Let's remember our classics: a summary of "The Quiet Flows the Don" by Sholokhov

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

A classic of Russian and Soviet literature, he created his main novel as a monumental work about his small homeland. The theme of Sholokhov's novel "The Quiet Don" is a deep and systematic reflection of the life of the Don Cossacks at the turn of the epochs of the early 20th century. Himself being a native of this land, the writer created images of the heroes of his novel based on real prototypes that he knew personally. There were more than two hundred of those in the epic. For more than 20 years, the writer has been refining the content, deeply studying the information from the archives. The multi-layered epic picture betrayed the handwriting of a true master. It is estimated that more than eight hundred characters walked through the pages of the book.

Summary of "The Quiet Flows the Don" by Sholokhov is familiar to millions of connoisseurs of historical classics. It is noteworthy that the talent of the writer, who, according to his party convictions, was a real communist, forced him to write realistically, truthfully, and did not allow him to turn the main character into an ideal adherent of the ideology reigning in society.

In weavescentral and secondary storylines are created by Sholokhov "Quiet Flows the Don". The images of representatives of the Melekhov family are central in this work. Once upon a time, the Cossack Porfiry returned from the war, and not himself, but with a Turkish woman, with whom he fell in love with all his heart. People envied their love and once, having accused of witchcraft, they beat a pregnant girl.

Porfiry defended his beloved with a Cossack checker. However, she, having given birth to the father of Gregory - Panteley, died. Pantelei Prokofievich, having matured, turned into a sane and economic Cossack. He gradually and consistently increased his property. His wife Vasilisa Ilyinichna became his reliable assistant and guardian of the family hearth. Their lives were measured. Sons Peter, Gregory and daughter Dunyashka grew up. Grigory Melekhov was a conspicuous young man - swarthy, strong, sincere in his feelings and impulsive in his actions. His father prudently planned his marriage in order to increase the family property. However, we, further retelling a summary of Sholokhov's "Quiet Flows the Don", should note that Pantelei Prokofievich turned out to be, to put it mildly, wrong. It was impossible to break the fate of such an open, freedom-loving, courageous guy like Grigory. He himself finds his love in the stately Cossack woman Aksinya, the wife of Stepan Astakhov. The father, blinded by his practicality, disdainfully treated his son's feelings, forcing him to marry his chosen passion - Natalya Korshunova, making him related to a we althy Cossack family. Passionate love for Aksinya turns out to be stronger. Gregory throwsleaves the farm with his wife and mistress, having hired himself to work on the farm with a centurion. They have a daughter.

Grigory's legal wife Natalya tries to commit suicide by cutting herself with a scythe, but survives. Her father-in-law and mother-in-law love her very much, and she goes to live with them.

Further highlighting the summary of "The Quiet Flows the Don" by Sholokhov, we will pay special attention to lovers who have run away from everyone. Their idyll is destroyed by the outbreak of the First World War. Cossack Gregory goes to the army by order, having bought a horse with the money he earned and received the necessary harness and property from his father. The bloody life of the war does not immediately harden the heart of Gregory with its iron grin. In particular, the nobility and honesty laid down by family upbringing make him intervene in order to prevent the rape of the maid Frani by brutalized Cossacks. His soul does not accept senseless brutal deaths. He grabs his gun to shoot the Cossack Chubaty, who basically does not take prisoners and destroys even unarmed opponents. In battle, he is wounded, however, bleeding, he saves the officer. For this feat, Gregory is awarded the first St. George Cross and assigned the lowest officer rank. Having cured the hero in the hospital, he is sent home on vacation. However, earlier Aksinya, like Grigory's parents, mistakenly receive news of the death of a Cossack. The centurion, for whom a woman serves, enters into a relationship with her. (By this time, Grigory's daughter, having fallen ill, is dying.) Arriving on a visit, Melekhov learns about the betrayal of his beloved, beats the lovingListnitsky with a whip and leaves Aksinya for his wife Natalia.

From vacation to the front comes another Grigory, hardened in heart, devoid of any sentimentality. Retelling further the summary of Sholokhov's "Quiet Flows the Don", it is impossible not to note the special military bravado that appeared in the protagonist: he goes crazy in battle, risking his life with relish, merging his whole essence with the bloody life of the war. His chest is decorated with crosses, his place in the ranks is near the battle banner. Yes, only the Cossack feels: something immeasurably more important than military distinctions, he lost in life, something deeply human. And the army is falling apart. Agitators of the RSDLP work in it, introducing ideas that are destructive for the foundations of the state. Gregory returns home. At first, he joins the Bolsheviks, which causes him a conflict with his father and brother Peter. However, his views change after the execution of the captured Cossacks by the chairman of the local Revolutionary Commissariat Podtelkov. The Melekhov brothers join the Cossack general Kornilov.

Only he does not have enough of his own forces to effectively counter the Reds, and disagreements with Wrangel turn the idea of a Don Cossack state into absurdity. At this break, Grigory Melekhov, fighting with the Revolutionary Military Council, skillfully commands a Cossack cavalry division. He is promiscuous in his relationships with women, his pregnant wife Natalya finds out about this. In a state of indignation, she performs an abortion on her own, but the resulting bleeding soon kills her. On theDon civil war gathers a bloody harvest. Brother Peter dies, Pantelei Prokofievich is fading away from typhus. Vasilisa Ilyinichna is living her last year. Among this iron and blood, the love of Grigory and Aksinya flares up anew. Together they are going to run away from the village, devoid of native people, which is actually under the rule of the red commissars. They, racing on horseback, were noticed by the fighters of the food detachment and opened fire.

A bullet mortally wounds a woman. Grigory buries Aksinya right in the middle of the field, the light dims for him from grief. The scene describing the dazzlingly bright black sun by Sholokhov is undoubtedly a brilliant creative find. Gregory is back. He still has the only thread connecting with the Don land - the son of Mishatka, whom he, as a father, will have to raise.

For the creation of this outstanding work, Mikhail Aleksandrovich was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1965. The writer, having received the award, spent a smaller part of the money on a trip with his family across Europe to Japan, and the rest of the money on the construction of a club and a library.