Tiurin because of the felt on the windows, says it is a criminal offense. Tiurin and his men gather around Der with their tools and Tiurin threatens Der telling him to keep his mouth shut
31. Why was Vdovushkin chosen as a medical assistant
Doctor wanted him to write in prison because he had no freedom to write when he was free
136. What does freedom mean to Shukhov, Why has he quit hoping for it
Freedom is getting to return home, he quit hoping for that because it became clear that he would never get to return home
98. How did Fetiukov mess-up the count? What was the guard's response?
Fetiukov had been wandering around and had failed to get into his five in time, the guard struck him on the back of the neck
42. Why does Tsezar give his cigarette butt to Shukhov instead of Fetiukov
Fetyukov is a beggar and always pleads for food and other things. Shukhov doesn't.
86. What kind of worker is Fetiukov, and how does Tiurin "reward" him for his efforts
Fetyukov is a lazy worker, he drug his feet and worked slowly and when pushing the barrow with the mortar he would purposely dump some so that the barrow was lighter to push, because of this Fetyukov was sent to heave up blocks instead (was punished with harder work)
128. What happened to Fetiukov that makes Shukhov prophesy he won't make it to the end of his term, What is wrong with Fetiukov
Fetyukov was beaten up over the bowls at dinner and returned to the barracks crying with blood smeared over his face, fetyukov doesn't have the right attitude
62. What is the most important thing a squad leader does
File a work report that pleases the inspectors, they can twist things around so that it looks good so they don't get into lots of trouble.
59. What is Shukhov's attitude toward good tools, and to what lengths will he go to support this attitude
For a mason a trowel is a serious matter, Shukhov hides the best trowel in a different place every evening and retrieves it every morning. Shukhov believes that better tools do better work.
15. What is Shukhov's actual punishment for sleeping in; What is his reaction to the Tartar's justice
His punishment is mopping the floor of the guard's house. His reaction is shocked.
66. Why do the men consider Shukhov lucky
His sentence at the camp is almost up
82. What makes Pavlo work so hard that day
His squad was competing with another squad. The winner would get a little bit of extra food.
92. What was the most frightening part of arriving at the gate late
If he was missing at the count at the gates the guards would beat him
41. What is the problem with the numbers each prisoner must wear
If it's too bright, they can easily see who you are when you commit a "crime". If it's not bright enough, that could be a crime too.
26. Why does Shukhov avoid the Tartar
If the tartar sees him alone, he would send him to the hole, he has already been in trouble, doesn't want to again.
65. Why must you never put your feet up to the stove
If you're wearing leather boots the heat will cause the leather to crack and if you're wearing valenki the felt becomes sodden and begins to steam and you don't become any warmer, and if they get too close to the heat they will scorch and you will have a hole in your boot until spring
76. How does Tsezar job compare to that of the other men in the company
It is inside, easier, less painful. His job was in the office, it was warm in there.
84. How does nature conspire to force the masons into doing a good job
It is so cold that is they don't work fast and as a team the mortar freezes
74. Why doesn't Shukhov automatically get an extra bowl of food
It is up to Pavlo to distribute the extra rations as he chooses to.
108. What makes the dinner soup so dear to the prisoners
It was a bowl of thin cabbage soup that was half burned but "it was as welcome to them as rain to a parched earth, that bowl of soup was dearer than freedom, dearer than life itself to the the prisoners" (assuming this meant that it filled them up more than the other meals or something)
8. Who is "One-and-a-half," and how does he figure into Shukhov's decision to stay in bed
Ivan; He was one of the most good-natured guards there and Shukhov believed he would not get punished with him
67. Why is Shukhov skeptical about his luck
Just because his sentence is almost up doesn't mean they will let him go, they may keep him longer (they often times do this)
90. Why were the men anxious to not be late reporting to the gate
Latecomers were sent to the guardhouse also the first ones in get to eat
47. Describe the rules the prisoners must follow during their march.
Line up in fives, no talking, hands behind your back, facing forward, keep to a steady pace, same pace as other prisoners
96. Which prisoner was missing at the camp? What was special about him?
Moldavian from the 32nd was missing, he was a genuine spy
89. Why did it take an agreement among the squad leaders to get the squads to quit at the same time
Or else they would be outside all night
103. Who did Shukhov say was the zeks' main enemy? Why?
Others zeks, because you gain things from betraying, but they were only short term benefits, in the end being loyal to your unit paid off more
109. What is the writing surface of choice in the camp, Why
Plywood because it is more reliable, you can scrape away was written that day and use it again the next day
16. Describe the different types of footwear Shukhov has worn while a prisoner. How has this experience affected the way he treats his footwear
Rope sandals, galoshes with scraps and tires, leather boots; This makes shukhov take much more care of his footwear, he makes sure they last.
