Mishka Koshevoy is a Cossack from the village of Tatarskaya, who went over to the side of the Bolsheviks. He is distinguished by impetuous character, he is characterized by great emotionality and maximalism. The hero takes the position of the "Reds" and fully devotes himself to the fight against the whites, whom he considers enemies of the people. Koshevoy now does not see in the people next to whom he lived all his life, countrymen, neighbors, friends. He now divides people into "his own" and "enemies."
Koshevoy is fanatical about his work. He mercilessly kills people, and drowns out the pangs of conscience with the phrase "We are all murderers." The vengeance and anger of Koshevoy also extends to the families of the belligerents, does not spare the elderly and children. He cruelly kills grandfather Grishaka, burns many houses of his enemies: about one and a half hundred courtyards of the village of Karginskaya he set on fire along with three of his comrades.
Koshevoi takes care of Dunyashka, the sister of Grigory Melekhov. She agrees to marry him even though he killed Peter, her older brother.
Updated: 2012-12-16
Attention!
Thank you for your attention.
If you notice an error or typo, highlight the text and press Ctrl+Enter.
Thus, you will provide invaluable benefit to the project and other readers.
The epic novel “The Quiet Don” by M. A. Sholokhov is a grandiose work about the life and life of the Don Cossacks. The cataclysms of the cruel twentieth century disrupted the peaceful course of people's life, life on the Don went wrong.
One of the brightest episodes confirming the tragedy of what is happening on the Don is the episode of Mikhail Koshevoy's visit to the Melekhovs' house.
Ilyinichna was exhausted while waiting for her son. She has already become weak and old. Numerous losses and losses - you broke her, and age made itself felt. Every day she thought of Gregory, waited for him every minute, did not let anyone doubt his return for a moment, kept warm food for him, hung his clothes in the front corner as a pleasant memory. And now, instead of Gregory, the first enemy appears in her house, Mishka Koshevoy, the murderer of her son Peter. Ilyinichna cannot find a place for herself from indignation. She hates the bear. Koshevoy, on the other hand, came to the Melekhovs immediately the next morning after his return. He missed Dunyashka, and Ilyinichna's harsh reception did not bother him at all. Ilyinichna began to shame him and drive him out of her house. Mishka did not pay any attention to her words. He perfectly understood the mistress of the Melekhov house, but he was not going to deviate from his either. Dunyashka had the hardest time in this situation, who, only hearing the voice of Mikhail, could not find a place for herself. On her face "a thick blush flashed, then pallor covered her cheeks so that on the thin hump of her nose protruded
longitudinal white stripes. At the sight of Dunyashka, who nevertheless could not stand it and left the room, Koshevoy's dull eyes brightened up. Love for her is the only thing left in his life, and Ilya-nichna had to come to terms with this.
She starts a difficult conversation with Mikhail. But he was waiting for this conversation. He knew that Melekhova would call him a murderer, he knew that he would have to look into the eyes of his mother, whose son he personally killed. Koshevoy explains his act by the war. “And if Petro caught me, what would he do?” he exclaims angrily, arguing with the old woman. War is inhuman. Civil - doubly. Brother went against brother, neighbor against neighbor, and this had to be explained to Mishka Ilyinichna. Koshevoy tells the old woman about his spiritual sensitivity, that he never raised a hand against an animal, that the war forced him to be as cruel as everyone else was on it. An unpredictable fate decreed that Michael's heart burned with love precisely for Dunya Melekhova, that her own brother ended up in an enemy camp, that the Melekhov Korshunovs were also on the other side of the barricades. Their fate is tragic, but not at all happier than their Koshevoy, who remained completely alone. War, according to Sholokhov, decomposes the souls of people, kills the human in them.
After a long argument with Mishka, Ilyinichna begins to understand that it is not so easy to drive him away from their house. Koshevoi was characterized by bullish stubbornness, the insulting antics of the “enraged old woman” did not touch him, and, most importantly, he knew that Dunyashka loved him too, therefore, there was a point in seeking her.
