The theme of this article is the story “The Science of Hate” written in the war years (summary).
Critics do not favor Sholokhov for this work, first published in the Pravda newspaper on 05/22/1942. Its level is very much inferior to the true mastery of the classic, which was clearly manifested in The Quiet Don.
Accordingly, we are forced to highlight its weak points. There is no dialectic of the disclosure of personality in it, there is no "second bottom."
The difference in the style of writing of the two above-mentioned genre works of one author is striking. It is so significant, as if created by two different people.
Due to the fact that the writer of the Nobel Prize in Literature, Mikhail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov, in his later works did not manage to rise to the level of “The Quiet Don”, evil tongues accuse him of forgery, claiming that he was not the real author of the famous novel . How can one not recall Pushkin’s line: “An artist-barbarian paints a picture of a genius with a sleepy brush?”
The proposal of David Ortenberg, from which Sholokhov could not refuse
Unfortunately, such a derogatory conclusion does not at all refute Sholokhov's “Science of Hate” story, which is simple in composition. The summary of the work boils down to the uncivilized and insistent appeal “Kill the German!”. The whole composition is structured so that the reader will certainly come to this conclusion himself. Why did the classic agree to create such a work? To begin with, Mikhail Alexandrovich, not of his own free will, undertook to write a story conceived in the reporting genre.
A discerning reader will feel that the author of The Quiet Don does not write The Science of Hate at will. The historical fact confirms the conjecture: the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Pravda during the war, David Ortenberg, offered Sholokhov journalistic work on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. The classic, who had previously desperately maneuvered to save the image of Grigory Melekhov, went on the occasion of propaganda.
Plot development
From the NKVD-shny protocol of interrogation, the idea of ​​the story “The Science of Hate” by Sholokhov was born. Its summary was in the testimony of political instructor Ferdman Zinovy ​​Yakovlevich. The prototype of the main character of the story was captured on 09/21/1941, escaped on 09/26/1941 and returned to the location of the Red Army on 11/21/1941. After a short investigation, the political instructor continued his service. The officers of the special department took into account the nationality of the fugitive. Since the Nazis shot the Jews, he had no motivation to intentionally surrender.
The testimony of Zinovy ​​Yakovlevich testified to the atrocities of the Germans. They did not capture officers. Seeing the captive officer’s strings, they were immediately shot. He also managed to discreetly tear off his insignia from his tunic.
According to Ferdman, the detained prisoners were kept in the open air, and fed with millet and a sunflower. There were about 20,000 of them in the concentration camp. The stomachs of the unfortunate could not stand it; they were dying. Dead by order of overseers thrown over the fence.
Propaganda stamps in the plot and the beginning of the story
The story of the officer’s capture and escape formed the basis of the story “The Science of Hate” by Sholokhov. The summary of the work was different from the original events. The composition of the story is quite traditional. The one on behalf of whom the story is being narrated came to the front-line unit, where Lieutenant Gromov serves, a mechanic mobilized to the front from a Siberian factory. As you can see, Sholokhov changed the nationality of the protagonist in order to please propaganda cliches. The narrator drew attention to the fact that at the sight of the prisoners in the eyes of the officer a fire of hatred is lit.
He gets acquainted with the lieutenant, having learned that he was in captivity. Twice they meet for conversation and Lieutenant Gromov tells his story. Note that Sholokhov himself personally did not communicate with Ferdman Zinovy ​​Yakovlevich.
According to the legend of Mikhail Alexandrovich, Gromov was married, had two children. His family also had a disabled father. With patriotic instructions his relatives escorted him to the front. Came to send the warrior on the road and the secretary of the district committee. Usually business-like and official, he, escorting fighters to the front, was also sympathetic.
Lieutenant Gromov arrives at the front
Since July 1941, Lieutenant Gerasimov has been participating in battles. The Red Army is retreating, but at the same time, the unit where the main character serves serves to captivate 15 Germans. Sholokhov’s story “The Science of Hate” tells us about the humane treatment of the Red Army with captive lips of a lieutenant. The summary of the work is further built on the principle of the antithesis “humanity - inhumanity”. First, we hear from the personnel officer of the part the phrase that the Germans treat Soviet prisoners and civilians differently.
