Analysis of the story “The Fate of Man” (M. Sholokhov)

During the Great Patriotic War Sholokhov, in military correspondence, essays, and the story “The Science of Hatred,” exposed the anti-human nature of the war unleashed by the Nazis, revealed the heroism of the Soviet people, and love for the Motherland. And in the novel “They Fought for the Motherland” the Russian national character, clearly manifested itself in days of difficult trials. Remembering how during the war the Nazis mockingly called Soviet soldier“Russian Ivan,” Sholokhov wrote in one of his articles: “The symbolic Russian Ivan is this

What: a man dressed in a gray overcoat, who, without hesitation, gave the last piece of bread and thirty grams of front-line sugar to a child orphaned during the terrible days of war, a man who selflessly covered his comrade with his body, saving him from imminent death, a man who, squeezing teeth, endured and will endure all hardships and hardships, going to great deeds in the name of the Motherland.”

Andrei Sokolov appears before us as such a modest, ordinary warrior in the story “The Fate of a Man.” Sokolov talks about his courageous actions as if it were a very ordinary matter. He bravely performed his military duty at the front. Near Lozovenki he was tasked with transporting shells to the battery. “We had to hurry, because the battle was approaching us...” says Sokolov. “The commander of our unit asks: “Will you get through, Sokolov?” And there was nothing to ask here. My comrades may be dying there, but I’ll be sick here? What a conversation! - I answer him. “I have to get through and that’s it!” In this episode, Sholokhov noticed the main feature of the hero - a sense of camaraderie, the ability to think about others more than about himself. But, stunned by the explosion of a shell, he woke up already in captivity of the Germans. He watches with pain as the advancing German troops march to the east. Having learned what enemy captivity is, Andrei says with a bitter sigh, turning to his interlocutor: “Oh, brother, it’s not an easy thing to understand that you are not in captivity because of your own water. Anyone who has not experienced this on their own skin will not immediately penetrate into their soul so that they can understand in a human way what this thing means.” His bitter memories speak of what he had to endure in captivity: “It’s hard for me, brother, to remember, and even harder to talk about what I experienced in captivity. When you remember the inhuman torment that you had to endure there in Germany, when you remember all the friends and comrades who died, tortured there in the camps, your heart is no longer in your chest, but in your throat, and it becomes difficult to breathe...”

While in captivity, Andrei Sokolov exerted all his strength to preserve the person within himself, and not to exchange “Russian dignity and pride” for any relief in fate. One of the most striking scenes in the story is the interrogation of the captured Soviet soldier Andrei Sokolov by the professional killer and sadist Muller. When Müller was informed that Andrei had allowed his dissatisfaction with hard labor to show, he summoned him to the commandant’s office for questioning. Andrei knew that he was going to his death, but decided to “gather his courage to look into the hole of the pistol fearlessly, as befits a soldier, so that his enemies would not see at the last minute that it was difficult for him to part with his life...”.

The interrogation scene turns into a spiritual duel between the captured soldier and camp commandant Müller. It would seem that the forces of superiority should be on the side of the well-fed, endowed with the power and opportunity to humiliate and trample the man Muller. Playing with a pistol, he asks Sokolov whether four cubic meters of production is really a lot, and is one enough for a grave? When Sokolov confirms his previously spoken words, Müller offers him a glass of schnapps before the execution: “Before you die, drink, Russian Ivan, to the victory of German weapons.” Sokolov at first refused to drink “for the victory of German weapons,” and then agreed “for his death.” After drinking the first glass, Sokolov refused to take a bite. Then they served him a second one. Only after the third did he bite off a small piece of bread and put the rest on the table. Talking about this, Sokolov says: “I wanted to show them, the damned ones, that although I am perishing from hunger, I am not going to choke on their handouts, that I have my own Russian dignity and pride and that they did not turn me into a beast, no matter how hard we tried."

Sokolov’s courage and endurance amazed the German commandant. He not only let him go, but finally gave him a small loaf of bread and a piece of bacon: “That’s it, Sokolov, you are a real Russian soldier. You are a brave soldier. I am also a soldier and I respect worthy opponents. I won't shoot you. In addition, today our valiant troops reached the Volga and completely captured Stalingrad. This is a great joy for us, and therefore I generously give you life. Go to your block..."

