Is courage needed in love? Bunin's arguments. Garnet bracelet: main characters, issues, analysis

“Courage and cowardice” - arguments for the final essay

An essay in the context of this aspect can be based on a comparison of opposite manifestations of personality - from determination and courage, manifestations of willpower and fortitude of some heroes to the desire to evade responsibility, hide from danger, show weakness, which can even lead to betrayal.

Examples of the manifestation of these human qualities can be found in almost any work. classical literature.

A.S. Pushkin " Captain's daughter»

As an example, we can take the comparison of Grinev and Shvabrin: the first is ready to die in the battle for the fortress, directly expresses his position to Pugachev, risking his life, under pain of death remained faithful to the oath, the second was afraid for his life and went over to the side of the enemy.

The daughter of Captain Mironov turns out to be truly courageous.

The “coward” Masha, who flinched from shots during a training exercise in the fortress, shows remarkable courage and firmness, resisting Shvabrin’s claims, being in his complete power in the fortress occupied by the Pugachevites.

Behind main character novel by A.S. Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin” essentially turned out to be a coward - he completely subordinated his life to the opinion of society, which he himself despised. Realizing that he is to blame for the impending duel and can prevent it, he does not do this, because he is afraid of the opinion of the world and gossip about himself. To avoid accusations of cowardice, he kills his friend.

A striking example true courage - the main character of the novel M.A. Sholokhov " Quiet Don» Grigory Melekhov. First World War grabbed Gregory and spun him in a whirlwind of stormy historical events. Grigory, like a true Cossack, devotes himself entirely to battle. He is decisive and brave. He easily captures three Germans, deftly recaptures a battery from the enemy, and saves the officer. Evidence of his courage is St. George's crosses and medals, officer rank.

Gregory shows courage not only in battle. He is not afraid to radically change his life, to go against his father’s will for the sake of the woman he loves. Grigory does not tolerate injustice and always speaks openly about it. He is ready to radically change his destiny, but not to change himself. Grigory Melekhov showed extraordinary courage in his search for the truth. But for him she is not just an idea, some idealized symbol of a better human existence.

He is looking for its embodiment in life. Coming into contact with many small particles of truth and ready to accept each one, he often discovers their inconsistency when faced with life, but the hero does not stop in search of truth and justice and goes to the end, making his choice at the end of the novel.

The young monk, the hero of the poem, is not afraid to completely change his life

M.Yu. Lermontov "Mtsyri".

The dream of a free life completely captured Mtsyri, a fighter by nature, forced by force of circumstances to live in a gloomy monastery that he hated. He, who has not lived a day in freedom, independently decides to take a brave action - escaping from the monastery in the hope of returning to his homeland. Only in freedom, in those days that Mtsyri spent outside the monastery, all the richness of his nature was revealed: love of freedom, thirst for life and struggle, perseverance in achieving his goal, unyielding strength will, courage, contempt for danger, love of nature, understanding of its beauty and power. Mtsyri shows courage and the will to win in the fight against the leopard. His story of how he descended from the rocks to the stream sounds contempt for danger:

But free youth is strong,

And death seemed not scary.

Mtsyri failed to achieve his goal - to find his homeland, his people.

“The prison left its mark on me,” this is how he explains the reason for his failure. Mtsyri fell victim to circumstances that turned out to be stronger than him (a stable motif of fate in Lermontov’s works). But he dies adamant, his spirit is not broken.

Great courage is required to preserve oneself, one’s personality under the conditions of a totalitarian regime, not to give up one’s ideals and ideas, including in creativity, and not to submit to the situation. The question of courage and cowardice is one of the central ones in M.A.’s novel. Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita".

The words of the hero of the novel, Ga-Notsri, affirm the idea that one of the main human vices is cowardice. This idea can be seen throughout the novel. The all-seeing Woland, opening the “curtain” of time for us, shows that the course of history does not change human nature: Judas, aloisia (traitors, informers) exist at all times. But the basis of betrayal is also, most likely, cowardice - a vice that has always existed, a vice that underlies many grave sins.

Aren't traitors cowards? Aren't flatterers cowards? And if a person is lying, he is also afraid of something. Back in the 18th century French philosopher C. Helvetius argued that “after courage, there is nothing more beautiful than a confession of cowardice.”

In his novel, Bulgakov argues that man is responsible for improving the world in which he lives. The position of non-participation is not acceptable. Can the Master be called a hero? Most likely no. The master failed to remain a fighter to the end. The Master is not a hero, he is only a servant of truth. The Master cannot be a hero, since he chickened out and abandoned his book. He is broken by the adversity that befell him, but he broke himself. Then, when he escaped from reality to the Stravinsky clinic, when he assured himself that “there is no need to make big plans,” he doomed himself to inaction of the spirit. He is not a creator, he is only a Master, and therefore he is only given

Yeshua is a wandering young philosopher who came to Yershalaim to preach his teachings. He is physically weak person, but at the same time he is a spiritually strong personality, he is a man of thought. The hero under no circumstances gives up his views. Yeshua believes that a person can be changed for the better with good. It is very difficult to be kind, so it is easy to replace goodness with all sorts of surrogates, which often happens. But if a person does not chicken out and does not give up his views, then such good is omnipotent. The “tramp”, the “weak man” managed to turn the life of Pontius Pilate, the “almighty ruler” upside down.

Pontius Pilate is the representative of the authority of imperial Rome in Judea. Rich life experience Ga-Nozri helps him understand this man. Pontius Pilate does not want to ruin the life of Yeshua, he tries to persuade him to compromise, and when this fails, he wants to persuade the high priest Kaifa to have mercy on Ha-Notsri on the occasion of the Easter holiday. Pontius Pilate feels pity for Yeshua, compassion, and fear. It is fear that ultimately determines his choice. This fear is born of dependence on the state, the need to follow its interests. For M. Bulgakov, Pontius Pilate is not just a coward, an apostate, but he is also a victim. By apostatizing from Yeshua, he destroys both himself and his soul. Even after physical death, he is doomed to mental suffering, from which only Yeshua can save him.

