The image of Vasily Terkin (School essays). Essay on the theme of the image of Vasily Terkin Essays on topics

Vasily Terkin - a generalized image of a soldier-liberator

Into battle, forward, into utter fire

He goes, holy and sinful,

Russian miracle man!

O. Tvardovsky

A. Tvardovsky wrote the poem “Vasily Terkin” throughout the war - from 1941 to 1945. It is no coincidence that this “book about a fighter” became an achievement that is rightly called a “true chronicle of the war,” in which the heroic feat of the people is comprehended. The image of the main character was close and understandable to the reader, because he embodied the main features of the Russian folk character. Readers immediately recognized Vasya Terkin as one of their own. After the publication in 1942 of the first eight chapters telling about the front-line biography of the hero, Tvardovsky, who considered the poem completed, was forced to continue it: from all fronts he received letters from readers asking him to tell about future fate Terkina.

The poem reflects the main stages of the Great Patriotic War, starting from its first days until the complete victory over the enemy:

These lines and pages -

There is a special count of days and miles,

Like from the western border

To your home capital

And here is the native capital

Back to the western border

But the western border

All the way to the enemy capital

We did our own hike.

Talking about war is never easy, just as telling the truth is not easy. But the poet chose the truth - “straight to the soul,” no matter how bitter it was.

The poet managed, without embellishing, but also without “downgrading” the hero, to embody in him the most important qualities of the Russian people: patriotism, awareness of responsibility for the fate of the Motherland, readiness for heroism, love of work. Vasya Terkin is shown at a rest stop and in a peasant hut, in a trench and in a Russian bathhouse, he heroically swims across icy rivers, he dreams of awards. But he is always a recognizable person, like many of them. Thanks to such simple infantry soldiers who did not spare themselves, the country defeated fascism. And at the same time, in Tjorkin there is something of the fabulous, epic Russian heroes who always come out unscathed and always win. There are no pompous phrases or any unusual actions in the poem. War is blood, pain, loss. But this is the strength of a person, that she can withstand all troubles and suffering, survive among these adversities.

In any situation, Vasily Terkin remains a man, retains the goodness in himself. Humor never leaves him, even at the most crucial moments.

Let's not go too far, let's break through

We will live - we will not die, -

he says, not at all intending to give his life in vain. Many readers perceived Terkin as real personality. Tvardovsky himself writes that someone like Terkin

Every company always has

And in every platoon.

The resilient hero of the poem leads us with him from the Moscow region to Berlin. And he is always full of strength, optimism and ready to complete any task:

Into battle, forward, into utter fire

He goes, holy and sinful,

Russian miracle man.

“The Book about a Soldier” ends with a story about our victories, a hymn to the soldier who went through this entire terrible war. “Vasily Terkin” is a poem about our people defending their freedom and independence and saving humanity from fascist slavery.

Name symbolism. The real, non-feuillet Terkin, the hero of “The Book about a Fighter,” appeared in the first two chapters of Tvardovsky’s book in September 1942. Terkin’s front-line “biography” is as follows: he begins to fight during the Finnish campaign, re-enters service in June 1941, retreats along with the entire army, finds himself surrounded several times, then goes on the offensive and ends his journey in the depths of Germany.

Vasily Terkin is a multi-dimensional image. He symbolic image, man-people, collective Russian type. It is no coincidence that nothing is said about his personal biography: they seem to be average. He is “a great hunter of living until he is ninety years old,” a peaceful, civilian man, a soldier by necessity. His usual life on the collective farm was interrupted by the war. War for him is a natural disaster, hard work. The entire poem is permeated with a dream of a peaceful life.

