The essay “The moral feat of man in Sholokhov’s story “The Fate of Man. Moral feat of man

M. Sholokhov posed and resolved serious philosophical and moral problems in his works. In all the writer’s works, in one context or another, the interweaving of two main themes can be traced: the theme of man and the theme of war.
In “The Fate of Man,” Sholokhov reminds the reader of the disasters that the Great Patriotic War brought to the Russian people, of the fortitude of a person who withstood all the torment and did not break. Sholokhov's story is permeated with boundless faith in the spiritual strength of the Russian person.
The plot is based on vivid psychological episodes. Farewell to the front, captivity, attempted escape, second escape, news of the family. Such rich material would be enough for a whole novel, but Sholokhov managed to fit it into a short story.
Sholokhov based the plot on a real story told to the author in the first post-war year by a simple driver who had just returned from the war. There are two voices in the story: “led” by Andrei Sokolov, the main character. The second voice is the voice of the author, listener, random interlocutor.
Andrei Sokolov's voice in the story is a frank confession. He told a stranger about his entire life, pouring out everything that he had kept in his soul for years. The landscape background for Andrei Sokolov's story was surprisingly unmistakably found. The junction of winter and spring. And it seems that only in such circumstances could the life story of a Russian soldier be heard with the breathtaking frankness of confession.
This man had a hard time in life. He goes to the front and is captured in inhuman living conditions. But he had a choice; he could have ensured a tolerable life for himself by agreeing to inform on his own comrades.
Once at work, Andrei Sokolov carelessly spoke about the Germans. His statement cannot be called a remark thrown at the enemy, it was a cry from the soul: “Yes, one square meter of these stone slabs is enough for the grave of each of us.”
A well-deserved reward was the opportunity to see my family. But, having arrived home, Andrei Sokolov learns that the family has died, and in the place where the family home stood there is a deep hole overgrown with weeds. Andrei's son dies in the last days of the war, when the long-awaited victory was just around the corner.
The author's voice helps us to comprehend human life as a phenomenon of an entire era, to see in it universal human content and meaning. But in Sholokhov’s story, another voice sounded - a ringing, clear child’s voice, which seemed not to know the full extent of all the troubles and misfortunes that befall the human lot. Having appeared at the beginning of the story so carefree and loud, he then leaves, this boy, in order to become a direct participant in the final scenes, the protagonist of a high human tragedy.
All that remains in Sokolov’s life are memories of his family and an endless road. But life cannot consist of only black stripes. The fate of Andrei Sokolov brought him together with a boy of about six years old, as lonely as he was. Nobody needed the grimy boy Vanyatka. Only Andrei Sokolov took pity on the orphan, adopted Vanyusha, and gave him all his unspent fatherly love.
It was a feat, a feat not only in the moral sense of the word, but also in the heroic one. In Andrei Sokolov’s attitude towards childhood, towards Vanyusha, humanism won a great victory. He triumphed over the inhumanity of fascism, over destruction and loss.
Sholokhov focuses the reader’s attention not only on the episode of Sokolov’s meeting with the orphan Vanya. The scene in the church is also very colorful. The Germans shot the man only because he asked to go outside so as not to desecrate God’s temple. In the same church, Andrei Sokolov kills a man. Sokolov killed a coward who was ready to betray his commander.
Andrei Sokolov endured so much in his life, but he did not become embittered at fate, at people, he remained a man with a kind soul, a sensitive heart, capable of love and compassion. Perseverance, tenacity in the struggle for life, the spirit of courage and camaraderie - these qualities not only remained unchanged in the character of Andrei Sokolov, but also increased.
Sholokhov teaches humanism. This concept cannot be turned into a beautiful word. After all, even the most sophisticated critics, discussing the topic of humanism in the story “The Fate of Man,” talk about a great moral feat. Joining the opinion of critics, I would like to add one thing: you need to be a real person in order to be able to endure all the grief, tears, parting, death of relatives, the pain of humiliation and insults and not after that become a beast with a predatory look and an eternally embittered soul, but remain human.

