What is treason? This is a betrayal of the interests of one’s country in the name of personal selfish goals. As a rule, this phenomenon acquires particular significance during war, when desertion undermines the foundations on which the state is based. Most people, of course, risk their lives if their homeland is in danger. Our history is rich in such examples and our literature is proud of it. However, there are always those few members of society who succumb to fear and serve only themselves, ignoring the troubles of the fatherland. Today, this problem, as before, is topical, because it manifests itself not only in wartime. That is why arguments on the topic “Treason to the Motherland” are so diverse and cover not only periods of armed conflicts.
- Andrei Sokolov, the hero of Sholokhov’s work “The Fate of a Man,” faces treason against his homeland. The soldier is captured and witnesses how the Germans are trying to find out which of the detainees is the Red Commissar. Members of the Bolshevik Party were shot immediately and were not taken prisoner. Their disfigured bodies served as proof that the German authorities would establish their own rules and get to every communist. A traitor appears among the ranks of prisoners and offers others to hand over the commander in exchange for safety. Then Andrei kills him so as not to sow confusion in the ranks of the soldiers. He understood that any concession to the enemy is treason, which is not only punishable by execution, but also does not find even the slightest moral justification. Because of deserters and Vlasovites, the country is losing its chances of victory.
- The readiness for betrayal is demonstrated by high society in Tolstoy's novel War and Peace. The nobility does not risk their lives in battle, sits in salons and argues that nothing will change with the arrival of Napoleon. They know French better than their native language, manners and antics are the same everywhere. They don’t care who is in power, what will happen to the country, how the battle will end, where their compatriots die every day. They will happily accept any outcome, because they have no true patriotism. They are strangers in Russia, its suffering is alien to them. The example of Prince Rostopchin, the Governor-General of Moscow, who was only capable of pathetic patriotic speeches, but did not really help the people, is widely known. Also stupid and false is the outfit of high society ladies who dressed in sundresses and kokoshniks instead of foreign dresses, supposedly supporting the national spirit. While ordinary people were shedding blood, the rich were playing dress up.
- In Rasputin's story “Live and Remember,” Andrei Guskov becomes a traitor by deserting the army. Front-line life was too much for him: lack of food and ammunition, constant risk, tough leadership broke his will. He moved to his native village, knowing that he was bringing a mortal threat to his wife. As you can see, betrayal of one’s homeland is dangerous because a person completely loses his moral core and betrays all the people dear to him. He substitutes the devoted Nastena, who helps him, risking her reputation and freedom. The woman fails to hide this help, and her fellow villagers pursue her to find the deserter. Then the heroine drowned herself, and her selfish husband sat in a secluded place, feeling sorry only for himself.
- In the story “Sotnikov” by Vasil Bykov, the handsome and strong man Rybak loses all his dignity when he encounters a real threat. He and a friend go on reconnaissance, but due to Sotnikov’s illness they are forced to take refuge in the village. As a result, they were captured by the Germans. Unlike the sick partisan, the healthy Rybak is a coward and agrees to cooperate with the invaders. Sotnikov is not trying to justify himself or take revenge. All his efforts are aimed at helping those people who sheltered them, to protect them with their silence. Meanwhile, the traitor wants, at all costs, to save his own life. Although he believes to the last that he can deceive the enemy and escape, joining his ranks for a while, Strelnikov prophetically notes that nothing can save his comrade from moral decay. In the finale, Rybak knocks the support from under his former colleague’s feet. So he set out on the path of betrayal and crossed out everything that connects him with his homeland.
- In Griboyedov's comedy "Woe from Wit" the heroes do not fight, but still manage to harm their country. Famus society lives by conservative and hypocritical foundations, ignoring progress and the rest of the world outside their ivory tower. These people usurp the people, plunge them into ignorance and drunkenness with their extravagant and cruel antics. The nobles, the support of autocratic power, are themselves mired in hypocrisy and careerism, while their whims are provided for by the peasantry. We see, for example, the stupid and mediocre military Skalozub, who only shines with shoulder straps at balls. He cannot be trusted with his daughter, let alone a regiment or a company. He is a limited and pitiful person who is used to only receiving from his homeland, but not repaying it with valiant and honest service. Isn't this treason?
