DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
KRASNOKUTSKY DISTRICT OF SARATOV REGION
SUBJECT:The story of O. Henry "Gifts of the Magi"
Poetry and prose of life.
Lesson in 8th grade
teacher of Russian language and literature
MOU sosh village Zhuravlevka
Shevtsova Tatyana Anatolyevna
OPEN LESSON ON THE STORY OF Fr. HENRY "GIFTS OF THE MAGI" Poetry and prose of life
Preparing for the lesson: Research group - scrupulously calculate how many times and in connection with what the novel mentions monetary amounts, think about the significance of these numbers in the work; they will try to single out words in the whole novel that could be called “semantic codes” of its ideological content, and also determine which single-root words are the most common in the last paragraph of the novel, also count their number and try to explain. Why are so many single-root words concentrated in one place.
"Connoisseurs" of biblical stories cook short story about the Magi and the plot of the "Adoration of the Magi" in painting (2-3 min.), information - an explanation about King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba; readers – expressive reading poems by I. Brodsky, B. Pasternak, R.-M. Rilke about Christmas.
reproductions
1.THE LESSON BEGINS WITH QUESTIONS:
When you first heard the name "Gifts of the Magi", what did you think of?
MAGI - kings, magicians, in the Eastern Christian legends, wise men-stargazers. Led by the Star of Bethlehem, they go from distant lands to worship the Divine Infant Messiah and bring him wonderful gifts in their caravans. Numerous sources say different number wise men - from 3 to 12, but most often they talk about the three wise men - Caspar, Balthazar and Melchior, who bring gold as a gift to Jesus (as a sign of earthly dominion), incense (as a sign divine origin and heavenly power) and myrrh (resin, which was anointed with the dead, as a hint of the future crucifixion of Christ and His torment)
2. Let's listen to the poems of I. Brodsky and B. Pasternak:
"Christmas. 1963."
The star shone from the sky.
The cold wind raked the snow into a snowdrift.
Rustling sand. The fire crackled at the entrance.
The smoke was like a candle. The fire curled up.
And the shadows got shorter
It's suddenly longer. No one knew,
That the account of life will begin from this night.
The wolves have arrived. The baby was fast asleep.
Steep vaults surrounded the manger.
The snow swirled. White steam swirled.
The baby lay, and the gifts lay.
Fragment from B. Pasternak's verse "Christmas Star"
... And three astrologers
They hurried to the call of unprecedented fires.
Behind them were brought gifts on camels.
And donkeys in a harness, one undersized
Another, step by step descended from the mountain.
And a strange vision of the coming time
Everything that came after got up in the distance.
All thoughts of ages, all dreams, all worlds,
The whole future of galleries and museums,
All the pranks of the fairies, all the affairs of sorcerers,
All the Christmas trees in the world, all the dreams of the kids.
All the thrill of warmed candles, all the chains,
All the splendor of colored tinsel ...
... The wind blew more and more fiercely from the steppe ...
... All apples, all golden balls.
Why does the poem mention "children's dreams", candles, "golden balls"? (They have become symbols of Christmas - a wonderful holiday associated with hopes for a miracle, gifts and a joyful mood).
3. ANALYSIS OF THE NOVELS OF O. HENRY "GIFTS OF THE MAGI"
How do you think. Why, when telling the Christmas story of two young Americans, O. Henry remembered the Magi? (It was from the Magi that a wonderful custom began to give each other gifts on Christmas. And the events of the novel take place just on Christmas, or rather Christmas Eve - the evening before Christmas).
We listen to the folk Christmas song "Ringing the bell"("Jngle bells"). Try to imagine the streets of the huge city of New York on the eve of Christmas. Describe them. (Home drawing on the theme "Christmas").
They see brightly lit streets elegant Christmas trees, streams of people busy with pre-holiday chores hear joyful, happy music, the ringing of bells of a reindeer team, on which good Santa Claus solemnly enters the city.
- What mood reigns in the souls of people? Why? What are they doing? What is expected from Christmas night?
( It is a beautiful, poetry evening full of expectation of miracles, surprises, gifts, illuminated by the lights of Christmas trees, filled with the ringing of silver bells announcing the birth of the Divine Child and promising new happiness, joy and light, an evening filled with the smell of pine needles, the aroma of traditional turkey and other foods, an evening of generous Santa Clauses and good hearts.)
