What is the value of human life by Andrei Sokolov. Essay “The Life Path of Andrei Sokolov (based on the story by M. Sholokhov “The Fate of a Man”)
Immortal work M. A. Sholokhov “The Fate of Man” is a real ode to the common people, whose life was completely broken by the war.
Features of the story composition
The main character here is not represented by the legendary heroic personality, A a simple person, one of the millions of people touched by the tragedy of war.
The fate of man in wartime
Andrei Sokolov was a simple rural worker who, like everyone else, worked on a collective farm, had a family and lived an ordinary measured life. He boldly goes to defend his fatherland from the fascist invaders, thus leaving his children and wife to the mercy of fate.
At the front, the main character begins those terrible trials that turned his life upside down. Andrei finds out that his wife, daughter and younger son died as a result of an air attack. He takes this loss very hard, as he feels his own guilt for what happened to his family.
However, Andrei Sokolov has something to live for; he still has his eldest son, who during the war was able to achieve significant success in military affairs, and was his father’s only support. IN last days During the war, fate prepared the last crushing blow for Sokolov; his son is killed by his opponents.
At the end of the war, main character, is morally broken and does not know how to live further: he has lost his loved ones, native home was destroyed. Andrey gets a job as a driver in a neighboring village and gradually begins to drink.
As you know, fate, which pushes a person into the abyss, always leaves him a small straw through which, if desired, he can get out of it. Andrei's salvation was a meeting with a little orphan boy whose parents died at the front.
Vanechka had never seen his father and reached out to Andrei, because he longed for the love and attention that the main character showed to him. The dramatic peak in the story is Andrei’s decision to lie to Vanechka that he is his own father.
An unfortunate child, who has never known love, affection or kindness towards himself in his life, throws himself in tears on Andrei Sokolov’s neck and begins to say that he remembered him. So, in essence, two destitute orphans begin their life journey together. They found salvation in each other. Each of them gained a meaning in life.
The moral “core” of Andrei Sokolov’s character
Andrei Sokolov had a real inner core, high ideals spirituality, steadfastness and patriotism. In one of the episodes of the story, the author tells us how, exhausted by hunger and labor work in the concentration camp, Andrei was still able to maintain his human dignity: for a long time he refused the food that the Nazis offered him before they threatened to kill him.
The strength of his character aroused respect even among the German murderers, who ultimately had mercy on him. The bread and lard that they gave to the main character as a reward for his pride, Andrei Sokolov divided among all his starving cellmates.
Each person has his own path in life that he must go through. Very often on this path we encounter various adversities and losses that fate has in store for us. More often than not, these challenges are difficult to overcome. And in order to overcome the difficult road of life, you must have a strong and persistent character. The hero of Mikhail Sholokhov’s story “The Fate of a Man,” Andrei Sokolov, possesses precisely these qualities, about whose fate we learn from the hero himself.
Andrei Sokolov, whose eyes, “as if sprinkled with ashes, filled with such an inescapable mortal melancholy,” learned from childhood “how much a pound is worth.” Civil war, death of the whole family in the year of famine. To remain in a deserted village, without a single loved one nearby, it was unbearable, so he moved to Voronezh and went to work at a factory. Soon the hero married a lonely girl, Irina, an orphan. The hero found his happiness in work and prosperous family. He was surrounded by the care of an intelligent friend - his wife, whom he loved very much: “And for me there was no one more beautiful and more desirable than her, there was not in the world and there never will be!” They also brought joy with three healthy and smart children, of whom the parents were very proud. The main character felt happy that his loved ones lived in abundance, the children were healthy, “...dressed, with shoes - therefore, everything is in order,” love and respect reigned in the family. This is the most important and valuable thing in the life of Andrei Sokolov. Everything in his life is harmonious, and nothing foreshadowed a bad future.
