In the novel The Quiet Flows the Don, M. A. Sholokhov poeticizes folk life, gives a deep analysis of its way of life, the origins of its crisis, which largely affected the fate of the heroes of the novel. The author emphasizes the decisive role of the people in history. According to Sholokhov, it is the people that are the driving force of history. One of his representatives in the novel is Grigory Melekhov. Undoubtedly, he is the main character of the novel.

Gregory is a simple and illiterate Cossack, but his character is complex and multifaceted. The author endows him with the best features inherent in the people.

At the very beginning of the novel, Sholokhov describes the history of the Melekhov family. The Cossack Prokofy Melekhov returns from the Turkish campaign, brings with him his wife, a Turkish woman. With this begins the "new" history of the Melekh family. Already in it the character of Gregory is laid. It is no coincidence that Gregory is outwardly similar to men of his kind: “... he popped into his father: you are half a head taller than Peter, at least six years younger, the same drooping vulture nose as Bati’s, in slightly slanting cuts blue tonsils of hot eyes, sharp slabs of cheekbones covered with brown ruddy skin. Grigory stooped in the same way as his father, even in a smile both had something in common, animalistic. It is he, and not the elder brother Peter, who is the successor of the Melekhov family.

From the very first pages, Gregory is depicted in everyday peasant life. He, like everyone else on the farm, goes fishing, leads horses to water, falls in love, goes to games, participates in scenes of peasant labor. The character of the hero is clearly revealed in the episode of the meadow mowing. Gregory discovers love for all living things, a keen sense of someone else's pain, the ability to compassion. He is painfully sorry for the duckling accidentally cut with a scythe, he looks at him "with a sudden feeling of acute pity."

Gregory feels nature very well, he is vitally connected with it. “Good, oh, good! ..” he thinks, deftly handling the scythe.

Gregory is a man of strong passions, decisive deeds and actions. Numerous scenes with Aksinya speak eloquently about this. Despite his father's slander, during haymaking, at midnight, he still goes in the direction where Aksinya is. Cruelly punished by Panteley Prokofievich and not afraid of his threats, he still goes to Aksinya from the night and returns only at dawn. In Gregory, already here a desire is manifested in everything to reach the end, not to stop halfway through. Marrying an unloved woman could not make him give up himself, from a natural, sincere feeling. He only slightly reassured his father, who sternly proclaimed to him: “Do not mischief with your neighbor! Do not fear your father! Don't drag around, doggie! ”, But no more than that. Gregory loves passionately and does not tolerate ridicule. Even Peter does not forgive the joke on his feelings and grabs the pitchfork. "You are fool! Damn crazy! Here, the ardent Circassian has degenerated into a batin breed! exclaims Peter, frightened to death.

Gregory is always honest and sincere. “I don’t love you, Natashka, don’t be angry,” he frankly says to his wife.

At first, Grigory protests against fleeing from the farm with Aksinya, but his innate stubbornness and the impossibility of submission still forced him to leave the household, go with his beloved to Listnitsky's estate. Gregory is hired as a groom. But such a life away from his native nest is not for him. “Easy well-fed life spoiled him. He became lazy, put on weight, looked older than his years,” says the author.

Gregory has tremendous inner strength. A vivid evidence of this is the episode of the beating of Listnitsky Jr. by him. Despite the position of Listnitsky, Grigory does not intend to forgive him insults: “Having intercepted the whip, he beat the whip in the face, on the hands, not allowing the centurion to come to his senses.” Melehov is not afraid of punishment for his deed. He treats Aksinya sternly too: when he left, he never looked back. Gregory has a deep sense of self-worth. It is his strength, and she is able to influence other people, regardless of their rank and position. In a duel with a sergeant-major at a watering place, Gregory undoubtedly wins, not allowing the senior in rank to hit himself.

The hero is ready to stand up not only for his own, but also for someone else's dignity. He was the only one of all who stood up for Franya, who was abused by the Cossacks. Being powerless against evil, he "for the first time in a long period of time almost cried."

The First World War picked up the fate of Gregory and twisted it in a whirlwind of turbulent historical events. Grigory, like a true Cossack, gives himself over to the battle. He is determined and bold. Easily captures three Germans, deftly beats off the battery from the enemy, saves the officer. Evidence of his courage - St. George's crosses and medals, officer rank.

Melekhov is generous. In battle, he extends a helping hand to his rival Stepan Astakhov, who dreams of killing him. Gregory is shown as a courageous, skillful warrior. But still, killing a person deeply contradicts his humane nature, his life values: “Well, well, I cut down a person in vain and I’m sick through him, a bastard, with my soul,” he says to brother Peter, “... I’m tired of my soul .. It was as if I had been under millstones, they crushed me and spit me out.

