The theme of this article is the story “The Science of Hate” written in the war years (summary).
Sholokhov’s critics do not favor this work, which was first published in the Pravda newspaper on 05.22.1942. It is very inferior to its level of true mastery of the classic, clearly manifested in The Quiet Don.
Accordingly, we are forced to highlight its weak points. There is no dialectic of disclosure of personality in it, there is no “second bottom”.
The difference in the style of writing the two aforementioned different genres of works by one author is striking. It is so significant, as if they were created by two different people.
Due to the fact that the Nobel laureateliterature writer Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov in his later works did not manage to rise to the level of the Quiet Don, evil tongues accuse him of forgery, claiming that he is not the real author of the famous novel. How can we not recall the lines of Pushkin: “The artist-barbarian with a brush of a sleepy picture of a genius is black?”
Proposal of David Ortenberg, which Sholokhov could not refuse
К сожалению такой уничижительный вывод вовсе не disproves Sholokhov's hate science story, simple in its composition. The summary of the work is reduced to the uncivilized and insistent appeal “Kill the German!”. The whole composition is structured in such a way that the reader will certainly come to this conclusion. Why did the classic agree to create such a work? Let's start with the fact that Mikhail Alexandrovich, by his own will, took up writing the story conceived in the reporting genre.
An astute reader will feel that the author“Quiet Don” wrote “The Science of Hate” not at will. The historical fact confirms the conjecture: the chief editor of the Pravda newspaper during the war years, David Ortenberg, offered Sholokhov journalistic work on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. The classic, who had once desperately tacked to save the image of Grigory Melekhov, went on about propaganda.
Plot elaboration
From the NKVD-shnogo interrogation protocol born conceptionthe story "The Science of Hate" by Sholokhov. Its summary was in the testimony of political instructor Ferdman Zinovy Yakovlevich. The prototype of the main character of the story was captured on 9/21/1941, ran on 9/26/1941, and returned to the Red Army's position on 11/21/1941. After a brief investigation, the political instructor continued his service. The officers of the special department took into account the nationality of those who had escaped from captivity. Since the Nazis shot the Jews, he was not motivated to intentionally surrender.
The testimony of Zinovy Yakovlevich testified tothe atrocities of the Germans. They did not capture officers. Seeing the officers' caps in captivity, they were immediately shot. He also managed to unmask his insignia from his tunic.
According to Ferdman, captured prisonerskept in the open, and fed with millet and sunflower. There were about 20,000 of them in the concentration camp. The stomachs of the unfortunates could not stand, they died. Dead at the request of the overseers thrown over the fence.
Propaganda stamps in the plot and the beginning of the story
The history of the capture and escape officer formed the basisthe story "The Science of Hate" by Sholokhov. The summary of the work was different from the original events. The composition of the story is quite traditional. He, on behalf of whom the narration is being kept, came to the front-line part, where Lieutenant Gromov serves, a mechanic mobilized to the front of one of the Siberian factories. As we see, Sholokhov changed the nationality of the protagonist in favor of propaganda stamps. The narrator noticed that at the sight of the prisoners in the eyes of the officer, the fire of hatred is ignited.
He meets the lieutenant, having learned thatbeen in captivity. Twice they meet for conversation and Lieutenant Gromov tells his story. Note that Sholokhov himself personally did not communicate with Ferdman Zinovy Yakovlevich.
According to the legend of Mikhail Alexandrovich, Gromov wasMarried, had two children. He also had a disabled father in his family. With patriotic exhortations, his relatives accompanied him to the front. Came to send a warrior on the road and the Secretary of the District Committee. Usually business and official, he, seeing off the fighters to the front, also was deeply moved.
Lieutenant Gromov arrives at the front
Since July 1941, Lieutenant Gerasimov has been participating infights The Red Army is retreating, but the unit, where the main character serves, manages to capture 15 Germans. The humane treatment of the Red Army with the captive lips of a lieutenant tells us Sholokhov's story "The Science of Hate." The summary of the work is further based on the principle of the antithesis “humanity - inhumanity”. At first we hear from the part of the personnel officer the phrase that the Germans treat Soviet prisoners and civilians differently.
