Aristotle suggests that we form social relationships for three reasons.
1. usefulness--I need a ride to school. You have a car. Let's be friends.
2. entertainment--you're funny. I like to laugh. Plus, if we're friends, I can go to parties with you.
3. goodness--when I need advice or comfort or just to know that someone understands me, I turn to you. You have integrity and a goodness that I admire and strive to develop in my own character. I value you as a person and need you as a friend because you enrich my life.
What are your thoughts and how does this relate to your outside reading book?
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In One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, true friends are very hard to come by for Shukhov. Similar to Aristotle’s philosophy, Shukhov makes friends based on the principle of usefulness. The prisoners usually make friends by doing favors for one another, always expecting something in return. Everyone in the camp wants to be buddies with prisoners who can provide services or material goods. For instance, Lett has many friends because he is a major tobacco dealer within the camp.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, there are few times when genuine, trustworthy friends appear in the camp. However, groups of prisoners unite with the purpose of protecting one another. For instance, Tiurin, leader of the 104th regiment, attempts to protect Buinovsky from a punishment of solitary confinement. The 104th regiment is an example of how a pack mentality can improve the survival of the prisoners. By always having friends to talk to, the prisoners are able to remain sane and retain some of their dignity. In contrast, the loners, such as Fetiukov, lead undignified lives, scrounging for food. As Shukhov says, “[Fetiukov] wouldn’t live to see the end of his stretch. His attitude was all wrong”(125). Like most of the prisoners, Shukhov values his friends for their usefulness as well as the protection and social interaction that they can provide.
-Molly O'Shea
Aristotle is brilliant for proposing these three reasons for form of social relationships and each one can relate to the book of "Ordinary People." In every relationship when someone has something that can benefit you then you normally become some what friendly with that person. Though using someone for what they have is wrong but friendships can develop. Entertainment is another great reason why we should form social relationships. Hanging out with a boring person is no fun. You need to have some laugh during the day or your day will be the same routine; get up eat go to school...... boring. In "Ordinary People" entertainment isn't really brought up within the story because its core meaning is more about letting go and forgiving. Though there is not much entertainment in the relationships in the book, usefulness is seen. Like how Conrad uses Lazenby for a car ride to swim and school. Though Conrad uses him a decent relationship is formed between the two boys. Goodness is another reason why we should form relationships. For example in the book, dr. berger is someone that Conrad can always turn to for help. He is always there for him like the time when Conrad finds out that Karen has committed suicide, he quickly calls for Dr. Bergers help. The goodness in someone can really make a difference in the way a relationship form. Each three of these reasons that friendships should be formed are seen in everyday life and also in written material.
ReplyDelete-Carmine DiCesare
I believe Aristotle is completely right about his three points of friendship. I do not agree that someone should be friendly to a person to gain material things, but many friendships are based on that. In "Ordinary People" Conrad only interacts with his old friends to get a ride to school. When he gets his own car he stops talking to them. I don't think that is right, but I do, however, agree that entertainment and goodness are important parts of a friendship. Having a friend that can make you laugh or can think of fun things to do is very beneficial to someone's life. Also knowing that a friend can be trusted is critical for a lasting relationship. Conrad's girlfriend could be trusted because she told Conrad what she was ashamed and embarrassed of. Her friendship helped Conrad overcome his troubles and regain some normalness in his life.
