How the relationship between Gregory and Aksinya developed. Gregory and Aksinya

The epic novel “Quiet Don” is an illustration of the social and military-political life of the first quarter of the 20th century. One of the main motives is the love of Grigory Melekhov and Aksinya in “Quiet Don”. How did the fate of the heroes develop, and how did their characters change?

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. Gregory'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.

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.

Love of Gregory and Aksinya

The love story of Aksinya and Gregory is full of twists and turns and tragic events. From the very beginning of the relationship they have to overcome difficulties. Aksinya, a married Cossack woman, was not allowed to communicate with the handsome Gregory. However, there were no prohibitions for lovers. Neither rumors nor the disapproving whispers of neighbors behind their backs could restrain their passionate feelings. At the insistence of his father, Gregory marries, but he continues to love only one woman - Aksinya. Aksinya also does not hide her betrayal from her husband.

During Melekhov's stay in the war, his child with Aksinya dies. Aksinya, in despair, cheats on him. Rumors reach Grigory and he turns away from his beloved, deciding to return to Natalya. However, his heart is still occupied with Aksinya. Natalya, suffering from illness and because of her lover’s betrayal, cannot stand it and dies.

Grigory and Aksinya understand that their feelings are still alive. Because of problems, Grigory and Aksinya decide to run away, but on the way to Aksinya they die from a bullet. Grigory, lost with grief, does not know how to continue to live and decides to stay in the forest with the partisans. After living in the forest for some time, he decides to return to his homeland, where he will raise his son.

This article will help schoolchildren write an essay “Aksinya and Grigory” in Sholokhov’s work “Quiet Don”. The article reveals in detail the characters of Aksinya Astakhova and Grigory Melekhov, their relationships and difficulties.

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The epic novel by M. A. Sholokhov “Quiet Don” shows Russia in difficult times for it. The country is shaken by the First World War and the Civil War. Against the backdrop of these difficult events, the author describes the all-consuming and tragic love of the main characters.

Grigory Melekhov and the Cossack girl Aksinya are forced to fight for their love, overcome social prejudices, reproaches and general condemnation. The heroes are not going to give up because of these trials, which proves the depth and sincerity of their love.

Grigory could not resist the charms of the beautiful Cossack woman, courting her and seeking her attention. Aksinya, who had seen many sorrows in her life, succumbed to his onslaught. She rushed into the pool of feelings for the reason that she passionately thirsted for love. Something she was deprived of since childhood. At a young age, her father abused her, then she suffered beatings and humiliation from her husband Stepan Astakhov. It is not surprising that she opened her heart to Melekhov, because he gave her the affection, attention and care that she so desired.

But society, traditions and moral principles rebelled against the lovers. Gregory's father married him to Natalya, hoping thereby to save his son from what he believed was a destructive feeling. But with this marriage, Gregory only made two women unhappy, each of whom loved him in her own way. He is still tormented, unable to choose one of them.

Aksinya’s passionate and ardently loving nature attracts Gregory like a magnet. They decide to go together as workers to the landowner Listnitsky, so as not to be separated and to be close. They are both ready to endure hard work and misunderstanding of their relatives.

But even here the love of Gregory and Aksinya is hampered by the outbreak of war, and the lovers are forced to separate. Living with Listnitsky, Aksinya and Melekhov endure a lot of grief, and the departure of their beloved man to war broke Aksinya. She could not resist giving in to the obsessive attention of her master's son. Having returned, Grigory learns about his beloved’s betrayal and goes back to Natalya. Life seems to test them with adversity and separation, plays with them, now creating barriers, now bringing lovers together again.

The difficult times in the country serve as the perfect backdrop to their tragic fate. These events helped to understand the depth of the relationship between two people who cannot imagine life without each other. Both Grigory and Aksinya managed to preserve their love and did not allow trials to break it. Fate does not give every person a chance for such love.

Gregory has to endure the death of both women: first his wife Natalya, who could not bear the pain of losing to her rival, then Aksinya, the woman for whom he was ready to do anything. Despite everything, he knew a sincere and real feeling that knew no barriers. Grief did not break him, did not embitter him. He left behind a son, who now becomes the meaning of life for Gregory.

The beautiful Aksinya lived most of her life without feeling loved. The poor girl endured the bullying of her father and husband for a long time until she met a person in whom she could dissolve. And if initially Aksinya’s love for was filled only with a selfish desire to know a wonderful feeling, then closer to her death the beauty learned to give a bright feeling to her lover without causing pain.

