Kuprin's work "The Magic Doctor", based on real events, looks like a good fairy tale. In the story “The Wonderful Doctor”, the characters found themselves in a difficult life situation: the father of the Mertsalov family lost his job, the children fell ill, the youngest girl died. A beautiful well-fed life is in full swing around, and the family is begging. On the eve of the Christmas holiday, despair reaches its limit, Mertsalov thinks about suicide, unable to withstand the trials that befell his family. It was then that the main character meets the "guardian angel".
Characteristics of the heroes "Wonderful Doctor"
Main characters
Emelyan Mertsalov |
The head of the family, who worked as a manager in the house of a certain gentleman for 25 rubles a month. Having lost his job due to a long illness, he is forced to wander around the city in search of help, beg for alms. At the moment of the story, he is on the verge of suicide, lost, does not see the point in further existence. Thin, with sunken cheeks and sunken eyes, he looks like a dead man. In order not to see the despair of his loved ones, he is ready to wander around the city in a summer coat with his hands blue from the cold, no longer even hoping for a miracle. |
Elizaveta Ivanovna Mertsalova |
Mertsalov's wife, a woman with a baby, caring for a sick daughter. He goes to the other end of the city to wash clothes for a penny. Despite the death of a child and complete poverty, he continues to look for a way out of the situation: he writes letters, knocks on all doors, asks for help. Constantly crying, is on the verge of despair. In the work, Kuprin calls her Elizaveta Ivanovna, in contrast to the father of the family (he is simply Mertsalov). A strong, strong-willed woman who does not lose hope. |
Volodya and Grishka |
Children of the spouses, the eldest is about 10 years old. On the eve of Christmas, they wander around the city, delivering letters to their mother. Children look into shop windows, admiringly watching the expensive beautiful life. They are accustomed to need, to hunger. After the appearance of the “magic doctor”, the children miraculously managed to be placed in a government school. At the end of the story, the author mentions that he learned this story from Grigory Emelyanovich Mertsalov (it was then that the name of the boys' father becomes known), who was the same Grishka. Gregory has made a career and holds a good position in the bank. |
mashutka |
The little daughter of the Mertsalovs is ill: she is in a fever, unconscious. He is recovering thanks to the care of the doctor, his treatment and the funds he left for the family along with a prescription for medicine. |
Professor Pirogov, doctor |
His image in the work is the image of a good angel. Meets Mertsalov in the city, where he buys gifts for the kids he knows. He is the only one who listened to the story of the impoverished family and gladly responded to help. In the story, Kuprin is a smart, serious elderly man of short stature. The "wonderful" doctor has an affectionate pleasant voice. He did not disdain the beggarly atmosphere and the disgusting smells of the basement where the family lives. His arrival changes everything: it becomes warm, cozy, satisfying, hope appears. It should be noted that the doctor is dressed in a shabby old-fashioned frock coat, this betrays a simple person in him. |
Minor characters
The main characters of The Miraculous Doctor are ordinary people who, due to circumstances, find themselves in a desperate situation. The names of the characters play the role of characteristics in the work. The description of the life and life of the Mertsalov family at the beginning and at the end of the story are in sharp contrast, which creates the effect of a magical reincarnation. The materials of the article can be useful for compiling a reader's diary or writing creative works based on Kuprin's work.
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The Mertsalov family in the story "The Miraculous Doctor" by Kuprin (brief description, description)
The Mertsalov family is a poor family, probably from the middle class. Family members are 6 people:
father Emelyan Mertsalov
mother Elizaveta Ivanovna
eldest son Grisha (10 years old)
youngest son Volodya (age not specified)
daughter Mashutka (7 years old)
infant
Another daughter of the Mertsalovs died 3 months before the events described in the story:
"Three months ago, one girl died, now another is in a fever and unconscious."
About a year ago, a series of misfortunes began in the Mertsalov family. The father of the family lost his job, after which the already not rich Mertsalovs fell into poverty. For more than a year, the Mertsalov family has been living in the basement of an old house in terrible conditions. 7-year-old Mashutka is sick and in a fever, but the Mertsalovs do not know where to find money for medicine:
“In this terrible fateful year, misfortune after misfortune persistently and ruthlessly rained down on Mertsalov and his family. First, he himself fell ill with typhoid fever, and all their meager savings went to his treatment. Then, when he recovered, he found out that his place, modest the place of the manager of the house for twenty-five rubles a month, is already occupied by another ... A desperate, convulsive pursuit of casual work, correspondence, an insignificant place began, pledge and re-pledge of things, the sale of all household rags. And then the children began to get sick.
