Summary “White cloud of Genghis Khan”
Chingiz Torekulovich Aitmatov is a modern classic writer, an internationally recognized artist of the word. A master who knows how to interest, even fascinate the reader with original legends and stories, vivid metaphors and comparisons, unforgettable images of people and animals.
Communication with a great artist brings into my life the joy of knowing the world, sometimes the confusion of feelings, makes me think about the eternal questions of being, about my destiny in life.
Literature has always stirred minds, forcing the soul to wake up for a better life, to plunge into the whirlpool of events. Reading the best works of Ch. Aitmatov is a stimulus for me. His latest novel to the novel “Burannyi polustanik” has a mysterious, eye-catching, interesting title “The White Cloud of Genghis Khan”. In my opinion, the contradiction lies in the combination itself: a white cloud and Genghis Khan. Although the confrontation is not explicit, but hidden, veiled,
The white cloud in the religions of many peoples is a symbol of a pure, divine beginning. What are they related to: the tyrant and heavenly protection? While Genghis Khan is doing earthly things, the heavens favor him. But as soon as he begins to decide who to live and who to die for, the heavenly protection – the cloud that flew over the head of the great khan, covering it from the scorching rays of the sun – disappears.
In parallel with this fairy tale, we also learn the outcome of the story of Abutalip Kuttybayev, who was the victim of human envy and anger. He, the real hero of the country, past the roads of the war, guerrilla trails, and then the hell of captivity, was slandered for the sole purpose – to gain praise from the god Stalin for his diligent service and the fulfillment of
The torturers always tormented Abutalip, deprived him of sleep, reason, but could not achieve anything. “A prisoner numbered ninety-seven” preferred death to betrayal. Together with Kuttybaev, their ephemeral hopes for receiving awards, titles, honors for the capture of the “dangerous Culprit”, almost a resident of enemy intelligence, also died.
Repeatedly in his works, Ch. Aitmatov raises the topic of the clash between the individual and the authorities. In the stories “After the Tales”, “Early Cranes”, “Farewell, Gyulsary!” and “White cloud of Genghis Khan” the author investigates the pernicious impact on the human soul of unlimited power, which always leads to tyranny, to the death of innocent people. Aitmatov knows this well, because he faced injustice as a child. In 1937, the father of Ch. Aitmatov, a major party member of Kyrgyzstan, was illegally repressed, but the boy believed in his innocence, continued to love his father. This love did not pass without a trace. One of his best stories “Mother’s Field” he dedicated to parents.
The peculiarity of the works of Ch. Aitmatov is that the author raises difficult questions in them, without trying to answer them unambiguously, this right he grants to us, his readers. Following Pushkin and Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Chekhov, the writer tries to answer eternal questions: what is man, why did he come to this earth, what is love and hatred, where to seek the truth, and whether it exists at all?
Reflecting on these complex, philosophical problems, the writer introduces tales, parables, elements of oral folk art into his works, making it easier for us to understand his ideas, unobtrusively, poetically, giving an interpretation of a particular problem. Ch. Aitmatov – not only a genius creator-storyteller of legends, but also the creator of a new genre – a novel to the novel. What is it? A significant addition to the previously written or attempt to go beyond the limits of the artist? Most likely this was done by a master for better, full disclosure of the idea of the work, so that readers would appreciate the depth of the problem posed by the artist – the pernicious influence of unlimited power on the individual.
The story abounds with bright plot sketches. Particularly impressive is the execution scene of Dogulang and Erden. Dogulang is ready to die, but not to betray his beloved. It is carried out in front of the ranks of troops, from where insults are flying, reproaches, humiliating its human dignity. But Erdene is ready to protect love, he cries: “It’s me – the father of the child! Yes, it’s me, if you want to know.”
“Having reached his beloved, prepared for execution, the centurion Erdene fell to her knees before her and embraced her, and she put her hands on his head, and they froze, reconnecting in the face of death, and then, from the sides of the two-humped camel, hung in one bundle, in mortal convulsions, those two who loved each other truly to the grave. ” Is it possible to remain indifferent or forget by reading this? Similar finds, like precious stones, are in every work of Ch. Aitmatov, you only need to carefully read them, listening to the melody and the meaning of what was written.
Speaking about the language of Aitmatov’s works, he is clear and accessible, rich in colors, sounds, memorable heroes, who seek their place in life, happiness, truth and justice. A writer is a great master of detail. For a long time, a mouse is memorized from the novel “Burannyi polustanik” or fire-breathing dragon on the banners of Genghis Khan, compared with the warrior-sotnik from the story “The White Cloud of Genghis Khan”. Repeated repetition of a particular detail not only adorns the text, but is an important part of the narrative, a link from one part to the other.
Portraits Dogulang and Erden, Zaripa and Abutalip, drawn by our imagination, almost coincide with the illustrations for the story. Simple, made with an ordinary pencil, they do not seek to embellish reality, but show the harsh realities of life. Thanks to the ring composition, the story is organically connected with the novel “And the day lasts for more than a century” (“Burannyi polustanoq”). This connection allows to coexist with two seemingly different subjects, separated by centuries, but connected by a common theme – power and personality.
This story was first published by the Moscow publishing house “Planet” in 1991 and immediately attracted the attention of a wide range of readers with an actual and contemporary sound. Whatever the writer addresses, he sees everything through the prism of time. Is it not really relevant today the problem of the relationship between power and personality? The power is too far from the masses to live the aspirations and problems of the people. So it was always, so it is, unfortunately, even now. But Ch. Aitmatov refers to writers who believe in a bright future, urging us to fight for him. And for this we must forget all the differences and unite for the sake of solving the main task of peace on earth, the happiness of people.
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