Margarita, in the name of her love and faith in her lover’s talent, overcomes fear and her own weakness, and even overcomes circumstances.

Yes, Margarita is not ideal person: having become a witch, she destroys the house of writers, participates in Satan's ball with the greatest sinners of all times and peoples. But she didn't chicken out. Margarita fights for her love to the end. It is not for nothing that Bulgakov calls for love and mercy to be the basis of human relations.

In the novel “The Master and Margarita”, according to A.Z. Vulis, there is a philosophy of retribution: what you deserve, you get. The biggest vice - cowardice - will certainly entail retribution: torment of the soul and conscience. Even in The White Guard, M. Bulgakov warned: “Never run like a rat into the unknown from danger.”

Taking responsibility for the destinies of other people, perhaps weaker ones, is also great courage. This is Danko, the hero of the legend from M. Gorky’s story “The Old Woman Izergil”.

A proud, “best of all” man, Danko died for the sake of people. The legend told by the old woman Izergil is based on an ancient tale about a man who saved people and showed them the way out of an impenetrable forest. Danko had a strong-willed character: the hero did not want a slave life for his tribe and at the same time understood that people could not for a long time live in the depths of the forest without the space and light they are accustomed to. Mental fortitude, inner wealth, true perfection in biblical stories was embodied in outward beautiful people. This is exactly how the ancient idea of ​​a person about spiritual and physical beauty was expressed: “Danko is one of those people, a handsome young man. Beautiful

Always brave." Danko believes in own strength, so he doesn’t want to spend them “on thoughts and melancholy.” The hero strives to lead people from the darkness of the forest to freedom, where there is a lot of warmth and light. Having a strong-willed character, he takes on the role of a leader, and people “unitedly all followed him - they believed in him.” The hero was not afraid of difficulties during the difficult journey, but he did not take into account the weakness of the people, who soon “began to grumble” because they did not have Danko’s fortitude and did not have a strong will. Climax episode The story began with the scene of the trial of Danko, when people, tired of the hardship of the journey, hungry and angry, began to blame their leader for everything: “You are an insignificant and harmful person for us! You led us and tired us, and for this you will die! Unable to bear the difficulties, people began to shift responsibility from themselves to Danko, wanting to find someone to blame for their misfortunes. The hero, selflessly loving people, realizing that without him everyone would die, “teared his chest with his hands and tore out his heart from it and raised it high above his head.” Illuminating the dark path from the impenetrable forest with your

with his heart, Danko led people out of the darkness to where “the sun shone, the steppe sighed, the grass glittered in the diamonds of the rain and the river sparkled with gold.” Danko looked at the picture that opened before him and died. The author calls his hero a proud daredevil who died for the sake of people. The final episode makes the reader think about the moral side of the hero’s act: was Danko’s death in vain, are people worthy of such a sacrifice. What is important is the image of a “cautious” person who appeared in the epilogue of the story, who was afraid of something and stepped “on his proud heart.”

The writer characterizes Danko as the best of people. Indeed, the main character traits of the hero are mental fortitude, willpower, selflessness, the desire to selflessly serve people, courage. He sacrificed his life not only for the sake of those whom he led out of the forest, but also for himself: he could not do otherwise, the hero needed to help people. The feeling of love filled Danko’s heart and was an integral part of his nature, which is why M. Gorky calls the hero “the best of all.” Researchers note the connection between Danko’s image and Moses, Prometheus and Jesus Christ. The name Danko is associated with the same root words “tribute”, “dam”, “giving”. The most important words a proud, brave man in the legend: “What will I do for people?!”

Many works of classical Russian literature raise the issue of fear of life in its various manifestations. In particular, many works by A.P. are devoted to the theme of fear and cowardice. Chekhov: "Fears", "Cossack", "Champagne", "Beauties", "Lights", "Steppe", "Man in a Case",

“Death of an Official”, “Ionych”, “Lady with a Dog”, “Chameleon”, “Chamber

No. 6", "Fear", "Black Monk", etc.

The hero of the story "Fear" Dmitry Petrovich Silin is afraid of everything. According to the author of the story, he is “sick with the fear of life.” The hero, according to Chekhov, is frightened by the incomprehensible and incomprehensible. For example, Silin is afraid of terrible events, disasters and the most ordinary events. He is afraid of life itself. Everything that is incomprehensible in the world around him is a threat to him. He reflects and tries to find answers to questions that concern him about the meaning of life and human existence. He is convinced that people understand what they see and hear, but he poisons himself daily with his own fear.

In the story, he is constantly trying to hide and seclude himself. Dmitry Petrovich seems to be running away from life: he leaves his service in St. Petersburg because he experiences feelings of fear and apprehension, and decides to live alone in his estate.

And then Silin receives a second strong blow when his wife and friend betray him. When he finds out about the betrayal, fear drives him out of the house: “His hands were shaking, he was in a hurry and looked back at the house, he was probably scared.” It is not surprising that the hero of the story compares himself to a newborn midge, whose life consists of nothing but horrors.

In the story “Ward No. 6” the theme of fear also comes to the fore. The hero of the story, Andrei Efimovich, is afraid of everything and everyone. Most of all, he is wary of reality. Nature itself looks scary to him. The most ordinary things and objects seem frightening: “This is reality!” thought Andrei Efimovich. The moon, and the prison, and the nails on the fence, and the distant flame in the bone plant were scary.”

The fear of the incomprehensibility of life is presented in the story "The Man in the Case." This fear forces the hero to move away from reality. The hero of the story, Belikov, is always trying to “hide from life” in a case. His case is made of circulars and instructions, the implementation of which he constantly monitors. His fear is vague. He is afraid of everything and at the same time nothing specific. The most hated thing for him is failure to follow the rules and deviations from the regulations. Even insignificant little things plunge Belikov into mystical horror. “Reality irritated him, frightened him, kept him in constant anxiety, and, perhaps, in order to justify this timidity of his, his aversion to the present, he always praised the past and what never happened; and the ancient languages ​​that he taught , were for him, in essence, the same galoshes and an umbrella where he hid from real life." If Silin, out of fear of life, tries to hide in his estate, then Belikov’s fear of life forces him to hide in a case of rules and strict laws and, in the end, hide underground forever.