Considering the scene of the interrogation of Andrei Sokolov, we can say that it is one of the compositional peaks of the story. It has its own theme - spiritual wealth and moral nobility Soviet man, my own idea: there is no force in the world capable of spiritually breaking true patriot, make him humiliate himself before the enemy.

Andrei Sokolov has overcome a lot on his way. The national pride and dignity of the Russian Soviet man, endurance, spiritual humanity, indomitability and ineradicable faith in life, in his Motherland, in his people - this is what Sholokhov typified in the truly Russian character of Andrei Sokolov. The author showed the unbending will, courage, and heroism of a simple Russian man, who, in the time of the most difficult trials that befell his Motherland and irreparable personal losses, was able to rise above his personal fate, filled with the deepest drama, and managed to overcome death with life and in the name of life. This is the pathos of the story, its main idea.

Sholokhov's work "The Fate of Man" was first published ten years after the Great Patriotic War ended, in 1956-1957. The theme of the story is atypical for the literature of that time dedicated to the war. The author first spoke about the soldiers who were captured by the Nazis.

Then we learn the fate of this character from his lips. Andrey is extremely frank with a random interlocutor - he does not hide personal details.

We can safely say that this hero had a happy life. After all, he had a loving wife, children, and he was doing what he loved. At the same time, Andrei’s life is typical for that time. Sokolov is a simple Russian man, of whom there were millions in our country at that time.

Andrey's feat ("The Fate of Man", Sholokhov)

The essay “The War in the Life of the Main Character” can be built on the contrast between the attitude of Andrei and other people who meet in his life path. In comparison with them, the feat that, in fact, is his whole life seems even more majestic and terrible to us.

The hero, unlike others, shows patriotism and courage. This is confirmed by the analysis of the work “The Fate of Man” by Sholokhov. So, during the battle, he plans to accomplish the almost impossible - to deliver shells to the Russian troops, breaking through the enemy’s barrier. At this moment he does not think about the impending danger, about own life. But the plan could not be implemented - Andrei was captured by the Nazis. But even here he does not lose heart, maintains his dignity and calmness. So, when a German soldier ordered him to take off the boots that he liked, Sokolov, as if mocking him, also takes off his foot wraps.

The work reveals various problems of Sholokhov. The fate of a person, anyone, not just Andrei, was tragic at that time. However, in front of her, different people behave differently. Sholokhov shows the horrors that occur in captivity of the Germans. Many people in inhumane conditions They lost their face: in order to save life or a piece of bread, they were ready to commit any betrayal, humiliation, even murder. The stronger, purer, higher the personality of Sokolov, his actions and thoughts appear. Problems of character, courage, perseverance, honor - these are what interests the writer.

Conversation with Mueller

And in the face of the mortal danger threatening Andrei (conversation with Muller), he behaves with great dignity, which even commands respect from his enemy. In the end, the Germans recognize the unbending character of this warrior.

It is interesting that the “confrontation” between Muller and Sokolov took place precisely at the moment when the fighting was taking place near Stalingrad. Andrei's moral victory in this context becomes, as it were, a symbol of the victory of the Russian troops.

Sholokhov also raises other problems (“The Fate of Man”). One of them is the problem of the meaning of life. The hero experienced the full echoes of the war: he learned that he had lost his entire family. Hopes for happy life disappeared. He is left completely alone, having lost the meaning of existence, devastated. The meeting with Vanyusha did not allow the hero to die, to sink. In this boy, the hero found a son, a new incentive to live.

Mikhail Alexandrovich believes that perseverance, humanism, and self-esteem are traits typical of the Russian character. Therefore, our people managed to win this great and terrible war, as Sholokhov believes (“The Fate of Man”). The writer has explored the theme of man in some detail; it is even reflected in the title of the story. Let's turn to him.

The meaning of the story's title

The story “The Fate of Man” is named so not by chance. This name, on the one hand, convinces us that the character of Andrei Sokolov is typical, and on the other, it also emphasizes his greatness, since Sokolov has every right to be called a Man. This work gave impetus to the revival of the classical tradition in Soviet literature. It is characterized by attention to the fate of the simple, " little man", worthy of full respect.

