"The Fate of Man" - a story by Sholokhov. "The Fate of Man": analysis

During the Great Patriotic War, Sholokhov, in military correspondence, essays, and the story “The Science of Hate,” exposed the anti-human nature of the war unleashed by the Nazis, revealed the heroism of the Soviet people and love for the Motherland. And in the novel “They Fought for the Motherland,” the Russian national character was deeply revealed, clearly manifested in the days of difficult trials. Recalling how during the war the Nazis mockingly called the Soviet soldier “Russian Ivan,” Sholokhov wrote in one of his articles: “The symbolic Russian Ivan is this: a man dressed in a gray overcoat, who without hesitation gave away the last piece of bread and the front thirty grams of sugar to a child orphaned during the terrible days of the war, a man who selflessly covered his comrade with his body, saving him from inevitable death, a man who, gritting his teeth, endured and will endure all the hardships and hardships, going to the feat in the name of the Motherland.”

“Oh, brother, it’s not an easy thing to understand that you are not in captivity of your own free will. Anyone who has not experienced this on their own skin will not immediately penetrate into their soul so that they can understand in a human way what this thing means.” His bitter memories speak of what he had to endure in captivity: “It’s hard for me, brother, to remember, and even harder to talk about what I experienced in captivity. When you remember the inhuman torments that you had to endure there in Germany, when you remember all the friends and comrades who died, tortured there in the camps, your heart is no longer in your chest, but in your throat, and it becomes difficult to breathe...”

While in captivity, Andrei Sokolov exerted all his strength to preserve the person within himself, and not to exchange “Russian dignity and pride” for any relief in fate. One of the most striking scenes in the story is the interrogation of the captured Soviet soldier Andrei Sokolov by the professional killer and sadist Muller. When Müller was informed that Andrei had allowed his dissatisfaction with hard labor to show, he summoned him to the commandant’s office for questioning. Andrei knew that he was going to his death, but decided to “gather his courage to look into the hole of the pistol fearlessly, as befits a soldier, so that his enemies would not see at the last minute that it was difficult for him to part with his life...”

The interrogation scene turns into a spiritual duel between the Captured Soldier and the camp commandant, Müller. It would seem that the forces of superiority should be on the side of the well-fed, endowed with the power and opportunity to humiliate and trample the man Muller. Playing with a pistol, he asks Sokolov whether four cubic meters of production is really a lot, and is one enough for a grave? When Sokolov confirms his previously spoken words, Muller offers him a glass of schnapps before the execution: “Before you die, drink, Russian Ivan, to the victory of German weapons.” Sokolov initially refused to drink “for the victory of German weapons,” and then agreed “for his death.” After drinking the first glass, Sokolov refused to take a bite. Then they served him a second one. Only after the third did he bite off a small piece of bread and put the rest on the table. Talking about this, Sokolov says: “I wanted to show them, the damned ones, that although I am perishing from hunger, I am not going to choke on their handouts, that I have my own Russian dignity and pride and that they did not turn me into a beast, no matter how hard we tried.”

Sokolov’s courage and endurance amazed the German commandant. He not only let him go, but finally gave him a small loaf of bread and a piece of bacon: “That’s it, Sokolov, you are a real Russian soldier. You are a brave soldier. I am also a soldier and respect worthy opponents. I won't shoot you. In addition, today our valiant troops reached the Volga and completely captured Stalingrad. This is a great joy for us, and therefore I generously give you life. Go to your block..."

Considering the scene of the interrogation of Andrei Sokolov, we can say that it is one of the compositional peaks of the story. It has its own theme - the spiritual wealth and moral nobility of Soviet people, its own idea: there is no force in the world capable of spiritually breaking a true patriot, making him humiliate himself before the enemy.

Andrei Sokolov has overcome a lot on his way. The national pride and dignity of the Russian Soviet man, endurance, spiritual humanity, insubordination and ineradicable faith in life, in his Motherland, in his people - this is what Sholokhov typified in the truly Russian character of Andrei Sokolov. The author showed the unbending will, courage, and heroism of a simple Russian man, who, in the time of the most difficult trials that befell his Motherland and irreparable personal losses, was able to rise above his personal fate, filled with the deepest drama, and managed to overcome death with life and in the name of life. This is the pathos of the story, its main idea.

Mikhail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov is the author of famous stories about the Cossacks, the Civil War, and the Great Patriotic War. In his works, the author talks not only about the events that took place in the country, but also about people, very aptly characterizing them. Such is Sholokhov’s famous story “The Fate of a Man.” will help the reader to gain respect for the main character of the book, to know the depth of his soul.