- Loyalty and betrayal in war are always obvious. For example, in Pushkin’s story “The Captain’s Daughter,” Shvabrin calmly serves and receives ranks without being a brave man. When the battle broke out, he showed his true colors. The traitor immediately went over to the enemy’s side and swore allegiance to Pugachev, saving his life, while his friend Peter risked himself just to honestly fulfill his duty. The oath to the rebel is not Alexei’s only betrayal. During the duel, he used a dishonest tactic, thereby betraying his honor. He also dishonestly deceives Grinev and vilifies Masha’s name without any reason. Then he finally falls into the abyss of moral decline and forces Maria to marry him. That is, the baseness of a person is not limited to betrayal of his homeland, and one cannot forgive this kind of betrayal, if only on the grounds that it is clearly not the last. If he was able to betray his native country, then there is nothing to be expected from him in relation to people.
- In Gogol's story "Taras Bulba" Andriy betrays his country because of his passionate love for a Polish woman. However, this is not entirely true: he was initially alien to the traditions and mentality of the Cossacks. This contrast between personality and environment is visible when the hero returns home from the bursa: while Ostap joyfully fights with his father, the youngest son caresses his mother and peacefully stays away. He is not a coward or a weakling, he is simply a different person by nature, he does not have this militant spirit of the Zaporozhye Sich. Andriy was born for family and peaceful creation, while Taras and all his friends, on the contrary, see the meaning of a man’s life in eternal battle. Therefore, the decision of the younger Bulba seems natural: not finding understanding in his native land, he seeks it in the person of the Polish girl and her entourage. Probably, in this particular example, betrayal can be justified by the fact that the person could not have acted differently, that is, cheated on himself. At least he did not cheat and deceive his comrades in battle, acting on the sly. His honest position was at least known to everyone and emotionally motivated, because if you do not feel a sincere desire to help your homeland, sooner or later your lies will come out and do even more harm.
- In Gogol's play "The Inspector General" there is no war, but there is an imperceptible and more vile betrayal of the homeland than desertion on the battlefield. Officials of the city “N” plunder the treasury and oppress their native people. Because of them, the district is in poverty, and its population is overwhelmed by constant extortions and outright robbery. The situation of ordinary people in peacetime is no better than in times of war. A stupid and vicious government is constantly moving against them, from which even a pitchfork cannot be defended. The nobility ravages their native land with complete impunity, like a Mongol-Tatar horde, and no one is able to stop this, except, perhaps, the auditor. In the finale, the author nevertheless hints that the real inspector has arrived, and now the thieves cannot hide from the law. But how many of these districts find themselves in an invisible state of siege for years due to the debauchery of the ruling elite? The writer also answers this question by giving his city a universal name in order to emphasize that this is the situation throughout Russia. Isn't this a betrayal of the interests of the fatherland? Yes, embezzlement is not called that out of tact, but in essence this is real treason.
- In Sholokhov's novel "Quiet Don" the hero changes sides of the barricades several times in search of his truth and true justice. However, Gregory finds nothing like this on either side. It would seem that a person has the right to choose and make mistakes, especially in such an ambiguous situation, but some of his fellow villagers perceive these throwings as a betrayal of the homeland, although in fact Melekhov always follows the truth and is faithful to the interests of the people. It is not his fault that these interests change so often and disappear under one banner or another. It turned out that all parties only manipulated the patriotism of the Cossacks, but no one was going to act morally and fairly towards them. They were only used in the division of Russia, talking about the homeland and its defense. This is where Gregory became disillusioned, and people are already rushing to label him a traitor. Thus, there is no need to rush to blame a person for treason; maybe he is not to blame at all, and people from above use people’s anger against him as a weapon.
- In Shalamov’s story “The Last Battle of Major Pugachev,” the hero honestly and selflessly went through the war. He defended the country at the cost of his life and never retreated. However, he, like many comrades from the front, was sent to a labor camp for fictitious treason. Anyone who was captured or besieged was sentenced to 25 years in prison. In conditions of hard labor, this is a guaranteed death. Then Pugachev and several other soldiers decide to escape, because they have nothing to lose. From the point of view of the Soviet leadership, this is treason. But from the point of view of normal human logic, this is a feat, because innocent people, and even war heroes, should not be compared with criminals. They had the strength to defend their right to freedom, not to become slaves of the system, powerless and pathetic. Then, in 1944, in a German camp, provocateurs told the hero that he would be imprisoned in his homeland anyway. He did not believe and did not serve the enemy. Not broken. So what does he have to lose now that the darkest forecasts have come true? Although he goes against the state, I do not consider him a traitor. Traitors are the government that goes against its people. Interesting? Save it on your wall!