- Therefore, everyone is upbeat, festive mood? Does the main feel like this the heroine of the novel Dela?
(No, Della is in a gloomy mood. Instead of the festive bustle, the shining candles of the Christmas tree and the good-natured Santa Claus, she saw outside the window "a gray cat walking along a gray fence along a gray yard.")
- Why does Dell see everything in gray colors? (She has no money, and she cannot give her beloved husband a Christmas present - this exposes her to despondency, makes her cry and think about the injustice of life.)
TEACHER . So the prose of life invades the poetic, wonderful, magical holiday, taking it away from the young heroine. The whole short story is built on the collision of prose and poetry.
-What is meant by the prose of life by the poetry of life?
PROSE refers to everyday life.
POETRY - the charm, the charm of life.
TEACHER. I suggest that you divide the notebook page in half, heading its parts “Prose of Life” and “Poetry of Life”, and in the course of analyzing the work, fill it with those concepts, phenomena, objects, names that correspond to each section in the short story. At the end of the lesson, we will compare the contents of the sections to draw a conclusion. What is the meaning of the interweaving of prose and poetry, why does the author push them together.
TEACHER. - What is depressing Dela? How does O. Henry show the need of a young family?
(They have “a furnished apartment for eight dollars a week. The setting is not so much blatant poverty, but eloquently silent poverty.” And furniture. And the clothes of the heroes are “old.” Jim needs a new coat for a long time. And he doesn’t have gloves at all. They have to bargain for every penny with their salespeople in order to somehow maintain their existence.)
TEACHER: It's time to speak
representatives of the research group , who considered the cash income of a young family.
In such a short story - just four pages - 15 times the sums of money, income and expenses of the family are mentioned. This provides an opportunity to highlight Della and Jim's poverty. The most frequently repeated amount is 1 dollar and 87 cents - this is all that Dele managed to save up for many months when he tried to save up and “win” money for a gift for his beloved Jim. She counted this “enormous” amount again and again in the hope that, perhaps,
she made a mistake and the money will turn out to be at least a little more, and in fear that it may turn out to be even less ...
Counting the money, Dela remembers how she bargained humiliatingly with the butcher, the grocer, the greengrocer, and weeps with annoyance. That all her humiliations and savings led to absolutely nothing.
Why was Dela saving money? What did she want to give her husband?
(“Something not quite special, rare, precious (From “Special” to “Precious”), anything even slightly worthy of the high honor of belonging to Jim).
- What is guessed behind this ardent desire? (Unlimited love for her husband, respect for him, admiration for her virtues).
- What was the way out of Dela's situation? (She decided to sell her hair).
(they are very long, beautiful. Shiny: “And now Della’s beautiful hair fell apart, shining and shimmering, like jets of a chestnut waterfall. They descended below the knees and wrapped almost her entire figure in a cloak.”)
(In ancient times, hair was indeed given magical properties, they personified life force, energy. They also symbolized inspiration, seduction. Can be said about long hair mermaids. However, over time, this idea of \u200b\u200bthe miraculous power of hair remained only in fairy-tale motifs, and luxurious hair has become primarily a sign of beauty.)
SPEECH by "experts" on biblical stories.
Of course, Della's beautiful hair and Jim's old gold watch were treasures primarily for the two of them, because in their eight-dollar apartment, and they themselves, there was nothing more valuable. The mention of King Solomon, who became famous not only for his wisdom, but also for his fabulous wealth (during his reign, silver in Jerusalem was equal to a simple stone, and the Lebanese cedar is equivalent to sycamore (persimmon). 30 oxen, 100 sheep, deer were delivered to his court every day , chamois, and there were 10,000 horses in the stables), and the Queen of Sheba, coming from the far Arabian land of Iya, who owned innumerable riches, only enhances the significance of hair and watches for Della and Jim: after all, they can compare them only with the treasures of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba ! These biblical heroes would burn with envy looking at the only values of Americans!
Was it difficult for Della to make the decision to part with her hair?
(Yes, it was not easy, and "two or three tears fell on the shabby old carpet", but the decision came almost instantly; a minute later, "flashing with wet sparkles in her eyes. She was already rushing down to the street.")
TEACHER. Does she regret her action? Why do you think so?
No, having received money for her hair, Dela spent the next two hours "on pink wings." She ran around the shops looking for something special for her Jim.)
TEACHER. What mood is her soul now full of?
