Main content and theme of How Steel Was Tempered
How Steel Was Tempered was a novel by Ostrovsky of the Soviet Union that was first published in 1932. The novel was set against the steel workers of the Soviet Union in the 1920s. Through the growth of the protagonist, Pavel Kochagin, it showed the hard work, intellectual struggle, friendship and love of the laborers in that era, as well as the political, economic and cultural background of the Soviet society. The novel mainly tells the story of Paul, who gradually became an outstanding engineer and revolutionary through hard work and self-struggle from an ordinary steel worker during the period of the Soviet Union's industrial construction. In the novel, Kochagin met many different characters, including his friends, colleagues, and enemies. Together, they had experienced the various stages of the Soviet Union's industrial construction, faced all kinds of difficulties and challenges, and shared each other's happiness and pain. The theme of the novel emphasized the relationship between individual and collective, labor and value, self-struggle and country. In the novel, the author expressed the importance of individuals in the collective and the value of labor and self-struggle by shaping the image of the protagonist, Kochagin. At the same time, the novel also reflected the political and economic environment of the Soviet society and revealed the pressures and difficulties faced by the workers at that time. The novel also explored the significance of the country and revolution, as well as the relationship between individuals and the country. It called on people to work hard for the prosperity of the country and the happiness of the people.