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In Mikhail Sholokhov's novel "Quiet Don" the main role is given to the family. The author considered it the most important asset of man.
The entire spiritual and everyday life of the Cossacks is built on the sacred concept of family, and if something threatens it, then the entire Cossacks may perish. Sholokhov truthfully describes life in their families. Outdated orders, strict upbringing and even sometimes cruel - this was what was accepted at that time. Even at the beginning of the work, it becomes clear that the men were in charge: they allowed themselves to rape the girls and beat them after the wedding.
The author identifies several families: Melekhovs, Listnitskys, Koshevoys, Korshunovs. The emphasis is placed precisely on the place where Grigory Melekhov, the main character of the work, grew up. We can get acquainted with their way of life, family traditions, moral standards, and understand one thing - they unquestioningly obey their father. If any problems were brewing, they were openly discussed at the family council. Their family was united, strong, but everything began to fall apart from the moment everyone began to hide certain things.
The events described in the novel took place during the most terrible period: there was a civil war, a revolution, brothers and sisters opposed each other. All this could not but affect the Cossacks and the main character too. The White Cossack movement failed, this hit traditional values and left an indelible mark on the entire family.
A series of terrible events awaited them: Peter died, Daria independently decided to commit suicide. Natalya and Ilyinichna also died tragically, without waiting for their son. What was unshakable collapsed very easily. And the wars, where brother killed brother, are to blame for everything. They brought a lot of grief and tears to every family. The conflict between family and personal foundations played an important role. The younger generation did not consider it necessary to observe traditions and listen to the instructions of their elders, which led to the devaluation of the family as such.
Gregory returned home to his son after Aksinya’s death. And at this moment the author shows that man has returned to past traditions and way of being. According to the author, the Don Cossacks have a future if family foundations are preserved.
Quiet Don is often compared to War and Peace. Yes, of course, they are similar in composition, but there is one striking distinctive feature: the heroes of Sholokhov’s novel lose the most valuable and dear thing they had - their family, and this depicts the entire dramatic character of that time.
Option 1: Briefly
(443 words) In the epic novel “Quiet Flows the Don,” the author focused on family thoughts - one of the main themes of the book and an eternal question that worries every person. The author showed the family foundations of the Cossacks before and after the establishment of Soviet power, and also touched upon the problems that people faced in their personal lives.
At the beginning of the novel, we are introduced to the family values and rules of the Cossacks. They lived according to the laws of patriarchal society and Orthodox traditions. The head of the house was the oldest man in the family, who still retained the ability to work. For example, for the Melekhovs, everything was decided by Panteley Prokofievich, and for the Korshunovs, it was not Grishak’s grandfather, but Miron Grigorievich, because the grandfather no longer had the ability to work and lead the family. For a man in this environment, the most important thing is strength, and only strength held the family together, and therefore the elderly and children were the least capable and protected. Thus, Grishak’s grandfather was deprived of proper care and even respect. Natalya was the only one who fed and washed her grandfather, and she did it out of mercy. Even as adults, children were still dependent on their parents: marriage issues were decided by the owner of the house, like everyone else. So, Grigory was forced to marry Natalya under pressure from his father. Such rules can hardly be called moral and honest, but they gave people the opportunity to live harmoniously and together. Only a strong family with a single leader could cultivate the land on time and grow crops that would allow them to survive in harsh conditions. Only practical decisions about marriage could guarantee people the increase in wealth necessary to give birth and raise future generations. Only an authoritarian approach could keep daughters-in-law like Daria in line and punish men like Aksinya’s father. Therefore, the family foundations of the Cossacks were logical for that time.
The reader sees that for the Don Cossacks the main values were family traditions. However, these values are crumbling under the harsh reality of wartime. The writer shows how war destroys family unity. This happens not only due to external reasons, when members of the same family fight in different places. Internal reasons also play an important role, which consist in changing the personality of a person who is in an unstable reality. So, the reader notices that Melekhov is no longer afraid of open feelings for Aksinya, he lives with her in full view of everyone, as with a “front-line wife,” and Natalya is waiting for him at home. The hero's sister Dunyashka quarrels with her elders because of Koshevoy and makes a decision without the consent of her relatives. Panteley Prokofievich is looting and risks incurring the wrath of his loved ones. The family is gradually falling apart, losing its values. Still, the author leaves little hope that the Melekhov family will be reborn, because Gregory’s son is alive.
It can be argued that, by raising the important topic of family, the author shows all the facets of patriarchal society and makes us think about what changes it requires. The heroes of Mikhail Sholokhov’s famous work “Quiet Don” are experiencing the collapse of family values, which emphasizes the drama of the war period. However, ahead of the survivors lies a complete renewal of family foundations.
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