Characteristics of Grigory Melekhov
Grigory Melekhov is a young Don Cossack, the main character of Sholokhov’s novel “Quiet Don”. His grandfather married a captured Turkish woman, so hot Turkish blood flows in Gregory. Melekhov loves his parents, his older brother Peter and his younger sister Dunyasha. He enjoys working in the field, fishing and doing agricultural work. Grigory's ardent disposition leads him to fall in love with Aksinya, a married woman, and is not shy about showing his feelings in public.
However, Gregory is a dual nature. Despite all his love for Aksinya, he does not dare to disobey his father and marry Natalya Korshunova. He immediately admits to Natalia that he does not love her. This act characterizes him as an open person, unable to hide the truth and be a hypocrite.
During the war, Gregory's character is revealed. He proves himself to be a brave warrior, capable of defending his homeland and comrades. Philanthropy is an important character trait of Melekhov. In an impulse, he saves Stepan Astakhov, his worst enemy, from death.
Over time, his attitude towards military events changes. He becomes disillusioned with the war and sees the shortcomings and imperfections of the political system.
The image and characteristics of Aksinya Astakhova in the novel “Quiet Don” by Sholokhov
Cossack Astakhova Aksinya is one of the main female characters in Sholokhov’s novel about the difficult fate of the people during the change of power.
The image and characterization of Aksinya in the novel “Quiet Don” help to understand how a woman feels, devoted and in love, but, by the will of fate, finds herself the wife of another person.
Aksinya's appearance
Everyone says about Aksinya that she is beautiful. A complete description of his appearance cannot be found. Everything is made up of details, bright and precise. Appearance catches people's eyes, it's hard not to start looking at a woman. Perhaps this is why the author says that Aksyutka’s beauty is destructive and vicious. It changes fate and only introduces complexity and problems. The woman’s beauty is so provocative that her neighbors envy her. Age and pregnancy do not change it.
What I especially like about her appearance:
- lips: “shamelessly greedy, plump”, “cherry”, “viciously greedy”;
beautiful head position;
thick black eyebrows;
The curls of curly hair and large fluffy rings falling down the neck add delicate charm. The Cossack woman's eyes are amazing. They blaze with flame and flicker blue. The shine of black eyes is filled with tears, but wet drops do not obscure the depth of feelings. You can feel the author’s tenderness and love for Aksyutka. The Cossack woman even treats gray hair jokingly: she pulls out the gray hairs at her temples and admires her beautiful face already at the end of her life.
Aksinya's character
A woman with a difficult fate is proud and resilient. There are very few joyful events in Aksyutka’s life. Even from my youth there are almost no happy days left in my memory. It began with rape by her father, then marriage and life with a man who beat her and did not appreciate the spiritual qualities of the ardent Cossack woman.
What traits did the beauty develop in herself:
Pride.
Aksinya always remains herself, does not lose her mind, does not humiliate herself. When a loved one decides to abandon her, she does not impose herself, smiles pitifully and confusedly, does not show despair, does not become hysterical, does not scream.
Honesty.
Astakhova does not hide her relationship with Grigory from her husband. She understands that the conversation will end in a beating, but she does not change her behavior and does not lie to her husband. The lover, openly, says that she has a sin. Stepan beats his wife severely, indiscriminately. She screams and cries, but does not ask for mercy or forgiveness.
Courage.
The Cossack woman knows how to fight back and stand up for herself. She is not afraid to talk to older men. Having met Father Gregory, he boldly responds to his insults. Aksinya tries to achieve her goal several times, going to dishonor just to be near the man she loves.
Thrift.
The woman knows how to knit, sew, and cook. Skillfully works around the house: mowing, whitewashing. The Cossack woman is not afraid of men's work: she covers the roof with thatch and drives the bulls.
Hard work.
Aksinya gets up at dawn and milks the cows. She tries to constantly work so as not to think, to hide feelings and painful thoughts under worries.
Kindness.
The Cossack woman is kind to others. Rare scenes of Aksinya not responding with concern to relatives and neighbors. The scene of the meeting with Natalya is probably the only one. The woman is kind to her husband, to Gregory’s mother, to the neighbor’s children.
