Live and remember indifference in a work. Essay “The Theme of Morality in V. Rasputin’s Story “Live and Remember.” The problem of finding the meaning of life in the modern world

I chose the writer Valentin Rasputin to discuss the topic because I consider his work to be the most significant in the sense of moral quest. The author himself is a deeply moral person, as evidenced by his active public life. The name of this writer can be found among the names of fighters not only for the moral transformation of the fatherland, but also among the fighters for the environment. This is also a problem related to our morality. In my opinion, moral problems are most acutely posed by the writer in his story “Live and Remember.” The work was written with the author’s deep knowledge of folk life and the psychology of the common man. The author puts his heroes in a difficult situation: a young guy, Andrei Guskov, fought honestly almost until the very end of the war, but in 1944 he ended up in a hospital, and his life began to crack. He thought that a serious wound would free him from further service. Lying in the ward, he already imagined how he would return home, hug his family and his Nastena. He was so confident in this course of events that he did not even call his relatives to the hospital to see him. The news that he was being sent to the front again struck like a lightning strike. All his dreams and plans were destroyed in an instant. In moments of mental turmoil and despair, Andrei makes a fatal decision for himself, which in the future will destroy his life and soul, making him a completely different person.

There are many examples in literature when circumstances turn out to be higher than the willpower of the heroes, but the image of Andrei is very reliable and convincing. There is a feeling that the author personally knew this person. Imperceptibly, the writer seems to blur the lines between “good” and “bad” heroes and does not judge them unambiguously. The more carefully you read the story, the more opportunities there are for a deep analysis of the moral state of the characters and their actions. I especially like this in Rasputin’s work. While reading the story, I myself, together with its characters, kept deciding what I would do in this situation.

So, Andrei Guskov makes his choice: he decides to go home on his own, at least for one day. From this moment on, his life falls under the influence of completely different laws of existence, Andrei is carried downstream, like a piece of wood, in a muddy stream of events. Being a rather subtle person by nature, he begins to understand that every day of such a life moves him away from normal, honest people and makes it impossible to return back. Fate famously begins to control a weak-willed person.

The situation surrounding the heroes is uncomfortable. Andrey's meeting with Nastena takes place in a cold, unheated bathhouse. The author knows Russian folklore well, where the bathhouse is a place where all kinds of evil spirits appear at night. This is how the author begins the theme of werewolf in the story, which will run through the entire narrative. In the minds of the people, werewolves are associated with wolves. And Andrei learned to howl like a wolf, he does it so naturally that Nastena wonders if he is a real werewolf.

Andrey is becoming more and more callous in soul. Becomes cruel, even with some manifestation of sadism. When he shot a roe deer, he did not finish it off with a second shot, as all hunters do, but stood and carefully watched how the unfortunate animal suffered. “Just before the end, he lifted her and looked into her eyes - they widened in response... He waited for the last, final movement in order to remember how it would be reflected in the eyes.” The sight of blood seemed to determine his further actions and words. “If you tell anyone, I’ll kill you. “I have nothing to lose,” he tells his wife.

Andrey quickly moves away from people. No matter what punishment he suffers, in the minds of his fellow villagers he will forever remain a werewolf, an inhuman. Werewolves are also popularly called undead. Undead means they live in a completely different dimension than people.

But the author leaves for his hero the opportunity to painfully think: “What have I done wrong to fate that it has done this to me - what?” Andrey does not find an answer to his question. But it seems to me that he simply doesn’t want to, is afraid to look into the corner of his soul where the answer to it is stored. Therefore, he is more inclined to seek justification for his crime. He sees his salvation in his unborn child. The thought flashes through his mind about a turning point in his destiny. Andrei thought that the birth of a child was the finger of God indicating a return to normal human life, and he was mistaken once again. Nastena and the unborn child die. This moment is the punishment with which only higher powers can punish a person who has violated all moral laws. Andrei is doomed to a painful life. Nastena’s words: “Live and remember,” will pound in his fevered brain until the end of his days.

But this call: “Live and remember,” I am sure, is addressed not only to Andrey, but also to the residents of Atamanovka, to all people in general. After all, all such tragedies happen before people’s eyes, but rarely does anyone dare to prevent them. People are afraid to be frank with loved ones. There are already laws in force here that constrain the moral impulses of innocent people. Nastena was afraid to even tell her friend that she had not sullied her human dignity in any way, but that she simply found herself between two fires.

She chooses a terrible path to get out of her situation - she

She chooses a terrible way out of her situation - suicide. Here, it seems to me, the author leads the reader to think about some kind of “infection” that is transmitted like a disease. After all, Nastena, by killing herself, kills the child within herself - this is a double sin. This means that a third person is already suffering, even if he is not yet born. The “contagion” of immorality also spreads to the residents of Atamanovka. They not only do not try to prevent the tragedy, but also contribute to its development and completion.

A strong work of art on the theme of morality, such as V. Rasputin’s story “Live and Remember,” is always a step forward in the spiritual development of society. Such a work, by its very existence, is a barrier to lack of spirituality. It’s good that we have writers like V. Rasputin. Their creativity will help the fatherland not to lose moral values.

Modern literature provides the richest material for understanding moral issues. Today our conversation is about V. G. Rasputin’s story “Live and Remember.” The story “Live and Remember,” written in 1974, stands out from a number of other works by the writer. Readers were shocked by the brightness, strength, and acuteness of her characters’ experiences. But they explained the meaning of the story in different ways.

With all the drama of Andrei Guskov’s fate, it is not he who occupies the main attention of the author, but Nasten. Her image is larger, it shakes our imagination. If Nastena is emotionally highlighted in the story, therefore, it is with this image that the author associates some deep-seated problems.

— The question arises: what did Nastya do that was so extremely important that the writer, for the sake of understanding this, puts her in the foreground of the story, relegating to the background a person of such a terrible fate as Andrei Guskov? — Nastya saves her husband who is in trouble. “She stresses him physically and mentally, helps him survive. — Don’t you think that this answer needs clarification? It is very important to fully expose the depicted situation in order to clearly imagine all its drama. The fact is that Andrey is not just a respectable family man, Nastya’s husband, who needs support. He is a man who committed a crime. And here Rasputin poses Nastya, and after her the readers, with the most difficult question: does every person have the right to sympathy? Or, as indicated in the title of the topic of our lesson: is “mercy towards the fallen” always justified? Let's first try to reflect on common-life material, based on our own experience.

At the same time, we must keep in mind that we have the opportunity to be guided in assessing this or that act not only by legal laws (as it should be at a court hearing). We must also take into account moral laws. To do this, it is extremely important to understand the internal motives of Nastena’s actions, to understand the logic of her emotional impulses. What motivates Rasputin's heroine. Perhaps this is a concern for one’s own well-being, that is, motives of an egoistic nature?

— The main character’s thoughts refute such an assumption: “So how can I refuse it now? It is absolutely necessary not to have a heart, but instead of a heart to hold a steel scale, weighing out what is profitable and what is unprofitable. Here from someone else. even if he is thrice unclean, you simply cannot brush him off, but he is yours, dear. If not God, then life itself united them in order to keep them together, no matter what happened, no matter what misfortune befell them. “How to get him out of this trouble. how to live in order to help without making mistakes, without getting confused? Whatever happens to him now, she is responsible”; “Guilty - who says it’s not guilty! - but where can we now get the strength to return him to the place from which he jumped to the wrong place where he was supposed to jump? Nastya's thoughts indicate that, saving Andrey. she is not concerned with selfish interests. There is a deep meaning in her action.