History of creation

The writer made his first attempt to create a work telling about the revolution on the Don in 1925. Initially, the novel was only 100 pages long. But the author, not satisfied with the result, left for the village of Veshenskaya, where he began to reshape the plot. The final version of the four-volume work was published in 1940.

One of the main characters in the book, which touches on military events, is Aksinya Astakhova. Sholokhov describes the biography of the heroine from the age of 16, touching on the deep psychological problems of the character. Residents of the village where work on the novel was carried out are sure that Sholokhov copied the image of the unfortunate beauty from a girl named Ekaterina Chukarina.

Mikhail Sholokhov's novel "Quiet Don"

The Cossack woman knew the writer personally. The author of the novel even wooed the beauty, but the girl’s father did not consent to the marriage. However, Sholokhov himself claimed that in “Quiet Don” he did not use images of acquaintances, but only generalized traits and characters of common characters:

“Don’t look for Aksinya. We had a lot of such Aksiniyas on the Don.”

Plot

Aksinya was born in a Cossack village located near the Rostov region. The girl became the second child in a poor family. Already at the age of 16, the Cossack woman had a bright appearance and attracted the attention of men.

Illustration for the novel "Quiet Don"

The girl did not hide her long curly hair and sloping shoulders. The beauty's black eyes and plump lips attracted particular attention. Because of her attractiveness, the fate of the Cossack woman went downhill.

Even before her marriage, Aksinya was raped by her own father. Having learned about her husband's act, the mother killed the villain. To hide the shame, the girl was forcibly married to Stepan Astakhov, who could not forgive the beauty for her lack of innocence.

Not loved by her husband, who suffered beatings, Aksinya becomes close to her neighbor, Grigory Melekhov. The girl understands that she is hurting her family and friends, but the beauty is so tired of humiliation that she does not pay attention to the gossip of the Cossacks.

Concerned about the behavior of young people, Grigory's parents marry Natalya Korshunova to the guy. Realizing that marriage, even with an unloved woman, is the best way out, the man breaks off relations with Aksinya. But the feelings that Gregory awakened in the unhappy beauty do not fade away so quickly, so the love affair is soon resumed.

Unfree heroes leave their own families and go off to build a future together. Soon Grigory and Aksinya become parents. The couple has a daughter, Tatyana. But the happy time is interrupted by military training. The beloved is taken to the service, and the beauty is left alone.

Suddenly, little Tatyana, who occupies all the thoughts of young Aksinya, dies of scarlet fever. Having barely coped with grief, the beauty plunges into an affair with Evgeny Listnitsky. However, no matter how hard the woman tries to forget Gregory, the relationship between man and woman is renewed every time with the same passion.

Aksinya’s beloved is appointed chief of military operations on the Don, Grigory takes the woman with him. Once again, circumstances and their own families separate the lovers. Military operations, in which Grigory Melekhov takes an active part, constantly separates the heroes. He does not lose hope of returning the man and.

Natalya Melekhova (Daria Ursulyak, TV series "Quiet Don")

Ultimately, trying to hide from the bandits with whom Grigory unexpectedly connected his life, the man and woman run away to Kuban. But, crossing the steppe, Aksinya receives a bullet wound from her pursuers - employees at the outpost. A woman dies in the arms of her beloved man, the only one who gave the beauty a real, sincere and full of life feeling.

Film adaptations

In 1930, the first film adaptation of Mikhail Sholokhov's novel was released. The film "Quiet Don" touches on the plot of only the first two volumes of the drama. The role of Aksinya in the silent film was played by actress Emma Tsesarskaya.

In 1958, a film director made a film about the fate of the Don Cossacks. Many Soviet actresses wanted to recreate Aksinya’s image on television. As a result, they also applied for the main role. The final choice was made by Sholokhov, who viewed the sample films. Seeing Bystritskaya, the writer expressed the opinion that this is how Aksinya should look.

In 2006, they entrusted the reconstruction of the history of the residents of the village, and the final editing of the film was performed. The initiator of the new film adaptation was Sholokhov, who did not like the final version of Gerasimov’s film. Negotiations about filming began back in 1975. The role of Aksinya was played by Dolphin Forest.

The premiere took place on the Rossiya-1 TV channel in 2015.” The new film adaptation is dedicated to the 110th anniversary of Sholokhov. The plot of the film is very different from the original source - the film focuses exclusively on the relationship between the main characters. The role of Aksinya was played by the actress.

Quotes

“I’ll never love you for the rest of my life!.. And then kill me! My Grishka! My!"