/ / / The moral feat of man in Sholokhov’s story “The Fate of Man”

The remarkable Russian writer Mikhail Sholokhov was not afraid to pose difficult moral questions in his works and resolve them. The most frequent themes in his work were man and war. In the story “The Fate of Man,” the author showed the moral feat of a true humanist, who not only survived after going through all the tests, but also did not become embittered at everyone.

The whole story is permeated with the writer’s faith in the resilience of the Russian people. This is confirmed by many striking episodes. The main character Andrei Sokolov went to the front. And at first he was lucky, but one day he is captured by the Germans.

The first moral test that the hero experiences there is connected with other prisoners. He accidentally overhears a conversation from which it is clear that one of the prisoners wants to inform on a colleague. Andrei cannot allow an innocent person to suffer, and therefore commits lynching of the traitor.

The second test involves denunciation of himself. The Germans did not spare prisoners of war and forced them to work in a stone quarry, demanding a very large amount of output per day. Sokolov once dropped a careless phrase about the injustice of such an attitude. The next day he was summoned to the camp commandant. Everyone understood that this was tantamount to execution. But the incredible happened - the hero survived and even emerged victorious from the situation.

How did this happen, and what did Sokolov do? The commandant loved to mock prisoners and show his power. Therefore, when Andrei entered the room, he saw a table with all kinds of food. It was torture for a starving man. But Andrei did not rush to the table, did not beg for a piece of bread, as his enemies expected, but found the strength to turn away from the table. The hero behaved with dignity, did not chicken out and did not go back on his words in order to avoid execution. Then the Lagerführer, as the commandant was called, invited Sokolov to drink their weapons to the victory. When the hero refused to do this, he was offered a drink to his unfortunate fate. Andrey drinks three times, refusing to have a snack. At the same time, he stood firmly on his feet, although for an exhausted body this was almost impossible. The commandant was amazed by the resilience of the Russian soldier and made an unexpected decision - to pardon him and give him some food.

The writer shows that the hero won due to the fact that he turned out to be a morally steadfast person and did not sink to the level of a hungry beast.

Shown in many episodes as a morally high person. But his most important feat was the decision to adopt Vanyusha. When the hero is left completely alone without a family, he accidentally meets an equally lonely person, a little boy. Vanechka had no one left in his early years; he didn’t even have a place to lay his head. Andrei decides that he will not let Vanechka disappear and takes him for his son. The hero saves the child and thereby saves himself. After all, the boy becomes his new meaning in life.

The moral feat of man in Sholokhov’s story “The Fate of Man” is in perseverance, humanity, and thirst for life.

The battle is holy and right,

Mortal combat is not for glory,

For the sake of life on earth.

A. Tvardovsky

The most terrible and bloody Second World War had ended, but someone was hatching plans for a new one. Humanist writer Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov made a passionate appeal for peace. In 1957, his story “The Fate of a Man” was published in the Pravda newspaper, which amazed the world with its artistic power.

The main character of the story, Andrei Sokolov, is the same age as the century, his life has absorbed the history of the country. He is a peaceful worker who hates war. With trepidation, Sokolov recalls pre-war life, when he had a family and was happy. About his wife he says: “And for me there was no one more beautiful and more desirable than her, there was not in the world and there never will be!” Andrei Sokolov complains that his house was near an aircraft factory: “If my shack had been in a different place, maybe life would have turned out differently...” And I can’t forget how, when we parted, he pushed away his wife, who was clinging to him: “Why did I push her away then?” ? To this day, as I remember, my heart feels like it’s being cut with a dull knife...”

This man with unparalleled fortitude endured all the trials that befell him: a difficult separation from his family when going to the front, injury, fascist captivity, torture and bullying by the Nazis, the death of his family left behind and, finally, the tragic death of his beloved son Anatoly on the last day of the war. - ninth of May. “Take courage, father! Your son, captain Sokolov, was killed today at the battery. Come with me!” Andrei Sokolov withstood this ordeal, did not shed a single tear, apparently, “his heart dried up. Maybe that’s why it hurts so much?”

