Sholokhov's epic novel "Quiet Don" rightly occupies a special place in the history of Russian literature. The author devoted a decade and a half of his life to creating a literary masterpiece. The book begins in 1912, before the outbreak of the First World War, and ends in 1922. Knowing the life and way of life of the Cossacks from the inside, Sholokhov placed the main emphasis on describing the Cossacks. The ending of the epic contains philosophical overtones. The author gives the main character the right to make independent decisions and undergo new life tests.
The main characters of "Quiet Don"
Grigory Melekhov | In “Quiet Don” the hero Grigory Melekhov is contradictory and multifaceted. It seems that he is the main character. But his primitive outlook “gives him away”. Gregory is a lost seeker of truth. From an early age, his life was thoughtless, but subordinated to following traditions. Passionate love for Aksinya could not stir up a thirst for life in him. He seems to live without interest, blindly following the established principles and rules of life. Gregory was not a supporter of bloody measures, but he had to pick up a saber instead of a plow. |
Natalia | The image of Natalia is given a special place in the novel. It is associated with a classic love triangle, where two women fell in love with one Cossack. The heroine's life is extremely tragic. She is a hardworking and hardworking woman. Even after giving birth, Natalya retained all these qualities. Her image is an example of a personality of unshakable moral principles. The strength of her character was manifested in the fact that the shy Natalya showed determination in marriage, while her parents were against it. |
Aksinya | Aksinya is the central image of the work. The woman is attractive, strong and independent. The image of Aksinya personifies a true Cossack woman. But it is also a characteristic of a woman who is capable of sacrificing herself in the name of love. The heroine's life is contradictory. The whole village is gossiping about the connection with Gregory. The relationship between Aksinya and Gregory is deep and fulfilling. It was she who decided to step over conventions and move out of the farm. She followed her beloved, driven by love and passion. |
Minor characters
Stepan Astakhov | Stepan Astakhov is a young Cossack, a neighbor of Grigory Melekhov. Stepan is a physically developed man. The author describes him as having iron hands and lead fists. The hero is married to Aksinya. After the wedding, they had a child, but died before he was a year old. |
Panteley Prokofievich Melekhov | On his mother's side he is Turkish. Father of Grigory Melekhov. In his younger years, he beat his wife and cheated on her. In his old age he came to his senses. By nature, the man is hot-tempered and willful, but also an energetic and hardworking person. He is the undisputed head of the family. |
Vasilisa Ilyinichna Melekhova | An aged Cossack woman, the mother of the Melekhov family. She is a hard-working and hospitable hostess. She had to experience many insults and betrayals from her husband. After the death of her husband and son Peter, she loses faith in life and soon dies, without waiting for Gregory from the front. |
Petr Melekhov | Gregory's older brother. He treats his nephews with love and warmth. When Peter goes to war, his wife Daria cheats on him with Stepan Astakhov. He is characterized as an easy-going and likable person. Even in war, he tries to benefit for himself. |
Daria Melekhova | Wife of Peter Melekhov. A brash, sharp-tongued, man-hungry woman. Having become infected with syphilis, he commits suicide by drowning himself in the Don. |
Dunyasha | Younger sister of Grigory and Peter Melekhov. She married Mishka Koshevoy, despite the protests of the family. |
Miron Korshunov | Father-in-law of Grigory Melekhov. Has four children and a wife. The Korshunov family is the most prosperous on the farm. Miron Korshunov is proud of his wealth. He doesn't always deliver on his promises. With the advent of Soviet power, Miron is arrested, and he loses most of his acquired wealth at the time of the civil war. |
Marya Lukinichna | Miron Korshunov's wife, Natalia's mother. Affectionate and gentle mother, obedient wife. She understands that Natalya will be unhappy with Grigory, so she tries to timidly dissuade her from marriage, but Natalya claims that only Grigory is sweet to her. Marya Lukinichna understands her daughter because she understands what love is. |
Grishak's grandfather | Father of Miron Korshunov, the oldest member of the Korshunov family. Grandfather – participant in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877 – 1878. |
