Tolstoy Russian character creative work of students in literature (grade 11) on the topic. A.N. Tolstoy Russian character creative work of students in literature (grade 11) on the topic Tolstoy Russian character in abbreviation

A. Tolstoy’s work “Russian Character”, a summary of which is given in the article, has the subtitle “From the Stories of Ivan Sudarev”. Thus, the author uses the “story within a story” technique, in which his friend, a fellow soldier, told the reader about the Russian warrior. And although the action takes place in the early forties, the focus is not on the valiant exploits of the protagonist, but on what happened to him after being seriously wounded. The author’s task is to show how powerful and amazing the character of the Russian person is.

An ordinary guy - Egor Dremov

A. Tolstoy begins the story “Russian Character,” a summary of which you are reading, by introducing the main character. This is a quiet, simple tanker who lived on a collective farm before the war. He probably differed from his comrades in appearance. Tall, with curls and always with a warm smile on his face, he resembled a god. Dremov loved and respected his parents very much, and spoke with respect of his father, who was an example for him. Yegor also had a beloved girl, whose feelings he had no doubt at all: she would wait, even if she had to return on one leg.

Dremov did not like to boast about his military exploits. This is the real Russian character. A summary of his driver’s stories, meanwhile, shows that they were not uncommon for him. Chuvilev recalled with pride how their tank performed against the German tiger and how skillfully Lieutenant Dremov was able to neutralize the enemy.

So everything went as usual until misfortune happened to the hero. It was this that showed how strong and firm the Russian character can be.

The crew had a chance to participate in the battle of Kursk. By the end of the battle the tank was knocked out. Two died immediately, and the driver pulled the burning lieutenant out of the car just before it exploded. Yegor received large burns: bones were visible in places under the charred skin. The face was badly damaged, but his vision was preserved. The guy had several plastic surgeries, and when the bandages were removed, a complete stranger was looking at him from the mirror. But he reassured his sister, saying that she could live with this. And he himself often felt his face, as if he was getting used to a new appearance - continues the story “Russian Character” by Tolstoy.


The summary of the conversation between the lieutenant and the general, to whom the tanker came after he was declared fit only for combat duty, boils down to the following. Yegor asked to be returned to the regiment and clarified that he was a freak, not a disabled person: “... This will not interfere with the matter.” The general, who tried not to look at him, accepted the arguments and ordered twenty days of leave to recover. After which the hero went home.

Meeting with family

He came to the village in the evening. Having made my way through the snow to the window, I saw how my mother, leisurely, kind, but thin and aged, was preparing food for the table. And then she thought, folding her arms over her chest. Yegor realized that he could not frighten her with his appearance, and, knocking on the door, he introduced himself as his son’s friend, Lieutenant Gromov. He entered a house where everything was painfully familiar. The mother peered at him and asked about her son. Soon their father joined them. And the longer Dremov sat, the harder it was for him to admit to the old people that he was their son.

This is how the hero’s first meeting with his parents in the story “Russian Character” is described. Brief summary (Alexey Tolstoy in every possible way emphasizes how difficult it was for both the hero and the mother) conversations at dinner can be reduced to questions about what spring will be like and how sowing will go when the war ends. The old woman was also interested in when her son would be given leave.

Meeting with the bride

The next day, Yegor wanted to meet their son’s fiancée, Katya, to pay his respects. The girl came running instantly: joyful, radiant, beautiful... She came very close to the guy, looked at him and stepped back. At that moment, Yegor decided: he needed to leave today. Then they ate millet pancakes, and the lieutenant talked about the exploits of Dremov (it turned out, his own). And he himself tried not to look at Katya, so as not to see the reflection of his ugliness on her beautiful face.

This is how the meeting with the past, pre-war life ended for the main character of the story “Russian Character”. The summary of the meeting suggests what decision Yegor made: to hide the truth from his mother for as long as possible and try to forget Katya forever.

Letter from home

Having met his comrades, Dremov felt relieved. And two weeks later he received a letter about his mother, forcing him to change his decision. Such is the Russian character. The summary of the letter is as follows. Marya Polikarpovna told how a man came to them. The mother's heart suggests that it was Yegor himself. The old man scolds and says that if he had a son, he would certainly open up. After all, you should be proud of such a face. That’s why she asked me to judge whether she was right or crazy.

