Quoted description of Grigory Melekhov from the novel “Quiet Don. M.A

Grigory Melekhov

GRIGORY MELEKHOV is the hero of M.A. Sholokhov’s novel “Quiet Don” (1928-1940). Some literary scholars are of the opinion that the true author of “The Quiet Don” is the Don writer Fyodor Dmitrievich Kryukov (1870-1920), whose manuscript was subjected to some revision. Doubts about the authorship have been expressed since the novel appeared in print. In 1974, in Paris, with a foreword by A. Solzhenitsyn, a book by an anonymous author (pseudonym - D*) “The Stirrups of the Quiet Don” was published. In it, the author tries to substantiate this point of view textologically. In 1978, at the International Congress of Slavists in Zagreb, the results of the research work of a group of Scandinavian Slavists led by Professor G. Hoteo were reported: the textual analyzes they carried out confirmed the authorship of M.A. Sholokhov (the materials were published in the collection “Quiet Don,” Lessons from the Novel ", 1979).

The prototype of G.M., according to Sholokhov, is “hump-nosed,” like G.M., a Cossack from the Bazki farm (Veshenskaya village) Kharlampiy Vasilyevich Ermakov, whose fate is in many ways similar to the fate of G.M. Researchers, noting that “the image of G.M. is so typical that in every Don Cossack we can find something of him,” the prototype is considered to be G.M. one of the Drozdov brothers - Alexey, a resident of the Pleshakov farm. In Sholokhov's early works the name Grigory appears - “Shepherd” (1925), “Kolovert” (1925), “Path-Road” (1925). These namesakes G.M. are carriers of the ideology of “new life” and die at the hands of its enemies.

G.M. - the image of the most typical representative of the social stratum of the Don Cossack peasants of the early 20th century. The main thing in him is a deep attachment to home and agricultural work. This is combined with the concept of military honor: G.M. - a brave and skillful warrior who earned the rank of officer during the First World War. He has absorbed the best features of Russian national character: openness, straightforwardness, deep inner morality, lack of class arrogance and cold calculation. This is an impulsive, noble nature with a heightened sense of honor.

After the release of the novel, some critics condescendingly considered the creator of the image G.M. to everyday life writers of a “narrow Cossack theme,” others demanded that G.M. “proletarian consciousness,” while others accused the author of defending “kulak life.” In 1939, W. Hoffenscherer was the first to express the opinion that G.M. - the hero is neither positive nor negative, that in his image the peasant problem with the contradictions characteristic of its bearer between the traits of the owner and the working man was concentrated.

G.M. - the central character of a historical epic novel, in which, on a basis as close as possible to documentary, the events that captured Russian Empire at the beginning of XX"Sw., - first World War, events of 1917, civil war and victory Soviet power. The behavior of G.M., captured by the flow of these events, dictates the socio-psychological appearance of the environment of which he is a representative. G.M., a native Don Cossack, a grain grower, an ardent patriot of the region, devoid of the desire to conquer and rule, according to the concepts of the time the novel appeared in print, is a “middle peasant”. As a professional warrior, he is of interest to the warring forces, but pursues only his peasant class goals. The concepts of any discipline other than that which exists in his Cossack military unit are alien to him. Full Knight of St. George in the First World War, during civil war he rushes from one fighting side to another, eventually coming to the conclusion that “ learned people“The working people were “confused.” Having lost everything, he can't leave native land and comes to the only thing dear to him - his father's house, finding hope for the continuation of life in his son.

G.M. personifies the type of noble hero, combining military valor with spiritual subtlety and the ability to feel deeply. The tragedy of his relationship with his beloved woman, Aksinya, lies in his inability to bring their union into agreement with the moral principles accepted among him, which makes him an outcast and separates him from the only acceptable way of life for him. The tragedy of his love is aggravated by the low social status and ongoing socio-political upheavals. G.M. - main character great literary work about the fate of the farmer, his life, struggle, psychology. The image of G.M., “a peasant farmer in uniform” (in the words of A. Serafimovich), an image of enormous generalizing power with a clearly expressed integral, deeply positive individuality of the hero, stood among the most significant in world literature, such as, for example, Andrei Bolkonsky.

Lit.: Dairedzhiev B.L. About "Quiet Don". M., 1962; Kalinin A.V. Time of the Quiet Don. M., 1975; Semanov S.N. "Quiet Don" - literature and history. M., 1977; Kuznetsova N.T., Bashtannik V.S. At the origins of “Quiet Don” // “Quiet Don”: lessons from the novel. Ros-tov-on-Don, 1979; Semanov S.N. In the world of "Quiet Don". M., 1987.

(1905 - 1984)

1. The personality of the writer.

2. “Don Stories”.

3. Epic novel “Quiet Don”. The image of G. Melekhov in the assessment of criticism. The problem of the authorship of "Quiet Don". Poetics of the novel.

4. “Virgin Soil Upturned.”

5. “The Fate of Man.”

The name of Mikhail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov turned out to be a hot spot in the literature of the second half of the twentieth century. The most controversial opinions were expressed regarding the works he created, the question of authorship was raised, and from time to time it became aggravated. The nature of the controversy surrounding his work can be judged from numerous articles and monographs. To summarize the controversy, it should be said that there are many misunderstandings and contradictions. Sholokhov is the greatest writer of the 20th century, the most authoritative artist of the word.