Versatility of character
The Cossack woman dreams of love, family happiness, children. She obeys traditions, fulfills the will of her mother. Having become a wife, she endures beatings, humiliation, and does not contradict her mother-in-law. But no one knows what power lies within. The flexible Cossack woman changes and transforms when real feelings come. Passion grows and blossoms. The female image is real because it is ambiguous. Each reader perceives the character differently. The attitude towards Aksinya changes with the age of the reader. Young girls do not support many things in a woman’s behavior, mature girls begin to sympathize and empathize.
Those who tolerate and forgive betrayal have a different attitude. How many readers, so many opinions. Fate changes Aksinya's character. She becomes more sensual and open. The Cossack woman is not afraid of dangers or contempt; she chases happiness, hoping that it will still be nearby. Happiness is days with a loved one; for a minute of intimacy with him, Astakhova is ready to sacrifice herself. The dedication is simply amazing.
Passion and devotion to love
One of the main plot lines of the novel is the love of Grigory Melekhov and Aksinya Astakhova. Understanding feelings is difficult. Only those who have experienced true love can understand them. More often than not, their relationship is criticized. A married woman gives in to love so uncontrollably that she seems to be losing her head. But it is always easier to condemn than to understand. Aksinya fell in love with the man for his tender gaze, pleasant advances and extraordinary new feelings towards her. The connection between young people is open to all farmers. Aksinya fell in love with Gregory for the rest of her life. She is ready to follow him to the ends of the earth. The fate of a woman is so complex that even a part of it could be lived by a rare Cossack woman. Aksinya lives by her soul, she loses her loved one several times and finds her again. Troubled times are similar to rebellion in a woman’s soul. Just as Cossacks move from white to red, change gangs and atamans, so a woman rushes between men.
Stepan.
Astakhov realized that he loved his wife when he lost him. He managed to forgive her for betraying her, but behaves towards her like a master. True feelings are hidden so deeply that they are difficult to see.
Eugene.
The rich barchuk took advantage of the woman’s weakness. Plunged into grief after the death of her daughter, the woman was unable to fight back her owner and ended up in the hands of a skilled womanizer. But here there are no feelings in the relationship, only naked calculation and the use of one’s power over a beautiful Cossack woman.
Grigory.
Aksinya’s passionate, ardent nature captivated the strong man. Even after abandoning his beloved and marrying someone else, he was unable to forget her or fall in love with Natalya. Love haunts the Cossack all his life.
Aksinya dies in the arms of her loved one. Gregory loses the meaning of his existence. He wanders aimlessly, loses himself and returns to the farm to his son, to the little man who connects him with those living in a complex world.
Love is a complex feeling. It gives only happiness to a rare woman. Aksinya is no exception. For her, love for Gregory is a blessing, joy, warmth. Happy moments are mixed with sad ones. Love becomes a curse, leads to death.
Characteristics of Aksinya Astakhova
Aksinya Astakhova is the central female figure in a novel with a difficult fate. The author shows the reader a very beautiful black-haired Cossack woman. Her beauty was noticeable to everyone around her: “Her destructive, fiery beauty...” At the age of 16, she was raped by her father. While married to Stepan Astakhov, she was unhappy, since the man reproached her for not being able to maintain her maiden honor before marriage. An ardent girl falls in love with Melekhov, and not ashamed of her position, begins to flirt with him and then date him.
A strong feeling for the main character takes over her completely. She does not hide from her husband that she does not love him. In this, he and Gregory are very similar: both are honest with themselves and with others. Knowing that Melekhov loves her, she often treats Natalya rather arrogantly.
Essay by Aksinya Astakhova in the novel Quiet Don (Image and Characteristics) by Sholokhov
Aksinya Astakhova is one of the most passionate and piercing female images of Russian classics. A native Cossack woman with an extraordinary appearance, “alluring beauty”, is the greatest love of the Don Cossack - Grigory Melekhov. She accompanies the main character throughout the novel.
The fate of Gregory's beloved is not easy. She has had many trials in her life: sexual abuse by her own father, torture by a jealous husband, the death of two children in infancy, civil war and tragic death...
A native Cossack woman, Aksinya, has been familiar with hard peasant labor since childhood. She copes with any task around the house, in the garden and in the field. The work thrives in the heroine’s hands, saves her from sad thoughts, and brings joy.