The suffering he experienced was not in vain; it sprinkled ashes on the eyes and soul of Andrei Sokolov, but did not kill the person in him. No matter how great Sokolov’s personal grief was, in all his trials he was supported by his love for his Motherland and a sense of responsibility for its fate. He bravely performed his military duty at the front. Near Lozovenki he was tasked with transporting shells to the battery. “We had to hurry, because the battle was approaching us: on the left, someone’s tanks were thundering, on the right, there was shooting, there was shooting ahead, and it was already starting to smell like something fried... The commander of our company asks: “Will you get through, Sokolov?” And there was nothing to ask here. My comrades may be dying there, but I’ll be sick here? I have to rush through and that’s it!”

Stunned by the explosion of a shell, he woke up already in captivity. With pain and powerless rage, Sokolov watches as the advancing German troops march to the east. Hearing at night that a coward next to him wanted to betray the commander, Sokolov decided to prevent this and at dawn strangled the traitor with his own hands. Andrei did not compromise the dignity of a Soviet man either in German captivity or at the front, where he returned again, escaping from captivity, taking with him a major whom he carried in a passenger car. “I jumped into this forest, opened the door, fell to the ground and kissed it, and I couldn’t breathe.” Left alone in the whole world, this man retained warmth in his wounded heart and gave it to the orphan Vanyusha, replacing his father.

The source of life for Sokolov was his love for an orphan boy. “I went to bed with him and for the first time in a long time fell asleep peacefully. However, at night I got up four times. I wake up, and he’s nestled under my arm, like a sparrow under cover, quietly snoring, and my soul becomes so joyful that I can’t even put it into words... you light a match and admire him...”

The writer ends the story “The Fate of a Man” with the confidence that “this Russian man, a man of unbending will, will endure, and near his father’s shoulder will grow one who, having matured, will be able to endure everything, overcome everything on his way, if his Motherland calls him to it.” "

The form of the story “The Fate of a Man” is simple and ingenious at the same time - “a story within a story.” The participant in the events narrates about himself. This allows you to create a special trust, a truthful picture of the story. “The Fate of a Man” is the shortest work by Mikhail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov, but in its emotional impact it is not inferior to his other creations. The generalized image of the hero is emphasized by the title. This, indeed, is the fate of many Soviet people, who shared all the hardships and difficulties with the country, but retained humanity, kindness, and love for all living things. The world rests on such people!

Sholokhov's work "The Fate of Man" was first published ten years after the Great Patriotic War ended, in 1956-1957. The theme of the story is atypical for the literature of that time dedicated to the war. The author first spoke about the soldiers who were captured by the Nazis.

Then we learn the fate of this character from his lips. Andrey is extremely frank with a random interlocutor - he does not hide personal details.

We can safely say that this hero had a happy life. After all, he had a loving wife, children, and he was doing what he loved. At the same time, Andrei’s life is typical for that time. Sokolov is a simple Russian man, of whom there were millions in our country at that time.

Andrey's feat ("The Fate of Man", Sholokhov)

The essay “The War in the Life of the Main Character” can be built on the contrast of the attitude of Andrei and other people who meet on his life’s path towards it. In comparison with them, the feat that, in fact, is his whole life seems even more majestic and terrible to us.

The hero, unlike others, shows patriotism and courage. This is confirmed by the analysis of the work “The Fate of Man” by Sholokhov. So, during the battle, he plans to accomplish the almost impossible - to deliver shells to the Russian troops, breaking through the enemy's barrier. At this moment he does not think about the impending danger, about his own life. But the plan could not be implemented - Andrei was captured by the Nazis. But even here he does not lose heart, maintains his dignity and calmness. So, when a German soldier ordered him to take off the boots that he liked, Sokolov, as if mocking him, also takes off his foot wraps.