— Imagine: there is a cruel, terrible war going on, as they say, not for life, but for death. Streams of blood are flowing in the world. Individual human life is devalued. And under these conditions, somewhere in the Russian outback. in a distant corner of Siberia. a weak, defenseless woman rises for this. in order to protect just one person from death, not physical, but moral, despite the general bitterness. This is a task of incredible complexity. And not only personal. This is a national task. Nastya is well aware of her responsibility to people: “Whether it’s fate or higher than that, but it seemed to Nastya. that she has been noticed. separated from the people." The story repeatedly emphasizes Nastya’s connection with her native, “human” world. What way out of this situation does she see?

— “For so many years Nastya was tied to the village. to home, to work, she knew her place, she took care of herself, because something was attached to her too. pulled together into one whole. And suddenly, all at once, the ropes loosened - they didn’t come off completely, but they weakened.” The most important thing here is the heroine’s awareness that “... she, too, was holding something together, pulling it together into one whole.” This means that Nastena is part of this whole, which can be called people’s life. And she is afraid to break it.

— For Nastya, life without people is impossible. That is why she is so acutely worried about “breaking ties with the world of people,” because she is in a position between her fellow villagers and Andrei. The meaning of all her actions is an attempt to return Andrei to people. This is confirmed in the text of the story: “My mother said a long time ago: there is no guilt that cannot be forgiven. They're not people, are they? When the war ends, we'll see. Or you can go out to repent, or something else.”

— For the sake of saving Andrei, Nastya is ready for any hardship: “Andrei... Maybe we won’t do this, let’s go out? I would go with you anywhere, to whatever penal servitude you want - wherever you go, there I will too...” And how do we find out about the attitude of the second himself towards Nastya? The author does not give direct assessments, but through popular opinion he expresses his attitude towards Nastya and her actions. This is manifested in the ending of the story: “And on the fourth day Nastya washed ashore not far from Karda. They reported to Atamanovka, but Mikheich was dying, and Mishka the farmhand was sent to fetch Nastena. He delivered Nastya back in the boat, and having delivered, he, like a master, intended to bury her in the cemetery of drowned people. The women didn't give it. And they buried Nastya among their own people, just on the edge, near a rickety fence.

After the funeral, the women gathered at Nadka’s for a simple wake and cried: I felt sorry for Nastya.” In this “Nasten felt sorry for her understanding of her actions and compassion. Behind this attitude is the opinion of Rasputin. He himself admitted: “I am inclined to accept Nastena’s death not as a victory of evil in this case, but as a severe test of the moral law, when they demand from him: “Give up”; and through tears and agony he said, “I can’t.” Through the fate of his heroine, Rasputin showed that self-sacrifice requires complete dedication and selflessness. The writer is convinced that the ability to self-sacrifice is the most capacious human quality, the highest in its value. The act of a person who consciously sacrifices his life in the name of saving another person is a manifestation of the highest justice and always deserves moral justification. This is the meaning of the central motive of the story “Live and Remember.”

Valentin Grigorievich Rasputin was born on March 15, 1937 in the village of Ust-Uda, Irkutsk region. After graduating from the philological department of Irkutsk University in 1957, he worked for several years in youth newspapers in Irkutsk and Krasnoyarsk, traveled a lot to construction sites, and often visited villages. The result of these trips were books of essays - “Bonfires of New Cities” and “The Land Near the Sky.” The writer's first great success was the story “A Day for Mary” (1967). Other works by V. G. Rasputin also received wide public recognition: the stories “The Last Term” (1970), “Live and Remember” (1974), “Farewell to Matera” (1976). For the story “Live and Remember,” V. Rasputin was awarded the USSR Prize (1977). In his works, the writer touches on such important topics as the theme of ecology and the theme of morality. The problem of moral choice is highlighted with particular urgency in the story “Live and Remember. Rasputin appears here as a subtle psychologist and expert on folk life.

The events of the story take place in the last days of the war. Returning home from the hospital, and not to the front, one of the main characters of the story, Andrei Guskov, becomes a deserter. While in the hospital after being wounded, he dreamed of returning home and was completely sure that he would no longer be sent to the front. It was 1944. However, all his hopes of returning were destroyed, and he decided to take a desperate step. “He prepared all of himself, to the last drop and to the last thought, for a meeting with his family - with his father, mother, Nastena - and lived by this, recovered and breathed by this, that’s all he knew... How could he go back, again under the bullets , to death, when close, in your own side, in Siberia? Is this right and fair? He just needs to be at home for one single day, to calm his soul - then he’s again ready for anything.” Having become a deserter, he is afraid to admit it even to himself and therefore makes a deal with his conscience. He was ready, upon seeing his relatives, to die at the front, but gradually the great desire to live drowns out the weak voice of conscience. He opens up to his wife Nastena.

The feeling of guilt for what her husband did does not allow her to live in peace. She, sheltering her fleeing husband, took his desertion upon herself. After each meeting with Andrei, Nastena became more and more isolated from the people with whom she had shared both grief and joy all her life. Even waiting for a child becomes painful for her. The story ends with the death of Nastena, she cannot find a logical solution and with her death atones for the guilt of involuntary shame for the grave act of her husband.

Why is life so cruel and unfair? Andrey - a man without conscience - remains to live! and the life of such a beautiful, honest, kind, pure woman Nastena is cut short. But not only Nastena became a victim of Andrei’s terrible act, but also his father. Mikheich experiences a hard time, withdraws into himself, sensing evil, and then becomes seriously ill. In this story, V. Rasputin shows the gradual degradation of man. After all, Andrei turns from a kind, loving son and husband into an insignificant animal. The choice made has an irreparable impact on his future life. The line between good and bad, right and wrong is blurred. In fact, Andrei no longer has control over his life and his actions, he goes with the flow.

Andrei, as scary as it may be, distances himself from his loved ones in order to save his life. He is not touched by the death of his wife, who could become the mother of his child, or by his father’s illness. He cares only about his own well-being. Andrei, having moved away from people, gradually loses everything human. He even tries to howl at the moon, like wolves. For a moment he still understood that he was moving away from normal life, but there was nothing he could do. External circumstances were stronger, and his will was not enough to resist them. He obeyed.

Cruelty towards others settled in Andrei’s soul. He shot a roe deer and watched its death throes. To this he said to his wife: “If you tell someone, I’ll kill you.” So step by step Andrei sinks lower and lower. So who is to blame for the fact that a person has fallen so low: circumstances or himself? This question worried many writers of Russian literature. In Rasputin’s story, the main character is placed in exceptional circumstances, the circumstances of war, and blames his lack of will for them: “This is all war, all of it,” he again began to justify himself and conjure. With these words, he seemed to absolve himself of all responsibility for his actions, shifting everything to fate. Thus, Andrei’s moral fall is not a tragedy. He doomed himself to a lonely existence, forced to constantly hide. It even became a habit for him. Like a wild animal sensing danger, Andrei “jumped up and got ready in a minute, habitually bringing the winter quarters into an uninhabited, neglected appearance, he had an escape route prepared... There, in the cave, not a single dog would find him.”