Gregory quickly begins to experience incredible fatigue and disappointment. At first, he fights fearlessly and without thinking that sheds his own and other people's blood. But war and life confront Melekhov with many people who have fundamentally different views on the world, on what is happening in it. Communication with them makes the hero think about the war and the life he lives.

Chubaty bears the truth "Cut the man boldly." He easily talks about human death, about the possibility and right to deprive a person of life. Grigory listens attentively to him and understands: such an inhuman position is unacceptable for him, alien.

Garanja sowed the seeds of doubt in Melekhov's soul. He suddenly doubted the previously unshakable values, such as the king and the Cossack military duty. “The tsar is a drunkard, the queen is a whore, the lord's pennies from the war are an increase, and on our necks ..” Garanzha cynically declares. He makes Gregory think about many things. These doubts laid the foundation for Gregory's tragic path to the truth. The hero makes desperate attempts to find the truth and the meaning of life.

The character of Grigory Melekhov is a truly amazing character, truly a folk character.

Quote characteristic of Grigory Melekhov from the novel "Quiet Flows the Don"

At the beginning of the novel The Quiet Flows the Don, Grigory is a cheerful, lively, mischievous guy:

"A youthfully round and thin neck, a carefree warehouse of constantly smiling lips"

In the veins of Gregory flows the blood of a Turkish grandmother, whom his grandfather married contrary to the opinion of all the villagers. He also inherited the tough temper of his grandfather and father:

“Gregory walked, holding on to the front chair on which his brother was sitting; frowned. From the lower jaw, obliquely to the cheekbones, trembling, the nodules rolled. Petro knew that this was a sure sign that Grigory was seething and ready for any reckless act.

Human feelings are not subject to social rules. A deafening passion for a married neighbor Aksinya covers the guy with his head:

So extraordinary and obvious was their crazy connection, so frenziedly they burned with one shameless fire, people not ashamed and not hiding, losing weight and blackening their faces in front of their neighbors, that now people were ashamed to look at them when they met for some reason.

Grigory's comrades, who had previously teased him about his connection with Aksinya, were now silent, converging, and felt awkward and connected in Grigory's company. The women, jealous in their souls, judged Aksinya, gloated in anticipation of Stepan's arrival, languished, consumed by curiosity. At the denouement, their assumptions wove.

“If Grigory went to the zhalmerka Aksinya, pretending to be hiding from people, if the zhalmerka Aksinya lived with Grigory, observing this in relative secrecy, and at the same time would not shy away from others, then this would not be unusual, whipping in the eyes"

At some point, Grigory stops communication, fulfills the will of his father and marries a young girl, Natalya. However, the marriage does not turn out to be happy, the son blames his father for this and again shows his rebellious character, takes Aksinya and leaves his father's farm:

“Grigory pulled by the sleeve the sheepskin coat thrown on the bed, flaring his nostrils, trembling in the same seething anger as his father. One, flavored with a Turkish admixture, blood flowed into them, and they were miraculously similar at that moment.

Agile and brave, a born warrior, Gregory gets to the front of the First World War, where he manages to distinguish himself and show his young prowess. Still, because the Cossacks were brought up by real fighters, in the spirit of serving the king. However, it soon becomes clear that war, murders change a person, and not for the better:

“Grigory firmly cherished the Cossack honor, seized the opportunity to show selfless courage, took risks, went wild, went disguised to the rear of the Austrians, removed outposts without bloodshed, horse-riding a Cossack and felt that the pain over a person that crushed him in the first days of the war had gone forever. His heart hardened, hardened, like a salt marsh in a drought, and just as a salt marsh does not absorb water, so Gregory's heart did not absorb pity. With cold contempt he played with someone else's life and with his own; that's why he was known as brave - he served four St. George's crosses and four medals. At rare parades he stood at the regimental banner, fanned by the powder smoke of many wars; but he knew that he would no longer laugh at him, as before; he knew that his eyes were hollow and his cheekbones were sharp; he knew that it was difficult for him, kissing a child, to openly look into clear eyes; Gregory knew what price he had paid for the full bow of crosses and production.