M.A. Sholokhov was born in 1905, according to some sources in 1900. His father was a native of the Ryazan province, a commoner, his mother was from the peasantry. He began studying at the Karginsky parochial school, continued his studies at the gymnasium, and left it during the civil war. From the age of 14 he fought on the side of the Reds and was a member of a food detachment. All the bloody events on the “quiet” Don were experienced by Sholokhov until he was eighteen years old - he not only saw everything, but participated in many things, several times he was on the verge of death (no age gives an experience of such emotional power).

In October 1922, Mikhail Sholokhov left for Moscow. The path to literature was not easy. He worked as a loader, a mason, and served as an accountant. It was then, he said, that “a real craving for literary work appeared.” Since 1923, Sholokhov began attending meetings of the literary group “Young Guard”, made acquaintance with young writers - Artem Vesely, Mikhail Svetlov, Yuri Libedinsky and others, and tried himself in the genres of feuilleton and short stories. He studied literature persistently. His stay in Moscow was fruitful for Sholokhov. However, he was firmly connected with his small homeland. At the end of 1923, Mikhail Sholokhov left for the Don, where he married Maria Petrovna Gromoslavskaya, and the following year they came to Moscow, where he continues his creative work.

2. Creativity M.A. Sholokhov begins "Don Stories"(1926) -8 stories (“Birthmark”, “Kolovert”, “Melon plant”, etc.). At the same time, a collection of short stories “Azure Steppe” is being published, which includes 12 stories (“Azure Steppe”, “Nakhalenok”, etc.). The main thing in these collections is the depiction of acute class and social conflicts. It happens that in these early stories “Birthmark”, “Alien Blood”, “Shibalkovo’s Seed”, etc.), a brother opposes his brother, a son against his father, a husband executes his wife. The civil war, especially on the Don and Kuban, was very tragic and claimed many lives - we also find this drama in “Quiet Don”. In Sholokhov's early works, the strength of these conflicts is felt, and the social conflict grew into a family one. The author of “Don Stories” was accused of “the psychosis of hatred,” moral “deafness,” “the romance of execution,” and the elevation of violence to a cult. But is it?

The best works M.A. Sholokhov is characterized not only by historical, but also by psychological truth: the truth of characters and actions. There are few such stories, but they exist, for example, “Alien Blood.” It not only depicts an acute conflict of time, but also reveals the psychology of the individual, and at the same time the author traces the change from one mood to another ( we're talking about about the mood of old man Gavrila). Sholokhov portrayed the civil war on the Don as a bloody, fratricidal war, in which even those closest to him collapsed, family ties. In the story “The Foal,” one can feel the writer’s philosophical thoughts about how unnatural war, blood, and death of people are compared to the beauty and harmony of nature. And the foal is perceived as a piece of nature, an integral part peaceful life.

“Don Stories” from the point of view of factual material, understanding of the main conflict of the time, and artistic skill was an approach to the theme of “Quiet Don”. The originality of the young Sholokhov's style was manifested in the combination of drama and lyricism, in the depiction of the landscape. Sholokhov the artist’s nature is humanized, it is filled with sadness and anxiety. In the story “The Birthmark,” the poetic image of the dark sun appears for the first time, which in “Quiet Don” will become a symbol of the tragedy of Grigory Melekhov. The image of Don in stories becomes a symbol of the Motherland, and in the epic it will be the main ideological core. The stories of M. Sholokhov were significant milestone his creativity.

In 1924, Sholokhov returned to his homeland and settled forever in the village of Veshenskaya in order to constantly see the Don, listen to the sound of its waves, inhale the smells of the steppe, and live among the people.

3. Epic novel “Quiet Don” created from 1926 to 1940 . The first book appeared in 1928, the last in 1940. The first book of “Quiet Don” (original title “Donshchina”) was completed in the spring of 1927, and the second in the fall. After their publication in the magazine “October” (1928, No. 1 – 10), it became clear that a writer of world significance had entered literature. M. Gorky noted that “Sholokhov, judging by the first volume, is talented...”, and A.V. Lunacharsky called the yet unfinished novel “a work of exceptional power in terms of the breadth of pictures, knowledge of life and people, and the bitterness of its plot.”

The third book of “Quiet Don” began to be published in 1929 (work on it lasted from 1929 to 1931), but publication was suspended several times - critics of RAPP accused the writer of justifying the counter-revolutionary Upper Don Cossack uprising, which was discussed in this part of the epic . He was offered an ideological correction of events, which the author did not agree to. Sholokhov sought to show the tragedy of each of the opposing sides in the Civil War. M. Sholokhov also had to justify himself for the ideological “vacillation” of the main character: “I take Grigory as he is, as he really was... from historical truth I don’t want to leave.”

