Mikhail Sholokhov's novel "Virgin Soil Upturned" : A Review

 

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.”