After repeated body counts (the guards are personally responsible for every single prisoner and will be sentenced to take a missing prisoner's place themselves), the prisoners finally begin their march to the different worksites, heavily guarded by armed guards and dogs. As Ivan marches along, he tries to stop himself from thinking about his aches and his hunger, and he begins to daydream about his wife and the village which he comes from.
If we look back at the beginning of this episode, we should focus first on Ivan's return to his barracks. Note that when he receives his bread ration, he is immediately aware that half an ounce is missing. Every food ration, we learn, is short. Why? Because the authorities and trustees charged with food distribution always save some for themselves in order to survive a little better. However, Ivan realistically admits to himself that the people who cut up the bread would not last long if they gave every prisoner honest rations. Food, then, is the most important item in the prisoners' battle for survival.
Ivan keeps one hand on his piece of bread, even while he takes his boots off with the other hand. Any edible item left unattended will be stolen immediately — if not by a prisoner, then surely by an orderly or a guard. Ivan accepts this condition as a reality. There are no misgivings; Ivan simply takes the appropriate precautions. Note, however, that he is not afraid that Alyosha the Baptist, who has the bunk next to him, will steal from him. He knows that the man's religious beliefs won't allow him to become a thief. Later in the story, in one of the key episodes of the novel, Ivan and Alyosha will have a serious discussion about religion and the meaning of life.
