Mikhail Sholokhov, book “Quiet Don”: reviews, description and characteristics of the characters. The main characters of "Quiet Don"

"Quiet Don" - the most significant work one of those dedicated to the Don Cossacks. In terms of scale, it is compared to Tolstoy's War and Peace. The epic novel “Quiet Don” reflects a huge part of the life of the inhabitants of the Cossack village and the tragedy of the entire Russian people. Reviews from critics agree on one thing: the book is one of the greatest in literature. Opinions about the writer are not so flattering. The article is devoted to disputes about authorship famous novel and the characteristics of the main characters.

History of creation

The novel was conceived in the early twenties of the last century. Its writing was preceded by the creation of Don stories. The characters of the Cossack village inspired the author to work for a long time on a large-scale a work of art. And in 1940, the fourth volume of the novel “Quiet Don” was completed. Reviews from researchers, including Alexander Solzhenitsyn, indicate a lot of controversy. The author of “In the First Circle” stated that the material in the book is extremely superior life experience and Sholokhov’s level of education. Such work, according to Solzhenitsyn, can only be created by a master, and only after numerous attempts. Mikhail Sholokhov was in his twenties at the time he wrote the first volume. Behind him were only four classes of the gymnasium.

Perhaps one of the geniuses who are born once every two hundred years was the author of the novel “Quiet Don”? Reviews from critics and readers about Sholokhov's subsequent works indicate that the writer never again showed such tremendous talent in his work.

The main images in the novel

Long communication with representatives of the pre-revolutionary Cossacks should have preceded work on such an outstanding work as “Quiet Don”. Reviews from supporters of the idea of plagiarism are based on the fact that Sholokhov, due to his age, could not have such experience. In the novel, first of all, what is striking is the authenticity of the depiction of the everyday life and psychological make-up of the characters.

At the center of the story are people with bright individual characters and difficult destinies. The life path of Grigory Melekhov is shown most deeply. This hero is a reflection of the entire Don Cossacks. His life's quest- the fate of all representatives of this social culture. Peasant labor was the most important in the life of each of them. And using the example of the main character, it is shown how difficult it was for a simple Don Cossack to give up his usual way of life, closeness to the land and peasant labor. The novel is intense picturesque landscapes. The beauty and colors of nature occupy an important place in the entire narrative of the novel “Quiet Don”.

M. Sholokhov reviews about creative writing formulated as follows: “A bad writer is one who is able to embellish reality, trying to spare the reader’s feelings.” And in the great epic novel, as proof of these words, there are not only the beauties of the Don nature and the noble feelings of the main characters, but also monstrous morals bordering on savagery.

Grigory Melekhov

The heroes of the novel are complex, multifaceted characters. The main one is Grigory Melekhov. At the beginning of the work he is shown as a man accustomed to peaceful peasant labor. It should also be said about the author’s style, filled with bright, vibrant colors and specific flavor. “Gregory’s feet are accustomed to trampling the ground,” these words complement the image of Gregory and create a portrait of a man destined for work and family life. However, youth and southern blood become decisive in his fate. He fell in love married woman. The strength of his feelings is confirmed by his decisive actions, one of which is leaving his family and serving as a groom.

One of the storylines is the story of the extraordinary love of Gregory and Aksinya. Reviews of the book “Quiet Don” left in large quantities F. G. Biryukov. The Soviet literary critic, who rejected the opinion of Sholokhov’s plagiarism, said in particular that the author was far from idyllic in creating the novel. The great work contains patriarchalism, antediluvian morals, and everyday backwardness. But especially heartfelt dark side human life shown in the chapters on war. The main character sees the dirt of human life, and he is overcome by confusion and great doubts.

Gregory at war

The horror of military morals that Melekhov witnessed leads to the fact that he does not know which side he should go to. He sees fratricide, death. Grigory meets with a “red” Cossack, who influences his worldview. But later he sees his terrible violent death and goes over to the “white” side. But even here he is not left with uncertainty about the correctness of his choice. Countless wanderings across the Russian land, engulfed in war, robbery and poverty, end with a return to native home, which was once crowded and noisy. Only Gregory's son and sister survived - the civil war spared no one.

“Quiet Don” is a novel about which almost everyone left a review outstanding personality in the literature of the 20th century. Lithuanian writer J. Avižius said that the author of this great work was not constrained by any rules or canons. And therefore the novel is written powerfully, and the burning truth of life lives in it. “In its form, the novel has a rare integrity, as if carved from a single clay,” wrote J. Avijus.

The subject of research by many outstanding historians and literary scholars was “Quiet Don”. Criticism and reviews of the novel are the topic of a great many critical articles. V.V. Petelin’s opinion about the main character of the work comes down to the concept of the typicality of this character. According to the literary critic, Gregory is a symbol of the entire people, collective image all those who survived the tragedy during the revolution. And there were millions of them.

Aksinya

The main character is artistic embodiment passion, impulse and instincts. Her fate is tragic and could not have been different, given the events that took place in her father’s house. Aksinya became a victim of domestic violence. This fact cast a shadow on the relationship with her young husband. But Aksinya’s love changes as the story progresses. The heroine becomes older, and at the same time her feelings become mature. At the beginning of the novel it is selfish, but at the end it resembles maternal care and becomes sacrificial.

Mikhail Sholokhov depicted the main characters in the novel “Quiet Don” with subtle psychologism. Reviews and opinions about the book, despite the incessant disputes about authorship, agree on one thing - this is a great work. Alexei Tolstoy emphasized that in this work, although the life of the Don Cossacks is presented extremely picturesquely, universal and national themes still come to the fore.