Yegor came with a letter to Sudarev, and he advised him to quickly give an answer and confess everything.

The story “Russian Character”, a summary of which you have read, receives an unexpected ending. After some time, Dremov was summoned by the captain, and Sudarev went with him. So the narrator witnessed Yegor’s meeting with his mother and Katya. The latter really was a beauty, and to the lieutenant’s words that she shouldn’t wait for him like that, she replied: “... I’m going to live with you forever...”.

“It seems like a simple man, but a severe misfortune will come... and a great strength rises in him - human beauty,” ends the story “Russian Character” by Tolstoy.

May 18, 2015

“Russian character! Go ahead and describe him…” - the story “Russian Character” by Alexei Tolstoy begins with these amazing, heartfelt words. Indeed, is it possible to describe, measure, define what is beyond words and feelings? Yes and no. Yes, because talking, reasoning, trying to understand, getting to know the very essence is all necessary. These are, so to speak, those impulses, shocks, thanks to which the perpetual motion machine of life rotates. On the other hand, no matter how much we talk, we still can’t reach the bottom. This depth is infinite. How to describe the Russian character, what words to choose? This can also be done using the example of a heroic deed. But how to choose which one to prefer? There are so many of them that it’s hard not to get lost.

Alexey Tolstoy, “Russian character”: analysis of the work

During the war, Alexey Tolstoy creates an amazing collection “Stories of Ivan Sudarev”, consisting of seven short stories. All of them are united by one theme - the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, one idea - admiration and admiration for the patriotism and heroism of the Russian people, and one main character, on whose behalf the story is told. This is an experienced cavalryman Ivan Sudarev. The last story, which completes the entire cycle, is the story “Russian Character”. Alexei Tolstoy, with his help, summarizes what was said earlier. It is a kind of summary of everything that was said before, all the author’s reasoning and thoughts about the Russian person, about the Russian soul, about the Russian character: beauty, depth and strength are not “a vessel in which there is emptiness”, but “a fire flickering in a vessel."

Theme and idea of ​​the story

From the first lines, the author indicates the theme of the story. Of course, we will talk about the Russian character. Quote from the work: “I just want to talk to you about the Russian character...” And here we hear notes not so much of doubt, but rather of regret that the form of the work is so small and limited - a short story that does not correspond to what the author has chosen scope. And the topic and title are very “meaningful”. But there is nothing to do, because I want to talk...

The ring composition of the story helps to clearly clarify the idea of ​​the work. Both at the beginning and at the end we read the author’s reflections on beauty. What is beauty? Physical attractiveness is clear to everyone, it is on the very surface, you just have to stretch out your hand. No, she is not the one who worries the narrator. He sees beauty in other things - in the soul, in character, in actions. It especially manifests itself in war, when death is constantly around. Then people become better, “every kind of nonsense, husk, peels off from a person, like skin that has become dead after a sunburn,” and does not disappear, and only one thing remains - the core. It is clearly visible in the main character - in the silent, calm, strict Yegor Dremov, in his elderly parents, in the beautiful and faithful bride Katerina, in the tank driver Chuvilov.

Exposition and setup

The story is set in the spring of 1944. The liberation war against the fascist invaders is in full swing. But she is not a character, but rather a background, dark and harsh, but so clearly and brightly showing the amazing colors of love, kindness, friendship and beauty.

The exhibition provides brief information about the main character of the story - Yegor Dremov. He was a simple, modest, quiet, reserved man. He spoke little, especially did not like to “rant” about military exploits and was embarrassed to talk about love. Only once did he casually mention his fiancée - a good and faithful girl. From this moment we can begin to describe the summary of Tolstoy’s “Russian Character”. It is noteworthy here that Ivan Suzdalev, on whose behalf the story is told, met Yegor after his terrible injury and plastic surgery, but in his description there is not a single word about his comrade’s physical disabilities. On the contrary, he sees only beauty, “spiritual affection”, looks at him when he jumps from the armor to the ground - “the god of war.”

We continue to reveal a brief summary of Tolstoy’s “Russian Character”. The plot begins with the terrible injury of Yegor Dremov during the battle on the Kursk Bulge. His face was almost destroyed, and even bones were visible in places, but he survived. His eyelids, lips, and nose were restored, but it was a completely different face.