Relations with Aksinya deteriorate:

“I felt cold in the letters…” Returning home, where his little daughter died during his absence, Grigory learns that Aksinya is the mistress of the pan's son. Hitting her with a whip in anger, he returns to his wife, but for many years he remembers his lost beloved:

“Lying here on the hill, for some reason he remembered that night when he was walking from the Nizhne-Yablonovsky farm to Yagodnoye to Aksinya; with a cutting pain he remembered her too. Memory fashioned vague, time-worn, infinitely dear and alien lines of the face. With a suddenly beating heart, he tried to restore it the way he had last seen it, distorted with pain, with a crimson trace of a whip on his cheek, but the memory stubbornly slipped another face, slightly tilted to one side, smiling triumphantly. Here she turns her head, mischievously and lovingly, from below she dazzles with a look of fiery black eyes, something indescribably affectionate, hot whispering viciously greedy red lips, and slowly looks away, turns away, on her swarthy neck there are two large fluffy curls. .. he once loved to kiss them so much ... "

A civil war begins, Grigory takes the side of the Reds, but after the brutal senseless execution of prisoners, he goes over to the side of the White Cossacks, and he is different there:

“It began to seem that the truth no longer exists in the world, and, embittered to the extreme, he thought: everyone has his own truth, his own furrow. For a piece of bread, for a plot of land, for the right to life, people have always fought .... We must fight with those who want to take away life, the right to it, we must fight hard, not swaying - like in a wall - and the intensity of hatred, firmness will give the fight ... "

Grigory, without leaving his wife, converges with Aksinya too:

"Love! Unforgettable!

Over time, Grigory Melekhov becomes embittered, cruel. The father is angry with him:

"A hero, a white officer, a true eagle, a division commander, honored, all on bumps, and not a single one can be touched."

Gregory himself understands this and says to his wife:

"Ha! Conscience! I forgot about her! What conscience is there when all life has been stolen! You kill people... It is not known why all this porridge... I was so smeared with someone else's blood that I no longer felt sorry for anyone. Childhood - and this one I almost do not regret, but I don’t even think about myself. The war took everything out of me. I became terrible myself. Look into my soul, and there is blackness, as in an empty well ... "

Soon, seeing the death of friends and relatives, Grigory begins to lose interest in the war. He, like other officers, drinks, seeing the stupidity and senselessness of the killings. He is drawn to peaceful work:

“when he imagined how he would prepare harrows, carts for spring, weave a manger out of the red, and when the earth undresses and dries, he will leave for the steppe: holding on to the chapigi with his hands bored with work; will follow the plow, feeling its living beating and jolts; imagining how he would inhale the sweet spirit of young grass and the black soil raised by plowshares, which had not yet lost the insipid aroma of snow dampness, it warmed his soul. I wanted to clean up cattle, throw hay, breathe in the withered smell of sweet clover, wheatgrass, and the spicy smell of manure. I wanted peace and silence - that's why Grigory kept the shy joy in his stern eyes, looking around: at the horses, at his father's steep, sheepskin-covered back. Broke and his fatigue, acquired in the war. I wanted to turn away from everything seething with hatred, hostile and incomprehensible world. There, behind, everything was confused, contradictory. It was difficult to find the right path; like in a swampy gati, the soil clogged up underfoot, the path was crushed, and there was no certainty whether it was going along the right one ... "

At the end of the novel, Gregory has only his sister and son from close people. From officers, he falls into enemies, persecuted by the new government, But he still holds on in this world:

“A big, courageous, lived and experienced Cossack with a tired squint of his eyes, with red tips of a black mustache, with premature gray hair on his temples and hard wrinkles on his forehead - ineradicable traces of hardships experienced during the war years”

Appearance description Grigoriy Melekhov: "... hook-nosed, wildly handsome Melekhov Cossacks..." poper: half a head taller than Peter, at least six years younger, the same drooping vulture nose as Bati, blue tonsils of hot eyes in slightly slanting slits, sharp cheekbones covered with brown, ruddy skin. Grigory stooped just like his father, even in the smile they both had something in common, animalistic..." "... What the hell, not particularly tall..." the gray-haired doctor purred... "... the brown skin of his cheeky face..." "... only good, that black, like a gypsy..." "... Gregory blinded her with the whiteness of his wolf teeth..." Grigory's head has curls as hard as horsehair..." "... Grishka's unyielding, callous hands..." "...looks at his beautiful cartilaginous nose..." "...kisses his face, neck, arms, tough curly black growth on the chest ... "...his strong legs, confidently trampling the ground..." "...His swarthy body shone with the color of stewed oak. He was embarrassed, looking at his legs, densely overgrown with black hair..." "... A bandit's mug... Very wild..." "... A degenerate! From the East, probably..." Gregory's eyes: "... in slightly slanting slits blue tonsils of hot eyes..." "... Grishka's black eyes..." "... opens his hot, non-Russian eyes.. . " "... Imagine, the sovereign will see such a face, what then? He has only one eye...

The appearance of Gregory in the service of the pan before the war of 1914:"... An easy, well-fed life spoiled him. He became lazy, got fat, looked older than his years ..."