The hero of the story "About Love" Alekhine is also afraid of everything and also prefers to hide, secluded in his estate, although he had good opportunity engage in literature. He is afraid even of his love and torments himself when he overcomes this feeling and loses his beloved woman.

The fairy tale by M.E. is dedicated to the problem of fear of life. Saltykova-Shchedrin"The wise minnow." The life of a minnow flashes before the reader, simple in its structure, based on fear of the potential dangers of the world order. The hero's father and mother lived long life and died a natural death. And before leaving for another world, they bequeathed their son to be careful, since all the inhabitants water world, and a person, in any

moment could ruin him. The young minnow mastered his parents' science so well that he literally imprisoned himself in an underwater hole. He came out of it only at night, when everyone was sleeping, was malnourished and “trembled” all day long - just so as not to be captured! He lived in this fear for 100 years, truly outliving his relatives, even though he was a small fish that anyone could swallow. And in this sense, his life was a success. His other dream also came true - to live in such a way that no one would ever know about the existence of the wise minnow.

Before his death, the hero thinks about what would happen if all the fish lived the same way as he does. And he begins to see the light: the race of minnows would cease! All opportunities passed him by - making friends, starting a family, raising children and passing on his life experience to them. He clearly realizes this before his death and, deep in thought, falls asleep, and then involuntarily violates the boundaries of his hole: “his snout” appears outward from the hole. And then there is room for the reader’s imagination, because the author does not say what happened to the hero, but only states that he suddenly disappeared. There were no witnesses to this incident, so not only the task of living at least unnoticed was achieved by the gudgeon, but also the “ultimate task” - to also disappear unnoticed. The author bitterly sums up the life of his hero: “He lived - he trembled, and he died - he trembled.”

Often anxiety and caring for loved ones help you become brave. The little boy from the story by A.I. shows remarkable courage. Kuprin “White Poodle” In the story all the most important events related to the white poodle Artaud. The dog is one of the artists of the traveling troupe. Grandfather Lodyzhkin values ​​him very much and says about the dog: “He feeds, waters and clothes the two of us.” It is with the help of the image of a poodle that the author reveals human feelings and relationships.

Grandfather and Seryozha love Artoshka and treat him as a friend and family member. That is why they do not agree to sell their beloved dog for any money. But Trilly’s mother believes: “Everything that can be bought is sold.” When her spoiled son wanted a dog, she offered the artists fabulous money and didn’t even want to hear that the dog was not for sale. When they couldn’t buy Artaud, they decided to steal it. Here, when grandfather Lodyzhkin showed weakness, Seryozha shows determination and takes a brave action worthy of an adult: return the dog at any cost. At the risk of his life, almost getting caught by the janitor, he frees his friend.

The topic of cowardice and courage has been repeatedly addressed and modern writers. One of the most striking works is the story

V. Zheleznikov “Scarecrow”. A new student, Lena Bessoltseva, comes to one of the provincial schools. She is the granddaughter of an artist who leads a secluded lifestyle, which caused the townspeople to alienate him. Classmates openly make it clear to the new girl whose rules are here. Over time, she begins to be despised for her kindness and kindness, and her classmates give her the nickname “Scarecrow.” Lena has a kind soul, and she tries in every possible way to establish contact with her classmates, trying not to react to the offensive nickname. However, the cruelty of children led by class leaders knows no bounds. Only one person feels pity for the girl and begins to be friends with her - Dima Somov. One day the children decided to skip class and go to the cinema. Dima returned to class to pick up the forgotten item. The teacher met him, and the boy was forced to tell the truth that his classmates had run away from class. After this, the children decide to punish Dima for his betrayal, but suddenly Lena, who has maintained neutrality all this time, stands up for her friend and begins to justify him. Classmates quickly forget Dima's sin and transfer their aggression to the girl. They declared a boycott on Lena to teach her a lesson. Cruel children burn an effigy symbolizing Lena. The girl is no longer able to withstand such oppression and asks her grandfather to leave this city. After Bessoltseva left, the children experience torment of conscience, they understand that they have lost a really good person, honest man, but it’s too late to do anything.

The clear leader in the class is the Iron Button. Her behavior is determined by the desire to be special: strong-willed, principled. However, these qualities are inherent in her only externally; she needs them to maintain leadership. At the same time, she is one of the few who partially sympathize with Lena and sets her apart from the rest: “I didn’t expect this from Scarecrow,” the Iron Button finally broke the silence. - I hit everyone. Not all of us are capable of this. It’s a pity that she turned out to be a traitor, otherwise I would have become friends with her... And you are all wimps. You don’t know what you want.” And she realizes the reason for this sympathy only at the very end, at the moment of farewell to Bessoltseva. It becomes obvious that Lenka is not like the others. She has inner strength, courage, which allows her to resist lies and save spirituality.

Dimka Somov occupies a special place in the system of images of the story. At first glance, this is a person who is not afraid of anything, does not depend on others, and this differs from his peers. This is manifested in his actions: in his attempts to protect Lena, in the way he freed the dog from Valka, in the desire to be independent from his parents and earn money himself. But then it turns out that, like Red, he depended on the class and was afraid to exist separately from it. Fearing the opinions of his classmates, he turned out to be capable of repeated betrayal: he betrays Bessoltseva when he does not admit his wrongdoing, when he burns Lenka’s effigy with everyone else, when he tries to scare her, when he and the others throw her dress around. His outer beauty does not correspond to the internal content, and in the episode of farewell to Bessoltseva, it evokes only pity. Thus, no one from the class could stand it moral test: They did not have enough moral foundation, inner strength and courage for this.

