Sholokhov "The Fate of Man" the main characters live in times of war, lose the most precious thing, but find the strength to live on.

M. Sholokhov "The Fate of Man" the main characters and their characteristics

• Andrey Sokolov
• Vanyushka
• Irina, Andrey's wife
• Ivan Timofeevich, neighbor of the Sokolovs
• Müller, camp commandant
• Soviet colonel
• captured military doctor
• Kyryzhnev is a traitor
• Peter, friend of Andrey Sokolov
• landlady
• Anatoly Sokolov- the son of Andrei and Irina. He went to the front during the war. Becomes a battery commander. Anatoly died on Victory Day, he was killed by a German sniper.

Nastenka and Olushka- Sokolov's daughters

Andrey Sokolov – main character story "The Fate of a Man", a front-line driver, a man who went through the whole war.

Andrey Sokolov is the main character of the story "The Fate of a Man" by Sholokhov. His character is truly Russian. How many troubles he endured, what torments he endured, only he himself knows. The hero speaks about this on the pages of the story: “Why did you, life, cripple me like that? Why so distorted? He slowly tells his life from beginning to end to an oncoming fellow traveler, with whom he sat down to light a cigarette by the road.

Sokolov had to go through a lot: hunger, and captivity, and the loss of his family, and the death of his son on the day the war ended. But he endured everything, survived everything, because he had a strong character and iron fortitude. “That’s why you are a man, that’s why you’re a soldier, to endure everything, to demolish everything, if the need called for it,” Andrei Sokolov himself said. His Russian character did not allow him to break down, to retreat in the face of difficulties, to surrender to the enemy. He wrested life from death itself.
All the hardships and cruelties of the war that Andrei Sokolov endured did not kill him. human feelings did not harden his heart. When he met little Vanyusha, just as lonely as he was, just as unhappy and useless, he realized that he could become his family. Sokolov told him that he was his father and took him up.

Vanyushka- an orphan boy of five or six years. The author describes him as follows: “blond curly head”, “pink cold little hand”, “eyes as bright as a sky”. Vanyushka is trusting, inquisitive and kind. This child has already experienced a lot, he is an orphan. Vanyushka's mother died during the evacuation, was killed by a bomb on the train, and her father died at the front.

Andrei Sokolov told him that he was his father, which Vanya immediately believed and was incredibly happy about. He knew how to sincerely rejoice even in small things. He compares the beauty of the starry sky to a swarm of bees. This war-deprived child early developed a courageous and compassionate character. At the same time, the author emphasizes that only a small, vulnerable child, who, after the death of his parents, spends the night anywhere, was lying all over in dust and dirt (“he lay quietly on the ground, crouching under the angular matting”). His sincere joy indicates that he yearned for human warmth.

There are many works in Russian literature that tell about the Great Patriotic war. A prime example is the story of Mikhail Sholokhov "The Fate of a Man", where the author gives us not so much a description of the war as a description of life common man during difficult war years. In the story "The Fate of Man" the main characters are not historical figures, not titled officials, nor illustrious officers. They ordinary people, but with a very difficult fate.

Main characters

Sholokhov's story is small in size, it occupies only ten pages of text. And there are not so many heroes in it. The main character of the story is a Soviet soldier - Andrei Sokolov. Everything that happens to him in life, we hear from his lips. Sokolov is the narrator of the whole story. His named son, the boy Vanyusha, plays in the story important role. He completes sad story Sokolova and opens new page his life. They become inseparable from each other, so we will attribute Vanyusha to the group of main characters.

Andrey Sokolov

Andrey Sokolov is the main character of the story "The Fate of a Man" by Sholokhov. His character is truly Russian. How many troubles he endured, what torments he endured, only he himself knows. The hero speaks about this on the pages of the story: “Why did you, life, cripple me like that? Why so distorted? He slowly tells his life from beginning to end to an oncoming fellow traveler, with whom he sat down to light a cigarette by the road.