Loyalty. What it is? This is the moral foundation on which the human world rests. This is devotion to one’s principles, duty, one’s Motherland, one’s land, parents, friends and loved ones. The opposite concept is treason. A person cheats first of all on himself, failing to pass the test of moral strength. People are tested for loyalty and treason primarily in relation to their duty, to the Fatherland. This is especially evident during years of difficult trials, during the war.
Let's look at examples from fiction.
In the novel by A.S. Pushkin's "The Captain's Daughter" is about a popular uprising led by Pugachev. Almost all the plot lines of the story are connected with this. The main character is Pyotr Grinev, a young officer who serves in the Belogorsk fortress. When the fortress was captured by the Pugachevites, he was faced with a choice: to die, but remain faithful to the oath, to the Fatherland, or to stay alive, but betray his duty, betray the moral principles that had been ingrained in him since childhood. “Take care of your honor from a young age,” the father instructed his son, seeing him off to service. And Grinev preserved his honor, remained faithful to the oath and was ready to die, but not go over to the side of the impostor. And Pushkin talks about betrayal in his work. Shvabrin, also a young officer, swears allegiance to Pugachev so as not to be hanged. He betrays his military duty, his oath to faithfully serve the Tsar and the Fatherland. Of course, who wants to die young. But betrayal is a shame, people’s contempt, and it has never made a person happier.
M. Sholokhov’s story “The Fate of Man” talks about loyalty to human and military duty. The main character, Andrei Sokolov, endured many trials: he fought, was captured, lost his family, but even in the most difficult moments of his life he managed to remain a man and a faithful defender of his native land. Loyalty does not live in every heart. Let's remember the episode that tells how prisoners were kept in a barn in inhumane conditions. And one of them is ready to betray others, to point out communists and Komsomol members to the fascists in order to survive, curry favor with enemies, and save his life. He does not withstand the tests, betrays his duty, would become a traitor if not for Andrei Sokolov, who kills the traitor. The author wants to say that only qualities such as loyalty and courage help people preserve the human being within them.
V. Bykov’s story “Sotnikov” also talks about loyalty and betrayal of one’s human and military duty. The action takes place during the Great Patriotic War. The two main characters, Sotnikov and Rybak, find themselves facing death: they fall into the clutches of their enemies. Sotnikov holds on courageously. Beaten and tormented, he does not agree to go into service with the fascists, but remains faithful to his comrades in arms, his military oath, and his Motherland. Courage, boldness, and loyalty to his native land help him remain human to the end. And what about the second one - Rybak? He became a coward even when he abandoned his comrade on the road, who was alone in a shootout with the police. And only fear of the partisans forced Rybak to return. He became a traitor in the face of death: he agreed to join the police to save his life, and even became an executioner: he knocked out the stool under the gallows on which Sotnikov stood. Loyalty and betrayal manifest themselves most clearly in war.
Thinking about fidelity and betrayal, re-reading the works of Russian writers, I came to the conclusion that fidelity, devotion to the country, love for the Fatherland are the keys to courage, honor, and the preservation of human dignity, and betrayal is a shame, cowardice, the path to betrayal.
Cheating is always painful. How to live with this pain? What to do if this directly affects you? As sad as it is to admit, cheating is a fairly common phenomenon in our time. Both women and men cheat, and if you believe the statistics, the former are not lagging behind the latter in this. It is interesting that half a century ago cases of female infidelity were extremely rare, but now the situation has changed dramatically.
The reasons why a person decides to take this step can be different. It is usually easier to explain a man's infidelity than a woman's infidelity. Why? Yes, simply because in the stronger sex the need to change a sexual partner is most often physiological, genetic (at least that is what is commonly thought). The reasons that push a woman to take this step are often psychological and emotional. Although studies of recent decades have proven that the fair sex has a certain “infidelity gene,” however, the tendency to cheat for this reason arises only during the period of ovulation. But women often look for adventure at other times.