Unlike all the characters, Lena turns out to be strong personality: nothing can push her to betrayal. She forgives Somov several times - this testifies to her kindness. She finds the strength to survive all the insults and betrayals without becoming embittered. It is no coincidence that the action takes place against the backdrop of portraits of Lena’s ancestors, especially the brave General Raevsky. Apparently, they are intended to emphasize the courage characteristic of her family.

Courage and cowardice in extreme situations, at war.

The true qualities of the human personality are most clearly manifested in extreme situations, in particular in war.

Roman L.N. Tolstoy's "War and Peace" is not only and not so much about war, but about human characters and qualities that manifest themselves in difficult conditions of choice and the need to commit an act. Important for the writer are reflections on true courage, courage, heroism and cowardice as personality traits. These qualities are most clearly manifested in military episodes.

When drawing heroes, Tolstoy uses the technique of opposition. How different we see Prince Andrei and Zherkov in the battle of Shengraben! Bagration sends Zherkov with an order to retreat to the left flank, that is, where it is most dangerous now. But Zherkov is desperately cowardly and therefore jumps not to where the shooting is, but looks for the bosses “in more safe place where they couldn't be." Thus, a vital order by this adjutant

not transferred. But he is handed over to another officer - Prince Bolkonsky. He is also scared, the cannonballs are flying right over him, but he forbids himself to be cowardly.

Zherkov was afraid to get to the battery, and at the officer’s dinner he boldly and shamelessly laughed at an amazing hero, but funny and timid person- Captain Tushin. Not knowing how courageously the battery acted, Bagration scolded the captain for leaving the gun. None of the officers found the courage to say that Tushin’s battery was without cover. And only Prince Andrei was indignant at these unrest in the Russian army and the inability to appreciate true heroes and not only acquitted the captain, but called him and his soldiers true heroes days, to which the troops owe their success.

Timokhin, inconspicuous and unremarkable in ordinary circumstances, also demonstrates true courage: “Timokhin, with a desperate cry, rushed at the French... with one skewer, ran at the enemy, so that the French... threw down their weapons and ran.”

One of the main characters of the novel, Andrei Bolkonsky, had such qualities as pride, courage, decency and honesty. At the beginning of the novel, he is dissatisfied with the emptiness of society and therefore goes to military service in the active army. Going to war, he dreams of accomplishing a feat and earning people's love. In war, he shows courage and bravery; his soldiers characterize him as a strong, courageous and demanding officer. He puts honor, duty and justice first. During Battle of Austerlitz Andrei accomplishes a feat: he picks up a banner that has fallen from the hands of a wounded soldier and carries the soldiers running away in panic with him.

Another hero who goes through a test of his character is Nikolai Rostov. When the plot logic leads him to the field of the Shengraben battle, the “moment of truth” comes. Until this time, the hero is absolutely confident in his courage and that he will not disgrace himself in battle. But after seeing true face War, coming close to death, Rostov realizes the impossibility of murder and death. “It can’t be that they want to kill me,” he thinks, running away from the French. He's confused. Instead of shooting, he throws his pistol at the enemy. His fear is not fear of the enemy. He is possessed by “a feeling of fear for his happy young life.”

Petya is the youngest in the Rostov family, his mother’s favorite. He goes to war very young, and his main goal is to accomplish a feat, to become a hero: “... Petya was in a constantly happy and excited state

joy at the fact that he is big, and in his constantly enthusiastic haste not to miss any occasion of real heroism.” He has little combat experience, but a lot of youthful fervor. Therefore, he boldly rushes into the thick of the battle and comes under enemy fire. Despite his young age (16 years), Petya is desperately brave and sees his destiny in serving the fatherland.

The Great Patriotic War provided a lot of material for thinking about courage and cowardice.

True Courage, courage in war can be shown not only by a soldier, a warrior, but also by an ordinary person, drawn by the forces of circumstances into a terrible cycle of events. Such a story of a simple woman is described in the novel by V.A. Zakrutkina “Mother of Man”.

In September 1941, Hitler's troops advanced far into Soviet territory. Many regions of Ukraine and Belarus were occupied. What remained on the territory occupied by the Germans was a farm lost in the steppes, where a young woman Maria, her husband Ivan and their son Vasyatka lived happily. Having captured previously peaceful and abundant land, the Nazis destroyed everything, burned the farm, drove people to Germany, and hanged Ivan and Vasyatka. Only Maria managed to escape. Alone, she had to fight for her life and for the life of her unborn child.

Further events The novel reveals the greatness of the soul of Mary, who truly became the Mother of man. Hungry, exhausted, she does not think about herself at all, saving the girl Sanya, mortally wounded by the Nazis. Sanya replaced the deceased Vasyatka and became a part of Maria’s life, which was trampled by the fascist invaders. When the girl dies, Maria almost goes crazy, not seeing the meaning of her further existence. And yet she finds the courage to live.

Experiencing a burning hatred for the Nazis, Maria, having met a wounded young German, frantically rushes at him with a pitchfork, wanting to avenge her son and husband. But the German, a defenseless boy, shouted: “Mom! Mother!" And the Russian woman’s heart trembled. The great humanism of the simple Russian soul is extremely simply and clearly shown by the author in this scene.

Maria felt her duty to the people deported to Germany, so she began to harvest from the collective farm fields not only for herself, but also for those who, perhaps, would return home. A sense of fulfilled duty supported her in difficult and lonely days. Soon she had a large farm, because Maria's plundered and burned farmstead

all living things flocked. Maria became, as it were, the mother of the entire land surrounding her, the mother who buried her husband, Vasyatka, Sanya, Werner Bracht and a complete stranger to her, killed at the forefront of the political instructor Slava. Maria was able to take under her roof seven Leningrad orphans who, by the will of fate, were brought to her farm.

