Honor and dishonor in the work of the fate of man. Graduation essay in the direction: honor and dishonor

Sholokhov M. A.

Composition on a work on the topic: The theme of honor of human dignity.

Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov is an outstanding master of Soviet realism literature. One of the works in which the author sought to tell the world the harsh truth about the huge price paid by the Soviet people for the right of mankind to the future is the story “The Fate of a Man”, published in Pravda on December 31, 1956 - January 1, 1957. Sholokhov wrote this story in an amazingly short time. Only a few days of hard work were devoted to the story. However, his creative history takes many years: between a chance meeting with a man who became the prototype of Andrei Sokolov, and the appearance of "The Fate of a Man" ten years passed. The story realistically deepened a great literary tradition and opened up new perspectives for the artistic embodiment of the war theme. If in the late 1940s and early 1950s works devoted to the feat of the people in the war were a rare exception, then in the second half of the 50s, interest in this topic became more and more active. It must be assumed that Sholokhov turned to the events of wartime not only because the impression of the meeting with the driver, which deeply excited him and gave him an almost finished plot, did not disappear. The main and determining factor was something else: the past war was such an event in the life of mankind that without taking into account its lessons, none of the most important problems of the modern world could be comprehended and solved.
Sholokhov, exploring the national origins of the character of the protagonist Andrei Sokolov, was faithful to the deep tradition of Russian literature, the pathos of which was love for the Russian person, admiration for him, and was especially attentive to those manifestations of his soul that are connected with the national soil. - this is a truly Russian man of the Soviet era, his fate reflects the fate of his native people, his personality embodied the features that characterize the face of the nation. He performs heroic deeds without attaching any importance to them. To be convinced of this, it is enough to remember how he is eager to deliver shells to the battery or without hesitation decides to destroy the traitor. The unselfishness of the feat, and naturalness - these are the features that do not distinguish him from the Soviet people, but make him related to them, talk about him as a person to whom the people generously gave their spiritual heritage. This is a person who represents the people in harsh and tragic circumstances and shows qualities that are not his moral privilege, do not distinguish him from others, but bring him closer to them.
In the story "The Fate of a Man" it is really difficult to find what is sometimes invested in the concept of "innovation". And in fact: the laconism of characteristics and descriptions, the dynamism of the plot, the utmost restraint and objectivity - all this does not have the power of the canon over Sholokhov. Meanwhile, "The Fate of a Man" is an innovative work in the most direct and deepest sense of the word, innovative in essence, in its ideological and aesthetic essence.
Andrey Sokolov, having gone through the war, lost everything: the family died, the hearth was destroyed. A peaceful life has come, the time has come for the spring awakening, the time for hopes for a happy future. And he looks at the world around him “as if sprinkled with ashes” and “filled with inescapable longing” eyes, the words escape from his lips: “Why did you, life, cripple me like that? Why so distorted? In the words of Andrei Sokolov, both sad bewilderment and woeful hopelessness are hidden. A person turns his anxious question to life, and does not expect an answer from her. Looking back into the past, remembering and evaluating everything he did, the hero does not feel guilty before life and people. Sholokhov is looking for the motives of his tragedy not in the features of character, but in the tragic state of the world, in the imperfection of the human life order. The fate of the hero is included in the broad stream of historical existence. There is a problem that no famous modern writer has passed by. We are talking about how the fate of those who went through the Great Patriotic War developed, how peaceful life met them, whether they were rewarded for their exploits and suffering, whether their hopes cherished at the forefront came true, what lessons they learned, and what role they play. in the affairs and concerns of the post-war world. The return of the front-line soldier to peaceful life, to the hearth naturally became one of the main motives in the work of writers. Post-war reality was depicted in pictures of construction sites resurrecting from the ruins of towns and villages. People work, not finding time to think, not giving vent to either bitter memories of the past, or restless feelings that arose in response to injustice and evil that did not disappear from life. In the forties, many Soviet people created a false idea of ​​the scale of the people's feat, instilled a frivolous idea that restoring the destroyed, healing the wounds is not such a difficult task, and the historical mission of the Soviet people, who saved humanity from fascist enslavement, was easily accomplished. Some writers seem to have forgotten that the era did not receive exhaustive expression in the victory parade that crowned the feat of the people in the war. It will be only a symbol of the era, but not a realistic picture of the time with its suffering, loss and need.
The artistic originality of the story "The Fate of a Man" is in the extraordinary capacity of its content, in the epic scale in the breadth of the paintings. The fate of Andrei Sokolov is the plot's main motif, but the story gives a vivid panorama of the country's history, military episodes that are amazing in their drama are drawn. The discovery of Sholokhov as an artist who explores the soul of the people at the turning points of its history, the character of a person acting in the harsh circumstances of a tragic era, is not limited to the work of individual writers. The experience of a great artist is the property of everyone, but everyone takes from it what is consistent with his creative aspirations. Novels and stories about the war, written in the late 50s - early 60s, despite their artistic individuality, have common features, which allows them to be considered as a literary phenomenon of a certain era. This is trust in man, the activity of humanism, the conscious desire to give the tragic experience of the past to the service of modernity.