Sokolov had to go through a lot: hunger, and captivity, and the loss of his family, and the death of his son on the day the war ended. But he endured everything, survived everything, because he had a strong character and iron fortitude. “That’s why you are a man, that’s why you’re a soldier, to endure everything, to demolish everything, if the need called for it,” Andrei Sokolov himself said. His Russian character did not allow him to break down, to retreat in the face of difficulties, to surrender to the enemy. He wrested life from death itself.
All the hardships and cruelties of the war that Andrei Sokolov endured did not kill human feelings in him, did not harden his heart. When he met little Vanyusha, just as lonely as he was, just as unhappy and useless, he realized that he could become his family. “It will not happen that we disappear separately! I will take him to my children, ”Sokolov decided. And he became a father to a homeless boy.

Sholokhov very accurately revealed the character of a Russian person, simple soldier, who fought not for titles and orders, but for the Motherland. Sokolov is one of those many who fought for the country, not sparing their lives. It embodied the whole spirit of the Russian people - steadfast, strong, invincible. The characterization of the hero of the story “The Fate of a Man” was given by Sholokhov through the speech of the character himself, through his thoughts, feelings, and actions. We walk with him through the pages of his life. Sokolov passes hard way but remains human. A kind man, sympathetic and extending a helping hand to little Vanyusha.

Vanyusha

Boy five or six years old. He was left without parents, without a home. His father died at the front, and his mother was killed by a bomb while riding a train. Vanyusha walked around in tattered dirty clothes, and ate what people would serve. When he met Andrei Sokolov, he reached out to him with all his heart. “Folder dear! I knew! I knew you would find me! You can still find it! I've waited so long for you to find me!" Vanyusha shouted with tears in his eyes. For a long time he could not tear himself away from his father, apparently, he was afraid that he would lose him again. But in Vanyusha's memory the image of the real father was preserved, he remembered the leather cloak that he wore. And Sokolov told Vanyusha that he probably lost him in the war.

Two loneliness, two fates are now intertwined so tightly that they will never be separated. The heroes of "The Fate of a Man" Andrey Sokolov and Vanyusha are now together, they are one family. And we understand that they will live according to their conscience, in truth. They will all survive, all will survive, all will be able to.

Minor Heroes

The work also contains a number of secondary characters. This is Sokolov's wife Irina, his children are daughters Nastenka and Olyushka, son Anatoly. They do not speak in the story, they are invisible to us, Andrei recalls them. The commander of the auto company, the dark-haired German, the military doctor, the traitor Kryzhnev, the Lagerführer Müller, the Russian colonel, Andrei's Uryupin friend - all these are the heroes of the story of Sokolov himself. Some have neither first nor last name, because they are episodic heroes in the life of Sokolov.

The real, audible hero here is the author. He meets Andrei Sokolov at the crossing and listens to his life story. It is with him that our hero talks, he tells him his fate.

Artwork test

There are many works about the Great Patriotic War, one of them is the story of M.A. Sholokhov "The Fate of Man", a summary of which is presented below.

The plot of this work does not contain a description of hostilities or exploits in the rear, here in question about a man who was taken prisoner, and about what effect the war as a whole left in his life.

Analysis of this work and its summary will help you get to the heart of the story.

About the story "The fate of man"

The work describes the complex ups and downs of the life of a simple Soviet soldier who saw the horrors of war, survived the hardships German captivity, lost his family, many times was on the verge of life and death, but, despite all this, he retained his humanity and found the strength to live on.

"The fate of man" in terms of genre affiliation considered to be a story. However, in this work there are signs of different genres.

In terms of volume, the work is small, which means it is more like a story. However, not a single case is described here, but a long period of time, several years long, which allows us to call this book a story.

Who is the author of the story "The fate of man"

Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov is one of the the greatest writers of his time, as well as a prominent public figure.

He was awarded the title of Academician, twice Hero of Socialist Labor, and in 1965 he became a laureate Nobel Prize on literature.

Among his most famous works are such novels as "Virgin Soil Upturned", the epic novel "Quiet Flows the Don", "They Fought for the Motherland" and, of course, the story "The Fate of a Man".