This is how this courageous woman met Soviet troops with kids. And when the first Soviet soldiers entered the burnt farm, it seemed to Maria that she had given birth not only to her son, but to all the war-dispossessed children of the world...

V. Bykov’s story “Sotnikov” emphasizes the problem of real and imaginary courage and heroism, which forms the essence of the storyline of the work. The main characters of the story - Sotnikov and Rybak - behaved differently in the same circumstances. The fisherman, cowardly, agreed to join the police, hoping to return to the partisan detachment at an opportunity. Sotnikov chooses a heroic death because he is a person with a heightened sense of responsibility, duty, the ability not to think about himself, about his own destiny when the fate of the Motherland is decided. Sotnikov's death became his moral triumph: "And if anything else cared about him in life, it was his last responsibilities towards people." The fisherman discovered shameful cowardice and cowardice and, for the sake of his salvation, agreed to become a policeman: “The opportunity to live has appeared - this is the main thing. Everything else will come later.”

Huge moral strength Sotnikov is that he managed to accept suffering for his people, maintain faith, and not succumb to the thought that Rybak succumbed to.

In the face of death, a person becomes what he really is. Here the depth of his convictions and civic fortitude are tested. This idea can be seen in V. Rasputin’s story “Live and Remember.”

The heroes of the story Nastena and Guskov are faced with the problem of moral choice. The husband is a deserter, who became a deserter by accident: after being wounded, leave followed, but for some reason he was not given, he was immediately sent to the front. And, driving past his home, the soldier who fought honestly cannot stand it. He runs home, succumbs to the fear of death, becomes a deserter and a coward, dooming to death everyone for whom he went to fight, whom he loved so much: his wife Nastena and the child for whom they had been waiting for ten years. And the rushing Nastena cannot withstand the weight that has fallen on her. Not

endures because her soul is too pure, her moral thoughts are too high, although she may not even know the word. And she makes her choice: she goes with her unborn child into the waters of the Yenisei, because it is a shame to live like this in the world. And it is not only to the deserter that Rasputin addresses his “live and remember.” He addresses us, the living: live, remembering that you always have a choice.

In the story by K.D. Vorobyov's "Killed near Moscow" tells the story of the tragedy of young Kremlin cadets sent to their deaths during the German offensive near Moscow in the winter of 1941. In the story the writer shows the “merciless, the terrible truth the first months of the war." The heroes of K. Vorobyov's story are young... The writer talks about what the Motherland, war, enemy, home, honor, death are for them. The entire horror of war is shown through the eyes of the cadets. Vorobyov draws the path of the Kremlin cadet Lieutenant Alexei Yastrebov to victory over himself, over the fear of death, the path to gaining courage. Alexey wins because in a tragically cruel world, where war is now the master of everything, he retained dignity and humanity, good nature and love for his homeland. The death of the company, the suicide of Ryumin, the death under the tracks of German tanks, the cadets who survived the raid - all this completed the reassessment of values ​​in the mind of the protagonist.

In V. Kondratyev’s story “Sashka” the whole truth about the war, which smelled of sweat and blood, is revealed. The battles near Rzhev were terrible, grueling, with huge human losses. And war does not appear in pictures of heroic battles - it is simply difficult, hard, dirty work. A person in war is in extreme, inhumane conditions. Will he be able to remain human next to death, blood mixed with dirt, cruelty and pain for the desecrated land and dead friends?

Sashka is an ordinary infantryman, he has been fighting for two months and has seen a lot of terrible things. In two months, from one hundred and fifty people in the company, sixteen remained. V. Kondratyev shows several episodes from Sashka’s life. Here he gets felt boots for a company commander, risking his life, here he returns to the company under fire to say goodbye to the guys and give away his machine gun, here he leads orderlies to a wounded man, not relying on them finding him themselves, here he takes a German prisoner and refuses shoot him... Sashka shows desperate courage - he takes the German with his bare hands: he has no cartridges, he gave his disc to the company commander. But the war did not kill his kindness and humanity.

Ordinary girls, the heroines of B. Vasiliev’s book “The Dawns Here Are Quiet...”, also did not want war. Rita, Zhenya, Lisa, Galya, Sonya entered into an unequal struggle with the Nazis. The war turned ordinary schoolgirls of yesterday into courageous warriors, because always “in important epochs of life ... in the very an ordinary person the spark of heroism flares up..."

Rita Osyanina, strong-willed and gentle, she is the most courageous and fearless, because she is a mother! She protects the future of her son, and therefore is ready to die so that he can live. Zhenya Komelkova is cheerful, funny, beautiful, mischievous to the point of adventurism, desperate and tired of the war, of pain and love, long and painful, for a distant and married man. She, without hesitation, leads the Germans away from Vaskov and the wounded Rita. Saving them, she dies herself. “And she could have buried herself,” Vaskov says later, “but she didn’t want to.” She didn’t want to, because she realized that she was saving others, that her son needed Rita - she must live. Willingness to die to save another – isn’t this true courage? Sonya Gurvich - the embodiment of an excellent student and a poetic nature, a “beautiful stranger” who came out of a volume of poems by A. Blok - rushes to save Vaskov’s pouch and dies at the hands of a fascist. Lisa Brichkina...

“Oh, Liza-Lizaveta, I didn’t have time, I couldn’t overcome the quagmire of war.” But without any extra thought, she ran back to her own people for help. Was it scary? Yes, sure. Alone among the swamps... but I had to - and I went without a moment’s hesitation. Isn't this courage born of war?

The main character of B. Vasiliev’s work “Not on the Lists” is Lieutenant Nikolai Pluzhnikov, who recently graduated military school. This is an enthusiastic young man, full of hope and believes that “... every commander must first serve in the troops.” Talking about short life lieutenant, B. Vasiliev shows how a young man becomes a hero.

Having received an appointment to the Special Western District, Kolya was happy. As if on wings, he flew to the city of Brest-Litovsk, hurrying to quickly decide on a unit. His guide around the city was the girl Mirra, who helped him get to the fortress. Before reporting to the regimental duty officer, Kolya went into the warehouse to clean his uniform. And at that time the first explosion was heard... And so the war began for Pluzhnikov.