Andrey Sokolov begins his story about himself with the words: “At first, my life was ordinary.” But it was in this “ordinary life” that Sholokhov saw the truly sublime and human, because honest and modest, noble and selfless people are revealed only in everyday cares and work. Sholokhov carefully uses the artist’s right to select material when he reproduces the story of the hero, who recalls the “rude words” thrown to his wife, and drinks with friends, after which “you write out such pretzels with your feet that it’s probably scary to look from the side.” But the writer knows that this is not the main thing in Andrey's character. A hard-working man, all absorbed in caring for the family, a gentle husband and father, who finds true happiness in quiet joys and modest successes that did not bypass his home - Andrei Sokolov personifies those moral values ​​that have been inherent in working people from time immemorial. With what tender penetration he recalls his wife Irina: “Looking from the outside - ...” How much fatherly pride he puts into words about children, especially about his son: “And the children made me happy ...”
Sokolov's path in the war was tragic. Milestones on this path were feats accomplished by a person who was not broken, not reconciled, who did not recognize the power of the enemy over himself and retained moral superiority over them. Only such a person could say so simply and deeply about the exorbitant hardships of the war that fell on the shoulders of women and children: “The whole power leaned on them!” But even more difficult trials awaited him: his family died, on Victory Day a German sniper's bullet ended the life of his son Anatoly. Yet there is no vindictive hatred or venomous skepticism in his eyes. Life distorted a person, but could not break him, kill the living soul in him.
And here is the last milestone in the path of the protagonist - Andrei Sokolov adopts little Vanyusha, whom the war has deprived of his relatives. Andrei does not try to motivate his decision to take in an orphan girl philosophically, this step is not connected with the problem of moral duty. For him, "protecting the child" is a natural manifestation of his soul. So that the eyes of the child are clear, “like a sky”, and the fragile soul remains undisturbed, nothing cruel should touch him. That is why it is so important “not to hurt the heart of a child, so that he does not see how a burning and stingy male tear runs down his cheek ...”
The compassion with which the author was seized, shocked by the story of Andrei Sokolov, did not give the story a sentimental coloring, since what was told by the hero caused not only pity, but also pride in the Russian person, admiration for his strength, the beauty of his spirit, faith in the immense possibilities of people. This is exactly how the main character appears, and the author gives him his love, and respect, and pride, when, with faith in justice and reason, he says: “Two orphaned people…”

