(454 words) A novel epic, as a literary genre, has a large number of diverse characters. In Quiet Don, the main semantic characters are inseparable from their families. Four such central families can be distinguished - the Melekhovs, Korshunovs, Astakhovs and Koshevye.
The main attention is focused on the Melekhovs. This family lives on the outskirts of the farm and has received the nickname “Turks”: Pantelei Prokofievich’s father brought a captive Turkish wife from the Turkish campaign, and from then on “Turkish blood went to cross with Cossack blood”. At the time of the beginning of the novel, the family consists of Pantelei Prokofievich, his wife Vasilisa Ilyinichna, sons Petro and Grigory, daughter-in-law of Daria and daughter Dunyashka. By the end of the work, this family practically ceases to exist: of the survivors, only Grigory with his son Mishutka, as well as Dunyashka, who lives with her husband Mikhail Koshev, remain. Using the example of this family, the author wanted to show how widespread the consequences of the Civil War were - it destroyed destinies, ruined families, and thus changed the traditional way of life of the Don Cossacks.
The Astakhov family lives next to the Melekhovs. This is a young married couple, but there is no happiness in their marriage. Aksinya is tormented by the fact that he lives with the unloved Stepan, and he only shows rudeness towards her, often drinks and rarely sleeps at home. The feeling of Aksinya and Gregory is the main love line of the novel, filled with joy and sadness, moments of rapprochement and separation, constant attempts to fight for their happiness.
The Korshunov family are wealthy, household Cossacks. When the Melekhovs came to marry Natalia for Gregory, Miron Grigorievich and Marya Lukinichna did not immediately decide to give their daughter in marriage. But Natalya insisted on the wedding, convincing her parents that she did not want to marry anyone else. After the wedding, Gregory could not fall in love with Natalia and went to Aksinya. Despite the fact that the Korshunovs took Natalya back to the house, Miron Grigoryevich was worried all the time that the neighbors would discuss him. Gossip and a lack of support from relatives prompted Natalia to commit suicide. The girl remained alive, but could not live in her parents' house anymore and willingly agreed to the invitation of the Melekhovs to live in their house, even if without Grigory. This moment once again draws attention to how the Melekhov family is close-knit and friendly, because they are able to help each other in any trouble and do not abandon their own under any circumstances.
Little is known about the Koshev family. They lived poorly - Mishka, his mother, sister and two brothers. They had a bear for the elder, for the breadwinner. That is why the guy grew up stubborn and hardworking. It can be called stubborn. If he loves, then to the end - he managed to marry Dunyash Melekhova, despite numerous obstacles; if he defends the side of the Reds, he no longer leaves this path, and is ready to follow the great goal, destroying all the opponents of the Bolsheviks.
One unites all these fundamentally different families - they all suffered from the war. Many died, their houses were destroyed and the entire economy was stolen. The only future is to restore everything, not forgetting the fundamental traditions of the Don Cossacks. This promise is laid by M.A. Sholokhov in the family theme of "Quiet Don".