Zhilin and Kostylin: different fates
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy is a famous Russian writer. I read his story "Prisoner of the Caucasus", Tolstoy knew a lot about the Caucasus, because he himself served in the Caucasus. In The Prisoner of the Caucasus, Tolstoy talks about two Russian officers, Zhilin and Kostylin. They were both taken prisoner. The author contrasts them. Zhilin is brave, kind and smart. He thinks first of others, then of himself. When the Tatars caught him and forced him to write a letter, he bargained for a long time. He knew that his old mother had nowhere to get money from. And when I started to sign, I wrote the wrong address so that the letter would not reach. He thought: "Either I run away or I'm lost." He immediately won
respect for the Tatars by the fact that he began to bargain for his life. As a result, his owner agreed to a ransom of five hundred rubles. Kostylin was an overweight man. First he left Zhilin. And then he immediately wrote a ransom letter for five thousand rubles. Zhilin hopes only for himself. In captivity, he constantly thinks about escaping. He cannot sit idle. He starts repairing
things. Zhilin made dolls for the master's daughter, Dina, and repaired Abdul-Murat's watch. Zhilin helps everyone, even the Tatars, although they were his enemies. He sincerely attached himself to Dina, and she later helped him escape. Kostylin is a cowardly person. He does not keep the officer's word. When Zhilin and Kostylin decided to go ahead of the convoy, Kostylin had a gun. But he was frightened of the Tatars and abandoned his comrade. But that didn't save him. He, too, was taken prisoner. Kostylin is a weak person. He is waiting for help from his mother, constantly writing letters to her asking for a ransom. Kostylin does not know how to survive. In Tatar captivity, he did nothing, did not communicate with the Tatars. He was just waiting to be ransomed. When Zhilin decided to run for the first time, he took Kostylin with him. But Kostylin was weak. At first it was difficult for him to walk in boots. When he took them off, it became even harder for him to walk. Because of Kostylin they were caught. He couldn't stand the pain. When Zhilin saw the Tatars, he decided to hide. Zhilin put his comrade in misfortune on his back, and he screamed. The Tatars heard the cry and caught them. Zhilin at that moment acted as an honest man. He forgave Crutches for leaving him, and helped him. The second time Zhilin ran alone. He knew that he could not hope for a ransom. Kostylin remained in the pit. Both Zhilin and Kostylin escaped. But the first received freedom only thanks to himself, and the second - thanks to his relatives. In life, we can meet both heroes. But I like Zhilin more, who will never leave a person in trouble.
Sections: Literature
Goals and objectives of the lesson:
- Formation of skills to think about the actions and behavior of the characters in order to clarify their characters;
- Development of comparison skills on the example of the opposition of Zhilin and Kostylin;
- Development of students' speech and instilling the skill of text analysis.
During the classes
I. Organizational moment.
II. The word of the teacher: the topic and purpose of the lesson.
III. Main part. Three points are written on the board, according to which the work will go on in the lesson:
- The behavior of heroes in critical situations.
- The attitude of Zhilin and Kostylin to others.
- The attitude of others towards the characters.
1. The behavior of heroes in critical situations.
Questions session.
1) What are the most important critical situations in the story?
- Zhilin and Kostylin are captured;
- The Tatars demand a ransom;
- The life of Zhilin and Kostylin in captivity;
- First escape from captivity;
- Second escape.
2) Remember how Zhilin and Kostylin were taken prisoner. Tell us about it so that we can see it as if it were on the screen. Draw a word picture.
Zhilin sees the danger - six Tatars are rushing across, retreat is impossible. Then he rode with a saber at the Red Tartar and would certainly have cut him down if the bullet had not hit the horse. The horse did not just fall, but “crushed the owner”. First, two Tatars rushed to Zhilin, but he managed to throw them off, then three more jumped off their horses and began to beat them on the head with rifle butts. And only five were able to twist Zhilin, who was already unconscious.
Kostylin (he tells Zhilin about this already in captivity): Kostylin, who saw the Tatars, “roasts the horses”, beats with all his might, but the horse is exhausted, has become. The gun at Kostylin stopped. Abdul catches up with him and takes him away.
Attitude towards horses: Kostylin mercilessly "roasts" the horse, Zhilin - lovingly treated, asks: "Mother, take out ..."
3) Read aloud the ransom note scene.