Let's try to imagine it by listening to an American folk song ("Santa Claus is coming to town")
TEACHER. How does Dela see the city now?
Now the world is filled for her bright colors, festive bustle entered it, joyful music poured in: Dela sees elegant Christmas trees, and cheerful Santa Clauses, and sparkling showcases with gifts ... In one of them, she finally went what should "belong to Jim" - a platinum chain of "simple and strict drawing. “She was just like Jim himself. Modesty and dignity - these qualities distinguished both.
TEACHER. Imagine what Jim was doing at that time? And how did he act?
(Jim was probably looking for a better way to sell his treasure - a gold watch. What to give Della, he knew for a long time: "wonderful combs", which she "reverently admired many times in one of the Broadway shop windows", "real tortoiseshell with embedded in the edges shiny pebbles, and just the color of brown hair.")
TEACHER. When is the climax of the novel?
(At the moment when the characters give each other Christmas presents.)
TEACHER. What reaction does each of them cause the received gift?
(At the sight of the cherished combs, Della burst out “a cry of delight, which immediately - alas! - purely feminine was replaced by a stream of tears and groans ... ". And Jim just smiled, because he had already non-existent hours, and realized that "no one could measure Della's love for him.)
A mathematician or a sage will give you the wrong answer. The magi brought precious gifts, but there was not one among them.
(Henry remembers the Magi at the moment of giving gifts, because it was from the Magi that this wonderful custom came. The Magi, as you know, were considered wise men - astrologers, fortune tellers, which is why the word “wise man” appears here, but it is rather closer in meaning to the adjective "prudent", because next to the word "sage" is the word "mathematician". And if we remember again biblical legend, then the gifts brought to the Infant by the Magi were rather a sign of reverence, recognition of his power, than gifts of love. Therefore, the author says that among their precious gifts "there was not one" - love.)
TEACHER. That's what O Henry thinks. Do the artists who created paintings on the subject of "The Adoration of the Magi" agree with him? To answer this question, look at the faces of the sages in the reproductions presented here.
Let us turn to the last paragraph of the novel: after all, all its salt is concentrated in it: “Those wise men who brought gifts to the baby in the manger were, as you know, wise wise people". It was they who started the fashion to make Christmas gifts. And since they were wise, their gifts were wise, perhaps even with the stipulated right of exchange in case of unsuitability. And I'm here to tell you an unremarkable story about two stupid kids from an eight-dollar apartment who, in the most unwise way, sacrificed their greatest treasures for each other. But let it be said, as a warning to the wise men of our day, that of all the donors these two were the wisest. Of all those who offer and receive gifts, they are truly wise and only like them. Anywhere and everywhere. They are the wolves.
TEACHER. In this paragraph, the main semantic "codes" of the work are mentioned several times. Try to see them. (Magi, sage, gift, treasure, Christmas.) Words fromWhat are the most common roots?(It is now time for representatives of one of the study groups to speak.)
In this paragraph, words with the root MUDR- occur 8 times (); words with the root DAR_ 4 times (). The word "Magi" begins and ends the story.
(Wisdom of the gift, and which is worth the wisdom of the heart.)
Think about why in the second half of the novel there are only two mentions of sums of money and prices. Compare them with the first part, where there are 13 of them!!!
- What does money remind you of? (About the prose of life.)
What does this prose refer to? (Students read out the notes that they made in their notebooks during the lesson.
But in the second half of the short story, prose gives way to poetry, and money. And incomes go by the wayside - after all, Christmas is coming, and now a gift is important, for which it is not a pity to give even a single treasure - an object of pride and admiration.
If it were not for this gray. Ordinary prose, connected with taking care of their daily bread, apartment, furnishings, clothing, could these invaluable in fact, but formally very modest gifts be appreciated?)
It is the prose of life with its monotony, filled with worries about wages, food, other necessary things, which makes you count cents, allows you to feel special joy from the gift of a loved one, to appreciate the warmth of his attention and the power of love. Don't be these long gray days, a holiday with his poetry and kindness was hardly possible.
The Magi brought gifts to the Baby, hence the custom of giving Christmas gifts appeared. Starting this custom. The ancient sages and astrologers made it possible to express themselves both in choosing a gift, and in relation to it and to those for whom this gift is being prepared (and this is poetry). Only the one who spares nothing for another and is ready to give everything. To give him joy, and there is a real sage, wise not by calculation and prose, but by heart full of love and poetry.