The tragedy in the story is the death of Nastena. This woman represents a true Russian character, which is embodied in many heroines of Rasputin's stories. Nastena is a highly moral person who feels guilty for her husband’s actions, but carries this cross. She committed suicide, but at the same time became morally cleansed. In her soul, moral laws won, just as they win in the soul of the entire people. For Andrei, her suicide was another step down, because he saw his salvation in the child Nastena was carrying. And their death is a punishment for the fact that he transgressed all the moral laws in his soul.

With his story, V. Rasputin seems to be saying “Live and remember, man! In times of trouble, your place is next to the people. Any retreat turns into grief for you and your people.” The name itself, of course, refers to Andrey, because I just want to add: “If you can live.” But I think this applies to each of us. The main thing is for everyone to live honestly, according to their conscience, without lies, then our society will be highly moral. Eternal human values ​​will return to us again: mercy, kindness, justice. Our literature is designed to teach us to live not by lies.

THE PROBLEM OF PERSISTENCE AND COURAGE OF THE RUSSIAN ARMY DURING MILITARY TESTS

1. In the novel L.N. Tostogo's "War and Peace" Andrei Bolkonsky convinces his friend Pierre Bezukhov that the battle is won by an army that wants to defeat the enemy at all costs, and not one that has a better disposition. On the Borodino field, every Russian soldier fought desperately and selflessly, knowing that behind him was the ancient capital, the heart of Russia, Moscow.

2. In the story by B.L. Vasilyeva “And the dawns here are quiet...” five young girls who opposed the German saboteurs died defending their homeland. Rita Osyanina, Zhenya Komelkova, Lisa Brichkina, Sonya Gurvich and Galya Chetvertak could have survived, but they were sure that they had to fight to the end. The anti-aircraft gunners showed courage and restraint and showed themselves to be true patriots.

THE PROBLEM OF TENDERNESS

1. An example of sacrificial love is Jane Eyre, the heroine of Charlotte Brontë's novel of the same name. Jen happily became the eyes and hands of the person most dear to her when he went blind.

2. In the novel L.N. Tolstoy's "War and Peace" Marya Bolkonskaya patiently endures her father's severity. She treats the old prince with love, despite his difficult character. The princess does not even think about the fact that her father is often too demanding of her. Marya's love is sincere, pure, bright.

THE PROBLEM OF PRESERVING HONOR

1. In the novel by A.S. Pushkin's "The Captain's Daughter" for Pyotr Grinev the most important life principle was honor. Even facing the threat of the death penalty, Peter, who swore allegiance to the empress, refused to recognize Pugachev as sovereign. The hero understood that this decision could cost him his life, but a sense of duty prevailed over fear. Alexey Shvabrin, on the contrary, committed treason and lost his own dignity when he joined the camp of the impostor.

2. The problem of maintaining honor is raised in the story by N.V. Gogol "Taras Bulba". The two sons of the main character are completely different. Ostap is an honest and brave person. He never betrayed his comrades and died like a hero. Andriy is a romantic person. For the sake of love for a Polish woman, he betrays his homeland. His personal interests come first. Andriy dies at the hands of his father, who could not forgive the betrayal. Thus, you always need to remain honest first of all with yourself.

THE PROBLEM OF DEVOTED LOVE

1. In the novel by A.S. Pushkin's "The Captain's Daughter" Pyotr Grinev and Masha Mironova love each other. Peter defends the honor of his beloved in a duel with Shvabrin, who insulted the girl. In turn, Masha saves Grinev from exile when she “asks for mercy” from the empress. Thus, the basis of the relationship between Masha and Peter is mutual assistance.

2. Selfless love is one of the themes of M.A.’s novel. Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita". A woman is able to accept the interests and aspirations of her lover as her own and helps him in everything. The master writes a novel - and this becomes the content of Margarita's life. She rewrites the finished chapters, trying to keep the master calm and happy. A woman sees her destiny in this.

THE PROBLEM OF REPENTANCE

1. In the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" shows the long path to repentance of Rodion Raskolnikov. Confident in the validity of his theory of “permitting blood according to conscience,” the main character despises himself for his own weakness and does not realize the gravity of the crime committed. However, faith in God and love for Sonya Marmeladova lead Raskolnikov to repentance.

THE PROBLEM OF SEARCHING FOR THE MEANING OF LIFE IN THE MODERN WORLD

1. In the story by I.A. Bunin "Mr. from San Francisco" American millionaire served the "golden calf". The main character believed that the meaning of life was to accumulate wealth. When the Master died, it turned out that true happiness passed him by.

2. In Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace,” Natasha Rostova sees the meaning of life in family, love for family and friends. After the wedding with Pierre Bezukhov, the main character gives up social life and devotes herself entirely to her family. Natasha Rostova found her purpose in this world and became truly happy.

THE PROBLEM OF LITERARY ILLITERACY AND LOW LEVEL OF EDUCATION AMONG YOUTH

1. In “Letters about the good and the beautiful” D.S. Likhachev claims that a book teaches a person better than any work. The famous scientist admires the ability of a book to educate a person and shape his inner world. Academician D.S. Likhachev comes to the conclusion that it is books that teach one to think and make a person intelligent.

2. Ray Bradbury in his novel Fahrenheit 451 shows what happened to humanity after all books were completely destroyed. It may seem that in such a society there are no social problems. The answer lies in the fact that it is simply unspiritual, since there is no literature that can force people to analyze, think, and make decisions.

THE PROBLEM OF EDUCATION OF CHILDREN

1. In the novel by I.A. Goncharova "Oblomov" Ilya Ilyich grew up in an atmosphere of constant care from parents and educators. As a child, the main character was an inquisitive and active child, but excessive care led to Oblomov’s apathy and weak-willedness in adulthood.

2. In the novel L.N. Tolstoy's "War and Peace" the spirit of mutual understanding, loyalty, and love reigns in the Rostov family. Thanks to this, Natasha, Nikolai and Petya became worthy people, inherited kindness and nobility. Thus, the conditions created by the Rostovs contributed to the harmonious development of their children.

THE PROBLEM OF THE ROLE OF PROFESSIONALISM

1. In the story by B.L. Vasilyeva “My horses are flying...” Smolensk doctor Janson works tirelessly. The main character rushes to help the sick in any weather. Thanks to his responsiveness and professionalism, Dr. Janson managed to gain the love and respect of all residents of the city.

2.

THE PROBLEM OF A SOLDIER'S FATE IN WAR

1. The fate of the main characters of the story by B.L. was tragic. Vasiliev "And the dawns here are quiet...". Five young anti-aircraft gunners opposed the German saboteurs. The forces were not equal: all the girls died. Rita Osyanina, Zhenya Komelkova, Lisa Brichkina, Sonya Gurvich and Galya Chetvertak could have survived, but they were sure that they had to fight to the end. The girls became an example of perseverance and courage.

2. V. Bykov's story "Sotnikov" tells about two partisans who were captured by the Germans during the Great Patriotic War. The further fate of the soldiers developed differently. So Rybak betrayed his homeland and agreed to serve the Germans. Sotnikov refused to give up and chose death.