At a certain moment, Dunyashka cannot stand it either and rebels against her mother's prohibitions. Her love is stronger than her fear of her mother, stronger than respect for her. Despite all the cruelty of the war, natural human feelings remained just as strong, exhausted people still continued to love, because life went on.
Ilyinichna did not resist for long. The old woman, who always lived by the universal idea of a home, motherly duty, could not live in a new way, to live with the idea of hatred. Mikhail soon began to help them with the housework. It was difficult to contradict him: without a male hand, everything at the Melekhovs had long since fallen into disrepair. Seeing how thin the "murderer" has become, Ilyinichna pities him, obeying the eternal unbidden feeling - "wrenching maternal pity." As a result, unable to stand it, Ilyinichna calls Mikhail for dinner, in fact recognizing him as a member of the family. At dinner, she watches him intently, and it is at this moment that, unexpectedly for herself, she is imbued with a different feeling for him. This paradoxical phenomenon - pity for the murderer of his son - the writer explains by the strength of the character of a simple Russian woman. The people suffered many losses, the Melekhovs suffered, but life went on, and somehow it was necessary to put up with its new circumstances.
The novel "Quiet Flows the Don" is the writer's passionate appeal to people to preserve universal human values and renounce wars and violence.
During the years of the imperialist war, he realized that justice was on the side of the people and organized agitation among the Cossacks, speaking out against these military battles. The bear could not be out of the fight when the fate of the people is being decided. Once in the otarschik, he cannot be alone, and is afraid that this steppe silence will swallow him up. If Grishka Melekhov was always at the crossroads of his views, then Koshevoy did not want to leave the struggle. On the contrary, having consciously chosen the right path to fight for changing life during the revolution, he copes with a feeling of pity for Gregory and criticizes his friend, with whom he once studied at school.
When Soviet power came to power in the farm, and Koshevoy was elected deputy chairman of the Soviet, he insistently wants Melekhov to be arrested. Mishka has a special hatred for the enemies of the Soviets, and therefore he mercilessly destroys the houses of merchants and clergy, and puts grandfather Grishaka to death. But at the same time, Sholokhov clearly shows his spiritual world. He was dreamy and loved his native land. Through all the years of the war, he shows love for Dunyasha and his children. With great tact, the writer depicts those moments when the hated Ilyinichna Koshevoy wins her trust, after which the old woman loses all hatred for him. Having married this sweet girl, despite a serious illness, he all goes to the household. However, he soon begins to condemn his labor zeal and goes into the struggle for a bright future for the Cossacks.
Sholokhov, on the last pages of the work, confronts Koshevoy and Grigory Melekhov, emphasizing Mishka's vigilance and growth in political views. The disclosure of Koshevoy's character is manifested through all his actions in the process of fighting for the strengthening of Soviet power among the Don Cossacks. In the novel, he is shown as the master of life and a representative of the working Cossacks, who found the right path in the revolution. Showing the image of Koshevoy, Sholokhov wanted to show that such a fanatical struggle, like Mishka's, would not lead to anything good.
Mishka Koshevoy.
Some interesting essays
- Composition based on the story of Lord Golovleva Saltykov-Shchedrin
The novel simultaneously shows the process of degradation of the Russian nobility after the abolition of serfdom and, at the same time, speaks of human immorality, drawing a number of characters that do not cause any sympathy.
- Composition My favorite hero in the poem The Word about Igor's Campaign
After reading the book "The Tale of Igor's Campaign", I experienced love and compassion for the main character of the work. Ruler Igor is a sensual person who dreamed of the best share for his own native land.
- Taras Bulba - a character born of time
The main character of the story by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, Taras Bulba is a very charismatic Cossack with an assertive, freedom-loving character and was distinguished by his complete independence from others.
- Description of Mumu - dogs from Mumu's story (Grade 5)
Not only people, but also animals can be heroes of literary works. Like, for example, the dog Mumu from the story of the same name by I.S. Turgenev. Janitor Gerasim saw her as a three-week-old puppy
I love how autumn starts. On this first autumn day, they usually get up early and gather for a solemn line. September 1 is the Day of Knowledge, which means that soon you will need to sit down at your desks
Introduction
Mikhail Koshevoy in the novel "Quiet Flows the Don" is originally a minor person. But gradually his image comes to the fore. It is this, at first, insignificant character that plays a decisive role in the fate of a number of central heroes of the work.