Year of writing the story "The fate of man"

The story "The Fate of a Man" was written in 1956. The war ended more than 10 years ago, but it still worried M. Sholokhov.

It was at this time that the author rethought the image of the heroic Victory.

In 1953 I.V. died. Stalin. Sholokhov took a critical look at many things, including the actions of the deceased head of state.

In Stalin's notorious order No. 270, it was said that everyone who surrendered to the enemy should be considered deserters and traitors to the Motherland. They were to be exterminated and their families deprived of any state support.

Sholokhov's story "The Fate of Man" opened a new page in military literature those years. The horrors of captivity described in the story, which millions of soldiers had to endure, became the starting point for changing attitudes towards people who find themselves in such a situation.

The history of the creation of the story "The fate of man"

The work is based on real story a man whom Sholokhov met while hunting on the Upper Don about a year after the end of the war.

In a casual conversation, the writer heard a story that shook him to the core. “I will definitely, I will definitely write about it,” thought Sholokhov.

Only 10 years later, the writer decided to bring his idea to life. At this time, he read the works of Hemingway and, whose main characters are powerless, worthless people who have lost the meaning of life after returning from the war.

Then he remembered his casual acquaintance and decided that the time had come to write his story, the story of hardships, hard trials and faith in life no matter what.

It took Sholokhov only seven days to write the text of the story. December 31, 1956 - the date of writing and publication of the story in the newspaper Pravda.

The work found a great response in the writing environment, including abroad. A little later the story was read on the radio famous actor S. Lukyanov.

The main characters of M. Sholokhov's story "The Fate of a Man"

There is only one main character in the story - this is Andrei Sokolov, a man of iron will, but at the same time not devoid of softness of heart.

This hero embodies the main features of a real Russian character - willpower, love of life, patriotism and mercy.

The story is told from his perspective.

Other characters of "The Fate of a Man" M.A. Sholokhov

About the rest actors we learn from the memories of the protagonist.

He speaks warmly about his relatives: about his wife Irina and children - Anatolia, Nastenka and Olyushka.

In the episodes, there are heroes whom the narrator sympathizes with - a military doctor who helped Russian soldiers in captivity, a company commander saved by Sokolov from an informer, and a friend from Uryupin who sheltered the hero at home after the war.

There are also negative characters: traitor Kryzhnev, camp commissar Müller, German major-engineer.

The only character we see in the real hero is his adopted son Vanyusha, a little boy, firmly believing that Sokolov is his real father.

"The Fate of Man" - a summary

The story is not conducted in chapters, but goes in continuous text, but for retelling in abbreviation it is convenient to divide it into small segments.

Andrey Sokolov

In its structure, the work is a story within a story.

The road was not easy, and in the middle of the way they had to swim across the river, which stretched for a whole kilometer. At the crossing, a thin boat with holes was waiting for them, which could only carry two at a time. The boatman brought the narrator first.

On the other bank, while waiting for his friend, the author met a man with a boy of 4-5 years old. A conversation ensued. The man mistakenly assumed that the narrator was the same profession as he was a driver. Perhaps that is why he suddenly wanted to pour out his soul, to tell the story of his difficult life.

He did not immediately introduce himself, but in the course of the story we learn that his name is Andrey Sokolov. Now the story is being told in his name.

pre-war time

From the very beginning life path Andrey Sokolov was haunted by difficulties and hardships.

He was born in 1900 in the Voronezh province. He went through the Civil War, in the hungry 1922 he ended up in the Kuban, and that was the only way he survived. And his relatives - father, mother and two sisters - died of hunger in their homeland.

All over the world left him native person. Returning from the Kuban, he moved to Voronezh, where he took a job as a carpenter, then worked at a factory, mastered locksmith skills.

Soon he started a family. Married a modest orphan girl Great love. After the loss of loved ones, she became a joy for him - clever, cheerful and at the same time wise. Life began to improve: children appeared - the son Anatoly and two daughters, Nastya and Olya - all completely excellent students and the pride of their father.