A little about the writer

M. A. Sholokhov - Soviet writer who lived in 1905-1984. He witnessed many historical events that took place at that time in the country.

The writer began his creative activity with feuilletons, then the author creates more serious works: “Quiet Don”, “Virgin Soil Upturned”. Among his works on the war one can highlight: “They Fought for the Motherland,” “Light and Darkness,” “The Fight Continues.” Sholokhov’s story “The Fate of a Man” is on the same topic. Analysis of the first lines will help the reader mentally transport himself to that setting.

Meeting Andrei Sokolov, who had a real prototype

The work begins with an introduction to the narrator. He was traveling on a chaise to the village of Bukhanovskaya. Swam across the river with the driver. The narrator had to wait 2 hours for the driver to return. He positioned himself not far from a Willys car and wanted to smoke, but the cigarettes turned out to be damp.

A man with a child saw the narrator and approached him. This was the main character of the story - Andrei Sokolov. He thought that the person trying to smoke was a driver, like him, so he went up to talk to his colleague.

This begins Sholokhov’s short story “The Fate of a Man.” Analysis of the meeting scene will tell the reader that the story is based on real events. Mikhail Alexandrovich was hunting in the spring of 1946 and there he got into a conversation with a man who told him his fate. Ten years later, remembering this meeting, Sholokhov wrote a story in a week. Now it is clear that the narration is conducted on behalf of the author.

Biography of Sokolov

After Andrei treated the person he met to dry cigarettes, they started talking. Or rather, Sokolov began to talk about himself. He was born in 1900. During the Civil War he fought in the Red Army.

In 1922, he left for Kuban in order to somehow feed himself during this time of hunger. But his entire family died - his father, sister and mother died of hunger. When Andrei returned to his homeland from Kuban, he sold the house and went to the city of Voronezh. He first worked here as a carpenter and then as a mechanic.

Next he talks about a significant event in the life of his hero M. A. Sholokhov. “The Fate of Man” continues with the young man marrying a good girl. She had no relatives, and she was brought up in an orphanage. As Andrei himself says, Irina was not particularly beautiful, but it seemed to him that she was better than all the girls in the world.

Marriage and children

Irina had a wonderful character. When the newlyweds got married, sometimes the husband would come home from work angry from fatigue, so he would lash out at his wife. But the smart girl did not respond to offensive words, but was friendly and affectionate with her husband. Irina tried to feed him better and greet him well. Having been in such a favorable environment, Andrei realized that he was wrong and asked his wife for forgiveness for his incontinence.

The woman was very flexible and did not scold her husband for sometimes drinking too much with friends. But soon he stopped even occasionally abusing alcohol, as the young couple had children. First a son was born, and a year later two twin girls were born. My husband began to bring his entire salary home, only occasionally allowing himself a bottle of beer.

Andrei learned to be a driver, began driving a truck, earning good money - the family’s life was comfortable.

War

So 10 years passed. The Sokolovs built a new house for themselves, Irina bought two goats. Everything was fine, but the war began. It is she who will bring a lot of grief to the family and make the main character lonely again. M. A. Sholokhov spoke about this in his almost documentary work. “The Fate of Man” continues with a sad moment - Andrei was called to the front. Irina seemed to feel that a big disaster was about to happen. Seeing off her beloved, she cried on her husband’s chest and said that they would not see each other again.

In captivity

After some time, 6 German machine gunners approached him and took him prisoner, but not him alone. First, the prisoners were taken to the west, then they were ordered to stop for the night in a church. Here Andrey was lucky - the doctor set his arm. He walked among the soldiers, asked if there were any wounded and helped them. These were the kind of people among Soviet soldiers and officers. But there were others too. Sokolov heard one man named Kryzhnev threatening another, saying that he would hand him over to the Germans. The traitor said that in the morning he would tell his opponents that there were communists among the prisoners, and they shot members of the CPSU. What did Mikhail Sholokhov talk about next? “The Fate of a Man” helps to understand how indifferent Andrei Sokolov was, even to the misfortune of others.

The main character could not bear such injustice; he told the communist, who was a platoon commander, to hold Kryzhnev’s legs and strangle the traitor.