Gregory's appearance at war in 1914: "... He noticeably lost weight, lost weight ..." "... furrow<...>it was getting dark, flowing obliquely across his forehead, unfamiliar ... " (a wrinkle appears on Grigory's face from mental suffering) "... Grigory, in a hurry, took off his trousers, went to the crest of the dam, brown, stooped-slender, in Peter's eyes he had aged for parting time..."

Grigory Melekhov's clothes(traditional Cossack clothing): "... pulled off everyday trousers from the pendant, put them into white woolen stockings and put on a chirp for a long time, straightening the back that turned up ..." (chiriki - shoes) "... a trace left by Grishkin's sharp-nosed chirp. ..""...into his muscular, sunburned neck..." "...Grishka's wide trousers, tucked into white woolen stockings, were red with stripes. On his back, near the shoulder blade, a piece of a freshly torn dirty shirt fluttered, body..." "...Grigory, in a zipun draped over his shoulders, crawled out of the darkness, approached the fire..." (zipun - caftan) "...he carefully hung up his festive trousers with stripes..." ".. .on the back of Grigory, a satin blue shirt trembles, puffing out with a hump from the wind ... "(Grigory's smart clothes when he goes to woo Natalya) "... pulled him by the half of his coat ..." (Grigory puts on a coat for a wedding with Natalya) "... Gregory, putting on a short fur coat, heard ..." (winter clothes) "... picked up a hat that had fallen from the bed ..."

Gregory's weight is about 84.5 kg:"... Five pounds, six and a half pounds," answered the gray-haired doctor without dropping his raised eyebrows...

The personality and character of Grigory Melekhov

Grigory Melekhov - wayward and simple guy:"... similar to the former restive and simple guy ..."

Grigory Melekhov - stubborn person. He does not always obey his father: ".. "Take a bite, dad, even if hobbled, I will go away to the game," he thought, angrily gnawing his father's steep head with his eyes ..." (hobbled - that is, with tied legs)

Grigory Melekhov - daring Cossack: "... Miron Grigorievich in his soul liked Grishka for his Cossack prowess ..."

Grigory Melekhov - economic and hardworking man: "... Grishka liked<...>for the love of housekeeping and work..." "...A hard-working boy..." Grigory Melekhov is a conscientious man: ".."He hit a lying man..." Grigory turned purple. "...Ksyusha... blew a word, well, don't be offended..."

Grigory Melekhov - hot man j. He is capable of reckless, "mad" actions: "... You are a fool! Damn mad! Here you have degenerated into a Batin breed, a tormented Circassian! .." "... From the lower jaw, obliquely to the cheekbones, trembling, the jaws rolled Petro knew: this is a sure sign that Grigory is seething and ready for any reckless act ... "

Grigory Melekhov - stubborn and persistent person: "... He stubbornly pursued her with his persistent and waiting love. And it was this stubbornness that Aksinya was afraid of. She saw that he was not afraid of Stepan, she felt in her gut that he would not give up on her like that ..."

Gregory - uncowardly person: "... She saw that he was not afraid of Stepan, she felt in her gut that he would not back down from her like that ..."

Gregory - proud human. He does not allow his father to beat him and does not ask for help from his father when there is a need: “... I won’t let you fight!” Grigory gasped in a dull voice and, clenching his jaw, tore at his crutch... bowing to his father, buy a horse ... "

Gregory - clever Cossack. He perfectly performs trick riding on a horse: "... at the races Grishka won the first prize for trick riding ..." (jigging is a variety of complex exercises on a galloping horse) Grigory - literate Cossack. He knows how to write: "... Gregory wrote home from time to time..." Gregory loves a quiet village life on a farm: "... I won't touch the ground anywhere. Here is the steppe, there is something to breathe, but there? .."

Grigory Melekhov loves his native places and the Don River: "... I miss the farm, Petro. I miss the Don, you won't see flowing water here. A sickening place! .."

Gregory does not tolerate female traces z: "... Grigory could not stand tears. He fidgeted uneasily on the ground, violently shook off a brown ant from his leg and again briefly glanced at Aksinya ..." Grigory Melekhov does not allow himself to be treated badly in the army and (when others endure): "... the sergeant-major flew at him like a kite, raised his hand. - Don't touch! .. - Grigory threw muffledly, looking into the water rippling under the log house...." "... That's it, - Grigory tore off his head from the log house - if when you hit me, I’ll kill you all the same! Got it? .. "

Gregory tormented by conscience in the war because he kills people in battle: "... I, Petro, was exhausted in my soul. I seemed to be unfinished all at once ... As if I had been under the millstones, they crushed me and spat out ..." "... My conscience is killing me. I stabbed one with a lance near Leshniuv. It was impossible otherwise... And why did I cut down this one?.." "... So, well, I cut down a man in vain and I'm ill through him, the bastard, with my soul. I dream at night, you bastard. Is it my fault? .."

