Everything Flows By Vasily Grossman - 1255 Words

Throughout his novel Everything Flows, Vasily Grossman provides numerous occasions for defining freedom. In the midst of attempting to give meaning to freedom, Grossman greatly invests in wrestling with the issue of why freedom is still absent within Russia although the country has seen success in many different ways. Through the idea and image of the Revolution stems Capitalism, Leninism, and Stalinism. Grossman contends that freedom is an inexorable occurrence and that â€Å"to live means to be free†, that it is simply the nature of human kind to be free (200-204). The lack of freedom expresses a lack of humanity in Russia, and though freedom never dies, if freedom does not exist in the first place, then it has no chance to be kept alive. Through Grossman’s employment of the Revolution and the ideas that stem from it, he illustrates why freedom is still absent from Russian society, but more importantly why the emergence of freedom is inevitable. The confusion at the lack of freedom in Russia despite the success the country has experienced through newly built cities, construction sites, and military victories, is exemplified by Grossman early in the novel through the use of Ivan Grigoryevich, a Russian citizen recently released from the Gulag (49). As daunting as that is, it is understandable why it is so. Freedom gives those who have it the opportunity to choose as they wish, do as they wish, think as they wish, and say as they wish, but to Grossman, that is notShow MoreRelatedThe Tragedy Of Vladimir Lenin And The Rise Of Joseph Stalin1331 Words   |  6 Pagesthey experienced rampant disease, physical and emotional abuse, and often execution. Vasily Grossman endeavors to discern who is to blame for these injustices through his novel â€Å"Everything Flows†. Grossman’s main character, Ivan, has just been released from almost a thirty year imprisonment following the death of Stalin. Through Ivan’s recoll ections of camp life and assimilation into Post-Stalinist Russia, Grossman reveals the forces he believes are at fault. However, his understanding of this guiltRead Morewisdom,humor and faith19596 Words   |  79 PagesStates, and finally analyze the relationship between wisdom, humor, and faith. Wisdom, Perspective, and Values Although definitions of wisdom often include an ability to make good judgments regarding life and conduct, these good judgments themselves flow from good perspectives and values. Wisdom scholar Copthorne Macdonald has noted that wisdom involves certain mental states and ways of perceiving, such as: seeing things clearly; seeing things as they are deeply understanding the human/cosmic situation