Climax

The climax scene is the brave warrior's arrival home on leave after the hospital. A meeting with his father and mother, with his bride - with the closest people in his life, turned out not to be a long-awaited joy, but to bitter inner loneliness. He could not, did not dare to admit to his old parents that the man standing in front of them with a disfigured appearance and an alien voice was their son. You can’t let your mother’s old face tremble desperately. However, there was a glimmer of hope in him that his father and mother themselves would recognize him, guess without explanation who had come to them, and then this invisible barrier would be broken. But that did not happen. It cannot be said that Maria Polikarpovna’s maternal heart felt nothing at all. His hand with a spoon while eating, his movements - these seemingly smallest details did not escape her gaze, but she still did not guess. And here Katerina, Yegor’s fiancée, not only didn’t recognize him, but at the sight of the terrible face-mask, she leaned back and got scared. This was the last straw, and the next day he left his father’s house. Of course, he had resentment, disappointment, and despair, but he decided to sacrifice his feelings - it was better to leave, to isolate himself, so as not to frighten his nearest and dearest. Summary of Tolstoy’s “Russian Character” does not end there.

Denouement and conclusion

One of the main features of the Russian character, the Russian soul is sacrificial love. It is precisely this feeling that is true, unconditional. They love not for something and not for the sake of something. This is an irresistible, unconscious need to always be close to a person, to take care of him, to help him, to sympathize with him, to breathe with him. And the word “nearby” is not measured in physical quantities, it means an intangible, thin, but incredibly strong spiritual thread between people who love each other.

After Yegor's quick departure, his mother could not find a place for herself. She guessed that this man with a disfigured face was her beloved son. The father had doubts, but still said that if that visiting soldier was really his son, then there is no need to be ashamed, but to be proud. This means that he truly defended his homeland. His mother writes a letter to him at the front and asks him not to torment him and to tell the truth as it is. Touched, he admits to deception and asks for forgiveness... After some time, both his mother and his bride come to his regiment. Mutual forgiveness, love without further ado and fidelity - this is a happy ending, these are Russian characters. As they say, a man seems simple in appearance, there is nothing remarkable about him, but trouble will come, harsh days will come, and immediately a great strength rises in him - human beauty.

In the story “Russian Character” by A.N. Tolstoy described an episode of the Great Patriotic War, when there was still a whole year left before victory, and the author did not even depict the military feat of tanker Yegor Dremov (this most likely could have been expected), but the family circumstances of the hero - his relationship with his parents and fiancée.

The Russian character in the story is made up of individual character traits of all the characters, main and secondary. The main character is Yegor Dremov, a tank commander who received severe burns in the battle on the Kursk Bulge. He is rescued from a burning tank by the driver, who was himself wounded, but pulled out the unconscious commander. Thus, the tank driver Chuvilev (this minor character will appear again in the story to describe the military exploits of the tank crew under the command of Yegor Dremov) at a dangerous moment thinks not only about his own life, but, risking himself, saves a comrade in arms. In his conscientiousness one can see a character trait that is highly valued by Russians.

Egor Dremov shows Russian character both in battle and especially in his relationships with his parents and fiancée. Arriving home on leave after being wounded, he felt sorry for his old parents and was afraid to upset them. It seemed to Yegor that his ugly face would frighten them: after all, it had become a lifeless mask, and only his eyes remained the same. Thus, the character of the main character showed modesty, restraint, even sacrifice, which Russian people value: a real person least of all cares about himself, but first of all thinks about his loved ones, about their happiness.

Yegor Dremov was mistaken in thinking that he was sparing his parents when he did not admit that he was their son. His parents are happy just because their son is alive - after all, everyone around them is receiving a “funeral” from the front. Egor Egorovich Maria Polikarpovna loves her son not for his appearance, but because he is a son. Of course, the old people are proud that Yegor is their hero, but above all they value in him not his beauty, but his courage and honesty. Another feature of the Russian character appears here - the main attention is paid not to appearance, but to spiritual qualities. After all, the burnt face of a soldier testifies that he took part in terrible battles and did not spare himself while defending his homeland. Such a person evokes respect and admiration among Russians, despite his external ugliness. Therefore, Father Yegor Yegorovich believes that such a face as the front-line soldier who came to see them “should be proud of.” This idea is formulated by the elder Dremov, a Russian himself.