How can this be explained? And the fact that a woman begins to experience an acute lack of attention, communication, love, feels dissatisfied or is simply bored. If you notice that your significant other is bored, take immediate action (a joint trip on vacation, a trip to the theater, or just a walk around the city in the evening). If you do not pay attention to your loved one in time, the consequences can be sad. Sometimes a simple sincere conversation is enough to prevent trouble.
Reasons for female infidelity can be much more complex. For example, a difficult childhood (constant prohibitions from parents) or late maturation. In these cases, the woman consciously commits adultery, and then she gets into all the serious things. And it will be very difficult to prevent betrayal if it occurs for these reasons. Of course, we must remember that a person has a mind, he has morals. This is what distinguishes him from an animal. Cases when instincts prevail over reason are not very common. Therefore, the reason must be sought, first of all, in the human mind. Society, the desire for self-realization, weak character, lack of moral principles and much more - all this can push a loved one to betray.
How to prevent cheating? It hardly makes sense to advise anything here, because all cases are extremely individual. You just need to listen to your loved one, try to understand what he is missing, you need, in the end, to just talk to each other, and as often as possible. Try to find time for this. For example, instead of watching TV in the evening, have a festive dinner and introduce your partner to topics that are important to you. It’s also not worth putting pressure if the conversation doesn’t work out. After some time, you can simply try again.
But there are probably no guaranteed ways to protect yourself from betrayal. Men often do not attach much importance to this fact and do not even consider it a reason to break off relations with a regular partner. But a woman’s infidelity most often leads to separation: either because her husband is unable to forgive her for this, or because a woman, to a greater extent than a man, emotionally involved in an affair on the side, cannot rush between two fires for a long time. As a result, betrayal may be the collapse of her family life.
The consequences of betrayal are painful and even sometimes tragic. Infidelity is the second leading cause of depression, the third leading cause of suicide and suicide attempts. And the point is not even the fact of disturbing peace of mind, but the fact that these types of wounds are quite painful and they take a very long time to heal.
Despite this, many people are able to forgive and start over. Such people must have strong moral and volitional qualities. And the traitor’s guilt, his sincere repentance can even breathe new life into the couple’s relationship. Cheating helps to find out who is to blame; it can show weaknesses in a relationship and suggest how to develop them further.
The tendency to infidelity can have various reasons: chemical, genetic, psychological, cultural and social, or any other. But this does not mean that a person has the right to cheat. Everyone should be able to take responsibility for their actions. After all, not all married couples experience cases of infidelity. There are people who can be faithful to each other, who can understand, forgive and support. You cannot succumb to the active propaganda of promiscuity. We must strive to ensure that sincere and trusting relationships between loving people become the ideal.
One of the directions of the final essay is “Loyalty and Treason.” It may contain themes related to the following concepts: loyalty and betrayal to a loved one, oneself, a friend, one’s family.
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"Loyalty and Betrayal" works
Almost every work studied in school contains story line, to one degree or another associated with fidelity and betrayal. Let's consider possible products for the first point:
- « » , Natasha Rostova, who cheated on Andrei Bolkonsky with one, and is marrying a third.
- "Quiet Don", Grigory Melekhov, who cannot decide who he should be with: Natasha, his wife and mother of his children, or the married Aksinya.
- « » , Margarita, who, being married, loves her master and is trying to find him.
For the second point you can take:
- « » Bazarov, who at first is iron-confident in his views, and then meets a woman who changes his world, he begins to doubt himself.
- « » , Sonya Marmeladova, a highly moral person who is forced to deviate from her principles and, for the sake of her family, take the “yellow ticket”.
- "Taras Bulba", the main character, Taras, is true to himself, to his homeland, so he, without deviating from his views, kills his son for betraying his homeland.
- Poems by Mayakovsky "About the Soviet passport". The lyrical hero is proud that in his hands is a “Hammer-faced, sickle-faced Soviet passport.”
- “And the dawns here are quiet...”. A squad of women and their commander sacrifice themselves to save the Motherland from the Nazis.
- "Taras Bulba", Andriy falls in love with a Polish princess and betrays his homeland.
Loyalty and betrayal in the work “Taras Bulba”.