Using various techniques - a confessional story, a portrait, speech characteristics- the author reveals the character of the hero as fully as possible. This is a simple man, majestic and beautiful, self-respecting, strong. His fate can be called tragic, since Andrei Sokolov suffered serious trials, but we still involuntarily admire him. Neither the death of loved ones nor the war could break him. “The Fate of Man” (Sholokhov M. A.) is a very humanistic work. Main character Finds the meaning of life in helping others. This is what, above all, the harsh post-war times required.

M.A. Sholokhov wrote a story about the fate of a former prisoner of war, about the tragedy and strength of character of a man who suffered the most difficult trials. During and immediately after the Great Patriotic War, soldiers returning from captivity were considered traitors, they were not trusted, and a thorough check was carried out to clarify the circumstances. The story “The Fate of Man” has become a work that allows you to see and understand the cruel truth of war.

The word “fate” can be interpreted as “life story” or used in the meaning of “fate, fate, coincidence.” In Sholokhov's story we find both, but the hero turned out to be not one of those who meekly accepts the fate destined for him.

The author showed how dignified and courageous the Russians behaved in captivity. There were few traitors “shaking for their own skin.” By the way, they surrendered voluntarily at the first opportunity. The hero of the story “The Fate of Man” was wounded, shell-shocked and taken prisoner by the Germans in a helpless state during the battle. In the prisoner of war camp, Andrei Sokolov endured a lot of suffering: bullying, beatings, hunger, death of his comrades, “inhuman torment.” For example, Commandant Müller, bypassing the line of prisoners, hit every second person in the nose with his fist (or rather, with a piece of lead placed in a glove), “making blood.” This was his way of expressing Aryan superiority, emphasizing the insignificance of human life for representatives of all nations (unlike the Germans).

Andrei Sokolov had a chance to personally confront Muller, and the author showed this “duel” in one of climax episodes story.
The conversation between the captured soldier and the commandant took place because someone informed the Germans about the words Andrei had said the day before about the order in the concentration camp. Barely alive prisoners chiseled stone by hand, and the norm per person was four cubic meters per day. One day after work, wet, exhausted, hungry, Sokolov said: “They need four cubic meters of output, but for each of us, one cubic meter through the eyes is enough for the grave.” For these words he had to answer to the commandant.

In Müller’s office, all the camp authorities were sitting at the table. The Germans celebrated another victory at the front, drank schnapps, snacked on lard and canned food. And Sokolov, when he entered, almost vomited (constant fasting had an effect). Muller, clarifying the words spoken by Sokolov the day before, promised that he would honor him and personally shoot him. In addition, the commandant decided to show generosity and offered the captured soldier a drink and a snack before his death. Andrei had already taken a glass and a snack, but the commandant added that he should drink for the victory of the Germans. This really hurt Sokolov: “So that I, a Russian soldier, would drink German weapons for the victory?!” Andrei was no longer afraid of death, so he put the glass down and said that he was a teetotaler. And Müller, smiling, suggested: “If you don’t want to drink to our victory, then drink to your destruction.” The soldier, who had nothing to lose, boldly declared that he would drink to get rid of his torment. He knocked back the glass in one gulp and put the snack aside, although he was dying to eat.

What willpower this man had! Not only did he not humiliate himself over a crumb of lard or a piece of bread, but he also did not lose his dignity or sense of humor, and this gave him a feeling of superiority over the Germans. He suggested that Muller go to the courtyard, where the German would “sign” him, that is, sign a death warrant and shoot him. Müller allowed Sokolov to have a snack, but the soldier said that he did not have a snack after the first one. And after the second glass he announced that he was not having a snack. He himself understood: he was showing this courage not so much to surprise the Germans, but for himself, so that before his death he would not look like a coward. With his behavior, Sokolov made the Germans laugh, and the commandant poured him a third glass. Andrey took a bite as if reluctantly; He really wanted to prove that he had pride, “that the Nazis did not turn him into a beast.”

The Germans surprisingly appreciated the pride, courage and humor of the Russian soldier, and Muller told him that he respected worthy opponents, and therefore would not shoot him. For his courage, Sokolov was given a loaf of bread and a piece of lard. The soldier did not really believe in the generosity of the Nazis, waited for a shot in the back and regretted that he would not bring the unexpectedly dropped treat to his hungry cellmates. And again the soldier did not think about himself, but about those who were dying of hunger. He managed to bring these “gifts” to the prisoners, and they divided everything equally.