Don's image

Particular attention in the novel is paid to the depiction of the Cossacks. Not far from the village of Veshenskaya, where the main characters live, lies the great mighty Don. He is nothing more than a symbol of the life of the entire people. The title of the book contrasts with the events that are described in it. The life of the Melekhov, Astakhov and other characters’ families is by no means filled with peace and quiet. But the image of the river symbolizes the aspirations and aspirations of the heroes created in the novel “Quiet Don” by Mikhail Sholokhov. Reviews of this book by Sergei Mikhalkov consist of comparing the role of the Don in the work with the Volga in the works of Gorky.

Natalia

About Sholokhov’s skill mainly by representatives Soviet literature Positive reviews and reviews were left. “Quiet Don,” according to the writer Yu. V. Bondarev, is a book in which the fate of ordinary people is in the foreground. Representatives of the people later became favorite images in the works of pro-Soviet authors. But you have to give it credit artistic gift a writer who created portraits of heroines that later became the most striking in the history of all literature. both passionate Aksinya and quiet loving Natalia, and the frivolous Daria.

The wife of Grigory Melekhov is the incarnation selfless love, tenderness, boundless In the first years of marriage, she is not capable of showing feelings. Natalya is too young, and her temper is not at all hot. This pushes Gregory to constantly compare his wife with his beloved Aksinya.

Natalia's fate is sad, like the life of her rival. Grigory rushes between her and his mistress and cannot find happiness anywhere. But, despite everything, she continues to love and be faithful. The death of Natalya Melekhova leads to the fact that love triangle breaks. From now on, nothing interferes with the happiness of Gregory and Aksinya. However, there is also war, which brings with it adversity, hardship and death. And there is nothing stronger than her.

Ilyinichna

Ilyinichna has an unprecedented power of maternal love and wisdom. She knows life and the order that reigns in it. The wisdom of this woman is demonstrated by her attitude towards her daughter-in-law. She welcomes Natalya into her home again and, in brief conversations, strives to convey her experience to her. Ilyinichna knows how to restore peace in the house, as evidenced by her relationship with Pantelei Prokofievich. She alone is capable of curbing this man’s wild, hot temper. And she also knows that only love for children can unite parents.

Panteley Prokofievich

The head of the Melekhov family is a tough and hardworking person. It contains too clearly the features of an outdated patriarchal worldview. Melekhov Sr. believes that he has the right to punish unfaithful wife eldest son. And he independently finds a bride for the youngest, which is too willful an act even taking into account the mores of that time. But in the soul of Pantelei Prokofievich there lives kindness and tenderness. These qualities manifest themselves, first of all, in relation to Natalya. The father is hurt because his daughter-in-law is unloved by his son. He strives to achieve justice. And although he has a rather unique concept of it, only good intentions drive his actions.

Petr Melekhov

The elder brother Grigory is inferior in beauty and charm. But at the beginning of the novel, wisdom, calmness, and good nature appear in him. Later in the chapters that talk about military service, a slightly different Peter emerges before the reader. This one is cunning and knows how to adapt. There is no hot blood in him that is related to his father, younger brother and sister. And there is no that noble desire for independence that unites the members of the Melekhov family.

Daria

Another interesting female image is Peter's wife. Daria is attractive and slim. Family life did not deprive her of her girlish beauty. But a burning desire to live, to be happy pushes her to commit all sorts of crimes. The most terrible of them is murder. However, having become infected with a “bad disease” as a result of disorderly love affairs, she deliberately drowns in a deep river.

Many works written in the twentieth century were dedicated by the authors to the theme of war. Some described the horrors of the battles, others - heroic deeds soldiers, and still others - the inner spiritual world of people who witnessed all the difficult events of the last century.

Mikhail Sholokhov in his novel “Quiet Don” reveals to us the whole world, in which the fates of the heroes are complexly and intricately intertwined. The work can be called extremely philosophical, but at the same time patriotic, which gave it the opportunity to pass censorship. There is also a deep subtext in it, although not everyone manages to understand it from the first reading. The image of the Don in the novel “Quiet Don” is of no small importance; we’ll talk about this in more detail.

History of the novel. Initial idea

Already in the 20s, Mikhail Sholokhov had an idea - to create a work that would tell about ordinary people, how their views on life changed, how the conflict flared up between “brothers-in-law”, how Soviet power was born. In 1925, the author began writing the novel “Donshchina”. It was original title works. Sholokhov had no idea that events would unfold so widely and he would create a whole epic.

The author's idea is to reveal the historical conditions of life of ordinary people so that it becomes clear why they led to the revolution. The image of the Don in the novel “Quiet Don” appeared before the reader as a symbol of people’s power, Cossack will, broad soul. The change in concept led to the novel being called “Quiet Don”. The author’s view also implies that the novel reveals the life of the Cossacks before the revolution and during Civil War. The main task of Sholokhov’s work is to show tragic fates people who found themselves in a terrible whirlpool of events at the beginning of the 20th century.

Work in Veshenskaya

The author came up with a new idea for the novel in 1926. Sholokhov began collecting material. To do this, he settled in the village of Veshenskaya, traveled around the nearest farmsteads, talked with local residents, participants in the revolution and war. This is how the material accumulated and the plot matured. For a more nuanced study of the Cossacks, Sholokhov carefully studied materials from the archives of Rostov and Moscow. The novel was published as parts were written. The press did not stop talking, reviews and reviews of the work were published in all publications.

