The storyteller in “The Fate of a Man” goes through terrible hardships. His nationality causes him to undergo harm. When he was a prisoner of war, the Germans would, “beat you just because you are Russian” (Shokolov, 496). Luckily he breaks out of prison camp and then returns to the Soviet army. He brings them a German General and a briefcase full of valuable materials. The army appreciates and congratulates him for his efforts. Objectively, he has been a good soldier. He never sold out to the Germans and he aided his country by obtaining valuable information. In the end the man finally reconnects with his son. The two go from place to place because the mans sadness won’t let him stay in one place for long (Stokonov, 506). Unfortunately they have no place to call home, they are, “Two orphaned human beings…flung into unfamiliar places by the unprecedented hurricane of war” (Sholokov, 507). Yet Stalin’s policies dictate that prisoners of war should be executed as if they are traitors. This would have been generally understood by all soldiers at the time. Is the real reason the storyteller will never return to Russia due to the fear of execution or due to the traumatic memories of the family he lost there?
Russia, the Soviet Union, and the CIS (HIS240 S20)
Revolution and its evolution!
I think that it could be a mix of both traumatic memory, and the fear of execution. While we learned that the Russians would execute Polish prisoners of war, I don’t believe we talked about Russians captured by Germans. However, that does not change the fact that the mentality would be instilled in Soviet soldiers. If there is a fear of death by the hand of his own government, it most likely extends to his son, and that is why he is not returning back to his home. He does not want to lose his remaining family and then himself.
I think that the storyteller deliberately chose a life of wandering. The storyteller is able to distract himself from the pain during the day by continuously traveling. We see this method work until the man is no longer distracted and is confronted with his trauma at night. His continual travel also allows for him to be employed and provide for his child, Vanya. Protecting and caring for Vanya seems to be his main priority.
Paige that’s a great point that I hadn’t considered. After everything he has been through it would be difficult to maintain a steady job in one place. Looking at it from the perspective of how much he loves his son makes sense. His son is everything to him, all he has left. So if it provides the best life for Vanya for the man to be a wanderer he would do it, hands down.