Description of the Sokolov family in the story The Fate of a Man. "The Fate of Man" main characters. Motivation for learning activities

Essay on the topic: The image of Andrei Sokolov in the story “The Fate of a Man” by M. Sholokhov

This short story was published 11 years after the Great Patriotic War. The idea of ​​writing the work appeared a long time ago, back in the spring of 1946. This was prompted by Mikhail Alexandrovich’s meeting with a front-line soldier unknown to him, who told his confession story. Sholokhov promised himself that he would definitely write a story about this. Only 10 years later, after reading books by several foreign authors, he created the story “The Fate of a Man” in a week.

The image of the main character is revealed through various artistic techniques, through Andrey’s relationships with other people, his actions in certain situations. The author’s position in relation to Sokolov is clear to readers, since he, using various literary methods, gives his assessment of the hero’s actions.

The story is told in the first person, so the character himself characterizes his actions. The reader’s meeting with Andrei occurs at the moment when he grieves over his fate, asking why life punished and crippled him so much. A simple Russian man appears before the reader, dressed in a padded jacket, which he himself mended. Despite all the outward neglect of the soldier, sympathy and sympathy immediately arises for him. His large hands remind of the hard work he did every day, first behind the steering wheel of the car, then as a prisoner of the Germans.

Many writers, when depicting their heroes, pay special attention to the eyes, which are considered the mirror of the soul. Sholokhov refers to this technique more than once during the story. At the beginning of the story, the author draws Sokolov with eyes as if sprinkled with ashes, which speaks of the misfortunes he has experienced. When main character finishes his story about dead relatives- his wife, two daughters and son, then his eyes become dull. A comparison appears with dead eyes, which characterizes how important the events of the past years are for Andrey.

The dignity and pride of the main character can be understood through the episode when, while in captivity, he drank the vodka offered by the fascists without eating. At that time, the soldier was hungry, but by his actions he showed that he did not want to choke on the enemy’s handouts. The breadth of the Russian soul is revealed in the situation with food, which he received from Commandant Müller, honestly dividing everything among the prisoners.

Having gone through captivity and the loss of loved ones, Andrei did not become bitter, maintaining his self-esteem. Fate gives him a meeting with the orphan Vanya, in whom Sokolov sees his soul mate. In the story, Sholokhov summarized the life of one Russian soldier; his fate is the lot of many people who lost loved ones during the war, while preserving their human soul.

The name of M. A. Sholokhov is known to all mankind. In the early spring of 1946, that is, in the first post-war spring, M.A. Sholokhov accidentally met an unknown man on the road and heard his confession story. For ten years the writer nurtured the idea of ​​the work, events became a thing of the past, and the need to speak out increased. And so in 1956 he wrote the story “The Fate of Man.” This is a story of great suffering and great resilience of the simple Soviet man. The best traits of the Russian character, thanks to whose strength the victory in the Great Patriotic War was won Patriotic War, M. Sholokhov embodied in the main character of the story - Andrei Sokolov. These are traits such as perseverance, patience, modesty, and a sense of human dignity.

Andrei Sokolov is a tall man, stooped, his hands are large and dark from hard work. He is dressed in a burnt padded jacket, which was mended by an inept male hand, And general view he was unkempt. But in the appearance of Sokolov, the author emphasizes “the eyes, as if sprinkled with ashes; filled with such inescapable melancholy.” And Andrei begins his confession with the words: “Why, life, did you cripple me like that? Why did you distort it like that?” And he cannot find the answer to this question.

Life passes before us an ordinary person, Russian soldier Andrei Sokolov. . Since childhood, I learned how much a “pound is dashing”, in civil war fought against the enemies of Soviet power. Then he leaves his native Voronezh village for Kuban. Returns home, works as a carpenter, mechanic, driver, and starts a family.

With trepidation, Sokolov recalls pre-war life, when he had a family and was happy. The war ruined this man’s life, tore him away from home, from his family. Andrei Sokolov goes to the front. From the beginning of the war, in its very first months, he was wounded twice and shell-shocked. But the worst thing awaited the hero ahead - he falls into fascist captivity.

Sokolov had to experience inhuman torment, hardship, and torment. For two years, Andrei Sokolov steadfastly endured the horrors of fascist captivity. He tried to escape, but was unsuccessful; he dealt with a coward, a traitor who was ready to hand over the commander to save his own skin.