Mikhail Sholokhov worked much more slowly on his fourth book; readers were very worried about the fate of the heroes and wrote many letters to the author. There was a period when the opinion arose among writers that the novel was not written by Sholokhov, but by some murdered officer. The manuscript was allegedly found in his bag. The author had to prove his case before the Rostov commission, which was specially created to refute the slander. The work has stood the test of time, the image of the Don in the novel “Quiet Don”, as well as others real heroes revealed the whole essence of that time. So, we figured out the history of writing the epic. Now let's look at the images in more detail.

The image of the Don in Sholokhov’s novel “Quiet Don”

Sholokhov named the immortal epic “Quiet Don” in honor of the mighty, incessant, roaring Don. And it’s not in vain. Of course, it's not just a matter of geography. The meaning is much more important and deeper...

The events, indeed, take place on the banks of a mighty river, and the image of the Don in the novel “Quiet Don” plays an important role. A river flows in the south of Russia; this area has been chosen by the Don Cossacks - freedom-loving and free - for a long time. The Don is a symbol of their freedom.

Grandfather, father, and Grigory Melekhov himself, as well as other heroes of the work, were born and raised in the hot steppes, which approach the river on both sides. Two natural powers - earth and water - influenced the formation of the characters of these people. It is not surprising that Sholokhov used the word Don in the title of the novel. So why is it “quiet”? After all, the events described in the novel took place at the beginning of the 20th century, which cannot be called calm. Millions of people became victims of revolution and war, the rivers were crimson with blood.

There is a special meaning hidden in the name. Life changes, goes on as usual, but the quiet waters of the river are eternal and unchanging. The image of the Don in Sholokhov’s novel “Quiet Don” is very important. The mighty river, which gave life to the dry steppes, raised the freedom-loving Cossacks, and itself accepted their bodies into its embrace.

Living Don

Don can be different in character. Either it calmly rolls its waters under the sun, or it rages and overflows, overflowing its banks. But no matter what events happen in people’s lives, the river invariably rushes its waters to the sea. Nothing in the world can stop this process: neither wars, nor human anger, nor revolutions. The Don in the work is a symbol of stability and hope.

The image of Grigory Melikhov in the novel “Quiet Don” is compared with a mighty river. After many years of wandering, he returns. Over these years, the Cossack lost his father, brother, daughter-in-law, and beloved woman. In the village, many houses were left only in ashes; childhood friends did not return from the war. But Gregory takes his son in his arms. He is its grain, sprout, hope for the future. The ending of the novel represents the continuation of life. The description of the Don here is in complete harmony with the image of a free Cossack - strong in spirit, who went through many difficult tests to life path. The Don is still frozen in ice, but in some places black water can already be seen, the river throws off its “chains” and rushes forward to the sea.

Natalia

Considering female images in the novel “Quiet Don”, Special attention I would like to give it to Natalya. Two women fell in love with one Cossack - a classic triangle. Natalya is the legal wife. Aksinya is the neighbor's wife, she loves Grigory passionately, ardently.

Natalya's life is disfigured and tragic. This woman is deeply moral; as a bride, she looked at her betrothed with loving eyes. She eagerly counted the days until the wedding. Surprisingly, it was the shy Natalya who insisted on marriage when her parents opposed it.

But life turned out so that her marriage became unhappy. The image of Grigory Melikhov in the novel “Quiet Don” reveals to the reader a wayward Cossack who is subdued by Aksinya and is ready to go with his beloved to the ends of the world. He honestly admits to Natalya that he does not love her. The entire Melekhov family sided with their daughter-in-law. For her unselfishness, simplicity, and hard work, they all fell in love with Natalya. She takes care of everyone, but experiences her own grief within herself. In her face, Sholokhov paints us the image of a hardworking Cossack woman, faithful wife and loving mother.

Unrequited love

Female images in the novel “Quiet Don” can be described as polar. If Aksinya is combative and hot, then Natalya is a modest and obedient wife. Without knowing family happiness, she finds solace in children. After the birth of Porlyushka and Mishatka, she became prettier and blossomed unusually. And with what pride Natalya showed her children to Gregory. The image of Melikhov in the novel “Quiet Don” changes in this scene. At this moment, his heart is filled with a wave of tenderness and compassion for his wife. But even now he did not feel love for her. He pulled him towards him and kissed his white forehead.

IN last days on her deathbed, the greatness of Natalya’s soul, her selfless love, courage and moral purity. She asks her to put on the same green skirt that Grisha liked, and Mishatka orders her to kiss her father when he returns. Despite all the insults that her husband inflicted on her during her lifetime, Natalya forgives him and does not hold a grudge.

The image of Aksinya in the novel “Quiet Don”

The central image of the novel is the image of Aksinya. The woman is beautiful, strong and independent, capable of passionate feelings. The image of Aksinya in the novel “Quiet Don” personifies a true Cossack woman who is capable of sacrificing herself for the sake of love.

The heroine's life is very difficult. The whole village talked about her connection with Gregory, which became known to her husband. When asked if this was true, the Cossack woman proudly confessed her sin without hesitation. Her ability to take responsibility for her actions confirms her strong spirit. The relationship between Aksinya and Grigory was not an easy affair. They carried their love through many trials over several years. Both were confident in the strength of their feelings, although all the farmers accepted their relationship as immoral. It was Aksinya who had the idea to break with conventions and leave the farm. The woman, without hesitation, followed her beloved, without asking unnecessary questions. Her love was so strong.

Grigory Melekhov

The image of Melekhov in the novel “Quiet Don” is multifaceted. At first it seems that he - main character. But then the reader sees his primitive outlook and understands that he does not see beyond his “grandfather’s saber.” You can’t even tell right away whether this character is negative or positive. First of all, Gregory is a truth-seeker. However, from his youth he lives thoughtlessly, following established traditions. His parents married him to an unloved girl, and like everyone else, he was preparing for service. Everything happened as if without his participation. Even passionate love to Aksinya did not turn his life upside down. Everything went according to plan. This Gregory did not come into the world to shed blood. But harsh times put a Cossack saber into his weary hands.

