Where does Grigory Melekhov find the meaning of life. Grigory Melekhov's composition in search of truth

Grigory Melekhov is one of the central characters in M. Sholokhov's epic work "Quiet Don". The epic novel is a real encyclopedia of folk life at a turning point in Russian history. Gregory is a collective image of a man who faced a difficult choice between mutually exclusive views.

Melekhov is a typical representative of the Cossacks, associated with him by centuries-old traditions and customs. He cannot imagine life apart from his national roots. Gregory is endowed with all the qualities of a real Cossack. He is a courageous and courageous person, ready to support a comrade in any situation.

At the same time, Melekhov is characterized by an unconscious desire for truth and justice. If the vast majority of Cossacks without hesitation take the side of the white movement simply because of unshakable traditions, then Grigory wants to figure it out on his own.

The First World War became a turning point in Melekhov's soul. Participating in hostilities, he immediately draws attention to himself with his fearlessness. At the same time, doubts arise in his soul about the justice of war in general. Melekhov understands that the generals do not care deeply about the suffering of ordinary soldiers.

Since that time, Melekhov no longer feels calm. He admits to himself and others that he has lost a stable support in life. The traditions of the Cossacks turned out to be an illusion that does not give a true sense of truth. Gregory's soul rushes about in search of a way out. His spiritual emptiness is gradually filled with the slogans of the red movement. It seems to Melekhov that he has found what he was striving for.

In the ranks of the Bolsheviks, Gregory continues to perform feats. But the struggle for another truth turns into the blood of innocent people. Melekhov understands that in addition to the Reds and Whites, who equally commit cruelty and lawlessness, there must be some kind of “real” truth. It is above political convictions and comes from the human soul.

The author does not put an end to the fate of Melekhov, giving the reader the opportunity to figure out the problem of finding the truth for himself. Gregory's inner struggle is an important philosophical theme. The problem of a difficult choice can affect anyone.

Option 2

What is truth? What is she? Each of us, probably, will answer this question in his own way and will be right, because this concept is contradictory and ambiguous. How to distinguish truth from lies? What choice to make? Some immediately decide on a choice, while others rush about, doubt the correctness of their choice. Their soul is tormented by doubts, and they begin a painful search for the truth. Sometimes it takes a lifetime.

One of these truth-seekers is Grigory Melekhov, the protagonist of Sholokhov's novel The Quiet Flows the Don. Having become acquainted with the work, we learn the following about him: he was born in a hereditary family of Don Cossacks, who had a strong economy, material wealth. From his ancestors, he inherited such qualities of character as honesty, love for peasant labor, compassion, pride and independence. He differed from other Cossacks in courage, depth of feelings, kindness. The main feature of his character was that he was constantly trying to find his truth, for which it was worth serving and for which it was worth living. Doesn't accept untruth.

The First World War was the beginning of the hero's life trials. She divided the Cossacks into red and white, putting everyone before a choice. Our hero himself could not figure out everything that was happening, he did not meet such a person who could explain everything to him in a simple and accessible language. It happened that he vaguely felt the truth, but did not know how to prove it, so he was forced to obey, with which he internally disagreed. Once in the war, Gregory manifests himself as a brave and determined person, never hiding behind others, but quickly disappointed. He feels like he's doing everything wrong. For him, a warrior and humanist, the massacre of the unarmed is disgusting. He wants to find a truth that will be acceptable to everyone and everyone will be fine.

Having been wounded, Melekhov ends up in the hospital, where he meets the Bolshevik Garanzha. Under his influence, the hero's insight occurs, who is increasingly convinced that he lived in illusions that are far from reality. He understood the meaning of the imperialist war and hated it.

The search for truth is most intensified during the Civil War. The meeting with Efim Izvarin sowed doubts in Grigory's soul, he tries to argue with him, but semi-literate, fails in verbal battles with his opponent, he does not have enough knowledge to prove his truth.

Thus, the path to the truth was long, painful, difficult for Gregory, but on this path he remained a man.

Melekhov is looking for the truth

Roman M.A. Sholokhov's "Quiet Flows the Don" is an excellent example of a work that touches on almost all the problems of mankind. When reading this novel, it is sometimes difficult to understand what is the main theme of this work, however, through a thorough analysis of the work, one can single out the main character’s search for his place in the world as the most mentioned in the text.

The main character of the novel was Grigory Malekhov. On his difficult life path, he met a large number of trials associated with life at the beginning of the twentieth century - in the bloody time of a warrior and great changes. As a participant in hostilities, Gregory achieved great success: he received the rank of officer, was awarded many awards, but at the same time did not achieve the main goal of life. He was constantly tormented by the question: “What is the meaning of life?”. He could not understand why people need wars, why they need victories and power. Gregory participates in the civil war in 1918 in a detachment of whites under the command of his older brother. Over time, in an attempt to understand who is right in this fratricidal war and who is not, he becomes a bandit, but even in such an environment he does not feel calm. Restless thoughts come to Gregory. He still can't find answers to his questions. In the end, risking his life, he returns to his homeland in his native village. Meeting with relatives: wife, son and sister gives him strength and desire to live. However, later a great tragedy awaits the hero: his wife is killed by a bullet that was intended for him. He is left alone with the child, sister and her husband, who at that time is his main enemy.