The image of Melekhov in cinema

The first use of the role of Gri-go-riya Me-le-ho-va was An-drey Ab-ri-ko-sov, someone starred in a picture, after becoming-len-noy according to the first two books of ro-ma-na. As the actor later recalled, at the moment of ki-no-trials, he had not yet pro-chi-tal sho-lo-hov-s-th-pro-of-ve-de-nia and -went to the square not under-go-tov-len-nym; the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bbecoming about the ob-ra-ze per-so-on-mother was folded later. According to the words of the ak-tri-sy Emma Tse-sar-sky, the syg-raw-shay Ak-si-new, Sho-lo-hov after you-ho-yes the film wrote about the continuation of " Ti-ho-go Don ”with an eye on the heroes, incarnated in the tape.

Grigory Melekhov is the most famous and memorable character in Sholokhov's novel The Quiet Flows the Don. But few people know that in the first edition of the work there was no such hero at all. His place was taken by a certain Abram Ermakov, who outwardly looked very much like Grigory. Why the author decided to make changes to the novel is still unknown.

Hero's appearance

Grigory Melekhov (the characterization of the character will be discussed in detail in this article) is endowed by the author with a “wild” beauty, like all the Cossacks of his kind. He was taller than his older brother, black-haired and hook-nosed, which made him look like a gypsy. The eyes are slightly slanted, almond-shaped and “bluish”, and “the sharp slabs of the cheekbones are covered with brown skin.” His smile was "animal", "wolf teeth" snow-white. Hands are stubborn and callous to caress.

In all his appearance, wildness and rudeness are felt, combined with incredible beauty. Even during the war, he did not lose his attractiveness. Although he lost a lot of weight and became more like an Asian.

Grigory Melikhov wore traditional Cossack clothes: wide trousers, woolen white stockings, chiriks (shoes), a zipun, a spacious shirt, and a sheepskin coat. The clothes have a direct indication of nationality. The author emphasizes the Cossack origin of his hero.

Who is the main character of the novel?

Let's start with the fact that the focus of Sholokhov is the people, and not a specific person. And Gregory stands out from the general background only because he is the embodiment of folk traits. It became a reflection of the Cossack prowess and "love for the economy, for work" - the two main commandments of the Cossacks, who were warriors and farmers at the same time.

But Grigory Melekhov (“Quiet Flows the Don”) is famous not only for this. Distinctive features of his character were self-will, the desire for truth and independence in actions. He always seeks to verify everything personally and does not take anyone's word for it. For him, truth is born slowly, from concrete reality, painfully and painfully. His whole life is the search for truth. The same thoughts tormented the Cossacks, who first encountered the new government.

Grigory Melekhov and Aksinya

The love conflict is one of the main ones in the novel. The relationship of the protagonist with Aksinya runs like a red thread through the entire work. Their feeling was high, but tragic.

Let's talk a little about the heroine. Aksinya is a stately, beautiful and proud Cossack woman, who perceives what is happening very emotionally. A difficult fate fell on her. At the age of sixteen, Aksinya was raped by her father, and a year later they married Stepan Astakhov, who beat her. This was followed by the death of a child. An unloved husband and hard work - that's the whole life of a young woman. Such was the fate of many peasant women and Cossack women, and therefore it is generally accepted that it reflects the whole era of the Quiet Don.

The fate of Grigory Melekhov was closely intertwined with the life of Aksinya. The woman wanted true love, so she so readily responded to the courtship of a neighbor. Passion broke out between the young people, burning fear, shame and doubt.

Even marrying Natalya did not stop Gregory. He continued to meet with Aksinya, for which he was expelled from the house by his father. But even here the lovers did not give up. Their life as workers does not bring happiness. And Aksinya's betrayal with the master's son forces Grigory to return to his wife.

However, the final break does not occur. The lovers start dating again. They carry their feelings through life, despite all the misfortunes and tragedies.

Character

Grigory Melekhov does not run away from reality. He soberly assesses everything that happens around and takes an active part in all events. This is considered the most striking and memorable in his image. He is characterized by breadth of soul and nobility. So, he saves the life of Stepan Astakhov, risking himself, although he does not have any friendly feelings for him. Then he bravely rushes to the rescue of those who killed his brother.

The image of Melekhov is complex and ambiguous. He is characterized by throwing, a feeling of inner dissatisfaction with his actions. That is why he constantly rushes about, for him to make a choice is not an easy task.