Sholokhov's study of the idea of ​​hatred of enemies
Further, the part where the lieutenant serves, went on the offensive. Frankly, this is not typical for 1941. The author's fiction is obvious.
Gromov talks about the corpse of a fifth grader he saw, the same age as his daughter, raped and murdered by the Nazis. Near the unfortunate lay a geography textbook. He was shocked by the sight of the place of execution of Soviet fighters, where there was a pile of meat chopped from them, next to which were the pilots who were savagely killed. The lieutenant understands that he is fighting against non-humans, rabid sadists. The writer, beloved by the people, is concentratedly trying to arouse a hatred among the readers of the Germans.
Captivity
A further plot of the story explains why Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov gave it the name “The Science of Hate”. Gromov himself goes through the circles of hell of German captivity. They injure him in battle, and he falls into the hands of the invaders. Those capturing Soviet soldiers, the first thing they shot Jews from among them. Then their motorcyclists from machine guns killed prisoners who were behind the column.
The captured Red Army mocked primitively and constantly. Thirsty people were given to drink water mixed with mud because tanks passed through it.
When a fascist tank column was heading towards the column of prisoners of war, the head tank “accidentally” crushed several people marching at the head of the marching system. Convoys not only did not interfere with the incident, but also laughed at what happened.
Finally this lethal phase ended, and the convoy arrived at the concentration camp. Despite the approach of autumn, the prisoners were not even kept in barracks. Overnight places were not equipped for them, people slept simply on the ground, in the mud. They were fed poorly, the whole diet consisted of a handful of cereals and unboiled water. Prisoners were constantly beaten with sticks, butts.
The escape
Gerasimov’s wounds began to fester, and he went to the barracks for the wounded. All medical care was limited to the fact that the bandages were removed, and the wounds were sprinkled with ashes. Sholokhov ("The Science of Hate") tells of the inhuman conditions of prisoners in his story. Its summary, according to the author, can be expressed in a single thought: enemies should be destroyed. The logic is simple. It is consonant with the phrase of the Orthodox saint, the Right Prince Alexander Nevsky. As you know, the words belong to him: “He who comes to us with a sword will die by the sword!”
When the exhausted, sleeping on the ground in October prisoners were sent to build earthen fortifications, Lieutenant Gerasimov made a desperate escape. He killed a convoy with a shovel and, armed with his machine gun, disappeared into the forest. The exhausted, exhausted lieutenant barely wandered, while realizing that it was dangerous to go to the villages. The next day, partisans discovered and rescued him.
The image of a lieutenant
Surprising modern man is the reaction of Lieutenant Gerasimov to his salvation. He has no other emotions than hatred. And his desire is only one thing - "to return to the ranks of the fighters for the homeland" and "revenge to the end." Agree, it’s difficult to even compare this person with Grigory Melekhov!
How can one generally evaluate the story written by the regimental commissar, and then by Colonel M. A. Sholokhov (“The Science of Hate”)? The summary presented by us reveals that, unfortunately, in terms of its artistic merits, it is inferior by several orders of magnitude to Don Stories.
However, the publication of the writer was approved by I. Stalin himself. At the same time, the leader of the peoples wished the writer to create new novels “in the same vein”. And the writer really followed the recommendation. In 1943-1944 he publishes the chapters of the novel "They Fought for the Homeland," in which he repeats an attempt to introduce the main idea - hatred of enemies. What came of it? Despite the writer’s attempts to introduce elements of vitality into him through humor, the novel did not become his favorite book for readers.
Conclusion
This story is an illustration of what happens if a classic book is written even by the classic Sholokhov (“The Science of Hate”). Summary of the brief library really exists on the Internet. However, its presence and accessibility for readers should not be correlated with the artistic value of the story itself.
Most likely, we can conclude that literature cannot be made "to order" and "on time", since in this case the work is unlikely to greatly interest the reader.
In short, such a story was written in due time by Sholokhov (“The Science of Hate”). A summary and analysis of this work was presented by us in this article.