In terms of genre, “Quiet Don” belonged to a new type of historical romance. Central problem - a person's search for his place in a changing world. The plot is full of drama. The novel intertwines many storylines, through the development of which the main social and historical conflict of the work is refracted. Extra-plot elements are author's digressions and lyrical landscapes. The large-scale recreation of the epoch-making life of the people, the subordination of numerous storylines to them, the revelation of the fates of the characters (more than 700) determine the genre's originality - the polyphony of voices that carry their truth of understanding of the world. Exposition: the beginning of a love affair and the plot social conflict– interrelation and interdependence of the storyline.

The structure of the epic is four books. The action in the first book (parts one, two and three) begins from 1912 to 1914, it describes the life of the Cossacks and the Melekhov family is brought to the fore, the formation of the character of the main character is presented; the action of the second book (parts four and five) begins in 1916 and ends in May 1918, its content: The first imperialist war and revolution. In the third book (part six) in the center of the Verkhne-Donskaya rebellion, civil war, the fate of Gregory, Natalya, Aksinya; book four (parts seven and eight) is a picture of the destruction of life established over centuries. The action ends in 1922, when the civil war died down on the Don.

One of characteristic features An epic novel is the writer’s appeal to the way of life of people, the depiction of family, traditions, etc. In “Quiet Flows the Flow” Sholokhov talks about relationships in the family, about how three families coexisted peacefully under one roof. Pictures of mowing and fishing turn into independent scenes. Sholokhov talks about folk customs. The matchmaking scene and the marriage of Grigory Melekhov are depicted in every detail. The author tells from close distance about the relations between the neighbors (Melekhovs and Astakhovs), the relationships in the farmstead. In the 1st and 2nd parts of the novel, where the interest in everyday life is especially noticeable, features of the people's character are revealed.

The depiction of everyday life allows M. Sholokhov to touch upon the most profound problems - the problems of stratification of society, to reveal serious conflicts. Talking about the Tatarsky farm, Sholokhov will briefly notice that neighbors have been fighting each other for seven years. The author also draws attention to the fact that the village reacted ambiguously to Shtokman’s arrival. Some rebelled and were hostile to him, but among the farmers there are those who are ready to listen to these evening conversations.

The relationship between the Melekhov and Korshunov families is perceived in a special way. Panteley Prokofievich Melekhov knows his worth and tries to save his face in any situation. But one cannot help but pay attention to the timidity that he experiences in the Korshunovs’ house when he acts as a matchmaker (Melekhov realizes that he is no match for the rich owner Korshunov). It should be noted that there is a peculiar beginning, an inserted short story about the father of Pantelei Prokofievich, about his tragic fate. This story is a kind of prologue to the fate of Gregory.

Turning to everyday life, Sholokhov leads the reader to the conclusion that Don society was not so united in its sentiments, that the Don began to be torn apart by contradictions. Here Sholokhov diverges from bourgeois historiography, which proves that there was no ground for contradictions on the Don, and the Don Cossacks were free and prosperous, did not know serfdom, and later it was concluded that the revolution on the Don was not an organic phenomenon, that the Don did not come to the revolution, and the revolution to the Don. Therefore, the uprising of 1919 is explained by the fact that the revolution was imposed from the outside, and in 1919 the Don defended his freedom. So Sholokhov’s main idea was to create a truthful image of the people at a turning point.

The national character reveals itself in the special hard work of Natalya, Grigory, and Pantelei Prokofievich. Gregory, in his saddest moment, will say that the only thing his thoughts are connected with are peasant concerns, and everything else is boring. Drawing a portrait of Natalya, Sholokhov draws the reader’s attention to “large hands crushed by work.” The image of the people and its features are revealed in the fury of Pantelei Prokofievich, in the pride of Aksinya, in the maternal wisdom of Ilyinichna. It was paramount for Sholokhov not only to create an image from individual strokes and sketches, but the attitude of the people themselves to the events taking place was important to him: the imperialist and civil wars, revolution, socio-political changes on the Don. We talk about the imperialist war even when the farm says goodbye to young Cossacks going into the army. Here you can hear the sad, sorrowful “today is the day to feed, the bread is ripe - we need to harvest.” Officers argue about the war, but it is important for Sholokhov to show the perception of the rank and file, those on the front line. The people's environment also gives birth to Mikhail Koshevoy, who, unlike Gregory, accepted the truth of the Bolsheviks, and therefore is ready to take revenge and kill his former friends for the idea.

So, at the end of 1926, Mikhail Sholokhov began his main book - “Quiet Don”. Trips to Don farms, conversations with old-timers, work in the archives of Rostov - “material and nature,” as the writer said, were at hand.

Image Grigory Melekhov connects the private world of family, home and the vast earthly world. Grigory Melekhov attracts the reader with his deep nationality and originality. From childhood, he was instilled with a love for the earth, nature, and the animal world. One day, while mowing, he accidentally cut a wild duckling with a scythe and suffers from it. The author endows him with the following character traits: he is wild, he has an irrepressible temperament, but at the same time he is sensitive and observant. Grigory is a strong-willed person (he won the first prize at horse racing), he was handsome and stately. He was respected for his love of farming and work. At the beginning of the story, he is a nineteen-year-old boy. For the sake of his goal, he goes ahead: he fell in love with his neighbor’s wife Aksinya, with her “vicious beauty,” “wooed her with brutal persistence...”, and broke all the barriers on the way to her. They married not of their own free will, and Gregory did not want to come to terms with this. He cannot go against himself. Natalya is not nice to him: “I don’t love you, Natasha.” Unable to overcome his passion for Aksinya, Grigory leaves home with her. An unprecedented thing - a free Cossack goes as a farm laborer to Pan Lesnitsky.