THE PROBLEM OF EGOISM OF A PERSON IN LOVE

1. In the story by N.V. Gogol's "Taras Bulba" Andriy, because of his love for a Pole, went over to the enemy's camp, betrayed his brother, father, and homeland. The young man, without hesitation, decided to take up arms against his yesterday’s comrades. For Andriy, personal interests come first. A young man dies at the hands of his father, who could not forgive the betrayal and selfishness of his youngest son.

2. It is unacceptable when love becomes an obsession, as in the case of the main character of P. Suskind's "Perfumer. The Story of a Murderer." Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is not capable of high feelings. All that is of interest to him is smells, creating a scent that inspires love in people. Grenouille is an example of an egoist who commits the most serious crimes to achieve his goals.

THE PROBLEM OF BETRAYAL

1. In the novel by V.A. Kaverin "Two Captains" Romashov repeatedly betrayed the people around him. At school, Romashka eavesdropped and reported to the head everything that was said about him. Later, Romashov went so far as to begin collecting information proving Nikolai Antonovich’s guilt in the death of Captain Tatarinov’s expedition. All of Chamomile’s actions are low, destroying not only his life but also the fates of other people.

2. The action of the hero of the story by V.G. entails even deeper consequences. Rasputin "Live and Remember" Andrei Guskov deserts and becomes a traitor. This irreparable mistake not only dooms him to loneliness and expulsion from society, but is also the reason for the suicide of his wife Nastya.

THE PROBLEM OF DECEITIVE APPEARANCE

1. In Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace", Helen Kuragina, despite her brilliant appearance and success in society, is not distinguished by a rich inner world. Her main priorities in life are money and fame. Thus, in the novel, this beauty is the embodiment of evil and spiritual decline.

2. In Victor Hugo's novel Notre-Dame de Paris, Quasimodo is a hunchback who has overcome many difficulties throughout his life. The appearance of the main character is completely unattractive, but behind it hides a noble and beautiful soul, capable of sincere love.

THE PROBLEM OF BETRAYAL IN WAR

1. In the story by V.G. Rasputin "Live and Remember" Andrei Guskov deserts and becomes a traitor. At the beginning of the war, the main character fought honestly and courageously, went on reconnaissance missions, and never hid behind the backs of his comrades. However, after some time, Guskov began to think about why he should fight. At that moment, selfishness took over, and Andrei made an irreparable mistake, which doomed him to loneliness, expulsion from society and became the reason for the suicide of his wife Nastya. The hero was tormented by pangs of conscience, but he was no longer able to change anything.

2. In V. Bykov’s story “Sotnikov,” the partisan Rybak betrays his homeland and agrees to serve “great Germany.” His comrade Sotnikov, on the contrary, is an example of perseverance. Despite the unbearable pain he experiences during torture, the partisan refuses to tell the truth to the police. The fisherman realizes the baseness of his act, wants to run away, but understands that there is no turning back.

THE PROBLEM OF THE INFLUENCE OF LOVE FOR THE MOTHERLAND ON CREATIVITY

1. Yu.Ya. Yakovlev in the story “Woke by Nightingales” writes about a difficult boy Seluzhenka, whom those around him did not like. One night the main character heard the trill of a nightingale. The wonderful sounds amazed the child and awakened his interest in creativity. Seluzhenok enrolled in an art school, and since then the attitude of adults towards him has changed. The author convinces the reader that nature awakens the best qualities in the human soul and helps to reveal creative potential.

2. Love for his native land is the main motive of the work of the painter A.G. Venetsianova. He painted a number of paintings dedicated to the life of ordinary peasants. “The Reapers”, “Zakharka”, “Sleeping Shepherd” - these are my favorite paintings by the artist. The life of ordinary people and the beauty of Russia’s nature prompted A.G. Venetsianov to create paintings that have attracted the attention of viewers with their freshness and sincerity for more than two centuries.

THE PROBLEM OF THE INFLUENCE OF CHILDHOOD MEMORIES ON HUMAN LIFE

1. In the novel by I.A. Goncharov's "Oblomov" the main character considers childhood the happiest time. Ilya Ilyich grew up in an atmosphere of constant care from his parents and educators. Excessive care became the reason for Oblomov’s apathy in adulthood. It seemed that love for Olga Ilyinskaya was supposed to awaken Ilya Ilyich. However, his lifestyle remained unchanged, because the way of life of his native Oblomovka forever left its mark on the fate of the protagonist. Thus, childhood memories influenced the life path of Ilya Ilyich.

2. In the poem “My Way” by S.A. Yesenin admitted that his childhood played an important role in his work. Once upon a time, at the age of nine, a boy inspired by the nature of his native village wrote his first work. Thus, childhood predetermined S.A.’s life path. Yesenina.

THE PROBLEM OF CHOOSING A PATH IN LIFE

1. The main theme of the novel by I.A. Goncharov's "Oblomov" - the fate of a man who failed to choose the right path in life. The writer especially emphasizes that apathy and inability to work turned Ilya Ilyich into an idle person. The lack of willpower and any interests did not allow the main character to become happy and realize his potential.

2. From the book by M. Mirsky “Healing with a scalpel. Academician N.N. Burdenko” I learned that the outstanding doctor first studied at a theological seminary, but soon realized that he wanted to devote himself to medicine. Having entered the university, N.N. Burdenko became interested in anatomy, which soon helped him become a famous surgeon.
3. D.S. Likhachev in “Letters about the Good and the Beautiful” states that “you need to live your life with dignity so that you are not ashamed to remember.” With these words, the academician emphasizes that fate is unpredictable, but it is important to remain a generous, honest and caring person.

THE PROBLEM OF DOG LOYALTY

1. In the story by G.N. Troepolsky's "White Bim Black Ear" tells the tragic fate of the Scottish setter. Bim the dog is desperately trying to find his owner, who had a heart attack. On its way, the dog encounters difficulties. Unfortunately, the owner finds the pet after the dog is killed. Bim can confidently be called a true friend, devoted to his owner until the end of his days.

2. In Eric Knight's novel Lassie, the Carraclough family is forced to give up their collie to other people due to financial difficulties. Lassie yearns for her former owners, and this feeling only intensifies when the new owner takes her far from her home. The collie escapes and overcomes many obstacles. Despite all the difficulties, the dog is reunited with its former owners.

THE PROBLEM OF MASTERY IN ART

1. In the story by V.G. Korolenko "The Blind Musician" Pyotr Popelsky had to overcome many difficulties to find his place in life. Despite his blindness, Petrus became a pianist who, through his playing, helped people become purer in heart and kinder in soul.

2. In the story by A.I. Kuprin "Taper" boy Yuri Agazarov is a self-taught musician. The writer emphasizes that the young pianist is amazingly talented and hardworking. The boy's talent does not go unnoticed. His playing amazed the famous pianist Anton Rubinstein. So Yuri became known throughout Russia as one of the most talented composers.

THE PROBLEM OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LIFE EXPERIENCE FOR WRITERS

1. In Boris Pasternak's novel Doctor Zhivago, the main character is interested in poetry. Yuri Zhivago is a witness of the revolution and civil war. These events are reflected in his poems. Thus, life itself inspires the poet to create beautiful works.

2. The theme of a writer's vocation is raised in Jack London's novel Martin Eden. The main character is a sailor who has been doing hard physical labor for many years. Martin Eden visited different countries and saw the life of ordinary people. All this became the main theme of his work. Thus, life experience allowed a simple sailor to become a famous writer.