Already at the first mention, the surname Terkin clearly outlines the boundaries of character: Terkin means an experienced, seasoned man, “a seasoned kalach,” or, as the poem says, “a seasoned man.” Compare, for example, with the Russian proverb: “Patience and work will grind everything down,” etc. This core of the name, the core of the image varies several times and is played out in the poem:

Terkin's image is a generalized image, for all its realism and ordinariness. Tvardovsky endows his hero with an “all-Russian” appearance, avoids portrait marks (this would make him overly individualized): “Endowed with beauty / He was not excellent. / Not tall, not that small, / But a hero-hero.” Terkin is a bright, unique personality, and at the same time he includes the traits of many people, he seems to be repeated many times in others 1. See, for example, the chapter “Terkin - Terkin”: it turns out that there are two Terkins in the book. This is the hero of the book Vasily Ivanovich and his namesake Ivan. Duality emphasizes the general character of the main character. But their duality is not absolute: the second Terkin turns out to be red-haired, does not smoke, and his front-line profession is an armor-piercer. The situation is resolved by a “strict foreman”:

Tvardovsky selects the most general, typical episodes of the war, rarely uses specific geographical names and exact chronological designations (the place and time of his book - field, forest, river, swamp, village, road, winter, spring, summer, autumn). The same applies to Terkin’s military profession: in different situations he turns out to be either a signalman, a shooter, or a reconnaissance officer. It is important that Terkin belongs to the most massive branch of the military - the infantry. The hero is an infantryman. “It contains the pathos of the infantry, the army closest to the earth, to the cold, to fire and death,” Tvardovsky wrote at the very beginning of his plan. Terkin is one of the unskilled workers of the war, on whom the country rests, who bore the burden of the war on their shoulders. The hero of Tvardovsky's poem is a hero of a specific war with the Germans, and at the same time there is something in him that brings him closer to the Russian soldier of all times. Tvardovsky himself always liked this idea about the deep national roots of his hero, and in the handwritten versions of the poem there are the lines:

Tvardovsky paints the life of the war as a whole, but the overall picture of the war is made up of individual, very vivid and precise details of the war. The concreteness and tangibility of the pictures drawn by Tvardovsky are extremely enhanced by the numerous and precise details of front-line life: in the parking lot “water with ice rattled from a bucket into a smoky tank”; the telephone operator “blew into the receiver for order”; soldiers write letters “at a rest stop, under fire, on each other’s backs, taking off a glove with their teeth, in the wind in any frost,” etc. Pictures of war in the poem are always dynamic, alive, and visually perceptible.

The system of rhymes used in relation to the hero’s first and last name also contributes to the generalization of the image of the main character. Tvardovsky uses rhymes that characterize army life and the mood of the hero (“Terkin” - “bitter”, “shag”, “sayings”, “in a tunic”, “in a kapterka”, etc.). The most important rhyme in the poem is “Vasily - Russia”, repeated several times in the text, that is, it is emphasized that the hero is the embodiment of the heroism of the Russian people, representing all of Russia, all the people.

Alexander Trifonovich Tvardovsky - the most famous Soviet writer, journalist and poet. The image of Vasily Terkin, created by him in the most difficult years for our country, is familiar to everyone since childhood. The brave, resilient and resourceful soldier still retains his attractiveness today. Therefore, it is Tvardovsky’s poem and her main character became the topic of this article.

Vasya Terkin and “The Book about a Fighter”

A hero named Vasya Terkin was created even before the Great Patriotic War by a team of journalists, one of whom was Tvardovsky. The character was an invincible fighter, successful and strong, somewhat reminiscent of an epic hero.

For the journalist, who Tvardovsky was, the image of Vasily Terkin evokes the idea of ​​​​creating a full-fledged work in verse. Having returned, the writer begins work and plans to complete the book in 1941 and call it “A Book about a Soldier.” However new war mixed up plans, Tvardovsky goes to the front. In the difficult first months, he simply does not have time to think about the work; together with the army, he retreats and leaves the encirclement.

