Character Situations in One Day in the Life of Ivan DenisovichIn One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Alexander Solzhenitsyn creates many characters that are memorable to the reader because of their personal circumstances and their responses to those situations. Through characters such as Ivan Shukhov Denisovich, Fetyukov, Aloyska the Baptist, and the two Estonians, Solzhenitsyn explores the varied reactions of the characters and the effect of these reactions on the other characters' perceptions of them. Ivan Shukhov Denisovich is the protagonist of this novel. . He is the character the reader talks about the most. The reader learns that Denisovitch has several serious health problems, that he has been imprisoned for almost ten years, and that he is a skilled worker. Through conversations and actions, we learn that Shukhov, although not the highest ranking member of the prisoner group, is respected and appreciated. His fellow inmates care enough about him to watch over his food when he is not present at meal times and to occasionally give him a drag of a cigarette. A lot of that respect has to do with his attitude. Shukhov is willing to do a lot for his fellow inmates and does more than his share of the job. “He approaches his situation in a positive way” and tries to take advantage of every opportunity to help the group as a whole (Depoli 1). Both Estonians resemble Shukhov in many ways. They try to see their situation in a positive light. They are brothers and share everything to help make life a little better for each other. They cling to each other “as if neither had enough air to breathe without the other,” and they are respected for their mutual devotion (Solzhenitsyn 44). Shukhov states at one point that he has met many Estonians, including these two, “and he has never met a bad one” (44). Because the two men try to work together, they are more valued among the work team than someone like Fetyukov. Fetyukov is the scavenger. Seeking only to improve his own situation, he is rejected by the other members of the group. He is called a scoundrel and is content to use junk thrown by other prisoners because “he received no help from anywhere” (45). Fetyukov is despised by almost everyone in the group due to his selfishness and refusal to work..