And this is the most best lesson, which was presented to us by O. Henry along with his heroes on the eve of Christmas. What is blue without height?
What is Christmas without a promise?
God was born, and that means. You -
God's favorite creation.
God was born. And God called you
Not to Golgotha, no, to Love and Light!
But only by denying yourself,
You will follow Him along this path.
Take heart. Brother! And gladly take
At Christmas at the poor cradle
Your cross is simple and no longer torment
His soul with lack of will and idleness.
She is holy. Her destiny is high.
And angelic properties are revealed in it.
God came to earth to find her
Do not turn away from this sonship.
Carrying the Child's heart and dreams,
Overcome sorrow and suffering,
Wish selfless Height -
And heaven's promise will come true!
The phonogram "Bells" will turn on, the guys give souvenirs to the guests.
REFLECTIONS ON TRUE VALUES IN O'HENRY'S NOVEL "GIFTS OF THE MAGI"
I have always liked O'Henry's novels very much: a simple life plot, an unexpected ending, deep philosophical reflections. The main object of the writer's research is man. O'Henry reveals all aspects of the human soul: greatness and meanness, nobility and meanness. For example, in the short story "The Gift of the Magi" the writer reflects on true human values. On the scales are, on the one hand, money, wealth, wealth and love, mutual understanding, devotion, willingness to sacrifice everything for the sake of native person, - on the other. No wonder the action takes place on Christmas Eve. The appearance of a star in the sky two thousand years ago marked a real miracle - the birth of the savior of the human race, Jesus Christ. The same star showed the way to the Magi who came with gifts to the Infant. Magi, wise people - "it was they who started the fashion to make Christmas gifts." But these are great events. What gifts is O’Henry trying to tell us about when he tells “an unremarkable story about two stupid children from an eight-dollar apartment who, in the most unwise way, sacrificed their greatest treasures for each other”? What miracle could the heroine of the short story Della expect, having only one dollar eighty-seven cents in her pocket on the eve of Christmas? And these pennies got to her very hard. For every coin, one had to "bargain with a grocer, a greengrocer, a butcher so that even the ears burned" with shame. But the girl was ready for anything for her beloved - Mr. James Dillingham Jung. So I wanted to give him something for Christmas. “Something very special, rare, precious, something just a little worthy of the high honor of belonging to Jim.” One dollar and eighty-seven cents, counted several times by Della, did not the slightest chance buy something suitable. As the author says, "life consists of tears, sighs and smiles, and sighs predominate." It seemed that Della, too, was bound to burst into tears in despair. And so she did. However, the fragile outwardly girl possessed strong character. And for the sake of her beloved, she decided to give up a treasure that even the Queen of Sheba would envy - beautiful hair that shone and shimmered, "like a jet of a chestnut waterfall." And this luxurious hair was appreciated by Madame, who habitually weighed it on her hand, like an ordinary product. The priceless treasure had a price of twenty dollars. The amount earned in this way allowed the heroine to buy a wonderful gift. The fact is that the couple James Dillingham Young had not one, but two treasures: Della's hair and Jim's gold watch, which once belonged to his father and grandfather. Having sold her treasure, Della was going to make Jim happy - she acquired a platinum chain for his pocket watch, "a simple and strict design, captivating with its true qualities, and not with ostentatious brilliance - all good things should be like that." In my opinion, this author's phrase is the key to understanding the whole novel: not only good things, but also good people attract us with their real qualities, and not ostentatious brilliance. Jim's action confirms this thought. So, back to the plot of the novel. Della prepared a gift, cooked dinner, curled her hair into tight curls that made her look like a kid who had run away from school. The only thought haunted the girl: if only her husband would not like her. Jim appeared on the threshold: “He had a thin, preoccupied face. It's not easy being burdened with a family at twenty-two! He needed a new coat for a long time, and his hands were freezing without gloves. Let's pay attention to this detail: Jim simply needed warm clothes. Jim's face took on a strange expression when he saw his beloved wife. He was struck by the fact that Della cut her hair. This frightened Della and she rushed to explain: “Maybe the hairs on my head can be counted,” she continued, and her gentle voice suddenly sounded serious, “but no one, no one could measure my love for you!” Strange behavior Jim became clear after he gave his wife a gift. The gift caused Della a cry of delight, which was replaced by tears - after all, there was a set of combs on the table. Lovely tortoiseshell combs with glittering pebbles to match her brown hair. Combs were very expensive, but their possession no longer brought delight. There were combs, but there was no longer beautiful hair that would adorn their wonderful shine. The girl reassured herself and Jim: the hair would grow back quickly, then combs could be used. Now you should give a gift to Jim. Della joyfully handed the chain to her beloved in her open palm: here the secret was revealed. Della sold her hair to buy Jim a gold watch chain, which Jim sold in turn to buy his wife a set of combs for her beautiful brown hair. With miraculous gifts, the gifts of the Magi turned out to be essentially useless things. A platinum chain and a set of combs are not a coat, warm, warming in a fierce cold. Love, mutual understanding, care for close people, readiness to sacrifice even the most expensive treasures for their sake turned out to be wonderful gifts. A real miracle is to preserve and carry through all hardships, through need and troubles, these wonderful feelings, these true human values.On Christmas Eve, a young married couple, Jim and Della Dillingham, discover that they don't have enough money to buy each other's holiday gifts. Della decides to sell her luxurious chestnut curls (part of the "treasures that were the subject of their common pride") and buy her husband a platinum chain for his gold watch (the second "treasure").