Gregory's tragedy

The image of Gregory in the novel “Quiet Don” can be called tragic. His last test in the novel was the death of his beloved Aksinya. The woman received a bullet at the moment when she and Grigory were heading to what they thought was a new happy life. Everything in his soul died, froze in one moment.

At the end of the novel, the Cossack is left completely alone. All the people dear to him left this world. The image of Melekhov in the novel “Quiet Don” is collective. He united in himself those unfortunate destinies that evil years froze and were reborn again, beginning life with new strength. The only thread connecting Gregory with life was his son Mishatka, his native land, farm and, of course, Don Father, whose strength and power were passed on to the Cossacks from generation to generation.

Sholokhov did not create the image of an ideal Cossack in the novel. But he managed to describe the fate of an entire generation - the strong-willed, free Cossacks.

“Quiet Don,” like “War and Peace,” is worth reading for everyone to understand the essence of Russian realism and feel the colorful atmosphere of our country’s historical past. An analysis of the book from Literaguru will help you remember the main events and characteristics of this work in order to successfully prepare for an essay or report.

M.A. Sholokhov conceived a work about the role of the Cossacks during the revolution back in the early 20s of the twentieth century. 1925 - the beginning of writing a manuscript, tentatively called “Donshchina,” in which the writer begins with the Kornilov uprising. However, with such a beginning, the motivation of the Cossacks was unclear, why they went to the uprising. Then the writer abandoned the original plan and began to think more broadly, and this is how a large-scale epic turned out.

The changed concept also influenced the name. From “Donshchina” “Quiet Don” was born, the last title contains a fragment folk life, folklore. The plan was fully formed in 1926. The novel was published in the magazine "October". The author received various, sometimes opposing reviews of his work. He was called both a genius and a renegade who distorted events. However, time, the most important judge, put everything in its place, and now this novel is a pearl of Russian literature.

Genre, direction

"Quiet Don" - bright representative realism with elements of naturalism. Here the characters express themselves typical representatives eras, while maintaining its individuality. Events are viewed in development and change. Naturalistic elements are introduced by the writer to create a better color, to describe in detail the atmosphere, sometimes frightening (for example, some military episodes are described so scary and sometimes disgusting).

The genre of the work is quite rare in literature - it is an epic novel, that is, a large epic work with a complex narrative, a large number of heroes and events, and the events are not private, but nationwide. The writer focused not only on the heroes, but also on the fate of the entire people in an era of radical change.

The essence

The main events take place in the villages and hamlets of the Don. The novel talks about the fate of the Cossack Grigory Melekhov in the context of global historical upheavals. At the beginning the hero has a big and a happy family: father Panteley Prokofievich, mother Ilyinichna, brother Peter with his wife Daria and child, sister Dunyashka.

Grigory is getting ready to go to work, but his neighbor Aksinya Astakhova attracts his attention, and he begins to court her. Although the woman was married, she had not known love all her life, so she and Melekhov got along while her husband was in the service. But everything comes to an end: Stepan Astakhov returned, and Grigory was married to Natalya. The girl Korshunova fell madly in love with Melekhov, but he soon admitted that her feelings were unrequited.

Soon Grigory again got together with Aksinya and went to the Yagodnoye estate of the landowner Listnitsky, where they were domestic servants. Aksinya gives birth to a girl. And Grigory is leaving for service soon. There he experienced injustice and tyranny. And Natalya at this time cannot stand the shame and gossip and tries to commit suicide, but remains alive. The daughter of Gregory and Aksinya dies, the grief-stricken mother could not resist the advances of the owner’s son, Evgeniy.

Grigory is seriously injured, in the hospital he meets with Garanzha, who instills anti-monarchist sentiments in him, and then gets leave and goes to Yagodnoye. Grigory finds out about the betrayal and returns to the family with whom Natalya also lives, the couple begin to live together again. But we have to return to the front, where the Bolsheviks are actively campaigning. Gregory also goes to them after the revolution. He serves with the Reds, but one day he sees how prisoners are brutally dealt with, which dismays him. Soon Melekhov received a wound and went on vacation. Grigory did not return back, and later joined the Cossack rebel movement. During the first performance, Pyotr Melekhov was killed.

During the uprising, populated areas move from one side to the other. Because of this, the Melekhov family, like many other families, is experiencing various inconveniences. And Gregory avenges the death of his brother, so he is cruel to the enemy. Alcohol and walking women help to forget grief and drown out a mental crisis. Natalya learns about this with bitterness.

Grigory accidentally meets Aksinya, the connection is renewed. When Melekhov left, captured communists were driven through the farmstead, who were torn to pieces by the residents; Peter’s widow Daria took an active part in this. Grigory was unable to prevent the death of his communist acquaintances; only his childhood friend, Mishka Koshevoy, survived.

The rebels retreat, Grigory takes Aksinya with him. And Daria is awarded for her “feat,” but she saves the award money for something and does not give it to her family. As she admitted to Natalya, the woman wanted to be treated for contracted syphilis. But she changed her mind and is going to commit suicide. In order not to suffer alone, Daria tells Natalya that Grigory and Aksinya are together again. This is a blow for the woman; she makes a firm decision not to give birth to an unfaithful husband (at this moment she is pregnant). The abortion was unsuccessful, Natalya bled to death and died. Soon after her death, Daria drowned herself. Grigory feels guilty and moves away from Aksinya.