Dmitry Korshunov | Mitka is Gregory's childhood friend. He grew up in a rich family, but work is commonplace for him. By nature, the person is obstinate and cocky. Pride and rebellion characterize him in the best possible way. He is a cruel man. For his work in the punitive squad he receives the nickname “dragon”. |
Evgeny Listnitsky | Nobleman, Cossack. Serves as a centurion of the Ataman regiment. Seduces Aksinya, who was looking for consolation after the death of her and Grigory’s child. In the Listnitskys' house, Aksinya and Grigory were in service when they decided to flee the farm to live together, leaving their families. |
Nikolai Alekseevich Listnitsky | Evgeniy's father. The owner of the Yagodnoye estate, where Aksinya and Grigory went to work. Nikolai Alekseevich - Cossack general. |
Mishka Koshevoy | The hero is the main breadwinner in the family. During the civil war he becomes a zealous Bolshevik. The bear kills Pyotr Melekhov. The Melekhov family is against his wedding with Dunyasha. But they get married no matter what. Dunyasha knows that Mishka is responsible for the death of her brother. |
Chrysanthos Tokin (Christonia) | A large, clumsy Cossack who served in the Ataman Regiment. Part of Gregory's inner circle of friends. The eldest of all Cossacks. |
Ivan Avdeevich Sinilin | An old Cossack nicknamed “Brech”. A passionate storyteller who loves to lie in the stories he tells for the sake of “beauty.” |
Sergey Platonovich Mokhov |
Rich merchant. In the Tatarskoye farm there is a stranger, a stranger from out of town. Mokhov is the owner of a shop and a steam mill on the farm.
The supporting characters are listed only by nicknames, such as the old man from the Tatarsky farm, Smorchok, a quarrelsome man, and Semak, a participant in the Veshensky indignation, essentially a robber. These characters are identified in the list only by nicknames. Sholokhov's novel is a brief but complete description of human destinies. All images are taken from the people. The concept found deep artistic reflection in the epic: in a genuine illustration of the life of the people, their way of life and work, in a brief description of the participation of the masses in historical events. The list of the main characters of “Quiet Don” is a story of interaction between people in different life situations.
Characters of "Quiet Don"
Sholokhov's heroes originate from ordinary people living in the vastness of the Don, in addition, most of them were taken from certain individuals and were historical. In total, the film features about 699 characters.
Main characters
The character of each hero and his place in the novel are presented in the table. Using these guidelines, you can analyze the personality of each character.
| Melekhov Grigory | It appears to the reader in a completely ambiguous way. He either goes over to the side of the Reds or fights for the Whites. In fact, Gregory is the image of a person eternally seeking truth. From a young age, he does not obey the traditions of society, listens to his father, but does not support him on many issues. He is individual, he has his own unique point of view on everything. Love for Aksinya is the only thing that can defeat reason in him, and even then not for a long time. Gregory was not a supporter of bloody measures and sacrifices, but he had to give in to many of his principles. |
| Aksinya | One of the central images of the work. She embodies a strong and independent personality, capable of coping with any adversity. She is a real Cossack by nature. The image of Aksinya is the image of a woman who lives by feelings, she is not afraid to show them and express her thoughts, she lives as she sees fit, and does not justify herself to anyone. At the same time, she is ready to give the possible and the impossible for love. Having strong feelings for Gregory, she follows him. |
| Natalia | Through the image of Natalia, the author shows “holy”, pure love, capable of surviving all obstacles and remaining in the heart forever. Natalya is a hard-working Cossack woman who sees the meaning of life in family and children; she is very hardworking, true to herself and her moral priorities. Shy and God-fearing by nature, Natalya managed to defend her position: she expressed a desire to get married, while her parents were categorically against it, she returns after attempting to commit suicide to her husband’s house, considering it right, not paying attention to the assessment of her actions from aspects of society. |
Minor characters
Each hero of Sholokhov is a separate human destiny that existed at that time. Describing the masses in such important events of the state is another goal of the author.