As an example about friendship, you can take the following works:
- "Scarecrow". Here is an example (Lenka, who takes the blame for her friend’s misdemeanor upon herself), and anti example – Dima Somov(afraid to tell the truth, looking at how classmates mock her friend).
- "Oblomov", Andrei Stolts, who does not abandon his lazy, inert friend and helps him organize things in the village.
The problem of fidelity and betrayal in the family circle is illuminated in the works:
- "Quiet Don", Grigory Melekhov leaves his family: wife, parents - for the sake of his mistress.
- "Taras Bulba“Andriy goes against not only the laws of his society, but also against the will and teachings of his father.
Attention! You can use any suitable examples from classical Russian, as well as from foreign and modern literature.
Loyalty and betrayal - introductory part
The introduction should reveal the meaning of terms"loyalty" and "betrayal". After you have given the definition, comment on the problem, give your assessment, express your thoughts on this occasion, talk about its significance and relevance.
Complete your thesis – highlight main idea, literally in one sentence. And then move on to argumentation.
The problem of fidelity and betrayal
Here you can talk about what cheating leads to, tell about the consequences. Think about what feelings the traitor will experience, and what will happen to the person who trusted him.
You may wonder whether a faithful person will ever be happy and much more. The description of the problem will depend from a specific topic.
The problem of fidelity and betrayal, arguments for an essay
Arguments for the essay should be taken from works relevant to the topic. You can format them as follows:
And after that, you can move on to writing a conclusion and summing up.
Loyalty and betrayal: arguments for essays, quotes
- “Consistency is the basis of virtue” - Balzac.
- “Be faithful to those who are faithful to you” - Plath.
- “What is my father, comrades and homeland to me? So if that’s the case, here’s the thing: I don’t have anyone! Nobody, nobody! — Andriy, Taras Bulba.
- “Take care of your honor from a young age” - “The Captain’s Daughter” epigraph.
Attention! It is not at all necessary to use quotes in your essay.
Loyalty and betrayal: conclusion
Summarize based on the above arguments. Do you agree with the theme? Think about what you want to convey in your essay. Perhaps you can recommend something to solve this problem. Draw the reader's attention to something call them to action.
You can use the following templates to indicate the output:
- In conclusion, I want to say that… .
- I agree (agree) with the author that... .
- Please note that betrayal is fraught with far from happy consequences.
Loyalty and treason to the Motherland
This topic raises the concept of “patriotism” - love for the Motherland.
This problem is advantageous in that it allows you to select a lot of examples from literary works devoted to historical and military topics (“The Dawns Here Are Quiet,” “Vasily Terkin,” “The Little Soldier,” etc.).
Each of us understands that this topic is very important nowadays. Therefore, there will be no problem in identifying its relevance and significance.
The captain's daughter: loyalty and betrayal
This work can be used for argumentation in the following directions:
- loyalty and treason to the Motherland;
- to a loved one;
- to myself.
Let's take a closer look. Maria Mironova can be used as an example of pure, true love.
And Peter Grinev can be cited as an example as true patriot, confident in his views on life, Shvabrin is his anti-example. And we also saw traitors to the Motherland here, when they were offered to die or go over to the side of the invader.
Evgeny Onegin: fidelity and betrayal
The main character of this work can be used as examples in several ways. He is courting a married woman, especially since she is the wife of his best friend. This ruins friendships and starts enmity. You can also consider and use tangled love line Evgeny Onegin - Tatiana.
Another example is the biography of Tatyana’s mother, a domineering, callous woman who became like this because of her husband. In her youth, she dreamed of moving to the capital and marrying a military man and leading a social life. But since she became the wife of a landowner, she had to forget about all your dreams.
Loyalty and betrayal, essay examples
Loyalty is constancy in your views, feelings, beliefs. Of course, this is a positive quality. But for each concept there is a term that has the opposite meaning. The antonym for the word “loyalty” is “betrayal” - this is uncertainty, retreat in one's beliefs.
The topic of fidelity and betrayal has interested many writers. I think they got their attention emotions and feelings of people, who were loyal and betrayed, thoughts that were the driving force of the traitor at the time of committing vile acts. In order to confirm my words, let us turn to examples from the literature.