Andrei did not lose the dignity of a Soviet man in a duel with the commandant of the concentration camp. Although Sokolov was exhausted, exhausted, exhausted, he was still ready to face death with such courage and endurance that he amazed even the fascist. Andrei still manages to escape and becomes a soldier again. But troubles still haunt him: his home was destroyed, his wife and daughter were killed by a fascist bomb. In a word, Sokolov now lives only with the hope of meeting his son. And this meeting took place. IN last time a hero stands at the grave of his son who died in last days war.

It seemed that after all the trials that befell one person, he could become embittered, break down, and withdraw into himself. But this did not happen: realizing how difficult the loss of relatives is and the joylessness of loneliness, he adopts the boy Vanyusha, whose parents were taken away by the war. Andrey warmed and made the orphan's soul happy, and thanks to the warmth and gratitude of the child, he himself began to return to life. The story with Vanyushka is, as it were, the final line in the story of Andrei Sokolov. After all, if the decision to become Vanyushka’s father means saving the boy, then the subsequent action shows that Vanyushka also saves Andrei and gives him a meaning for his future life.

I think that Andrei Sokolov is not broken by his difficult life, he believes in his strength, and despite all the hardships and adversities, he still managed to find the strength to continue living and enjoy his life!

The image of Andrei Sokolov in the story “The Fate of a Man” by M. A. Sholokhov

M. Sholokhov's story “The Fate of a Man” is one of the writer’s pinnacle works. At its center is the confession of a simple Russian man who went through two wars, survived the inhuman torment of captivity and not only preserved his moral principles, but also turned out to be able to give love and care to the orphan Vanyushka. Andrei Sokolov's life path was a path of trials. He lived in dramatic times: the story mentions the civil war, famine, the years of recovery from devastation, the first five-year plans. But it is characteristic that in the story these times are only mentioned, without the usual ideological labels and political assessments, simply as conditions of existence. The main character's attention is focused on something completely different. He speaks in detail, with undisguised admiration, about his wife, about his children, about the work that he liked (“I was attracted by cars”), about this other wealth (“the children eat porridge with milk, there is a roof over their heads, they are dressed, be okay"). These simple earthly values ​​are the main moral achievements of Andrei Sokolov in the pre-war period; this is his moral basis.

There are no political, ideological, or religious guidelines, but there are eternal, universal, national concepts (wife, children, home, work), filled with the warmth of cordiality. They became the spiritual supports of Andrei Sokolov for the rest of his life, and he entered the apocalyptic trials of the Great Patriotic War as a fully formed person. All subsequent events in the life of Andrei Sokolov represent a test of these moral foundations “to the breaking point.” The culmination of the story is the escape from captivity and a direct confrontation with the Nazis. It is very important that Andrei Sokolov treats them with some kind of epic calm. This calmness comes from the respectful understanding of the original essence of man brought up in him. This is the reason for Andrei Sokolov’s naive, at first glance, surprise when confronted with the barbaric cruelty of the Nazis and stunned at the fall of a personality corrupted by the ideology of fascism.

Andrei's clash with the Nazis is a struggle between healthy morality, based on the world experience of the people, and the world of antimorality. The essence of Andrei Sokolov’s victory lies not only in the fact that he forced Muller himself to capitulate to the human dignity of the Russian soldier, but also in the fact that with his proud behavior, at least for a moment, he awakened something human in Muller and his drinking companions (“they also laughed ", "they seem to look more softly"). The test of Andrei Sokolov's moral principles does not end with the mortal pangs of fascist captivity. The news of the death of his wife and daughter, the death of his son on the last day of the war, and the orphanhood of someone else’s child, Vanyushka, are also trials. And if in clashes with the Nazis Andrei retained his human dignity, his resistance to evil, then in the trials of his own and others’ misfortune he reveals unspent sensitivity, an uncorroded need to give warmth and care to others. Important feature life path Andrei Sokolov is that he constantly judges himself: “Until my death, until my last hour, I will die, and I will not forgive myself for pushing her away!” This is the voice of conscience, elevating a person above the circumstances of life. In addition, every turn in the hero’s fate is marked by his heartfelt reaction to his own and other people’s actions, events, and the course of life: “When I remember, my heart still feels like it’s being cut with a dull knife...”, “When you remember the inhuman torment... the heart is no longer in the chest , and there is a beating in my throat, and it becomes difficult to breathe,” “my heart broke…” At the end of Andrei Sokolov’s confession, an image of a large human heart appears, which has accepted all the troubles of the world, a heart spent on love for people, on defending life.

