Roman epic "Quiet Flows the Don": a summary of the chapters

In the village of Veshenskaya, that on the Don land, a Soviet writer Mikhail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov was born. "Quiet Flows the Don," which will be summarized in the article, he wrote about this region, the homeland of proud and freedom-loving workers. About 800 characters are involved in the work. The novel reflects the real fate of the Cossack families, twisted by the iron whirlwind of the First World War and civil wars. Let's present a brief summary of the novel Quiet Flows the Don.

More than two hundred characters are shown under their real names, real events are woven into the plot. Sholokhov, who possessed a phenomenal memory, with scrupulousness of the artist for about twenty years, smear for a stroke created his "Quiet Flows the Don". The summary of the chapters was supplemented with thousands of details. The writer was available archives: from statistics to the protocols of interrogations of whiteguard generals. Most of the heroes of the book appear under fictitious, but recognizable surnames. For example, the brothers Shamili (really - this is not a surname, but a street nickname) - Drozdovs from the Pleshaki farm. But Veshensky Cossack Chernichkin, who killed the commissar, is shown in the novel under a strange name, and not in vain. In fact, his name is Borshchov, and the act is retribution for the execution of the arrested Cossacks. If the actual course of things had surfaced, the person would have been shot. Prototype Grigory Melekhov served Kharlampi Vasilievich Ermakov, whom the writer knew personally.

Let's try to describe fragmentarily the novel "Quiet Flows the Don". The summary of the chapters opens with a description of the genus Grigory, beginning with Porfiry Melekhov - grandfather, married to a Turkish woman. A sensible host shows his father, Pantelei Prokofievich, an attentive and diligent mother, Vasilisa Ilinichna. Parents raised the sons of Gregory, Peter and daughter Dunyasha. Young Grigory falls in love with the wife of Stepan Astakhov's neighbor - Aksinya, the same, knowing that her husband is cheating with the boys, answers Gregory with reciprocity. Pantelei Prokofievich decides to separate the lovers, marrying his son in the Cossack Natalia Korshunova. From this trampled love begins the knowledge of life by Gregory.

In the second part of the novel, Gregory leaves his wife, despite the protests of his parents, whom the daughter-in-law liked. They with Aksinya leave the farm and are arranged by workers from the landowner. Aksinya gives birth to her daughter. Gregory calls on the service, for his money he buys a horse, Pantelei Prokofievich gives the rest of the equipment. Abandoned wife Natalia tries to kill herself with a scythe, but after spending more than six months between life and death, it remains to live. This ends the "peaceful" Quiet Flows the Don. The brief content, beginning with the third chapter, is front-line in nature, the main character is painfully accustomed to the bloody life of the war. The pledged personal moral principles do not allow Grigory to perform low acts. He fearlessly revolts against the Cossacks, who have been brutalized by idleness, who raped the maid to France, and tries to shoot the Cossack Chubatogo for senseless cruelty to the prisoners. In the battle, Melekhov gets seriously wounded, and a funeral home comes to his parents' home. But two weeks later there is a letter from the front from Brother Peter telling that Grigory is alive and awarded for the salvation of an officer. At this time, in the arms of Aksinya from scarlet fever, Grigory's daughter Tatiana dies. The son of the landlord, Yevgeny Listnitsky, sent on leave on wound, enters into communication with her. Returning to a retreat Grigory beats him with a whip and, leaving Aksinya, returns to Natalia.

The fourth part of the novel is also front-line. The regiment is served by the machine-gun-virtuoso Bunchuk, a secret member of the RSDLP, for military merit he receives an officer's rank. The frontal heroism of Grigory Melekhov deserves special attention. His place in the ranks of the regiment is now near the banner. A full bow of St. George's crosses and four medals adorn the hero's chest. The honor of the Cossack for him now - this is the main thing, he boldly penetrates and smashes the Austrian rear, jiggies, and crazies. At the same time, he feels that the war has stolen his old smile from him, understands that after a bloody military profession it will be difficult for him to look into the clean eyes of the child. The army is dissatisfied with the leadership of the Kerensky government. There is a revolution in Petrograd.

The fifth part is post-war. Cossacks return to the village. But among them there is no former unity. Grigory at first adjoins sympathetic Bolsheviks. In the battle for the village, thanks to the actions of two hundred horsemen led by Gregory, the Reds gain victory by capturing forty men. But the chairman of the committee, Podtyolkov, shoots them. The truth-seeker Gregory after that is already speaking against the Bolsheviks. In the spring of 1918, among the Cossacks there is a split: the Verhodonians stand for the Reds, the lower classes are against. The Melekhov brothers serve in the army of General Kornilov. The quiet Don has risen. The summary of the chapters is further documentary. The Cossack general does not receive support from the arrogant Denikin, Kornilov's army is doomed. We are leafing through a novel. His sixth to eighth parts reflect the picture of the civil war on the Don. Brother Peter is dying. Pantelei Prokofievets dies of typhus. Ilinichna in the last year of life takes Aksinya as the wife of her son Grigory. Younger Melekhov, fighting with the Reds, skilfully commands the whole Cossack division. Returning to the family, it turns out to be the persecuted husband of Dunyashka's sister, the chairman of the Revolutionary Committee, escaping from the massacre of the Reds, is adjacent to the gang. After its defeat, it decides to flee with Aksinya, but they stumble upon the red proverb. A stray bullet kills Aksinya.

The scene of Grigori's grief, in which he saw a dazzling black sun, is one of the most convincing in the world literature. Returning to the threshold of the house, he raises his son Mishatka - the only remaining native soul. Only a child and another love for his native land can save this lost loved one, crippled by the iron age of man. On such a piercing note, Quiet Flows the Don. The summary of the chapters will give a greater effect of understanding, if it is supplemented with quotations. But ideally, of course, you still need to read the book.

In the novel there is a break in the community of the Cossacks - centuries of the existing mechanism for preserving Christian statehood. The protagonist of the novel - Grigory Melekhov - is certainly a bright character, he is whole, sincere, he feels both a worker and a knight, the true character of the Don Cossack is seen. With another turn of history, such people as Grigory would have been a stronghold of the Russian state, the breadwinners of his new glory. But Sholokhov-the artist introduces him into the iron age of the 20th century, cruel, trampling people, their feelings, breaking hopes. The work of Mikhail Sholokhov is so multifaceted that from the attempt to draw a conclusion for a verst is insolvent. Here conclusions - as in the forest of mushrooms. Everyone can find something for themselves. We recommend readers not to dwell on reading the "Quiet Don". After all, such events, only taking place in the midst of the citizens, are covered by the Muscovite Boris Leonidovich Pasternak in the novel Doctor Zhivago. Both of these books, echoing each other in the epoch covered in them, reflecting a realistic picture of suffering and misery, still teach love for the Motherland. After all, as Zhivago's words sound intelligibly, the real man must share the destiny of his land!