To take the right tone in reading, you must first understand the essence of the behavior of the captives.
What is the behavior of Zhilin and Kostylin in the ransom demand scene?
Zhilin - refuses to pay a large ransom.
Kostylin - agrees to a ransom of 5 thousand, not traded.
Zhilin - he will send a letter with the wrong address, but he is still trading, he is proud, brave, not afraid of the Tatars and their threats.
Kostylin - cowardly, weak-willed. The Tatars see this and press him.
- How do Zhilin and Kostylin behave in captivity?
Kostylin - hopes for fate. Asleep.
Zhilin is interested in everything: the customs of the people, how the saklya is removed, how the Tatars dress, how they eat, how they behave when they are sad, when they are happy. He walks everywhere, looks at everything. Tatar children fell in love with him, he began to make dolls for them. Active, inquisitive. In captivity - masters, repairs. The goal is to escape from captivity, to examine a place, to feed the dog so that it does not bark at the fugitives, to stock up food.
4) The scene of the first escape from captivity.
Zhilin - it is difficult to “dig from stones”. He carefully dug a hole wider so that his overweight comrade could climb through.
Kostylin is a cowardly observer. Afraid of everything. Does not help. He can't even crawl through a hole silently. During the escape, he whines: either he erased his legs in boots, or he cut off his legs without boots.
I could not carry them far - the Tatars took them, because of Kostylin the escape failed.
5) The second escape.
- Why does Zhilin make dolls for children, repair a gun?
To accommodate the Tatars.
Why did Zhilin go to see how the old Tatar man lives?
The prudent Zhilin felt a dangerous enemy in the old Tatar man and, preparing to escape, wanted to foresee all possible obstacles.
Zhilin is brave, Kostylin is cowardly.
Zhilin, while alive, will fight for freedom, and Kostylin is broken and submissive, he does not even want to hear about any escape.
2. The attitude of Zhilin and Kostylin to others.
How do Zhilin and Kostylin treat people?
Zhilin's good attitude towards Kostylin. Zhilin trusts him, believes that he, like any decent officer, must keep his word. And the agreement was, when we went without a convoy, not to disperse.
Officers met in captivity, and Kostylin did not hear a word of reproach, although he alone was to blame for the deplorable situation of both of them.
Zhilin takes care of Kostylin: both for himself and for Kostylin, he makes demands to the Tatars: take off the stocks, feed well, give clothes.
Zhilin remembers and fulfills one of the commandments of the Old Testament: "Honor your father and your mother, so that you feel good and live long on earth." Even in captivity, he takes care of his mother (“Where will she get the money? She lived on what I sent her”), about Dean. Friendly attitude towards the poor - the Tatars.
Kostylin - sleeping, counting the days when the money will reach. Indifferent to everyone.
Tolstoy is silent about Kostylin's attitude to people - also a means of characterizing him.
Zhilin does not mock the Tatar rites, respectfully and seriously observing other people's customs.
Kostylin is indifferent, cowardly, lazy.
Zhilin goes to visit his old mother, he warmly said goodbye to the soldiers and everything shows that he is a good person.
- In what position do we see Zhilin and Kostylin in the Tatar village and do they perceive all the inhabitants of the village as their enemies?
Harsh conditions: torn clothes, food - water and bread, sometimes just unbaked dough.
Zhilin is in stocks, everything is interesting to him. Peaceful Tatar residents are not his enemies at all, he helps them, repairs everything - someone has a watch, someone has a gun.
Kostylin - lived like a slave. He did not know anyone - everyone is his enemy. Didn't help prepare the escape for both of them.
- What can be said about the attitude of Zhilin and Kostylin towards people from the episodes of the first and second escapes?
Kostylin whines - "does not know the road", "we will not reach the night", "the boots of the legs have been erased."
Zhilin - endures the whining of Kostylin. He drags him, in his hearts he thinks: “And the devil pulled me to take this deck with me. Alone, I would have left a long time ago.” He does not harbor malice even when the fugitives are caught. Again he invites him to run away, fraternally says goodbye to him.
Dina is Zhilin's true friend. He cares about her safety. Passing the pole, he says: “Take it back, Dina, otherwise they will grab you, they will beat you.”
3. The attitude of others towards the heroes.
The inhabitants of the village do not see Kostylin. He sits in the barn or sleeps.