“My friend... darling... let's leave. Let's throw everything in and leave. I’ll throw away my husband and everything just to have you. We’ll go to the mines, far away.”

“I didn’t come to impose, don’t be afraid. Does this mean our love is over?

Introduction

The theme of love in the novel “Quiet Don” by Sholokhov, first of all, is revealed through the example of Grigory Melekhov’s relationship with Natalya and Aksinya. We can say that a classic love triangle arises in the work, none of the participants in which finds personal happiness.

Grigory Melekhov and Natalya

Grigory wooed Natalya, then still Korshunova, not on his own initiative, but at the insistence of his father. Panteley Prokofievich, having learned about his son’s relationship with his neighbor’s wife, will decide to save his family from shame and universal condemnation. At the same time, respecting the interests of the same family, he chooses as his son’s bride the daughter of one of the most prosperous Cossacks of the farm.

The scene of the matchmaking between Gregory and Natalya is noteworthy. When Natalya enters the room, Grigory examines her “like a horse dealer examines a queen mare before buying.” He likes the “bold gray eyes” of the bride, the “shallow pinkish pit” trembling on her cheek, “large hands crushed by work,” “small girlish stone breasts” under a green blouse. At that moment, Grigory firmly decides for himself that he has “gone away.”

And Natalya, who fell in love with Grigory at first sight, hopes that she will be happy in the Melekhovs’ house.

But family life does not last long. A beautiful, clean, hard-working wife is unable to evoke any feelings in Gregory other than affection. He again meets Aksinya, his true passion. Insulted, Natalya leaves the Melekhovs’ house and returns to her parents. In a fit of anger, she even wishes for Gregory’s death. “Lord, punish him damned!” - she exclaims. Unable to withstand the mental anguish, Natalya, however, unsuccessfully, tries to commit suicide. Only thanks to the care and attention from her mother-in-law and father-in-law, Natalya finds the strength to return to the Melekhovs’ house and continue to hope for her husband’s return to the family.

Having overcome her pride, she even decides to go to Yagodnoye to beg Aksinya to return Gregory to her. And, it would seem, fate rewards the woman for her suffering. Having learned about Aksinya's betrayal, Grigory returns to his abandoned wife, and they have two children. Natalya is happy. Having become a mother, the heroine blossoms, her life is filled with new meaning. But even the birth of children cannot make Gregory fall in love with his wife. Patient, faithful Natalya is not able to replace the passionate Aksinya for him. The hero again begins to meet with his mistress secretly from his wife.

It must be said that love in “Quiet Don” turns into tragedy for the main characters. Having learned about her husband's infidelity, pregnant Natalya decides to get rid of the child, not wanting to give birth to a man who constantly betrays her. This decision turns out to be disastrous for the heroine. She dies from loss of blood, forgiving Gregory before her death. Natalya's death was a real blow for Gregory. In his own way, the hero loved his wife and is grieving her death, realizing that it was he who was to blame for what happened.

Grigory and Aksinya Astakhova

In the novel “Quiet Flows the Don,” the author and another heroine, Aksinya Astakhova, experience love. This is a woman who was initially unlucky in life. At first she was subjected to violence from her own father, and later she was forced to endure beatings and humiliation from her husband. But Aksinya takes her position for granted until the moment when her young neighbor, Grigory Melekhov, pays attention to her.

At first, Aksinya is afraid of the new feeling that has arisen in her soul, “she saw with horror that she was drawn to a black, affectionate guy... not wanting this with her mind, she resisted with all her might, noticed that on holidays and on weekdays she began to dress up more carefully.” In the end, Grigory, who “stubbornly, with brutal persistence, courted her,” achieves reciprocity. Aksinya, who has never known love, gives herself entirely to it, no longer paying attention to her neighbors and not thinking about what fate awaits her, the unfaithful wife, when Stepan returns from the camps. It is interesting to note that Grigory, who seemingly passionately loves Aksinya, turns out to be not ready to leave home for his beloved and go to the mines with her. In addition, he is not particularly worried about what her husband will do to Aksinya. Grigory does not dare to contradict his father, who forces him to marry Natalya Korshunova.

They say that true feelings are only tested in separation. This happens with Sholokhov’s heroes. Aksinya, who is trying to forget Gregory and even makes a lapel for this with the help of a local healer, only outwardly comes to terms with the loss of her loved one. Aksinya and Grigory cannot live for long without Aksinya. They leave their families and go to Yagodnoye.