But the next morning, when the Germans lined up the prisoners and asked if there were commanders, communists, or commissars among them, no one handed anyone over, since there were no more traitors. But the Nazis shot four who looked very much like Jews. They mercilessly exterminated the people of this nation in those difficult times. Mikhail Sholokhov knew about this. “The Fate of Man” continues with stories about Sokolov’s two captive years. During this time, the main character was in many areas of Germany, he had to work for the Germans. He worked in a mine, at a silicate plant and in other places.

Sholokhov, “The Fate of Man.” Excerpt showing the heroism of a soldier

When, not far from Dresden, together with other prisoners, Sokolov was extracting stones at a quarry, arriving at his barracks, he said that the output was equal to three cubes, and one was enough for each person’s grave.

Someone conveyed these words to the Germans, and they decided to shoot the soldier. He was called to the command, but even here Sokolov showed himself to be a real hero. This is clearly visible when you read about the tense moment in Sholokhov’s story “The Fate of a Man.” Analysis of the following episode shows the fearlessness of the ordinary Russian person.

When camp commandant Müller said that he would personally shoot Sokolov, he was not afraid. Müller invited Andrei to drink German weapons for the victory, the Red Army soldier did not, but agreed for his death. The prisoner drank a glass of vodka in two sips and did not eat, which surprised the Germans. He drank the second glass in the same way, the third more slowly and bit off quite a bit of bread.

The amazed Müller said that he was giving such a brave soldier life and rewarded him with a loaf of bread and lard. Andrei took the treat to the barracks so that the food could be divided equally. Sholokhov wrote about this in detail.

“The Fate of Man”: a soldier’s feat and irreparable losses

Since 1944, Sokolov began working as a driver - he drove a German major. When an opportunity presented itself, Andrei rushed to his people in a car and brought the major with valuable documents as a trophy.

The hero was sent to the hospital for treatment. From there he wrote a letter to his wife, but received an answer from a neighbor that Irina and her daughters died back in 1942 - a bomb hit the house.

One thing now only warmed the head of the family - his son Anatoly. He graduated from the artillery school with honors and fought with the rank of captain. But fate was willing to take away the soldier and his son; Anatoly died on Victory Day - May 9, 1945.

Named son

After the end of the war, Andrei Sokolov went to Uryupinsk - his friend lived here. By chance, in a tea shop, I met a grimy, hungry orphan boy, Vanya, whose mother had died. After thinking, after some time Sokolov told the child that he was his dad. Sholokhov talks about this very touchingly in his work (“The Fate of Man”).

The author described the heroism of a simple soldier, talking about his military exploits, the fearlessness and courage with which he met the news of the death of his loved ones. He will certainly raise his adopted son to be as unbending as himself, so that Ivan can endure and overcome everything on his way.

During the Great Patriotic War, Sholokhov, in military correspondence, essays, and the story “The Science of Hate,” exposed the anti-human nature of the war unleashed by the Nazis, revealed the heroism of the Soviet people and love for the Motherland. And in the novel “They Fought for the Motherland,” the Russian national character was deeply revealed, clearly manifested in the days of difficult trials. Recalling how during the war the Nazis mockingly called the Soviet soldier “Russian Ivan,” Sholokhov wrote in one of his articles: “The symbolic Russian Ivan is this: a man dressed in a gray overcoat, who, without hesitation, gave away the last piece of bread and front-line thirty grams of sugar to a child orphaned during the terrible days of the war, a man who selflessly covered his comrade with his body, saving him from inevitable death, a man who, gritting his teeth, endured and will endure all the hardships and hardships, going to the feat in the name of the Motherland.”

Andrei Sokolov appears before us as such a modest, ordinary warrior in the story “The Fate of a Man.” Sokolov talks about his courageous actions as if it were a very ordinary matter. He bravely performed his military duty at the front. Near Lozovenki he was tasked with transporting shells to the battery. “We had to hurry, because the battle was approaching us...” says Sokolov. “The commander of our unit asks: “Will you get through, Sokolov?” And there was nothing to ask here. My comrades may be dying there, but I’ll be sick here? What a conversation! - I answer him. “I have to get through and that’s it!” In this episode, Sholokhov noticed the main feature of the hero - a sense of camaraderie, the ability to think about others more than about oneself. But, stunned by the explosion of a shell, he woke up already in captivity of the Germans. He watches with pain as the advancing German troops march to the east. Having learned what enemy captivity is, Andrei says with a bitter sigh, turning to his interlocutor: “Oh, brother, it’s not an easy thing to understand that you are not in captivity because of your own water. Anyone who has not experienced this on their own skin will not immediately penetrate into their soul so that they can understand in a human way what this thing means.” His bitter memories speak of what he had to endure in captivity: “It’s hard for me, brother, to remember, and even harder to talk about what I experienced in captivity. When you remember the inhuman torment that you had to endure there in Germany, when you remember all the friends and comrades who died, tortured there in the camps, your heart is no longer in your chest, but in your throat, and it becomes difficult to breathe...”