Zhilin: a good, kind person, craftsman. People are asking to be treated. The owner shows affection for Zhilin, brings him tackle, tweezers, gimlets, files.
Dina is Zhilin's true friend. She will bring milk, cakes, a piece of lamb. Dina was happy with the crafts made for her by Zhilin: a doll, clay animals. She helps to get out of the pit, showing real heroism: she dragged a long pole, caught up with Zhilin, put in cakes, began to break the block, wept bitterly when she saw that she could not master it.
Conclusion: a person is responsible for evil and injustice, everyone should, even in difficult conditions, be active, sow not enmity and malice, but peace and good disposition of people towards each other. People of different nationalities can and should live in peace and friendship.
- Why did the Tatars decide to kill only Zhilin?
- Why did they bring Kostylin when they demanded a ransom from Zhilin?
The Tatars consider Kostylin harmless, cowardly and are trying to get his consent to all conditions, “to set an example” for the recalcitrant Zhilin.
- Is Zhilin kind only to Dina?
No, he shows a kind attitude to his mother, to the soldiers, to Kostylin, to the Tatars, to the Tatar children.
Does Zhilin's kindness benefit people?
Yes, he always does something good for people, he is caring, attentive, sympathetic. He does not settle scores with Kostylin, who betrayed him.
Students choose epithets that characterize the characters in the story.
Zhilin: kind, honest, courageous, inquisitive, active, hardworking, active, proud, noble, highly moral, generous.
Kostylin: cowardly, passive, inactive, weak-willed, broken, submissive.
IV. Working with illustrations.
Who is depicted in all 3 illustrations
Zhilin, the hero of the story by L. N. Tolstoy, in various situations.
The writer does not give a description of Zhilin's appearance. It is only said about him: “But at least Zhilin is not great in stature, but he was daring.”
How do you imagine the appearance of the hero?
- Your opinions coincided with the image given by the artist.
- Why? In what?
- Find words that can be used as a caption for each illustration.
1 picture: "The horse hit the ground from all over - Zhilin fell on his leg."
2 picture: “Zhilin sat down, began to look at the place; began to look in the Russian direction; there, between these two mountains, and you have to run.”
Picture 3: Dina tried to help Zhilin, free him from the block.
V. Checking homework.
In the previous lesson, students were given the task: to pick up proverbs and sayings that characterize the main characters.
- The truth is brighter than the sun.
- Cheek brings success.
- The brave are not afraid of death.
- It is not the place that makes the man, but the man the place.
- A great ship has great sailing.
Kostylin:
- He ran from a wolf, but hit a bear.
- Still waters run deep.
- Don't laugh, peas, no better than beans.
- They let the goat into the garden.
- Do not hide the awl in the bag.
The second task was to draw favorite episodes of the story. (“Create your own illustration”).
Why did you draw this episode?
VI. Expressive reading of favorite passages.
Why did you like these passages?
VII. Conclusions. Giving marks for class work.
Homework - written work “Zhilin and Crutchesn".
Guys, I think the "Prisoner of the Caucasus" did not leave anyone indifferent. L.N. Tolstoy in this story addresses you children, he teaches you to distinguish good from evil, beautiful from ugly. I would like to believe that, using the example of the hero of the story Zhilin, you will grow up kind, hardworking, courageous, do not leave each other in trouble, treat people well, love your mother, reckon with others, and not be afraid to take responsibility for yourself. Thank you for the lesson, good luck to you and justice.
Leo Tolstoy is best known for his large-scale works. "War and Peace", "Sunday", "Anna Karenina" - these novels are remembered in the first place. But among the works of Tolstoy there are stories, simple and truthful. One of them is the "Prisoner of the Caucasus". The two main characters are Zhilin and Kostylin. Comparative characteristics of these heroes are presented in the article.
History of creation
Before giving a comparative description of Zhilin and Kostylin, it is worth talking about how work on the Prisoner of the Caucasus began. The idea of the work came from the writer in his youth. The plot was based on the events that happened to Tolstoy during his service in the Caucasus. In 1853, Tolstoy was almost taken prisoner. As a true artist, he kept this event in his memory, and later, returning to Yasnaya Polyana, transferred it to paper. True, the hero of Tolstoy did not manage to escape capture. Otherwise, the plot would not be so entertaining.