Having barely had time to jump out before the second explosion, which blocked the entrance to the warehouse, the lieutenant began his first battle. He strived to accomplish the feat, thinking proudly: “I went on a real attack and, it seems, I killed someone. Eat

what to tell..." And the next day he was afraid of the German machine gunners and, saving his life, abandoned the soldiers who had already trusted him.

From this moment on, the lieutenant's consciousness begins to change. He blames himself for cowardice and sets a goal for himself: at all costs to prevent his enemies from capturing Brest Fortress. Pluzhnikov realizes that true heroism and feat require from a person courage, responsibility, and the willingness to “lay down his soul for his friends.” And we see how the awareness of duty becomes driving force his actions: you can’t think about yourself, because the Motherland is in danger. Having gone through all the cruel trials of the war, Nikolai became an experienced fighter, ready to give everything in the name of victory and firmly believing that “it is impossible to defeat a person, even by killing him.”

Feeling a blood connection with the Fatherland, he remained faithful to his military duty, which called for him to fight his enemies to the end. After all, the lieutenant could leave the fortress, and this would not be desertion on his part, because he was not on the lists. Pluzhnikov understood that defending the Motherland was his sacred duty.

Left alone in the destroyed fortress, the lieutenant met Sergeant Major Semishny, who from the very beginning of the siege of Brest wore the regiment’s banner on his chest. Dying of hunger and thirst, with a broken spine, the foreman kept this shrine, firmly believing in the liberation of our Motherland. Pluzhnikov accepted the banner from him, receiving the order to survive at all costs and return the scarlet banner to Brest.

Nikolai had to go through a lot during these harsh days tests. But no troubles could break the man in him and extinguish his fiery love for the Fatherland, because “in important epochs of life, sometimes a spark of heroism flares up in the most ordinary person”...

The Germans drove him into a casemate from which there was no second way out. Pluzhnikov hid the banner and came into the light, telling the man sent for him: “The fortress did not fall: it simply bled to death. I am her last straw...” How deeply Nikolai Pluzhnikov is revealed in his human essence in the final scene of the novel, when he, accompanied by Reuben Svitsky, leaves the dungeon. It is written if we turn to the analogy musical creativity, according to the principle of the final chord.

Everyone in the fortress looked with surprise at Nicholas, this

"the unconquered son of the unconquered Motherland." Before them stood “an incredibly thin, ageless man.” The lieutenant was "without a hat, long

White hair touched his shoulders... He stood strictly straight, throwing his head high, and, without looking away, looked at the sun with blinded eyes. And from those unblinking, staring eyes, tears flowed uncontrollably.”

Marveling at Pluzhnikov's heroism, the German soldiers and general gave him the highest military honors. “But he didn’t see these honors, and if he did, he wouldn’t care. He was above all conceivable honors, above glory, above life, above death.” Lieutenant Nikolai Pluzhnikov was not born a hero. The author talks in detail about his pre-war life. He is the son of Commissar Pluzhnikov, who died at the hands of the Basmachi. Even at school, Kolya considered himself a model of a general who participated in Spanish events. And in war conditions, the unfired lieutenant was forced to accept independent decisions; when he received the order to retreat, he did not leave the fortress. This construction of the novel helps to understand spiritual world not only Pluzhnikov, but also all the courageous defenders of the fatherland.

Composition

The theme of love occupies a special place in the work of A. I. Kuprin. The writer gave us three stories, united by this great topic, - « Garnet bracelet", "Olesya" and "Sulamith".
Kuprin showed different facets of this feeling in each of his works, but one thing remains unchanged: love illuminates the lives of his heroes with extraordinary light, becomes the brightest, unique event of life, a gift of fate. It is in love that the best features of his heroes are revealed.
Fate threw the hero of the story “Olesya” into a remote village in the Volyn province, on the outskirts of Polesie. Ivan Timofeevich - writer. He is an educated, intelligent, inquisitive person. He is interested in people, with their customs and traditions, and in the legends and songs of the region. He was traveling to Polesie with the intention of enriching his life experience with new observations useful for the writer: “Polesie... wilderness... bosom of nature... simple morals... primitive natures,” he thought while sitting in the carriage.
Life presented Ivan Timofeevich with an unexpected gift: in the Polesie wilderness he met a wonderful girl and his true love.
Olesya and her grandmother Manuilikha live in the forest, away from the people who once expelled them from the village, suspecting them of witchcraft. Ivan Timofeevich is an enlightened person and, unlike the dark Polesie peasants, he understands that Olesya and Manuilikha simply “have access to some instinctive knowledge obtained by chance experience.”
Ivan Timofeevich falls in love with Olesya. But he is a man of his time, of his circle. Reproaching Olesya for superstition, Ivan Timofeevich himself is not to a lesser extent is at the mercy of the prejudices and rules by which people of his circle lived. He did not even dare to imagine what Olesya would look like, dressed in a fashionable dress, talking in the living room with the wives of his colleagues, Olesya, torn from the “charming frame of the old forest.”
Next to Olesya, he looks like a weak, unfree man, “a man with a lazy heart” who will not bring happiness to anyone. “You will not have great joys in life, but there will be a lot of boredom and hardship,” Olesya predicts to him from the cards. Ivan Timofeevich could not save Olesya from harm, who, trying to please her beloved, went to church contrary to her beliefs, despite the fear of the hatred of local inhabitants.
Oles has courage and determination, which our hero lacks; she has the ability to act. Petty calculations and fears are alien to her when it comes to the feeling: “Let it be what will be, but I won’t give my joy to anyone.”
Pursued and persecuted by superstitious peasants, Olesya leaves, leaving a string of “coral” beads as a souvenir for Ivan Timofeevich. She knows that for him soon “everything will pass, everything will be erased,” and he will remember her love without grief, easily and joyfully.
The story “Olesya” adds new touches to the endless theme of love. Here, Kuprin’s love is not only the greatest gift, which it is a sin to refuse. Reading the story, we understand that this feeling is unthinkable without naturalness and freedom, without bold determination to defend your feeling, without the ability to sacrifice in the name of those you love. Therefore, Kuprin remains the most interesting, intelligent and sensitive interlocutor for readers of all times.