The hero's mother also has a Russian character. Maria Polikarpovna recognized her son, although his face had changed beyond recognition after the operations. She guessed with her heart, with some sixth sense, that her son was staying in her house, and showed extraordinary sensitivity, so dear to the Russian heart. Since a Russian person is usually restrained in the manifestations of his feelings, the attention and observation of others, who themselves must guess about the experiences of a loved one, become very important qualities. It is very good if friends and relatives understand each other without words.

In Katya Malysheva, Yegor Dremov’s fiancée, the Russian character is also revealed: in a woman, Russians value fidelity and devotion, which is demonstrated by the heroine, who twice (seeing him off to the front and visiting him after being wounded) declares to Yegor that she will wait for him from the war and love him faithfully. But Katya is the main character’s fiancée, not his wife, that is, for now she is connected with Yegor only by word.

Ivan Sudarev - Yegor's friend and a benevolent narrator - himself has a Russian character, reasonable, restrained, thoughtful. He evaluates the actions of all the heroes appearing in a small story, and notes the different facets of the Russian character in each character.

Thus, Tolstoy creates a Russian character by combining the features of different heroes, and, thanks to this technique, presents the image of a Russian person as complete, versatile and generally sublime. This portrayal of the national character distinguishes Tolstoy's story from the works of other Soviet authors who wrote about the war. For example, A.T. Tvardovsky in the poem “Vasily Terkin” concentrates the traits of the Russian character in one main character.

According to artistic principles - the conflict between the good and the best and edification (instructiveness) - "Russian Character" should be attributed to the leading direction of Soviet literature - socialist realism. In the story, the conflict between Yegor Dremov and his relatives is far-fetched, because it exists only in the head of the modest protagonist, but in fact, the characters in the story are each better and more noble than the other. The edifying nature of “Russian Character” is expressed in the fact that through Ivan Sudarev, who evaluates all the characters in the work, the writer teaches: this is exactly how a Soviet soldier should behave like Yegor Dremov; this is exactly what a soldier’s relatives should do as his parents and fiancée do. At the end of the story, the author tells the reader how to correctly understand the idea of ​​the work: “Yes, here they are, Russian characters! It seems like a simple person, but a severe misfortune will come, in big or small ways, and a great power will rise in him - human beauty.”

So, the story of Yegor Dremov ended happily. There could not have been any other ending, given that all her heroes have noble characters. During a terrible war, such a story becomes necessary: ​​it gives hope, saves from despair, and therefore “Russian Character,” one might say, reflects the perception of the war era and in this sense becomes a monument to the era.

But if conflict-free stories with a happy ending occur in real life, then only as exceptions. How does a meeting between a soldier and his family usually take place? Remembering the millions of Soviet people who died at the fronts and during the occupation, we can more likely expect tragic dates. M.V. Isakovsky’s poem “Enemies Burnt His Home” (1945) depicts the return of a victorious soldier to his native ashes: all his loved ones died during the German occupation, the long-awaited meeting with relatives turned into a wake at his wife’s grave. Another tragic situation is described by M.A. Sholokhov in the story “The Fate of a Man” (1956). Returning to his hometown after Nazi captivity. Andrei Sokolov learns that his house, while his wife and two teenage daughters were there, was hit by a German bomb. As a result, the protagonist’s beloved relatives don’t even have graves—in place of the house is a crater filled with rusty water.

It is impossible to compare an entire nation to one, even the correct example. A dramatic version of a meeting between a soldier and his family is presented in A.P. Platonov’s story “Return” (1946).

Captain Alexey Alekseevich Ivanov, after the victory, comes to his hometown, where his wife Lyuba, eleven-year-old son Petrushka and five-year-old daughter Nastya are waiting for him. On the very first evening at dinner, the victorious warrior demands from his wife an account of how she lived without him. The writer does not talk about Ivanov at the front, although his orders and medals testify to his military exploits. But the author describes in detail the life of the Ivanov family in the rear: Lyuba worked at a brick (!) factory during all four years of the war, took care of two small children, was constantly worried about her husband at the front, and, in order to escape from everyday melancholy, once succumbed to the tenderness of some then a trade union instructor. Captain Ivanov cannot forgive his wife for this, although he easily forgives himself for similar liberties: a couple of days ago, on his way home, he stayed late visiting a front-line soldier friend, Masha.

