`Justice' is a significant theme used by both Camus and Solzhenitsyn to illustrate their views of society. Both authors create main protagonists who are made to suffer grave injustices in order to expose to the readers the defects and imperfections of society. In effect, the portrayal of justice by both authors gives readers their view or critique of society, in Solzhenitsyn's case, a critique of Soviet society, and in Camus' that of society in general.

Solzhenitsyn created the protagonist Shukhov, not to represent the intelligentsias of Russia, but to symbolize the Russian masses, the peasants. The predominant injustice Solzhenitsyn allowed Shukhov to endure was to be falsely indicted by Soviet authorities of a crime he did not commit, and be incarcerated without trial despite his indubitable innocence. The numerous injustices Shukhov faced within the camp represent those faced by the Russian population as a whole, not solely of...