As a young father, wayward, listening not to customs, but to his heart, he goes to serve and ends up in war. With all his being, Gregory resisted lies, violence, and injustice. He experiences his first battle hard; he imagines he is an “Austrian” whom he has cut down. “I’m tired of my soul.” He not only acts, but thinks about the reasons for what is happening. Grigory Melekhov witnesses how Silantiev dies, “I saw him fall, embracing the blue distance...”. The senselessness of war gives rise to certain sentiments among the Cossacks, a negative attitude towards war. At the same time, Grigory managed to preserve human dignity in the war - he helps Aksinya’s husband, the wounded Stepan Astakhov, get out of the battlefield, tries to protect the maid Franya from the brutal Cossacks, denounces Chubatov for the senseless shooting of a captured Austrian, but he also becomes embittered, ceases to understand the boundaries of goodness and evil, loses the ability to feel happiness.

Grigory meets on his life’s path both with characters fictional by the author, and with those who have real historical prototypes - Poznyakov, Budyonny, the imperial family. His endless wanderings lead to the woman he loves, to home, children. Gregory's personal traits are spiritual quest and depth of experience.

Gregory did not have straight and smooth roads. In 1917, Grigory Melekhov decides what to do: return home to the Don or go with the Reds. He, focusing on the mood of the Cossacks, at the beginning of 1918 fought on the side of the Reds and received the rank of colonel. Returned to the farm, he feels spiritual discord. The question arose again: “Who should I lean against?” Grigory again finds himself involuntarily in another camp. Cruelty is becoming a terrible norm. Unable to bear it, he returns home again, “half gray.” And again he joins the Red Army, where he commands a squadron. Then the choice fell in favor of a “peaceful life,” but in the village he was persecuted as a “white man, a Cossack officer.” Grigory ends up in Fomin's gang, but cannot stand the senseless cruelty, leaves the gang of deserters, and runs away to start a new life.

Grigory will carry his love for Aksinya Astakhova, difficult and sinful, throughout his life. Their love has withstood many tests: passion, betrayal and endless separations. When Grigory and Aksinya seemed to have united after much torment (they were running away from the farm together), a tragedy occurred - a stray bullet took away from him the creature most dear to him: “Grigory, dying of horror, realized that it was all over, that the worst thing that could only to happen in his life, it has already happened...” Gregory loses his Aksinya forever, and with her his attachment to life and hope. Having buried his beloved woman, he “raised his head and saw above him the black sky and the dazzlingly shining black disk of the sun.” “The Black Disk of the Sun” is a poetic image of monumental power, emphasizing a terrible loss.

There was no need for him to rush now. It was all over. Grigory returns to the stirrup of the Quiet Don at the moment of the coming spring, throws weapons and cartridges into the “spiny ice” and notices his son Mishatka from afar. “Kneeling down, kissing his son’s pink, cold hands, he repeated in a choked voice only one word:

“Son…son…That was all he had left in his life.”

The end of the novel has a philosophical sound. The ending symbolizes not only parting with the past, but also the idea of ​​continuing life. Mikhail Sholokhov left his hero on the threshold of new life trials. What paths await him? How will his life turn out? The writer does not answer these questions, but makes the reader think.

One of the features of “Quiet Don” is Sholokhov’s attitude to the people’s fate and personality. Therefore, the author singled out a prominent representative of the people - Grigory Melekhov. G. Melekhov represents the people, the people's attitude to truth and cruelty, to war, to life. There is no doubt that the image of Melekhov is a great artistic discovery of M. Sholokhov. This is the most complex image in literature.

The image of G. Melekhov in the assessment of criticism. Since 1940, since the publication of the novel, there have been quite heated debates in literary criticism about the image of Grigory Melekhov. There seem to be two directions in the assessment of the hero. In the first case, researchers (L. Yakimenko and others) emphasized that Gregory gradually diverges from his people and turns into a “renegade”, that Melekhov on this path of divergence gradually loses those attractive qualities natures that he has at the beginning. In the works of the 1940s–1950s, this image was interpreted with a minus sign.

The second concept, formed in the 1960s, “absolved” Melekhov of blame. V. Kovalev spoke out against critics who believed that Sholokhov was mainly busy exposing weaknesses national character, was against the theory of renegade. F. Biryukov polemicized with those who saw in the novel a violation of historical truth (Yakimenko, Gura and others) - this concerned the episode of Podtelkov’s lynching of Cherentsov. According to Biryukov, Sholokhov followed the truth of history and destroyed only the straightforward schemes of the enemies of the revolution. “Quiet Flows the Flow” reflects the whole complexity of life, when subjective honesty could turn into betrayal before the people (Kaledin) and when the unprincipledness of a leader cast a shadow on the communists (Podtelkov). A. Britikov urged not to simplify the organic social duality of the main character of “Quiet Don”.