M. Sholokhov's story “The Fate of Man” convinces us that the meaning of history, its driving “engine” is the struggle between humanity, nurtured through centuries of experience folk life, and everything that is hostile to “simple moral laws.” And only those who have absorbed these organic human values ​​into their flesh and blood, “heartened” them, can, with the power of their soul, resist the nightmare of dehumanization, save life, protect the meaning and truth of human existence itself.

Andrei Sokolov, the main character of M. A. Sholokhov’s story “The Fate of a Man,” is the embodiment of many real destinies real people who survived the Great Patriotic War and all the hardships of the first half of the twentieth century.

A tall, strong man, over forty years old, with strong, calloused, worn-out hands, but at the same time constantly hunched over, as if under the weight of his own troubles, and with an unusually sad look.

“Have you ever seen eyes as if sprinkled with ashes, filled with such an inescapable mortal melancholy that it is difficult to look into them? These were the eyes of my random interlocutor...”

This is how the main character appears before the narrator.

Little by little he begins to share with an unfamiliar listener, as if wanting to ease his soul. From his story it becomes clear how unmerciful life was to him, what a difficult path he went through.

“...Sometimes you don’t sleep at night, you look into the darkness with empty eyes and think: “Why have you, life, maimed me so much? Why did you distort it like that?” I don’t have an answer, either in the dark or in the clear sun... There isn’t and I can’t wait!..”

From his youth he suffered a lot of grief. During the Civil War he fought in the Red Army. In 1922, he went to work in Kuban in order to somehow survive the famine. His entire family then died of starvation in his native Voronezh.

A year later, he finally returned back to Voronezh, although no one was waiting there. Met good girl and got married. Andrey remembers those times with special warmth. The wife was very good, kind - she herself saw little good in life, she was an orphan. So they found solace in each other and lived happily together. They started a small farm, they had three children - two girls and a boy. But the war came and mercilessly took away this quiet, short-lived happiness from them.

Andrei was taken to the front as a driver, where he was wounded twice and captured. Having endured all the horrors of captivity and German camps, he still does not break.

“...As you remember the inhuman torment that you had to endure there in Germany...”

Neither hard work, nor hunger, nor bullying breaks him. He does not become a traitor to save his own skin, he does not curry favor with the Germans for a piece of bread.

Despite everything, he manages to maintain his dignity. After one unsuccessful escape attempt, he manages to escape. But the ordeal does not end there - after the hospital he learns that his house in Voronezh was hit by an air bomb, his wife and daughters are dead. But three months later, son Anatoly is there. After artillery school, he went to the front and went to Germany. But they were not destined to meet. On the last day of the war, he was shot by a German sniper.

This is how Andrei’s last hope died. He was left alone, restless and useless to anyone. But sometimes human destinies intertwined in the strangest way. So, the homeless child Vanya, a little orphan, quite by chance became his son and new hope.

What character traits should a person have in order to adequately withstand the trials sent by fate? This is the question Mikhail Sholokhov asks readers in his story “The Fate of Man.”

Since ancient times best qualities character were considered: honesty, loyalty, hard work, perseverance, generosity, patriotism, selflessness and the ability to love. The main character of the work, Andrei Sokolov, possesses all these qualities. His whole life is proof of this.

Andrei, having managed to push around the world, eventually settled in Voronezh and married his beloved girl, Irina. The young family lived happily and amicably. From great love Children were born who always made their parents happy.

The eldest son Anatoly turned out to be very capable of mathematics, they even wrote about him in the newspaper. The hero sees true happiness in simple but very important things: home, peace in the family, healthy children, a loving and understanding wife. Harmony reigns in his life, and the future seems clear and definite. But suddenly war breaks into this carefully built world. Everything that was created with such love is destroyed. Andrei Sokolov begins his confessional story with memories of pre-war life, because over time, what seemed simple and ordinary became even more expensive.

The scene of the hero's farewell to his family is very touching. She reveals to the reader Sokolov’s loving and sensitive soul. He calls his daughters affectionately: “Nastenka and Olyushka.” Andrei Sokolov proves his love and loyalty to his only wife even after her death. After all, several years have passed, and he is still lonely. Andrei recalls with bitterness the dissatisfaction that he once showed towards his wife.

Andrei’s fate at the front was difficult. He didn't have to fight for long. In May 1942, Andrei was captured by the Nazis near Lozovenki. He was ready to face death courageously, but he was not shot, but taken prisoner. But even in captivity Sokolov demonstrates the best human qualities: fearlessness, responsiveness, sincerity.