ReplyDeleteTrue friends are hard to come by. Aristotle's ideas on friendship are very smart indeed, and his ideas are proven right in the "Ivan Denisovich". The prisoners are heavily reliant on each other's usefulness, like how Shukhov has his knife and how the Lett supplies tobacco. If you have something to offer to everyone, you are generally more liked. Entertainment isn't too big in the story, except for that one guy who everyone thinks is funny, but they don't really consider him as a trustworthy friend. Finally, Goodness is not really a trait shown throughout the novel since most of the prisoners are not too trustworthy. Shukhov does show his trustworthiness when he helps Tsezar watch over his food, and Aloysha seems like the type of guy you can turn to at bad times, but that's pretty much it.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, Aristotles ideas are good and all, but these are some of my reasons for why friendship is formed. The first is for looks. If you're friends with someone who is really cool, you will look cool just by being around him. People will look at that cool kid's pictures on facebook and see you in them and they will think "wow, that kid must be kind of cool!" The second reason why friendships are formed is for self-esteem. If you are friends with someone that has some characteristic about him that is lacking, it makes that same characteristic about you look a whole lot better. Also, friends can give you compliments about anything, and those are always a morale booster. Finally, friendships are made for music. By having a wide variety of friends, they can introduce you to a wide variety of music to listen to. Having friends whose interests range from rock to hardcore rap can really help you fill those 30+ gigs in your iPod. For example, your friend shows you the brand new Hillary Duff CD that you weren't really thinking about buying and you end up liking it, so you go home and download some of the songs (legally). Without that friend you would have never listened to that Hillary Duff CD and would have never enjoyed such classics as "Coming Clean" and "So Yesterday". These reasons pretty much mix in with Aristotle's idea of usefulness, but nevertheless, they are definitely important values to become aware of. Don't hate me for stating what I think.
James "So Yesterday" Christianson
I believe that all of these reasons for forming friendships with others are commonly seen. Whether or not we believe in them, sometimes it is one of those reasons as to why we make friends. It is very wrong to use others in order to gain something personally. In the novel, "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich," true friendship is rarely seen. Rather, allies are created for the sole purpose of usefulness, one of Aristotle's proposals. These ideas have their pros and cons. There are friendships in which people have a mutual relationship, and help each other out. Also, if one is sad, it is good to know that they have a friend to rely on and to cheer them up. Prisoners within the camp mainly cared about their own survival, and this was of utmost importance. They helped each other out, but expected something to be given to them in return. The aspect of friendship can change given different situations, but it seems that Aristotle's ideas remain consistent most of the time.
ReplyDeleteThe characters in Alexander Stolzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich reflect Aristotle's three principles of friendship.
ReplyDeleteAristotle's first principle, friendship because of usefulness, is reflected in Shukhov's relations with Kilgas, the Lett and Tsezar. Shukhov forms a friendship with Kilgas because Kilgas is an expert bricklayer. Working with a strong bricklayer means Shukhov gets more work done and larger rations. Shukhov is befriends the Lett because he sells tobacco, which Shukhov wants. Shukhov is a friend of Tsezar so he can do jobs for Tsezar and be paid for them. Shukhov Befriends people in camp for their usefulness.
Shukhov also befriends people in camp for entertainment. Shukhov befriends another prisoner who is known to be a big joker. This would give Shukhov some relief from the work during the day. Shukhov befriends another prisoner for entertainment.
Following to Aristotle's third principle, Shukhov bonds with other prisoners for goodness. The best example of this is his friendship with Alyosha. Shukhov admires Alyosha's ability to work hard and never show pain. He wishes to become familiar with Alyosha's religious views that help him to bear the working conditions. Shukhov also admires Tiurin for his stoicness. Shukhov admires Tiurin's leadership ability and how he remains calm and never squints when facing into the wind. Shukhov befriends other prisoners because he admires them.
--Adam Presser
I think that Aristotle is correct in all three of his points about friendship. In everyday life as well as in he book, "Ordinary People" people are friends with others because they are useful, entertaining, and or have goodness. Three of Conrad's friends follow the theory of Aristotle. Lazenby, someone that Conrad does not particularly like, drives Conrad to school every day before he has a car. Conrad appears to use Lazenby for a ride. Conrad relies of Jeannine for entertainment purposes. When they are together they have fun and go places that entertain both Conrad and Jeannine. Lastly, Conrad's friend and therapist Dr. Berger is someone Conrad relies on for goodness. Berger uses his own goodness to make Conrad feel comfortable to talk about his feelings. Berger is also able to bring out the goodness in Conrad which is something not many people can do. Aristotle's three principles of friendship apply to the story, "Ordinary People" in many ways.