Description of Mikhail Koshevoy
In the first part of The Quiet Flows the Don, Mishka Koshevoy appears before us as an ordinary farm boy with a naive, even somewhat childish, expression on his face and amused eyes. It is on the eyes of the hero that Sholokhov draws the reader's attention. Dark in the first book, they suddenly become "unsmiling", "blue and cold as ice" in the third.
During the war years, “Mikhail’s face matured and, as it were, faded.” The hero hardens, frowns, and often grits his teeth. Koshevoi "jerked up his eyes, and they looked straight into the pupils of the enemy, pierced into them." His dull eyes briefly revive only when he looks at Mishatka and Dunyashka. "The fires of admiration and caress flashed in them for a moment and went out."
Characteristics of Mikhail Koshevoy
In peacetime, Koshevoy behaves like his peers. Lives with the care of the economy, takes part in the entertainment of the farm youth. Participation in Shtokman's circle changes his outlook on life. Mishka is imbued with the ideas of a visiting member of the RSDLP and unconditionally takes the side of the Soviet government. Unlike Grigory Melekhov, Koshevoy does not doubt for a moment which side he is on. His devotion to the ideas of the party gradually reaches fanaticism, and the hero becomes completely hardened. The feeling of class hatred displaces everything universal from his soul. The final rebirth of Koshevoy occurs after he learns about the death of his comrades. “After the murder of Shtokman, after Mishka heard a rumor about the death of Ivan Alekseevich and the Yelan communists, Mishka’s heart was dressed with burning hatred for the Cossacks. He no longer thought, did not listen to the hated voice of pity, when a captured rebel Cossack fell into his hands. He kills, burns houses. Particularly indicative are the scenes of Koshevoy's participation in a punitive expedition to the village of Karginskaya, where he personally let the "red kochet" into 150 houses.
Michael was not naturally cruel. He says that, unlike other Cossacks, he cannot even slaughter a pig. But, the opponents of the new government for him are no longer people. In his opinion, they live in vain in the world, Koshevoy has a “firm hand” on them. It is characteristic that the word "enemy" constantly sounds in the hero's speech. He sees enemies everywhere. Even Dunyasha, the person closest to him, he is ready to throw out of his life just because she spoke unflatteringly about the Communists. “If you say this again - you and I don’t live together, just know it!
Your words are the enemy’s…” – declares Koshevoy.
Koshevoy and Melekhovs
It is difficult to develop Koshevoy's relationship in the Quiet Don with the Melekhov family. He personally shoots the captive Peter, kills the matchmaker of the Melekhovs, grandfather Grishaka Korshunov, and sets fire to his house, insists on the arrest of his former comrade Grigory. For all that, he does not feel guilty for what he did. For him, they are not fellow villagers with whom he lived side by side for so many years, but class enemies. Mishka tells Ilyinichna, who reproaches him for killing his grandfather: “I can’t kill an animal ... but a dirty trick, like this matchmaker of yours or some other enemy, I can do as much as I like!” To the accusations of killing Peter, he replies that Peter would have done the same to him if they had switched places.
It is interesting that it is Koshevoy, who brought so much grief to the Melekhovs, who undertakes to improve her life. He, having come to Ilyinichna's house as Dunya's fiancé, puts up a wattle fence, mends a longboat, and helps with mowing. But, despite these seemingly positive moments, in his soul he is not able to understand and accept someone else's position. He considers Dunyasha's mother, who calls him a "murderer", "a furious old woman." He hates Mishka and Gregory, who, even after everything that happened, opens his arms to him, considering Koshevoy his own.
If in the first three books Mishka still shows uncertainty, sometimes even confusion, then they completely disappear in the fourth book, when Koshevoy becomes chairman of the farm revolutionary committee. The only feeling he has for his fellow villagers is anger because they do not want to unconditionally accept the new government, as he himself did.