THE PROBLEM OF THE INFLUENCE OF MUSIC ON THE MIND OF A PERSON

1. In the story by A.I. Kuprin "Garnet Bracelet" Vera Sheina experiences spiritual cleansing to the sounds of a Beethoven sonata. Listening to classical music, the heroine calms down after the trials she has experienced. The magical sounds of the sonata helped Vera find inner balance and find the meaning of her future life.

2. In the novel by I.A. Goncharova "Oblomov" Ilya Ilyich falls in love with Olga Ilyinskaya when he listens to her singing. The sounds of the aria "Casta Diva" awaken in his soul feelings that he has never experienced. I.A. Goncharov emphasizes that for a long time Oblomov did not feel “such vigor, such strength that seemed to rise from the bottom of his soul, ready for a feat.”

THE PROBLEM OF MOTHER'S LOVE

1. In the story by A.S. Pushkin's "The Captain's Daughter" describes the scene of Pyotr Grinev's farewell to his mother. Avdotya Vasilyevna was depressed when she learned that her son needed to leave for work for a long time. Saying goodbye to Peter, the woman could not hold back her tears, because nothing could be harder for her than parting with her son. Avdotya Vasilievna's love is sincere and immense.
THE PROBLEM OF THE IMPACT OF WORKS OF ART ABOUT WAR ON PEOPLE

1. In Lev Kassil’s story “The Great Confrontation,” Sima Krupitsyna listened to news reports from the front every morning on the radio. One day a girl heard the song "Holy War". Sima was so excited by the words of this anthem for the defense of the Fatherland that she decided to go to the front. So the work of art inspired the main character to perform a feat.

THE PROBLEM OF Pseudoscience

1. In the novel by V.D. Dudintsev "White Clothes" Professor Ryadno is deeply convinced of the correctness of the biological teaching approved by the party. For the sake of personal gain, the academician is launching a fight against genetic scientists. He vehemently defends pseudoscientific views and resorts to the most dishonorable acts in order to achieve fame. The fanaticism of an academician leads to the death of talented scientists and the cessation of important research.

2. G.N. Troepolsky in the story “Candidate of Sciences” speaks out against those who defend false views and ideas. The writer is convinced that such scientists hinder the development of science, and, consequently, of society as a whole. In the story by G.N. Troepolsky focuses on the need to combat false scientists.

THE PROBLEM OF LATE REPENTANCE

1. In the story by A.S. Pushkin's "Station Warden" Samson Vyrin was left alone after his daughter ran away with Captain Minsky. The old man did not lose hope of finding Dunya, but all attempts remained unsuccessful. The caretaker died from melancholy and hopelessness. Only a few years later Dunya came to her father’s grave. The girl felt guilty for the death of the caretaker, but repentance came too late.

2. In the story by K.G. Paustovsky's "Telegram" Nastya left her mother and went to St. Petersburg to build a career. Katerina Petrovna had a presentiment of her imminent death and more than once asked her daughter to visit her. However, Nastya remained indifferent to the fate of her mother and did not have time to come to her funeral. The girl repented only at Katerina Petrovna’s grave. So K.G. Paustovsky argues that you need to be attentive to your loved ones.

THE PROBLEM OF HISTORICAL MEMORY

1. V.G. Rasputin, in his essay “The Eternal Field,” writes about his impressions of a trip to the site of the Battle of Kulikovo. The writer notes that more than six hundred years have passed and during this time much has changed. However, the memory of this battle still lives thanks to the obelisks erected in honor of the ancestors who defended Rus'.

2. In the story by B.L. Vasilyeva “And the dawns here are quiet...” five girls fell fighting for their homeland. Many years later, their combat comrade Fedot Vaskov and Rita Osyanina’s son Albert returned to the site of the death of the anti-aircraft gunners to install a gravestone and perpetuate their feat.

THE PROBLEM OF THE LIFE COURSE OF A GIFTED PERSON

1. In the story by B.L. Vasiliev “My horses are flying...” Smolensk doctor Janson is an example of selflessness combined with high professionalism. The most talented doctor rushed to help the sick every day, in any weather, without demanding anything in return. For these qualities, the doctor earned the love and respect of all residents of the city.

2. In the tragedy of A.S. Pushkin's "Mozart and Salieri" tells the life story of two composers. Salieri writes music in order to become famous, and Mozart selflessly serves art. Because of envy, Salieri poisoned the genius. Despite Mozart's death, his works live on and excite people's hearts.

THE PROBLEM OF THE DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES OF WAR

1. A. Solzhenitsyn’s story “Matrenin’s Dvor” depicts the life of a Russian village after the war, which led not only to economic decline, but also to a loss of morality. The villagers lost part of their economy and became callous and heartless. Thus, the war leads to irreparable consequences.

2. In the story by M.A. Sholokhov’s “The Fate of a Man” shows the life path of soldier Andrei Sokolov. His house was destroyed by the enemy, and his family died during the bombing. So M.A. Sholokhov emphasizes that war deprives people of the most valuable thing they have.

THE PROBLEM OF CONTRADICTION OF THE HUMAN INNER WORLD

1. In the novel by I.S. Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons" Evgeny Bazarov is distinguished by his intelligence, hard work, and determination, but at the same time, the student is often harsh and rude. Bazarov condemns people who give in to feelings, but is convinced of the incorrectness of his views when he falls in love with Odintsova. So I.S. Turgenev showed that people are characterized by inconsistency.

2. In the novel by I.A. Goncharova “Oblomov” Ilya Ilyich has both negative and positive character traits. On the one hand, the main character is apathetic and dependent. Oblomov is not interested in real life; it makes him bored and tired. On the other hand, Ilya Ilyich is distinguished by his sincerity, sincerity, and ability to understand the problems of another person. This is the ambiguity of Oblomov’s character.

THE PROBLEM OF TREATING PEOPLE FAIRLY

1. In the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" Porfiry Petrovich is investigating the murder of an old money-lender. The investigator is a keen expert on human psychology. He understands the motives for Rodion Raskolnikov’s crime and partly sympathizes with him. Porfiry Petrovich gives the young man a chance to confess. This will subsequently serve as a mitigating circumstance in Raskolnikov’s case.

2. A.P. Chekhov, in his story “Chameleon,” introduces us to the story of a dispute that broke out over a dog bite. Police warden Ochumelov is trying to decide whether she deserves punishment. Ochumelov’s verdict depends only on whether the dog belongs to the general or not. The warden is not looking for justice. His main goal is to curry favor with the general.

THE PROBLEM OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF HUMAN AND NATURE

1. In the story by V.P. Astafieva “Tsar Fish” Ignatyich was engaged in poaching for many years. One day, a fisherman caught a giant sturgeon on his hook. Ignatyich understood that he alone could not cope with the fish, but greed did not allow him to call his brother and the mechanic for help. Soon the fisherman himself found himself overboard, entangled in his nets and hooks. Ignatyich understood that he could die. V.P. Astafiev writes: “The king of the river and the king of all nature are in one trap.” So the author emphasizes the inextricable connection between man and nature.

2. In the story by A.I. Kuprin "Olesya" the main character lives in harmony with nature. The girl feels like an integral part of the world around her and knows how to see its beauty. A.I. Kuprin especially emphasizes that love for nature helped Olesya keep her soul unspoiled, sincere and beautiful.