In my opinion M.A. Sholokhov, in the image of Grigory, contained all the features of a typical village man of those times. Few ordinary peasants understood the meaning of the war, the seizure of power and the possible consequences of one or another outcome of the war. Malekhov is a person with a sufficient level of intelligence, as he can talk on very complex topics, but due to ignorance and lack of life experience, he cannot find himself in this life. The main obstacle is war. In those days, armed conflicts led not only to the death of a large number of people, but also to sad consequences among the survivors.

Grigory Malekhov is a good example of how much war can break the fate of a person. Because of conflicts, he loses a lot of time, his wife, faith in himself. In addition, he often had to kill in order to survive, which he clearly did not want to do, which took away from him perhaps the greatest wealth - a clear conscience. The war has turned a simple worker Grigory into a tragic hero, an unfortunate bandit who is looking for the truth of life and still cannot find it, dooming himself to eternal unsuccessful attempts.

Summer is the most beautiful time on the planet. The earth is warmed by the sun. Blooming gardens and flowers

The “Quiet Don” reflects the era of great upheavals of the early 20th century, which had its impact on the fate of many people, which also influenced the fate of the Don Cossacks. Harassment by officials, landowners, the more prosperous part of the population, as well as the inability of the authorities to resolve conflict situations and fairly equip the life of the people, led to popular indignation, riots, and a revolution that turned into a civil war. In addition, the Don Cossacks rebelled against the new government, fought with the Red Army. Gangs of Cossacks dealt with the same poor peasants, with peasants who, like the Cossacks, wanted to work on their land. It was a difficult, troubled time when a brother went against his brother, and the father could turn out to be the murderer of his son.

The novel by M.A. Sholokhov “Quiet Flows the Don” reflects the turning point of wars and revolutions, shows the events that influenced the course of history. The writer depicted the age-old traditions of the Don Cossacks and the peculiarities of their life, the system of their moral principles and labor skills that formed the national character, which is most fully embodied by the author in the image of Grigory Melekhov.
The path of Grigory Melekhov is completely special, different from the search for the heroes of previous eras, since Sholokhov showed, firstly, the story of a simple Cossack, a farm boy with little education, not wiser with experience, not understanding politics. Secondly, the author reflected the most difficult time of upheavals and storms for the entire European continent and for Russia in particular.

In the image of Grigory Melekhov, a deeply tragic personality is presented, whose fate is entirely connected with the dramatic events taking place in the country. The character of the hero can be understood only by analyzing his life path, starting from the origins. It must be remembered that the hot blood of a Turkish grandmother was mixed in the Cossack's genes. The Melekhov family, in this regard, was distinguished by its genetic qualities: along with diligence, perseverance, love for the land, Gregory was noticeable, for example, a proud disposition, courage, self-will. Already in his youth, he confidently and firmly objected to Aksinya, who called him to foreign lands: “I won’t touch the earth anywhere. There is a steppe here, there is something to breathe, but there? Grigory thought that his life was forever connected with the peaceful labor of a farmer in his own household. The main values ​​for him are the land, the steppe, the Cossack service and the family. But he could not even imagine how loyalty to the Cossack cause would turn out for him, when the best years would have to be given to the war, the murder of people, ordeal on the fronts, and a lot would have to go through, having experienced various shocks.

Gregory was brought up in the spirit of devotion to Cossack traditions, he did not shy away from service, intending to fulfill his military duty with honor and return to the farm. He, as befits a Cossack, showed courage in battles during the First World War, “risked, went crazy,” but very soon realized that it was not easy to get rid of the pain that he sometimes felt. Gregory suffered especially hard the senseless murder of an Austrian who was running away from him. He even, "without knowing why, went up to the Austrian soldier he had hacked." And then, when he was moving away from the corpse, “his step was confusingly heavy, as if he was carrying an unbearable load behind his shoulders; I bend and bewilderment crumpled my soul.

After the first wound, while in the hospital, Grigory learned new truths, listening to how the wounded soldier of Garange "exposed the true causes of the outbreak of war, caustically ridiculed the autocratic power." It was difficult for the Cossack to accept these new concepts about the tsar, the motherland, about military duty: "all those foundations on which the consciousness rested smoked with ashes." But after a visit to his native farm, he again went to the front, remaining a good Cossack: "Grigory firmly cherished the Cossack honor, he caught the opportunity to show selfless courage ...". This was the time when his heart hardened and hardened. However, while remaining courageous and even desperate in battle, Grigory changed internally: he could not laugh carelessly and cheerfully, his eyes sunken in, his cheekbones sharpened, and it became difficult to look into the clear eyes of the child. “With cold contempt he played with his own and someone else's life, ... he served four St. George's crosses, four medals,” but he could not avoid the mercilessly devastating impact of the war. However, the personality of Gregory was still not destroyed by the war: his soul did not harden to the end, he could not fully come to terms with the need to kill people (even enemies).