ReplyDelete- Katie Rowe
ReplyDeleteAristotle is pinpoint accurate with his three reasons about why friendship is valuable to humans. Making a friend for the sake of gaining material objects or solely for their usefulness is an unmoral thing to do. In the story, Ordinary People by Judith Guest, the protagonist, Conrad uses his friend Lazenby for free rides to and from school and swim practice. Lazenby is not even a very good friend of Conrad, but was really Buck's initial friend. Entertainment is extremely important in a friend, although there are no really funny friends that Conrad has, most of them are just making harsh jokes all the time about him and Jeannine. Being comfortable with a friend is also imperative, because a friend should be someone you can talk if you are in a tight situation, or just need to chat. Conrad does tell his shrink, Dr. Berger that he is Berger’s friend. Berger is a friend that Conrad can discuss complex problems, and Berger plays a significant role in Conrad’s slow emotional revival. Conrad calls Berger a friend because he is able to speak to him privately and not be judged about anything he says (although that is what a shrink does anyway). Berger’s advice in life definitely enriches his life, whether it was a minor issue, or a serious one such as Karen’s suicide. Every reason Aristotle believes we have certain friends is true in the reason my friends are who they are today.
ReplyDelete-Joe Juliano
In the novel One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, one can relate Aristotle’s three ideas of forming social relationships. Aristotle states that friends are mainly made over the idea of usefulness. In the novel, Tsezar becomes friends with many other prisoners because of his many parcels. People become friends with Tsezar and do many favors for him in order to receive some food from his parcel. Also, the Lett is known for selling tobacco. He makes many friends and has a good reputation because people buy their tobacco from him and respect him. The zek Kilgas also makes friends with Shukhov because he is a great worker and can be relied on to get work done. In the work camp, social relationships are needed to survive. Prisoners would not last their term if they were loners. Without making friends for their usefulness, prisoners would have less food and more problems in the prison.
ReplyDeleteAristotle’s second idea regarding social relationships is also present in the novel. The second piece of Aristotle’s beliefs focused on entertainment, and this is clearly present in the relationships of Kilgas. Kilgas, unlike some of the others, is very funny and makes many jokes, leading him to be friendly with many other zeks. People enjoy spending time with Kilgas because they are able to have fun in an otherwise dreary camp.
Unlike the other points of relationships, Aristotle’s third point of goodness and trustworthiness is not shown as a reason for friendship in the novel. At the prison, no one can be trusted because anyone could succumb to the temptations of stealing or squealing on another prisoner.
I believe that Aristotle’s ideas on friendship hold true. The first reason occurs often because people often create friends for their possessions that they lack. A ride to school, a new game, or even intelligence can drive a person to make friends. Most friendships are created for the second reason. In my own life, I always try to spend time around people who are comical and entertaining. These people can turn any bad day into a good day. Aristotle’s third reason develops often as a result of friendships. In life, trustworthiness plays a major role in relationships, particularly those that have already been created. If a person is trustworthy and can be relied upon, he or she will make lasting friendships. The reasons for friendship are stated clearly by the great thinker Aristotle.
-Chris Colarusso
In Ordinary People by Judith Guest, Conrad has different friends based on Aristotle’s views on friendship. Shortly after Conrad’s discharge from his eight-month stay in the hospital, he goes back to hanging out with his and Buck’s old friends. However, Conrad seemed only to use his friends, in particular Lazenby. Conrad used Lazenby to get a ride to school because he did not want to make Beth drive him to school. Unfortunately, Conrad begins to distance himself from his friends and does not reconcile with Lazenby until the end of the novel.