In the evening, Jim comes home with a present for his wife. The young people open the packages, and it turns out that Jim sold his watch to buy an expensive set of combs that Della had long dreamed of. But this does not spoil the holiday of two loving hearts. The Magi, those who brought gifts to the baby in the manger, were, as you know, wise, surprisingly wise people. It was they who started the fashion to make Christmas gifts. And since they were wise, their gifts were wise, perhaps even with the stipulated right of exchange in case of unsuitability. And here I was telling you an unremarkable story about two stupid children from an eight-dollar apartment who, in the most unwise way, sacrificed their greatest treasures for each other. But let it be said for the edification of the wise of our day, that of all the givers these two were the wisest. Of all those who offer and receive gifts, only those like them are truly wise. Anywhere and everywhere. They are the wolves.
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Interesting Facts
The story is a reference to biblical stories - the main characters are compared with the Magi who came to the newborn Jesus; it says that “if the Queen of Sheba lived in the house opposite, Della, after washing her hair, would certainly dry her loose hair at the window - especially in order to make all the outfits and jewelry of her majesty fade,” and King Solomon himself could envy Jim’s watch . Apparently, such comparisons mean that if all the legendary kings had a lot of material treasures, then the Dillingham family has no less spiritual wealth.
Much is built on contrast - home married couple old, sir, surrounding reality also not very bright. However, Jim and Della seem to “color” the world with their love, and the reader does not have a gloomy, uncomfortable feeling.
The 9th episode of the 11th season of The Simpsons is called "Grift of the Magi", which is one of the many allusions to the story.
In the Futurama animated series in an episode of Xmas Story, the characters buy each other hair combs for Christmas, while selling their hair.
In 2010, in New York, to support Russian-speaking writers from all over the world, a literary prize named after O. Henry "Gifts of the Magi". The guideline for encouraging the authors is the story of O. Henry "Gifts of the Magi" and the formula: love + voluntary sacrifice + unexpected denouement.
According to legend, the gifts of the Magi are the precious incense that the three wise sorcerers presented to the baby Jesus. They saw a star flare up in the east and realized that the savior of the world had been born. From here came the custom of giving gifts to your loved ones on Christmas Day.
In O. Henry's story, everything happens differently. “Furnished room for eight dollars a week. The atmosphere is not that of blatant poverty, but rather eloquently silent poverty. Downstairs, on the front door, a letterbox through which no letter could squeeze in, and an electric bell button from which no mortal could squeeze out a sound, ”is the description of the small apartment in which the young spouses live. Young Della wants to choose a Christmas gift for her husband, because Christmas is a holiday that is usually celebrated with family, with loved ones and loved ones and give gifts to each other. They love each other, and no treasure seems to Della worthy of a husband. But all the injustice and truth of life lies in money: “One dollar eighty-seven cents. That was it. Of these, sixty cents are in one cent coins. For each of these coins I had to bargain with a grocer, a greengrocer, a butcher, so that even my ears burned from the silent disapproval that such thrift caused ... One dollar eighty-seven cents. And tomorrow is Christmas ... ”And how I would like to give my loved one much more than I can afford. It's sad, but there's nothing you can do about it.