The interaction of these heroes is the second most important goal, which complements the first.
First, secondary characters provide the background from which the main characters can live and develop. Secondly, they show the stereotyping of some individuals.
| Panteley Melekhov | Father of Grigory Melekhov. He had a stern disposition and a hot character. In his youth, he led the wild life of a typical Cossack: he drank, fought, and beat his young wife. On the other hand, he appears as the undoubted head of the family, a hardworking and honest family man. |
| Vasilisa Melekhova | The mother of the entire large Melekhov family. A hardworking and decent woman. She suffered many trials and sorrows: beatings and betrayals of her husband, his death and the death of her son, Peter. He dies of grief without waiting for Gregory to return. |
| Petr Melekhov | Gregory's brother. Loyal to his family. He suffers the betrayal of his wife Daria with Stepan Astakhov. His image is that of a calm, flexible person who values family and comfort, but always seeks his own benefit. |
| Dunyasha | Younger sister of Grigory and Peter Melekhov. Marries Mikhail Koshevoy. |
| Daria | Wife of Peter Melekhov. She is distinguished by a caustic character, willful, and self-confident. She cheats on her husband, after which she commits suicide due to contracting syphilis. |
| Astakhov Stepan | Neighbor of the Melekhov family. He is married to Aksinya, whom she married as a young girl. Stepan's family life is not successful. Having learned about his wife's betrayal, he brutally beats her. The author describes him as a physically strong man, a true Cossack. |
| Miron Korshunov | Father-in-law of Grigory Melekhov. Not the most honest hero of all. He is proud of the wealth he has acquired. After the arrival of Soviet power, he suffered material losses and was arrested. |
| Evgeny Listnitsky | Cossack by blood and nobleman by birth. He is a centurion of a regiment of atamans. Tries to seduce Aksinya. Aksinya and Grigory are in his house after escaping from their farm. |
| Mishka Koshevoy | Bolshevik. The main breadwinner of the family. And during the war he kills Pyotr Melekhov. Marries Dunyasha. |
There are also heroes in the novel who are present in the narrative briefly, but set the overall tone of the picture:
- Marya Lukinichna is the image of a meek and loving mother, a submissive wife, obeying her husband in everything. At the decisive moment, she managed to let her daughter Natalya go, because she understood what love was.
- Grishak's grandfather. This is the father of Miron Korshunov, the eldest representative of the Korshunov family. Participant and witness of many wars. Supports Natalia.
- Dmitry Korshunov. Childhood friend of Grigory Melekhov. Since childhood, I grew up in a rich family. He had a harsh character. During the war he works in a punitive detachment, for which he receives the loud nickname “dragon”.
These characters, although they appear in the story for a short time, play an important role in recreating a holistic picture of the Cossack world and history.
In this way, the writer was able to realize several important tasks in his creation: a description of the life, way of life and customs of the Cossacks, a show of real, living characters, a story about ordinary people during important historical events.
Literary specificity of “Quiet Don”
The description of events opens in the May days of 1912 and ends in the spring of 1922. Mikhail Sholokhov conducted a detailed study of the everyday life of the Cossacks on the Don, presenting the results of this work in the form of an extensive literary panorama. In addition, the work is not without a philosophical basis, extensive and poignant reflections on problems and things that always remain relevant. The characters that the writer brings to life in the novel are given the right to autonomous existence, decision-making, happiness and suffering.
“Quiet Don” is a large-scale work, because the epic novel includes several volumes:
- The writer created the first, second and third parts of the work, and later published it, in the period from 1925 to 1932.
- The author presented the fourth part of “Quiet Don” to the public in 1940.