ReplyDeleteBesides being friends with someone for usefulness, Conrad is friends with Jeannine because of her goodness and entertainment. Jeannine represents a source of comfort and help for Conrad. He and Jeannine are the epitome of good friends as they both confide in one another. Jeannine is able to tell Conrad her hatred of Paul Ferrier without fear of judgment. Additionally, Conrad feels at peace around Jeannine. Furthermore, Jeannine is a source of entertainment for Conrad. Jeannine and Conrad go bowling and to McDonald’s together. Conrad and Jeannine are able to have a genuine good time together.
Next, Conrad and Dr. Berger are friends because of Dr. Berger’s goodness. Dr. Berger helps Conrad understand the cause of his depression as well as ways to move past the attempted suicide. In addition, Dr. Berger is revealed to be one of Conrad’s first actual friends when he says “I guess I think of you as a friend” (138). Dr. Berger is a genuinely good person to help Conrad overcome such adversity and learn how to be content and not feel guilty for Buck’s death. Therefore, Conrad would truly value Dr. Berger as a friend. Overall, Aristotle’s suggestions about the formation of social relationships applies to Conrad in Ordinary People.
-Lauren Fabiszewski
I think Aristotle is correct with the three reasons for friendship. Some people might not think that usefulness is not a reason for friendship but I think it is. If you need something like a ride to school, you ask the person and after a few rides you get to know the person and they become your friend. Entertainment is completely correct because you want to hang around with people you have fun with. If you do not have fun with them then there not really your friend. Goodness is also correct because if your having trouble with something that you do not feel comfortable talking about with your parents you talk to your friends. In "Ordinary People" Conrad is not able to make a lot of friends because he could not find these qualities in anyone. His brother, Buck, was his ultimate friend and he cannot find anyone that was as good a friend as Buck was. However he finds these qualities in Dr. Berger and even though he is much older then Conrad, Conrad still considers him his friend. Aristotle's three reasons for friendship are shown in the book "Ordinary People".
ReplyDelete-Tyler Smith
Throughout Ordinary People, a novel written by Judith Guest, Aristotle’s three reasons that explain why friendships form are demonstrated throughout the story. According to Aristotle, friendships form due to a person’s usefulness, entertaining personality or their general goodness and integrity. In my opinion, a person must have at least one of each type of friend in order to live a fulfilling and satisfying life. For instance, in Ordinary People, Conrad relies on his friend Lazenby to drive him to school in the mornings. Although Conrad becomes annoyed with Lazenby’s immaturity at times, he generally appreciates his favor. Due to Lazenby’s assistance in the mornings, Conrad does not have to listen to his father’s constant questions and be surrounded by his mother’s standoffish personality. His friend Jeanine, on the other hand, is Conrad’s source of entertainment. He and Jeanine laugh with each other in chorus class, eat popcorn together at her house, go bowling and eat at restaurants together. Jeanine is a person that Conrad relies on to help him forget about his problems and make him feel like a “normal” teenager. Plus, when Conrad spends time with Jeanine, they talk about typical teenage struggles, such as pestering parents and siblings, which provides Conrad with entertainment and also assures him that he has a nice “school friend” to talk to. Lastly, Aristotle describes another type of friend as a person where one can turn to in a difficult time and generally has a close emotional connection. In Conrad’s case, Dr. Berger is his friend of “goodness.” Conrad feels comfortable talking to Dr. Berger, and even calls him at seven o’clock in the morning to discuss his personal guilt and fears. Dr. Berger assures Conrad that he is a good person and comforts him by explaining how he could not have prevented his brother, Buck’s, death. Conrad considers him to be a good friend of his, and as a result, can trust him with her innermost feelings and worries about life.
ReplyDeleteIn general, Aristotle’s description of three different friendships are demonstrated throughout Ordinary People.
-Laura Ricciardone
In One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, examples of each of these reasons are shown in different characters. Ivan does everything for other people hoping for a favor in return. He thinks, if I help this person, what will I get in return? He stands in line for Tsezar getting his parcel, hoping to get his share of the parcel.