In 1917, after being wounded and in the hospital, while at home on vacation, Grigory felt tired, "acquired by the war." “I wanted to turn away from everything seething with hatred, hostile and incomprehensible world. There, behind, everything was confused, contradictory. There was no solid ground under my feet, and there was no certainty which path to follow: “I was drawn to the Bolsheviks - I walked, led others, and then took thought, my heart went cold.” On the farm, the Cossack wanted to return to household chores and stay with his family. But he will not be allowed to calm down, because there will be no peace in the country for a long time. And Melekhov rushes between the "red" and "white". It is difficult for him to find political truth when human values ​​are rapidly changing in the world, and it is difficult for an inexperienced person to understand the essence of events: “Who can I lean against?” Gregory's throwing was not connected with his political moods, but with a lack of understanding of the situation in the country, when numerous participants in the warring forces seized power in turn. Melekhov was ready to fight in the ranks of the Red Army, but war is war, it could not do without cruelty, and wealthy Cossacks did not want to voluntarily give “food” to the Red Army. Melekhov felt the distrust of the Bolsheviks, their hostility towards him, as a former soldier of the tsarist army. And Gregory himself could not understand the uncompromising and ruthless activities of the food detachments that took away the grain. The fanaticism and bitterness of Mikhail Koshevoy were especially repulsed from the communist idea, and there was a desire to get away from the unbearable confusion. I wanted to understand and comprehend everything, to find my own, “real truth”, but, apparently, there is no one truth for everyone: “People have always fought for a piece of bread, for a plot of land, for the right to life ...”. And Gregory decided that "one must fight with those who want to take life, the right to it ...".

Cruelty and violence were manifested by all the warring parties: the White Guards, the rebel Cossacks, various gangs. Melekhov did not want to join them, but Grigory had to fight against the Bolsheviks. Not by conviction, but by forced circumstances, when the Cossacks from the farms were gathered into detachments by opponents of the new government. He had a hard time experiencing the atrocities of the Cossacks, their indomitable vindictiveness. While in the detachment of Fomin, Grigory witnessed the execution of a young non-party Red Army soldier who devotedly served the people's power. The guy refused to go over to the side of the bandits (as he called the Cossack detachment), and they immediately decided to “put him to waste”. "We have a short trial?" - says Fomin, referring to Grigory, who avoided looking into the eyes of the leader, because he himself was against such "courts".
And Grigory's parents are in solidarity with their son in matters of rejection of cruelty, enmity between people. Pantelei Prokofievich kicks out Mitka Korshunov, because he does not want to see the executioner in his house, who killed a woman with children in order to take revenge on the communist Koshevoy. Ilyinichna, Grigory’s mother, says to Natalya: “So the Reds could chop you and Mishatka and Polyushka for Grisha, but they didn’t chop it, they had mercy.” Wise words are also spoken by the old farmer Chumakov when he asks Melekhov: “Will you soon make peace with the Soviet government? They fought with the Circassians, they fought with the Turks, and that pacification came out, and you are all your own people and you don’t collide with each other in any way.

Gregory's life was also complicated by his unstable position everywhere and in everything: he was constantly in a state of search, deciding the question "where to lean." Even before serving in the Cossack army, Melekhov failed to choose a life partner for love, since Aksinya was married, and his father married Natalya. And all his short life he was in the “between” position, when he was drawn to his family, to his wife and children, but his heart called to his beloved. The desire to manage the land was no less tore at the soul, although no one exempted him from military duty. The position of an honest, decent person between the new and the old, between peace and war, between Bolshevism and the populism of Izvarin, and, finally, between Natalya and Aksinya only aggravated, increased the intensity of his throwing.

The need to choose was very exhausting, and, perhaps, the decisions of the Cossack were not always correct, but then who could judge people, pass a fair verdict? G. Melekhov fought earnestly in Budyonny's cavalry and thought that by faithful service he had earned forgiveness from the Bolsheviks for his previous deeds, but during the years of the Civil War there were cases of quick reprisals against those who either did not show loyalty to the Soviet government, or rushed from side to side. And in the Fomin gang, already fighting against the Bolsheviks, Grigory saw no way out, how to solve his problem, how to return to civilian life and not be an enemy to anyone. Grigory left the Cossack detachment of Fomin, and, fearing punishment from the Soviet authorities, or even lynching from any side, since he seemed to become an enemy to everyone, he tries to hide with Aksinya, to escape somewhere far away from his native farm. However, this attempt did not bring him salvation: an accidental meeting with Red Army soldiers from the food detachment, flight, chase, shots after him - and the tragic death of Aksinya stopped Grigory's throwing forever. There was nowhere to rush, no one to rush to.