Hero mastered new profession driver, began to earn good money and rebuilt a house with two rooms. Only the location of the house was unfortunate - near the aircraft factory. He did not know then what a fatal role this would play in his life.

War and captivity

A new war suddenly burst into the life of Andrei Sokolov. On the third day, the whole family gathered to accompany him to the station.

Saying goodbye to his family was a difficult test for him. The always calm and quiet wife suddenly went into a frenzy, did not let him go, but only repeated that they would not have to see each other again.

It was a shame to him that they were burying him alive, and he pushed his wife away, about which he reproached himself every day after.

Military everyday life began for Andrey Sokolov: he worked as a driver, received two minor injuries. He wrote letters to his relatives infrequently and always very briefly, never complaining. In this, for the first time, his special masculine endurance was manifested: he did not tolerate soldiers sending tearful letters to their relatives, who were already having a hard time in the rear.

The biggest test overtook him in May 1942. There was a fierce battle near Lozovenki. Ammunition was running out and Andrei Sokolov had to deliver them under fire to a battery of soldiers. But he did not reach his destination. blast wave threw it aside and turned it off for a while.

When he came to his senses, he found that he was behind enemy lines. At first he tried to pretend to be dead, just not to give up, but the Germans passing by discovered him. Then Sokolov gathered the remnants of his strength to stand up and meet death with dignity. One German was about to raise his machine gun, but the other drew it back, realizing that Sokolov could still be useful for work.

Sokolov, along with other prisoners, was driven west. The Germans treated them like cattle: they shot all the wounded on the spot, they did the same with those who tried to escape, and they beat them - they beat them just like that, out of anger.

Of particular importance in the story is the episode in the church. One of the first nights, the Germans herded the soldiers into the church.

Here Sokolov managed to find out more closely who was captured with him. He was surprised that the military doctor, who immediately corrected his shoulder, even in such a situation selflessly continued to do his job.

Then he accidentally overheard the conversation and then something else struck him: the soldier was going to betray his commander, who was threatened with death for his adherence to the Communist Party. Sokolov decided to strangle the traitor, he killed a man for the first time, while “his own”, but for him he was worse than an enemy.

Another significant incident happened in the church: the Germans shot a prisoner who did not want to desecrate Holy place, taking care of a small need.

All the way to the camp, Sokolov thought about escaping, and then an opportunity arose. The prisoners were sent into the forest to dig graves for their own, the guards were distracted and Sokolov managed to escape.

But four days later, the Germans with dogs caught up with the exhausted soldier. There was no living place left on it from the beatings of the Nazis and the bites of dogs, whole month he spent in a punishment cell, but survived and was transferred to Germany.

Andrey Sokolov traveled half of Germany, worked in factories and mines in Saxony and Thuringia. The conditions were such that it would be easier to die.

The prisoners were constantly beaten, brutally, half to death, fed with a tiny piece of bread with sawdust and rutabaga stew, forced to work until they lost their pulse. Sokolov recalls that he once weighed almost ninety kilograms, and now he did not even reach fifty.

On the brink of death

One of the climaxes of the story is an incident in Dresden. At this time, Sokolov worked in a stone quarry.

The work was extremely hard, and Sokolov, unable to stand it, somehow blurted out: “They need four cubic meters of output, and one cubic meter through the eyes is enough for the grave of each of us.” This phrase of his reached the commandant.

When they called to the commandant Muller, Sokolov said goodbye to his comrades in advance, as he knew that he was going to his death. Muller was fluent in Russian and did not need an intermediary in a conversation with a Russian soldier. He immediately said that he would now personally shoot Sokolov. To which he replied: "Your will."

Müller was a little drunk and tipsy, and there was a bottle and various snacks on the table, then he poured a full glass of schnapps, put a piece of bread with bacon on it and handed it all to Sokolov with the words: “Before you die, drink, Russ Ivan, for the victory of German weapons ".

