I found four examples of stylistic techniques used by the author, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, on the first 22 pages of the book One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.
An imagery opens the book with a morning routine of the Russian soldiers:
''At five o'clock that morning reveille was sounded, as usual, by the blows of a hammer on a length of rail hanging up near the staff quarters. The intermittent sounds barely penetrated the windowpanes on which the frost lay two fingers thick...'' (Page 3)
Hammer used on the reveille
This imagery shows how the soldiers wake up with the signal that was sounded at 5 A.M. with a hammer coming from the staff quarters and how the sound with irregular intervals barely moved the windowpanes which had two fingers thick of snow on it. It means that the soldiers know when to wake up with the same sound as always and also shows how it is winter.
The effect this imagery has on the reader is that it shows the setting just by two sentences. It shows the weather, time, and a bit of the morning routine of the soldiers.
Its significance within the context of the book is that it describes the life of a soldier during the war, it shows the reader what is happening, and catches the reader's attention.
On the next page of the book, I found a metaphor:
'' ' ... But even here people manage to live. The ones who don't make it are those who lick other men's leftovers, those who count on the doctor to live them through, and those who squeal on their buddies.' '' (Page 4)
This metaphor compares the people who can live as a prisoner in the Russian camps and the people who don't. It means that the people who can't live in the camps tries to do what a successful prisoner does, or ''licks his leftovers'', they count on the doctor to helps them to live well, and who informs their buddy to the authority, which makes the authorities appreciate the prisoner's act. The effect on the reader is that it makes us wonder if it is true or not and leads us to observe the prisoners throughout the book to see their actions.
The significance is that Ivan heard the man say it but didn't think it was true, and it might turn out to be true through the book.
Later, a simile:
''The air was as thick as in a Turkish bath.'' (Page 14)
A Turkish bath room
This simile is comparing the air with a Turkish bath. What it means is that the air is very hot and dry, just like the room in a Turkish bath. It makes the reader sense the warmth, and steam in the cafeteria as described. It shows how the icy weather outside is the opposite from the steaming weather inside the cafeteria.
Its significance in the context of the book is how it shows the cafeteria and makes an image in our minds.
Another simile:
''It seemed just as dark as at reveille'' (Page 18)
This simile is comparing the dark night without any more flares being shot up in the sky and the reveille, the morning signal to wake up. It means that the nights during the war are less illuminated because they would always use it to signalize that there was no more energy. They stopped using it because they didn't want to waste money. It looked like a real war when that was up in the sky. Now, every night is as dark as 5 A.M. The effect on the story is that it seems like the war is sad because the nights are always dark.
The significance in the context of the book is how the sad nights can impact the people experiencing it every day. Hammer image:
Brett & Kate McKay. 16 Ounce Ripping Hammer. Digital image.Toolmanship Basics: How to Handle a Hammer. N.p., 2014. Web. 24 Aug. 2014. <http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/09/29/how-to-use-a-hammer/>.
Turkish bath room image:
Tours, Trace. Turkish Bath. Digital image. Hot Air Balloons Cappadocia. N.p., 2014. Web. 24 Aug. 2014. <http://www.hotairballonscappadocia.com/activities/turkish-bath/>.
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