A sixteen-year-old boy imprisoned for bringing milk to nationalist rebels hiding in the forest. Gopchik’s adult sentence to serve in the Gulag despite his status as a child depicts the unyielding tyranny and lack of compassion of the Soviet regime. Gopchik is still innocent, and has not yet been hardened by life in the Gulag, but like Shukhov, he is resourceful and hard working. Shukhov is fond of Gopchik because of these traits, and knows Gopchik will make a good prisoner in time. Gopchik also reminds Shukhov of his own son, who died young, and can viewed as a representation of Shukhov as a younger man.
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Gopchik Character Timeline in One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
The timeline below shows where the character Gopchik appears in One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Section 6 (The beginning of work to news of the murdered stool pigeons)
...to keep the room warm. He would have said more, but before he can finish, Gopchik approaches and tells Tyurin that another gang is hogging the boxes and there is an...
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Gopchik, a young prisoner, approaches Shukhov with some new aluminum wire asks Shukhov to teach him...
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Shukhov sends Gopchik up to hang the stovepipe. Gopchik climbs the ladder nimbly and positions himself on the...
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Section 7 (The news of the murdered stoop pigeons to Tyurin’s story)
...only room for two men in the canteen at a time. Pavlo tells Shukhov and Gopchik to follow him and tells Kildigs to bring the other men when he sends for...
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Pavlo and Shukhov walk into the canteen with Gopchik bringing up the rear. The room is packed, and the men of gang 82 are...
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Section 8 (Tyurin’s story to the end of the work day)
...need to bend down to work. As they begin laying the fifth row of bricks, Gopchik reports that the men of Gang 82 are handing in their tools. Tyurin tells him...
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Section 11 (Tsezar’s arrival at the parcel room to the purchase of the tobacco)
...Pavlo at the counter. He is happy to see Shukhov has a tray. They see Gopchik approaching with another tray, and Shukhov notes that he will make a good Zek after...
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