"The fate of man": analysis of the work and heroes

In the fifties, the war was often recalled. The veterans were young, they eagerly enjoyed the peaceful life, were happy with the work, many of them willingly studied in technical schools and institutes. However, each of those who survived the war carried an unhealed wound in their hearts, storing the memory of their dead relatives and friends. Most of the literary works of that time, dedicated to the frontline topic, glorified the great feat of the Soviet people, but the authors often lacked life experience, talent, and, obviously, there was a sin like konyukturism. One of the first to create something worthwhile from military life was Mikhail Sholokhov ("The Fate of Man"). The content of this story, written in 1956, is simple and at the same time very difficult, like life itself.

Form of narration

Reception, which took the writer, in the literature was used often. "The Story in the Story" is a great way to convey the originality of the speech of the protagonist and to some extent relieve himself of the responsibility for the person on whose behalf the narrative is being conducted. Say, it's not I think so, it's my hero, and people are different. However, Mikhail Sholokhov took advantage of this artistic method for another purpose when he was creating the story "The Fate of Man". Analysis of the work suggests the identity of the worldview of the author and his main character. It's not the writer's desire to distance himself from Andrei Sokolov, but that his personal life experience did not give him the right to expound events in which he himself did not participate. Sholokhov did not work as a driver, he did not fight and he was not in captivity either. He listened attentively to people who had suffered unimaginable suffering, and empathized with them, and then tried to convey the knowledge to the reader, both modern and future.

Pre-war cloudless life

Chronologically, the work "The Fate of Man" is divided into two unequal parts. The first of them describes a cloudless and serene pre-war happiness. The modern reader can frown skeptically. He already knows how ordinary people lived in the thirties. I told an anecdote - to prison. He stole five spikelets - in the camp. Simply awkwardly expressed himself and also landed in the land far, forest fell. And poverty then is well known. But Mikhail Sholokhov does not embellish reality, although, of course, he does not set out in any sense the whole truth. Still, he is a Soviet writer, and works in the genre of socialist realism. It can not be considered that the destiny of a person described by him is easy. An analysis of the prewar period of the story gives grounds for judging what disasters collectivization brought to the Russian village. The father, mother and sister of the hero died starving in the Voronezh province, where Andrei Sokolov comes from. He himself escaped this fate only because on a generous and fertile Kuban he bent his back on the kulaks (between the lines it is read that these were ordinary peasants, economic and not greedy). Again, the hunger seems to have ended, but the main hero did not want to stay in his native village, he went to the city of Voronezh, to work in the artel, and then to fitter in the factory. The story set out by Sholokhov, is silent on how he managed to "be liberated" (from the collective farms they did not let go so easily). Well, somehow I could.

Personal happiness

A modern emancipated woman can simply be angered by the epithets that the main character of the story "The Fate of Man" describes her wife. The analysis of the work unambiguously creates an image of the slaughtered, all-suffering servile slave, about which only the followers of Domostroi could dream of. The husband will come back from work as "evil as hell", will rip up irritation on the spouse, and that in the answer only know, smiles. She gave birth to three children. She was brought up in an orphanage, herself, apparently, a village girl, apparently, too, her parents had starved to death. So the girl hurt her life. "And today he would dare to mock his wife so much, tearing off anger? And he does not want to put a frying pan on his head? "- the champions of women's equality would be indignant.

And in a sense they would be right. But Sokolov's wife was wiser. She defeated her husband's rudeness in a Christian way, with love, not with reciprocal violence. True, he realized this and was assessed too late by the Sholokhov hero. "The fate of a man" is a story that has a deep orthodox sverhidei, although the author was not a religious person. Such is the paradox of Soviet art.

The bitter road

Now it is time to consider the "military" part of the narrative and its content. "The fate of a man" is a story about the tragic summer months of 1942, when the Germans were advancing and taking our soldiers into captivity, not even by thousands or millions. Sokolov did not escape this fate, even though the Nazis, who were stupefied by the offensive, could easily shoot him. Then there was a road full of humiliation and anguish, and not all of them stood it. A believing warrior who did not want to desecrate the temple paid for his beliefs with life. Someone was dying for another reason. Kryzhnev was destroyed by Sokolov for intending to surrender the commissioner.