The number of characters depicted by Mikhail Sholokhov on the pages of the novel is surprising: the total number of heroes in the epic is 699 figures. In addition, about a quarter of the characters in "Quiet Don" existed in reality and are considered historical figures.
We have already mentioned that the genre of the work is an epic novel and a battle novel. As for the literary direction of “Quiet Don,” the text is classified as socialist realism.
The central figures of the epic novel
Of course, as in most literary works, Mikhail Sholokhov’s text also includes characters of the first and second plan. To begin with, let's focus on the key characters of "Quiet Don".
Image of Grigory Melekhov
The main character of the work is an extremely ambivalent figure. Gregory has both positive and negative traits, causing conflicting emotions in readers.
We called Melekhov the main character, because that’s what it really seems like when reading the first pages of “Quiet Don”. However, the character is endowed with a limited outlook.
This narrow-mindedness, cowardice shown by Gregory when solving ordinary everyday problems, doubts that come to the surface when it comes to responsibility, lethargy and softness produce a repulsive impression. Melekhov appears as a seeker of truth, love, and passion, confused in life.
Since childhood, Gregory has been under pressure from strict family traditions, but the young man does not understand the essence of accepted customs, following them thoughtlessly. The hero’s personal qualities negatively affected Melekhov’s reputation. For example, temperament, an excessive desire for independence (which - in principle - is impossible to achieve, given the influence of public opinion on the life of an individual) led to the fact that the parents of Gregory's future wife opposed marriage.
From the first pages of the novel, the reader notices that the hero’s life is ordinary, normal, typical for farmers. Gregory’s mornings are spent helping his father with household chores, and Melekhov spends his evenings at “games.” Passion for Aksinya bursts into Gregory’s planned life, destroying the accepted order.
Dear lovers of Russian literature! We invite you to read a summary of the Don Stories by Mikhail Sholokhov
Melekhov is not satisfied with the measured and morally correct life that his father provided for the hero. The desire to break out of the shackles that seem to prevent Gregory from living to the fullest pushes the hero into a passion for Aksinya. This is forbidden love, because Aksinya is not free: the woman is married. However, the hope that the thirst for life will awaken along with passion for the girl turns out to be in vain. Gregory returns to the roots: traditions, blind submission to the once established orders.
Fatum Melekhov Grigory is haunted by a certain fate. For example, Melekhov is a gentle young man, sensitive to the world, who does not want to harm living beings. However, in wartime, Gregory has to go fight, kill enemies, shed blood. Bloodshed, especially the murder of people like themselves, is alien to the hero, but Gregory does it because duty dictates it. Returning from the war, Melekhov feels that his heart has turned to stone and has lost its former tenderness and innocence. The war demonstrated violence, injustice, and useless cruelty to Melekhov. The hero's soul did not accept such a truth of life. Gradually, Gregory becomes interested in the ideas of the Reds. But the red ideology also disappoints Melekhov. After the execution of Chernetsov and the boy officers subordinate to the commander, Grigory finally turns away from the Reds, taking part in the Cossack uprising. After the uprising, the hero ends up in Fomin's gang. As a result, Melekhov is recognized as an enemy of the people and is persecuted.
Dear readers! We invite you to familiarize yourself with the image of Grigory Melekhov in Mikhail Sholokhov’s novel “Quiet Don”
The hero's genealogy begins with a tragic event, and a similar evil fate haunts all family members. Grigory was the youngest son of Pantelei Melekhov. Particular attention was drawn to Gregory's eyes, which he probably inherited from his father: slightly slanted, hot. Sholokhov calls the character’s look “bestial.” In the end, Grigory returns to Aksinya again, but the death of his beloved woman - partly through Melekhov's fault - dooms the hero to eternal misfortune. An amnesty could improve Grigory's situation, however, grief-stricken Melekhov returns to the farm to his children. In general, it is fair to say that the image of Gregory is a complex embodiment of the qualities characteristic of the Don Cossacks living at the beginning of the twentieth century.
