Men stay alive in a pow camp because...

Something about the human psyche keeps people alive in the horrific and torturous conditions. Again and again, people triumph in the face of abusive adversity. The holocaust, slavery, and gulags, such as the one in “One day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich”, all have survivors who kept on living when happiness and hope is minuscule. What keeps men in a gulag alive? Why do they continue to eat next to nothing, work hard and listen to guards who consistently abuse their power? Pain, both mental and physical greets the men daily. They have no reason to hope. Ivan Denisovich even says on page “ .” The reality is that all species, humans included have a basic instinct to survive, and find happiness and satisfaction in doing so. Most of the men in Ivan Denisovich have found a way to be content with living in a prison and being treated like dogs, not for just days, or months, ...