Andrei Sokolov is a man of great charm. Already at the beginning of the story, Sholokhov makes us feel that we have met a kind and strong man, simple and open, modest and gentle. This tall, "stooped man", dressed in "a quilted jacket burned in several places", in rough boots immediately won over. How much tenderness was in his words addressed to the boy: “- Say hello to your uncle, son!” We still don’t know anything about this man, but by the way he says about the boy: “I’m in trouble with this passenger!”, You can definitely see in him a kind, soft nature. Neither irritation nor dismissive indifference of an adult when he talks about a child slipped into his speech. Feigned lamentation: "I'm in trouble with this passenger" - only sharper shaded his true feelings. Noticing that in front of him was “his brother, the driver,” he trustingly and openly, with that noble naturalness that distinguishes simple and good people, entered into a conversation: “Let me, I think, I’ll come in, we’ll smoke together. For one, smoking and dying are sickening. His keen eye noticed that the interlocutor "lives richly, smokes cigarettes," a proverb breaks from his lips, exposing an experienced and good-natured person: "Well, brother, soaked tobacco, like a treated horse, is no good." As an experienced soldier, he asks about the front-line years and drops: “Well, I had to take a sip of goryushka up to my nostrils and higher there, brother.” Andrei is not looking for a reason to pour out his soul in front of everyone he meets. In the interlocutor, he sees a soldier, whose fate was also not easy. Courageous restraint is a trait that is equally inherent in both the author and the hero of the story. A remark involuntarily escaped from him: “Why did you, life, cripple me like that? Why so distorted? - was interrupted: “And suddenly he caught himself: affectionately pushing his little son, he said: - Go, my dear, play near the water, there will always be some prey for the children near the big water. Just be careful not to get your feet wet!”

The experience and observations, thoughts and feelings of Sokolov reflect the historical, vital and moral concepts of the people, in a severe struggle and hard work comprehending the truth, knowing the world. The depth and subtlety of his statements are combined with simplicity and clarity. Let us recall how poetically he compares children's memory with summer lightning: “After all, children's memory is like summer lightning ...” However, spiritual responsiveness and tenderness, the ability for active love, shown by him when he encounters kind and fair people or who need his protection , is the moral basis of intransigence, contempt, courageous firmness in relation to cruelty and betrayal, lies and hypocrisy, cowardice and cowardice.
Andrei Sokolov went to the front as a man already established, the war was a cruel test of the physical and spiritual forces, beliefs and ideals that made up the essence of his personality, the basis of his worldview and character. Sholokhov does not show the details of front-line life and camp ordeals in order to focus on depicting "shock", "climax" moments, when the character of the hero manifests itself most strongly and deeply. Farewell on the platform, captivity, reprisal against a traitor, an unsuccessful attempt to escape from the camp, a clash with Muller, returning to his homeland, his son's funeral, meeting with the boy Vanyushka - these are the milestones of Andrey's path. Where are the sources that gave strength to endure, to resist? The answer to this question is in the pre-war biography of Sokolov, the same age as the century, whose life path is marked by memorable events in the life of the people and the country where the revolution took place, a new world was created in labor and struggle. These were the circumstances that shaped the character and worldview of a person, the historical consciousness of the people, whose son he was.
http://vsekratko.ru/sholohov/sudbacheloveka2

• Dishonest can be called a person who betrayed his loved one
• The true qualities of a person are revealed in difficult life situations.
• Sometimes actions that seem dishonorable at first glance turn out to be necessary.
• A man of honor will not betray his moral principles even in the face of death
• War brings out dishonest people
• Actions done out of anger and envy are always dishonorable.
• Honor must be upheld
• A dishonest person sooner or later receives retribution for his actions.
• A person who betrays his moral principles is dishonorable

Arguments

A.S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter" In the work we see two completely opposite characters: Pyotr Grinev and Alexei Shvabrin. For Petr Grinev, the concept of honor is the key to making important decisions. He does not change his principles even when he is threatened with execution: the hero refuses to swear allegiance to Pugachev. He decides to rescue Masha Mironova from the Belogorsk fortress, captured by the enemy, although this is very dangerous. When Pyotr Grinev is arrested, he tells the whole truth, but does not mention Marya Ivanovna, so as not to spoil her already miserable life. Aleksey Shvabrin is a cowardly person, capable of doing vile deeds, looking for more favorable conditions for himself. He takes revenge on Masha Mironova for refusing to marry him, at the first opportunity goes over to the side of Pugachev, shoots in the back in a duel with Pyotr Grinev. All this suggests that he is a dishonorable person.

A.S. Pushkin "Eugene Onegin". Eugene Onegin does not perceive the letter of Tatyana Larina, telling about her feelings, as something serious. After a duel with Lensky, the hero leaves the village. Tatyana's feelings do not subside, she thinks about Eugene all the time. Time passes. At one of the secular evenings, Eugene Onegin appears, to whom society is still alien. There he sees Tatyana. The hero explains himself to her, Tatyana also confesses her love for Onegin, but she cannot betray her husband. In this situation, Tatyana retains her honor and dignity, respecting not her own desires, but high moral principles.

