ABSTRACT
Through Kostoglotov, Solzhenitsyn was able to introduce the charming, old-world figures of a pair of elderly exiles named the Kadmins, and between them, these three characters represented the forces of decency and affection. But whereas the Kadmins had overcome the malignity of the society in which they found themselves with submission and love, Kostoglotov’s defence of personal liberty and search for justice and compassion were truculent and aggressive, and there was little doubt as to where Solzhenitsyn’s true sympathies lay. Kostoglotov was the champion of freedom against the forces of political paternalism and authority. Solzhenitsyn was carried away by the strength of his feelings—recklessly, exaltedly. He imagined he could see before him the face of Semichastny, and his resentment knew no bounds. Solzhenitsyn elaborated on an idea that had caught his attention at the Writers’ Club discussion of Cancer Ward.