The interrogation scene turns into a spiritual duel between the captured soldier and camp commandant Müller. It would seem that the forces of superiority should be on the side of the well-fed, endowed with the power and opportunity to humiliate and trample the man Muller. Playing with a pistol, he asks Sokolov whether four cubic meters of production is really a lot, and is one enough for a grave? When Sokolov confirms his previously spoken words, Muller offers him a glass of schnapps before the execution: “Before you die, drink, Russian Ivan, to the victory of German weapons.” Sokolov initially refused to drink “for the victory of German weapons,” and then agreed “for his death.” After drinking the first glass, Sokolov refused to take a bite. Then they served him a second one. Only after the third did he bite off a small piece of bread and put the rest on the table. Talking about this, Sokolov says: “I wanted to show them, the damned ones, that although I am perishing from hunger, I am not going to choke on their handouts, that I have my own Russian dignity and pride and that they did not turn me into a beast, no matter how hard we tried.”

Sokolov’s courage and endurance amazed the German commandant. He not only let him go, but finally gave him a small loaf of bread and a piece of bacon: “That’s it, Sokolov, you are a real Russian soldier. You are a brave soldier. I am also a soldier and I respect worthy opponents. I won't shoot you. In addition, today our valiant troops reached the Volga and completely captured Stalingrad. This is a great joy for us, and therefore I generously give you life. Go to your block..."

Andrei Sokolov has overcome a lot on his way. The national pride and dignity of the Russian Soviet man, endurance, spiritual humanity, indomitability and ineradicable faith in life, in his Motherland, in his people - this is what Sholokhov typified in the truly Russian character of Andrei Sokolov. The author showed the unbending will, courage, and heroism of a simple Russian man, who, in the time of the most difficult trials that befell his Motherland and irreparable personal losses, was able to rise above his personal fate, filled with the deepest drama, and managed to overcome death with life and in the name of life. This is the pathos of the story, its main idea.

By the end of 1941, 3.9 million Red Army soldiers were captured by the Germans. In the spring of 1942, only 1.1 million of them remained alive. On September 8, 1941, the German High Command issued an order on the treatment of captured Red Army soldiers, unprecedented in its cruelty: “. . . The Bolshevik soldier lost all right to claim treatment worthy of an honest soldier. . . "

Sholokhov introduced a description of captivity into his story, which was not typical of Soviet literature of that time. He showed how heroically and honorably the Russian people behaved in captivity, how much they overcame: “When you remember the inhuman torment that you had to endure there in Germany, when you remember all the friends and comrades who died, tortured there in the camps, your heart no longer in the chest, and in the throat it beats, and it becomes difficult to breathe. . . »

The main character of “The Fate of Man,” Andrei Sokolov, has experienced a lot in his life. History itself, in the form of war, intervened and broke Sokolov’s fate. Andrei went to the front in May 1942 near Lokhovenki. The truck he was driving was hit by a shell. Sokolov was picked up by the Germans.

The most important episode of Andrei Sokolov’s life in captivity is the scene of his interrogation by Mueller. The German Müller worked in the camp as a camp commandant, “in their words, a Lagerfuhrer.” He was a ruthless man: “... he lines us up in front of the block - that’s what they called the barracks - he walks in front of the line with his pack of SS men, holding his right hand in flight. He has it in a leather glove, and there is a lead gasket in the glove so as not to damage his fingers. He goes and hits every second person in the nose, drawing blood. He called this “flu prevention.” And so every day... He was a neat bastard, he worked seven days a week.” In addition, Müller spoke excellent Russian, “he even leaned on the “o”, like a native Volga native” and especially loved Russian swearing.

The reason for calling Andrei Sokolov for questioning was his careless statement about the severity of work in a stone quarry, not far from Dresden. After another working day, Andrei went into the barracks and dropped the following phrase: “They need four cubic meters of output, but for the grave of each of us, one cubic meter through the eyes is enough.”

The next day, Sokolov was summoned to Müller. Realizing that he was going to his death, Andrei said goodbye to his comrades, “... and began... to gather my courage to look into the hole of the pistol fearlessly, as befits a soldier, so that the enemies would not see at my last minute that I had to give up my life - it’s still difficult.”

