Point of View

The story is told in the first person by the protagonist, Shurik. The twelve chapters alternate between the present, on the day of Shurik's eightieth birthday, and the past, when he is a prisoner in Sosnogorsklag 32. Through the exposition of six chapters in each time period, the story of his life is revealed and the reasons become clear for the choices he eventually makes. Much of the action takes place in Shurik's thoughts, especially in the present, as these chapters consist of a walk he takes through the village. He meets many of the villagers whom he has known for years; and, as he meets each one, his relationship with them is revealed. He recounts in his thoughts what they have meant to him over the years. The prison narrative, on the other hand, is a day-to-day diary. Shurik reveals the story of his life as...