Of course, Sokolova was not satisfied with such a toast, and he preferred to refuse, pretending not to drink. Then Muller offered to drink to him "for his death." Sokolov took the glass and drank it in one gulp, without biting it.

Müller pointed to the bread, but Sokolov explained that after the first he did not have a snack. Then the commandant poured him a second glass. Sokolov also swallowed it, but did not take the bread.

Despite the severe hunger, he wanted to show that they had not beaten a man out of him yet, and he would not attack the German sop. He said aloud that even after the second he was not used to having a snack.

Muller was very amused, he poured a third glass. Sokolov drank it slowly and broke only a small piece of bread. Such dignity struck the commandant, he recognized Sokolov as a brave soldier and let him go, giving him a loaf of bread with lard.

Release from captivity

In 1944 there was crucial moment in the war and the Germans began to lack people. Drivers were needed, and then Sokolov was assigned to a German engineer major.

At some point, the major was sent to the front line. For the first time in two years, Sokolov found himself near Soviet troops.

This was his chance. He came up with a plan, according to which he had to run, taking with him the major with the drawings, in order to hand him over to his own.

And so he did: during a detour of the German fortifications, he stunned the major, changed into a pre-prepared German uniform, in order to deceive the checkpoint, and under the bullets rushing from both sides, "surrendered" to his own.

Sokolov was received as a hero and promised to be presented for an award. He was sent to the hospital to improve his health. He immediately wrote a letter home, but the answer did not come for a long time.

Finally, he received news, but not from relatives. His neighbor wrote, he reported the tragic news: during the bombing of the aircraft factory, a large shell hit the house where Sokolov's wife and two daughters were at that time, and the son, having learned about the death of the family, voluntarily went to the front.

Having received a month's leave, the hero went to Voronezh, but almost immediately returned to the division: it was so hard on his soul.

Son Anatoly

A few months later, the hero receives a letter from his son, who briefly spoke about his life: he serves not far from his father and is already in command of a battery.

Pride overwhelms Sokolov. He is already dreaming about how they will live together after the war, how his son will marry, and he will begin to babysit his grandchildren, everything will work out.

But these aspirations were not destined to come true. On the morning of May 9, on Victory Day, Anatoly is killed by a German sniper.

post-war period

War is over. Sokolov was sick of returning to hometown, and he went to Uryupinsk to his friend, who had long called him to him.

There, the hero again got a job as a driver, workdays began.

Once Sokolov noticed a homeless boy near the teahouse, where he always dined. It turned out that Vanyusha's mother died during the shelling of the train, and his father died at the front.

Sokolov felt some warmth in his chest, looking at this grubby baby with eyes as bright as stars. Could not stand it, called to him and called himself his father. Thus two orphaned hearts were united.

Because of the accident, Sokolov's driver's book was taken away, and he decided to leave Uryupinsk with his new son. On the road, our narrator found them.

Conclusion

Sholokhov's story "The Fate of a Man" makes you think about many things: about the will to live and patriotism, about real masculine deeds and mercy for the weak, about fearlessness before death and a feat in the name of a loved one and country.

But the main idea is this: war is the worst thing that can happen to a person, it not only destroys people, but also breaks the fate of those who are still alive.

Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov is the author of famous stories about the Cossacks, the Civil, and 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 and famous story Sholokhov "The Fate of Man". 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 - Soviet writer, who lived in 1905-1984. He witnessed many historical events taking place in the country at that time.

Started my creative activity a writer from 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 reader mentally transport himself into that environment.

Acquaintance with 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 settled down near the car brand "Willis" and wanted to smoke, but the cigarettes were 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 person trying to smoke, like him, was a driver, so he came up to talk with a colleague.

This begins a short story by Sholokhov "The Fate of 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 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. During the Civil War, he fought in the Red Army.

In 1922, he left for the Kuban in order to somehow feed himself during this famine. But his whole family died - his father, sister and mother died of starvation. When Andrei returned from the Kuban to his homeland, he sold his house and went to the city of Voronezh. First he worked here as a carpenter and then as a mechanic.