Social aspect

The character of the hero is determined by his origin. For example, Listnitsky is a landowner, and Koshevoy is a laborer, so you cannot rely on them. Grigory Melekhov has a completely different origin. "Quiet Don" was written during the heyday of socialist realism and harsh criticism. Therefore, it is not surprising that the main character has a peasant origin, which was considered the most “correct”. However, the fact that he was from the middle peasants became the reason for all his throwing. A worker and an owner coexist in the hero at the same time. This is the cause of internal discord.

Grigory Melekhov in the war practically does not care about his family, even Aksinya fades into the background. At this time, he is trying to understand the social structure and his place in it. In war, the hero does not seek benefits for himself, the main thing is to find the truth. That is why he looks so intently at the world around him. He does not share the enthusiasm of other Cossacks regarding the coming of the revolution. Gregory does not understand why they need her.

Previously, the Cossacks themselves decided who would rule them, chose the ataman, and now they are imprisoned for this. On the Don, neither generals nor peasants are needed, the people will figure it out themselves, as they figured it out before. Yes, and the promises of the Bolsheviks are false. They say that everyone is equal, but here comes the Red Army, chrome boots on the platoon, and the soldiers are all in windings. And where is the equality?

Search

Grigory Melekhov sees reality very clearly and soberly assesses what is happening. In this he is similar to many Cossacks, but there is one difference - the hero is looking for the truth. This is what gives him no rest. Sholokhov himself wrote that the opinion of all the Cossacks was embodied in Melekhov, but his strength was that he was not afraid to speak out and tried to resolve contradictions, and did not humbly accept what was happening, hiding behind words about brotherhood and equality.

Gregory could recognize the correctness of the Reds, but he felt the lie in their slogans and promises. He could not take everything on faith, and when he checked it in practice, it turned out that he was lied to.

Closing one's eyes to lies was tantamount to betraying oneself, one's land and one's people.

How to deal with an unwanted person?

Grigory Melekhov (the characterization confirms this) stood out against the background of other representatives of the Cossacks. This attracted Shtokman's attention to him. This man did not have time to convince people like our hero, so he immediately decided to eliminate him. The innocent Gregory was doomed to arrest and death. And what else to do with unnecessary people who ask unnecessary questions?

The order is given to Koshevoy, who is surprised and embarrassed. Gregory, his friend, is accused of a dangerous way of thinking. Here we see the main conflict of the novel, where two sides clash, each of which is right. Shtokman takes every measure to prevent an uprising that could interfere with the reign of the Soviet power, which he serves. The character of Gregory does not allow him to accept either his fate or the fate of his people.

However, Shtokman's order becomes the beginning of the very uprising that he wanted to prevent. Together with Melekhov, who entered into battle with Koshev, all the Cossacks rise. In this scene, the reader can be convinced with distinct clarity that Gregory is indeed a reflection of the people's will.

Melekhov decides to fight the power of the Reds. And this decision was due to a series of incidents: the arrest of his father, numerous executions in Tatarsky, a threat to the life of the hero himself, insults to the Red Army soldiers stationed at his base.

Gregory has made his choice and is sure of it. However, not all so simple. This is not the last turn in his life.

Throwing

The image of Grigory Melekhov in the novel "Quiet Don" is very ambiguous. He is constantly in throwing and is not sure of the correctness of the choice. So it is with the decision to confront the Red Army. He sees the prisoners and the dead who participated in his uprising, he understands who can benefit from it. The final epiphany comes when Gregory rushes alone to the machine gun and kills the sailors who controlled it. Melekhov then rolls in the snow and exclaims: “Who did I kill!”

The hero again finds himself in conflict with the world. All Melekhov's throwings reflect the fluctuations of the entire Cossacks, which first came from monarchism to Bolshevism, then decided to build autonomy, and then returned to Bolshevism again. Only on the example of Gregory do we see everything more clearly than it happened in reality. This is due to the very character of the hero, with his intransigence, passion, unbridledness. Strictly Melekhov judges himself and those around him. He is ready to answer for his wrong deeds, but he wants others to answer.

Summing up

The image of Grigory Melekhov in the novel "Quiet Don" is full of tragedy. Throughout his life he tried to find the truth, but what did he get in the end? In the last chapter of the book, we see how the hero loses the most precious thing - the woman he loves. The death of Aksinya was the most terrible blow for Melekhov. At that moment, the meaning of life was taken away from him. In this world, he no longer has close people. Spiritual devastation leads him to the forest. He tries to live alone, but cannot stand it and returns to the farm where his son lives - the only thing left of Aksinya and their love.