Fate separates the heroes again. After the death of her daughter, Aksinya, left alone, accepts the courtship of Listnsky and Grigory, who learned about this, returns to the family. But, apparently, Aksinya was destined to be with Gregory until her death. She waits patiently. After Natalya’s death, the woman becomes close to Ilyinichna and tries to replace the mother of her lover’s children. Grigory also understands that he can only be truly happy with Aksinya, who, despite all the ups and downs, carried her love for him throughout her life. After the tragic death of the heroine, Gregory realizes that his soul died along with her.

Conclusion

So, the theme of love in “Quiet Don” turns out to be one of the leading ones. She is revealed throughout the entire work, making the reader empathize with Aksinya, Natalya and Gregory. They all have big hearts and deserve happiness. The more tragic their personal drama is perceived.

Work test

M. A. Sholokhov’s novel “Quiet Don” tells not only about the most difficult time in the life of Russia, which brought enormous social and moral upheavals. This work is called an epic novel, because it fully and multifacetedly reflected the events of that time, the way of life of people, the reasons for their actions. The love of the main character Grigory Melekhov and Aksinya runs through the entire work as a “red line”. The feeling of the heroes was both high and tragic.

Aksinya is a proud Don Cossack woman who has endured a lot on her difficult path in life. Beautiful, stately, perceiving life very emotionally and impulsively, she, like any woman, wanted happiness, but troubles fell on her head early. At the age of sixteen she was raped by her father, a year later the girl was married to the unloved Stepan Astakhov, who beat her “to the death”; the death of a child, exhausting housework alone, since the husband was lazy, loved to take a walk, and left the house at night, “combing his forelock.”

Her heart wanted love, her soul was yearning for freedom, so the heroine responded to the courtship of Grigory Melekhov. A huge, all-consuming love flared up between them, burning in its fire the fear of her husband and his beatings, the shame of her fellow villagers.

Grigory's marriage to Natasha makes Aksinya suffer. After a long separation, seeing him near the river, she felt “how the yoke grew cold under her hands and the blood poured into her temples with heat,” tears covered her eyes, the woman realized that it was impossible and useless to fight this feeling. Having learned that they are secretly meeting again, the father kicks Gregory out of the house. Aksinya, without hesitation, follows her beloved, although she knows that all this is not to the liking of Melekhov’s mother Ilyinichna.

Their life as workers for the landowner Listnitsky was complex and dramatic: the birth of a child, Gregory’s suspicions, his departure for service, the death of his daughter, despair, loneliness and grief of Aksinya, in an unkind hour, the owner’s “comforter” son turned up. Returning from service, Melekhov learns about the betrayal of his beloved woman and, offended, returns to Natalya. Aksinya remains alone, but not for long, because “late woman’s love does not bloom with the azure scarlet color of drunkenness.” Life repeatedly separates them and again throws them into each other's arms.

But, having learned that Grigory is dating Aksinya, Natalya goes to her and reproaches her for taking the father away from the children. Aksinya replies: “At least you have children, but I have him... the only one in this world! The first and the last. You know what? Let's not talk about him anymore. He will live, the Queen of Heaven will protect him from death, he will return - he will choose.”

The heroine carried her love for Gregory throughout her difficult life. The writer often conveys the feelings that excite Aksinya through her perception of the surrounding nature. After a serious illness, a woman went out onto the porch and stood for a long time, intoxicated by the freshness of the spring air: “The world appeared different, wonderfully renewed and seductive before her. With sparkling eyes, she excitedly looked around, childishly fingering the folds of her dress... Everything seemed to her unprecedentedly beautiful, everything was blooming with thick and delicate colors.”

Aksinya fits organically into nature. Whatever she does, she does it naturally, harmoniously: whether she is preparing dinner for Gregory, whether she is carrying water, whether she is working in the field. She always patiently waits for Melekhov, loves, takes pity on his children left without a mother, and takes care of them. However, Gregory’s tossing between different political camps not only does not bring happiness and peace to anyone, but also leads to the senseless death of Aksinya.

Yes, the fate of the lovers was tragic. But, in my opinion, it was the most open, sincere and tender love between two people for each other that you can imagine. The feeling of being united with your loved one is an absolutely fantastic feeling. We all know that in a normal state a person simply cannot feel the feelings of other people and experience with them. And only in the upsurges of strong love are there states when different “selves” seem to merge with each other, as if the “currents” of love are connecting two open souls, as if invisible bridges are thrown between lovers, and the sensations of one flow into the other, becoming common . The interests, joys and problems of another person suddenly become yours.