A striking illustration of this topic will be “Oblomov” by Goncharov. Here we see the standard of a faithful friend - Andrei Stolts. This character is quite pragmatic: this person’s views on life are absolutely stable and constant. It seems to me that it was for this reason that Stolz always helped out his not very independent friend Oblomov and did not leave him in trouble throughout the entire work. I think that kind of loyalty and devotion deserves respect.
A more interesting plot, full of intrigue, is tied up in Zheleznikov’s work “Scarecrow”. Here we will encounter both loyalty and betrayal. Before the readers are ordinary students from an ordinary school. The main character Lenka is new to the class, she is quiet, modest, and sincere. The girl makes a friend, because of whom she is bullied by her classmates. When Dima reports to the teacher that the class skipped class, Lenka shows nobility and takes the blame for the class upon herself.
I think this is a very brave act, because she knew how it could end. But how will her only friend behave, looking at how the whole class is mocking an innocent girl? And we see that he is suffering, thoughts about this haunt him, but at the same time, he is afraid to be in her place. Therefore, he chose to preserve his reputation rather than help out Lenka, who helped him in difficult times. I think this is treason and betrayal. But I think that after reading this book, few people will want to find themselves in such a situation, because the author so skillfully describes the mental torment of a traitor.
Loyalty and betrayal. direction of the final essay
“Loyalty and Betrayal” Essay example
Conclusion
In conclusion, I want to say that by reading various works on the topic of fidelity and betrayal, we can learn from actions and mistakes heroes in order to avoid unpleasant situations in life and be good, loyal friends.
In the final essay it is very important fully expand on the topic, therefore, for a better result, try to choose examples where the first shows the positive side, and the second, the negative side of the phenomenon indicated in the topic of the essay.
How do you understand the word “loyalty”?
What is loyalty? In my opinion, this word can be understood differently depending on the situation. If we are talking about love relationships, then fidelity is, first of all, steadfastness and constancy in one’s feelings, readiness to be with a loved one in any situation.
Thus, N.A. Nekrasov’s poem “Russian Women” tells about Princess Trubetskoy, who followed her Decembrist husband to Siberia. The governor of Irkutsk dissuades her, describing the difficulties she will face: the harsh climate, the need to live in barracks with convicts, meager and rough food, the upcoming renunciation of all the rights and privileges of a noble person. However, the heroine is not afraid of his words. She is ready to do anything just to be close to her husband, to share both joy and sorrow with him. To all warnings she replies: I am a woman, a wife!
Let my fate be bitter -
I will be faithful to her!
We see that Princess Trubetskoy personifies loyalty and devotion to a loved one.
The word “loyalty” can also be understood as steadfastness in fulfilling one’s duties and duty, for example, to the Motherland. The Defender of the Fatherland, soldier or officer, is obliged to remain faithful to the oath and not to betray it, no matter what happens.
An example is Pyotr Grinev, the hero of A.S. Pushkin’s work “The Captain’s Daughter.” When the Belogorsk fortress was captured by Pugachev, all officers were asked to go over to the side of the rebels. If they refused, a tragic fate awaited them - to be hanged. The author shows that, faced with a choice, Pyotr Grinev was ready to give up his life, but remain faithful to the oath. Later, he also refuses Pugachev’s offer, who promised to reward him with high titles: “I am a natural nobleman; I swore allegiance to the Empress: I cannot serve you.” The writer emphasizes that above all for the hero was honor and loyalty to military duty.
Thus, we can come to the conclusion: the word “loyalty” implies devotion to someone or something: a loved one, the Fatherland, duty.
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What action can be called treason?
What action can be called treason? Of course, everyone will answer this question in their own way. I'll try to formulate my point of view. In my opinion, treason is such actions as betraying a loved one, or in wartime, going over to the side of the enemy. To support my words, I will give several examples.
Let us remember N.M. Karamzin’s story “Poor Liza.” The main character, a simple peasant girl, fell in love with a young nobleman named Erast with all her heart. He, too, seemed to have found his ideal in Lisa. However, the happiness did not last long. The author shows that soon the passion in the hero’s heart gave way to boredom and cooling. Moreover, having lost at cards, he decided to improve his situation by marrying a rich elderly widow. He did not say a word about his intentions to Lisa, moreover, he deceived her, saying that he was going to the army and would certainly return to her. She learned the truth only by accident. This was such a heavy blow for her that out of despair the girl committed suicide. Erast’s act can undoubtedly be called treason, because he betrayed the feelings of the girl who loved him, acted dishonestly, lying to her and secretly marrying another.