The author is far from being indifferent to the fate of his main character. He bitterly writes that, because of homesickness, Grigory can no longer wander and, without waiting for an amnesty, he risks again, returns to the Tatarsky farm: “He stood at the gates of his home, holding his son in his arms ...”. Sholokhov does not end the novel with a message about the future fate of G. Melekhov, probably because he sympathizes with him and would like to finally give a man tired of battles a little peace of mind so that he can live and work on his land, but it is difficult to say whether it is possible This.
The writer's merit also lies in the fact that the author's attitude to the characters, his ability to understand people, to appreciate the honesty and decency of those who sincerely sought to understand the confusion of rebellious events and find the truth, is the author's desire to convey the movement of a person's soul against the backdrop of dramatic changes in the country. appreciated by both critics and readers. One of the former leaders of the rebellious Cossacks, an emigrant P. Kudinov, wrote to the scholar K. Priyma: "The Quiet Don" shook our souls and made us rethink everything, and our longing for Russia became even sharper, and brightened in our head. And those who, while in exile, read the novel by M.A. Sholokhov “The Quiet Don”, “who sobbed over its pages and tore their gray hair, these people in 1941 could not fight against Soviet Russia and did not go ". It should be added: not all, of course, but many of them.

Sholokhov's skill as an artist is also difficult to overestimate: we have a rare example, an almost historical document that depicts the culture of the Cossacks, life, traditions and speech features. It would be impossible to create vivid images (and to present them to the reader) if Grigory, Aksinya and other characters spoke neutrally, in a stylized language close to literary. It would no longer be the Don Cossacks, if we remove their centuries-old peculiarities of speech, their own dialect: “vilyuzhinki”, “crosswise”, “you are my good”. At the same time, representatives of the command staff of the Cossack troops, who have an education and experience in communicating with people from other territories of Russia, speak the language familiar to Russians. And Sholokhov objectively shows this difference, so the picture is reliable.

It should be noted the author's ability to combine the epic depiction of historical events with the lyricism of the narrative, especially those moments in which the personal experiences of the characters are reported. The writer uses the technique of psychologism, revealing the inner state of a person, showing the spiritual movements of a person. One of the features of this technique is the ability to give an individual characterization of the hero, combining it with external data, with a portrait. So, for example, the changes that happened to Grigory as a result of his service, participation in battles look very memorable: “... he knew that he would no longer laugh at him, as before; I knew that his eyes were hollow and his cheekbones were sharply sticking out ... ”.
The author's empathy for the heroes of the work is felt in everything, and the reader's opinion coincides with the words of Y. Ivashkevich that the novel by M.A. Sholokhov "Quiet Flows the Don" has "deep inner content - and its content is love for a person."

Reviews

It's amazing how this novel (certainly not socialist realism) was not banned in Soviet times. For Melekhov did not find the truth either among the Reds or the Whites.
There were many pseudo-innovative fabrications about this, such as "Cossack Hamlet". But Chekhov said it rightly: no one knows the real truth.
The best thing I read on the topic of the Civil War is Veresaev's "At a Dead End". There, too, "not for the Reds and not for the Whites." An honest and objective understanding of that time (the novel was written in 1923).

I do not accept extreme points of view in assessing such a global event as the Civil War. Dovlatov was right: after the communists, most of all I hate anti-communists.

Thanks for posting, Zoya. Makes you think about real literature. Do not forget to write about the work of worthy authors. And then many on the site are all about themselves, but about themselves. Yes, about their incorruptibles.
My respect.

Sergey Solomonov 03.03.2018 11:35 .

The daily audience of the Proza.ru portal is about 100 thousand visitors, who in total view more than half a million pages according to the traffic counter, which is located to the right of this text. Each column contains two numbers: the number of views and the number of visitors.

The purpose of the lesson: to show the inevitability of the tragic fate of Grigory Melekhov, the connection of this tragedy with the fate of society.

Methodological techniques: checking homework - correcting the plan drawn up by the students, talking according to the plan.

Download:

Preview:

Methodological development of a lesson on the topic "The fate of Grigory Melekhov as a way to search for the truth." Grade 11

The purpose of the lesson: to show the inevitability of the tragic fate of Grigory Melekhov, the connection of this tragedy with the fate of society.

Methodological techniques: checking homework - correcting the plan drawn up by the students, talking according to the plan.

During the classes

Teacher's word.

Sholokhov's heroes are simple, but outstanding people, and Grigory is not only brave to the point of despair, honest and conscientious, but also truly talented, and not only the hero's "career" proves this (a cornet from ordinary Cossacks at the head of a division is evidence of considerable abilities, although the Reds during the Civil War, such cases were not uncommon). This is also confirmed by his life collapse, since Gregory is too deep and complicated for the unambiguous choice required by time!

This image attracts the attention of readers with the features of nationality, originality, sensitivity to the new. But there is also something spontaneous in it, which is inherited from the environment.