Melekhov's tragedy was entirely explained as a historical delusion, and a conclusion was drawn about the tragic fate of the person. The authors who share this concept, Khvatov, Biryukov, Petelin, with a certain difference between them, emphasized the circumstance that pushed the hero on this path, on the path of Grigory joining Fomin’s gang and proved that Grigory is not a loner, not a renegade, and not guilty , if the peasant worker could not understand what was happening. Grigory Melekhov, in search of the truth, stood on the verge of two principles, denying both of them, without realizing that there was no third.

Shcherbina spoke about the contradictory character of Sholokhov’s hero, and Metchenko called G. Melekhov “an artistic type of the era.” Ultimately, literary scholars conclude that the hero is tragic.

At present, it would be naive to analyze the arguments of L. Yakimenko and those who tried to prove that Grigory broke up with the people - they are unconvincing. Those who spoke about renegade drew attention to the tragic ending of the main character. This, of course, makes sense, but it is also tragic. Grigory Melekhov testifies that the writer sets high demands on his hero, and at the same time speaks of responsibility for the crime committed, and yet the ending leads to the conclusion that the author trusts his hero. In order to understand the essence of Melekhov’s tragedy, it is necessary to understand the author’s attitude towards this image, and which cannot be replaced (as Yakimenko did) with an attitude towards any of the heroes. Sholokhov’s attitude towards G. Melekhov arises at the intersection of the views of other characters on Grigory: mother, Natalya, Aksinya, Koshevoy, Shtokman, etc.

Of course, we take into account the Bolshevik Koshevoy’s idea of ​​Gregory, but we also take into account his mother’s attitude towards Gregory. It is no coincidence that Ilyinichna singled out the youngest among other children. There is a magnificent scene in the novel, which is perceived through Aksinya’s eyes: the mother, before her death, wants to meet Gregory.

The truth is manifested both in sympathy for Gregory and in his condemnation, the degree of demands and the degree of trust. The tragedy of the image is seen in the fact that he is a person of a certain life experience and it is difficult for him to understand in the name of what sacrifices and suffering are made. He does not accept this suffering and therefore seeks his truth, either from the Reds or from the Whites, but strives to follow his own path. In such a situation, it is impossible to explain the hero’s contradictions by his social status.

Grigory Melekhov’s tossing is explained by the complexity of his situation, the contradictory nature of the times, and the fact that a man who knew only peasant business was unable to understand these events and could not decide “where to go.” His throwing is “not his fault, but his misfortune” (S.I. Sheshukov). And at the same time, Grigory Melekhov modern man, and the choice of a life path imposes responsibility for the actions he has committed. The fate of Melekhov shows that the people fought on the side of both the Reds and the Whites” (P. Palievsky). Gregory’s tossing is not only personal contradictions, but also contradictions of existence.

It should be emphasized that continuity in fiction manifested itself in the fact that in national literatures characters were created (according to the type of Grigory Melekhov), where different shades of the struggle between good and evil and tragic throwings were dialectically complexly combined. For example, the image of Kazgirey Mathanov by Alim Keshokov. The heroes are also united by unity with the people.

The author does not reduce the novel “Quiet Don” to the image of Grigory Melekhov. Special meaning in the novel they carry female images- they are a continuation of Russian traditions classical literature. Each of them has its own unique world, its own sufferings and joys, its own pain of the soul. Sholokhov at a new historical stage shows a collective image of a Russian woman. It would be unfair to characterize individual heroines or contrast one with the other. The images of Sholokhov, both female and male, have world-historical significance.

One of the manifestations of the heroic are the principles of Sholokhov’s depiction of the people, a man of the people. The author reveals the people in typical terms and does not show the people’s feat either in the unjust imperialist war or in the White Cossack uprising, “the inglorious war against the Russian people.” This is the writer's concept of feat, heroism.

The problem of the authorship of "Quiet Don". Why was the authorship of Mikhail Sholokhov's novel questioned? For the first time, rumors and hints that the author had used someone else’s manuscript arose in 1928, when the magazine “October” published the first two books of “Quiet Don” - they immediately brought Mikhail Sholokhov all-Russian and international fame.

Amazement, and then suspicion, was caused by the age of the author - Mikhail Sholokhov was only twenty-two years old at the time of publication of the first book of Quiet Don, and he finished the second at twenty-three. It seemed like where did young man such maturity of judgment and such brilliant mastery of literary form? They could not accept this phenomenon. A version arose about a certain white officer who allegedly wrote and then lost the manuscript of the book on the roads of the Civil War, and Sholokhov found it and “appropriated it.” A special commission was created, to which Mikhail Sholokhov was supposed to present drafts of “Quiet Don”. When he introduced them, suspicions immediately dissipated.

In 1965, after the award to Mikhail Sholokhov Nobel Prize, old rumors have resurfaced. However, the main argument for Sholokhov’s “plagiarism” was the absence of the “Quiet Don” manuscript, which was lost during the Great Patriotic War.

Interest in the problem was later fueled by I. Tomashevskaya’s book, “The Stirrup of the Quiet Don”, published under the pseudonym D* (Paris, 1974), with a foreword and afterword by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, a book by Roy Medvedev (1975), and magazine articles. A wave of relevant publications swept through the pages of Russian periodicals even during the perestroika “sensations.”