Other works on this work

1. The image of Olesya, the special traits of her character.
2. The feeling that Ivan Timofeevich had for Olesya.
3. Sacrifice and determination of a girl from Polesie.

... This means that fate does not want our happiness with you... And if not for this, do you think I would be afraid of anything?
A. I. Kuprin

Olesya, a tall twenty-four-year-old girl from Polesie, Volyn province, immediately struck the narrator, Ivan Timofeevich, with her unusualness, irresistibility, innate natural beauty and nature. She was much more beautiful than the local girls, because she did not hide her beauty: “A tall brunette, about twenty to twenty-five years old, she carried herself easily and slenderly. A spacious white shirt hung freely and beautifully around her young, healthy breasts. The original beauty of her face, once seen, could not be forgotten, but it was difficult, even after getting used to it, to describe it. Its charm lay in these large, shiny, dark eyes, to which thin eyebrows, broken in the middle, gave an elusive shade of slyness, authority and naivety; in the dark-pink tone of the skin, in the willful curve of the lips, of which the lower, somewhat fuller, protruded forward with a decisive and capricious look.” The granddaughter of the sorceress Manuilikha lived with her grandmother in a forest hut and was very attentive to the nature around her. Moreover, Olesya was an integral part of this living, almost pristine, unspoiled by the harmful human activity, nature. Starlings and finches lived in their hut with their grandmother. Olesya hated the very sight of a gun, because she knew that with its help people kill defenseless animals and birds: “Why beat birds or hares too? They do no harm to anyone, but they want to live just like you and me. I love them: they are small, so stupid...” Olesya had self-confidence, independence and a genuine sense of self-worth, some nobility and “innate graceful moderation.” The girl, who grew up in the forest and rarely went out into the village to buy soap and tea, had a lively, flexible and insightful mind. Despite some naivety and lack of education, Olesya had excellent innate intuition and some supernatural abilities hereditary healer and witch. And Ivan Timofeevich was especially attracted to Olesya by “her integral, original, free nature, her mind, both clear and shrouded in unshakable hereditary superstition, childishly innocent, but also not devoid of the sly coquetry of a beautiful woman.”

In the spring, when the main character of the work felt “sadness, full of restless expectations and vague forebodings,” he met Olesya. They began to spend the evening hours together, talking a lot in different topics. Gradually this all grew into a special attachment. For the first time Ivan feels love feeling to Olesya before her illness, when the girl seemed to have lost interest in him: “I had not yet thought about love, but I was already experiencing an anxious period preceding love, full of vague, painfully sad sensations. Wherever I was, no matter what I tried to amuse myself with, all my thoughts were occupied with the image of Olesya, my whole being strove for her, every memory of her sometimes most insignificant words, of her gestures and smiles squeezed my soul with a quiet and sweet pain. heart". The half-month separation further inflamed Ivan Timofeevich’s love for the young forest dweller and, fortunately, the feeling turned out to be mutual. And until mid-June, the lovers enjoyed the “naive, charming fairy tale of their love.” But what did Ivan do to maintain this happiness, to become a protector and reliable support for his beloved for the rest of his life? He thought about marrying Olesya, but the strong, educated man still did not have the determination to tell his beloved that he would soon have to leave. The young forest dweller has to guess this sad news from Ivan Timofeevich. And he, proposing to her, expresses his consent to Olesya’s proposal to go to church. For some reason, Ivan thinks little about whether this “something very pleasant for him” will also be joyful for the girl herself? Will it be safe for the young witch? Unfortunately, Ivan Timofeevich does not attach special significance his anxiety inner voice, does not save his beloved from a fatal step and, as a result, loses her.

Olesya’s inner experiences are not described on the pages of the story, but her love is visible to us through her words, facial expressions, gestures, and actions. The forest girl is stronger, fearless and determined than her lover. After all, from the very beginning, after fortune telling on cards, she knew for sure that this love would bring her trouble. I learned that Ivan is “although a kind man, but only weak.” But she could not give up her happiness, nor the happiness of her beloved Vanya. And, in general, Olesya believed that fate could not be avoided. Her courage and independence are expressed not only in her proud statement to her grandmother Manuilikha, “My business, my answer,” but also in her other actions. It is she, Olesya, who persuades Ivan Timofeevich to have a close relationship, saying in response to his fears: “Today is our day, and no one will take it away from us...”. Sometimes there is a feeling that Olesya gave all of herself, all the best that she has to her lover. And Ivan Timofeevich himself feels her high dedication: “...And how much I read in Olesya’s big dark eyes: the excitement of the meeting, and the reproach for my long absence, and the ardent declaration of love... I felt that at the same time with her gaze Olesya gives me joyfully, without any conditions or hesitation, her entire being.” But not everything was smooth in the conversations between the young forest witch and Ivan: they had contradictions about religion. Vanya was a believing Christian, and Olesya felt that she, her grandmother, and her mother were always guided dark forces, devil. Feeling the bitterness of the upcoming separation, the girl selflessly decided to please her beloved and go to church for him. She did not hear any words of warning or resistance from her beloved. On the contrary, Ivan supported this intention, so dangerous for the young witch, with the words: “A woman should be pious without reasoning. In the simple and tender trust with which she places herself under the protection of God, I always feel something touching, feminine and beautiful.” Did Olesya know what she was getting into? Most likely yes... But she, unlike Ivan Timofeevich, knew how to sacrifice herself for the sake of her loved one. And she took upon herself all the blame, all the responsibility for the terrible consequences of this step. This means that Olesya is a truly strong, strong-willed and independent woman. The young witch regrets that she does not have a child from her beloved, but, overcoming physical and heartache, she herself becomes the initiator of the final separation from Ivan. In the end, Olesya is happy that she was able to bring the joy of love to Ivan Timofeevich.