Later he came home again for a sad reason - he fell ill with typhus. But after recovery, he made peace with Aksinya, they retreated together. But the beloved herself fell ill, she had to be left in the care of people in one of settlements. Gregory's sadness is intensified by the death of his father from typhus. AND terrible disease He himself falls ill, but, fortunately, recovers.

Soon the rebels finally lose; after an unsuccessful evacuation attempt, Grigory and his orderly Prokhor Zykov join the Reds. Red power has so far been established, Melekhov is atoning for his sins, and at this time Mishka Koshevoy goes to Dunyashka, his intentions are serious, despite the fact that he killed Peter. They are getting married.

When Gregory returned home, as he hoped, forever, he realized that his sins would not be forgiven. Aksinya, children, peaceful life- all this is unrealistic. They want to arrest Melekhov, he leaves with Aksinya. But a stray bullet kills her. And Grigory, by chance, ends up in Fomin’s gang and is forced to stay for several months. They have no future at all. Melekhov leaves them, returns home and hugs his son. This is what the novel is about.

The main characters and their characteristics

– central character novel. He has a slightly slanted dark eyes, black hair, a hooked nose, his appearance is close to oriental, his build is lean and tall. The hero is wayward, hot-tempered, proud, assertive, his sense of justice is heightened (this is where all the throwing came from). With all his breakthrough qualities, he is economical and hard-working, he is drawn to the land and family.
- the beloved of the main character. Outwardly, the heroine is “viciously beautiful” and bright: dark hair, eyebrows, beautiful black eyes, curly hair, beautiful figure (“healthy plumpness”). Her life was poor in joys, which developed tenacity, patience, a fighting spirit (“she didn’t want to give up her own” Gregory), and tact. At the same time, she is affectionate, economical, passionate and courageous, which arouses sympathy, despite her weaknesses. She cannot be alone, so she is not faithful.
(Korshunova) – the wife of the main character. Outwardly, she is beautiful and stately, her hair is black and glossy, her eyes are gray, and her body is strong. The heroine is kind, hard-working, obedient, respectful, modest, reserved, filled with spiritual nobility. However, she is also characterized by such qualities as stubbornness, vindictiveness and obsession. Because of her resentment towards Gregory, she ruins the life of the born child.
Panteley Prokofievich- the father of the main character. Grigory looks like his father, only the latter wears an earring in his ear and walks with a limp. The hero has seen a lot in his time, but he has not learned to tame his rage; he is hot-tempered and quick-tempered, and at the same time trembles before the generals. He has the training of an old soldier, he is devoted to the monarchy, respects the traditions of the Cossacks and stands up for patriarchy.
- mother of the main character. She was once beautiful, but work, insults and beatings from her husband, his infidelities, quickly aged the heroine. Her image is an expression of boundless maternal love. This is a wise, patient and submissive woman who took upon herself all the troubles of raising children and forming a family spirit.
Petr Melekhov- brother of the main character. He is short, squat, with wheat-colored hair, brown eyes, and a snub nose. The hero is economical, tries to benefit from everything, is kind, meek, flexible, clever with his superiors, moderate in everything.
Daria Melekhova- Peter's wife. She is tall, thin, and her face is particularly distinguished by her thin, tinted eyebrows. The heroine is not distinguished by fidelity, she cheats at any opportunity, while she is lazy, cynical, frivolous, cheeky, but cheerful, and never loses heart.
Dunyashka Melekhova- sister of the main character. She is her father’s favorite, she looks like him, just like Grigory. The heroine is hard-working, practical, smart, capable of strong love.
Mikhail Koshevoy- Dunyashka’s lover and husband, childhood friend of the main character. He is a stocky, stocky man, with dark eyes and golden hair, with a forelock hanging down to his forehead. The hero is stubborn, hardworking, he is a Bolshevik from beginning to end, which separates him from Gregory.

Main themes

The main theme of the epic, of course, a revolution that developed into a civil war, and its impact on the life of the entire people. The confrontation between the Reds and the Whites put Gregory and Peter, Gregory and Mikhail on opposite sides. The life of the main character was turned upside down and ruined. He fought for 7 long years. His conscience tormented him for the murders, especially since he could not choose those with whom to be, so he killed both his own and strangers. Most of the Melekhov family died due to the direct or indirect influence of the events of the civil war.

Topics also include: eternal themes, such as love, family, homeland.

Love appears in different guises: the unforgettable passion of Grigory and Aksinya, Natalya’s devotion, their common tragic love triangle, love and the cause of revolution in Mikhail Koshevoy and Dunyasha, in Bunchuk and Anna, Daria’s flighty love, all-consuming mother's love Ilyinichny and Natalya to their children. Perhaps the feelings here are not as sublime as in works of the XIX centuries, but they are no less strong and real.
Family- the basis of life for the main characters, it contains the meaning of existence, the house is truly a safe haven. The theme of family is one of the main ones in this novel. So, Gregory constantly wants to return to his family, forget about wars and blood and enjoy peasant life. Even in everyday worries there is deep love and peace for the whole family.
Theme of the Motherland intersects with the family one. After all, the fatherland is, first of all, a native farm, home, family. This is a place that you want to protect so that you can return to it later. This is one of the reasons for Melekhov’s hesitation: he was thinking, of course, about justice, but also about how the next regime would affect his homeland, for which it was worth fighting to the end.

The theme of the Cossacks also arises before the reader. The revolution was perceived ambiguously by the Cossacks: most of them were free, had enough land, so they held on to their property and did not want to give it away, because they had earned it through their labor. For many Cossacks, the revolution, civil war and subsequent collectivization were a disaster that ultimately practically destroyed this class of society.