A.S. Pushkin "Mozart and Salieri". The great composer Mozart was given a gift from above. Salieri is a hard worker who has achieved success through many years of work. Out of envy, Salieri decides on not only a dishonorable, but also an inhuman act - he throws poison into Mozart's glass. Left alone, Salieri comprehends Mozart's words about the incompatibility of villainy and genius. He cries but is not remorseful. Salieri is glad that he fulfilled his "duty".

L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace". Speaking of dishonor, it is impossible not to turn to the Kuragin family. All members of this family are immoral, devoted only to money, only outwardly seem to be patriots. Trying to get at least part of the inheritance of Pierre Bezukhov, Prince Vasily decides to marry him to his daughter Helen. She cheats on honest, devoted, good-natured Pierre, without feeling remorse. Anatole Kuragin commits an equally nasty act: being married, he attracts the attention of Natasha Rostova and prepares an attempt to escape, which ends in failure. Reading the work, we understand that such dishonest people cannot be truly happy. Their successes are temporary. True happiness is received by such heroes as Pierre Bezukhov: moral, true to their word, truly loving the Motherland.

N.V. Gogol "Taras Bulba". Andriy, the son of Taras Bulba, betrays his father and Motherland: unable to resist the power of love for a Pole, he goes over to the side of the enemy and fights against those whom he recently considered comrades. Old Taras kills his son because he cannot forgive him for this dishonorable act. Ostap, the eldest son of Taras Bulba, shows himself in a completely different way. He fights the enemy to the last, dies in terrible agony, but remains true to his moral principles.

A.N. Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm". Katerina, who grew up in an atmosphere of love and care, cannot live well with a weak-willed husband and a wayward Kabanikha. The girl falls in love with Boris, this brings her both happiness and grief. Katerina's betrayal is a betrayal that she cannot survive as a moral person. The heroine decides to commit suicide, knowing that she has committed a grave sin that an already terrible society will not forgive. It is unlikely that Katerina can be called a dishonorable person, despite the act she committed.

M. Sholokhov "The fate of man." Andrey Sokolov, the protagonist of the work, is called a man of honor not without reason. His best moral qualities were revealed in the war, in captivity of the Germans. The hero told the truth about the work that the prisoners do. Someone denounced Andrei Sokolov, which is why Muller called him. The German wanted to shoot the hero, but before his death he offered to drink "for the victory of German weapons." Andrei Sokolov is a man incapable of such a dishonorable act, so he refused. For his death, he drank, but did not eat, showing the strength of the spirit of the Russian people. He refused to eat even after the second pile. Muller called Sokolov a worthy soldier and sent him back with bread and a piece of lard. It was a matter of honor for Andrey Sokolov to share food among everyone, despite the fact that he himself was very hungry.

N. Karamzin "Poor Lisa". Erast, a man of noble origin, falls in love with Liza, an ordinary peasant woman. At first, the young man dreams of leaving his society for the sake of their future happiness. Lisa cannot help but believe him, she is so embraced by love that she gives herself to Erast without a doubt. But the windy young man loses a large amount of money in cards, loses all his fortune. He decides to marry a rich widow, and Lisa says that she is leaving for the war. Isn't this a dishonorable act? When Lisa finds out about the deception, Erast tries to pay her off. The poor girl does not need money, she sees no point in living and eventually dies.

V. Rasputin "French Lessons". The young teacher Lidia Mikhailovna teaches French and is the class teacher of the protagonist of the work. When the boy arrives at school beaten up, the traitor Tishkin reveals that he is playing for money. The teacher is in no hurry to scold the hero. Gradually, Lidia Mikhailovna learns how difficult it is for a child to live: his house is far away, there is little food, there is not enough money. The teacher tries to help by suggesting the boy play for money with her. On the one hand, her act is unacceptable. On the other hand, it cannot be called bad either, because it was done for a good purpose. The director finds out that Lidia Mikhailovna is playing with a student for money, and fires her. But it is clear that there is nothing to condemn the teacher: a seemingly dishonest act is actually good.