The story was first published in 1872. The author himself highly valued his work and recalled it even in the treatise "What is art?". Critics praised the "Prisoner of the Caucasus". An important feature of the story is the simplicity of presentation, which is not characteristic of Tolstoy the novelist. Samuil Marshak called the work "an example of a small story for children."
Plan
A comparative description of Zhilin and Kostylin in the article is given simultaneously with the presentation of the story. The author created two vivid portraits. One belongs to the main character, the other to his antipode. There are several other interesting images. But in literature lessons, students first of all make up a comparative description of Zhilin and Kostylin. Why? The actions of these characters illustrate the author's idea. One brave and noble. The other is a coward and a traitor. We see a similar opposition in the works of other Russian writers, for example, in The Captain's Daughter.
Let's draw up a plan for the comparative characteristics of Zhilin and Kostylin:
- Appearance. Tatars. In captivity.
Letter from mother
The protagonist of the story is an officer named Zhilin. One day he receives a letter from his mother. She asks her son to come and say goodbye. The woman feels an imminent death, and therefore hastily looks for a bride for him. At that time it was very dangerous in the Caucasus. Tartars scurried everywhere (as all Muslims were called in the 19th century). Zhilin was not supposed to leave the fortress without an escort of soldiers.
Kostylin
At that moment, when Zhilin was thinking about whether he should go alone, unaccompanied by soldiers, another officer rode up to him on a horse and offered to ride together. The author gives a description of the main character: he was a short, strong man. When compiling a comparative description of Zhilin and Kostylin from The Prisoner of the Caucasus, it is worth mentioning that the author gave the names of his heroes not random, they correspond to their appearance. Zhilin - strong, sinewy. Kostylin - overweight, full, clumsy.
So, the main character agrees to go. But on condition: do not disperse under any circumstances. When asked if the gun is loaded, Kostylin answers in the affirmative.
Tatars
A comparative description of Zhilin and Kostylin must be compiled on the basis of the capture scene. The officers did not manage to drive far from the fortress - the Tatars appeared. Kostylin at that moment drove a little further away. When he saw the approaching Tatars, he did not shoot, but rushed away. The main point in the comparative description of Zhilin and Kostylin from The Prisoner of the Caucasus is behavior in a critical situation. The first was never lost, was brave. The second acted cowardly, betraying a comrade.
ransom
There were about thirty Tatars, and Zhilin, of course, failed to resist them. However, he did not give up quickly. “I won’t give myself up alive,” he thought, and this thought perfectly reveals the inner world of the hero of the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus”. The characteristics of Zhilin and Kostylin are given by the author already at the beginning of the work. But what happened to the officer next? What is the fate of the traitor, who, seeing the Tatars, "has gone to the fortress"?
As already mentioned, Zhilin was short, but daring. Despite the fact that he was left alone, he fought for a long time with the Tatars who attacked him. However, they won and took the captive to their village. They put stocks on him and took him to the barn.
In order to make a complete characterization of the heroes of Zhilin and Kostylin, you need to remember how the main character behaved in captivity. After all, later the officer who betrayed him will also get there.
The Tatars who captured Zhilin did not speak Russian - they called an interpreter. The Russian officer was brought to the chief - Abdul-Murat - and was told that he was now his master. He, with the help of an interpreter, put forward a demand: Zhilin would be released after three thousand coins were paid for him. But the captive had no rich relatives, and he did not want to upset his mother either. He immediately told the Tatars that he could not give more than five hundred rubles.
Zhilin understood: you can’t be shy with the Tatars. He spoke to them confidently, even with some challenge. Suddenly they brought Kostylin. It turned out he couldn't escape. He, unlike the main character, behaved quietly and immediately wrote a letter home - asked to send five thousand rubles. Zhilin also wrote, but the address was incorrect. He was sure that he would run away sooner or later. At the same time, he demanded from the Tatars that they keep him together with his comrade. Even at such moments, he thought not only about himself, but also about another prisoner, who, by the way, did not deserve this.
In a comparative full description of Zhilin and Kostylin, one must certainly say: the main character, unlike the second captive officer, was ready to fight to the last.
In captivity
Zhilin is a man accustomed to wrestling. He did not write more letters home, he understood that the mother, to whom he himself had sent money before, could not collect even five hundred rubles. He hatched an escape plan. In the essay “Comparative Characteristics of Zhilin and Kostylin”, it is important to talk about how the officers behaved in captivity.