“And here it is, war.” It destroyed the happy life in an instant family life Andrey Sokolov. He went, like everyone else, to defend his own house, relatives, your family and common Home- Homeland. During the war, Andrei proved himself to be a brave, courageous warrior. During the time spent in the war, the hero had to endure and experience a lot. During the war, Andrei proved himself to be a brave, courageous warrior. During all this time, the hero had to endure a lot, experience the hard way. Since the beginning of the war, in its first months, he was wounded twice and shell-shocked. For two years he steadfastly endured the horrors of fascist captivity. It was there that he killed a person for the first time: he dealt with a traitor who was ready to hand over his commander to save his own skin. Even my own death did not seem as terrible as killing a person. The episode of Sokolov's interrogation by Commandant Muller proves this: the hero, without eating, drinks 3 glasses of vodka for his death and victory Soviet army. Exhausted, exhausted, the hero was ready to face death with such courage and endurance that it amazes the German. The hero is ready to endure everything, to endure everything: “That’s why you’re a man, that’s why you’re a soldier, to wipe everything out, endure everything, if need calls for it.”
The most terrible test for Sokolov was the loss of loved ones. When I learned from the letter about the death of the family, my heart sank with grief. “I had a family, my own home, all this had been put together for years, and everything collapsed in a single moment, I was left alone.” The hero has lost the meaning of life, it has become empty. But news from Anatoly’s eldest son softened the grief. Again, hope for a happy future appeared in the life of Andrei Sokolov. The hero began to dream that the war would end, his son would get married, and they would live together, work as a carpenter, and he would babysit his grandchildren. But the happiness did not last long: Anatoly was killed by a German sniper. Now there is no wife, no daughters, now there is no son. “Why have you, life, maimed me so much? Why did you distort it like that?” - Andrey Sokolov exclaims.
After everything that this man has experienced, it would seem that he should become embittered and bitter. But Andrei was not broken by difficult trials, he does not bow his head to harsh fate, maintains traction in life and human dignity. Andrei found a family again, taking an orphan boy and becoming his father: “It’s impossible for us to disappear separately!” This confirms it moral strength, the strength of a person who managed to start life over again after so many losses. The hero overcomes grief and continues to live.
Sokolov’s path is difficult and tragic, his life path- this is the road of honor of a person who was not broken by cruel circumstances, who did not reconcile with misfortune, who did not recognize the power of the enemy over himself, who retained moral superiority over him. Behind the image of the main character Sholokhov is the fate of the entire Russian people, who bore on their shoulders terrible war.
I would like to begin my essay with the words of Antoine de Saint-Exupery “Although human life there is no price, we always act as if there is something even more valuable." With these words, the author wanted to tell us that life is priceless gift. And a person must live this life with dignity, choosing his life values. What are life values? I believe that this is the foundation on which a person’s entire life is built.
Everyone has their own life values. For example, for some, the main thing in life is wealth, fame, for some, power, and for others, just family.
There are many different values in life. Such as kindness, friendship, honor, family, love.
In my essay, I would like to take a closer look at the concept of friendship. I believe that a friend is a person who will not give up in a difficult situation and will help solve any problems. There are many sayings on the topic of friendship. For example: “If you don’t have a friend, look for him, but if you find him, take care of him.”
This proverb tells us that if you don’t have a friend, then you must find him, and if you do have one, then you need to take care of him and value your friendship with him. “Don’t have a hundred rubles, but have a hundred friends.” Reading this proverb, we understand that money will not help in all troubles, and even if a friend does not help, he will simply support him in a difficult situation.
Many songs and poems have been written on the topic of friendship. For example, V. S. Vysotsky’s song “Song about a Friend”. It says that not every person can become a friend. This song was performed in the movie "Height", which also tells us about friendship, mutual assistance, and the behavior of people in a critical situation.
Kindness is also a life value.
What is kindness? I think kindness is all those good deeds the things we do to others. We can do good deeds not only for our family and friends, but also for the entire strangers. Giving up your seat on public transport is good deed, picking up a stray animal is also a kind deed.