Checking homework

Approximate plot plan "The Fate of Grigory Melekhov":

Book One

1. The predetermination of a tragic fate (origin).

2. Life in the father's house. Dependence on him ("like dad").

3. The beginning of love for Aksinya (thunderstorm on the river)

4. Skirmish with Stepan.

5 Matchmaking and marriage. ...

6. Leaving home with Aksinya to work as a laborer with the Listnitskys.

7. Call to the army.

8. Murder of an Austrian. Loss of anchor point.

9. Wounded. The news of death received by relatives.

10. Hospital in Moscow. Conversations with Garanzha.

11. Break with Aksinya and return home.

Book Two, Parts 3-4

12. Etching the truth of Garangi. Leaving for the front as a "good Cossack".

13.1915 Rescue of Stepan Astakhov.

14. Hardening of the heart. Influence of Chubatoy.

15. Premonition of trouble, injury.

16. Gregory and his children, desire for the end of the war.

17. On the side of the Bolsheviks. Influence of Izvarin and Podtelkov.

18. Reminder about Aksinya.

19. Wounded. Massacre of the prisoners.

20. Infirmary. "To whom to lean?"

21. Family. "I am for Soviet power."

22. Unsuccessful elections to detachment atamans.

23. Last meeting with Podtelkov.

Book Three, Part 6

24. Conversation with Peter.

25. Anger towards the Bolsheviks.

26. Quarrel with the father because of the loot.

27. Unauthorized departure home.

28. Red at the Melekhovs.

29. Dispute with Ivan Alekseevich about “male power”.

30. Drunkenness, thoughts of death.

31. Gregory kills sailors

32. Conversation with grandfather Grishaka and Natalya.

33. Meeting with Aksinya.

book four, part 7:

34. Gregory in the family. Children, Natalia.

35. Dream of Gregory.

36. Kudinov about Grigory's ignorance.

37. Quarrel with Fitzhalaurov.

38. Breakup of a family.

39. The division is disbanded, Gregory is promoted to centurion.

40. Death of a wife.

41. Typhus and convalescence.

42. An attempt to board the ship in Novorossiysk.

Part 8:

43. Gregory at Budyonny.

44. Demobilization, conversation with. Michael.

45. Leaving the farm.

46. ​​In the gang of Owl, on the island.

47. Leaving the gang.

48. The death of Aksinya.

49. In the forest.

50. Return home.

Conversation.

The image of Grigory Melekhov is central in M. Sholokhov's epic novel "Quiet Flows the Don". It’s impossible to tell right away if he’s a positive or a negative character. For too long he had wandered in search of the truth, his way. Grigory Melekhov appears in the novel primarily as a truth seeker.

At the beginning of the novel, Grigory Melekhov is an ordinary farm boy with the usual range of household chores, activities, and entertainment. He lives thoughtlessly, like grass in the steppe, following traditional principles. Even the love for Aksinya, which captured his passionate nature, cannot change anything. He allows his father to marry him, as usual, preparing for military service. Everything in his life happens involuntarily, as if without his participation, as he involuntarily cuts through a tiny defenseless duck while mowing - and shuddered at what he had done.

Grigory Melekhov did not come into this world for bloodshed. But the harsh life put a saber into his hardworking hands. As a tragedy, Gregory experienced the first shed human blood. The appearance of the Austrian killed by him then appears to him in a dream, causing mental pain. The experience of the war generally turns his life upside down, makes him think, look into himself, listen, look at people. Conscious life begins.

The Bolshevik Garanzha, who met Grigory in the hospital, seems to reveal to him the truth and the prospect of changes for the better. "Autonomist" Efim Izvarin, the Bolshevik Fedor Podtelkov played a significant role in shaping the beliefs of Grigory Melekhov. The tragically deceased Fyodor Podtelkov pushed Melekhov away, shedding the blood of unarmed prisoners who believed the promises of the Bolshevik who captured them. The senselessness of this murder and the soullessness of the "dictator" stunned the hero. He is also a warrior, he killed a lot, but here not only the laws of humanity are violated, but also the laws of war.

"Honest to the bottom," Grigory Melekhov cannot but see the deception. The Bolsheviks promised that there would be no rich and poor. However, a year has already passed since the “Reds” were in power, and the promised equality is no more like no: “a platoon commander in chrome boots, and“ Vanyok ”in windings.” Gregory is very observant, he tends to think over his observations, and the conclusions from his thoughts are disappointing: “If the pan is bad, then the boor is a hundred times worse.”

The civil war throws Gregory either into the Budennovsky detachment, or into the white formations, but this is no longer thoughtless submission to the way of life or a combination of circumstances, but a conscious search for the truth, the path. His native home and peaceful labor are seen by him as the main values ​​of life. In the war, shedding blood, he dreams of how he will prepare for sowing, and these thoughts make his soul warm.

The Soviet government does not allow the former hundredth ataman to live peacefully, threatens with prison or execution. The food requisition plant instills in the minds of many Cossacks the desire to "re-war", instead of the workers' power to put their own, the Cossacks. Gangs are formed on the Don. Grigory Melekhov, who is hiding from the persecution of the Soviet authorities, falls into one of them, Fomin's gang. But bandits have no future. For the majority of the Cossacks it is clear: it is necessary to sow, and not to fight.