An honest, proud and open Cossack woman is capable of decisive and courageous actions. Having fallen in love with Grigory Melekhov, she does not hide her betrayal from her husband and leaves him, without fear of condemnation from the villagers.
Aksinya is a wonderful mother, she endlessly loves her children and takes care of them with tenderness. Having lost her daughter from her beloved man, the woman experiences deep depression and in this state involuntarily cheats on Gregory, finding solace in the arms of Pan Listnitsky. The author does not idealize the heroine; she is earthly, with sins and vices.
At the same time, Aksinya is endowed with a kind and sensitive character, which helps her find the key to the heart of Grigory’s son, Mishatka. The heroine sincerely cares about Melekhov’s children after the death of their mother.
Aksinya’s sensitive soul is capable of perceiving the captivating beauty of nature: inhaling the aroma of the spring forest, hearing its extraordinary sound. At the same time, the lily of the valley flower, which had almost faded and would soon die, touched her to tears, reminding her of the transience of life.
Aksinya is capable of loving selflessly and devotedly. She fights for her love and does not want to give Grishka up to anyone. For Aksinya, the world dies if her lover is not around, and is reborn when they are together. The heroine, like no one else, understands Gregory, supports him in all matters, shares all his hardships with him. For the sake of her lover, Aksinya is ready to leave her native place even “to the ends of the world.” Boundless love helps the Cossack woman to steadfastly overcome all difficulties and misfortunes.
By a tragic coincidence, Aksinya dies from a bullet in the arms of Gregory, never having known calm family happiness.
The result of the novel is the heroine’s devoted love, carried through her entire life.
Essay 2
Aksinya is a very unusual, beautiful woman, plump with black hair that curls, and her hands are rough from work. Aksinya had beautiful black eyes and plump lips. Many women envy her. She was born in a Cossack village. Already at the age of sixteen, everyone began to notice her beauty.
Aksinya wants to get married and have children. The heroine was submissive to her mother and, on her instructions, married a man and suffered insults and even beatings from him. Aksinya herself was in love with Gregory.
The heroine's whole life was sad and difficult. There was no joy in her. She suffered rape from her own father, and then lived with a man who beat her and did not respect her. Her mother, having learned about her husband’s actions, decides to kill him and marry off her daughter.
Aksinya is still a very proud girl who does not force herself on anyone, not even her lover. Aksinya is also an honest woman; she did not hide her love affair with Gregory from her husband. The woman is also brave, she does not ask for mercy from her husband when he beats her very badly. Aksinya is very hardworking and economical. She can do not only women's work, such as sewing, knitting, cooking, but also men's work, for example, repairing the roof. A woman wakes up early in the morning and milks the cows. All this did not break the woman; she also remains good-natured and caring.
The work describes the love relationship between Aksinya and Gregory, who is their neighbor. Aksinya is very much in love with him. Their relationship is frowned upon. But she doesn’t care, she’s ready to follow her lover to the ends of the earth. Life developed in such a way that her lover either left her or returned again.
Her husband Stepan, somewhere deep in his soul, realizes that he loves his wife. He forgives his wife’s betrayal, but continues to behave like a gentleman towards her.
Grigory was married to another woman, but never forgot his mistress Aksinya. This love followed him throughout his life.
Aksinya had already somehow tried to forget her lover; she started an affair with Evgeniy after she recovered from the death of their daughter together with Grigory. But the lovers’ relationship was constantly renewed, and with new feelings.
Aksinya’s life also ended tragically. She died right in the arms of her loved one. Gregory suffered greatly, wandered, but then returned to his son.
Love for Aksinya had both sad and joyful events. She also ruined her life.
