Levinson
Joseph (Osip) Abramovich Levinson is one of the main characters of the novel “Destruction”, the commander of a partisan detachment. He is a short and unprepossessing man with a red beard. The main feature of Levinson’s appearance is his “blue, like a whirlpool” eyes. By nature, he is a true commander, whom everyone respects and listens to. He never shows his doubts; he gives orders clearly and confidently. He does not share his thoughts or concerns with anyone, so as not to cause confusion in the ranks. Among the partisans he enjoys unquestioned authority. Levinson knows for sure that you can lead people by pointing out their weaknesses, but without showing your own. Even the most brutal actions of the commander in the detachment are taken for granted, because the orderlies know that he does everything deliberately.
So, for example, when it was decided to euthanize the hopelessly ill Frolov, so as not to have to take the hospital with him, no one objected. Even Frolov himself was not against it. The shooting of the “man in a vest” was also accepted unquestioningly. The fighters knew that Levinson put their interests above all else. When there was nothing to eat, he without hesitation began to clear the nearby rural fields just to feed his squad. He saw that the partisans were pretty tired and tried in every possible way to support their morale. At the end of the novel, the mortally tired commander was no longer able to hide his weakness. Realizing that the weak-willed Mechik was riding ahead of the reconnaissance, he did not even object. Finding himself face to face with the Cossack squadron, he led the detachment to break through. As a result, nineteen soldiers survived along with the commander.
The author's choice of time and place of action
Fadeev, talking about the partisan movement that unfolded in the Far East during the civil war, chooses for his story a tragic situation, which is indicated in the title: we are talking about the defeat of one detachment of partisans. The characters of various heroes are revealed most clearly in these tests, as our analysis shows. “Destruction” (Fadeev) is a work in which the idea of personality transformation plays a large role. According to the author himself, a “remaking of people” is taking place.
Morozka
Ivan Morozka is one of the main characters in A. A. Fadeev’s novel “Destruction,” a brave and desperate orderly from Levinson’s squad, a 27-year-old former miner. Outwardly, he was a stocky guy with clear, green-brown eyes, but by nature he was rustic, cunning and reckless. He did everything in his life thoughtlessly and rashly. He even married the lascivious Vara, who now worked in the forest infirmary and flirted with everyone. From the age of 12, Morozka worked in a mine, then went to war, where he was wounded and shell-shocked more than once. If at the beginning of the novel he is shown as a capricious orderly who refuses to take the package to a neighboring detachment, then as events develop it becomes clear that Morozka is a worthy person.
On the way to Shaldyba's detachment, he saves the wounded Mechik. Later he will have to regret it, but this only indicates the good heart of the hero. He is practically not jealous of his wife and approaches life quite simply. Frost can easily steal crops from the fields, since such behavior is in his blood. One day, when he was caught stealing melons by Chairman Ryabets, it was decided to convene a village meeting. Morozka sincerely repented of what he had done and gave the miner his word not to do this again. He didn't like the sword anymore. He seemed to him like some kind of “worthless neat guy” and “mama’s boy.” Having learned that his wife was having an affair with him, he felt insulted. The hero experienced a strong shock when his horse was killed, since he considered him a friend. And at the end of the novel, unlike the cowardly Pavel Mechik, Morozka behaved with dignity. Having stumbled upon the Cossacks in an ambush, he managed to warn the detachment of the danger with shots in the air.
Mechik
Pavel Mechik is one of the heroes of A. A. Fadeev’s novel “Destruction”, a young and intelligent man who graduated from a gymnasium in the city. There are a lot of immature traits in this character. He joins the partisan detachment in search of adventure and exploits, but is quickly disappointed in his choice. As it turned out, the people around him were not at all like the heroes his imagination had drawn. For the first time in the novel, he appears when he is saved from certain death by the brave and desperate orderly Morozka. By nature, he is somehow too “clean” and Morozka immediately understands that this person should not be trusted. Over time, he even calls him “mama’s boy.” In addition, Mechik starts an affair with Morozka’s wife, nurse Varya.
Mechik's character manifests itself a little later, when he is discharged from the hospital and accepted into the squad. He doesn’t have a good relationship with anyone, and he comes across a kind of “sorrowful” horse, but he decides not to take special care of it. When the squad leader, Levinson, reprimands him, he begins to make excuses. Somehow he even admits that he feels bad in the detachment, since no one understands his lofty reasoning. For a while, he becomes close to Chizh, who teaches him to take time off from work and often speaks unflatteringly about the commander in conversation. Mechik manifests himself in the worst and most vile way during the retreat of the detachment, when he walks ahead and must warn the detachment about a passing threat, but instead cowardly runs away into the forest. So, through his fault, Morozka dies, following him, but managing to warn the detachment about the advancing Cossacks with shots in the air.
Option 2
Morozka
The main character in the work is a young guy of twenty-seven years old, hardworking, accustomed to working since childhood. Morozka does not understand the purpose of the civil war. The guy is a good friend and comrade. A brave and desperate guy ended up in Levinson’s squad. He is cunning and capable of reckless actions.