Main problems

The problems of “Quiet Don” are varied.

One of the main issues is the choice of a person, the problem of finding the truth. She appears here in in a broad sense like choosing sides in a bloody civil war. The main character cannot do it, because there are very few positive aspects in killing one’s own people, in blood and injustice on any side. But life forces you to choose, even when you really don’t want to. IN in the narrow sense The problem of choice faces Gregory in love, he cannot choose one woman: his passion for Aksinya does not let go, but Natalya also evokes warm feelings.
The problem of the civil war, revolutions, and wars in general are resolved from a pacifist point of view. The writer paints military panoramas not as pictures of courage and bravura courage; for him this is a tragedy. Of course, the author supports the side of the Bolsheviks, but he does not portray them in a one-sided positive way, both opposing camps are ambiguous, and no one can be considered absolutely right.
The problem of the crisis moral values is revealed by the author from a traditional, but not outdated and almost centuries later, side: he condemns war, murder, debauchery and betrayal, meanness and cowardice, proclaiming eternal moral guidelines: family, Motherland, love and truth.
The problem of fathers and children stands before us in the Melekhov family. Panteley Prokofievich is an authoritarian father, he is the real head of the family, he makes all decisions, and no one can object to him, not even his adult sons. But gradually the hero loses his power, there is symbolic meaning, since everything happens during the civil war: revolutionary events also changed traditional families.

the main idea

The meaning of the entire novel lies in the last episode, when the exhausted Grigory returns home after for long years wanderings, war and blood. He meets his son, learns that his daughter died of a pharyngeal infection, takes the boy in his arms and understands that this child contains everything that the hero has left, which connects him with the unkind world.

Thus, the idea of the epic novel is that home, family, Motherland are the basis of a person’s life, this is the most important and most eternal thing; one should strive for one’s native places, because everything else passes and is not important.

What does it teach?

What can the novel teach, why is it said above that everyone should read it? Firstly, this work contains all of Russia, all folk roots and origins. A hundred years later, readers, not at all Don Cossacks, empathize with the heroes and live with them. This is a definite sign of a talented work.

Secondly, the epic conveys pacifist pathos, Eternal values, which modern thinkers sometimes try to challenge. Using the example of this highly artistic, but simple product we understand how important such concepts as family, pure and devoted love, Motherland, kindness, mutual assistance are. The author’s conclusion is simple: high morality should become the basis interpersonal relationships, otherwise people are doomed to new bloody episodes that will destroy their lives.

Criticism

Criticism was divided into two camps: unconditionally positive and sharply negative. The first group includes A. Serafimovich, who noted the realism and brightness of the images, F. Weiskopf, who compared “Quiet Don” with “War and Peace”, D. Aldridge, who considers the book a discovery of Russia for foreigners, K. Dietrich, A. Stil, R Roland, A. Tolstoy and others.

Negative criticism is most clearly presented by A. I. Solzhenitsyn, who argued that M. A. Sholokhov could not have written such a large-scale novel in the absence of experience and education. Later, the authors proposed a white officer, from whom the writer stole the manuscript and published it under his own name. In addition to such criticism, some Soviet reviewers believed that the writer did not glorify enough Soviet power and sympathized with whites.

No matter what anyone says, it is best to form your own opinion about the book and enjoy reading it.

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The main characters of the novel “Quiet Don” show readers a wide panorama of the life of the Don Cossacks during the First World War, revolutionary events 1917 and the Russian Civil War. The characteristics of the main characters of “Quiet Don” will help you understand their inner world.