Della does not spare her treasure - her hair, because “how many joyful hours she spent thinking up what to give him for Christmas! Something very special, rare, precious, something even slightly worthy of the high honor of belonging to Jim. She has no regrets when she goes to sell her hair in order to buy a watch chain she likes and give it to her husband. Although there was one moment of fear. “Lord, make sure that he doesn’t like me!” she whispered as she heard Jim's footsteps on the stairs. And how many joyful forebodings were in her head: "With such a chain, Jim in any society would not be ashamed to ask what time it is."
It turned out that Jim was thinking the same thing. His most precious possession is a gold watch that belonged to his father and grandfather. But he also ardently desired to give the best gift to his beloved in order to fulfill her dream. “There were combs on the table, the same set of combs - one back and two side ones - that Della had long admired reverently in one Broadway window. Lovely combs, real tortoiseshell, with glittering pebbles set into the edges, and just the color of her brown hair. They were expensive…”
The end of the story is both sad and happy at the same time. The sad moment is that the gifts for both turned out to be too good. There is no more hair that shimmered and shone, "like the jets of a chestnut waterfall", "descended below the knees and enveloped almost her entire figure with a cloak." But there is no gold watch, to which the chain was selected with such love and impatience. Is it really all efforts in vain and gifts will remain expensive, but unnecessary? The happy moment is what husband and wife did to each other priceless gifts, they gave love, devotion, showed their readiness to sacrifice the greatest treasures for each other.
O. Henry only in the last paragraph of the story, as it were, clarifies the meaning of his name. The Magi presented wise and generous gifts that foretold the greatness of Jesus. It also tells about the greatest self-denial, readiness for the sake of one's love for any sacrifice. Simple human love, which the author elevates to the height of the wisdom of the Magi, is a huge gift that cannot be bought for any money.
O. Henry with a smile approves of the actions of his heroes. There is an author's digression in the text: "And here I told you an unremarkable story about two stupid children ... Of all the donors, these two were the wisest." The ability to give up treasure for the sake of a loved one, in order to deliver it to him (or her) on a holiday greatest pleasure This is the meaning of relationships between people. And the greater the sacrifice, the stronger our love.
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- Yevgeny Zamyatin's novel "We" was written in 1921 and was an attempt to fix the cyclical nature of history, to find similar things in the past and future, to see today through the reflection of thoughts about it. The author refers to a fundamentally new genre form novel-dystopia in order to show the mechanisms of time and history. At the beginning of the century, the ideal happy world began to be embodied in reality and appeared in a totalitarian-technical incarnation. One of the determining factors for the work of E. Zamyatin is […]
- Throughout its creative activity Bunin created poetic works. The original, unique in artistic style, Bunin's lyrics cannot be confused with the poems of other authors. In individual art style The writer reflects his worldview. Bunin in his poems responded to difficult questions being. His lyrics are multifaceted and deep in philosophical questions of understanding the meaning of life. The poet expressed moods of confusion, disappointment, and at the same time knew how to fill his […]
- The central event of the novel "War and Peace" - Patriotic War 1812, which stirred up the entire Russian people, showed the whole world its power and strength, put forward simple Russian heroes and a brilliant commander, and at the same time revealed the true essence of each specific person. Tolstoy in his work depicts the war as a realist writer: in hard work, blood, suffering, death. Here is a picture of the campaign before the battle: “Prince Andrey looked with disdain at these endless, interfering teams, wagons, […]
- The comedy in five acts of the greatest satirical author of Russia, of course, is a landmark for all literature. Nikolai Vasilyevich graduated from one of his greatest works in 1835. Gogol himself said that this was his first creation, written for a specific purpose. What is the main thing the author wanted to convey? Yes, he wanted to show our country without embellishment, all the vices and wormholes social order Russia, which still characterize our Motherland. "Inspector" - immortal, of course, […]
- This is enough traditional theme worried such poets as Horace, Byron, Zhukovsky, Derzhavin and others. Best Achievements Pushkin used world and Russian literature in his poetry. This was most clearly manifested in the theme of the poet and poetry. This issue is already touched upon in the first published poem "To a Poetic Friend" (1814). The poet speaks of the sorrows that fall to the lot of poets, who ... are praised by everyone, nourished - only by magazines; The wheel of fortune rolls past their fortune... Their life is a series of sorrows, […]