The book “Who wrote “Quiet Don”? (The problem of the authorship of “The Quiet Don”) - M., 1989) - translation of the 1982 edition of the work of the Swedish-Norwegian team research group: G. Hiesto, S. Gustavsson and others, who conducted a computer analysis of the study of literary text in a foreign computing center (since Sholokhov is a Nobel Prize laureate). The author's speech of Sholokhov (“Quiet Don”, “Virgin Soil Upturned”, “Don Stories”) and the Cossack writer Fyodor Kryukov was analyzed. The scientists in this work presented the results of their analysis: tables, diagrams, etc. and came to the following conclusion that Sholokhov and Kryukov have different vocabulary structures, frequency of word usage, sentence length, that is, F. Kryukov’s style is completely different from M. Sholokhov , and Sholokhov writes strikingly similar to the author of “Quiet Don”. Thus, the authorship of “Quiet Don” is specifically proven. At this stage, the issue was suspended and no longer aroused the previous discussions.

In 1999, a manuscript of “Quiet Don” was discovered in Moscow in one of the editions. December 4, 1999 " Russian newspaper» published an article by the director of the Institute of World Literature named after A.M. Gorky (IMLI) Felix Kuznetsov “Who held Mikhail Sholokhov hostage?” It reported that IMLI managed to find and acquire the manuscripts of the first and second books of “Quiet Don” that were considered lost: “The manuscript contains 885 pages. Of these, 605 were written by M.A. Sholokhov, 280 pages were copied completely by the hand of the writer’s wife Maria Petrovna Sholokhova and, apparently, her sisters; many of these pages contain editing by M. A. Sholokhov. Pages written by M. A. Sholokhov include drafts, variants and white pages, as well as sketches and inserts to certain parts of the text.”

Introduction

The fate of Grigory Melekhov in the novel “Quiet Don” by Sholokhov becomes the focus of the reader’s attention. This hero, who by the will of fate found himself in the midst of difficult historical events, for many years I have been forced to look for my life path.

Description of Grigory Melekhov

Already from the first pages of the novel, Sholokhov introduces us to unusual fate grandfather Gregory, explaining why the Melekhovs differ in appearance from the rest of the inhabitants of the farm. Gregory, like his father, had “a drooping kite nose, in slightly slanting slits there were bluish almonds of hot eyes, sharp slabs of cheekbones.” Remembering the origin of Pantelei Prokofievich, everyone in the farmstead called the Melekhovs “Turks.”
Life changing inner world Gregory. His appearance also changes. From a carefree, cheerful guy, he turns into a stern warrior whose heart has hardened. Gregory “knew that he would no longer laugh as before; knew that his eyes were sunken and his cheekbones were sticking out sharply,” and in his gaze “a light of senseless cruelty began to shine through more and more often.”

At the end of the novel, a completely different Gregory appears before us. This is a mature man, tired of life, “with tired squinting eyes, with the reddish tips of a black mustache, with premature gray hair at the temples and hard wrinkles on the forehead.”

Characteristics of Gregory

At the beginning of the work, Grigory Melekhov is a young Cossack living according to the laws of his ancestors. The main thing for him is farming and family. He enthusiastically helps his father with mowing and fishing. Unable to contradict his parents when they marry him to the unloved Natalya Korshunova.

But, for all that, Gregory is a passionate, addicted person. Contrary to his father's prohibitions, he continues to go to night games. He meets Aksinya Astakhova, the neighbor’s wife, and then leaves his home with her.

Gregory, like most Cossacks, is characterized by courage, sometimes reaching the point of recklessness. He behaves heroically at the front, participating in the most dangerous forays. At the same time, the hero is not alien to humanity. He is worried about a gosling he accidentally killed while mowing. For a long time suffers because of the murdered unarmed Austrian. “By obeying his heart,” Grigory saves his sworn enemy Stepan from death. He goes against an entire platoon of Cossacks, defending Franya.

In Gregory, passion and obedience, madness and gentleness, kindness and hatred coexist at the same time.

The fate of Grigory Melekhov and his path of quest

The fate of Melekhov in the novel “Quiet Don” is tragic. He is constantly forced to look for a “way out” the right road. It's not easy for him in the war. His personal life is also complicated.

Like the beloved heroes of L.N. Tolstoy, Grigory passes difficult path life quests. At the beginning, everything seemed clear to him. Like other Cossacks, he is called up for war. For him there is no doubt that he must defend the Fatherland. But, getting to the front, the hero understands that his whole nature is opposed to murder.

Grigory moves from white to red, but even here he will be disappointed. Seeing how Podtyolkov deals with captured young officers, he loses faith in this power and the next year he again finds himself in the White Army.

Tossing between the whites and the reds, the hero himself becomes embittered. He loots and kills. He tries to forget himself in drunkenness and fornication. In the end, escaping persecution new government, he finds himself among the bandits. Then he becomes a deserter.