Sholokhov "Quiet Don" main characters

Grigory Melekhov the main character of the novel “Quiet Don”, Cossack of the village of Vyoshenskaya, born in 1892. This is a young resident of the village of Tatarskaya, an ordinary farm boy, full of energy and thirst for life. Despite strong love to Aksinya, allows his father to marry himself to Natalya. Grigory spends his whole life tossing between two women.
Petro Melekhov- Grigory's older brother, husband of the frivolous Daria. He was a small, snub-nosed, fair-haired guy who looked like his mother. Unlike Gregory, he did not disdain to take someone else’s property and engage in looting. He died at the hand of Dunyasha’s fellow villager and boyfriend, Mishka Koshevoy.
Dunyasha Melekhova- their younger sister Gregory. Having passed hard way from a teenage girl to a beautiful Cossack woman, she managed not to tarnish her dignity in any way.
Panteley Prokofievich Melekhov- their father, a senior officer. He was a fair man who loved his family.
Vasilisa Ilyinichna- wife of Panteley Melekhov, mother of Peter, Gregory and Dunyashka. She became the embodiment national image Russian woman. She understood the futility of war. For her, both “whites” and “reds” were someone’s children.
Daria Melekhova- wife of Peter (brother Gregory). This is a cheerful and mischievous woman who does not like to think too much about life problems. She is not afraid of her husband, they will often cheat on him, and she gets rid of reproaches with jokes. Family and maternal concerns are not for her. Having learned that she has syphilis, Daria deliberately drowns herself in the river.
Stepan Astakhov- neighbor of the Melekhovs, husband of Aksinya, rival of Grigory Melekhov. This character is characterized by cruelty and hostility. Despite the fact that he loves his wife very much, he easily beats her to a pulp. He cannot forgive Aksinya for the fact that in her youth she was raped by her own father. For this, he considers the girl vicious and worthy of beating.
Aksinya Astakhova- Stepan’s wife, Grigory Melekhov’s beloved. At the end of the novel, Aksinya dies from a Red Guard bullet right in the arms of Gregory, never having known calm human happiness.
Natalya Korshunova(then Melekhova) - the legal wife of Gregory
Mitka Korshunov- her older brother, at the beginning of events Gregory’s friend
Miron Grigorievich Korshunov - a rich Cossack, their father
Marya Lukinichna - wife of Miron Korshunov
Grishak's grandfather is the father of Miron Korshunov, a participant in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-78.
Mikhail Koshevoy - a poor Cossack, peer and friend, later Gregory’s mortal enemy
Khrisanf Tokin (Khristonya) - “a hefty and stupid Cossack” who served in the Ataman regiment
Ivan Avdeevich Sinilin, nicknamed "Brech" - an old Cossack who served in the Ataman regiment, a passionate storyteller
Anikei (Anikushka), Fedot Bodovskov, Ivan Tomilin, Yakov Podkova, Shumilin brothers (Shamili) - Cossacks of the Tatarsky farm
Sergei Platonovich Mokhov is a wealthy merchant from out of town, the owner of a store and a steam mill in the village. Tatar
Elizaveta and Vladimir - his daughter and son
Emelyan Konstantinovich Atepin, nicknamed “Tsatsa” - companion of S. P. Mokhov
Ivan Alekseevich Kotlyarov - Cossack, driver of the Mokhov mill
Valet - a non-resident, small, embittered man, weighmaster of the same mill
Davydka - a young cheerful guy, a mill roller
Emelyan - Mokhov's coachman
Evgeny Listnitsky - Cossack, nobleman, centurion of the Ataman regiment
Nikolai Alekseevich Listnitsky - his father, a Cossack general, owner of the Yagodnoye estate
grandfather Sashka - the Listnitskys' groom, a passionate horseman and drunkard
students Boyaryshkin and Timofey
Joseph Davydovich Shtokman - mechanic, visitor, native of Rostov-on-Don, member of the RSDLP
Prokhor Zykov - a quiet Cossack, colleague of Grigory Melekhov
Alexey Uryupin, nicknamed “Chubatiy” - a stern Cossack, colleague of Grigory Melekhov
Kalmykov, Chubov, Tersintsev, Merkulov, Atarshchikov - Cossack officers, colleagues of Yevgeny Listnitsky
Ilya Bunchuk - Novocherkassk Cossack, St. Petersburg worker, machine gunner, Bolshevik
Anna Pogudko - Jewish woman from Yekaterinoslav, machine gunner, Bunchuk’s lover
Gevorkyants Krutogorov - machine gunners from Bunchuk's team
Olga Gorchakova - wife of captain Boris Gorchakov, then Evgeny Listnitsky
Kaparin - staff captain, assistant to Fomin

Sholokhov’s heroes are simple, but extraordinary people, and Grigory is not only brave to the point of despair, honest and conscientious, but also truly talented, and not only the hero’s “career” proves this (a cornet from ordinary Cossacks at the head of a division is evidence of considerable abilities, although the Reds during the Civil War similar cases were not uncommon). This is also confirmed by his collapse in life, since Gregory is too deep and complex for the unambiguous choice required by time.

Sholokhov, like his main character, does not favor intellectuals. Among the main plot characters, there is only one intellectual (in the broad sense) - Evgeny Listnitsky, and he is considered negative, although he is true to his convictions, fights honestly and bravely, and marries the widow of a deceased comrade. The seduction of Aksinya by Grigory is poeticized by the author, and when the landowner officer does the same, it is regarded as a low act, and Sholokhov, not without pleasure, describes how Grigory beats the young master with a whip. After his wife’s betrayal, Evgeny shot himself “out of displeasure,” according to the joker Prokhor Zykov, and Grigory indifferently says about him and his father, who died of typhus (from whom he saw nothing bad), that “there is no one to grieve about them” (book 4, part 8, Chapter VII). Evgeniy's suicide is unclear ordinary people. During the war, they themselves forgive unfaithful wives: Petro - the prodigal Daria, as soon as she came to him at the front, Stepan Astakhov, upon returning from captivity - Aksinya (and then, when her relationship with Gregory was resumed, he behaves generously towards her) . Natalya agrees to live with her husband, even if he is unfaithful to her, but she no longer wants children from him, which becomes the cause of her death. After this, Daria is tormented by a feeling of guilt, who let slip about the resumption of Gregory’s relationship with Aksinya.

The characters change significantly during the events shown. Grigory turns from a healthy young guy into an elderly, prematurely grey-haired man with a heart condition. Panteley Prokofich and Ilyinichna grow old before our eyes and die. The completely aged grandfather Grishaka, in whom one cannot seriously see an enemy, is killed by the irreconcilable Mikhail Koshevoy. Dunyashka from a girl becomes a stubborn girl who continues to love Mikhail, who killed her brother, despite her mother’s prohibition, and then a married woman with the worries of a housewife, who is considerably cooling towards Mikhail, especially when he stopped doing housework. All the changes that occur to the characters (the biggest - with the same Mikhail) are artistically motivated. There is one exception - Prokhor Zykov, at first just a guy with “tender calf eyes” (book 1, part 3, chapter II), who suffers a lash in the face from the sergeant (Gregory threatens to kill the sergeant if he dares to behave like that and with him), then true friend and Gregory’s orderly, who acquires some features of a comic figure, and finally, a merry fellow and joker, prone to verbosity, but also maintaining the serious role of a faithful friend.