The father of the family, Emelyan Mertsalov, suffers deeply because he cannot provide for his family. It is hard for him to see how his wife and children are starving and sick due to lack of money:
"... and with me, dear sir, at the present moment my children are dying of hunger at home ... Gifts! ... And my wife's milk is gone, and the baby has not eaten all day ... "
The mother of the family, Elizaveta Ivanovna, does household chores and takes care of four children. Despite her illness (probably a cold), she moonlights as a laundress on the other side of the city:
"Elizaveta Ivanovna had to simultaneously take care of a sick girl, breastfeed a little one and go almost to the other end of the city to the house where she washed clothes every day."
The sons of the Mertsalovs, Volodya and Grisha, are well-mannered, polite, non-capricious boys. The brothers, like the whole family, live from hand to mouth, eat empty cabbage soup, wear old clothes, etc.:
"...both of them hadn't eaten anything since morning, except for empty cabbage soup..."
One day, on the eve of Christmas, a real miracle happens in the unfortunate Mertsalov family: the father of the family meets a kind doctor who decides to help a poor family. The doctor gives the Mertsalovs a large sum of money, writes out a prescription for a sick girl, etc. After that, the life of the unfortunate family is getting better. Apparently, the Mertsalovs feel gratitude for the rest of their lives towards the wonderful doctor Pirogov:
"Doctor, wait! ... Tell me your name, doctor! At least let my children pray for you!" (Mertsalov - to the doctor)
Many years later, when Grisha Mertsalov grows up and becomes a wealthy banker, he helps the poor himself. As an adult, Grisha still remembers the wonderful doctor:
“Now he occupies a fairly large, responsible post in one of the banks, being known as a model of honesty and responsiveness to the needs of poverty. And each time, finishing his story about a wonderful doctor, he adds in a voice trembling from hidden tears ... "(about the adult Grisha )
There is such a character in Chernyshevsky's novel - Alexei Petrovich Mertsalov. This is the priest who married Lopukhov with Vera Pavlovna:
"who will marry?" - and everyone had one answer: "no one will marry!" And suddenly, instead of "no one will marry" - the surname "Mertsalov" appeared in his head(Chapter 2, XXI).
Mertsalov is a minor character, and, probably, few of the readers remember him. Meanwhile, for the supporters of Orthodox socialism, he is of great interest.
Just as Rakhmetov was brought out by Chernyshevsky not only in order to convey Lopukhov's letter to Vera Pavlovna, so the significance of Mertsalov's image is not limited to an episodic role in the development of the plot. In the image of Mertsalov, the author sought to show the new that was born among the Russian clergy, and he succeeded to a large extent, despite the difficulties caused by censorship restrictions.
A careful analysis of the text suggests that it was precisely in order not to draw the attention of the censor to this character that Chernyshevsky tried to give him less brightness, less "bulge". Only once the author calls him a priest, and no longer focuses on this: for example, there is no description of Mertsalov's appearance (accordingly, the cassock and beard are not mentioned, which would draw the appearance of a clergyman in the mind of the reader), acquaintances address him by name and patronymic, and not "father Alexei" or "father".
And, unfortunately, due to censorship, Chernyshevsky could not say everything that he wanted to say about the socialist priest.
Getting acquainted with Mertsalov, the reader finds him reading the book of the atheist Feuerbach, about which the author reports in "Aesopian" language:
Mertsalov, who was sitting at home alone, was reading some new work, either by Louis XIV, or by someone else from the same dynasty.(Chapter 2, XXI).
Apparently, this is "The Essence of Christianity" - the same "German book" that was brought to Vera Pavlovna by Lopukhov and mistakenly taken by Marya Alekseevna and Storeshnikov for the work of Louis XIV:
"Well, what about German?
Mikhail Ivanovich slowly read: "On Religion, an essay by Ludwig." Louis the Fourteenth, Marya Aleksevna, composition of Louis XIV; it was, Marya Aleksevna, the French king, the father of that king, in whose place the present Napoleon sat. "(Ch. 2, VII)
It is difficult to say what meaning Chernyshevsky put into the picture he painted: a young priest reading a book by Feuerbach. Did the arguments of the German philosopher shake the faith of the priest? Did he find them unconvincing? We only know that Mertsalov remains a priest, and we have no reason to suspect him of disgusting hypocrisy.
Mertsalov does not break with either religion or the church, unlike Chernyshevsky himself and his friend Dobrolyubov, former seminarians who became the ideological leaders of the revolutionary democratic movement. Nevertheless, he is from the cohort of "new people", along with Lopukhov and Kirsanov.
