Platonov, "Little Soldier": summary and main characters

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The wonderful work "The Little Soldier", a summary of which will acquaint the reader with its plot, was written by Russian prose writer Andrei Platonov. The real name of the author is Klimentov. He was born in a workers' settlement near Voronezh in 1899.

History of the creation of the work

Andrey Platonov himself knew all the hardships of wartime, and, of course, could not but touch on this topic in his works. It was in the 1940s that the author began to devote his work entirely to children who survived the events of the war. Platonov is becoming popular not only with his stories, but also with a collection of fairy tales called "The Magic Ring".

The writer had a very warm attitude towards those children who were called "little soldiers". These are guys who know firsthand about the war. They fought alongside adult fighters and also contributed to the long-awaited victory over the German invaders. Often hearing about such exploits, and perhaps becoming an eyewitness to them, Andrei Platonovich wanted to express in his works how this time was reflected in the souls of children.

How did the little soldiers survive the war? What did these guys have to experience, who sometimes were close enough to the battle line? In 1943, the story "The Little Soldier" appeared, a brief summary of which will describe a small fragment from the life of a child who learned from his own experience what war is.

The first pages of the work, or Acquaintance with Serezha

A small building of the station, which was miraculously preserved after an air raid by German aircraft. Tired soldiers lie on the floor. Who put a duffel bag under his head, who just a warm palm. Everyone sleeps, taking advantage of such rare hours for rest. Somewhere else there was an alarmed whisper of people trying to comfort each other. But soon they too quieted down. Only on the tracks from time to time the engine hissed, breaking the peaceful silence.

And in another part of the surviving station, two officers were standing holding the hands of a little boy. The child was about ten years old. The boy squeezed the palm of one of the majors especially tightly, and from time to time even pressed his cheek against it. It was the little soldier. The summary of the story describes several fragments from his difficult life.

The main character of the work

The boy was dressed like a real Red Army soldier. A shabby overcoat, which already fit snugly to the child's body, a cap on the head, boots, clearly sewn to order, since they were not great for the child, but fit exactly. His baby face was weathered, but nonetheless did not look haggard or emaciated. It's likeas if it has become adapted to all the hardships of life.

The child's bright eyes, which looked at the officer holding his small hand, were full of prayer. As if with all his heart he wanted to ask him for something. But the little soldier could not put it into words. An analysis of the first lines of the work shows that the boy says goodbye to this person, who is either his father or a very close friend.

Farewell to the major and tears of the boy

Another man in military uniform tried his best to comfort the child, but he did not even notice his caresses. The kid listened to that officer from whom he did not take his eyes off. The major promised him that they would part for a short time, and that they would soon meet, and then they would remain together forever, and would never be separated. But the boy knew what war was. Many, parting, promised each other to return. But this cruel time often prevented people from keeping their promises, no matter how hard they tried.

The child's heart could not stand the upcoming separation. The child cried. The major took him in his arms, kissed his tear-stained face, and carried him to the platform. Some time passed, the boy returned to the station building already in the arms of another man dressed in a military uniform. He still tried to calm and caress little Serezha, but the child withdrew into himself.

Platonov's story "The Little Soldier". Description of the boy's fate

The train they were supposed to take to their destination did not arrive until the next day. So the man went alongwith a child to a hostel to spend the night. There he fed Seryozha and put him to bed. And then the major, whose last name was Bakhichev, told his random companion about the fate of this baby. As it turned out, Sergei's father was a military doctor, and together with the boy's mother, he served in the same regiment. In order not to be separated from their only child, the parents took him with them.

So a little soldier appeared in the regiment. A brief summary will describe several of his exploits. One day, Seryozha heard his father's conversation that the Germans must definitely blow up the ammunition depot before their retreat, which belonged to the regiment in which the boy grew up. And then a smart child made his way into this room at night and cut the wire, which was supposed to activate the explosive mechanism. Moreover, he remained in the warehouse for another whole day, fearing that the Nazis would return and fix everything.

Another feat of little Serezha

After some time the boy made his way far to the rear of the Germans and quite accurately remembered where the fascist command post and enemy batteries were located. Returning to his father in the regiment, Sergei described everything very accurately. The boy's memory was excellent.

The man gave the child under the constant supervision of an orderly and decided to open fire on all those positions of the enemy, which were pointed out by his little son. The information provided by Sergei turned out to be correct. The boy was really able to remember everything correctly and helped the older fighters.

Firstthe misfortunes that the war brought to the baby

Serezha's mother, seeing her son's attitude to the war, watching his brave character, understood that it could not last so long. The woman was worried about her son. She decided to send the child to the rear. But the little soldier was stubborn. He was already accustomed to the hardships of military life. Moreover, the child got involved and could no longer imagine his life without fighting and helping the fighters.

Unfortunately, the mother did not have time to keep her promise. Serezha's father was seriously wounded in the next battle, and he, having never recovered, died in the hospital. And then the boy's mother got sick. Prior to these events, she had already been wounded several times. Apparently, nervous experiences and pain for the deceased spouse affected. The woman went down. Only a month passed, and she went after her husband. Serezha was left without a mother and father.

The further fate of the little soldier

Now, instead of Father Sergei, the regiment was commanded by his deputy Savelyev. This was the major with whom the boy said goodbye on the platform. After the death of Serezha's parents, the man took him into his care. Savelyev cared so sincerely for the child that the little soldier also reciprocated and became attached to him with all his childish heart.

After some time, an order came to send Savelyev to military retraining courses. Then he asked an officer he knew to take care of the boy until he returned. And when Savelyev would return and where he would be sent after that, it was not yet known. So how much more is the boy forcedstay with a stranger, no one knew. And Seryozha himself, apparently, understood this very well.

Sleep interlocutors, or Where did the boy go

This is how the narration of the story "The Little Soldier" continues, the main characters of which go through difficult trials of the Second World War, participating in battles and defending their Motherland. Describing to his casual interlocutor the fate of the ward, the major fell asleep. And after a while, the listener himself dozed off. Waking up at the end of the day, the men found themselves alone.

At first, Bakhichev was not particularly worried, deciding that the boy was absent for a short time. But time passed, and the little soldier did not return. Then the man went to the station and began to interrogate the military commandant if he had seen the child. But with such a crowd of people at this alarming time, of course, no one noticed Seryozha - a small and nimble boy who had vast experience as a skilled scout.

The baby did not return the next day either. Even a thorough analysis of the work "The Little Soldier" will not be able to answer the question of where Seryozha went. Maybe he returned to his native regiment, or maybe he went to look for Savelyev, who became no less close to him than his mother and father. Thus ends The Little Soldier.

Platonov (schoolchildren write an essay based on the described story in the fifth grade) created many works dedicated to the difficult fate of children who went through wartime. And not a single one can leave either an adult orlittle reader indifferent.