In the scene of Andrei's interrogation by Muller, the character of the hero is especially clearly shown. He openly spoke to the cruel camp commandant about the unbearable living conditions of the prisoners. Andrei behaved very dignified, although his life at that moment completely depended on the commandant. The latter appreciated the prisoner’s courage and called him “a real Russian soldier.” And the respect of the enemy is worth a lot. Andrei, despite his fatigue and hunger, behaves very bravely and preserves his honor.

The gift that Andrei received from the commandant, he honestly divided among all prisoners of war. This act characterizes him as a kind and generous person.

Having escaped from captivity, Andrei Sokolov dreams of returning to his family in Voronezh, but he learns the terrible news about the tragic death of the people dearest to him.

The hero's life lost meaning after the loss of his family. A ray of hope for the revival of the family flashed in Andrei’s soul when he received news from his son. But this hope was also destroyed. My son died on Victory Day...

A person who finds himself in such a situation may become embittered and hate everyone around him. But this does not happen with Andrei Sokolov. Misfortunes and hardships did not harden him. He continues to live and work, although this is not easy for him. One day Andrei accidentally met Vanyusha, an orphan boy, to whom he very quickly became attached and soon adopted him. The hero had enough warmth to warm the orphan and make the boy happier. In return, he found the meaning of life, he realized that it continues, no matter what. This demonstrates the unprecedented strength of his character.

Updated: 2012-04-24

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

Main characters

Sholokhov's story is small in volume, it takes up only ten pages of text. And there are not so many heroes in it. The main character of the story is a Soviet soldier - Andrei Sokolov. Everything that happens to him in life, we hear from his lips. Sokolov is the narrator of the entire story. His named son, the boy Vanyusha, plays an important role in the story. He completes sad story Sokolov and opens a new page in his life. They become inseparable from each other, so let’s classify Vanyusha as one of the main characters.

Andrey Sokolov

Andrei Sokolov is the main character of the story “The Fate of Man” by Sholokhov. His character is truly Russian. How many troubles he experienced, what torments he endured, only he himself knows. The hero speaks about this on the pages of the story: “Why did you, life, cripple me like that?

Why did you distort it like that?” He slowly tells his life from beginning to end to a fellow traveler with whom he sat down to have a cigarette by the road.

Sokolov had to endure a lot: hunger, captivity, the loss of his family, and the death of his son on the day the war ended. But he endured everything, survived everything, because he had strong character and iron fortitude. “That’s why you’re a man, that’s why you’re a soldier, to endure everything, to endure everything, if need calls for it,” Andrei Sokolov himself said. His Russian character did not allow him to break down, retreat in the face of difficulties, or surrender to the enemy. He snatched life from death itself.
All the hardships and cruelties of the war that Andrei Sokolov endured did not kill his human feelings or harden his heart. When he met little Vanyusha, just as lonely as he was, just as unhappy and unwanted, he realized that he could become his family. “There is no way for us to disappear separately! I’ll take him as my child,” Sokolov decided. And he became a father to a homeless boy.

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

Vanyusha

A boy of five or six years old. He was left without parents, without a home. His father died at the front, and his mother was killed by a bomb while traveling on a train. Vanyusha walked around in tattered, dirty clothes, and ate what people served. When he met Andrei Sokolov, he reached out to him with all his soul. “Dear folder! I knew it! I knew you would find me! You'll find it anyway! I’ve been waiting so long for you to find me!” – the delighted Vanyusha shouted with tears in his eyes. For a long time he could not tear himself away from his father, apparently afraid that he would lose him again. But in Vanyusha’s memory the image of his real father was preserved; he remembered the leather cloak that he wore. And Sokolov told Vanyusha that he probably lost him in the war.

Two loneliness, two destinies are now intertwined so tightly that they can never be separated. The heroes of “The Fate of Man” Andrei Sokolov and Vanyusha are now together, they are one family. And we understand that they will live according to their conscience, in truth. They will survive everything, they will survive everything, they will be able to do everything.

Minor characters

There are also a number of minor characters. This is Sokolov’s wife Irina, his children – daughters Nastenka and Olyushka, son Anatoly. They don’t speak in the story, they are invisible to us, Andrei remembers them. The company commander, the dark-haired German, the military doctor, the traitor Kryzhnev, Lagerführer Müller, the Russian colonel, Andrei’s Uryupinsk friend - all these are the heroes of Sokolov’s own story. Some have neither a first nor a last name, because they are episodic characters in Sokolov’s life.

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

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