Quote 4
“Come
on, boys, don’t let it get you down! It’s only a Power Station,
but we’ll make it a home away from home.”
This call to action by the foreman of
Gang 104, Tyurin, in Section 7 shows
us the change in Tyurin’s characterization in the novel. While he
originally comes across as a fearsome taskmaster, after telling
his life story he relates to his men as though they were his equals.
Like the inmates, Tyurin has been put in the prison camp unjustly.
The men warm up to him after making this discovery. They see him
no longer as the law enforcer but now as an older brother. This
spirit of camaraderie is one of the surprises of the novel, given
all the obstacles that stand in the way of decency and civility
in the camp.
This quotation also emphasizes the irony of the idea of
home. The “home away from home” that Tyurin refers to is the work
site that is far away from the camp. Tyurin does not refer to the
outside world as the prisoners’ real home. Instead he refers to
the camp as their real home. Family homes have disappeared from
everyone’s memories after such a long stint in the camp. Shukhov’s
original home has vanished from his view in this way. He rarely
thinks of his wife and daughters anymore. Tyurin’s interpretation
of the camp as the prisoner’s real home rings true. Psychologically
speaking, the camp is home for the prisoners: the
inmates know each other well, they get along, they help each other,
and they live night and day in one another’s company.
