Sholokhov’s novel Virgin Soil Upturned
shows the phase of collectivisation of agriculture in 1930s in the then Soviet Union. Davidov is sent to achieve
total collectivisation to a village Gremyachy Log. . he along with Nagulnov and
others persuades the farmers to go into collectivisation . The farmers who are initially reluctant agree
to it . But the process is not smooth as
the former white guards and sympathisers of Kulaks try to put spokes in the
process to fail the experiment. Yakov Lukich plays a dual role in acting as
expert in agricultural affairs and covertly aiding general Polovtsev planning to start a rebellion against the
soviet power. They even kill Khoprov and his wife thinking that the former
would reveal their treacherous past. Razmyotnov. Maidannikov ,Shchukar,
Lubishkin, Demid , the silent support
collectivisation and kulak families such as are sent away. Nagulnov adopts an aggressive
line and collectives even livestock but later he has to admit his mistake and
return poultry, in the story the man-woman relations also form a parallel plot.
Nagulnov’ wife Lushka take sup with Timofei, a son of Kulak and hardly cares
about what others think. Davidov acts as a facilitator and zealot in solving
problems arising out of reluctance of farmers and impetuosity of Nagulnov in hastening collectivisation. He does not
approve of il treatment of women . General Polovtsev’s attempts to rouse
Cossacks fail when they come to know from Stalin’s letter that collectivisation
can go as per the cooperation of the farmers.
The village gets slowly transformed and faces many hiccups
in moving towards Collectivization. The class war has not subsided but taken a
different turn and bureaucrats are hard pressed to meet the targets. The
Cossacks known for their martial valour
and rebellious spirit turn slowly towards collective agriculture.
The problems in drawing people
towards collectivization are portrayed in a vivid manner. The poor farmers were
enthusiastic, the middle level farmers rather reluctant and kulaks were hostile
either openly or covertly . the peasants feel it hard to part with their land
and live stock. Many resorted to killing of their live stock posing problems to
the organizers. They had to be refrained from
lightering their livestock. Nagulnov’s
hard approach has not succeeded whereas Vanyusha’s amicable approach convinced even the most
reluctant, once Stalin’s letter
criticizing left deviation came to be known, the farmers come and demand their
land and livestock back. Nagulnov has come under criticism .
Sholokhov’s woman characters are
assertive and rebellious. Razmyotnov’s wife Marina cares no man and takes away
her land and starts ploughing. Lubishkin and others who try to intervene are intimidated
by her strength and will power . Nagulnov’s wife Lushka whom he divorces cares
a jot for social and sexual mores that
constrain her and mocks Davidov for his reluctance to postpone taking of her
hand till after sowing and her former husband
Nagulnov for neglecting her in the name of world revolution.
Reading all this after nearly a
century shows a village in a different
era and how it struggles to come to terms with changing fortunes of Soviet
power. The iron hand of State keeps people to play safe or murmuring and they
find it difficult to change themselves to
a anew situation.
Party leadership calls Nagulnov
and charges him with left deviation and expels him from the party. His plea
regarding his past service is no regarded and he says that he would approach
regional committee. Meanwhile in Gremyachy Log Village things become hot and
the villagers, particularly women refuse to give awa seed grain to the
collective farm of Yarskoi. The fury of women leads to attack on Razmyotnov,
Davidov and others and they attempt to open the barn to take back their rain.
Grandad Shchukar ‘s relating of his childhood experiences and his getting
outwitted by a gypsy in purchasing a mare provide humorous relief to this
serious novel of class struggle that
takes new forms in its intermingling with personal animosities.
The novel shows the trials and
tribulations faced in collectivization . Makar Nagulnov and Davidov slowly convince the people, join new members in the party and try to capture saboteurs
like Yakov Lukich and officers of old
regime Polovtsev and Latyevsky.
whom he shelters. Davidov agrees to marry Varya, joins her in an
agricultural college for training and comes back to the village Gremyachy Log. In the attempt to capture the enemies of
revolution , Davidov and Nagulnov are killed. The culprits are later caught and
duly punished. Varya comes back to take car of her family and grandad Shchukar
and other party men such as Razmyontov
and Maidannikov are filled with sorrow.
Razmyontov sees beyond the horizon
‘’the sky was ablaze with scarlet flame and , wakening nodding Nature to fresh life, the last storm of that
year broke in a majestic fury , as if at the height of Summer.”