Further talks about 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 answer hurtful words, and 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, did not scold her husband for the fact that he sometimes drank 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.

Andrei learned to be a driver, began to drive a truck, earn good money - the family's life was comfortable.

War

So 10 years have passed. The Sokolovs set themselves new house, 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.

In captivity

After some time, 6 German submachine gunners approached him, 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. Here Andrei was lucky - the doctor corrected his hand. He walked among the soldiers, asked if there were wounded and helped them. These were among 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. The people of this nation they ruthlessly exterminated in those Hard 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, at a silicate plant and in 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 was equal to three cubes, and one was enough for each grave.

Someone passed these words to the Germans, 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.

The astonished Muller said that he was giving life to such a brave soldier and rewarded him with a loaf and lard. Andrei took the treat to the barracks so that the food would be divided equally. Sholokhov wrote about this in detail.

"The Fate of a 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, Andrey 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 had died back in 1942 - a bomb had 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, Andrey 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 a Man”).

The author described the heroism of a simple soldier, talking about his military exploits, about the fearlessness, courage with which he met the news of the death of his relatives. He will certainly raise his adopted son as inflexible as himself, so that Ivan can endure and overcome everything on his way.

The history of the creation of the story “The Fate of a Man” was told by the journalist M. Kokta in the essay “In the village of Veshenskaya”. In particular, the journalist wrote that Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov met the prototype of the protagonist while hunting. It was near the Mokhovsky farm.

Sholokhov came here to hunt wild geese and goose. Sitting down to rest after hunting near the steppe river Elanka, the writer saw a man and a boy walking towards the river crossing. Travelers mistook Sholokhov for "their chauffeur brother." In the ensuing casual conversation, the traveler told about his fate.

The story deeply moved the writer. Mikhail Alexandrovich was so shocked that he even forgot to ask the name of his casual acquaintance, which he later regretted very much. “I will definitely, I will definitely write a story about this,” Sholokhov repeated.

Ten years later, Sholokhov read the stories of Hemingway, Remarque, and other foreign masters of the pen. They painted a man doomed, powerless. Before the eyes of the writer again stood that unforgettable meeting at the river crossing. A long overdue idea received a new impetus. For seven days Sholokhov hardly looked up from his desk. On the eighth day the story was finished.

Responses to the story

The story "The Fate of a Man" was published in the newspaper "Pravda", in the issues of December 31, 1956 and January 1, 1957. Soon it was read out on the All-Union Radio. The text was read by the popular film actor of those years, Sergei Vladimirovich Lukyanov. The story immediately found a response in the hearts of the listeners.

According to the memoirs of the writer Efim Permitin, who was visiting Sholokhov in the village of Veshenskaya, after broadcasts on the radio, Sholokhov's desktop was literally littered with letters coming from all over the country. Workers and collective farmers, doctors and teachers, Soviet and foreign writers. Letters came from people, like the protagonist of the story, who survived the fascist captivity and from the families of the dead front-line soldiers. Neither the author nor his assistants were physically able to answer even a tiny part of the letters.

Soon, Yuri Lukin and Fyodor Shakhmagonov wrote a screenplay based on the story "The Fate of a Man", which was published in Literaturnaya Gazeta in November 1957. The film according to this scenario was directed by director Sergei Bondarchuk, who played in it and leading role. The film was released on movie screens in 1959. He has collected numerous prizes at domestic and international festivals.

Sources:

• The circumstances of the writing and publication of Sholokhov's story "The Fate of a Man"

Advice 2: Summary of "The Fate of a Man" by M. Sholokhov

Small in volume, but surprisingly capacious in content, the story of M. Sholokhov, which tells about the fate of not only a simple Russian man, Andrei Sokolov, but also about the fate of the whole country. After all, the hero of the story is the same age as the century.

The story begins with the author's story about a chance acquaintance with an elderly man and his little son. They had several hours to wait, and they decided to pass the time by talking. So the author learned about the life of this at a glance ordinary person. But there was something attractive precisely in this inconspicuousness, and most importantly, in the eyes that saw a lot ...