The protagonist of the novel is also drawn to peaceful work. The last test, the last tragic loss for him is the death of his beloved woman - Aksinya, who received a bullet on the way, as it seems to them, to a free and happy life. Everything died. Gregory's soul is scorched. Only the last, but very important thread that connects the hero with life remains - this is his home. The house, the land waiting for the owner, and the little son are his future, his footprint on the earth.

With amazing psychological authenticity and historical validity, the depth of the contradictions through which the hero went through is revealed. The versatility and complexity of the inner world of a person is always in the center of attention of M. Sholokhov. Individual destinies and a broad generalization of the ways and crossroads of the Don Cossacks make it possible to see how complex and contradictory life is, how difficult it is to choose the true path.

What meaning does Sholokhov put in when he speaks of Grigory as a “good Cossack”? Why was Grigory Melekhov chosen as the main character?

(Grigory Melekhov is an extraordinary person, a bright personality. He is sincere and honest in his thoughts and actions (especially in relation to Natalya and Aksinya (see episodes: the last meeting with Natalya - part 7, chapter 7; Natalya's death - part 7, chapter 16 -18;death of Aksinya). He has a sympathetic heart, a developed sense of pity, compassion (duckling in the hayfield, Franya, the execution of Ivan Alekseevich).

Grigory is a man capable of an act (leaving Aksinya for Yagodnoye, a break with Podtelkov, a clash with Fitskhalaurov - part 7, chapter 10; the decision to return to the farm).

In what episodes is Grigory's bright, outstanding personality most fully revealed? The role of internal monologues. Does a person depend on circumstances or make his own destiny?

(He never lied to himself, despite doubts and throwing (see internal monologues - part 6, chapter 21). This is the only character whose thoughts the author reveals. War corrupts people to commit acts that a person in a normal state would never Grigory had a core that did not allow him to once commit meanness. Deep attachment to the house, to the earth - the strongest spiritual movement: "My hands need to work, not fight."

The hero is constantly in a situation of choice (“I myself am looking for a way out”). Fracture: dispute and quarrel with Ivan Alekseevich Kotlyarov, Shtokman. The uncompromising nature of a man who never knew the middle ground. Tragedyas if transferred to the depths of consciousness: "He painfully tried to sort out the confusion of thoughts." This is not political vacillation, but the search for truth. Gregory longs for the truth, "under whose wing everyone could warm up." And, from his point of view, neither the Whites nor the Reds have such a truth: “There is no one truth in life. It can be seen whoever defeats whom, he will devour him. And I was looking for the bad truth. My soul ached, swayed back and forth. ” These searches turned out to be, as he believes, "futile and empty." And this is also his tragedy. A person is placed in inevitable, spontaneous circumstances, and already in these circumstances he makes a choice, his own destiny.) “Most of all, a writer needs,” Sholokhov said, “he himself needs to convey the movement of a person’s soul. I wanted to tell about this charm of a person in Grigory Melekhov ... "

In your opinion, does the author of The Quiet Flows the Don manage to "transmit the movement of a person's soul" using the example of the fate of Grigory Melekhov? If so, what do you think is the main direction of this movement? What is its general character? Is there something in the image of the protagonist of the novel that you could call charm? If so, what is its charm? The main problem of "The Quiet Flows the Don" is revealed not in the character of one, even the main character, which is Grigory Melekhov, but in the comparison and opposition of many and many characters, in the entire figurative system, in the style and language of the work. But the image of Grigory Melekhov as a typical personality, as it were, concentrates the main historical and ideological conflict of the work and thereby unites all the details of a huge picture of the complex and contradictory life of many actors who are carriers of a certain attitude towards the revolution and the people in this historical era.

How would you define the main problems of The Quiet Flows the Don? What, in your opinion, allows us to characterize Grigory Melekhov as a typical person? Can you agree that it is in it that “the main historical and ideological conflict of the work” is concentrated? Literary critic A.I. Khvatov states: “In Gregory there was a huge reserve of moral forces necessary in the creative accomplishments of the emerging new life. No matter what complications and troubles befell him and no matter how painful the deed under the influence of a wrong decision fell on his soul, Gregory never looked for motives that would weaken his personal guilt and responsibility to life and people.

What do you think gives the scientist the right to assert that “a huge reserve of moral forces lurked in Gregory”? What actions do you think support this assertion? And against him? What “wrong decisions does the hero of Sholokhov make? Is it permissible, in your opinion, to talk about the “wrong decisions” of a literary hero? Reflect on this topic. Do you agree that "Gregory never looked for motives that weaken his personal guilt and responsibility to life and people"? Give examples from the text. “In the plot, the conjugations of motives are artistically effective in revealing the image of Grigory, the inescapability of love that Aksinya and Natalya give him, the immensity of Ilyinichna’s maternal suffering, the devoted comradely loyalty of fellow soldiers and peers,” especially Prokhor Zykov. Even those with whom his interests intersected dramatically, but to whom his soul was opened ... could not help but feel the power of his charm and generosity.(A.I. Khvatov).