In this episode, Sholokhov raised an ordinary person to the pedestal of a hero, despite the fact that he was a prisoner of war. It was not Sokolov’s fault in his captivity; he was not going to give up. And in captivity he did not grovel, did not betray his own, did not change his beliefs. He remained a devoted citizen of his homeland and dreamed of returning to duty to fight against the Nazis again. This incident from the life of a soldier turned out to be decisive in his fate: Sokolov could have been shot, but he saved himself, because he was less afraid of death than shame. So he remained alive.

And the “superman” Muller suddenly saw in the Russian soldier pride, the desire to preserve human dignity, courage and even contempt for death, since the prisoner did not want to grasp for life at the cost of humiliation and cowardice. This was one of Andrei Sokolov’s victories in the circumstances that fate presented.

What kind of character do you need to have in order not to submit to circumstances? Andrei's habits, which became character traits, were the most common for people of that time: hard work, generosity, perseverance, courage, the ability to love people and the Motherland, the ability to feel sorry for a person, to have compassion for him. And he was happy with his life, because he had a house, a job, his children grew up and studied. Only the lives and fate of people can be easily ruined by politicians and militarists who need power, money, new territories and income. Is a person able to survive in this meat grinder? It turns out that sometimes this is possible.

Fate was merciless to Sokolov: a bomb hit his house in Voronezh, killing his daughters and wife. He loses his last hope for the future (dreams about his son’s marriage and grandchildren) at the very end of the war, when he learns about the death of his son in Berlin.
Endless blows of fate did not destroy this man. He did not become embittered, did not hate anyone, realizing that one could only curse the fascists who destroyed millions of human lives throughout the earth. Now the enemy has been defeated, and we must move on with our lives. However, the memories were difficult and it was difficult to think about the future. The pain did not go away for a long time, and sometimes there was a desire to forget with the help of vodka, but I coped with this too, overcame the weakness.
Andrei Sokolov's meeting with the boy, a homeless orphan, changed a lot in his life. The man’s heart sank in pain when he saw someone whose life was even more difficult and worse than his own.

The writer not only shows us the twists of fate that either break or strengthen a person, Sholokhov explains why his hero acts in such a way that he can change his life. Andrei Sokolov gives the warmth of his heart to those who need it, and thereby expresses protest against fate, which has sentenced him to loneliness. Hope and the will to live were restored. He can tell himself: throw away your weaknesses, stop feeling sorry for yourself, become a protector and support for the weaker. This is the peculiarity of the image of a man with a strong character created by M.A. Sholokhov. His hero argued with fate and managed to reshape his life, directing it in the right direction.

The writer Sholokhov spoke not only about the life of a specific person, a citizen Soviet Union Andrey Sokolov. He called his work “The Fate of Man,” thereby emphasizing that every person, if he is spiritually rich and strong, like his hero, is able to withstand any test, create a new destiny, new life, where he will have a worthy role. Apparently, this is the meaning of the title of the story.
And in the current aggravated situation, M.A. Sholokhov could remind the current Russophobes and Nazis that the Sokolovs have not disappeared among the Russian people.

Reviews

M. Sholokhov - Great Russian writer, there are no words! "The Fate of Man" is a vivid example of this. Just a story about a simple Russian peasant, but how it’s written! And S. Bondarchuk’s film based on this work is also magnificent! How he played Sokolov! This scene when he drinks vodka with cut glasses is simply incomparable! And a meeting with a homeless boy brought him back to life, when it seemed there was simply no point in living any further... Thank you, Zoya! R.R.

The main character of the story M.A. Sholokhov “The Fate of Man” Andrei Sokolov experienced a lot in his life. History itself, in the form of a bloody war, intervened and broke the hero’s fate. Andrei went to the front in May 1942. Near Lokhovenki, the truck he was working on was hit by a shell. Andrei was picked up by the Germans and captured.

Sholokhov introduced a description of captivity into his story, which was unusual in Soviet literature of that time. The author showed how dignified and heroic the Russian people behaved even in captivity, what they overcame: “As you remember the inhuman torment that you had to endure there in Germany, as you remember all the friends and comrades who died, tortured there in the camps, your heart It’s no longer in the chest, but in the throat, and it becomes difficult to breathe...”