A.P. Chekhov "Jumper". Olga Ivanovna is married to the doctor Osip Ivanovich Dymov. Her husband loves her very much. He works hard to pay for his wife's hobbies. Olga Ivanovna meets the artist Ryabovsky and cheats on her husband. Dymov guesses about the betrayal, but does not show it, but tries to work even harder and harder. Relations between Olga Ivanovna and Ryabovsky come to a standstill. At this time, Dymov becomes infected with diphtheria, fulfilling his medical duty. When he dies, Olga Ivanovna understands how dishonest, immoral her behavior was. She admits that she has lost a truly worthy person.

Honor and dignity, consciousness of one's personality, strength of mind and will - all this is an indicator of a truly persistent and strong, strong-willed person. He is self-confident, he has his own opinion on any subject, he is not at all afraid to express it, even if it does not coincide with the opinion of the majority. It is almost impossible to break, subdue, make a slave. Such a person is invulnerable, he is a person. He can be killed, deprived of his life, but it is impossible to deprive him of honor. Honor in this case is stronger than death.

In Mikhail Sholokhov's story "The Fate of a Man" we observe the story of a simple Russian soldier - Andrei Sokolov. The hero of the story is the most ordinary person who had the misfortune to live during the Great Patriotic War. The story of Andrei Sokolov is quite typical, but what trials he had to go through! However, he managed to endure all hardships with honor, without losing courage and dignity. The author emphasizes that Andrei Sokolov is the most ordinary Russian person, thus showing that honor and dignity are integral features of the Russian character. I recall the behavior of Andrei in German captivity. The Germans, in order to have fun, forced the exhausted and hungry prisoner of war to drink a whole glass of schnapps, Andrey did it. To the offer to have a bite, he courageously replied that the Russians never had a bite after the first one. Then the Germans poured him a second glass and, despite the fact that he was very hungry, he drank it and again refused the snack. After the third glass, Andrey again refused the snack. And then the German commandant respectfully told him: “You are a real Russian soldier. You are a brave soldier! I respect worthy opponents.” Having uttered these words, the German gave Andrei bread and bacon. He shared all these treats with his comrades. Here is an example that demonstrates courage and honor, which even in the face of death, the Russian people did not lose.

I also recall the story of Vasily Bykov "The Crane Cry", in which the youngest fighter in the battalion - Vasily Glechik - was the only survivor against a whole detachment of Germans. But the enemies did not know this, and they were preparing to strike, gathering the best forces. Glechik understood that he would have to face death, but he did not think at all about escaping, deserting or surrendering. The honor of a Russian soldier, a Russian person is an immortal quality. He was ready to defend himself until his last breath, despite the thirst to live, because he was only 19 years old. Suddenly he heard the cry of the cranes, looked up at the sky, boundless, boundless, piercingly alive, and followed these free, happy birds with a wistful gaze. He desperately wanted to live. Even in such a terrible time, when they are shooting and killing all around, people have nothing to eat, nowhere to live. And suddenly he heard a plaintive cooing, looked up again and saw a wounded crane, which tried to catch up with its flock, but could not. He was doomed. Anger seized the hero, an inexpressible desire for life. But he clutched a single grenade in his hand and prepared for his last battle.

So from all of the above, we can conclude that even in the face of imminent death, it is impossible to take away honor and dignity from a Russian person.

Together with the article “An essay on the topic “Honor and dishonor” they read:

Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov is an outstanding master of Soviet realism literature. One of the works in which the author sought to tell the world the harsh truth about the huge price paid by the Soviet people for the right of mankind to the future is the story “The Fate of a Man”, published in Pravda on December 31, 1956 - January 1, 1957. Sholokhov wrote this story in an amazingly short time. Only a few days of hard work were devoted to the story. However, his creative history takes many years: between a chance meeting with a man who became the prototype of Andrei Sokolov, and the appearance of "The Fate of a Man" ten years passed. The story realistically deepened a great literary tradition and opened up new perspectives for the artistic embodiment of the war theme. If in the late 1940s and early 1950s works devoted to the feat of the people in the war were a rare exception, then in the second half of the 50s, interest in this topic became more and more active. It must be assumed that Sholokhov turned to the events of wartime not only because the impression of the meeting with the driver, which deeply excited him and gave him an almost finished plot, did not disappear. The main and determining factor was something else: the past war was such an event in the life of mankind that without taking into account its lessons, none of the most important problems of the modern world could be comprehended and solved.
Sholokhov, exploring the national origins of the character of the protagonist Andrei Sokolov, was faithful to the deep tradition of Russian literature, the pathos of which was love for the Russian person, admiration for him, and was especially attentive to those manifestations of his soul that are connected with the national soil. Andrei Sokolov is a truly Russian man of the Soviet era, his fate reflects the fate of his native people, his personality embodied the features that characterize the face of the nation. He performs heroic deeds without attaching any importance to them. To be convinced of this, it is enough to remember how he is eager to deliver shells to the battery or without hesitation decides to destroy the traitor. The disinterestedness of the feat, modesty and naturalness - these are the features that do not distinguish him from the Soviet people, but make him related to them, talk about him as a person to whom the people generously gave their spiritual heritage. This is a person who represents the people in harsh and tragic circumstances and shows qualities that are not his moral privilege, do not distinguish him from others, but bring him closer to them.
In the story "The Fate of a Man" it is really difficult to find what is sometimes invested in the concept of "innovation". And in fact: the laconism of characteristics and descriptions, the dynamism of the plot, the utmost restraint and objectivity - all this does not have the power of the canon over Sholokhov. Meanwhile, "The Fate of a Man" is an innovative work in the most direct and deepest sense of the word, innovative in essence, in its ideological and aesthetic essence.
Andrey Sokolov, having gone through the war, lost everything: the family died, the hearth was destroyed. A peaceful life has come, the time has come for the spring awakening, the time for hopes for a happy future. And he looks at the world around him “as if sprinkled with ashes” and “filled with inescapable longing” eyes, the words escape from his lips: “Why did you, life, cripple me like that? Why did you distort it so much? .. ”In the words of Andrei Sokolov, both sad bewilderment and woeful hopelessness are hidden. A person turns his anxious question to life, and does not expect an answer from her. Looking back into the past, remembering and evaluating everything he did, the hero does not feel guilty before life and people. Sholokhov is looking for the motives of his tragedy not in the features of character, but in the tragic state of the world, in the imperfection of the human life order. The fate of the hero is included in the broad stream of historical existence. There is a problem that no famous modern writer has passed by. We are talking about how the fate of those who went through the Great Patriotic War developed, how peaceful life met them, whether they were rewarded for their exploits and suffering, whether their hopes cherished at the forefront came true, what lessons they learned, and what role they play. in the affairs and concerns of the post-war world. The return of the front-line soldier to peaceful life, to the hearth naturally became one of the main motives in the work of writers. Post-war reality was depicted in pictures of construction sites resurrecting from the ruins of towns and villages. People work, not finding time to think, not giving vent to either bitter memories of the past, or restless feelings that arose in response to injustice and evil that did not disappear from life. In the forties, many Soviet writers created a false idea of ​​the scale of the people's feat, instilled a frivolous idea that restoring the destroyed, healing the wounds is not such a difficult task, and the historical mission of the Soviet people, who saved humanity from fascist enslavement, was easily accomplished. Some writers seem to have forgotten that the truth about the era did not receive exhaustive expression in the victory parade that crowned the feat of the people in the war. It will be only a symbol of the era, but not a realistic picture of the time with its suffering, loss and need.
The artistic originality of the story "The Fate of a Man" is in the extraordinary capacity of its content, in the epic scale in the breadth of the paintings. The fate of Andrei Sokolov is the plot's main motif, but the story gives a vivid panorama of the country's history, military episodes that are amazing in their drama are drawn. The discovery of Sholokhov as an artist who explores the soul of the people at the turning points of its history, the character of a person acting in the harsh circumstances of a tragic era, is not limited to the work of individual writers. The experience of a great artist is the property of everyone, but everyone takes from it what is consistent with his creative aspirations. Novels and stories about the war, written in the late 50s - early 60s, despite their artistic individuality, have common features, which allows them to be considered as a literary phenomenon of a certain era. This is trust in man, the activity of humanism, the conscious desire to give the tragic experience of the past to the service of modernity.