The ending of the story about Yegor Dremov is predetermined, given the wonderful Russian characters of all the characters in this story. What will Plato’s imperfect hero do? Outraged and offended by Lyuba’s confession, Alexey the next morning wants to go to Masha (!), but, seeing his children Petrushka and Nastya running towards the train from the window of the carriage, he suddenly softens in soul and gets off the train: yesterday he assessed his family circumstances from the point of view “conceit and self-interest,” and now I understood them with “naked heart.”

There is no teaching in Platonov’s story, and the happy ending is explained not by Ivanov’s exemplary nobility, but by the feelings of a normal person - love for his family. Therefore, the story “Return” is closer to life than “Russian Character”: Plato’s story shows the real world as complex as it is, and not as correct as it should be, according to the writer A. N. Tolstoy.

A. Tolstoy’s work “Russian Character”, a summary of which is given in the article, has the subtitle “From the Stories of Ivan Sudarev”. Thus, the author uses the “story within a story” technique, in which his friend, a fellow soldier, told the reader about the Russian warrior. And although the action takes place in the early forties, the focus is not on the valiant exploits of the protagonist, but on what happened to him after being seriously wounded. The author's task is to show how powerful and amazing a person is.

An ordinary guy - Egor Dremov

A. Tolstoy begins the story “Russian Character,” a summary of which you are reading, by introducing the main character. This is a quiet, simple tanker who lived on a collective farm before the war. He probably differed from his comrades in appearance. Tall, with curls and always with a warm smile on his face, he resembled a god. Dremov loved and respected his parents very much, and spoke with respect of his father, who was an example for him. Yegor also had a beloved girl, whose feelings he had no doubt at all: she would wait, even if she had to return on one leg.

Dremov did not like to boast about his military exploits. This is the real Russian character. A summary of his driver’s stories, meanwhile, shows that they were not uncommon for him. Chuvilev recalled with pride how their tank performed against the German tiger and how skillfully Lieutenant Dremov was able to neutralize the enemy.

So everything went as usual until misfortune happened to the hero. It was this that showed how strong and firm the Russian character can be.

The crew had a chance to participate in the battle of Kursk. By the end of the battle the tank was knocked out. Two died immediately, and the driver pulled the burning lieutenant out of the car just before it exploded. Yegor received large burns: bones were visible in places under the charred skin. The face was badly damaged, but his vision was preserved. The guy had several plastic surgeries, and when the bandages were removed, a complete stranger was looking at him from the mirror. But he reassured his sister, saying that she could live with this. And he himself often felt his face, as if he was getting used to a new appearance - continues the story “Russian Character” by Tolstoy.

The summary of the conversation between the lieutenant and the general, to whom the tanker came after he was declared fit only for combat duty, boils down to the following. Yegor asked to be returned to the regiment and clarified that he was a freak, not a disabled person: “... This will not interfere with the matter.” The general, who tried not to look at him, accepted the arguments and ordered twenty days of leave to recover. After which the hero went home.

Meeting with family

He came to the village in the evening. Having made my way through the snow to the window, I saw how my mother, leisurely, kind, but thin and aged, was preparing food for the table. And then she thought, folding her arms over her chest. Yegor realized that he could not frighten her with his appearance, and, knocking on the door, he introduced himself as his son’s friend, Lieutenant Gromov. He entered a house where everything was painfully familiar. The mother peered at him and asked about her son. Soon their father joined them. And the longer Dremov sat, the harder it was for him to admit to the old people that he was their son.

This is how the hero’s first meeting with his parents in the story “Russian Character” is described. Brief summary (Alexey Tolstoy in every possible way emphasizes how difficult it was for both the hero and the mother) conversations at dinner can be reduced to questions about what spring will be like and how sowing will go when the war ends. The old woman was also interested in when her son would be given leave.

Meeting with the bride

The next day, Yegor wanted to meet their son’s fiancée, Katya, to pay his respects. The girl came running instantly: joyful, radiant, beautiful... She came very close to the guy, looked at him and stepped back. At that moment, Yegor decided: he needed to leave today. Then they ate and the lieutenant talked about Dremov’s exploits (it turned out, his own). And he himself tried not to look at Katya, so as not to see the reflection of his ugliness on her beautiful face.