The most important episode showing the life of Andrei Sokolov in captivity is the scene of his interrogation by Mueller. This German was the commandant of the camp, “in their way, a Lagerfuhrer.” He was a ruthless man: “... he lines us up in front of the block - that’s what they called the barracks - he walks in front of the line with his pack of SS men, holding his right hand in flight. He has it in a leather glove, and there is a lead gasket in the glove so as not to damage his fingers. He goes and hits every second person in the nose, drawing blood. He called this “flu prevention.” And so every day... He was a neat bastard, he worked seven days a week.” In addition, Müller spoke excellent Russian, “he even leaned on the “o”, like a native Volga native,” and especially loved Russian swearing.

The reason for calling Andrei Sokolov for questioning was his careless statement. The hero was indignant about the hard work in a stone quarry near Dresden. After another working day, he went into the barracks and dropped the following phrase: “They need four cubic meters of output, but for the grave of each of us, one cubic meter through the eyes is enough.”

The next day, Sokolov was summoned to Müller. Realizing that he was going to his death, Andrei said goodbye to his comrades, “... began to gather my courage to look into the hole of the pistol fearlessly, as befits a soldier, so that my enemies would not see at my last minute that I had to give up my life after all.” difficult."

When the hungry Sokolov entered the commandant’s office, the first thing he saw was a table laden with food. But Andrei did not behave like a hungry animal. He found the strength to turn away from the table, and not to prevaricate or try to avoid death by going back on his words. Andrey confirmed that four cubic meters is too much for a hungry and tired person. Müller decided to show Sokolov the “honor” and personally shoot him, but before that he offered him a drink to the German victory. “As soon as I heard these words, it felt like I was burned by fire! I think to myself: “So that I, a Russian soldier, would drink German weapons for the victory?!” Is there something you don't want, Herr Commandant? Damn it, I’m dying, so you’ll go to hell with your vodka!” And Sokolov refused to drink.

But Muller, already accustomed to mocking people, invites Andrei to drink something else: “Would you like to drink to our victory? In that case, drink to your death.” Andrei drank, but, as a truly courageous and proud man, he joked before his death: “I don’t have a snack after the first glass.” So Sokolov drank the second glass, and the third. “I wanted to show them, the damned one, that although I’m dying of hunger, I’m not going to choke on their handouts, that I have my own, Russian dignity and pride, and that they didn’t turn me into a beast, no matter how hard they tried.”

Seeing such remarkable willpower in a physically exhausted man, Muller could not resist sincere delight: “That's it, Sokolov, you are a real Russian soldier. You are a brave soldier. I am also a soldier and respect worthy opponents. I won’t shoot you.”

Why did Mueller spare Andrei? And even gave him some bread and lard, which the prisoners of war then divided among themselves in the barracks?

I think that Muller did not kill Andrei for one simple reason: he was scared. Over the years of working in the camps, he saw many broken souls, saw how people became animals, ready to kill each other for a piece of bread. But he had never seen anything like this before! Muller was scared because the reasons for the hero’s behavior were unclear to him. And he couldn’t understand them. For the first time, among the horrors of war and camp, he saw something pure, big and human - the soul of Andrei Sokolov, which nothing could corrupt. And the German bowed to this soul.

The main motive of this episode is the motive of the test. It sounds throughout the story, but only in this episode does it acquire real power. The test of a hero is a technique actively used in folklore and Russian literature. Let us remember the trials of heroes in Russian folk tales. Andrei Sokolov is invited to drink exactly three times. Depending on how the hero behaved, his fate would be decided. But Sokolov passed the test with honor.

To further reveal the image in this episode, the author uses the hero’s internal monologue. Tracing him, we can say that Andrei behaved heroically not only externally, but also internally. He did not even think about giving in to Müller and showing weakness.

The episode is narrated from the main actor. Since several years have passed between the interrogation scene and the time when Sokolov tells this story, the hero allows himself irony (“he was a neat bastard, he worked seven days a week”). Surprisingly, after so many years, Andrei does not show hatred towards Muller. This characterizes him as truly strong man who knows how to forgive.

In this episode, Sholokhov tells the reader that the most important thing for a person in any, even the most terrible circumstances, is to always remain human! And the fate of the main character of the story, Andrei Sokolov, confirms this idea.