Andrey Sokolov begins his story about himself with the words: “At first, my life was ordinary.” But it was in this “ordinary life” that Sholokhov saw the truly sublime and human, because honest and modest, noble and selfless people are revealed only in everyday cares and work. Sholokhov carefully uses the artist’s right to select material when he reproduces the story of the hero, who recalls the “rude words” thrown to his wife, and drinks with friends, after which “you write out such pretzels with your feet that it’s probably scary to look from the side.” But the writer knows that this is not the main thing in Andrey's character. A hard-working man, all absorbed in caring for the family, a gentle husband and father, who finds true happiness in quiet joys and modest successes that did not bypass his home - Andrei Sokolov personifies those moral values ​​that have been inherent in working people from time immemorial. With what tender penetration he recalls his wife Irina: “Looking from the outside - ...” How much fatherly pride he puts into words about children, especially about his son: “And the children made me happy ...”
Sokolov's path in the war was tragic. Milestones on this path were feats accomplished by a person who was not broken, not reconciled, who did not recognize the power of the enemy over himself and retained moral superiority over them. Only such a person could say so simply and deeply about the exorbitant hardships of the war that fell on the shoulders of women and children: “The whole power leaned on them! ..” But even more difficult trials awaited him: his family died, on Victory Day a German sniper’s bullet ended his life son of Anatoly. Yet there is no vindictive hatred or venomous skepticism in his eyes. Life distorted a person, but could not break him, kill the living soul in him.
And here is the last milestone in the path of the protagonist - Andrei Sokolov adopts little Vanyusha, whom the war has deprived of his relatives. Andrei does not try to motivate his decision to take in an orphan girl philosophically, this step is not connected with the problem of moral duty. For him, "protecting the child" is a natural manifestation of his soul. So that the eyes of the child are clear, “like a sky”, and the fragile soul remains undisturbed, nothing cruel should touch him. That is why it is so important “not to hurt the heart of a child, so that he does not see how a burning and stingy male tear runs down his cheek ...”
The compassion with which the author was seized, shocked by the story of Andrei Sokolov, did not give the story a sentimental coloring, since what was told by the hero caused not only pity, but also pride in the Russian person, admiration for his strength, the beauty of his spirit, faith in the immense possibilities of people. This is exactly how the main character appears, and the author gives him his love, and respect, and pride, when, with faith in justice and reason, he says: “Two orphaned people…”

Andrei Sokolov is a man of great charm. Already at the beginning of the story, Sholokhov makes us feel that we have met a kind and strong man, simple and open, modest and gentle. This tall, "stooped man", dressed in "a quilted jacket burned in several places", in rough boots immediately won over. How much tenderness was in his words addressed to the boy: “- Say hello to your uncle, son! ..” We still don’t know anything about this man, but by the way he says about the boy: “- I’m in trouble with this passenger!. .", - you can certainly see in him a kind, soft nature. Neither irritation nor dismissive indifference of an adult when he talks about a child slipped into his speech. Feigned lamentation: "I'm in trouble with this passenger" - only sharper shaded his true feelings. Noticing that in front of him was “his brother, the driver,” he trustingly and openly, with that noble naturalness that distinguishes simple and good people, entered into a conversation: “Let me, I think, I’ll come in, we’ll smoke together. For one, smoking and dying are sickening. His keen eye noticed that the interlocutor "lives richly, smokes cigarettes," a proverb breaks from his lips, exposing an experienced and good-natured person: "Well, brother, soaked tobacco, like a treated horse, is no good." As an experienced soldier, he asks about the front-line years and drops: “Well, I had to take a sip of goryushka up to my nostrils and higher there, brother.” Andrei is not looking for a reason to pour out his soul in front of everyone he meets. In the interlocutor, he sees a soldier, whose fate was also not easy. Courageous restraint is a trait that is equally inherent in both the author and the hero of the story. A remark involuntarily escaped from him: “Why did you, life, cripple me like that? Why so distorted? - was interrupted: “And suddenly he caught himself: affectionately pushing his little son, he said: - Go, my dear, play near the water, there will always be some prey for the children near the big water. Just be careful not to get your feet wet!”