Much has been written on this topic literary works. For example, M.A. Sholokhov in the story “The Fate of a Man” described the kind deed of Andrei Sokolov when he adopted Vanyushka. This act is not only kind, but also noble.
Another value in life is honor. Every self-respecting person has his own honor, conscience and dignity. In the days of noble knights, honor came first. For them it was something sacred. But this does not mean that this vital value has now disappeared without a trace. No it's not like that. There is a wonderful catchphrase: “Take care of your dress from a new age, and take care of your honor from a young age.” This phrase tells us that honor begins when you are young and how you show yourself is how people will think about you. Let us turn again to the story “The Fate of a Man” by M. A. Sholokhov. Andrei Sokolov, having been captured by the Germans, did not lose his honor and defended his dignity.
Family and love are also among the most important values in life. A family cannot exist without love, but love can exist without a family. This is love for animals, the world around us, and our homeland. Love and family are current topics in literature. A. S. Pushkin in the novel "Eugene Onegin" showed Tatyana's sincere love for her family. It was a friendly, hospitable, cheerful family.
I would like to finish my essay with the words of Pavka Korchagin from the novel “How the Steel Was Tempered” by N. A. Ostrovsky: “The most precious thing a person has is life. years..."
Updated: 2017-10-29
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FICTION AS A SOURCE OF MORAL VALUES
Gazizova K., Akhtaeva N.S.,
Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty
Literature is the teacher of life...
Solzhenitsyn A. I.
Probably, sooner or later there comes a certain time in the life of every person when he begins to wonder about the meaning of his existence. We live in an age when there is no time left for thinking. XX I century is the century of information technology, fundamental discoveries and market economy, and “modern man” is a prototype of a robot, ready to receive a flow of information around the clock. Informatization of society, as the main driving factor of progress, and the market economy dictate " modern society" own rules. The word "life" has lost its meaning true meaning in the process of “evolution” of society, and, most likely, the life of a person living in the twentieth I century is an acute struggle for existence and an endless search for a “place in the Sun.” Over the last century, humanity has made a significant step forward: the creation of computers and mobile phones, the advent of television and the Internet. But, in pursuit of better life and prosperity, society exchanged moral and spiritual values for material ones.
A lot of discoveries have been made, laws have been revealed and theorems have been proven, but over the course of centuries of history one of the most interesting, but at the same time, remains open. controversial issues humanity: “What is the meaning of life?” Some find the meaning of their lives in creating a family, others in a career, money and power, and some do not find it at all. In fact, the answer to the question about the meaning of life is quite subjective. Every person looks at life, first of all, through the prism of his past experience, his values, interests, etc. And it was this question that from time immemorial worried ancient philosophers and thinkers, gave writers and poets “food” for thought, and psychologists an inexhaustible topic for research. And, of course, understanding the meaning of “the meaning of life” depends on the point of view from which we look at it.
The concept of the meaning of life is present in any developed ideological system, justifying and interpreting the moral norms and values inherent in this system, demonstrating goals that justify the activities they prescribe.
The topic of “meaning in life” began to be studied at the beginning of the twentieth century by psychologists such as Alfred Adler and Carl Rogers, but the Austrian psychiatrist and psychologist Viktor Frankl explored this topic most fully in his works. However, psychological works are not the only source of knowledge about the essence of existence. Long before the emergence of psychological science, one of the sources of searching for the meaning of existence for people was and still is fiction, and we rightfully classify many classics as psychologists.
Thus, fiction is not only special kind art, but also an emotional and aesthetic type of communication, implying communication between the author, characters and reader.
Fiction is also a subject of study for psychologists, as it is directly related to the human psyche and is its subjective reflection of individuals. And a number of works by Soviet psychologists are devoted to fiction: “Psychology of Art” by L.S. Vygotsky, and “Methodological notebooks” by A.N. Leontyev, and “L.N. Tolstoy as a psychologist" I.V. Strakhov, and “Notes of a psychologist when reading fiction” by B. M. Teplov.