Conclusion
Positive or negative character Koshevoy? From a political point of view, of course, yes. After all, it is difficult to imagine a more devoted fighter for a brighter future. But, if you look at the hero from a universal position, it becomes scary. What bright future can be built by a fanatic who has neither understanding nor compassion in his soul?
Artwork test
The real master of the word Mikhail Sholokhov created the great work "Quiet Flows the Don". It is considered a truly folk epic in the style of Pushkin, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky. Many destinies, characters, worldviews were shown by an outstanding author in his novel. The formation of the characters' characters is shown in the critical years of history - the revolution, the civil war. A special place in the system of Sholokhov's characters, among complex, multifaceted, contradictory people, is occupied by Mikhail Koshevoy. The characterization of this man of that era will help you understand his complex but vibrant personality.
The beginning of turbulent events in the epic novel
The history of the Cossacks in the turbulent years from 1912 to 1922 is shown by Sholokhov in the epic "Quiet Don". Everything is displayed in this work, from the peculiar Cossack way of life to their culture, traditions, customs. The novel is overwhelmed by the events of social and political life, which greatly influenced the fate of the Don Cossacks.
The author endowed the main characters of the novel with bright individual characters. In the ups and downs of strong passions, they have difficult destinies. The central place in the novel is occupied by Grigory Melekhov. Sholokhov shows his difficult life path and the formation of his moral character. The reader observes the traditions of the Cossacks, universal moral values. To better reveal the characters of the characters, the author uses the beautiful landscapes of the Don land.
At the beginning of the novel, the life and customs of the Cossack village before the First World War are drawn. At first, the Tatarsky farm lived a calm, peaceful life. Sholokhov shows the connection of original and bright personalities - Grigory Melekhov and Aksinya Astakhova. But their personal lives are exacerbated by the turmoil that came with the revolution and civil war. Gregory had a friend, Mikhail Koshevoy, whose image is given by the author a little secondary. But it is he who is the complete counterbalance to Grigory Melekhov. With the advent of Soviet power, Gregory was tormented by doubts and hesitation, and Koshevoy was completely imbued with the idea of equality, justice and fraternity. While still working as a farmer in the village, Mishka reflects on the fact that somewhere people decide other people's destinies, and he just grazes mares. And he completely decided to devote himself to communist ideas.
Koshevoy's appearance
At the beginning of the novel, the reader sees Mishka Koshevoy as an ordinary farm boy. He has a naive and even a little childish expression, laughing eyes. Sholokhov paid special attention to the eyes of the hero. In the first book, he showed them dark, and in the second they turned into blue and cold. And this is no accident. Michael has undergone strong internal changes. He even stopped smiling.
The war made Mishka's face mature and, as it were, "shed". The hero became cruel, frowning, severely knitting his eyebrows and clenching his teeth. With his pupils, he so pierced the enemy that they had no place under his feet. At the end of the novel, a small warm light flashed in his eyes when he looked at Dunyashka and Mishatka (Grigory's children). A small particle of warmth and affection flared up and then faded away.
The origin of the views of Mikhail Koshevoy in the novel "Quiet Flows the Don"
Even in the first book, Sholokhov introduces readers to Mishka Koshev. This is an ordinary boy, no different from other Cossacks. He, along with the farm youth, has fun in the evenings, looks after the household. At first it seems that the author inserted this character only for extras. But soon he began to participate in the Shtokman circle. A visiting member of the RSDLP was able to completely convince the guy that the Soviet government was right, and he takes her side. He had no doubts about the correctness of communist ideas. His self-righteousness leads the hero to fanatical actions, very cruel.
Post-revolutionary changes in the hero
After some time, class hatred completely took possession of Mikhail and ousted all universal human qualities from his heart. After he learned about the death of his friends at the gathering, a final rebirth took place in him. After the murder of Shtokman and the Yelan communists, a burning hatred for the Cossacks settled in Mishka's heart. Pity had already ceased to be his adviser, he acted cruelly with any captured Cossack. Having joined the ranks of the Red Army, he killed, burned houses. The most revealing scene of Koshevoy's cruelty is considered to be a punitive expedition to the village of Kargynskaya, where he personally set fire to 150 houses.
