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Ivan Denisovich is a former soldier serving a ten years term in a Siberian labor camp. This day begins with the usual five am wake up call; inside the barricaded fences, for both prisoners and guards. Shukhov is running a slight fever, however, not high enough to prevent him from daily work. Along with fellow inmates, Shukhov breakfasts with a piece of bread. In order to save some for later consumption, Shukhov takes a portion of the bread and sews it into his mattress. That way, it will be less likely for guards to come across during their daily check ups. This day, Shukhov's squad, the 104th, is assigned to work at an unfinished building site. Working together as a squad is one of the key to survival in the camp. Prisoners vary from one another in terms of background, ethnicity, and their convictions. They include prisoners of war, Soviet traitors, leaders, common thieves- all working together to survive. The 104th squad has it easy this day. Unlike some other squads working on a freezing settlement, they will at least have a wall to cling to. The work site is reached after a march in the chilling cold. First and foremost, something had to be done to beat the chill at the workstation. Shukhov covered the open windows with felts, scrounged by Kilgas, a fellow Lithuanian inmate; the stove was lit up, although it was too insufficient to warm up the workstation. The squad leader, Tiurin, passed on duties handed to individuals. Tiurin was in charge of work reports. According to any 'clever squad leader', work depended more on the report, rather than the work itself. (p. 49) Lunchtime came by upon Shukhov and other's work on preparing and fixing up the ground for beginning the assigned work of making continue building the walls. In line squads enters the cafeteria. Shukhov manages to trick the chef into serving extra bowl of oatmeal. Yet, he shares the extra portion with fellow prisoners. Returning to the workstation, prisoners continue to build the wall, working continuously and cooperatively. Some prisoners mix mortars, while others combine bricks and blocks. The sun begins to set in the dreary Siberian campground. Working hours are ended by the accustomed evening count. Shukhov rushes to catch up with his squad, for the punishment that follows when separated from a squad. The counting session is repeated, after a prisoner is counted missing. A Moldavian prisoner had slept behind at the workstation. Dinner follows, with a ration of stew and bread. Shukhov manages to retrieve some tobacco from a fellow prisoner. Tobacco is one of the essentials in survival, too. On top of the retrieved tobacco, a neighbor prisoner, Tsezar shares a parcel with Shukhov, for his help with protecting the precious eatables, during another late night count. Nighttime closes in. The narrator ends the book, from Shukhov's eyes as a happy day- "a day without a dark cloud."