Sholokhov's study of the idea of hatred of enemies
Further, the part where the lieutenant serves, went on the offensive. Frankly, this is not typical for 1941. Author fiction is obvious.
Gromov tells about what he saw the corpsefifth-grader, his contemporaries daughter, raped and murdered by the Nazis. Beside the unfortunate lay a textbook of geography. He was shocked by the sight of the place of execution of the Soviet fighters, where lay a pile of meat chopped from them, next to which lay their caps savagely killed. The lieutenant understands that he is fighting against the inhumans, the besieged sadists. The writer, beloved by the people, is concentrating on trying to arouse in the readers a feeling of hatred towards the Germans.
Captivity
The further plot of the story explains why he gavehis name is Sholokhov Mikhail Alexandrovich "The Science of Hate." Gromov himself passes through the circles of hell of German captivity. He is wounded in battle, and he falls into the hands of the invaders. Those who captivated the Soviet soldiers, first of all shot the Jews among them. Then their motorcyclists from machine guns killed the prisoners lagging behind the column.
The prisoners of the Red Army were mocked primitively and constantly. They, suffering from thirst, were drunk with water mixed with mud because tanks passed through it.
When to meet the columns of prisoners of war wasthe tank column of the fascists, the lead tank "inadvertently" crushed several people who were marching at the head of the marching system. At the same time, the guards not only did not hinder the incident, but also laughed at what had happened.
Finally this deadly stage is over, andthe column arrived at the concentration camp. Despite the approach of autumn, the prisoners were not even kept in the barracks. They were not equipped with a place to sleep, people slept just on the ground, in the mud. They were fed poorly, the whole diet consisted of a handful of cereals and boiled water. Prisoners were constantly beaten with sticks and butts.
The escape
Gerasimov's wounds began to fester, and he went tohut for the wounded. All medical care was limited to the fact that the bandages were removed, and the wounds were sprinkled with ashes. In his story, Sholokhov (“The Science of Hate”) narrates about the inhuman conditions of prisoners. The summary of his, according to the author, can be expressed by a single thought: the enemies should be destroyed. The logic is simple. It is consonant with the phrase of the Orthodox saint, blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky. As you know, he owns the words: “Whoever comes to us with a sword, he will perish by the sword!”
When emaciated sleeping on the ground in Octoberprisoners were sent to the construction of earthworks, Lieutenant Gerasimov made a desperate escape. He with a shovel killed the escort and, armed with his machine gun, disappeared into the forest. The exhausted, haggard lieutenant barely walked, while realizing that it was dangerous to go to the villages. The next day he was discovered and rescued by partisans.
Image of lieutenant
Surprises a modern person the reaction of a lieutenantGerasimov to his salvation. He has no other emotions besides hatred. And his desire is only one thing - “to return to the ranks of the fighters for the Motherland” and “to revenge to the end.” Agree, it is difficult to even compare this man with Grigory Melekhov!
As a whole, you can evaluate the story, whichdid the regimental commissar write, and then the colonel M. A. Sholokhov ("The Science of Hate")? The summary presented by us reveals that, unfortunately, in its artistic merits, it is several orders of magnitude inferior to the “Don Stories”.
However, the publication of the writer approved "himself" I. V.Stalin. At the same time, the leader of nations wished the writer to create new novels “in the same way”. And the writer really followed the recommendations. In 1943-1944 he publishes the chapters of the novel “They Fought for the Motherland,” in which he tries again to bring in the main idea - hatred of enemies. What came out of it? Despite the writer's attempts to bring elements of vitality into it through humor, the novel did not become a favorite book for readers.
Conclusion
This story is an illustration of whatit turns out, if even the classic Sholokhov (“The Science of Hate”) writes the opportunistic book. Summary of the brieffly library does exist on the Internet. However, its availability and accessibility for readers should not be correlated with the artistic value of the story itself.
Most likely, we can conclude that the literature cannot be created “to order” and “by the deadline”, since in this case the work is unlikely to interest the reader very much.
In a word, this is the story Sholokhov wrote in his time (“The Science of Hate”). The summary and analysis of this work were presented by us in this article.