V.P. Zinchenko in the Great Psychological Dictionary evaluates art as “living knowledge”: “The main signs of living knowledge are openness and understatement. It is built on the connection between science and art. Art is centuries ahead of science in the knowledge of inanimate and especially living things. Art generates different knowledge. Science dismembers, anatomizes, crushes the world into small fragments that do not stick together and are not assembled into a coherent picture. She was especially successful in her disintegrative activities while studying man. Art keeps the world intact. It constantly reminds science of the existence of an integral, non-fragmentary world.”
S.L. Rubinstein in his book “Man and the World” wrote that “the meaning of each person’s life is determined only in relation to the content of his entire life with other people. All questions that affect the worldview, the answer to which determines how a person should live and where to look for the meaning of life... coincide in one question - about the nature of man and his place in the world.”
According to V.A. Sukhomlinsky’s definition: “Reading is one of the sources of thinking and mental development.” Indeed, reading requires us to have the skills to analyze, synthesize, and memorize information, and at the same time requires focused attention. Reading not only contributes to the development of memory and thinking, but is also an invaluable source of vital information. Karl Marx wrote that: “Reading works of art is an invaluable source of knowledge of life and the laws of its struggle.” Every classic is a good psychologist. Reading the works of L.N. Tolstoy, A.P. Chekhov, F.M. Dostoevsky, C. Dickens and other classics, both Russian and foreign fiction, each of us is immersed in the special world of the work, gets acquainted with its heroes, their lives, morals, values. A person’s horizons broaden significantly with each reading, and he looks at the surrounding reality differently, through the prism of new acquired experience; by reading the work, in a word, his worldview changes. One of the most significant works of world classics is undoubtedly the epic novel by Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy “War and Peace”. Written in the second half of the twentieth century I century, the novel by L.N. Tolstoy is considered a cultural heritage not only of the Russian people, but of all humanity. In this work, the author touches not only, as is commonly assumed, historical issues, but also reveals the theme of “the meaning of life” within the framework of individuals, as representatives of the entire human race. Indeed, if you approach the work c more philosophical side, you can see that L.N. Tolstoy, being an “expert in human souls,” reveals the topic moral values and the search for the meaning of existence using such a vivid example as Prince Andrei Bolkonsky. Prince Andrei is one of central characters, in constant search for the meaning of his existence, which we can observe throughout the novel. At first we see: Prince Andrei himself dreams of glory, which was a certain driving force, the reason for his participation in military battles. But, as we remember, the turning point was Battle of Austerlitz, after which Andrei radically changes his life values and realizes that he was mistaken, and there is something much higher and more significant in the world than “war for glory”: “How quiet, calm and solemn, not at all like how I fled... Not like we were running and screaming and fighting; It’s not at all like how the Frenchman and the artilleryman pulled each other’s banners with embittered faces - not at all like how the clouds crawl across this high, endless sky. How come I haven’t seen this high sky before? And how happy I am that I finally recognized him. Yes! Everything is empty, everything is deception, except this endless sky.” And now, after the fall of all previous ideals and beliefs, grief awaits Bolkonsky: the death of his wife and son. Having reconsidered his views, Prince Andrei decides that the “most important thing” on the path of life is family and “life for the sake of family.” But in Bolkonsky, unlike many other heroes of the novel, there was a certain strength, an inner fervor that did not allow him to stop and be content with little. Second turning point Andrei's fate was his meeting with Natasha Rostova, which radically changed his worldview and the concept of “the meaning of being.” For every person in love, the meaning of existence is undoubtedly love. L.N. Tolstoy undoubtedly managed to fully reveal the image of a person who is in the eternal search for the meaning of life, the struggle between the way of life of that time and his interests. “Fame”, “family”, “love” are some of the most common visions of this “meaning” . Prince Bolkonsky, again participating in the battle, dies, but he dies as a completely different person.