What is the tragedy of Grigory Melekhov? He came into conflict with the world, could not come to terms with its new laws, attempts to change something ended in failure. But the hero could not come to terms with what was happening. The new era "ground" and distorted his fate. Gregory just turned out to be a man who could not adapt to change.

(446 words)

The main character of the novel M.A. Sholokhov is a Don Cossack Grigory Melekhov. We see how dramatically the fate of Gregory develops on one of the most controversial and bloody pages of our history.

But the novel originates long before these events. First, we are introduced to the life and customs of the Cossacks. In this peaceful time, Gregory lives a quiet life, not worrying about anything. However, at the same time, the hero’s first spiritual fracture occurs, when, after a stormy romance with Aksinya, Grishka realizes the importance of the family and returns to his wife Natalya. A little later, the First World War begins, in which Gregory takes an active part, having received many awards. But Melekhov himself is disappointed in the war, in which he saw only dirt, blood and death, along with this comes disappointment in the imperial power, which sends thousands of people to death. In this regard, the main character falls under the influence of the ideas of communism, and already in the seventeenth year he takes the side of the Bolsheviks, believing that they will be able to build a new just society.

However, almost immediately, when the red commander Podtelkov massacres the captured White Guards, disappointment comes. For Gregory, this becomes a terrible blow, in his opinion, one cannot fight for a better future, while doing cruelty and injustice. An innate sense of justice repels Melekhov from the Bolsheviks. Returning home, he wants to take care of his family and the household. But life does not give him this chance. His native farm supports the white movement, and Melekhov follows them. The death of a brother at the hands of the Reds only fuels the hatred of the hero. But when the surrendered detachment of Podtelkov is mercilessly exterminated, Grigory cannot accept such a cold-blooded destruction of his neighbor.

Soon, the Cossacks, dissatisfied with the White Guards, including Grigory, desert and let the Red Army through their positions. Tired of war and murder, the hero hopes to be left alone. However, the Red Army soldiers begin to commit robbery and murder, and the hero, in order to protect his home and family, joins the uprising of the separatists. It was during this period that Melekhov fought most zealously and did not torment himself with doubts. He is supported by the knowledge that he is protecting his loved ones. When the Don separatists unite with the white movement, Grigory is again disappointed.

In the final, Melekhov finally goes over to the side of the Reds. Hoping to earn forgiveness and a chance to return home, he fights without feeling sorry for himself. During the war, he lost his brother, wife, father and mother. All he has left are the children, and he only wants to return to them in order to forget about the struggle and never take up arms. Unfortunately this is not possible. For others, Melekhov is a traitor. Suspicion turns into outright hostility, and soon the Soviet government begins a real hunt for Gregory. During the flight, Aksinya, still beloved by him, dies. Having wandered across the steppe, the main character, aged and gray-haired, finally loses heart and returns to his native farm. He resigned himself, but wishes, perhaps, for the last time to see his son before accepting his sad fate.

M. A. Sholokhov in his novel "Quiet Don" poeticizes the life of the people, deeply analyzes its way of life, as well as the origins of its crisis, which largely affected the fate of the main characters of the work. The author emphasizes that the people play a key role in history. It is he, according to Sholokhov, who is its driving force. Of course, the main character of Sholokhov's work is one of the representatives of the people - Grigory Melekhov. Its prototype is believed to be Kharlampy Ermakov, a Don Cossack (pictured below). He fought in the Civil War and in the First World War.

Grigory Melekhov, whose characteristics we are interested in, is an illiterate, simple Cossack, but his personality is multifaceted and complex. The author endowed it with the best features that are inherent in the people.

at the beginning of the work

Sholokhov, at the very beginning of his work, tells the story of the Melekhov family. Cossack Prokofy, Gregory's ancestor, returns home from the Turkish campaign. He brings with him a Turkish woman who becomes his wife. From this event begins a new history of the Melekhov family. The character of Gregory is already laid in her. This character is not accidentally similar in appearance to other men of his kind. The author notes that he is "like a father": he is half a head taller than Peter, although he is 6 years younger than him. He has the same "drooping kite nose" as Panteley Prokofievich's. Grigory Melekhov is as stooping as his father. Both even in a smile had something in common, "animal". It is he who is the successor of the Melekhov family, and not Peter, his elder brother.

Connection with nature

Gregory from the very first pages is depicted in everyday activities that are characteristic of the life of peasants. Like all of them, he leads horses to water, goes fishing, goes to games, falls in love, participates in the general peasant labor. The character of this hero is clearly revealed in the meadow mowing scene. In it, Grigory Melekhov discovers sympathy for someone else's pain, love for all living things. He feels sorry for the duckling, accidentally cut with a scythe. Gregory looks at him, as the author notes, with "a feeling of acute pity." This hero is well aware of the nature with which he is vitally connected.