The experience and observations, thoughts and feelings of Sokolov reflect the historical, vital and moral concepts of the people, in a severe struggle and hard work comprehending the truth, knowing the world. The depth and subtlety of his statements are combined with simplicity and clarity. Let us recall how poetically he compares children's memory with summer lightning: “After all, children's memory is like summer lightning ...” However, spiritual responsiveness and tenderness, the ability for active love, shown by him when he encounters kind and fair people or who need his protection , is the moral basis of intransigence, contempt, courageous firmness in relation to cruelty and betrayal, lies and hypocrisy, cowardice and cowardice.
Andrei Sokolov went to the front as a man already established, the war was a cruel test of the physical and spiritual forces, beliefs and ideals that made up the essence of his personality, the basis of his worldview and character. Sholokhov does not show the details of front-line life and camp ordeals in order to focus on depicting "shock", "climax" moments, when the character of the hero manifests itself most strongly and deeply. Farewell on the platform, captivity, reprisal against a traitor, an unsuccessful attempt to escape from the camp, a clash with Muller, returning to his homeland, his son's funeral, meeting with the boy Vanyushka - these are the milestones of Andrey's path. Where are the sources that gave strength to endure, to resist? The answer to this question is in the pre-war biography of Sokolov, the same age as the century, whose life path is marked by memorable events in the life of the people and the country where the revolution took place, a new world was created in labor and struggle. These were the circumstances that shaped the character and worldview of a person, the historical consciousness of the people, whose son he was.

Graduation (final) essay in the direction: Honor and dishonor - “A person can be killed, but honor cannot be taken away from him”

Honor, dignity, consciousness of one's personality, strength of mind and will - these are the main indicators of a truly persistent and strong, strong-willed person. He is self-confident, has his own opinion and is not afraid to express it, even if it does not coincide with the opinion of the majority. It is difficult, if not impossible, to break, subdue, make a slave. Such a person is invulnerable, this is a person. He can be killed, deprived of his life, but it is impossible to deprive him of honor. Honor in this case is stronger than death.

Let us turn to Mikhail Sholokhov's story "The Fate of a Man". It shows the story of a simple Russian soldier, even his name is common - Andrei Sokolov. By this, the author makes it clear that the hero of the story is the most ordinary person who had the misfortune to live during the Great Patriotic War. The story of Andrei Sokolov is typical, but how many hardships and trials he had to endure! However, he endured all hardships with honor and steadfastness, without losing courage and dignity. The author emphasizes that Andrei Sokolov is the most ordinary Russian person, thus showing that honor and dignity are integral features of the Russian character. Let us recall Andrei's behavior in German captivity. When the Germans, wanting to have fun, forced the exhausted and hungry prisoner to drink a whole glass of schnapps, Andrey did it. To the offer to have a bite, he courageously replied that the Russians never had a bite after the first one. Then the Germans poured him a second glass, and, having drunk it, he answered in the same way, despite the tormenting hunger. And after the third glass Andrey refused the snack. And then the German commandant respectfully told him: “You are a real Russian soldier. You are a brave soldier! I respect worthy opponents.” With these words, the German gave Andrei bread and lard. And he shared these treats equally with his comrades. Here is an example that demonstrates courage and honor, which even in the face of death, the Russian people did not lose.

Recall the story of Vasily Bykov "Crane cry". The youngest fighter in the battalion - Vasily Glechik - was the only survivor against a whole detachment of Germans. However, the enemies did not know this and were preparing to strike, gathering the best forces. Glechik understood that death was inevitable, but he did not allow for a second the thought of escaping, deserting or surrendering. The honor of a Russian soldier, a Russian person - that's what cannot be killed. He was ready to defend himself until his last breath, despite the thirst to live, because he was only 19 years old. Suddenly he heard the cry of the cranes, looked up at the sky, boundless, boundless, piercingly alive, and followed these free, happy birds with a wistful gaze. He desperately wanted to live. Even in such a hell as war, but live! And suddenly he heard a plaintive cooing, looked up again and saw a wounded crane, which tried to catch up with its flock, but could not. He was doomed. Anger seized the hero, an inexpressible desire for life. But he clutched a single grenade in his hand and prepared for his last battle.

The above arguments eloquently confirm the postulate stated in our topic - even in the face of imminent death, it is impossible to take away honor and dignity from a Russian person.