Another example of betrayal can be called the act of the Fisherman from the story “Sotnikov” by V. Bykov. The work tells about two partisans who were captured by the police. If Sotnikov bravely withstood torture and accepted death with honor, Rybak, on the contrary, from the first minutes in captivity only thought about how to save his own life. He was ready to do anything for this: to reveal the location of a partisan detachment, to go over to the side of the enemy, to execute a comrade with his own hands. By doing this, he betrayed his comrade, despised his duty as a defender of the Fatherland, and betrayed his Motherland.
Thus, we can come to the conclusion: treason can be called such actions, which are based on betrayal. By cheating, a person betrays the trust of loved ones, comrades, and sacrifices duty and honor.
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What can push a person to cheat?
What can push a person to cheat? It seems that there may be many reasons that prompted a person to commit treason. It could be selfishness, fear for one’s life, cowardice, or weakness of character. Let's look at a few examples.
So, in the story by N.M. Karamzin “Poor Liza” we see the young nobleman Erast, who won the heart of the simple peasant woman Liza. The author shows that after some time, Erast cheated on his beloved: when he went to the army, he promised the girl to return, but in reality he left her forever. Moreover, having lost almost all of his estate at cards, he decided to improve his affairs by marrying a rich woman. What prompted Erast to commit such an unseemly act? This is also greed, because he did not want to lose his fortune and settle for poverty. At the same time, the reason for the betrayal can also be considered the selfishness of the young man, who thought only about himself and his interests, not caring at all about the impact his action would have on Lisa, who was devoted to him with all her heart. Erast treated the girl as something that could be thrown away as unnecessary, and did not think that for her his behavior would be a fatal blow, which ultimately ended her life (the reader learns that Lisa committed suicide after learning about her lover’s betrayal) . Selfishness and selfishness are what pushed him to betrayal.
Let us now turn to V. Bykov’s story “Sotnikov”. We see a partisan named Rybak, who, having fallen into the hands of the enemy, decides to betray: he is ready to betray the location of the partisan detachment to the enemies, serve in the police, and even take part in the execution of a comrade. What pushed him to betray his Motherland and his duty as a defender of the Fatherland? First of all, fear for your life. Cowardice and weakness of character determine his post-farts. The fisherman wants to live at all costs. For him, this is more important than duty to his homeland, honor, and camaraderie. He thinks only about himself, and is easily ready to sacrifice others in order to save himself. This is also selfishness, which can be considered the cause of betrayal in this case.
Summing up, we can come to the conclusion: a person is driven to betrayal by various reasons, but they are always based on selfishness, concern only for one’s own interests, and disregard for the lives of other people.
How do you understand the expression “fidelity to duty”?
How do I understand the expression “fidelity to duty”? In my opinion, the meaning of this expression is revealed when it comes to military duty. For a defender of the Motherland, this is, first of all, the readiness to fulfill one’s duty in any situation, to be ready to give one’s life if necessary. I will illustrate what has been said with several examples.
Thus, in A.S. Pushkin’s work “The Captain’s Daughter,” the main character Peter Grinev demonstrates loyalty to duty. When Pugachev captured the Belogorsk fortress, all its defenders were asked to go over to the side of the rebels. Otherwise they were executed. The author shows that Pyotr Grinev, just like the commandant of the fortress, refused to become a traitor and was ready to accept death, but not betray his oath. Only a happy accident saved the hero from the gallows. Later, Pugachev again invites Grinev to join him in his service, to which he responds with a decisive refusal: “I am a natural nobleman; I swore allegiance to the Empress: I cannot serve you.” When Pugachev asks him to at least not fight against him, Grinev again answers negatively: “How can I promise you this? ... You know, it’s not my will: if they tell you to go against you, I’ll go, there’s nothing to do. You are now the boss yourself; you yourself demand obedience from your own. What will it be like if I refuse to serve when my service is needed? We see that the hero shows loyalty to military duty: he does not betray the oath, even risking his life.