Creating the image of the main character

In 1942, the writer returned to his planned poem. But now her hero is fighting not in the past, but in the current war. The very image of Vasily Terkin in the poem also changes. Before that, he was a merry fellow and joker Vasya, now he is a completely different person. The fate of other people and the outcome of the war depend on him. On June 22, 1942, Tvardovsky announced the new title of the future poem - “Vasily Terkin.”

The work was written during the war, almost in parallel with it. The poet managed to quickly reflect front-line changes and preserve the artistry and beauty of the language. Chapters of the poem were published in the newspaper, and the soldiers eagerly awaited the new issue. The success of the work is explained by the fact that Vasily Terkin is the image of a Russian soldier, that is, a collective image, and therefore close to every soldier. That’s why this character was so inspiring and encouraging, giving me strength to fight.

Theme of the poem

The main theme of Tvardovsky's poem is the life of people at the front. No matter how cheerfully and fervently, with humor and irony the writer described the events and heroes, at the same time he did not let us forget that war is a tragic and severe test. And the image of Vasily Terkin helps to reveal this idea.

The poet describes both the joy of victory and the bitterness of retreat, soldier’s life, everything that befell the people. And people passed these tests for the sake of one thing: “Combat to the death is not for the sake of glory, for the sake of life on earth!”

But Tvardovsky understands the problems, not only does he talk about the war in general. Raises philosophical questions about life and death, peaceful life and battles. The writer looks at war through the prism of basic human values.

Symbolism in the name of the main character

The image of Vasily Terkin is noteworthy from a symbolic point of view. You can start an essay dedicated to this hero with just this, and then move on to a detailed description of the hero, which will be presented in detail below. So, as noted above, Tvardovsky’s hero has changed dramatically, he is no longer the same joker Vasya. His place is taken by a real fighter, a Russian soldier with his own biography. He took part in the Finnish campaign, then returned to the army in 1941, retreated, was surrounded, then, together with the entire army, went on the offensive and ended up in Germany.

The image of Vasily Terkin is multifaceted, symbolic, embodying the people, the Russian type of person. It is no coincidence that there is not a single mention of his family or personal relationships in the poem. He is described as a civilian forced to become a soldier. Before the war, Vasily lived on a collective farm. Therefore, he perceives the war as an ordinary civilian: for him it is an unimaginable grief, akin to He lives the dream of a peaceful life. That is, Tvardovsky creates in Terkin the type of an ordinary peasant.

At the hero's speaking surname- Terkin, that is, a seasoned man, a seasoned man; the poem says about him: “Grated by life.”

Image of Vasily Terkin

Often becomes a topic creative works image of Vasily Terkin. An essay about this character should be supplemented with a short note about the creation of the poem.

The disparate composition of the work is united into one whole by the main character, a participant in all the events described, Vasily Ivanovich Terkin. He himself is from Smolensk peasants. He is good-natured, easy to communicate, tries to maintain morale, for which he often tells soldiers funny stories from his military life.

Terkin was wounded from the first days at the front. But his fate, the fate of a simple man who was able to endure all the hardships of the war, personifies the strength of the Russian people, the will of its spirit and the thirst for the image of Terkin - that he does not stand out in any way, he is neither smarter, nor stronger, nor more talented than others, he, like all: “He’s just a guy himself / He’s ordinary... A guy like that / There’s always a guy in every company.”

However, this ordinary person is endowed with such qualities as courage, courage, simplicity. By this, Tvardovsky emphasizes that all these qualities are inherent in all Russian people. And this is precisely the reason for our victory over a ruthless enemy.

But Terkin is not only a seasoned soldier, he is also a craftsman, a jack of all trades. Despite the harshness of wartime, he repairs watches, sharpens a saw, and plays the accordion in between battles.

To emphasize the collective nature of the image, Tvardovsky allows the hero to speak about himself in the plural.

Terkin’s conversation with Death is noteworthy. The fighter lies wounded, his life ends, and Bones appears behind him. But the hero agrees to leave with her only if she gives him a one-day reprieve so that he can “hear the victorious fireworks.” Then Death is surprised by this dedication and retreats.

