Why You Should Read The Gulag Archipelago By Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Why You Should Read The Gulag Archipelago By Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

There are not a lot of books that take years of the author’s real-life experience and get accumulated into a single volume. And that too when the book is being written in a state that even punishes individuals for their thoughts. However, the Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was able to document the hardships and cruelties done on the prisoners in the camps of the Soviet Union. So, let’s go through the premise of the book and its significance in modern times, making it one of the most crucial literary works of the 20th Century. 

The Gulag Archipelago By Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

The Soviet Union was an empire that showcased immense power and status to the rest of the world. But that was not the entire truth, as millions of people suffered and died under the brutal regime of lies and corruption. Now, most people will blame the political ideologies, policies or the state of the government at the time. And even though it’s true, understanding the evil acts stated in the book gives you an entirely new perspective on the true state of the human condition. 

“Bless you prison, bless you for being in my life. For there, lying upon the rotting prison straw, I came to realize that the object of life is not prosperity as we are made to believe, but the maturity of the human soul.”

The State Crushing The Individual

In most totalitarian regimes, the individual has infinitesimal liberty to anything of value. He/she is a just puppet obliged to the rules of the state or the dictators. However, the totalitarian state can not function just by sheer power; it needs muscles as well. Usually, these are the people who enjoy certain privileges over others in the society. In Gulag Archipelago, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn described his arrest, life in prison, and liberation. But at every stage of his suffering, individuals (guards, spies, admins, and soldiers) were his greatest enemies, more than the state. 

“If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”

The Evil Within All

These ranked individuals used their power to fulfil the most heinous desires over others. Without their evildoings, it would not have been possible for the Soviet Union to exist. The kingdom based on lies, blood and misery can only exist if the prior things take place without attracting the free individuals. This was the reason that the Soviet Union was able to function for so long as the truth was buried so deep, and even the ones who knew it never wished to face it.

“Unlimited power in the hands of limited people always leads to cruelty.”

Everyone is capable of doing evil things, and it’s a part of us. If you believe that you’re immoral deep down inside, then it is the first step to keeping those traits at bay. The Soviet Union banished individuals against their principles; however, in the process, the state gave into evil itself because you can’t defeat evil outside as it only lies in one’s heart. 

How Low Can Humans Fall?

The violence and tragedies stated in the Gulag Archipelago are petrifying. Some might even think that modern people are not capable of doing such things, but that’s not true. It just takes one little lie to collapse all of civilisation as it creates a domino effect where one lie leads to another. So, in the process of endless lying, human beings also distance themselves from the truth and give in to absolute evil. On top of that, in order to assimilate itself into reality, evil gets on the mission of removing even the tiny speck of good from the world.  You can have bad feelings about the truth, but you can’t deny that truth is suitable for the very fabric of society. 

“In keeping silent about evil, in burying it so deep within us that no sign of it appears on the surface, we are implanting it, and it will rise up a thousand fold in the future. When we neither punish nor reproach evildoers, we are not simply protecting their trivial old age, we are thereby ripping the foundations of justice from beneath new generations.”

Redemption Or Suffering

The world is unfair, and the 20th century is the best example of this. It’s not because it is the closest modern people are to the history of two significant wars but because everyone is the product of that time. Everything happening today is the consequence of substantial decisions in the past, and it’s not wrong to think about society’s decline to its evil roots. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn praised his time in prison not because it changed his way of life but because it matured his soul. He may have lost everything material possessions known to man, but his soul was still there, and he discovered it through pain and misery. 

“Thus it is that no cruelty whatsoever passes by without impact. Thus it is that we always pay dearly for chasing after what is cheap.”

Truth Will Prevail

Truth is not like a dead body or carcass that you can discard in an ocean so that it never comes out. It is the epitome of goodness, which also lies in one’s heart, and as long as there are those who commit the most atrocious acts, there will also be those who oppose it. It took Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn decades to share his story with the rest of the world, but the fact that there is still discussion of his book taking place in the present clearly implies that truth does prevail; it is only a matter of time. 

“The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either — but right through every human heart — and through all human hearts. This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. And even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained”

Final Thoughts On The Gulag Archipelago By Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

The Gulag Archipelago By Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn is one of the most disturbing works of literature. However, considering the current state of affairs of the world, it is a book that everyone should read. It not only gives an account of history but makes you think and helps you introspect the evil inside. And it’s not a bad thing to look into the abyss if it’s only for a short duration. 

FAQs

Is The Gulag Archipelago hard to read?

The Gulag Archipelago is a serious book that has a lot of brutal experiences during the author’s time in Soviet prison camps. 

How long does it take to read the Gulag Archipelago?

14-15 hours. 

How many pages is the original Gulag archipelago?

672 pages. 

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