Grigory is exhausted from tossing and turning. He wants to live on his land, raise bread and children. Although life hardens the hero and gives his features something “wolfish,” in essence, he is not a killer. Having lost everything and not having found his way, Grigory returns to his native farm, realizing that, most likely, death awaits him here. But a son and a home are the only things that keep the hero alive.

Gregory's relationship with Aksinya and Natalya

Fate sends the hero two passionate loving women. But Gregory’s relationship with them is not easy. While still single, Grigory falls in love with Aksinya, the wife of Stepan Astakhov, his neighbor. Over time, the woman reciprocates his feelings, and their relationship develops into unbridled passion. “So unusual and obvious was their crazy connection, they burned so frantically with one shameless flame, people without conscience and without hiding, losing weight and blackening their faces in front of their neighbors, that now for some reason people were ashamed to look at them when they met.”

Despite this, he cannot resist his father’s will and marries Natalya Korshunova, promising himself to forget Aksinya and settle down. But Gregory is unable to keep his vow to himself. Although Natalya is beautiful and selflessly loves her husband, he gets back together with Aksinya and leaves his wife and parental home.

After Aksinya's betrayal, Grigory returns to his wife again. She accepts him and forgives past grievances. But he was not destined for peace family life. The image of Aksinya haunts him. Fate brings them together again. Unable to bear the shame and betrayal, Natalya has an abortion and dies. Grigory blames himself for the death of his wife and experiences this loss cruelly.

Now, it would seem, nothing can stop him from finding happiness with the woman he loves. But circumstances force him to leave his place and, together with Aksinya, set off on the road again, the last for his beloved.

With the death of Aksinya, Gregory's life loses all meaning. The hero no longer has even a ghostly hope for happiness. “And Gregory, dying of horror, realized that it was all over, that the worst thing that could happen in his life had already happened.”

Conclusion

In conclusion of my essay on the topic “The Fate of Grigory Melekhov in the novel “Quiet Don””, I want to fully agree with critics who believe that in “Quiet Don” the fate of Grigory Melekhov is the most difficult and one of the most tragic. Using the example of Grigory Sholokhov, he showed how the whirlpool of political events breaks human destiny. And the one who sees his destiny in peaceful labor suddenly becomes brutal killer with a devastated soul.

Work test

Restless nature, difficult fate, a strong character, a man on the border of two eras - the main epithets of the main character of Sholokhov’s novel. The image and characterization of Grigory Melekhov in the novel “Quiet Don” is artistic description the fate of one Cossack. But behind him stands a whole generation of Don men, born in a troubled and incomprehensible time, when family ties were collapsing and the fate of the entire diverse country was changing.

Appearance and family of Gregory

It’s not difficult to imagine Grigory Panteleevich Melekhov. Young Cossack - younger son Pantelei Prokofievich. The family has three children: Peter, Gregory and Dunyasha. The roots of the surname came from crossing Turkish blood (grandmother) with Cossack blood (grandfather). This origin left its mark on the character of the hero. How many now scientific works dedicated to Turkish roots that changed the Russian character. The Melekhovs' yard is located on the outskirts of the farm. The family is not rich, but not poor either. The average income for some is enviable, which means that there are poorer families in the village. For Natalya's father, Grigory's fiancée, the Cossack is not rich. At the beginning of the novel, Grishka is approximately 19-20 years old. Age should be calculated based on the start of service. The conscription age in those years was 21 years old. Grigory is waiting for the call.

Character's appearance features:

• nose: hook-nosed, kite-like;
• look: wild;
• cheekbones: sharp;
• skin: dark, brown blushing;
• black, like a gypsy;
• teeth: wolf, dazzling white:
• height: not particularly tall, half a head taller than his brother, 6 years older than him;
• eyes: blue tonsils, hot, black, non-Russian;
• smile: brutal.

They talk about a guy's beauty in different ways: handsome, handsome. The epithet beautiful accompanies Gregory throughout the novel; even after aging, he retains his attractiveness and attractiveness. But there is a lot of masculinity in his attractiveness: coarse hair, resistant to affection man's hands, curly growth on the chest, legs, overgrown thick hair. Even for those whom he scares, Grigory stands out from the crowd: a degenerate, wild, bandit-like face. One feels that by the look of a Cossack one can determine his mood. Some people think that there are only eyes on the face, burning, clear and piercing.

Cossack clothing

Melekhov dresses in the usual Cossack uniform. Traditional Cossack set:

• everyday bloomers;
• festive ones with bright stripes;
• white woolen stockings;
• tweets;
• satin shirts;
• short fur coat;
• hat

For smart clothes, the Cossack has a frock coat, in which he goes to woo Natalya. But it is not convenient for the guy. Grisha tugs at the hem of his coat, trying to take it off as quickly as possible.

Attitude towards children

Grigory loves children, but awareness full of love comes to him very late. Son Mishatka is the last thread that connects him with life after the loss of his beloved. He accepts Tanya, Aksinya’s daughter, but is tormented by thoughts that she may not be his. In the letter, the man admits that he dreams of a girl in a red dress. There are few lines about the Cossack and children; they are stingy and not bright. That's probably right. It is difficult to imagine a strong Cossack playing with a child. He is passionate about communicating with Natalya’s children when he returns on leave from the war. He wants to forget everything he has experienced, immersing himself in household chores. For Gregory, children are not just procreation, they are a shrine, part of the homeland.