Courage. What it is? I think that courage is decisiveness in thoughts and actions, the ability to stand up for yourself and for other people who need your help, overcoming all sorts of fears: for example, fear of the dark, of someone else's brute force, of life's obstacles and difficulties. Is it easy to be brave? Not easy. This quality probably needs to be cultivated from childhood. Overcoming your fears, moving forward despite difficulties, developing willpower, not being afraid to defend your opinion - all this will help cultivate in yourself such a quality as courage. Synonyms for the word “courage” are “courage”, “determination”, “courage”. The antonym is “cowardice.” Cowardice is one of the human vices. We are afraid of many things in life, but fear and cowardice are not the same thing. I think that out of cowardice comes meanness. A coward will always hide in the shadows, remain on the sidelines, fearing for his own life, betray in order to save himself.

People can be brave and cowardly both in war and in Everyday life, and even in love, people show their best and worst qualities. Let's look at examples from fiction.

The heroine of the novel by A.S. Pushkin's "Eugene Onegin" Tatyana Larina is a girl from a noble family who grew up on her parents' estate. There are many of them, but we know that Tatyana differs from others in her intelligence, integrity of nature and even courage. After all, she was the first to confess her love to Onegin, wrote him a letter in which she told him about her feelings. This is a brave move. It was not customary in the society in which Tatyana lived and was raised to talk about her love or take the first step. But we do not despise the heroine of the novel, but admire her, because she does not know how to pretend or flirt, she behaves simply and naturally, and is capable of decisive actions. I think that Tatyana Larina is one of those women who will not be scared life difficulties who, if necessary, will follow his loved one to any test. And for this you need a brave and strong soul.

Such qualities as courage and cowardice in love are discussed in the wonderful story by A.I. Kuprin "Olesya". The heroine of the work, the “Polesie witch,” as ordinary people call her, is an integral and courageous nature. For the sake of love, she is ready to do anything. Olesya does not give up on her beloved, even knowing that she has no future with him, that her happiness is short-lived. On the advice of Ivan Timofeevich, she goes to church, from where she is driven away and then beaten by evil and cowardly people. I think it's light and pure feeling Olesya deserves respect. But Ivan Timofeevich is different. Yes, he probably loves her, but he can’t imagine a girl who grew up in the middle of the forest, who can’t even read, in her living room, in fashionable dress, among the wives of his colleagues. His indecision can also be associated with cowardice in love. It was she who became the reason that the hero of the story lost Olesya forever. All that was left of her as a souvenir was a string of red beads. Talking about the love of Olesya and Ivan Timofeevich, the author wants to say that indecision and cowardice often prevent people from finding their happiness.

In conclusion, I would like to say that this topic essay made me think about what role courage and cowardice play in our lives, how to cultivate the best in ourselves human qualities, become brave and strong, don't be a coward.

An example of a final essay on the topic “Courage and cowardice as an indicator of inner strength” with examples from literature.

“Courage and cowardice as an indicator of a person’s inner strength”

Introduction

Courage and cowardice originate deep within a person in childhood. Awareness of one's own spiritual power is the result of the upbringing and living conditions of a growing person. It is these two concepts that are responsible for how strong a person becomes, how prepared he will be for the life ahead.

Problem

The problem of courage and cowardice, which are indicators of a person’s inner spiritual strength and the strength of his character, is especially relevant in our time.

Thesis No. 1

Today, like several centuries ago, there are people who find the courage to confront the conditions environment. The cowardice of others does not allow them to change anything in life; they are so numb with fear of reality that they are ready to easily give up what they have.

Argumentation

So in the play by A.N. Ostrovsky's "The Thunderstorm" we see two types of people in the example of Tikhon Kabanov and his wife Katerina. Tikhon is weak, he is cowardly, unable to fight the despotism of his mother. He cannot change anything in his life, although he is completely dissatisfied with it. Katerina finds in herself the strength and courage to resist the current circumstances, even at the cost own life. At least, the reader feels much more respect for Katerina than for her husband.

Conclusion

We must be strong so that in moments when it is necessary, we can withstand the blow of life or make vital decisions. Our inner courage will allow us to overcome any difficulties. You cannot allow cowardice to take precedence over your desires and aspirations.

Thesis No. 2

Attempts to overcome oneself, fighting one's own cowardice or cultivating courage within, can lead a person to complete collapse. Be that as it may, it is very important to live in harmony with yourself.

Argumentation

In the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky's main character, Rodion Raskolnikov, tried to endow himself with qualities that were not inherent to him. He substituted concepts and considered cowardice what was actually the strength of his character. In trying to change himself, he destroyed the lives of many people, including his own.

Conclusion

You need to accept yourself as you are. If something really dissatisfies you, for example, you lack courage of character, then you need to fight spiritual cowardice gradually, preferably with the support of loved ones.

Thesis No. 3

Spiritual courage invariably gives rise to courage in action. Emotional cowardice foretells cowardice in action.

Argumentation

In the story by A.S. Pushkin's "The Captain's Daughter" we meet two heroes close in age and upbringing - Pyotr Grinev and Shvabrin. Only Grinev is the embodiment of courage and spiritual strength, which allowed him to overcome all life’s trials with dignity. And Shvabrin is a coward and a scoundrel, ready to sacrifice everyone around him for his own well-being.

Conclusion

A person who behaves with dignity, nobility and steadfastness undoubtedly has courage, a special inner core that helps solve newly emerging problems. He who is cowardly is helpless before the justice of life.

General conclusion (conclusion)

From childhood, a child needs to be instilled with courage and the ability to withstand life’s difficulties. The older a person gets, the more difficult it is for him to rebuild. Therefore, the internal ability to cope with difficulties must be cultivated almost from birth.