ReplyDeleteIvan has a friendship with Kilgas for the second reason. Kilgas makes many jokes, making it easier to get through the hard labor of the day. Ivan likes being around Kilgas, so he chooses to work with him to keep him entertained.
By the end of the novel, Ivan begins to make some friendships out of goodness. Alyosha never expects any favors in return; he only forms friendships for the third reason, because he values each prisoner as a person, not a way to get himself ahead. Alyosha begins to rub off on Ivan, when we see at the end Ivan gives Alyosha a biscuit that Tsezar gave him. Ivan knows Alyosha will not pay him back, because Alyosha would never ask for anything in return after a favor. But Ivan gives him the biscuit anyway, because he is finally starting to form relationships out of goodness. Their can be more use in a real friendship than Ivan may see; when things are tough and there is no one to turn to, the real friends are there for moral support and can help more than anyone else.
--Sam Knee
Though it is difficult for Shulkov to have trustworthy friends, in "In One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich", he manages to form social relationships with the prisoners based on aristole's three ideas. Shukhov first creates a relationship based on usefullness. Lett sells tobacco, something of great signifigance in Shukhov life, to prisoners in the camp. Shukhov remains friendly with him because when he goes to buy it from him will usually give him a good amount. Lett is useful to Shukhov and that is the basis of their relationship. Shukhov also befriends prisoners for their entertainment. Life in a work camp is dull and dreary. Having a friend such a Kilgas shines light into Shukhuv ordinarly gray day. Finally Shukhov forms relationships just for the prisoners own goodness. For example, Alyosha's strong commitment to a religion is looked highly upon by Shukhov. though, religion may not be a primary focus for Shukhov, he recognizes it's value to Alyosha and respects him for it. Even in an unfriendly place like a work camp, Aristotles views can be seen.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, true friendships are not portrayed frequently but the bonds that are revealed all correspond with Aristotle’s theory. While living in a camp such as the one in the novel, building friendships is difficult since everyone is focused on surviving. In order to survive, many prisoners become “friends” with others solely to obtain necessary items. Just as Aristotle noted, one form of relationship is usefulness, meaning the friend is a source of something valuable. For example, Shukhov waits in line for Tsezar, something a friend would do, knowing that in return he will be given an extra ration of food. Entertainment is not displayed as much considering they are in a labor camp, but befriending someone for goodness is shown through Shukhov and Alyosha’s relationship. After their heart to heart discussion about religion, Shukhov’s character completely changes knowing he has someone to relate to. He finally shows qualities of a true friend by offering Alyosha bread without expecting anything in return. Overall, Aristotle’s evaluation of friendships directly correlates with the relationships in One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.
ReplyDelete-Martina Corona
I believe that the three purposes of friendship that Aristotle proposes are corect. In everyday life people form friendships to benefit themselves with either material gifts, entertainment, or confiding in one friend. In Ordinary People, Conrad forms a friendship with Lazenby. Lazenby drives Conrad to school and Conrad forms his friendship with Lazenby only to benefit with his driving situation. Jeanine and Conrad form a friendship to entertain themselves and confide in each other. Conrad and Jeannine hve fun while together and enjoy each other's company. Both friends benefit from their trust for one another. Jeannine opens up to Conrad because she trusts him. Dr. Berger also helps Conrad to open up and deal with his emotions. He allows Conrad to get through his depression. Dr. Berger acts as venting system for Conrad and Conrad is able to trust Dr. Berger.
ReplyDelete^^ Kelsey LeBlanc
ReplyDeleteAristotle's view on friendship is correct. in a normal environment of life friendships can be formed for different reasons. the normal life allows for the luxury of making friends not just for the usefulness but also for pleasure. A friend can be made because you laugh together or because you can talk to to them, not just because they can do something for you. in One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Shukhov does not have this luxury. the prison life he is faced with does not allow for traditional "friendship". the lifestyle the prisoners are forced to live does not allow for much pleasure therefore the few friendships that are formed are based on useful purposes. a great example of this is the relationship between Shukhov and Tsezar. the two are not friends because they enjoy eachother company but because each can get something from the relationship. Shukhov does favors for Tsezar and in return he receives food and other items from Tsezar's many parcels. this relationship reflects the first point of Aristotle's view on friendship. however, the other two parts are missing.