Male character traits

Grigory Melekhov is a male image. He is a bright representative of the Cossacks. Character traits help us understand complex problems happening around us.

Waywardness. The guy is not afraid of his opinion, he cannot retreat from it. He does not listen to advice, does not tolerate ridicule, and is not afraid of fights and brawls.

Physical strength. I like the guy for his dashing prowess, strength and endurance. He receives his first St. George Cross for patience and endurance. Overcoming fatigue and pain, he carries the wounded from the battlefield.

Hard work. A hard-working Cossack is not afraid of any work. He is ready to do anything to support his family and help his parents.

Honesty. Gregory's conscience is constantly with him, he suffers, committing actions not of his own free will, but due to circumstances. The Cossack is not ready for looting. He even refuses his father when he comes to him to collect the loot.

Pride. The son does not allow his father to beat him. He doesn't ask for help when he needs it.

Education. Gregory is a competent Cossack. He knows how to write, and conveys thoughts on paper clearly and understandably. Melekhov writes rarely, as befits secretive natures. Everything is in their souls, on paper there are only meager, precise phrases.

Grigory loves his farm, village life. He likes nature and the Don. He can admire the water and the horses splashing in it.

Gregory, war and homeland

The most difficult storyline is the Cossack and the authorities. War with different sides appears before the reader's eyes as the hero of the novel saw her. There are practically no differences between whites and reds, bandits and ordinary soldiers. Both kill, loot, rape, humiliate. Melekhov is tormented; he does not understand the meaning of killing people. He is amazed by the Cossacks who live in war, enjoying the deaths around them. But time changes. Grigory becomes callous and cold-blooded, although he still does not agree with unnecessary killings. Humanity is the basis of his soul. Melekhov also lacks the categorical attitude of Mishka Korshunov, the prototype of revolutionary activists who see only enemies around them. Melekhov does not allow his superiors to speak rudely to him. He fights back and immediately puts in place those who want to command him.

/ / / The image of Grigory Melekhov in Sholokhov’s novel “Quiet Don”

Grigory Melekhov is the main character of the novel by M.A. Sholokhov "Quiet Don". He belonged to the Cossack family, and he had to live in quite difficult time when Russia plunged into bloody wars.

Gregory has the First World War, Civil War and Revolution behind him. Of course, the events he saw and experienced could not pass without a trace and not affect the hero’s worldview, his understanding of this cruel and evil world.

The whole novel is based on the problem of finding your place in history, in the events that happen around you.

Participation in the First World War turned Gregory into a real, strong, strong man. He earned the respect of his comrades and received the rank of officer. However, military events made him a hardened person. Melekhov constantly asked the question of what the point of military action was, what benefit this war would bring to the Cossacks and to him in particular.

Gregory was able to find a temporary answer to his questions during his stay in the hospital. So he studied and learned the basics of Bolshevik ideology, which allowed him to believe in universal equality. However, such clarification of thoughts did not remain in his memory for long.

Further, the events of the civil war are revealed to the readers. Now the main character acts on behalf of the white detachment, led by his brother. Melekhov, like the rest of the Cossacks, blames the Bolsheviks for dividing the people. The hero simply hates the ruling power.

While in search of the truth, Gregory realizes that he does not support either the “whites” or the “reds”. Now he is considered a thorn in both camps. Gregory cannot find peace and consolation. The Bolsheviks constantly persecute him for his “white” past. The main character has no choice but to join the bandits’ camp. However, even among them he is not at home, because he cannot create chaos, he cannot look at the life of real scavengers.

In order to come to his senses from everything, Melekhov returns to his native farm, sees his little son and again takes a deep breath of fresh and fragrant air. For a moment the hero comes to life, but fate is preparing another blow for him. Grigory loses the most precious thing in life - . And the worst thing is that the woman dies from a bullet aimed at a Cossack.

Having finished reading the novel, I understand how unhappy and difficult the fate of the main character was. At the beginning of the novel, a young and perky guy appears before the reader, full of strength and energy. However, in war he sees a lot of grief, pain and death. By coincidence, the Cossack also has a lot of blood on his hands. He had to kill. From such events, Melekhov became gray very early. In addition, Gregory lost his entire family during the war. The only hope left alive is my little son.

The hero of the novel “Quiet Don” was born and lived during a turning point in Russia. He tried to build his own separate path in life, fair and justified. Gregory is not like the rest of the mass of people who live according to established customs and do not particularly worry about their calling in life. Melekhov's soul is filled with emotions and suffering. He is constantly trying to find answers to his questions, assess the necessity of what is happening and understand reality.

At the end of the novel, the reader observes Gregory's return to the Cossack plains. Only in that place does he feel peace and tranquility. It would seem that the right circle of life has closed. The Cossack returned to his place and can continue his peaceful and correct existence. Only now the war and an innumerable number of tragic events turned the hero into a hermit, detached from everyone around him. He became a bandit, he was constantly in search of truth and truth.

At the end of the novel, Grigory Melekhov can simply be called an unfortunate man who suffered a difficult fate.