The work reveals various problems of Sholokhov. The fate of a person, anyone, not just Andrei, was tragic at that time. However, in front of her, different people behave differently. Sholokhov shows the horrors that occur in captivity of the Germans. Many people in inhuman conditions lost their face: in order to save life or a piece of bread, they were ready to commit any betrayal, humiliation, even murder. The stronger, purer, higher the personality of Sokolov, his actions and thoughts appear. Problems of character, courage, perseverance, honor - these are what interests the writer.

Conversation with Mueller

And in the face of the mortal danger threatening Andrei (conversation with Muller), he behaves with great dignity, which even commands respect from his enemy. In the end, the Germans recognize the unbending character of this warrior.

It is interesting that the “confrontation” between Muller and Sokolov took place precisely at the moment when the fighting was taking place near Stalingrad. Andrei's moral victory in this context becomes, as it were, a symbol of the victory of the Russian troops.

Sholokhov also raises other problems (“The Fate of Man”). One of them is the problem of the meaning of life. The hero experienced the full echoes of the war: he learned that he had lost his entire family. Hopes for a happy life disappeared. He is left completely alone, having lost the meaning of existence, devastated. The meeting with Vanyusha did not allow the hero to die, to sink. In this boy, the hero found a son, a new incentive to live.

Mikhail Alexandrovich believes that perseverance, humanism, and self-esteem are traits typical of the Russian character. Therefore, our people managed to win this great and terrible war, as Sholokhov believes (“The Fate of Man”). The writer has explored the theme of man in some detail; it is even reflected in the title of the story. Let's turn to him.

The meaning of the story's title

The story “The Fate of Man” is named so not by chance. This name, on the one hand, convinces us that the character of Andrei Sokolov is typical, and on the other, it also emphasizes his greatness, since Sokolov has every right to be called a Man. This work gave impetus to the revival of the classical tradition in Soviet literature. It is characterized by attention to the fate of a simple, “little man” worthy of full respect.

Using various techniques - confessional story, portrait, speech characterization - the author reveals the character of the hero as fully as possible. This is a simple man, majestic and beautiful, self-respecting, strong. His fate can be called tragic, since Andrei Sokolov suffered serious trials, but we still involuntarily admire him. Neither the death of loved ones nor the war could break him. “The Fate of Man” (Sholokhov M. A.) is a very humanistic work. The main character finds the meaning of life in helping others. This is what, above all, the harsh post-war times required.

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MINISTRY OF EDUCATION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

NIZHNY NOVGOROD STATE UNIVERSITY named after. N.I. LOBACHEWSKY

FACULTY OF PHILOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF RUSSIAN LITERATURE

TEST

Course "History of Russian literature of the 20th century (40-60s)"

The theme of moral achievement in the story by M. Sholokhov"The fate of peopleeka"

Completed by a student

Karabasova O.S.

Checked:

Associate Professor Sukhikh Olga

Stanislavovna

Nizhny Novgorod 2015

INTRODUCTION

1. HERO OR ORDINARY PERSON?

2. MORAL FEAT

CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INTRODUCTION

War... It breaks people's destinies, leaves ragged, incurable wounds on the heart, takes lives, deprives what is most precious: family, friends, and sometimes the meaning of existence.

Many writers have addressed the theme of war in their works. Mikhail Sholokhov is one of them.

Sholokhov’s outstanding work was the story “The Fate of a Man,” published in the New Year’s issue of the Pravda newspaper in 1956. It was written relatively quickly, but it was preceded by a story: about 10 years passed between the chance meeting with the man who became the prototype of Andrei Sokolov and the creation of the story.

The plot is based on vivid psychological episodes. Farewell to the front, captivity, attempted escape, second escape, news of the family. Such rich material would be enough for a whole novel, but Sholokhov managed to fit it into a short story.

This is truly a great story. It touches every fiber of the soul.