100. Why do the zeks refuse the guard's order to "step lively
Said they had nothing to lose, they were already going to be the last back to the camp
135. Why does Aloysha say you should not pray for freedom
Says the lord commanded them to only pray for their daily bread, you need to pray for spirits, to have the anger and hatred removed from your heart
49. What is Shukhov's wife's dream for when he returns; What is his reaction to this dream
She wants him to become a carpet painter, he is confused because he doesn't even know how to draw, he also didn't want to, he's not interested, he thinks it's silly
93. What made the guards' recounting so irritating
The time wasted to recount was the prisoners or "the zeks" own free time
61. Who does Tiurin give the wheelbarrow jobs to and why
The wheelbarrow jobs were given to the captain and Fetyukov because you don't have to be very bright to carry a handbarrow
112. What bad news did Shukhov learn while standing in line, What does he attribute it to
Their sunday was being taken away and they were being forced to work because there were 5 sundays that month
73. How does Shukhov use his wits to secure more food at lunch
There can only be so many bowls out at once, but shukhov makes sure to miscount the bowls and he also helps the cook put more bowls out
107. Why does Shukhov fear being thrown in the prison
There you only get 9 ounces of bread a day and hot soup once every three days
40. Why do the squad members immediately give Tiurin a share of any food they get from the outside
They know he will take care of them, and get them out of any tight fit they get into: he's doing it for the good of his people
101. Why do the zeks decide to run after all
They saw the other unit in the distance so they picked up the pace to try and beat the other column back to the camp, they wanted to be first
34. How is the time after breakfast, before the march to work, used by the guards and prisoners
They used this time as relaxation, they do a lot of their daily tasks, they bargain, sew, anything they want to get done that day
102. Why were the zeks from the machine works so thoroughly searched
They were being searched for weapons, tools, pieces of metal
3. What advice did Kuziomin (the first squad leader) give the new men
Those who don't make it lick leftovers from bowls, hide away to the doctor (calling in sick frequently) and those who squeal.
58. What is Shukhov's first work assignment, and why was he chosen for it
To lay cement blocks on the second story walls, but before he can do that he has to board up the windows in the machine room, they used felt to cover up the windows. He and Kilgas were chosen for this job because they are the two leading squad members, and Shukhov is resourceful.
46. Why are the guards so vigilant in their counting of the prisoners
To make sure no one has gotten away/ run off ... if you lose one of your prisoners you must take their spot in the march
45. What is the purpose of the morning's extra vigilante searches
To make sure no prisoner is trying to sneak away from camp with enough rations of bread to run away with (also made sure nobody had any tools on them that could be used to stab others)
9. What is the orderlies' first job in the morning, and what does this job reveal about living conditions in the camp
To take out the barrels of excrement; get all prisoners out of bed and working on daily routines
53. How did Tsezar get his job as assistant to the rate inspector
Tsezar is well off, he receives two parcels a month; he bribed his way, he had a little bit of money
132. How does Tsezar demonstrate his lack of understanding of camp life, How does Shukhov help him
Tsezar should have taken his parcel to the store room right away but instead he gloated over it, he couldn't take it out to evening roll call but if he left it inside the barracks the first one back would take it. Shukhov told him to stay in the barracks until the last moment, and then when everyones has left and the orderlies come in say he is feeling bad, shukhov promised to be the first back in the barrack
20. Why is this a "red-letter day" for Shukhov, What does this say about life in the camp
Two helpings for dinner and two helpings for supper
57. Why are snowstorms both good and bad
When there was a snowstorm nobody was taken out to work, the guards were afraid the prisoners would try to escape but, the prisoners were locked in the barracks, the coal was delivered late, and all the warmth was blown out of the barracks, also there was no bread or hot food
19. What is the difference between working the knowing and working for a fool; Why is this knowledge important
When you work for the knowing you give them quality but when you work for a fool you give them what they want to see not based on quality. This is important because it could mean life or death. If you do not give quality, than they can send you to the hole to die, but if the lader is a fool, you can make it look like what they want to see but still get by. '
60. Why do the prisoners work so hard
Workers push their squad members to work as hard as they can because "either you all got a bit extra, or you all croaked together"
95. What game did the prisoners and the superintendent play every night before the men left the work site
Workers would gather wood chips, sticks, etc and tie them together to carry back with them in order to try and warm up the barracks, the guards would often raid the prisoners but if some made it back to the barracks, just a little bit of wood would warm it up more
127. What makes getting a parcel not as wonderful as it first seems
You end up having to share with everybody, the guards, the squad leader, the bath house attendant, the barber, etc
85. What is one of the benefits of hard work
You no longer feel as cold because it warms you up.
125. What was one "good thing" about the camps that was better than at Ust-Izhma
You were free to let of steam, you could bawl anything you didn't like from the top bunk and the squealers wouldn't pass it on
79. Why was Tiurin kicked out of the army
his family were Kulaks
116. Describe the head cook. Why is he so powerful
his identification number is very small compared to the other prisoners, he is fat and has a warmer coa, and has authority over the zeks
10. What makes Shukhov decide to report sick
it is -20 degrees outside
4. Which part of his advice does Shukhov dispute and why
some men survive by telling on people & the squealers
22. Describe the typical breakfast served in the camp
stew with seasonal vegetables, oatmeal