THE PROBLEM OF THE ROLE OF MUSIC IN HUMAN LIFE

1. In the novel by I.A. Goncharov "Oblomov" music plays an important role. Ilya Ilyich falls in love with Olga Ilyinskaya when he listens to her singing. The sounds of the aria “Casta Diva” awaken feelings in his heart that he has never experienced. I.A. Goncharov especially emphasizes that for a long time Oblomov did not feel “such vigor, such strength, which seemed to all rise from the bottom of the soul, ready for a feat.” Thus, music can awaken sincere and strong feelings in a person.

2. In the novel M.A. Sholokhov's "Quiet Don" songs accompany the Cossacks throughout their lives. They sing on military campaigns, in the fields, and at weddings. Cossacks put their whole soul into singing. The songs reveal their prowess, their love for the Don and the steppes.

THE PROBLEM OF REPLACEMENT OF BOOKS BY TELEVISION

1. R. Bradbury's novel Fahrenheit 451 depicts a society that relies on mass culture. In this world, people who know how to think critically are outlawed, and books that make you think about life are destroyed. Literature was replaced by television, which became the main entertainment for people. They are unspiritual, their thoughts are subject to standards. R. Bradbury convinces readers that the destruction of books inevitably leads to the degradation of society.

2. In the book “Letters about the Good and the Beautiful” D.S. Likhachev thinks about the question: why is television replacing literature. The academician believes that this happens because TV distracts people from worries and forces them to watch some program without rushing. D.S. Likhachev sees this as a threat to people, because TV “dictates how to watch and what to watch” and makes people weak-willed. According to the philologist, only a book can make a person spiritually rich and educated.

THE PROBLEM OF THE RUSSIAN VILLAGE

1. The story by A. I. Solzhenitsyn “Matryonin’s Dvor” depicts the life of a Russian village after the war. People not only became poorer, but also became callous and soulless. Only Matryona retained a feeling of pity for others and always came to the aid of those in need. The tragic death of the main character is the beginning of the death of the moral foundations of the Russian village.

2. In the story by V.G. Rasputin's "Farewell to Matera" depicts the fate of the inhabitants of the island, which is about to be flooded. It’s hard for old people to say goodbye to their native land, where they spent their whole lives, where their ancestors are buried. The ending of the story is tragic. Along with the village, its customs and traditions are disappearing, which over the centuries have been passed down from generation to generation and formed the unique character of the inhabitants of Matera.

THE PROBLEM OF ATTITUDE TO POETS AND THEIR CREATIVITY

1. A.S. Pushkin in his poem “The Poet and the Crowd” calls the “stupid rabble” that part of Russian society that did not understand the purpose and meaning of creativity. According to the crowd, the poems are in the interests of society. However, A.S. Pushkin believes that a poet will cease to be a creator if he submits to the will of the crowd. Thus, the poet’s main goal is not national recognition, but the desire to make the world more beautiful.

2. V.V. Mayakovsky in the poem “At the top of his voice” sees the poet’s purpose in serving the people. Poetry is an ideological weapon that can inspire people and motivate them to great achievements. Thus, V.V. Mayakovsky believes that personal creative freedom should be given up for the sake of a common great goal.

THE PROBLEM OF TEACHER'S INFLUENCE ON STUDENTS

1. In the story by V.G. Rasputin "French Lessons" class teacher Lidia Mikhailovna is a symbol of human responsiveness. The teacher helped a village boy who studied far from home and lived from hand to mouth. Lydia Mikhailovna had to go against generally accepted rules in order to help out the student. While additionally studying with the boy, the teacher taught him not only French lessons, but also lessons of kindness and empathy.

2. In Antoine de Saint-Exupery's fairy tale “The Little Prince,” the old Fox became a teacher for the main character, talking about love, friendship, responsibility, and fidelity. He revealed to the prince the main secret of the universe: “you can’t see the main thing with your eyes - only your heart is vigilant.” So the Fox taught the boy an important life lesson.

THE PROBLEM OF ATTITUDE TOWARDS ORPHANS

1. In the story by M.A. Sholokhov's "The Fate of a Man" Andrei Sokolov lost his family during the war, but this did not make the main character heartless. The main character gave all his remaining love to the homeless boy Vanyushka, replacing his father. So M.A. Sholokhov convinces the reader that, despite life’s difficulties, one must not lose the ability to sympathize with orphans.

2. The story “Republic of ShKID” by G. Belykh and L. Panteleev depicts the life of students at a social and labor education school for street children and juvenile delinquents. It should be noted that not all students were able to become decent people, but the majority managed to find themselves and followed the right path. The authors of the story argue that the state should pay attention to orphans and create special institutions for them in order to eradicate crime.

THE PROBLEM OF WOMEN'S ROLE IN WWII

1. In the story by B.L. Vasiliev “And the dawns here are quiet...” five young female anti-aircraft gunners died fighting for their Motherland. The main characters were not afraid to speak out against the German saboteurs. B.L. Vasiliev masterfully portrays the contrast between femininity and the brutality of war. The writer convinces the reader that women, just like men, are capable of military feats and heroic deeds.

2. In the story by V.A. Zakrutkin’s “Mother of Man” shows the fate of a woman during the war. The main character Maria lost her entire family: her husband and child. Despite the fact that the woman was left completely alone, her heart did not harden. Maria took care of seven Leningrad orphans and replaced their mother. Tale by V.A. Zakrutkina became a hymn to a Russian woman who experienced many hardships and troubles during the war, but retained kindness, sympathy, and a desire to help other people.

THE PROBLEM OF CHANGES IN THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE

1. A. Knyshev in the article “O great and mighty new Russian language!” writes with irony about lovers of borrowing. According to A. Knyshev, the speech of politicians and journalists often becomes ridiculous when it is overloaded with foreign words. The TV presenter is sure that the excessive use of borrowings is polluting the Russian language.

2. V. Astafiev in the story “Lyudochka” connects changes in language with the decline in the level of human culture. The speech of Artyomka-soap, Strekach and their friends is clogged with criminal jargon, which reflects the dysfunction of society, its degradation.

THE PROBLEM OF CHOOSING A PROFESSION

1. V.V. Mayakovsky in the poem “Who to be? raises the problem of choosing a profession. The lyrical hero thinks about how to find the right path in life and occupation. V.V. Mayakovsky comes to the conclusion that all professions are good and equally necessary for people.

2. In the story “Darwin” by E. Grishkovets, the main character, after graduating from school, chooses a business that he wants to do for the rest of his life. He realizes the “uselessness of what is happening” and refuses to study at the cultural institute when he watches a play performed by students. The young man has a firm belief that a profession should be useful and bring pleasure.

V.G. Rasputin "Live and Remember"

The events described in the story take place in the winter of '45, in the last war year, on the banks of the Angara in the village of Atamanovka. The name, it would seem, is loud, and in the recent past even more intimidating - Razboinikovo. “...Once upon a time, in the old days, the local peasants did not disdain one quiet and profitable trade: they checked the gold miners coming from the Lena.” But the inhabitants of the village had long been quiet and harmless and did not engage in robbery. Against the backdrop of this virgin and wild nature, the main event of the story takes place - the betrayal of Andrei Guskov.

Questions that are raised in the story.

Who is to blame for the moral decline of man? What is a person's path to betrayal? What is the extent of a person’s responsibility for his fate and the fate of his Motherland?

