How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Paragraph). We used H.T. Willetts's translation.
Quote #7
Fetyukov passed down the hut, sobbing. He was bent double. His lips were smeared with blood. He must have been beaten up again for licking out bowls. [....]
You felt sorry for him, really. He wouldn't see his time out. He didn't know how to look after himself. (1078-9)
This detail about Fetyukov licking bowls is important. The idea is introduced at the very beginning, when Shukhov how his first foreman pointed to licking bowls as a sign that a prisoner won't survive long. Perhaps because licking bowls hints at desperation and a lack of self-respect that will lead to a zek's decline. Fetyukov may be a scavenger because he's so desperate and because he isn't savvy enough to find better ways to survive.
Quote #8
"That's just the sort of think you shouldn't pray for! What good is freedom to you! If you're free, your faith will soon be choked by thorns! Be glad you're in prison. Here you have time to think about your soul." (1198)
Alyoshka has a radically different attitude towards prison, compared to the rest of Gang 104. Alyoshka is actually happy to be there. But Shukhov hints that his positive thinking may not be such a good thing since Alyoshka lets it drown out his common sense. Alyoshka lacks the sharp survival skills that need to go along with a positive attitude.