M. Sholokhov, "Foal". Summary and analysis of the story

War is one of the most terrible events that can occur in people's lives. It has a tremendous destructive power, forcing to forget about humanity and morality. But man is different from animals, that his soul by nature is "Christian" (the definition of B. Augustine). A constant reminder of this is Sholokhov's story "Foal", written in 1926. The writer's focus is on the military confrontation of the Reds and Whites, during which the greatest mystery of the world is accomplished - the birth of a new being.

Mikhail Sholokhov, "Foal": a short summary of the story

A small work shows how difficult the relationship was to the two opposite sides of life on the Don: war with death-bearing shots and inexplicable cruelty, and a world with maternal love and compassion. Contrasts and different parts of the story. In the beginning, the reader becomes a witness of how a new life is born, and in the finale - just how a person dies from the bullet that hits him.

The appearance of a foal

The story begins with a description of the summer day. Completely everyday picture with flies buzzing at the dung heap, ringing in the front garden of bees and shouting rooster is supplemented by a hail of grains from explosions, distributed in the distance by machine-gun bursts and moaning of a wounded man in a hut. Under such conditions, a foal was born to a red mare.

The first feeling he experienced is horror. And only after the mother licked him, and he buried himself in her warm udder, came the feeling of fullness of life. The very appearance of it was as if out of place - to this idea brings the reader Mikhail Sholokhov. The foal is associated with joy and happiness, and around only blood and suffering.

Confusion of the owner

Trofim, who came out of the hut, looked around his horse. She was thin, tired, but her eyes radiated a proud joy, and her upper lip seemed to smile. Next to her, like a toy horse, a foal rocked on the thin legs. The man faced a difficult choice: how to be? To kill - the answer itself arose ... After all, it does not belong to war - it will not interfere in battle.

The fate is decided

Soon Trofim, as if justifying himself, confusedly told the commander how strangely his mare had behaved in the last time. The squadron was adamant: "Shoot it." So categorically, however, as it was supposed in the war, a decision is made about the destiny of the only born creature, says Mikhail Sholokhov.

The colt should have survived only until dawn, because early in the morning Trofim went to the stables with a rifle. On the way he greeted the squadron sitting peacefully on the porch - he tried to weave a ladle for dumplings. To the commander's question: "Are you going to liquidate the colt?" He said nothing and, waving his hand, went on.

Minute, two - but the shot did not follow. Soon Trofim appeared from behind the corner of the stable. He was embarrassed - writes Sholokhov. The foal - a brief summary of the conversation that followed between the squadron and Trofim was reduced to the fact that the rifle was faulty - was left to live. "The war will end - on it yet ... plow," the commander reasoned.

Look at it - "the heart of stone turns into a loofah"

About a month passed. Once in a fight Trofim could not make his mare go forward. She ate a bit, turned on the spot and all waited for a frolicking colt. At some point, the embittered man jumped off the horse, threw up his rifle, and fired a whole clip into the devilish little devil. However, they all flew past: either missed, or the hand trembled. "He kicked his legs foolishly", he made another circle and stopped nearby - this is how the foal behaves directly at this time, as Sholokhov observes.

The summary of the conversation that took place the same night between Trofim and the commander helped to convey the phrases of the squadron: "Take the stallion .... I look at him, and ... I can not cut ... He looks at home ... and his tail, like a fox ... Wonderful! "

Crossing

Soon the Cossacks occupied the most convenient positions on the river and began shelling. The detachment had to cross the Don by swimming.

Trofim entrusted his mare to a platoon, and himself carried saddles in a boat. When the detachment, following the squadron, entered the water, he began to look for his redhead. Not far from the mother, the weakened sailed with difficulty - this becomes clear from the description given by Sholokhov - the colt. The summary of what happened next is as follows. Trofim heard a plaintive neighing. He first shot - "I'll kill!" - and then, forgetting about the danger, went to the rescue. At this time, the Cossack officer, who was watching from the right bank, ordered not to shoot. For a while there was silence.

And a little later, already on the left bank, there was a tragedy. The mare, who got out of the water, licked her cub, and tired Trofim got to his feet and managed to do just two steps. He suddenly felt a hot stab in the chest and fell close to the colt he had saved. On the opposite side, the officer indifferently threw away the still smoked sleeve.

The universal human value of the work

Analysis of Sholokhov's story "Foal" leads to extremely important conclusions. This work with a warm title shows how in the conditions of war a person forgets important moral precepts. His soul coarsens, and his heart becomes stone. And suddenly at such a moment there appears a tiny, defenseless being that awakens thoughts about the house, about good, about love, about the joy of peaceful, quiet life. So it happened with Trofim, with the squadron commander, and with the whiteguard officer, who let not for long, but still resist the evil that they encountered in the war.

However, a single shot in the final is symbolic. He deprived the future of the one who had just given it to another. This proves that such reconciliation is false, since none of the warring parties will ever agree to take the first step towards ending the slaughter. And the death of Trofim is part of the universal tragedy: it is much more difficult to return to the Christian commandments than to forget them.