In inhuman circumstances, it is very difficult to maintain human dignity, this does not annoy everyone – especially in the face of death, when a spark of hope still flashes in the person.
Vasily Bykov
The beginning of the Patriotic War is a difficult, difficult topic. How to keep a picture of that tragic time, but not bypassing the painful and bitter that is born of the retreat of our troops? And how to understand this truth, what is the main thing in it? Bykov wrote about the war as it was – in suffering and crooked. He wrote about people who behaved differently in the conditions of this war, exposing both cowardice and heroism. The front-line episode – the battle at the railway crossing – is a vivid idea of the patriotism of Soviet soldiers, who at the decisive moment assumed responsibility for the fate of the Motherland.
Five of our soldiers, led by Sergeant-Major Karpenok, must cut off the cast-iron crossing and keep him day to cover
the retreat of the battalion. Six against a very well-trained and armed fascist army. In those unbearably heavy, tragic conditions, much depends on the strength of the spirit, on the courage and strength of the soldier. The main characters of this work are honest, fair, courageous people who fight at the front, ready to give their lives for their Motherland, for the common cause – to achieve victory. They are represented by Karpenko, Fisher, Glechyk and Svist. People of a strong character, capable of self-sacrifice – Karpenko and Svist. You can always rely on these people: they will not let you down. The Yans steadily and bravely endure all the adversities of the war, its inhuman trials and at the same time remain ordinary people from natural, simple dreams about the end of the war,
Vitek Whistle – “a blond, unbuttoned to all hooks and buttons, a roguish fellow”, an optimist and a talker. Bykov drew attention to the fact that not everyone is capable of heroism, but everyone must and can be responsible for the deeds done. “I’m a stupid person… here, shaggy, headless…
In general, I just heard that,” Sohist said to himself. At the request of his comrades, he tells the story of his life. I grew up alone in my mother, did not want to study, my mother did not listen. Having arrived at the plant, I felt disgust for work (“in winter and summer – some bushes”), began to drink. He fell under the influence of some Frolov and unbeknownstly turned into a fraud with bread. They gave me five years. They said that it was true, they gave five, agreed, they would give ten, they would not say a word, everything would have gone… … Only, you know, I do not want to be reproached for the whole century. What was, then passed, it must be – still adyazhu, I’ll endure, only without a tag, without a stamp – I’m a man, I’m green… “This last -” man I “,” without a tag, without a stamp “- as if opens the hero again. No, not so careless and simple Vitek Whistle as he seems at first, he knows the sense of responsibility for his actions, saying goodbye to his past, he does not want to be bad about him and far away, and goes to the front for volunteers. Homeland prompted the decision to go not the front, but rather self-love. And only at the front, under the influence the whistle begins to understand the depth of the people’s grief, the events that shook the country, whistling selfish, but not selfish, he does not establish himself above others, on the contrary, he considers himself to be equal with everyone.
The author showed the main characters as real people. Soldiers die simply and without regret, honestly and by the end fulfill their duty. The whistle is fairly consistent and here, in the last minutes of life. They, these heroes, differ in characters, life and others, but they are similar in their willingness to fight to an end and by the fact that their own life would not be dear, Motherland and humanity are much more important.