This is how the meeting with the past, pre-war life ended for the main character of the story “Russian Character”. The summary of the meeting suggests what decision Yegor made: to hide the truth from his mother for as long as possible and try to forget Katya forever.

Letter from home

Having met his comrades, Dremov felt relieved. And two weeks later he received a letter about his mother, forcing him to change his decision. Such is the Russian character. The summary of the letter is as follows. Marya Polikarpovna told how a man came to them. The mother's heart suggests that it was Yegor himself. The old man scolds and says that if he had a son, he would certainly open up. After all, you should be proud of such a face. That's why I asked you to judge whether she was right or

Yegor came with a letter to Sudarev, and he advised him to quickly give an answer and confess everything.

The story “Russian Character”, a summary of which you have read, receives an unexpected ending. After some time, Dremov was summoned by the captain, and Sudarev went with him. So the narrator witnessed Yegor’s meeting with his mother and Katya. The latter really was a beauty, and to the lieutenant’s words that she shouldn’t wait for him like that, she replied: “... I’m going to live with you forever...”.

“It seems like a simple man, but a severe misfortune will come... and a great strength rises in him - human beauty,” ends the story “Russian Character” by Tolstoy.

In the story “Russian Character” by A.N. Tolstoy described one of the episodes of the Great Patriotic War. There was still a whole year left before victory.

The story does not talk about the military feat of tanker Yegor Dremov, but about his relationship with his parents and fiancee. The Russian character in this work is made up of individual character traits of all the characters, main and secondary.

The main character is Yegor Dremov, a tank commander who received severe burns in the battle on the Kursk Bulge. He is rescued from a burning tank by the driver, who was himself wounded, but pulled out the unconscious commander. Thus, the tank driver Chuvilev (this minor character will appear again in the story to describe the military exploits of the tank crew under the command of Yegor Dremov) at a dangerous moment thinks not only about his own life, but, risking himself, saves a comrade in arms. In his conscientiousness one can see a character trait that is highly valued by Russians.

Egor Dremov shows Russian character both in battle and in his relationships with his parents and fiancée. Arriving home on leave after being wounded, he felt sorry for his old parents and was afraid to upset them. It seemed to Yegor that his ugly face would frighten them: after all, it had become a lifeless mask, and only his eyes remained the same. Thus, the character of the main character showed modesty, restraint, even sacrifice, which Russian people value: a real person least of all cares about himself, but first of all thinks about his loved ones, about their happiness.

Yegor Dremov was mistaken in thinking that he was sparing his parents when he did not admit that he was their son. His parents are happy just because their son is alive - after all, everyone around them is receiving a “funeral” from the front. Egor Egorovich and Maria Polikarpovna love their son not for his appearance, but because he is a son. Of course, the old people are proud that Yegor is their hero, but above all they value in him not his beauty, but his courage and honesty. Another feature of the Russian character is manifested here - the main attention is paid not to appearance, but to spiritual qualities. After all, the soldier’s burned face indicates that he participated in terrible battles and did not spare himself while defending his homeland. Such a person evokes respect and admiration among Russians, despite his external ugliness. Therefore, Father Yegor Yegorovich believes that such a face as the front-line soldier who came to see them “should be proud of.” This idea is formulated by the elder Dremov, a Russian himself.

The hero's mother also has a Russian character. Maria Polikarpovna recognized her son, although his face had changed beyond recognition after the operations. She guessed with her heart, with some sixth sense, that her son was staying in her house, and showed extraordinary sensitivity, so dear to the Russian heart. Since a Russian person is usually restrained in the manifestations of his feelings, the attention and observation of others, who themselves must guess about the experiences of a loved one, become very important qualities. It is very good if friends and relatives understand each other without words.

In Katya Malysheva, Yegor Dremov’s fiancée, the Russian character is also revealed: in a woman, Russians value loyalty and devotion, which is demonstrated by the heroine, who twice (seeing him off to the front and visiting him after being wounded) declares to Yegor that she will wait for him from the war and love him faithfully. But Katya is the main character’s fiancée, not his wife, that is, for now she is connected with Yegor only by word.