Reading it, you seem to find yourself in the place of the main character. You go through all his difficulties.

The volume of the story is also striking: the whole life of the family, and the war, and captivity. Even more amazing is the revelation of the image of Andrei Sokolov. On the small “platform” of the story, a person is shown in joy, and in trouble, and in hatred, and in love, and in peaceful work, and in war. Behind this image stands a multimillion-strong, great, kind, patient working people. And how this peaceful people is transformed during the years of military disasters!

1. HERO OR ORDINARY PERSON?

The title of the title speaks for itself. Not every person could take a small child under their wing, especially in such difficult times. When there is a war and you can only think about yourself, Andrei Sokolov takes responsibility and takes care of someone else’s life, just as broken as his.

In Andrei Sokolov’s attitude towards childhood, towards Vanyusha, humanism won a great victory. He triumphed over the inhumanity of fascism, over destruction and loss. Sholokhov focuses the reader’s attention not only on the episode of Sokolov’s meeting with the orphan Vanya. The scene in the church is also very colorful. The Germans shot a man only because he asked to go outside so as not to desecrate God’s temple. In the same church, Andrei Sokolov kills a man. Sokolov killed a coward who was ready to betray his commander. Andrei Sokolov endured so much in his life, but he did not become embittered at fate, at people, he remained a man with a kind soul, a sensitive heart, capable of love and compassion.

The typical features of a Russian soldier are embodied in the image of Andrei Sokolov. This man’s extraordinary endurance, fortitude, and high moral qualities in the most difficult moments of war, captivity, and post-war life evoke a feeling of admiration. “...And I began to gather my courage to look into the hole of the pistol fearlessly, as befits a soldier, so that my enemies would not see at my last minute that it was still difficult for me to part with my life...” says Sokolov. The noble pride of a soldier who does not want to show the enemy the fear of death because shame is worse than death.

Perseverance, tenacity in the struggle for life, the spirit of courage and camaraderie - these qualities not only remained unchanged in the character of Andrei Sokolov, but also increased.

But the biggest mistake a person makes is often not appreciating what he has. It seems to me that Andrei Sokolov also underestimated his wife before leaving for the front. “Other women are talking with their husbands and sons, but mine clung to me like a leaf to a branch, and only trembles all over... She speaks and sobs behind every word: “My dear... Andryusha... we won’t see each other... you and I... more ... in this ... world...” Andrei Sokolov appreciated those farewell words much later, after the news of the death of his wife along with his daughters: “Until my death, until my last hour, I will die, and I will not forgive myself for pushing her away then!” ."

Sholokhov teaches humanism. This concept cannot be turned into a beautiful word. After all, even the most sophisticated critics, discussing the topic of humanism in the story “The Fate of Man,” talk about a great moral feat. Joining the opinion of critics, I would like to add one thing: you need to be a real person in order to be able to endure all the grief, tears, parting, death of relatives, the pain of humiliation and insults and not after that become a beast with a predatory look and an eternally embittered soul, but remain human. story moral deed hero

2. MORAL FEAT

What is morality? - you ask. Help people, be kind? This word has many definitions. Here's one of many.

Morality is a concept that relates to an individual and is understood subjectively. Morality is the life attitude of a certain person, which includes individual forms of behavior in certain situations, values, goals, concepts of good and evil, etc. in the understanding of a particular person. Thus, morality is a purely individual concept. So, for one person living with his beloved girl outside of marriage and not cheating on her is completely moral, but for another it is unacceptable, since living fully with a girl and not being married to her is an example of anti-moral behavior. The subjective point of view allows morality to be assessed as high or low depending on the specific opinion.

I believe that moral actions come from the soul. You cannot be born moral or become a moral person. One can only be one. Our hero is just such a person, he does everything according to his heart.