Camp and Müller

Scenes of life in the concentration camp occupy an important place in the plot of the story "The Fate of Man". The main characters (and the chief of the place where people were massively massacred, one can also be referred to them, a very vivid image turned out) communicate at the table laid. Sokolov, SS officer Muller wants to shoot, the captive was informed. Before death, the doomed is allowed to drink, the German is in a good mood today. In the eyes of astonished Germans, Russian drinks three glasses of vodka "for their own destruction." He refused to drink for the victory of the Hitlerites. Such dexterity so dumbfounded Mueller that he gives the prisoner life, and even a loaf of bread with a piece of fat to boot. Sokolov shares food with his comrades.

Well, this scene precisely by its unreality gives the narrative plausibility. Gifted life Sokolov ordered as he saw fit. He is attracted to the duties of a chauffeur, he carries a German officer, and at the first opportunity leads the car along with the chief for the front line, to ours.

After the captivity

Yes, there are some inconsistencies in the plot of the story "The Fate of Man". Analysis of the work in conjunction with historical facts leads to the thought of the improbability of further events. The Soviet prisoner is in the location of the Red Army units. He drove a German car, hence, "aided the invaders." If he had not been shot right away, without knowing, the decision of the tribunal would be very strict. We had no prisoners, but there were traitors. At best, you could dream of a penalty battalion.

All this did not happen. The soldier was "cured-fed," and sent home. There he learned about the death of his wife and daughters. If they were alive, obviously, would stay with them. And so - again to the front, a volunteer. How did this happen in conditions of full mobilization? Well, it's not that important.

Son Anatoly

Very interesting is the method by which Mikhail Sholokhov acquaints the reader with the characters of the story "The Fate of Man". The main characters do not always appear in the foreground, they are sometimes invisible. This in a sense refers to Sokolov's wife, but more to his son. Fighting, the father learns that his Anatoly is a hero-tankman, and even experiences some awkwardness, mixed with pride. Here, say, the father is an ordinary soldier, a chauffeur of Studebaker, and his son is a well-deserved officer. He dreams of a meeting, but not destiny. Anatoly was killed by an enemy bullet on the last day of the war. Under such circumstances, it is unlikely that anyone who decides to condemn a person for loss of interest in life will be dared.

After the war

This part of the story "The Fate of Man" is heavy and tragic. Analysis of its uncomplicated, the reaction of men to the loss of all close people leads to a simple scheme: the protagonist drowns the mountain in wine. But at some point, when he met an orphan (there were so many of them), he suddenly lights up with a happy thought that he can still be useful, that life will make sense if he dedicates it to caring for someone's soul. Sokolov tells the orphanage that he is his father. The boy believes that he had long expected his father from the front, but he still did not come. So two lonely hearts met. So the life of Andrei Sokolov again became meaningful.

Such, in general, the story content. "The fate of man" - this name, despite its apparent simplicity, succinctly reflects the tragedy of two military generations, orphaned children and lost sons and daughters of their parents.

The artistic side

It's time to take your mind off the story line and move on to evaluate the artistic merits of the work. In the end, the time was such that no one could write the truth, not even Sholokhov. In addition, his views were very difficult. That there is only one of his speeches at the trial of Tertz and Sinyavsky! But all the same, Sholokhov is a genius.

This is a great story - "The Fate of Man". Analysis of the work from a literary point of view reveals the genius of the author. He easily and unconstrainedly gives characteristics to the characters, without tiring the reader with detailed descriptions of the exterior. Speech of the heroes is unique and alive, they talk so that their voice sounds like it is from the pages. Read Sholokhov need, tuned to a meeting with art. Even the expression about the "stingy man's tear" that slid down Andrei Sokolov's cheek, which has become a literary stamp, can provoke an ironic grin only in a hard-hearted man who does not know what life and fate are like. But tears really are male. And mean.