“Fame”, “family”, “love” are some of the most common visions of this “meaning”, but few people think about it in Everyday life, as was the case with the hero of another work by the no less talented writer Mikhail Sholokhov. Andrei Sokolov, the main character of M. Sholokhov’s work “The Fate of Man”, an ordinary citizen of his country, good husband and father. The image of Sokolov is a collective image of many ordinary people: husbands and fathers who went to war. And Andrei’s fate is a reflection of the fate of hundreds of warriors, soldiers who fought for the peaceful sky above our heads. When reading the work, we see that the meaning of Sokolov’s life was family and work. But, like any other person, Andrei did not realize the full significance and value of everything that he had before the war, did not realize that this was the meaning of his life. However, during the war he understood and realized how important home, family, work and a peaceful sky are for him. Also, the author points out that the image of Sokolov is an image of courageous and brave, honest and kind person with high moral values. Unlike Prince Bolkonsky, Sokolov does not think about the “meaning of life”; he simply lives, honestly fulfills his duty to the Motherland, and helps people. And the meaning of his existence is to help people who need him to do good deeds.
And, based on the analysis of two works that rightfully belong to the heritage of Russian fiction, we can say that the answer to the question about the “meaning of being” is quite subjective and nothing can be said unambiguously. But, in my opinion, the “meaning of existence” lies in its endless search throughout life, and the time spent in search is “life”.
Thus, the theme of “the meaning of life and its search”, moral values is the main driving force behind the writing of all works of art. And it is works of art that help especially young people who have minor life experience, reconsider your priorities, your interests and life values. And we can consider these works an inexhaustible source of knowledge about life, because as long as there is a society capable of reading and analyzing what is read, the meaning of what is written will exist.
Today we see that there are much fewer readers, just as the number of writers has decreased significantly, and there are practically no classical writers. This is one of the serious global problems society. U modern people There is not enough free time for self-development. The bustle and routine of the city leaves no time for reflection, but sometimes it is necessary to stop and think about: “Who am I? Am I living or am I just existing? And if I live, then for what purpose?”
References:
1. The meaning of life (human). "Philosophical encyclopedic Dictionary", M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1989.
2. Large psychological dictionary. - M.: Prime-Eurosign. Ed. B.G. Meshcheryakova, acad. V.P. Zinchenko. 2003.
3. “Man and the World”, S.L. Rubinstein, 1973, p. 382.
4. “War and Peace”, L.N. Tolstoy, volume I, part 3, chapter XVI.
Life path Andrey Sokolov (based on the story “The Fate of a Man” by M. Sholokhov)
The story of M. A. Sholokhov is one of the best works of the writer. At its center - tragic fate a specific person, associated with the events of history. The writer concentrates his attention not on depicting the feat of the masses, but on the fate of an individual person in the war. A striking combination in “The Fate of Man” the particular and the general allows us to speak of this work as a real “epic story”.
The main character of the story is not a completely traditional figure for literary works of that time. He is not a convinced communist, not everyone famous hero, but a simple worker, quite a common person, he is like everyone else. Sokolov is a worker on the land and in the factory, a warrior, a family man, a husband, a father. He is a simple native of the Voronezh province, he fought heroically back in civil war. Andrei is an orphan; his father and mother died of hunger long ago. Nevertheless, in the personality of this seemingly unremarkable person, the writer finds qualities worthy not only of all respect, but also of glorification.
The war struck the country unexpectedly, like a menacing and terrible disaster. Andrei Sokolov, just like millions of other people, went to the front. The scene of the hero's farewell to his home is touching and dramatic. She occupies one of the dominant places in the story. Wife, children, work - these are the values for which Andrei lives and for which he is ready to give his life. They are the main thing in the hero’s life. What distinguishes him is acute feeling responsibility for those around you.
Misfortune after misfortune haunts Sokolov. His life path contained, it would seem, more than one person could bear. The terrible news about the death of his wife and children, which overtakes Sokolov upon his return from captivity, strikes him to the very heart. With his inherent moral purity and with conscience he tries to find his own guilt in the death of loved ones. He didn’t caress his wife goodbye, didn’t say a warm word to her, didn’t calm her down, didn’t understand the horror of her farewell cry, and now he’s tormenting himself with reproaches. Sokolov loves his wife dearly, he says about her: “looking from the outside, she wasn’t that distinguished, but I didn’t look from the outside, but point-blank...”.
