"The fate of a man" - Sholokhov's story. "The fate of man": analysis

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

Mikhail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov is the author of famous stories about the Cossacks, the Civil War, the Great Patriotic War. In his works, the author tells not only about the events that took place in the country, but also about people, characterizing them very aptly. Such is the famous story of Sholokhov "The Fate of Man". An analysis of the work will help the reader to feel respect for the main character of the book, to know the depth of his soul.

A little about the writer

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

The writer began his creative activity with feuilletons, then the author creates more serious works: “Quiet Flows the Don”, “Virgin Soil Upturned”. Among his works on the war are: "They fought for the Motherland", "Light and darkness", "The struggle continues." Sholokhov's story "The Fate of a Man" is on the same subject. Analysis of the first lines will help the readermentally transport yourself to that environment.

Meet Andrey Sokolov, who had a real prototype

The story begins with an introduction to the narrator. He rode in a britzka to the village of Bukhanovskaya. Crossed the river with the driver. The narrator had to wait 2 hours for the driver to return. He positioned himself near the Willis car and wanted to smoke, but the cigarettes turned out to be damp.

The narrator was seen by a man with a child and approached him. It was the main character of the story - Andrei Sokolov. He thought that the man trying to smoke, like him, is a driver, so he came up to talk with a colleague.

This is the beginning of Sholokhov's short story "The Fate of a Man". An analysis of the introduction scene will tell the reader that the story is based on real events. Mikhail Aleksandrovich was on a hunt in the spring of 1946, and there he got into a conversation with a man who told him his fate. After 10 years, remembering this meeting, Sholokhov wrote a story in a week. Now it is clear that the narration is being conducted on behalf of the author.

Sokolov's biography

After Andrey treated the counter with dry cigarettes, they started talking. Rather, Sokolov began to talk about himself. He was born in 1900 in the Voronezh province. During the Civil War he fought in the Red Army.

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

Next, he tells about a significant event in the life of his hero M. A. Sholokhov. "The Destiny of a Man" continues with a 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 a special beauty, but it seemed to him that she was better than all the girls in the world.

Marriage and children

Irina's character was wonderful. When the young people got married, sometimes the husband came home from work angry from fatigue, so he lashed 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, to meet him well. Having been in such a favorable environment, Andrei understood his mistake, asked his wife for forgiveness for his intemperance.

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

Andrey learned to be a driver, began to drive a truck, earn good money - family life was comfortable.

War

So it's been 10 years. The Sokolovs set up 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, make the main character lonely again. M. A. Sholokhov spoke about this in his almost documentary work. "The fate of a man" continues with a sad moment - Andrei was called to the front. Irina seemed to feel that a big trouble would happen. Seeing off her beloved, she cried on her husband's chest and said that they would not see each other again.

Further, Sokolov tells how in one of the battles he volunteered to take ammunition to his comrades, but an enemy shell that exploded near him concussed the soldier. The impact damaged the joint on the arm.

Captive

After some time, 6 German submachine gunners approached him and took him prisoner, but not him alone. First, the prisoners were led to the west, then they were ordered to stop for the night in a church. Andrey was lucky here - the doctor fixed his hand. He walked among the soldiers, asked if there were wounded and helped them. Such noble people were among the Soviet soldiers and officers. But there were others. Sokolov heard one man named Kryzhnev threatening another, saying that he would hand him over to the Germans. The traitor said that he would tell his opponents in the morning that there were communists among the prisoners, and they were shooting members of the CPSU. What did Mikhail Sholokhov say next? "The Fate of a Man" helps to understand how indifferent even to someone else's misfortune Andrei Sokolov was.

The main character could not bear such injustice, he told the communist, who was a platoon leader, 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, commissars among them, no one betrayed anyone,since there were no more traitors. But the Nazis shot four people 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 a Man" continues with stories about Sokolov's two years of captivity. During this time, the main character was in many areas of Germany, he had to work for the Germans. He worked in a mine, a silicate plant, and other places.

Sholokhov, "The Fate of Man". An excerpt showing the heroism of a soldier

When, not far from Dresden, along with other prisoners, Sokolov was mining stones in a quarry, having come to his barracks, he said that the output is three cubes, and one is enough for each grave.

Someone told the Germans these words, and they decided to shoot the soldier. He was called to command, but here, too, Sokolov showed himself to be a real hero. This is clearly seen when you read about the tense moment in Sholokhov's story "The Fate of Man". An analysis of the next episode shows the fearlessness of a simple Russian person.

When the camp commandant Muller said that he would personally shoot Sokolov, he was not afraid. Muller offered Andrey to drink for the victory of German weapons, the Red Army soldier did not, but agreed for his death. The prisoner drank a glass of vodka in two sips, 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.

Amazed Muller said that he gives such a brave soldier life and rewarded him with a loaf and lard. Andrey took the treat to the hut to eatdivided equally. Sholokhov wrote about this in detail.

"The fate of man": the feat of a soldier and irreparable losses

Since 1944, Sokolov began to work as a driver - he drove a German major. When an opportunity presented itself, Andrei rushed to his 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 a response 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 with honors from the artillery school and fought with the rank of captain. But fate was pleased to take away from 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 room, 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, about fearlessness, courage with which he met the news of the death of his loved ones. He will certainly raise his adopted son as inflexible as himself, so that Ivan can endure everything and overcome everything in his path.