- The work of A. S. Pushkin " Captain's daughter” can be fully called historical, because it clearly and clearly conveys specific historical facts, the color of the era, the customs and life of the people who inhabited Russia. It is interesting that Pushkin shows the events taking place through the eyes of an eyewitness, who himself took a direct part in them. Reading the story, we seem to find ourselves in that era with all its life realities. The protagonist of the story, Pyotr Grinev, does not just state the facts, but has his own personal opinion, […]
- The most important thing in human life is to understand yourself, to find your inner harmony. To do this, you need to figure out why I don’t like some people, but I adore others. How does it happen? Why do I consider some best friends and some just good friends? Why does disappointment come in their loved ones? There are people who really annoy me and I can't stand them. I have a lot of acquaintances and friends. I am friends with some kindergarten. And it's wonderful when there is something to chat about, when […]
- subject little man touched upon in their works N.V. Gogol, F.M. Dostoevsky, A.S. Pushkin. These heroes evoked pity and compassion. After all, they became so because of difficult life circumstances, neglect surrounding. A.P. Chekhov's image of a little man is significantly different. Heroes such as Vanka from work of the same name or the coachman Jonah from the story "Tosca", evoke sincere sympathy. They have no one to share their troubles with. These are very lonely, little people. Writer […]
- In life, people often say things that are not what they think. In literary theory, this implicit, hidden meaning, which does not coincide with the direct meaning of the phrase, is called "subtext". IN prose works It is quite easy to convey this semantic effect with the help of an omniscient author-narrator. For example, in the novel by N.G. Chernyshevsky “What to do?” (Ch. 2, VI) brisk mother Marya Alekseevna Rozalskaya addresses her daughter Vera: “My friend, Vera, why are you sitting like that? You are now with Dmitry Sergeevich (home […]
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Questions for the literary quest
Based on the work of O. Henry "Gifts of the Magi"
Dear readers, we bring to your attention the tasks of the theoretical part "Literary Quest". Successful completion of work depends on the ability to master the content literary work And correct argumentation his position. We wish you success!
1. The most striking in the novel is the portrait of Della. Description of Della we can find in different parts story. And if you put the portrait together, this is what happens:
"Delle, who was of a frail build...»…..
Make a portrait of the heroine using the text of the work
2. The interior in O. Henry's story "The Gift of the Magi" is a means of characterizing the main characters.
“... let's look at the house itself. Furnished apartment for eight dollars a week. The atmosphere is not so much blatant poverty, but rather eloquently silent poverty. Below, on the front door, a letter-box, through which no letter could squeeze, and an electric bell-button, from which no mortal could make a sound. To this was added a card bearing the inscription: "Mr. James Dillingham Young." "Dillingham" came into full swing during a recent period of prosperity, when the owner of the said name received thirty dollars a week. Now, after that income had dropped to twenty dollars, the letters in the word Dillingham had faded, as if seriously wondering if it could be reduced to a modest and unpretentious "D"?
epithets: ______________________________________________________________
Comparisons: ____________________________________________________________
Avatars: ________________________________________________________
Write out examples of figurative and expressive means from the text
Calculate the cash income of a young family. How many times are money, income, and expenses mentioned in the story? Which sum is repeated more often
others?
4. A feature of the composition of the short story by O. Henry "Gifts of the Magi" is the introduction of an episode about the gifts of the Magi (Fig. 1). This episode is important for understanding the main idea of the story.
Rice. 1. Gifts of the Magi. bible story
Let's remember bible story. When the baby Jesus was born, a star lit up in the East. The Magi realized that it was the man who was born who would save the world. And then they went to bow to the baby, taking gifts with them. And as a gift they brought him gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold was a symbol of royal power, incense was used for fragrant incense, that is, it was a symbol of the divinity of the baby. And myrrh is a fragrant resin that has the power to protect the body from decay, its feature was bitterness. And it was the bitter myrrh that became the symbol of the sufferings of the cross on the baby. From here came the custom to present friends, acquaintances, relatives and relatives with gifts for Christmas.
Explain why the story is called "The Gift of the Magi."
5. Interesting Facts:
ü In 2010, the O. Henry Literary Prize "Gifts of the Magi" was established in New York to support Russian-speaking novelists from all over the world. The guideline for encouraging the authors is the story of O. Henry "Gifts of the Magi" and the formula: love + voluntary sacrifice + unexpected denouement.
ü In the USA, in the city of Greensboro, there is a stone book by O. Henry. The height of the book is 2 meters when opened. I think it's easy to guess in which story it is revealed.