Kostylin either slept or counted the days. He wrote another letter to relatives. He yearned, missed home, and did not think about escaping. He was too cowardly to take such a step.
Zhilin became bored, but he was "a master of all needlework." I started making clay toys. Once he made a doll and gave it to Dina, the daughter of his "owner". The girl was frightened at first, but over time she ceased to be afraid of the Russian prisoner and even imbued him with sympathy. Soon Zhilin made another clay doll for Dina. And she, as a sign of gratitude, brought him milk (the Tatars kept their prisoners on dry rations).
Dina began to bring milk to Zhilin every day, and sometimes, if she was lucky, cakes or lamb. Soon the whole village learned that the Russian was a master of all trades. One day Zhilin called Abdul to him and ordered to repair the broken watch, and he quickly completed the task.
They began to come to the captured Russian from nearby villages. To fix the watch, then the gun. Two months later, he began to understand a little the language of the inhabitants of the village. Somehow they turned to him with a request to cure one Tatar. Zhilin was no longer able to do this, but he whispered into the water and gave it to the patient to drink. Tatar, fortunately, recovered.
old horseman
The inhabitants of the village fell in love with the Russian prisoner. The owner once admitted: "I would have let you go, but I gave my word, and I spent money on you." Only the old Tatar, who always walked in a turban, did not like Zhilin. The history of this man is very interesting. Once the Russians ravaged the village, killed his entire family. Only one son survived, and even he went over to the side of the enemy. The old man found the traitor and killed him. He hated the Russians and more than once demanded to kill Zhilin.
Preparing to escape
Zhilin made toys for Tatar children, watched the life of the village. But he was not resigned to his fate. But he knew that there was no one to pay the ransom for him. Zhilin gradually made a dig in the barn. Kostylin did not take part in this. He humbly waited for the money that rich relatives were supposed to send him.
Zhilin did not even think of running alone. He developed an escape plan, but he would never have left the village without Kostylin. He refused to run for a long time. Kostylin was scared, besides, he did not know the way. But pity from the Tatars was not to be expected. One of them was killed by Russian soldiers.
Failed Escape
Zhilin was dexterous and hardy. Kostylin - slow, clumsy. On a quiet summer night, they finally decided to run. We got out of the barn and went towards the fortress. But Kostylin kept stopping, sighing and groaning. If Zhilin had fled himself, he would not have fallen into the hands of the Tatars again. Kostylin began to complain and lament. In a word, he did not behave at all as befits an officer. Zhilin had to drag him on himself - he could not leave his comrade.
The fugitives were quickly overtaken by the Tatars. From now on, the chances of salvation have become very small. Abdula promised Zhilin that he would kill them if he did not receive a ransom within two weeks. Now they were kept in a dungeon, separately. The blocks were not removed and they were not allowed into the fresh air.
Dina
There was very little room in the dungeon. There was no point in digging. Dina began to come to Zhilin: she brought cakes, cherries. And once she said: "They want to kill you." The old men ordered Abdul to destroy the prisoners, and in the Caucasus one is not supposed to argue with the frights. Zhilin asked the girl to bring him a long stick with which he could get out of the basement. But she refused - she was afraid of her father.
Somehow, Abdul's daughter brought him a long pole. On that day, there was almost no one in the village, about which she informed Zhilin. Kostylin did not want to run, but he helped his comrade get out of the basement. Zhilin said goodbye to him. Dina accompanied him to the outskirts of the village.
Return
But this time was not without adventure. Zhilin was already approaching the fortress when he saw the Tatars. Fortunately, there were Cossacks nearby who rushed to his cry. Zhilin was saved. For a long time he told his comrades about what he had experienced during these months.
Kostylin returned a month later. Still, they paid five thousand rubles for it. They brought him barely alive.
Kostylin is a weak person. Unlike Zhilin, he is ready for any kind of humiliation, just not to fight. But he's not a scoundrel. During the first escape, he asks his comrade to leave him, not to drag him on himself. But he refuses. Zhilin's principle: to die, but not to leave a friend in trouble.
The characters are brought up in different conditions. The author says almost nothing about Zhilin's family, but it is known that he is not rich, not noble. However, he was used to taking care not only of himself, but also of his mother. Kostylin is from a rich noble family. Probably, someone always made the decision for him. He was not accustomed to acting - accustomed to go with the flow.