The war, as an exceptional circumstance, confronted all people, including Guskov, with a “choice” that everyone had to make.

The path to betrayal

War is a severe test for the people. But if in strong people it fostered perseverance, inflexibility, and heroism, then in the hearts of the weak, cowardice, cruelty, selfishness, disbelief, and despair sprouted and began to bear their bitter fruits.

In the image of Andrei Guskov, the hero of the story “Live and Remember,” the soul of a weak man is revealed to us, crippled by the harsh events of the war, as a result of which he became a deserter. How did this man, who honestly defended his Motherland from enemies for several years and even earned the respect of his comrades in arms, decide to do an act despised by everyone, always and everywhere, regardless of century and nationality?

V. Rasputin shows the path to the hero’s betrayal. Of all those leaving for the front, Guskov experienced this the hardest: “Andrei looked at the village silently and offended; for some reason he was ready not to blame the war, but the village for being forced to leave it.”. But despite the fact that it’s hard for him to leave home, he says goodbye to his family quickly and dryly: “What has to be cut off must be cut off immediately...”

At first Andrei Guskov had no intention of deserting; he honestly went to the front and was a good fighter and comrade, earning the respect of his friends. But the horrors of war and injury sharpened the egoism of this man, who put himself above his comrades, deciding that it was he who needed to survive, to be saved, to return alive at all costs.

Knowing that the war was already coming to an end, he tried to survive at any cost. His wish came true, but not entirely: he was wounded and was sent to the hospital. He thought that a serious wound would free him from further service. Lying in the ward, he already imagined how he would return home, and he was so sure of this that he did not even call his relatives to the hospital to see him. The news that he was being sent to the front again struck like a lightning strike. All his dreams and plans were destroyed in an instant.

Author Valentin Rasputin does not try to justify Andrei’s desertion, but seeks to explain it from the position of a hero: he fought for a long time, deserved a vacation, wanted to see his wife, but the vacation he was entitled to after being wounded was canceled. The betrayal that Andrei Guskov commits creeps into his soul gradually. At first he was haunted by the fear of death, which seemed inevitable to him: “If not today, then tomorrow, not tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow, when his turn comes.” Guskov survived both wounds and shell shock, experienced tank attacks and ski raids. V.G. Rasputin emphasizes that among the intelligence officers Andrei was considered a reliable comrade. Why did he take the path of betrayal? At first, Andrey just wants to see his family, Nastena, stay at home for a while and return. However, having traveled by train to Irkutsk, Guskov realized that in winter you couldn’t turn around in three days. Andrei remembered the demonstration execution, when in his presence they shot a boy who wanted to run fifty miles away to his village. Guskov understands that you won’t get a pat on the head for going AWOL. Thus, unaccounted for circumstances made Guskov’s journey much longer than he expected, and he decided that this was fate, there was no turning back. In moments of mental turmoil, despair and fear of death, Andrei makes a fatal decision for himself - to desert, which turned his life and soul upside down, made him a different person.

Gradually Andrei began to hate himself. In Irkutsk, he settled for some time with a mute woman, Tanya, although he had absolutely no intention of doing this. A month later, Guskov finally found himself in his native place. However, the hero did not feel joy from the sight of the village. V.G. Rasputin constantly emphasizes that, having committed betrayal, Guskov embarked on the path of the beast. After some time, life, which he valued so much at the front, became no longer pleasant to him. Having committed treason, Andrei cannot respect himself. Mental anguish, nervous tension, the inability to relax for a minute turn him into a hunted animal.

Forced to hide in the forest from people, Guskov gradually loses all the human, good beginning that was in him. Only anger and irrepressible egoism remain in his heart by the end of the story; he is only concerned about his own fate.

Andrei Guskov deserts consciously, for the sake of his life, and forces Nastya, his wife, to hide him, thereby dooming her to live a lie: “Here’s what I’ll tell you right away, Nastya. No dog needs to know I'm here. If you tell anyone, I'll kill you. I'll kill - I have nothing to lose. I have a firm hand on this, it won’t go wrong,”- with these words he meets his wife after a long separation. And Nastya had no choice but to simply obey him. She was at one with him until her death, although sometimes she was visited by thoughts that it was he who was to blame for her suffering, but not only for her, but also for the suffering of her unborn child, conceived not at all in love, but in a rude impulse, animal passion. This unborn child suffered along with its mother. Andrei did not realize that this child was doomed to live his whole life in shame. For Guskov it was important to fulfill his manly duty, to leave an heir, but how this child would live further was of little concern to him. The author shows how, having betrayed himself and his people, Guskov inevitably betrays the person closest and most understanding to him - his wife Nastena, who is ready to share the guilt and shame of her husband, and his unborn child, whom he cruelly condemns to tragic death.

Nastena understood that both the life of her child and she herself were doomed to further shame and suffering. Shielding and protecting her husband, she commits suicide. She decides to throw herself into the Angara, thereby killing both herself and her unborn baby. Andrei Guskov is certainly to blame for all this. This moment is the punishment with which higher powers can punish a person who has violated all moral laws. Andrei is doomed to a painful life. Nastena’s words: “Live and remember,” will pound in his fevered brain until the end of his days.

Why did Guskov become a traitor? The hero himself would like to shift the blame to “fate”, before which “will” is powerless.

It is no coincidence that the word “fate” runs like a red thread throughout the story, to which Guskov clings so much. He's not ready. He does not want to take responsibility for his actions; he tries with all his might to hide behind “fate” and “fate” for his crime. “This is all war, all of it,” he again began to justify himself and conjure. “Andrei Guskov understood: his fate had turned into a dead end, from which there was no way out. And the fact that there was no way back for him freed Andrei from unnecessary thoughts.” The reluctance to admit the need for personal responsibility for one’s actions is the reason for the appearance of a wormhole in Guskov’s soul, which determines his crime (desertion).

War on the pages of the story

The story does not describe battles, deaths on the battlefield, the exploits of Russian soldiers, or life at the front. Only life in the rear. And yet, this is precisely a story about war.

Rasputin explores the deforming influence on a person of a force whose name is war. If there had been no war, apparently, Guskov would not have succumbed to the fear instilled only by death and would not have reached such a fall. Perhaps, since childhood, the selfishness and resentment that had settled in him would have found a way out in some other forms, but not in such an ugly one. If it weren’t for the war, the fate of Nastena’s friend Nadka, who was left at twenty-seven years old with three children in her arms, would have turned out differently: a funeral came for her husband. If there had been no war... But it was there, it was going on, and people were dying in it. And he, Guskov, decided that it was possible to live by different laws than the rest of the people. And this incommensurable opposition doomed him not just to loneliness among people, but also to inevitable retaliatory rejection.

The result of the war for Andrei Guskov’s family was three shattered lives. But, unfortunately, there were many such families, many of them collapsed.

Telling us about the tragedy of Nastena and Andrei Guskov, Rasputin shows us war as a force that deforms a person’s personality, capable of destroying hopes, extinguishing self-confidence, shaking unstable characters and even breaking the strong. After all, Nastena, unlike Andrei, is an innocent victim, suffering as a result of the impossibility of choosing between her people and the person with whom she once connected her life. Nastena never cheated on anyone, always remaining true to the moral principles that were instilled in her since childhood, and therefore her death seems even more terrible and tragic.