Do you agree that the love of Aksinya and Natalia, the suffering of his mother, as well as the comradely loyalty of fellow soldiers and peers play a special role in revealing the image of Grigory Melekhov? If so, how does it manifest itself in each of these cases?

With which of the characters the interests of Grigory Melekhov "dramatically intersected"? Can you agree that Grigory Melekhov’s soul is revealed even to these heroes, and they, in turn, were able to “feel the power of his charm and generosity”? Give examples from the text.

Critic V. Kirpotin reproached (1941) Sholokhov's heroes for primitivism, rudeness, "mental underdevelopment": "Even the best of them, Grigory, is slow-witted. Thought for him is an unbearable burden.

Are there among the heroes of "The Quiet Flows the Flows the Don" those who seemed to you to be rude and primitive, "mentally undeveloped" people? If so, what role do they play in the novel?Do you agree that Sholokhov's Grigory Melekhov is a "slow-thinker", for whom thought is this "unbearable burden"? If yes, give concrete examples of the hero's "slow-thinking", his inability, unwillingness to think. Critic N. Zhdanov noted (1940): “Grigory could be with the people in their struggle ... but he did not become with the people. And this is his tragedy.

Is it fair, in your opinion, the statement that Gregory "did not stand with the people", unless the people are only those who are for the Reds?What do you think is the tragedy of Grigory Melekhov? (This question can be left as homework for a detailed written answer.)

Homework.

How do the events that seized the country relate to the events of Grigory Melekhov's personal life?

Grigory Melekhov most fully reflected the drama of the fate of the Don Cossacks. Such cruel tests fell on his lot, which a person, it would seem, is not able to endure. First the First World War, then the revolution and the fratricidal civil war, an attempt to destroy the Cossacks, the uprising and its suppression.
In the difficult fate of Grigory Melekhov, the Cossack liberty and the fate of the people merged into one. The strong disposition inherited from his father, adherence to principles and rebelliousness haunt him from his youth. Having fallen in love with Aksinya, a married woman, he leaves with her, despising public morality and his father's prohibitions. By nature, the hero is a kind, brave and courageous person, standing up for justice. The author shows his industriousness in the scenes of hunting, fishing, haymaking. Throughout the novel, in severe battles, now on one side, then on the other side of the warring parties, he is looking for the truth.
The First World War destroys his illusions. Proud of their Cossack army, of its glorious victories, in Voronezh, the Cossacks hear from a local old man a phrase thrown after them with pity: “You are my dear ... beef!” The elderly man knew that there was nothing worse than war, it was not an adventure where you could become a hero, it was dirt, blood, stench and horror. Valiant arrogance flies off Grigory when he sees his Cossack friends dying: “The cornet Lyakhovsky was the first to fall off his horse. Prokhor galloped at him... With a chisel, like a diamond on glass, he cut out the memory of Gregory and held for a long time the pink gums of Prokhorov's horse with bared teeth, Prokhor, who fell flat, trampled by the hooves of a Cossack galloping behind... More fell. The Cossacks fell and the horses."
In parallel, the author shows the events in the homeland of the Cossacks, where their families remained. “And no matter how simple-haired Cossack women run out into the alleys and look from under the palms - do not wait for those dear to your heart! No matter how many tears flow from swollen and discolored eyes, do not wash away the longing! No matter how many times you shout on the days of anniversaries and commemorations, the east wind of their cries will not carry them to Galicia and East Prussia, to the settled mounds of mass graves!
The war appears to the writer and his heroes as a series of hardships and deaths that change all foundations. War cripples from the inside and destroys all the most precious that people have. It forces the heroes to take a fresh look at the problems of duty and justice, to seek the truth and not find it in any of the warring camps. Once at the Reds, Grigory sees all the same as the Whites, cruelty, intransigence, thirst for the blood of enemies. War destroys the well-established life of families, peaceful work, takes away the last, kills love. Grigory and Pyotr Melekhov, Stepan Astakhov, Koshevoy and other heroes of Sholokhov do not understand why a fratricidal war is being waged. For whom and for what should they die in their prime? After all, life on a farm gives them a lot of joy, beauty, hopes, opportunities. War is only deprivation and death. But they see that the hardships of the war fall primarily on the shoulders of the civilian population, ordinary people, to starve and die - to them, and not to commanders.
There are also characters in the story who think differently. The heroes Shtokman and Bunchuk see the country exclusively as an arena of class battles. For them, people are tin soldiers in someone else's game, and pity for a person is a crime.
The fate of Grigory Melekhov is a life incinerated by war. The personal relationships of the characters take place against the backdrop of the most tragic history of the country. Gregory cannot forget his first enemy, an Austrian soldier whom he hacked to death with a saber. The moment of murder unrecognizably changed him. The hero has lost his foothold, his kind, just soul protests, cannot survive such violence against common sense. The Austrian's skull, cut in two, becomes an obsession for Gregory. But the war goes on, and Melekhov continues to kill. He is not alone in thinking about the terrible reverse side of military duty. He hears the words of his own Cossack: “It is easier to kill a person for someone else, which hand he has broken in this matter, than to crush a louse. A man has fallen in price for the revolution.” A stray bullet that kills the very soul of Gregory - Aksinya, is perceived as a sentence to all participants in the massacre. The war is actually being waged against all the living, it is not for nothing that Grigory, having buried Aksinya in a ravine, sees a black sky above him and a dazzling black disk of the sun.
Melekhov rushes between the two belligerents. Everywhere he encounters violence and cruelty, which he cannot accept, and therefore cannot take one side. When his mother reproaches him for participating in the execution of captured sailors, he himself admits that he became cruel in the war: “I don’t regret the child either.”
Realizing that the war kills the best people of his time and that the truth cannot be found among the thousands of deaths, Grigory throws down his weapons and returns to his native farm to work on his native land, raise children. At almost 30 years old, the hero is already almost an old man. in his immortal work raises the question of the responsibility of history to the individual. The writer sympathizes with his hero, whose life is broken: “Like a steppe scorched by fires, the life of Grigory became black ...” The image of Grigory Melekhov became a great creative success for Sholokhov.