Mertsalov takes a serious risk by marrying Lopukhov and Vera Pavlovna without the consent of the bride's parents:
- That's what, and that's what business, Alexey Petrovich! I know that this is a very serious risk for you; it’s good if we make peace with our relatives, but what if they start a case (53)? you may be in trouble, and probably will be; but ... Lopukhov could not find any "but" in his head: how, in fact, to convince a person to put his neck in a noose for us!
Mertsalov thought for a long time, also looking for a "but" to empower himself to take such a risk, and he also could not come up with any "but".
- How to deal with it? After all, I would like ... what you are doing now, I did a year ago, but I became unwilling in myself, just like you will be. And ashamed: we should help you. Yes, when there is a wife, it is scary to go without looking back (54).
- Hello, Alyosha. My people all bow to you, hello, Lopukhov: we haven't seen each other for a long time. What are you saying about your wife? All your wives are to blame, - said a lady of 17 years old, a pretty and lively blonde, who returned from her relatives.
Mertsalov retold the case to his wife. The young lady's eyes sparkled.
- Alyosha, they won't eat you!
- There is a risk, Natasha.
“A very big risk,” Lopukhov confirmed.
- Well, what to do, take a chance, Alyosha, - I ask you.
- When you do not condemn me, Natasha, that I forgot about you, going into danger, then the conversation is over. When do you want to get married, Dmitry Sergeevich?
Mertsalov is interested in socialist ideas and sympathizes with their implementation. This is evidenced by the following conversation between Vera Pavlovna, who planned to organize a sewing workshop on socialist principles, and Lopukhov:
"My friend, you have some kind of fun: why don't you share it with me?
- It seems there is, my dear, but wait a little more: I will tell you when it is true. We have to wait a few more days. And that will make me very happy. Yes, and you will be glad, I know; and Kirsanov, and Mertsalov will like it.
- But what is it?
- And you forgot, my dear, our agreement: not to ask? I'll tell you when it's right.
Another week has passed.
- My dear, I will tell you my joy. Only you advise me, you know all this. You see, I've wanted to do something for a long time. I came up with the idea that I should start a sewing shop; is that good?
- Well, my friend, we had an agreement that I should not kiss your hands, but that was said in general, but there was no agreement on such a case. Give me your hand, Vera Pavlovna.
- After, my dear, when you can do it.
- When you manage to do it, then you won’t let me kiss your hand, then both Kirsanov and Alexey Petrovich and everyone kisses. And now I'm alone. And the intention is worth it.
Mertsalov agrees to give lectures to the workers of the sewing workshop, and in addition, with his authority as a clergyman, to give the event respectability in the eyes of the authorities:
“Aleksey Petrovich,” said Vera Pavlovna, who once visited the Mertsalovs, “I have a request for you. Natasha is already on my side. My workshop is becoming a lyceum of all kinds of knowledge. Be one of the professors
What am I going to teach them? perhaps Latin and Greek, or logic and rhetoric?
said Alexei Petrovich, laughing.
- After all my specialty is not very interesting, in your opinion and also in the opinion of one person about whom I know who he is (71).
- No, you are needed precisely as a specialist: you will serve as a shield of good morals and excellent direction of our sciences.
- But it's true. I see that without me it would be unkind. Designate a department.
- For example, Russian history, essays from general history.
- Perfect. But I will read this, and it will be assumed that I am an expert. Great. Two positions: professor and shield. Natalya Andreevna, Lopukhov, two or three students, Vera Pavlovna herself were other professors, as they jokingly called themselves.