Where did such cruelty come from, because the guy was not like that before? In his youth, he could not even kill a pig. But Mikhail did not consider opponents of the new government to be people. On such he easily raised his hand, because they had no idea. The hero constantly calls such people enemies, and he sees them everywhere. Even Dunyasha, the person closest to him, should not speak badly of the Communists, otherwise he will throw her out of his life without hesitation.
Koshevoy in the Melekhovs' house
For several years Koshevoy fought in the Civil War in the ranks of the Red Army. Upon his return, he comes to the house of his beloved Duna Melekhova. How does the Melikhov family meet the guest? There was nothing for them to love. At one time, Mikhail killed Dunya's brother, Peter, as well as their matchmaker. Dunyasha's mother, Ilyinichna, greeted Koshevoy rudely and unfriendly, even with hatred. But Mikhail persistently takes advantage of the fact that Dunya loves him. He turned out to be not only the chosen one of Dunya, but also the enemy of her family. Hatred and love merge into a single tragic episode. Dunya still loves the former Misha, but not the real killer. After all, he did not even hesitate to order the arrest of his former friend Grigory, Dunya's brother.
Be that as it may, the feeling of guilt does not torment Michael's soul. In all Cossacks who do not support Soviet power, he sees not his countrymen, but class enemies. He does not torment himself for the murder of Peter, because he believes that he would have done the same in his place. In the end, Grigory nevertheless overcame himself and opened his arms for Mikhail to embrace, but he remained unshakable. Hatred took over completely. In the fourth book, Koshevoy was appointed chairman of the revolutionary committee on the farm, which made him even colder. His eyes became ice cold.
Michael's actions and human traits
The revolution that engulfed Russia turned the heart of Koshevoy into a blazing fire. He became a faithful soldier of new times. On the way to a bright future for all the oppressed, he is ready to take the lives of his fellow villagers. He does not feel sorry for either friends or old people. He hates people who do not support communism.
Only something a little human wakes up in him when he marries Dunyasha and helps Ilyinichna with the housework. Being a kind person at heart, he shows diligence. Michael firmly believes that ruthlessness in the struggle for a new life will certainly bring good results. Is it just that?
Mishka Koshevoy is the complete antipode of Grigory Melekhov. He first served in the regular troops of the tsarist army, then went over to the Red Army, then was in the ranks of the volunteer and insurgent army. After all the wanderings, he became a member of the Fomin detachment. People gathered there who found themselves in robbery and led a dashing lifestyle with murders and robberies. Thus, the civil war gave rise to robbers who were not guided by the moral bonds "Thou shalt not steal" and "Thou shalt not kill."
Throwing Gregory between the Reds and the Whites led him to an asocial environment. He knows how to fight, but he doesn't want to. He wants to plow the land, raise children, live with his beloved, but he is not allowed to. This is where Sholokhov shows the tragedy of the Cossacks of that time.
Unlike Gregory, Mikhail does not want to plow the land and work on them. He got a good job as a boss. At the end of the novel, Gregory ends his war, returns home, he has no desire to hide and fight. But his fate is in the hands of the authorities, that is, Mikhail Koshevoy. The end of the novel is left open. The reader does not know whether Gregory was able to find a little warmth next to his son.
Is Koshevoy a positive character?
If we consider Koshevoy from a political point of view, then he took a positive side. He became a devoted fighter for a brighter future. But it’s even scary to think about his universal human positions. How can a fanatic without soul and compassion build something bright? So it's more of a negative character.
What did Sholokhov want to show in the image of Koshevoy?
Depicting the fate of Mikhail Koshevoy, Grigory Melekhov, as well as other heroes, Sholokhov wanted to show the pricelessness of human life. Even the noblest idea has no right to take someone's life. The author of the novel focuses on the fact that only in work, care for children, love lies the meaning of human life. It is these values that a real Cossack should have, and not the same as those of Mikhail Koshevoy.