The results of the life searches of Grigory Melekhov. The protagonist of the novel by M. A. Sholokhov "Quiet Flows the Don" - Grigory Melekhov - a young Cossack, a daring man, a man with a capital letter: a strong, brave, loving, real man. Sholokhov endowed his hero with such qualities. At the same time, Grigory Melekhov is not without weaknesses, which is confirmed by his reckless passion for a married woman, Aksinya, whom he is unable to overcome. But, in my opinion, the weaknesses, doubts of the hero are not the most important thing. It is his ability to survive, to solve problems, to tame passions that makes a person great. And yet - imperfection, one of the main features of a real person. We must pay tribute to Mikhail Sholokhov: he created a truly subtle image of the imperfect, but strong and kind Grigory, in whose face all the searches, torments, doubts and sorrows of the Russian people of that rebellious time were reflected.

For a long time Cossacks lived freely on the Don: they occupied the land, sowed bread, fought with the Tatars and Turks, were a reliable support for the Russian tsars, fought for them and for the state.

The end of this life is described in the first books of The Quiet Flows the Don by Sholokhov. Cheerful, joyful, full of work and pleasant worries, the life of the Cossacks was interrupted by the First World War. And with it, the age-old way of life irrevocably collapses. Gloomy winds blew over the Don steppes. And yet, fighting is a common thing for the Cossacks, a completely different thing is a revolution. In February 1917, the tsar to whom they swore allegiance was overthrown. There was a split. People faced hitherto unfamiliar problem of choice - whose side to take, whom to believe. The protagonist of the novel "Quiet Don" Grigory Melekhov is tormented by the same doubts as the rest of the Cossacks. At first, Izvarin seems right to him, who says: “We need our own, and above all, the deliverance of the Cossacks from all guardians. Deliver, O God, from friends, and we will deal with enemies ourselves.

But after meeting with another hero of the novel, Podtelkov, Grigory leans towards the Reds, fights on their side, although his soul still does not stick to any shore. After being wounded, he goes to his native farm. And there he is even more tormented by doubts: “There, behind, everything was confused, contradictory. It was difficult to find the right path; as in a swampy gati, the soil broke out under their feet, the path was crushed, and there was no certainty whether it was the right one to follow.

Melekhov did not find his place among those who wanted to establish order alien to the Cossacks. And now he, along with other fellow villagers, is fighting with Podtelkov.

Tragically, the writer draws the capture of the Podtelkov detachment. There are suddenly classmates, godfathers, just people who believe in one God, who previously could call each other fellow countrymen. Joyful exclamations, memories. And the next day, the captured Cossacks are put against the wall. A bloody river spills over the Don land. In a deadly fight, brother goes to brother, son to father. Forgotten valor and honor, traditions, laws, life is crumbling, adjusted for centuries. And now Grigory, who had previously internally resisted bloodshed, easily decides the fate of others.

And the time began when power changed, and yesterday's winners, not having time to execute their opponents, became defeated and persecuted. Everyone is cruel, even women. Let us recall a very powerful scene when Daria kills Kotlyarov, considering him the murderer of her husband Peter.

Gregory becomes one of the major military leaders of the rebels, but something is already breaking in his soul from many years of military murder: he forgets about his family, he becomes more and more indifferent to himself.

The uprising is crushed. And again, fate makes a coup with Melekhov. He is forcibly mobilized into the Red Army.

Against the background of these throwings, Gregory is also experiencing a tragedy in his personal life. This is an unsuccessful marriage, forbidden love, a series of deaths of relatives and loved ones.

Sholokhov compares the life of Grigory at the end of his journey with the black steppe scorched by fires. A strong, courageous man has become a light chip in the stormy ocean of historical change. Here it is - Tolstoy's insignificance of personality in history. But no matter how great the tragedy of what is happening, hope is inspired by the last symbolic picture - father and son, and all around “young grass is merrily green, countless larks flutter above it in the blue sky, migratory geese graze on the fodder greenery, and the little bustards that have settled for the summer make nests ".