When the hungry Sokolov entered the commandant’s office, the first thing he saw was a table laden with food. But Andrei did not behave like a hungry animal. He found the strength to show his human dignity and turn away from the table. He also found the strength not to evade or try to avoid death by retracting his words.
Andrey confirms that four cubic meters is too much for a hungry and tired person. Müller decided to show Sokolov the “honor” and personally shoot him, but before that he offered to drink to the German victory: “... as soon as I heard these words, it was as if I was burned by fire! I think to myself: “So that I, a Russian soldier, would drink German weapons for the victory?!” Is there something you don't want, Herr Commandant? Damn it, I’m dying, so you’ll go to hell with your vodka!” And Sokolov refuses to drink.

But Muller, already accustomed to mocking people, invites Andrei to drink something else: “Would you like to drink to our victory? In that case, drink to your death.” Andrei drank, but, as is typical of a great man, he joked before his death: “I don’t have a snack after the first glass.” So Sokolov drank the second glass, and the third, without taking a bite: “I wanted to show them, the damned one, that although I was dying of hunger, I was not going to choke on their handout, that I had my own, Russian dignity and pride, and that in They didn’t turn me into a beast, no matter how hard they tried.”

Seeing such inhuman willpower in a man exhausted both morally and physically, Muller could not resist sincere delight: “That's it, Sokolov, you are a real Russian soldier. You are a brave soldier. I am also a soldier and I respect worthy opponents. I won’t shoot you.”

Why did Mueller spare Andrei? And even gave him bread and lard, which the prisoners of war then divided among themselves in the barracks?

It seems that Muller did not kill Andrei for one simple reason: he was scared. Over the years of working in the camps, he saw many broken souls, saw how people become dogs, ready to kill each other for a piece of food. But he had never seen anything like this before! Muller was scared because the reasons for the hero’s behavior were not clear to him. And he couldn’t understand them. For the first time, among the horrors of war and camp, this commandant saw something pure, big and human - the soul of Andrei Sokolov, which nothing could corrupt or stain. And the German bowed to this soul.

The core on which the entire episode is built is the motive of the test.

1. The behavior of the main character as a reflection of his inner essence.
2. Moral duel.
3. My attitude to the fight between Andrei Sokolov and Muller.

In Sholokhov's story “The Fate of a Man” there are many episodes that allow us to better understand the character traits of the main character. One of these moments that deserves our reader’s close attention is the scene of the interrogation of Andrei Sokolov by Muller.

By observing the behavior of the main character, we can appreciate the Russian national character, the hallmark of which is pride and self-respect. Prisoner of war Andrei Sokolov, exhausted by hunger and hard work, in the circle of his brothers in misfortune utters a seditious phrase: “They need four cubic meters of production, but for the grave of each of us, one cubic meter through the eyes is enough.” The Germans became aware of this phrase. And then follows the interrogation of the hero.

The scene of the interrogation of Andrei Sokolov by Muller is a kind of psychological “duel”. One of the participants in the duel is a weak, emaciated man. The other is well-fed, prosperous, and self-satisfied. And yet, the weak and exhausted won. Andrei Sokolov surpasses the fascist Muller in the strength of his spirit. Refusing the offer to drink German weapons to the victory shows the inner strength of Andrei Sokolov. “So that I, a Russian soldier, would drink German weapons for the victory?!” The very thought of this seemed blasphemous to Andrei Sokolov. Andrei agrees to Muller's offer to drink to his death. “What did I have to lose? - he recalls later. “I will drink to my death and deliverance from torment.”

In the moral duel between Muller and Sokolov, the latter wins also because he is afraid of absolutely nothing. Andrey has nothing to lose, he has already mentally said goodbye to life. He openly mocks those who are currently in power and have a significant advantage. “I wanted to show them, the damned one, that although I was disappearing from hunger, I was not going to choke on their handouts, that I had my own, Russian dignity and pride, and that they did not turn me into a beast, no matter how hard they tried.” The Nazis appreciated Andrei’s fortitude. The commandant told him: “That's it, Sokolov, you are a real Russian soldier. You are a brave soldier. “I am also a soldier and I respect worthy opponents.”

I think that the scene of the interrogation of Andrei Sokolov by Mueller showed the Germans all the endurance, national pride, dignity and self-respect of the Russian person. This was a good lesson for the Nazis. The unbending will to live, which distinguishes the Russian people, made it possible to win the war, despite the technical superiority of the enemy.