ReplyDelete-Alex Shaievitz
Friendship is a way people learn to live with others. The many different types of friendships provide many different functions. In Ordinary People Conrad and Buck’s old friend, Lazenby, was one of usefulness. Conrad used him to get to school and swim practices until he quit. Eventually there friendship grows stronger and they move beyond then just using each other. The relationship between Dr. Berger and Conrad can be considered a relationship of goodness. Conrad always had Berger to go to when he needed to talk about how he felt. Conrad is able to tell him everything and gain comfort and support from him. This is a healthy relationship because it helps Conrad cope with the loss of his brother. Ordinary People does not contain any friendships of entertainment. Friendships are the building block for happiness. It allows us to overcome struggles. Gives us feeling that we are not alone. -John Potter Furey
ReplyDeleteAristotle's three views of friendship were way ahead of his time, even today. The first idea of being friends for benefits can be seen clearly in One Day in the life of Ivan Denisovich. All the prisoners are only friends for some sort of benefit. For example, Ivan does favors for Tsezar, like saving him a place in the parcels line, just so he would get to have Tsezar's bowel of oatmeal in the mess hall along with his own. The second view of friendship is also seen in the book with Ivan's relationship with Kilgas or Vanya. Ivan sees Kilgas as entertaining and funny, so he hangs around with him to help make his work load a little easier. The final view of friendship, the one which is truly genuine, is viewed in the story through the two Estonians. They only have each other in a hell such as prison and thus are always together because they truly care for one another. The way Aristotle's three views of friendship mesh so smoothly with One Day in the life of Ivan Denisovich shows how worthwhile Aristotle's ideas have been to generations.
ReplyDeleteTy Shaffer
I believe Aristotle is absolutely correct in his theory about friendships. In “Ordinary People” Beth and Calvin often go to parties, have friends over, or go golfing, which can be applied to entertainment sources. Also, Lazenby often drives Conrad to school before he gets his own car. Dr. Berger and Calvin both help Conrad mentally by habitually checking up on him and helping him figure out his emotions. They help Conrad get his emotions out of his system so that he does not resort to attempted suicide again.
ReplyDelete-Alessia Caruso
Friendship is complex. Aristotle overcomplicates it. All three of his sources of friendship should be grouped under one, utility. Entertainment is useful because it entertains you. Goodness is useful because it shows the proper way to act, which is useful. These are not individual causes, but different levels of complexity of utility. The benefits of entertainment may not be obvious to us, but it is more enjoyable to be around funny people than boring people, so funny people have more friends. Being shown the proper way to behave is better than trying to figure it out yourself, so people who are nice generally have more friends. The reasons for friendship are all motivated by basic needs. We do not need to understand these, but they help us understand the motivations behind our actions. These human needs are expressed in there purest form in survival situations, such as prison, were not being part of a group can quickly lead to death.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Aristotle was definitely correct in his assumptions about friendship. I Ordinary People, Conrad does end up making friendhsips for those reasons, but only the one he makes for goodness lasts the longest. In the beginning, Conrad reconnects with his friend Lazenby to avoid driving to school with his mother every day. This friendship doesn't last because he quits swimming, and just dislikes the boys he has to drive with (Stillman, Van Buren). At first, Conrad develops a friendship with Berger based on usefulness (Berger helps Conrad overcome his depression), but the friendhsip lasts because he can turn to Berger for comfort and advice. For example, Berger is able to help Conrad deal with the death of Karen later on in the book. The third important friendship that Conrad makes is with Jeanine. He is at first attracted by her beauty, but as he gets to know her, he falls in love with the kind of person she is (her personality)as well as her looks. Their friendhsip remains strong because he admires her goodness and she makes his life more enjoyable. Aristotle's beliefs about frienship can definitely be applied to Conrad in Ordinary People.