Ivan Sudarev - Yegor's friend and a benevolent narrator - himself has a Russian character, reasonable, restrained, thoughtful. He evaluates the actions of all the heroes appearing in a small story, and notes the different facets of the Russian character in each character.

Thus, Tolstoy creates a Russian character by combining the features of different heroes, and, thanks to this technique, presents the image of a Russian person as complete, versatile and generally sublime.

This portrayal of the national character distinguishes Tolstoy's story from the works of other Soviet authors who wrote about the war. For example, A.T. Tvardovsky in the poem “Vasily Terkin” concentrates the traits of the Russian character in one main character.

According to artistic principles - the conflict between the good and the best and edification (instructiveness) - “Russian character” should be attributed to the leading direction of Soviet literature - socialist realism. In the story, the conflict between Yegor Dremov and his relatives is far-fetched, because it exists only in the head of the modest protagonist, but in fact, the characters in the story are one better and more noble than the other. The edifying nature of “Russian Character” is expressed in the fact that through Ivan Sudarev, who evaluates all the characters in the work, the writer teaches: this is exactly how a Soviet soldier should behave like Yegor Dremov; this is exactly what a soldier’s relatives should do as his parents and fiancée do. At the end of the story, the author tells the reader how to correctly understand the idea of ​​the work: “Yes, here they are, Russian characters! It seems like a simple person, but a severe misfortune will come, in big or small ways, and a great power will rise in him - human beauty.” So, the story of Yegor Dremov ended happily. There could not have been any other ending, given that all her heroes have noble characters. During a terrible war, such a story becomes necessary: ​​it gives hope, saves from despair, and therefore “Russian Character,” one might say, reflects the perception of the war era and in this sense becomes a monument to the era.


But if conflict-free stories with a happy ending occur in real life, then only as exceptions. How does a meeting between a soldier and his family usually take place? Remembering the millions of Soviet people who died at the fronts and during the occupation, we can more likely expect tragic dates.

M.V. Isakovsky’s poem “Enemies Burnt His Home” (1945) depicts the return of a victorious soldier to his native ashes: all his loved ones died during the German occupation, the long-awaited meeting with relatives turned into a wake at his wife’s grave.

Another tragic situation is described by M.A. Sholokhov in the story “The Fate of a Man” (1956). Returning to his hometown after Nazi captivity. Andrei Sokolov learns that his house, while his wife and two teenage daughters were there, was hit by a German bomb. As a result, the protagonist's beloved relatives do not even have graves - in place of the house there is a crater filled with rusty water.

It is impossible to compare an entire nation to one, even the correct example. A dramatic version of a meeting between a soldier and his family is presented in A.P. Platonov’s story “Return” (1946). Captain Alexey Alekseevich Ivanov, after the victory, comes to his hometown, where his wife Lyuba, eleven-year-old son Petrushka and five-year-old daughter Nastya are waiting for him. On the very first evening at dinner, the victorious warrior demands from his wife an account of how she lived without him. The writer does not talk about Ivanov at the front, although his orders and medals testify to his military exploits. But the author describes in detail the life of the Ivanov family in the rear: Lyuba worked at a brick factory during all four years of the war, took care of two small children, was constantly worried about her husband at the front, and, in order to escape from everyday melancholy, once succumbed to the tenderness of some trade union instructor . Captain Ivanov cannot forgive his wife for this, although he easily forgives himself for similar liberties: a couple of days ago, on his way home, he stayed late visiting a front-line soldier friend, Masha. The ending of the story about Yegor Dremov is predetermined, given the wonderful Russian characters of all the characters in this story. What will Plato’s imperfect hero do? Outraged and offended by Lyuba’s confession, Alexey wants to go to Masha the next morning, but seeing his children Petrushka and Nastya running towards the train from the window of the carriage, he suddenly softens in soul and gets off the train: yesterday he assessed his family circumstances from the point of view of “conceit and self-interest,” and now I understood them “with my bare heart.” There is no teaching in Platonov’s story, and the happy ending is explained not by Ivanov’s exemplary nobility, but by the feelings of a normal person - love for his family. Therefore, the story “Return” is closer to life than “Russian Character”: Plato’s story shows the real world as complex as it is, and not as correct as it should be, according to the writer A. N. Tolstoy.