The image of Aksinya in the novel Quiet Don
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Love in the life of Grigory Melekhov (based on the novel by M.A. Sholokhov “Quiet Don”)
The heroes of “Quiet Don” are revealed most fully in the wonderful feeling of love. The most developed love line in the novel is Grigory - Aksinya - Natalia. Throughout the entire work, we see Grigory Melekhov, who rushes between two beautiful women and cannot make a choice. In the feeling of love, the female characters of the novel are most fully revealed. Aksinya confronts Natalya. These are two completely different natures. They are united only in love for Gregory. But these women also love differently. Aksinya is a young, stately beauty. She attracts the attention of many men, even while married to Stepan Astakhov. But Aksinya is unhappy and has been so from a young age: “at the age of sixteen she was raped by her fifty-year-old father. Mother and brother beat the old man to death, and a year later they gave their daughter away to Stepan.” But this woman also feels unhappy in her marriage: “After the first night, Stepan began beating his young wife, beating her until the child was born, who died before she even lived a year.” That is why, it seems to me, Aksinya responded to Gregory’s persistent advances. But Melekhov did not allow her passage: either he would meet her by the river, then he would come up to her in the field, then he would invite her to fish. Aksinya poured out all her unspent love on Gregory. But Gregory’s father heard rumors about his son’s relationship with a married woman. He decides to marry Grishka. Melekhov was afraid to disobey his father and married Natalya, deciding to break off his previous relationship with Aksinya. But the hero’s life with Natalya, who loved him very much, did not work out. Gregory could not forget Aksinya. He directly told his wife about this. But, at the same time, Grigory did not agree to leave home, as Aksinya suggested to him. It seems to me that this was due to the hero’s great love for his home, his native land. So Melekhov suffered for a long time himself and tortured both women. But Aksinya, despite everything, did not give up. She firmly decided: “Gregory is mine, and he will be mine forever.” Soon the woman gets her way. Grigory leaves his wife and goes with Aksinya to Yagodnoye. But the happiness of the heroes was short-lived - Gregory was drafted into the army. After his departure, Natalya comes to Aksinya. She cannot forget her husband and wants to persuade Aksinya to “give” Gregory to her. But Natalya’s gaze concerns Grigory’s daughter. The woman’s heart aches: the girl is so similar to Melekhov, and she, the wife, could not bear him a child. Natalya goes home in tears, but even there she continues to wait for at least news, a “bow” from her beloved. At this time, Aksinya has a problem: her daughter dies. Out of despair and hopelessness, she gives in to the courtship of Master Listnitsky. Gregory finds out about this. He arrives in Yagodnoye and breaks up with Aksinya, whipping her for betrayal. After this, the hero lives with Natalya for some time, and they have children. Over these few months, Natalya felt like a truly happy woman. Gregory began to understand and appreciate her. After all, because of the love for her husband, this heroine even wanted to commit suicide, but she did not die and remained crippled for the rest of her life. Natalya went through a lot while she was waiting for Gregory, but remained faithful to him until the end of her life. And yet, no matter how hard Natalya tried, Aksinya was much closer to Grigory. During the war, Gregory again gets together with his neighbor's wife. He tells Natalya that this is just a way to forget, to distract from the horrors of war. But it seems to me that this is simply love, which cannot be escaped, which is stronger than all barriers and conventions. Once again, Gregory’s life takes a sharp turn. Again he leaves Natalya and begins to live with Aksinya. The love between these heroes flares up with renewed vigor. But soon tragedy happens again: Natalya dies. She simply cannot stand Gregory’s new betrayal and understands that she has lost the battle with Aksinya. Having learned that she is pregnant, Natalya decides to get rid of Grigory’s child. This ends tragically for the heroine: she dies, bleeding to death. I think that pride and fatigue from the eternal, meaningless struggle is pushing her to take this step. But before her death, Natalya calls Gregory, she wants to see him. It is bitter that only after the death of his wife does Melekhov begin to understand how much Natalya meant in his life, how much she did for him. Under the pressure of these feelings, Grigory breaks up with Aksinya: he wants to leave clean memories of Natalya, he does not want to denigrate her memory. Aksinya understands all this and moves away, temporarily moving away from Melekhov. At the end of the novel, Gregory also loses his other love: Aksinya dies in his arms. This finally cripples the hero. His life becomes meaningless. He seeks support from his native land and from his family, his only son. Gregory's love is sad, just like his fate. Everything is confused in the hero’s life, as well as in his country, captured by a whirlwind of revolutions and civil war. But, by and large, the hero can be called a happy person. He was loved by two beautiful women who remained faithful to Gregory to the end. The emptiness and loneliness of the hero at the end of the novel is the fault not only of Melekhov, but also of all the events taking place in Russia. We can say that Grigory Melekhov was lucky with love, but unlucky with the time in which he was destined to live and love.