Rasputin highlights the inhumane nature of war, which brings suffering and misfortune to people, without understanding who is right, who is wrong, who is weak, who is strong.

War and love

Their love and war are the two driving forces that determined Nastena’s bitter fate and Andrei’s shameful fate. Although the heroes were initially different - the humane Nastena and the cruel Andrei. She is kindness and spiritual nobility itself, he is blatant callousness and selfishness. The war even brought them closer together at first, but no amount of trials endured together could overcome their moral incompatibility. After all, love, like any other relationship, is broken by betrayal.

Andrey's feeling for Nastya is rather consumerist. He always wants to receive something from her - be it objects of the material world (an axe, bread, a gun) or feelings. It is much more interesting to understand whether Nastena loved Andrey? She threw herself into marriage “like diving into water,” in other words, she didn’t think twice about it. Nastena’s love for her husband was partly built on a feeling of gratitude, because he took her, a lonely orphan, into his home and did not let anyone hurt her. True, her husband’s kindness only lasted for a year, and then he even beat her half to death, but Nastena, following the old rule: if we get together, we must live, she patiently carried her cross, getting used to her husband, to her family, to a new place.

In part, her attachment to Andrei can be explained by a feeling of guilt because they did not have children. Nastena didn’t think that it might be Andrey’s fault. So later, for some reason, she blamed herself for her husband’s crime. But in essence, Nastena cannot love anyone other than her husband, because one of the sacred family commandments for her is marital fidelity. Like all women, Nastena was waiting for her husband, eager to see him, worried and afraid for him. He also thought about her. If Andrei had been a different person, he would most likely have returned from the army, and they would have lived an ordinary family life again. Everything happened wrong: Andrei returned ahead of schedule. Returned as a deserter. A traitor. Traitor to the Motherland. In those days, this stigma was indelible. Nastena does not turn away from her husband. She finds the strength to understand him. Such behavior is the only possible form of existence for her. She helps Andrei because it is natural for her to feel sorry, give and sympathize. She no longer remembers the bad things that darkened their pre-war family life. She knows only one thing - her husband is in big trouble, he must be pitied and saved. And she saves as best she can. Fate brought them together again and sent them a child as a huge ordeal.

A child should be sent as a reward, as the greatest happiness. How Nastena once dreamed about him! Now the child - the fruit of the love of his parents - is a burden, a sin, although he was conceived in a legal marriage. And again Andrei thinks only about himself: “We don’t care about him.” He says “we”, but in reality only he “gives a damn”. Nastena cannot be as indifferent to this event. For Andrey, the main thing is that the child is born and the family line continues. At this moment he is not thinking about Nastya, who will have to endure shame and humiliation. This is the extent of his love for his wife. Of course, it cannot be denied that Guskov is attached to Nastya. Sometimes even he has moments of tenderness and enlightenment, when he thinks with horror about what he is doing, into what abyss he is pushing his wife.

Their love was not the kind they write about in novels. This is an ordinary relationship between a man and a woman, husband and wife. The war revealed both Nastena’s devotion to her husband and Guskov’s consumerist attitude towards his wife. The war destroyed this family, like the family of Nadka Berezkina and thousands of other families. Although some still managed to maintain their relationship, like Lisa and Maxim Voloshin, And Lisa could walk with her head held high. And the Guskovs, even if they had saved their family, would never have been able to raise their eyes in shame, because in both love and war you need to be honest. Andrey could not be honest. This determined Nastena’s difficult fate. This is how Rasputin solves the theme of love and war in a unique way.

The meaning of the name. The title of the story is associated with the statement of V. Astafiev: “Live and remember, man, in trouble, in grief, in the most difficult days and trials: your place is with your people; any apostasy, whether caused by your weakness or lack of understanding, turns into even greater grief for your Motherland and people, and therefore for you.”

Andrei Guskov is least concerned about the fact that he betrayed his land, his Motherland, abandoned his comrades in arms in a difficult moment, depriving, in Rasputin’s opinion, his life of the highest meaning. Hence Guskov’s moral degradation, his savagery. Having left no offspring and having betrayed everything dear to him, he is doomed to oblivion and loneliness; no one will remember him with a kind word, because cowardice combined with cruelty has been condemned at all times. Nastena appears before us completely differently, not wanting to leave her husband in trouble, voluntarily sharing the guilt with him, accepting responsibility for someone else’s betrayal. Helping Andrei, she does not justify either him or herself before the human court, because she believes: betrayal has no forgiveness. Nastena’s heart is torn into pieces: on the one hand, she considers herself not entitled to abandon the person with whom she once connected her life in difficult times. On the other hand, she suffers endlessly, deceiving people, keeping her terrible secret and therefore suddenly feeling lonely, cut off from the people.

In a difficult conversation on this topic, the symbolically important image of the Angara arises. “You only had one side: people. There, on the right hand of the Angara. And now there are two: people and me. It is impossible to bring them together: the Angara must dry out“says Andrey Nastene.

During the conversation, it turns out that the heroes once had the same dream: Nastena, in her girlish form, comes to Andrei, who is lying near the birch trees and calls him, telling him that she was tortured with the children.

The description of this dream once again emphasizes the painful intractability of the situation in which Nastena found herself.

The heroine finds the strength to sacrifice her happiness, peace, her life for the sake of her husband. But realizing that by doing so she breaks all ties between herself and the people, Nastena cannot survive this and tragically dies.

And yet, the highest justice triumphs at the end of the story, because people understood and did not condemn Nastena’s actions. Guskov, on the other hand, evokes nothing but contempt and disgust, since “a person who has set foot on the path of betrayal at least once follows it to the end.”

Andrey Guskov pays the ultimate price: there will be no continuation; No one will ever understand him the way Nastena does. From this moment on, it no longer matters how he, having heard the noise on the river and prepared to hide, will live further: his days are numbered, and he will spend them as before - like an animal. Maybe, having already been caught, he will even howl like a wolf in despair. Guskov must die, but Nastena dies. This means that the deserter dies twice, and now forever.

...In all of Atamanovka there was not a single person who simply felt sorry for Nastena. Only before her death does Nastena hear Maxim Vologzhin’s cry: “Nastena, don’t you dare!” Maxim is one of the first front-line soldiers to know what death is and understands that life is the greatest value. After Nastena’s body was found, she was not buried in the cemetery of drowned people, because “the women wouldn’t allow it,” but she was buried among her own people, but on the edge.

The story ends with the author’s message, from which it is clear that they don’t talk about Guskov, they don’t “remember” - for him “the connection of times has fallen apart”, he has no future. The author speaks of the drowned Nastena as if she were alive (without ever replacing her name with the word “deceased”): “After the funeral, the women gathered at Nadka’s for a simple wake and cried: they felt sorry for Nasten.”. With these words, which signify the “connection of times” restored for Nastena (the traditional ending for folklore is about the memory of a hero throughout the centuries), V. Rasputin’s story “Live and Remember” ends.

The title of the book is “Live and Remember.” These words tell us that everything that is written on the pages of the book should become a lesson in the life of every person. Live and remember that in life there is betrayal, baseness, human fall, the test of love by this blow. Live and remember that you cannot go against your conscience and that in moments of difficult trials you must be with the people. The call “Live and Remember” is addressed to all of us: a person is responsible for his actions!