The beginning of the life of Andrei Sokolov

Andrei was born in 1900, in the Voronezh province, in peasant family. The most ordinary childhood ended with the beginning of global changes in the country and in the world. Civil War, the death of the whole family in a hungry year ... It was unbearable to stay in a deserted village, without a single loved one nearby. In the early twenties, the young man moved to Voronezh, went to work at the factory.

pre-war life

Thus began, apparently, the happiest period in the life of the hero. His main success is a happy marriage to Irina, also a lonely girl, an orphan who had seen a lot of grief. Irina turned out to be not just a beloved woman, but also a truly good wife - smart, caring and understanding. Soon children were born, a son and two daughters.

In 1929, Andrei decided to change his specialty - he learned and became a driver. Fatherhood, awareness of oneself as the head of the family, responsibility for loved ones, pride in a son, a capable young man, joy for daughters - could one be happier! But the war started...

War, captivity, the collapse of life

Andrei was called to the front at the very beginning of the war. Farewell to the family was unbearably difficult, Irina could not calm down for a minute, she was sure that she would never see her husband again. Unable to endure her tears, Andrei said goodbye to his beloved colder than it should have been ... This turned out to be a heavy burden for the rest of his life.

At the front, Andrei was also a driver, bringing ammunition to the front line. Once he didn’t deliver - a shell fell next to the car, he lost consciousness and was taken prisoner. Horror began, dreams of liberation from captivity, of escape. But the very first attempt ended in failure and almost cost Andrei his life, but did not extinguish the desire for freedom. The next attempt was more deliberate and was crowned with success - the hero ended up with his own!

And, of course, the first thing he tried to find out about the fate of his relatives. For more than two years he did not know anything about his wife and children. But what happened to find out could not but terrify ... His wife and daughters died - a bomb hit their house. Only the son survived. Upon learning of this, Andrei went to the front as a volunteer, and all his hope was only to meet his son. He found Anatoly, they corresponded, their meeting was already close ... Son on May 9, 1945.

Life after the war

Again alone, having lost everything, Andrey Sokolov was demobilized. There was no strength to go to Voronezh, where everything reminded of past happiness, and he went to Uryupinsk, to a front-line friend. He got a job as a driver, hoping to somehow live out his life. And fate gave him one more meeting - with the little homeless orphan Vanya, who became his son. The heart cannot be lonely, a person cannot help wanting happiness. And Andrei Sokolov, crippled by the war, destitute by fate, decided to make this one happy little man.

His troubles did not end there. At the moment when the author meets his hero, Andrei, having lost his job due to an accident, goes to Kashiry, hoping to get a job there. But not only troubles drive Sokolov from place to place ... Longing, evil longing for the past does not allow him to settle down in one place. But there is also hope - for the sake of the boy, to settle down, take root, live not only in the past, but also in the expectation of the future.

Advice 3: How to write an essay based on the novel "Quiet Flows the Don" by Sholokhov

Instruction

School is not literary article V . The purpose of the essay is to understand how the student feels the work, how he knows how to think, what conclusions to draw, and also how well he has mastered the theoretical course of literature and information about this author and works. Topics for essays are very different, but, as a rule, the teacher chooses a topic that you did not have time to cover in the lessons as part of the study this work. Therefore, here are a few rules for writing any essay, including " Quiet Don».

1) The work must be read. True, schoolchildren often practice writing essays based on works that they only heard about in fits and starts in class or read in summary. Moreover, such compositions sometimes turn out to be quite successful. However, an experienced teacher will always distinguish a thoughtful essay from a superficial one, even if he does not point it out to the student.
2) You need to clearly follow the topic of the essay. Digressions are possible, but an essay written on a completely different topic is unlikely to be highly appreciated.
3) Don't get carried away with quoting. Quotes are needed to support the text of your judgments, but you should not compose an essay from them.
4) Apply theory, historical information and facts about the author and work.