Conclusion

So, the image of Vasily Terkin is a collective image designed to emphasize the heroism and courage of the Russian people. However, this hero also contains individual traits: dexterity, ingenuity, wit, the ability not to lose heart even in the face of death.

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Works on military themes are often found in the culture and literature of all countries and nationalities without exception. And this is not surprising, it was the war that became an irrevocable milestone in the lives of many people, radically changing their lives. In most cases, such works are sad and set the reader up for a certain tragedy. However, this does not apply to the work of A. Tvardovsky “Vasily Terkin”.

Collectivity of the image of Vasily Terkin

During the war years, Alexander Trifonovich Tvardovsky was a correspondent at the front, so he communicated a lot with ordinary soldiers, and accordingly, spent a lot of time on the battlefield. Such activity allowed Tvardovsky to notice characteristic features soldiers, the peculiarities of their behavior, and also learn about some unusual, heroic actions of the defenders of the Motherland.

Soon all these observations and materials were embodied in the image of Vasily Terkin - central character Tvardovsky's poem of the same name.

Biography of Vasily Terkin

Very little is known about Terkin’s biographical data. His name is Vasily Ivanovich. His homeland is Smolensk region. This is where the information ends. Data on the hero’s appearance is also scarce - his appearance was not memorable: he was neither tall nor short, Terkin was neither handsome nor ugly.
Perhaps this is due to the author’s desire to portray a typical soldier from a simple family. It is thanks to such insignificant data that the impression of the hero’s typicality is created - it can be adjusted to any biography of a person who actually took part in military events.

Symbolism of the surname

While it is difficult to talk about the symbolism of the name of the main character of the poem - most likely, it was taken from the category of the most common names, his surname is not without symbolism and subtext.

First of all, the symbolism of Vasily’s surname is explained by his optimistic attitude towards the war and belief in the victory of the troops to which Vasily belongs.

Terkin constantly supports his colleagues, especially those who are at the front for the first time and perceive everything that is happening with horror. He repeatedly says that everything will pass, he will get over it. It is here that the main message that explains his name is contained - life “rubs” Vasily all the time, but, despite all the troubles and difficulties, he does not lose optimism and diligence.

Terkin's military service

The bulk of the narrative is occupied by the description of various military situations and the role of Vasily Terkin in their resolution.

The Second World War is not the first war in Terkin’s life; before that, he had already visited the fronts of the Finnish war, so Terkin does not perceive all the hardships, contradictions and difficulties of military life as something terrible and unusual; the life of a military man is already familiar to him.

Apparently, during the Finnish War, Terkin was a simple, ordinary soldier and was not promoted to the rank of officer. Terkin also begins World War II with the rank of private, however, thanks to his repeated exploits, he receives significant awards and an officer rank.

Once Terkin managed to shoot down an enemy plane with a rifle. For this act he was awarded the General Order. However, this is not Terkin’s only feat - he also helps his troops cross the river. To do this, he swims across the river in winter, bravely and selflessly fights with his opponents and was even wounded, but he is not going to rest, and immediately after his condition improves he rushes to the front again.

Personality characteristics

The first thing that strikes you about Terkin is his optimism. He is a cheerful person and tries not to lose heart even in the saddest moments of his life. Even when it seems that there is no hope for a successful outcome, Terkin finds the opportunity to joke and support his comrades in this way.

Vasily is a kind and selfless person, he has a big heart and a generous soul. Terkin remembers all the kind deeds towards him and tries to repay kindness in return. For example, he remembers how, after being wounded, he lost his hat, and the nurse gave him hers. Terkin carefully keeps this hat - it reminds him of human responsiveness and kindness. When his colleague loses his pouch, Terkin gives him his. Vasily believes that in war you can lose anything - both material and non-material things, even your own life. The only thing that cannot be lost, according to Terkin, is the Motherland.

