In 1940, since the aggression of the invaders, the spirit of freedom of the population has grown. The patriotic, freedom-loving moods of children were not uncommon. Even after the Nazis were kicked out of Soviet soil, the stories of the hero guys inspired. Andrei Platonov worked in line with patriotic literature.
Children's patriotism in military literature
In a country where the idea of communism was fanatically planted, such stories were praised in higher circles. Most of these works are overly fantastic and not believable. In this work, one can positively distinguish another type of story. Which are closer in spirit to other values. Naturally, we are talking about the work "Little Soldier". Platonov, a brief summary of both this story and all of his work, is a realistic literature, framed in a new style, unique to the author.
Andrei Platonovich Klimentov (Platonov - the pseudonym of the writer) was born on September 1, 1899 in Voronezh. He well understood the soul of a child, and therefore his work is popular.
In 1943, the Little Soldier came out from under his pen. Platonov writes other stories about children who are courageously fighting the brutality of war, but the story of ten-year-old Seryozha is riddled with battle and longing. The child has already understood all the pain that revolution brings, but his heart is still capable of warm feelings. The boy has not forgotten how to love.
Bitter Separation from a Friend
In the station building, which survived the war, the Red Army sleeps on the floor. A sweet dream is reflected on their faces with happiness. Somewhere the train starts to move. People quietly say goodbye. So begins the "Little Soldier". Platonov (a brief summary of the story below) introduces the reader to two majors - Bakhichev and Savelyev. Men hold the hands of a boy. To Savelyev, Sergey (such a name of the child) is affectionately pressed, another person is shunned. He looks ten years old and looks like a soldier: overcoat, cap, boots. His eyes are sad, he parted with a friend. Major Saveliev reassures the child and assures that their separation is short. He also asks the child not to fight the Germans. Sergey is crying. The man kisses him. Next, two majors and a boy go to the exit. The narrator is left to keep an eye on things.
Little soldier of the big war
Already come back two. Bakhichev holds the baby in his arms and consoles as best he can. After some time, anti-aircraft guns rustled at the station. Sergei notices that a scout is flying and cannot be reached from such a height, a fighter is needed here.
The train in their direction will be tomorrow, so the officer, the boy and the narrator go to the hostel for the night. There Bakhichev feeds the child from his ration, and while the boy is eating, he does not begin the story. The little soldier fell asleep, the major told the story of a guy.
Feats of the Young Soldier
Sergey is the son of a colonel and a military doctor. Parents serve together, so the son lives in the army. So he began to understand the battle. Once he heard a conversation between his father: the Germans were withdrawing from the occupied territories and would blow up a train with ammunition.
The situation was decided by a small soldier. Platonov endowed Sergey with courage. The boy sneaks into the warehouse at night and cuts the blasting wire. He watches for another day, in case they are replaced. So he helped his father.
Another heroic deed - Sergei penetrates the rear of the enemy and remembers all the main strategic objects, which he then reports to the Red Army. Experiencing his son, the colonel orders to guard him. But the boy persuaded the assigned to run away and one of them, from an ambush, shot the German. Then the mother decided to send the child to the rear. And Sergey reflects on what is more useful to him captive to the Germans. He will find out everything there and will return with a report. Meanwhile, his mother will miss him.
The difficult fate of the children of war
Further, fate prepared the grief that the hero of the story “Little Soldier” must survive. Platonov (a summary of the conditional third part) in the final fragment leaves Sergey an orphan. My father was wounded in battle, and my mother was killed by old injuries. Major Savelyev replaced the boy with his parents.
The second major from another part has long known the named father Sergei. And while Savelyev is on the course, then Bakhichev will look after the boy.
When the men woke up, Seryozha disappeared. At first they thought that he had gone somewhere and would soon return, but this did not happen. No one saw the little soldier.
In the finale, the narrator ponders where the boy could go, possibly following the major. And maybe in his native regiment.
Predictions for the future of a little soldier
Suddenly the story “Little Soldier” breaks off. Platonov (analysis can be done on his other works), often leaves the reader free to think about the fate of the characters. This story is no exception. It would seem that the ending is tragic. The kid was lost in the crowd. But do not forget that this crumb grew up under the gunshots and organized complex intelligence operations at enemy headquarters.
The reader should not worry about the future fate of the hero, because his strength, courage and courage are enough to achieve the desired goal. And from the context it’s clear that Sergey’s main goal is to return to Savelyev, who became his only soulmate.
The image of war in the work
From the first lines, Andrei Platonov introduces the reader into vague feelings. "Little Soldier" begins a difficult scene for perception. Soldiers are sleeping on the floor of the station. During constant anxiety and endless journeys, they grab at any opportunity to relax. And only in a dream they forget what a terrible time they live. The main character knew what war was, and he was well aware when saying goodbye to an older friend that there might not be another meeting.
At ten years old, when he should have been interested in toys and pranks, Sergey speaks of the altitude of the aircraft and the possibility of its destruction.
He understands the cruelty of war and helps his country fight the invaders. Courage and dedication - the light in the story "Little Soldier". Platonov (analysis of the author’s work can be done based only on the main character), he described through Sergei all the children who were raised by a merciless war.
Also a vivid accent was the replica of Major Bakhichev, who spoke out on the chest bag of food. He has a dualistic attitude to food, on the one hand, he is tired of him, on the other - the major is infinitely grateful to him.
The Great Patriotic War, which permeated the story, selected the brightest years of life for children and adults.
The storyteller's role in the work
The style of presentation of information in the work written by Platonov is also of importance. The story "Little Soldier" is conducted on behalf of the narrator. This is the man who, when Sergey and the majors went to the exit, guarded things. He is probably a soldier. The reader does not know how old he is, what he looks like and what his name is.
It is from his gaze that we learn the world in which he lives. The unknown conveys what he saw, but does not color the picture with his own feelings. He, like tracing paper, reflects everything around. So we see the sight of sleeping soldiers, the scene of Seryozha's farewell to the major and the carefree face of the boy in a dream. The only thing the narrator adds from himself is his thoughts on where the child went.
Only taking the narrator’s perception as the basis can we analyze Platonov’s short story “Little Soldier”.
The role of a humble person is invisible, but weighty. With its help, the reader dives into the atmosphere of World War II.
In the story of the horrors of war, little Sergey is a bright ray of hope. The author painted him a strong soldier. In appearance, he is a "seasoned fighter." But the years of the war did not extinguish the good light in his eyes, which lights up when he looks at the major father. The author also survived the revolution, he is a small soldier - Platonov. A summary of his life in his works.
After the end line, the reader for a long time holds a sense of injustice of a terrible war and pride in the heroes who defend freedom.