Abstract
Though this section of the book is dedicated to the Russian experience, this chapter looks ahead to the final section, in which Solzhenitsyn and the Russian tradition speak to the American experience. It examines Solzhenitsyn’s critique of the West and its ideals with attention paid to the experience of Ivan Denisovich, who also sought out life, happiness, and especially freedom in the famous novella. One of the myths about Solzhenitsyn was that he was not merely anti-Western but even anti-American. Such views come from looking at the hard things he said about America, Americans, and their cultural and political life.