How is the character of the hero revealed in his personal life?

Gregory can be called a man of decisive actions and deeds, strong passions. Numerous episodes with Aksinya speak eloquently about this. Despite his father's slander, at midnight, during haymaking, he still goes to this girl. Pantelei Prokofievich severely punishes his son. However, not afraid of his father's threats, Gregory still goes to his beloved again at night and returns only with the dawn. Already here, in his character, the desire to reach the end in everything is manifested. Marrying a woman he does not love could not make this hero give up himself, from a sincere, natural feeling. He only slightly reassured Panteley Prokofievich, who calls out to him: "Do not fear your father!" But no more. This hero has the ability to love passionately, and also does not tolerate any ridicule of himself. He does not forgive the joke on his feelings even to Peter and grabs the pitchfork. Gregory is always sincere and honest. He directly tells Natalya, his wife, that he does not love her.

How did life at the Listnitskys influence Grigory?

At first, he does not agree to run away from the farm with Aksinya. However, the impossibility of submission and innate stubbornness eventually force him to leave his native household, go to the estate of Listnitsky with his beloved. Gregory becomes a groom. However, life apart from the parental home is not at all according to him. The author notes that he was spoiled by an easy, well-fed life. The main character got fat, lazy, began to look older than his years.

In the novel "Quiet Flows the Don" has great inner strength. The scene of this hero beating Listnitsky Jr. is clear evidence of this. Grigory, despite the position that Listnitsky occupies, does not want to forgive the offense inflicted on him. He beats him with a whip on his hands and face, not allowing him to come to his senses. Melekhov is not afraid of the punishment that will follow this act. And he treats Aksinya harshly: when he leaves, he never even looks back.

The self-esteem that is inherent in the hero

Complementing the image of Grigory Melekhov, we note that his character is clearly expressed. It is in him that his strength lies, which is able to influence other people, regardless of position and rank. Of course, in a duel at a watering place with a sergeant-major, Gregory wins, who did not allow himself to be hit by a senior in rank.

This hero is able to stand up not only for his own dignity, but also for someone else's. It is he who turns out to be the only one who defended Franya - the girl over whom the Cossacks abused. Being in this situation powerless against the evil being committed, Grigory, for the first time in a long time, almost burst into tears.

Gregory's courage in battle

The events of the First World War affected the fate of many people, including this hero. Grigory Melekhov was captured by a whirlwind of historical events. His fate is a reflection of the fate of many people, representatives of the simple Russian people. As a true Cossack, Gregory completely surrenders to the battle. He is bold and determined. Gregory easily defeats three Germans and takes them prisoner, deftly beats off an enemy battery, and also saves an officer. The medals and the officer rank he received are evidence of the courage of this hero.

The murder of a man, contrary to the nature of Gregory

Gregory is generous. He helps in battle even Stepan Astakhov, his rival, who dreams of killing him. Melekhov is shown as a skillful, courageous warrior. However, the murder still fundamentally contradicts the humane nature of Gregory, his life values. He confesses to Peter that he killed a man and through him "sick in soul."

Change of outlook under the influence of other people

Pretty quickly, Grigory Melekhov begins to experience disappointment and incredible fatigue. At first, he fearlessly fights, not thinking about the fact that he sheds both his own and other people's blood in battles. However, life and war confront Gregory with many people who have completely different views on the world and the events taking place in it. After talking with them, Melekhov begins to think about the war, as well as about the life he lives. The truth that Chubaty bears is that a person needs to be cut boldly. This hero easily talks about death, about the right and opportunity to deprive others of life. Gregory listens attentively to him and understands that such an inhuman position is alien to him, unacceptable. Garanzha is a hero who sowed the seeds of doubt in Grigory's soul. He suddenly began to question the values ​​that were previously considered unshakable, such as the military duty of the Cossacks and the king, who is "on our neck." Garanga makes the protagonist think about a lot. The spiritual quest of Grigory Melekhov begins. It is these doubts that become the beginning of Melekhov's tragic path to the truth. He is desperately trying to find the meaning and truth of life. The tragedy of Grigory Melekhov unfolds at a difficult time in the history of our country.

Undoubtedly, the character of Gregory is truly folk. The tragic fate of Grigory Melekhov, described by the author, still evokes the sympathy of many readers of The Quiet Flows the Don. Sholokhov (his portrait is presented above) managed to create a bright, strong, complex and truthful character of the Russian Cossack Grigory Melekhov.