No matter how cruel the Cossacks are in specific circumstances, their humanity is emphasized, sometimes hidden behind external severity and rudeness. In the scene of the wedding of Grigory and Natalya, the Baklanovets grandfather talks about how he, during Russian-Turkish War captured an enemy officer: “I wanted to cut him down, but then changed my mind. Man is...” (book 1, part 1, chapter XXIII). After the announcement of the war of 1914, a certain Cossack voice speaks of possible “pacifications”: “Wake up! Pushay free people are hired. Let the police go, but we are ashamed” (book 1, part 3, chapter IV). Petro Melekhov declares that there are “no and never will be” any hunters to shoot Podtelkov’s men, and Christonya, after Grigory’s altercation with Podtelkov, who is going to the gallows, leads his “enraged” friend away from the place of mass execution with the words: “Lord God, what is happening to people!..” (book 2, part 5, chapter XXX). During the uprising, the farmers do not allow Antip, the son of Avdeich Brekh, to kill Mikhail Koshevoy, who, as he believes, “put his father to death”: “You cannot breathe life into your father, but you will ruin a man...” (book 3, part. 6, chapter XXVII). Grigory hates Peter's widow Daria because she shot at Ivan Alekseevich (who was finished off by the same Antip). Against the backdrop of mass atrocities, these and other examples of manifestations of humanity in crude and harsh people testify to the good that is inherent in them by nature and that opposes the hostility incited by people who consider themselves involved in history.

Sholokhov's characters are people of their environment with their inherent psychology and vision of the environment. For a Cossack, a horse has the same external individuality as a person, so Zykov in the “indentation” recognizes a horse tied to a fence: “And this is Andryushka’s godfather’s horse! So, our farmsteaders are here...” (book 4, part 7, chapter XXVII). But Panteley Prokofich, when he drowned the mare, “listing in his mind the missing purchases, the cost of the mare, the sleigh and the collars, he swore furiously” (book 2, part 5, chapter XIV), falling into despair only from the losses. And for his son, the heifer that Dunyashka brought into the room is nothing more than walking meat: ““We’ll eat butter pancakes with kaymak!” - Petro shouted cheerfully, kicking the heifer with his foot” (book 2, part 5, chapter XIII). Koshevoy, already waging a “merciless war... with Cossack satiety, with Cossack treachery, with all that indestructible and inert way of life that for centuries rested under the roofs of dignified kurens,” is still a man of his environment. “From time immemorial, it has been the case that a serviceman entering a farm must be dressed up. And Mishka, who had not yet freed himself from Cossack traditions, even while in the Red Army, was going to sacredly observe the ancient custom” (book 3, part 6, chapter LXV). In commitment ancient customs and traditions are difficult to change even for the most determined supporter of socio-political changes. By showing this, Sholokhov emphasizes the tragic nature of the ongoing breakdown for those who do not need it at all.

The intellectual underdevelopment of the characters is compensated in the novel by their ability to ardently worry and feel deeply. The depressed state of Gregory is described in detail after he, a recruit, got into the war and killed a man. The writer conveys his feelings, instant impressions when he was first wounded: “He felt the hot brine of blood in his mouth and realized that he was falling - from somewhere on the side, spinning, the earth, dressed in stubble, was rapidly rushing towards him” (book 1, part. 3, Chapter XIII). Extended internal monologues of such characters would be inappropriate, but sudden impulses are sometimes more eloquent than a stream of consciousness. Grigory very sternly says goodbye to Aksinya before leaving for service, suspecting that her daughter is not his. But one day, when Aksinya was in the kitchen, “he took his daughter out of the cradle and, changing a wet diaper, felt a sharp, pinching excitement. He bent down stealthily and squeezed the red protruding toe with his teeth.” He asks about Natalya, abandoned by him, who tried to commit suicide, “with special attention picking out rotted burrs from the horse’s mane” (book 1, part 2, chapter XXI). Here, embarrassment, a feeling of guilt, and fear for the life of a stranger are expressed, and a desire to appear more or less indifferent.

The deep inner experiences of the heroes of “Quiet Don” can also have a clear external expression. Arriving from the front to Aksinya, who had cheated on him with Listnitsky, Grigory, who was anticipating her joy when he would “unfold the patterned fabric in front of her,” “overcame the dry sobbing that came up... tore the scarf into small pieces and stuck it under the porch.” Mixed with ordinary human resentment is a feeling of social humiliation. “Pitiful gift! Should Gregory compete in gifts with the son of the richest landowner in the upper reaches of the Don?” Allowing Aksinya to cry, he quickly falls asleep. In the novel it is noted that she pulls off his boots with “white hands, unaccustomed to work” (the duties of a maid, the kitchen, household chores are not work from the point of view of the farmers). She doesn’t know what Grigory will say and what he will do the next morning. “Aksinya, undressed, went out onto the porch and, under the cold piercing wind, under the funeral howl of the dog, stood on the porch, hugging the wet pole, without changing position until dawn” (book 1, part 3, chapter XXIV). Deeply unhappy with youth a woman who has cheated on someone she continues to love dearly is literally insensitive to everything when she doesn’t know whether he will stay with her.

Even psychologically much less complex than Gregory, his elder brother is shown as a man capable of unexpected strong experiences. Fulfilling the request of Natalya’s mother, the widow of the executed Miron Grigorievich, to secretly dig up and bring her husband’s body for a normal burial, Petro Melekhov “listened to every sound and cursed in his soul his trip, Lukinichna and even the deceased matchmaker.” He calls the dug up heavy dead man a “boar.” But during the farewell of the initially strong grandfather Grishaka with his son, “a spasm took Peter by the throat with a wolf’s grip. He slowly went out to the base, to the horse moored at the porch” (book 3, part 6, chapter XXIII).

Sholokhov also conveys the subconscious of the characters, more than once telling what one or another of them dreamed.