All of Sokolov’s actions during the war and after the Victory were worthy and masculine. Real men, according to Sokolov, are at the front. He “couldn’t stand those slobbery guys who wrote to their wives and girlfriends every day, whether on business or not, smearing their snot on the paper. It’s hard, they say, it’s hard for him, and just in case he’s killed. And here he is, a bitch in his pants, complaining, looking for sympathy, slobbering, but he doesn’t want to understand that these unfortunate women and children had no better time in the rear than ours.”

Sokolov himself had a hard time at the front. He fought for less than a year. After two minor wounds, he suffered a severe contusion and captivity, which was considered a disgrace in the official Soviet propaganda of that time. However, Sholokhov successfully avoids the pitfalls of this problem: he simply does not touch upon it, which is not surprising if we remember the time the story was written - 1956. But Sholokhov meted out trials in full to Sokolov behind enemy lines. The first test is the murder of the traitor Kryzhnev. Not every one of us will decide to help a complete stranger. And Sokolov helped. Maybe he did this because shortly before this, a completely unfamiliar military officer helped Sokolov? He set his dislocated arm. There is the humanism and nobility of one and the baseness and cowardice of the other.

Sokolov himself cannot be denied courage. The second test is an escape attempt. Andrei took advantage of the guards’ oversight, fled, went forty kilometers, but he was caught, the dogs were released on the living... He survived, did not bend, did not remain silent, “criticized” the regime in the concentration camp, although he knew that this would mean certain death.

Sholokhov masterfully describes the scene of the confrontation between the Russian soldier Sokolov and the commandant of the concentration camp Müller. And it is decided in favor of the Russian soldier.

Even a great connoisseur of the Russian soul, who spoke Russian no worse than us, Muller was forced to admit: “That's what, Sokolov, you are a real Russian soldier. You are a brave soldier. I am also a soldier and I respect worthy opponents. I won’t shoot you.”

Sokolov repaid Muller and all his enemies in full for the gift of life, having successfully escaped from captivity and taking an invaluable tongue - his construction major. It seemed that fate should have mercy on Sokolov, but no...

A chill passes through your skin when you learn about two more blows that befell the hero: the death of his wife and daughters under bombing in June 1942 and his son on Victory Day.

How strong do you need to be to withstand such blows of fate? This question will never be answered because it is hidden in the human soul. Each person is strong in his own way, but there are those whom fate breaks and they give up, and there are others, like Sokolov, who has lost everything, but does not give up. And fate gives him a gift, presents him with an orphan, gives him a chance to live.

Two orphaned people, two grains of sand, thrown into foreign lands by a military hurricane of unprecedented force... What awaits them ahead? And I would like to think that this Russian man, a man of unbending will, will endure and grow up next to his father’s shoulder, one who, having matured, will be able to endure everything, overcome everything on his way, if his homeland calls him to do so.

CONCLUSION

What can I say in conclusion? This is an amazing story. You need to have a truly strong character not to cry while reading this work.

Sholokhov was one of the first to create a work full of genuine humanism about people who were in captivity. For many war and post-war years, it was considered a crime that a Soviet soldier did not have time to shoot himself when he was captured. Former prisoners were often persecuted in their homeland. The time described in the story is the first post-war spring.

Mikhail Sholokhov's story "The Fate of Man" is imbued with a deep, bright faith in man. Its title is symbolic: this is not just the fate of the soldier Andrei Sokolov, but a story about the fate of a Russian man, a simple soldier who bore all the hardships of the war.
The writer shows at what enormous cost the victory in the Great Patriotic War was won and who was the real hero of this war. The image of Andrei Sokolov instills in us deep faith in the moral strength of the Russian person.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. M.A. Sholokhov. The fate of man. Publishing house "Soviet Russia". M., 1975

2. S. I. Ozhegov “Dictionary of the Russian language” 1198 pp. Moscow 2004. "Onyx 21st century".

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The essay “The moral feat of man in Sholokhov’s story “The Fate of Man. Moral feat of man

Andrey's feat ("The Fate of Man", Sholokhov)

Conversation with Mueller

The meaning of the story's title

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