Vasily loves life very much, to such an extent that for the sake of the lives of other people he is ready to risk his life. However, he does not miss the opportunity to jokingly answer that he would like to live to be 90 years old.

Terkin is a man of honor; he believes that in war one must forget about personal interests and be guided by the concept of honor.

Terkin can play the harmonica well. With his acting, he knows how to both cheer people up and make them sad.

In addition, Terkin knows a lot of funny stories and has a talent for telling them. Vasily always captivates his colleagues with his story and knows how to keep their attention on his story for a long time.

To dispel the melancholy of his comrades, Terkin funny knows how to distort the singing of the Germans. In a word, Terkin, who himself does not like to be sad and grieve, knows many ways to cheer up soldiers and encourage them. That is why he is the favorite of all soldiers.

However, not only funny stories are in Terkin’s arsenal. For example, he tells the story of a soldier who, having arrived in his village with the liberation army, discovered that his entire family had died and his house had collapsed. Terkin says that we need to remember such people and not forget about them at a time when the enemy army is defeated.
Terkin is a jack of all trades. He can do any job. For example, while staying in one of the villages, Terkin repairs watches and saws for old people.

Thus, the image of Vasily Terkin is collective. It is based on many memoirs of soldiers of the Second World War and exposes best characteristics people.

Vasily is always ready to help others, he is an honest and selfless person. Terkin, first of all, is ready to see something positive in everything that happens, this is due to his life-affirming attitude and belief in the restoration of justice and the victory of good.

At the very height of the Great Patriotic War, when our entire country was defending its homeland, the first chapters of A.T.’s poem appeared in print. Tvardovsky’s “Vasily Terkin,” where the main character was portrayed as a simple Russian soldier, “an ordinary guy.”

The writer himself recalled that the beginning of work on “Vasily Terkin” was accompanied by difficulties: it was not easy to find the required artistic form, determine the composition, and it was especially difficult to choose a main character who would be understandable not only to the wartime reader, but would also remain modern for many years. Alexander Trifonovich Tvardovsky found his hero - Vasily Terkin, whose image helped both the soldiers at the front and their wives and children in the rear, is also interesting to the modern reader. What did literary image Terkina so popular for so many years?

Any artistic image possesses not only individualistic, personal traits, but also carries something collective, general, is an exponent, a characteristic hero of his time. On the one hand, Vasily Terkin is unlike the rest of the soldiers in the company: he is a cheerful fellow, he is distinguished by a peculiar sense of humor, he is not afraid of danger, but at the same time, Tvardovsky, when creating his hero, did not take any specific person as a model, therefore The writer created a collective image of a soldier, a defender of the Russian land, ready at any moment to repel an enemy attack:

However, what to think, brothers,

We must hurry to beat the German.

That's all Terkin in a nutshell

I have something to report to you.

Terkin is brave, courageous, he is not afraid of bullets, enemy bombing, or icy water. In any situation, the hero knows how to stand up for himself and not let others down. Terkin is a friend to a fighter at a rest stop, a son to an old man and an old woman in a dilapidated hut, a brother to a young woman who sent all her loved ones to the front. The character of the hero is woven from dozens and hundreds of characters of ordinary Russian soldiers, endowed with universal human traits: kindness, respect for people, decency.

A.T. Tvardovsky gives his hero a telling surname - Terkin, not without reason the most common phrase in the poem: “We’ll endure it. Let's talk." The strength of the Russian spirit is such that a person can endure anything, can survive a lot, but this does not make him angrier, more intolerant, but on the contrary, he strives to help people, tries to make them believe in their own strength:

He sighed right at the door

And said:

- We'll beat you, father...

Terkin is savvy and resourceful not only in war, during battle, but also in everyday life. Thus, peaceful and military life merge together. The hero seems to live in war, constantly dreaming of victory, of simple village work.

The writer calls Vasily Terkin differently in the poem, either he is an “ordinary guy”, with the weaknesses inherent in any person, or a hero.