The years of the First World War, the revolution and especially the civil war became a test for all the inhabitants of Russia. The Cossacks felt very acutely the consequences of political events. A freedom-loving people by nature could not reconcile themselves with the fact that, having been established for centuries, an established life collapses. But the worst was not even that. The split between people spread on the opposite side of the barricades of former neighbors, comrades and members of the same family.
Writer M. Sholokhov devoted much attention to depicting the horrors of the civil war and analyzing its influence on the fate of people. The work "Mole", written in 1924 and which laid the foundation for the series "Don Stories", was the first in his work, where the truth about that terrible time was shown. And for the novel-epic "Quiet Don", in which the writer summarized all the material on the topic, the writer was awarded the Nobel Prize.
Features of the image of the Cossacks Sholokhov
Don Stories became an important event in the literature of the twenties. They did not resemble what was created during the formation of Soviet power by proletarian writers. A hereditary Cossack and an excellent connoisseur of everyday life on the Don, M. Sholokhov managed to recreate in small-scale works the unique flavor and originality of the way of life of the local population. He paid special attention to moral beliefs and ideals, originally based on kindness and humanism, but crossed out by fratricidal war.
The attitude to the stories was mixed. Many were embarrassed by the naturalism and unconventionality of the image of the civil war, but this was what allowed the writer to convey the true scale of the tragedy. These principles were guided by Sholokhov when writing the story "Mole".
Summary of the work: acquaintance with Nikolka
The plot of the story is quite simple and is built in chronological order with small digressions (retrospectives) into the past. The main character is Nikolai Koshevoi, the young commander of the squadron of the Red Army. The name of Nikolai is an eighteen-year-old guy, experienced Cossacks, who respected him for his courage and bravery. Despite his young age, he led the squadron for half a year and managed to break up two gangs during this time. This was a great merit of his father, a prominent Cossack, "perished" in the German war. It was he who instilled in his son courage, endurance, love for horses: already at five or six years old he had taught his son to stay in the saddle. And Nikolka inherited from her father (and this will be the basis for further analysis of Sholokhov’s work ) a mole on his left leg, the size of a pigeon’s egg.
The plot of the plot becomes a letter brought to the commander with news of the appearance of whites in the district. The need to speak again makes the commander gloomy thoughts about how tired of his military life: "To study ... and then a gang."
Valorous Ataman
The comparison of two strong characters is based on the story “Mole” by Sholokhov. Analysis of the internal state of a middle-aged Cossack, who had not seen his father for 7 years, is the next part of the work. He went through German captivity, served with Wrangel, visited Constantinople, and now he has returned to his native land at the head of a gang. The chieftain has become roughened with his soul over the years, he feels as if he is sharpening something from the inside, he is not giving rest.
Three days the gang left from Nikolka’s squadron, then it was located at the miller, about which the latter informed the Red Army. And now a young bold Cossack rushes to the chieftain. His angry, still beardless face and the desire to achieve the goal — even the bullet didn’t stop him — provoked bitterness at the chieftain. In addition, binoculars on the chest clearly spoke of the rank of warrior. The chieftain flew up to him, and a young body went limp with a wave of checkers. Experience has prevailed over youthful spirit. Then, with the stocking, he pulled the old Cossack a chrome boot from his leg, and underneath (Sholokhov portrayed this episode incredibly truthfully and emotionally) is a mole. The analysis of the story is particularly acute in this scene, which culminated in the whole narrative.
The main characters as the antipodes of war
At the same moment, the ataman of the son saw a lot, his soul was filled with suffering and pain: “Nikolushka! .. My little blood! ..”. The unfolding bloody struggle scattered on different sides of the native people, making them irreconcilable enemies. The father could not forgive the murder of his son - he gritted his teeth with “Mauser steel” and fired. So tragically ended the story "Mole" Sholokhov.
An analysis of the description and behavior of the heroes shows how disgusting the war was to their nature, especially Nikolka. From the age of fifteen he had to fight, and at eighteen he looked already tired of life: with a net of wrinkles in his eyes, a stooped back. His dream of getting an education was never destined to come true. The only bright moment remained for Nikolka's recollections of a quiet peaceful life, when her mother was still alive, and her father was not listed in the missing. These nostalgic paintings make it clear how disgusting to him was the idea of the need to go into battle again. So at the very beginning of the story “Mole,” Sholokhov (a brief summary of the hero’s thoughts looks most eloquent) makes it clear to the reader that war is something unnatural, alien to human nature. She dreams of returning to a peaceful life and, as before, plowing the earth and the old chieftain, all trying to drown out his hopes that did not let him go.
Artistic details in the work
Unusual colloquial speech and expressiveness attracts the work "Birthmark". Sholokhov - the problems of the story are directly related to this - reinforces the feeling of tragedy due to the appeal to bright folklore images. So twice when describing the ataman the wolf is mentioned. At first it was a vivid, figurative comparison of the old Cossack with the "crammed" leader of the flock, rapidly moving forward. The spoken word helps to better understand the emotional state of the hero. Then, on the eve of the deadly battle, the wolf in front of people jumps out of the log, listens and slowly leaves back. By tradition, the wolf symbolized among the people a hungry, angry, usually lonely beast, causing more pity than fear. That is how the old chieftain seems in the story.
Sholokhov introduces another predator into the story "Mole". The analysis of the last scene with the vulture, which on the evening of the same day when the murder took place, flies from the head of the chieftain and dissolves in the sky, suggests the tired, tormented soul of the Cossack, leaving the body and ascending upward.
These details help the author in a capacious form to indicate how great the suffering of a person was, torn from the peaceful course of life and forced for more than 7 years to do what the soul did not lie to.
Author's life experience
Sholokhov’s persuasiveness and naturalism in describing the events of the civil war are explained by the fact that in 1918-19 he was at the center of the confrontation of white and red in the area of the capital of Elana. The writer witnessed unjustified cruelty and violence on both sides, and once he was even captured by Nestor Makhno, but after interrogation he was released. Since 1920, Sholokhov himself "served and poked around the Don land." According to him, they and the gangs chased each other one after another.
Conclusions to which the reader brings Sholokhov
The “mole” - the full content of the story cannot leave anyone indifferent - makes you really think that in difficult conditions of devastation and irreconcilable hostility, people become hardened, forget about humanism and sympathy. The author does not name in this, and in other stories, the right and the guilty, since in such a situation they simply can not be. The civil war has become a universal tragedy that should never be forgotten - this is what the reader wants to draw the attention of Sholokhov. A mole (analysis of the story leads to this conclusion) becomes a symbol of an indestructible blood connection: in Nikolka she is the same as in her father. Consequently, in the confrontation of heroes (the father raised a worthy son) there are no winners, this initially contradicts human nature.
The meaning of "Don Stories" by Sholokhov
The civil war was a real catastrophe, as a result of which moral standards were completely destroyed and the ties that existed between people were destroyed. This is emphasized by the story “Mole” by Sholokhov. An analysis of the actions and feelings of the heroes is a confirmation of this thought. The first work sets the tone for the entire cycle, and before the eyes of the reader, one after the other, terrible pictures come to life, telling of an immeasurable human grief. And I want to appeal to everyone living on earth: “People, change your mind! If a brother kills a brother, and a father kills a son, if everything around is drowned in a sea of blood, for what to live on? ”