A new shock for Andrei is the tragic, fatal death of his son on the last day of the war. However, he has an amazing ability to patiently endure the blows of fate. “That’s why you’re a man, that’s why you’re a soldier, to wipe everything away, to endure everything, if need calls for it,” he believes.
IN critical situations the hero retains the great dignity of a Russian man, a Russian soldier. By this, he commands respect not only from his fellow livestock, but also from his enemies. The episode of the fight between Sokolov and Muller is extremely important and fascinating. This is a moral duel, from which Andrei came out with honor. He does not beat his chest in the face of the enemy, does not speak loud words, but does not beg Mueller for mercy. A simple Russian soldier finds himself in this difficult situation winner.
Sokolov passed German captivity. People like him were then officially considered traitors in the Soviet country. And the great merit of the writer is that he was one of the first to touch upon this acute problem, lifting the curtain on the lives of people who, by the will of fate, found themselves in captivity.
It is not Andrei’s fault that, shell-shocked, he ends up among the Germans. While in captivity, he maintains the dignity of a Russian soldier. He is opposed by the traitor Kryzhnev, who is trying to save his life at the cost of the life of another person. Sokolov kills the traitor and saves the platoon commander. Killing a person is not easy for the hero, because he has to transgress those moral principles, on which he was raised, and which were sacred to him. The traitor Kryzhnev is the first person whom Sokolov takes life.
In captivity, Andrei meets many worthy people. So the military doctor, despite everything, tries to alleviate the suffering of the wounded. In inhuman conditions, he remains true to himself and his calling. This position is shared by Sokolov. He himself is distinguished by selflessness of achievement, modesty and courage.
The hero picks up an orphan boy at the tea shop. He doesn't just replace Sokolov's son. For a person who has lost everything in life except himself, this child becomes the only meaning of his crippled life. Having gone through difficult trials, Andrei retains spiritual sensitivity and warmth. And how could one not sympathize with Vanyusha when he saw him: “Such a little ragamuffin: his face is covered in watermelon juice, covered with dust, dirty,... unkempt, and his eyes are like stars at night after the rain.” He is as restless and lonely as Andrei himself. The author emphasizes that as long as the need to love lives in a person, his soul is alive.
He draws the reader's attention to the eyes of his hero, “as if sprinkled with ashes, filled with such an inescapable melancholy that it is difficult to look into them.” Sokolov’s path is difficult and tragic. But his path is the path of a feat accomplished by a man who was not broken by cruel circumstances, who did not reconcile himself with misfortune, who did not recognize the power of the enemy over himself, and who retained moral superiority over him.
Reflecting on the story, we involuntarily move from the fate of a particular person to the fate of humanity in general. The very title of the story introduces the hero to the masses. Drawing his path, the writer emphasizes at what high price the victory was achieved. The fate of Andrei Sokolov is typical for a person of that time, it is the fate of the entire Russian people, who bore on their shoulders a terrible war, fascist camps, who lost their closest people in the war, but did not break. Sokolov is an integral part of his people. His biography reflected the history of an entire country, a difficult and heroic history.
“Why have you, life, maimed me so much? Why did you distort it like that?” - Andrei exclaims, but he does not bow his head before a harsh fate, retains his thirst for life and human dignity.
Before us appears the image of an orphaned man, boldly revealing his crippled soul. Observing his fate, the reader becomes imbued with pride in the Russian man, admiration for his strength and beauty of soul. He is embraced by an inexplicable faith in the immense possibilities of man. Andrey Sokolov inspires love and respect.
“And I would like to think that this Russian man, a man of unbending will, will endure, and near his father’s shoulder will grow one who, having matured, will be able to endure everything, overcoming everything on his way, if his Motherland calls him to this,” — the author says with faith in his hero.