Finally, Mertsalov's wife takes over the leadership of one of the sewing workshops:
“Mertsalova got along very well with the sewing shop that was set up on Vasilyevsky, and naturally: after all, she and the workshop were already very familiar with each other. Vera Pavlovna, returning to St. Petersburg, saw that if she needed to visit this sewing shop then only occasionally, not for a long time; that if she continues to go there almost every day, then, in fact, only because her affection draws her there, and that her affection meets there; perhaps for a few more time her visits, all the same, Mertsalova still sometimes finds it necessary to consult with her; but it takes so little time and happens less and less; and soon Mertsalova will gain so much experience that she will no longer need Vera Pavlovna at all.(Ch.4, IV)
Mertsalov's relationship with his wife is built on the same principles of mutual respect, friendship and trust as Lopukhov's (there is no hint of the wife's patriarchal subordination to her husband):
"... between another conversation, they said a few words about the Mertsalovs, who were there the day before, praised their harmonious life, noticed that this was a rarity; everyone said this, including Kirsanov said: "Yes, it's very good in Mertsalov and that, that a wife can freely reveal her soul to him, "that was all Kirsanov said, each of the three of them thought to say the same thing, but it happened to tell Kirsanov, however, why did he say this? What does this mean? After all, if you understand this from a certain point of view, it will be what it is? It will be a praise to Lopukhov, it will be a glorification of the happiness of Vera Pavlovna with Lopukhov; of course, this could be said without thinking exactly about anyone except the Mertsalovs, and if we assume that he was thinking about both the Mertsalovs and at the same time about Lopukhovs, then this, then, is said directly for Vera Pavlovna, for what purpose is this said?(Ch.3, XXIII)
The Lopukhovs and Mertsalovs are very friendly and spend a lot of time together, the interests of Mertsalov and Lopukhov are similar: philosophy, politics, science:
“When they arrived home, after some time the guests they were waiting for gathered for them - ordinary guests of that time: Alexei Petrovich with Natalya Andreevna, Kirsanov - and the evening passed as usual with them. life with pure thoughts, in a society of pure people! As usual, there was also a cheerful conversation with many memories, there was also a serious conversation about everything in the world: from the then historical affairs (the internecine war in Kansas (63), the harbinger of the present great war between the North and the South (64), the harbinger of even greater events not in America alone, occupied this small circle: now everyone talks about politics, then very few were interested in it; among the few - Lopukhov, Kirsanov, their friends) until the then dispute about the chemical foundations of agriculture according to Liebig's theory (65), and about the laws of historical progress, without which not a single conversation in such circles could do at that time (66), and about the great importance of distinguishing between real desires (67), which seek and find satisfaction, from fantastic ones, which do not find, and do not need to find satisfaction for themselves like a false thirst during a fever, for which, like her, there is only one satisfaction: the cure of the organism, the morbid state of which they are generated through the distortion of real desires, and the importance of this fundamental distinction, then put forward by anthropological philosophy, and everything like that and not like but related. Ladies from time to time listened to these learnings, which were spoken so simply, as if they were not learning, and interfered with them with their questions, but more - more, of course, they did not listen, even sprinkled water on Lopukhov and Alexei Petrovich, when they already greatly admired the great importance mineral fertilizer; but Aleksey Petrovich and Lopukhov spoke unshakably about their learning.(Ch.3, II)
In "Vera Pavlovna's second dream", it is Mertsalov who speaks of the great role of labor in shaping the human personality (no doubt, these are echoes of what she heard from Mertsalov's lips the day before):
“Yes, movement is reality,” says Alexei Petrovich, “because movement is life, and reality and life are one and the same. But life has labor as its main element, and therefore the main element of reality is labor, and the surest sign reality - efficiency"
"... labor is represented in anthropological analysis as the root form of movement, which gives the basis and content to all other forms: entertainment, relaxation, fun, fun; they have no reality without previous work. And without movement there is no life, that is, reality"
In the same place, in the “second dream”, Mertsalov talks about the poor and working life in the parental family:
“My father was a sexton in a provincial town and was engaged in bookbinding, and my mother let seminarians into the apartment. From morning to night, father and mother kept busy and talked about a piece of bread. or when the income was decent; here he gave his mother all the money and said: “Well, mother, now, thank God, you won’t see a need for two months; and I left fifty kopecks for myself, I’ll drink for joy "- this is a real joy. My mother often got angry, sometimes beat me, but then, as she said, her lower back was taken away from dragging pots and cast irons, from washing linen for five of us and for five seminarians, and washing the floors, soiled by our twenty feet that did not wear galoshes, and caring for a cow; this is a real irritation of the nerves with excessive work without rest; and when, with all this, "the ends did not meet," as she said, then there was not enough money to buy boots for one of us brothers, or shoes for sisters - then she beat us. She caressed us when we, even stupid children, volunteered to help her in her work, or when we did something something else smart, or when she had a rare moment to rest, and her “lower back let go,” as she said, these are all real joys ... "
It is interesting that Mertsalov disappears from the pages of the novel after the return of Lopukhov-Beaumont - this can be seen as a hint that the priest did not approve of the way the young people he once married arranged their family life.
So, the great Russian revolutionary-democrat Chernyshevsky testifies in defense of the Russian clergy of the 19th century: there were among the Orthodox priests those who realized the incompatibility of Christian teaching and the exploitation of man by man.