ReplyDeleteIn Ordinary People, the value of friendship differs for each character. For example, Conrad beigins a frienship with Karen because they are in a similar situation, but Conrad is also friends with Lazenby because he used to be friends with Buck. Conrad sees friendship as a subject he does not like to partake in before his attempted suicide. Then, after the incident, he realizes there are people around him that truly care and simply would like to help Conrad get better. Personally, I believe friends should enrich one's life along with providing each other with entertainment. In Ordinary People, the aspect of entertainment develops when Conrad meets Jeannine and begins a romantic relationship with her. Aristotle stated there are three aspects of ever social relationship, and his views are correct in one way or another for every relationship.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Aristotle defines friendship perfectly, when he suggests his three reasons for friendship. The three reasons he believes people form friendships for are usefulness, entertainment, and goodness. All three of the reasons fully depict friendship and are visible in real life and also the novel, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons that Aristotle suggests that people build friendships for is usefulness. Usefulness in a friendship can be depicted by one friend wanting to build a friendship with another person because they have something that is useful to the other person. The useful object can be a car, intelligence, or money. In my opinion, I would never try and find a friend based on if I could use them. Even though, I prefer not to base friendships off of usefulness, many people I know do. For example, some of the people I know befriend others in the summer due to the fact that they have pools. I am unlike these people though. On the other hand, if I were in Ivan’s shoes, I would try and befriend the prisoner who receives the most rations. In the novel, Ivan befriends Tsezar, who receives a plentiful abundance of food and parcels. This friendship is truly based on usefulness. First, Tsezar uses Ivan, such as when Ivan waits in line for Tsezar’s parcel. Yet, Ivan also uses Tsezar, but in a more deceptive way. Ivan knows by waiting in line for Tsezar, he will receive a portion of Tsezar’s wealth. For example, after waiting in line, Tsezar permits Ivan to eat his dinner along with his own dinner, and “that was just what Shukhov was expecting” (110). Hence, both Ivan and Tsezar use one another and base their “friendship” on how one another can use the other.
Friends are supposed to provide a person with entertainment and laughs. I always try to start a friendship with someone entertaining. I believe Aristotle chose entertainment correctly as one of the three reasons why people make friendships with one another. A friendship is nothing without laughter, and a good friend should always make someone laugh and have a goodtime. I always make sure to make my friends laugh because I know that without laughter a friendship can never strengthen. To make them laugh, I usually will tell amusing stories or perform funny stunts. In the novel, Ivan and some of his coworkers in Gang 104, share stories and even share some laughs. For example, when the workers return from break and sit around the stove they share fascinating stories about themselves that make the rest of the gang entertained. Therefore, the members of the gang become closer and can begin to mold a friendship with one another. I also feel that entertainment can be a false reason to befriend someone. For example, if you befriend someone for the reasoning of going to a party with them it is as you are using them. This is wrong and it is obvious that you truly do not want to be their friend, but rather their wingman at a party.
Goodness is the greatest reason to begin a friendship with someone. My definition of a friend is someone that is always there for you when you are down and glum. A friend should always give you advice and help you when times are tough. Many of my friends are very helpful towards me and especially now, they offer me advice on how to deal with the passing of my grandmother. They are true friends due to the fact that they are always lending a helping hand. In the novel, Ivan does not befriend anyone through true goodness, until the end of the book, when he takes the first step in beginning to mold a beautiful friendship with Alyosha. Alyosha shows Ivan that there is a God above and also shows him some reasoning about why they live as they do. Alyosha also shows Ivan how to pray, so that his prayers are answered. Alyosha helps Ivan obtained a night of sleep where he is content. He also helps teach Ivan the way to share what is yours with others, without having to receive a benefit. Alyosha helps give advice to Ivan and generally enriches Ivan’s life.
Nico Varano Jr.