Throughout the entire work, readers are shown how Morozka step by step becomes a person, and in the finale becomes a revolutionary who can give his life for his comrades in battle.
Morozka was married to a girl named Varvara, a nurse, and he did it in the heat of the moment. His wife turned out to be a prodigal girl, not averse to having fun with other men.
Levinson
This hero is a commander in a partisan detachment. He is short with a reddish beard on his face and has large blue eyes. He is fearless and doesn't look up to anyone. He is a brave and brave man. He understands that he must act as a real commander, from whom his charges will follow an example. As a commander, he is very responsible, he understands that the lives of his charges depend on him, he takes care of his squad. He is respected by his players. He is smart and patient. He is able to find a way out where the situation seems completely hopeless. Levinson may be strict, but he is fair. The hero is also responsible, educated and tactful. He can carry on any conversation.
Mechik
This character is also in the partisan detachment; he was once saved from death by Morozok. Young Mechik joined the service out of curiosity; he did not realize that a harsh reality awaited him there. He wanted to find adventure and perhaps accomplish some feats, but over time he became disappointed, since his expectations did not coincide with reality. Mechik started an affair with the protagonist’s wife. This character turned out to be cowardly, and it was because of this that Morozka died.
Blizzard.
This character is very brave and courageous. He is decisive, brave, knows exactly what he wants. A hero died to save one boy. This character is sympathetic to every reader. He was dedicated to his military cause. He was a good-natured and compassionate person.
Varya.
The heroine Varya is Morozka’s wife, who never loved him, but loved to receive attention and courtship from other men. She is described as a rude girl who treats everything and everyone with indifference. When she meets Mechik, she falls in love with him. She tries to appear decent in front of her husband.
Other works: ← Analysis of the collection Kolyma Stories by Shalamov ↑ Others Analysis of Stendhal's work Red and Black →
Varya
Varya, Varvara Morozova, Morozka’s wife, one of the heroes of the novel “Destruction” by A.A. Fadeev. Varya is given quite a lot of time in the novel, although her role is not the main one.
The image of Varya is not accidental in the novel; perhaps the author wanted to show that feelings can arise in war, or maybe he wanted to show a woman’s soul that wants beautiful and pure love.
Varya, even though she is Morozka’s wife, everyone speaks of her as “lascivious”, unable to refuse any man. She is described in the novel as some kind of rude, indifferent girl. Indifferent to yourself, to what others will say. She tries to maintain decency in front of her husband. When Mechik appears in the infirmary, she falls in love with him, with great pure love, which she had never experienced before - “I don’t need anything, I don’t need anything - as long as he wants, loves me...”. And when Mechik did not understand her love and desire for something bright, “something big and alarming broke off in her,” and she no longer cared about everything.
At the end of the novel, we see that Varya still loves Morozka, of course not so reverently, but she understands that she has no one closer, perhaps they could have had some kind of future if Morozka had not died.
History of creation
The story of writing the novel “Destruction” is based on the author’s life experience. From it we know interesting facts:
- The work is based on the personal experience of Alexander Fadeev, who actively participated in the war on the side of the Reds and fought as part of a partisan detachment until 1921 in Siberia and the Far East.
- Almost immediately after the end of the war, Fadeev began to engage in literary and journalistic activities. At first he wrote a short story, “The Blizzard,” but over time he decided to expand it into a novel.
- In 1924, the writer began work on the work and completed it in two years.
- The novel “Destruction” made the author a rising star of Soviet literature. Fadeev gained popularity and took an important place in the Communist Party. Subsequently, he received serious posts that did not leave him time for full-fledged creativity. Therefore, many critics said it became his best work.
- In 1931 and 1958, the book was filmed in the USSR.
- Even Fadeev’s propaganda prose, aimed at glorifying communist ideology, was not approved by strict censors. They criticized the frivolous expressions of the heroes, who with their speech discredit the image of a fighter for socialism. In subsequent publications, phrases like “your mother” and “weak at the front” were excluded.
Blizzard
One of the characters in the novel by Fadeev A.A. "Destruction" is the shepherd Metelitsa. He is described as a brave, determined man. Metelitsa was impulsive “his eyes always burned with an insatiable desire to catch up with someone and fight”, but at the same time his “head... was not devoid of military acumen”, if not for his heroic death, in a year or two he could have become a commander .
A whole chapter is devoted to Blizzard, or rather to his heroic deed. Having gone on reconnaissance, he was caught, which might not have happened if not for his eccentricity and curiosity. But in captivity he behaved like a real hero. He didn't think about his life or death, he thought about how to show his enemies his contempt. Even when he was taken to the square, he walked proudly, like an animal, without fear of death. And he died, attacking the officer so that everyone would be distracted from the boy who was guarding his horse. Did he think that he could stay alive, wait for his own in captivity? I don’t think such a thought even crossed his mind. But, in my opinion, if not for his curiosity, the outcome of the novel could have been different. Metelitsa was not a coward, he was brave and swift, his courage admired those around him, and no one from the detachment could even imagine that he could be killed or caught during reconnaissance, he was so swift and lightning fast.