"Prisoner of the Caucasus" in cinema
The story has been filmed twice. For the first time in 1975. The second film based on the work of Leo Tolstoy was released in the mid-nineties. Shot by Sergei Bodrov Sr. However, in the 1995 film, the events take place during the years of the First Chechen War.
Comparative characteristics of Zhilin and Kostylin - the heroes of L. N. Tolstoy's story "Prisoner of the Caucasus"
In the story "Prisoner of the Caucasus" Leo Tolstoy introduces us to two Russian officers - Zhilin and Kostylin. The author builds his work on the opposition of these heroes. By showing us how they behave in the same situations, Tolstoy expresses his idea of what a person should be like.
At the beginning of the story, the writer brings these characters together. We learn that Zhilin decides on a dangerous act, because he is in a hurry to his mother, and Kostylin - only because "I want to eat, and it's hot." The author describes Zhilin as follows: "... although he is small in stature, he was daring." “And Kostylin is a heavy, fat man, all red, and the sweat is pouring from him.” Such a difference in the external description is further enhanced by the meaning of the names of the characters. After all, the surname Zhilin echoes the word "lived", and the hero can be called a wiry person, that is, strong, strong and hardy. And in the name Kostylin the word “crutch” sounds: indeed, he needs support and support, but he himself can’t do anything.
The writer depicts Zhilin as a decisive, but at the same time very prudent person: “We must go to the mountain, have a look ...”. He knows how to assess the danger and calculate his strength. Unlike him, Kostylin is very frivolous: “What to watch? let's go ahead." Frightened by the Tatars, he behaved like a coward.
Even the horses are treated differently by the characters. Zhilin calls her "mother", and Kostylin mercilessly "fries" her with a whip. But most clearly, the difference in the characters of the heroes manifests itself when they both find themselves in Tatar captivity.
Once captured, Zhilin immediately manifests himself as a courageous, strong man, refusing to pay "three thousand coins": "... with them what is shy is worse." Moreover, pitying his mother, he deliberately writes the address “wrongly” so that the letter does not reach. And Kostylin, on the contrary, writes home several times and asks to send money for ransom.
Zhilin set himself a goal: "I will leave." He does not waste time in vain, he observes the life, way of life and habits of the Tatars. The hero learned to "understand in their language", began to needlework, make toys, and heal people. By this he managed to win them over and even won the love of the owner. It is especially touching to read about Zhilin's friendship with Dina, who saved him in the end. On the example of this friendship, Tolstoy shows us his rejection of self-interest and enmity between peoples.
And Kostylin “sits in the barn for whole days and counts the days when the letter arrives, or sleeps.” Thanks to his intelligence and ingenuity, Zhilin was able to organize an escape and, as a friend, took Kostylin with him. We see that Zhilin courageously endures pain, and "Kostylin is still lagging behind and groaning." But Zhilin does not leave him, but carries him.
Being captured for the second time, Zhilin still does not give up and runs. But Kostylin is passively waiting for money and is not at all looking for a way out.
At the end of the story, both heroes escaped. But the actions of Kostylin, his cowardice, weakness, betrayal in relation to Zhilin cause condemnation. Only Zhilin deserves respect, because he got out of captivity thanks to his human qualities. Tolstoy has a special sympathy for him, admires his perseverance, fearlessness and sense of humor: “So I went home, got married!” We can say that the writer dedicated his story to Zhilin, because he called him “Prisoner of the Caucasus”, and not “Prisoners of the Caucasus”.
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- characteristics of zhilin and kostylin
"Prisoner of the Caucasus" - a story that is sometimes called a story. Wrote it tells us about a Russian officer who was captured by the highlanders. The story was first published in Zarya magazine in 1872. It is one of the most popular works of the great Russian writer, withstood many reprints. The title of the story is a reference to Pushkin's poem of the same name. In this article, we will produce Zhilin and Kostylin. These are the two main characters, the opposition of whose personalities forms the basis of the work. Description of Zhilin and Kostylin, see below.
The plot of the story
The narrative is based in part on a real event that took place during Tolstoy's service in the Caucasus (50s of the 19th century). He wrote in his diary in June 1853 that he almost got captured, but behaved well in this case, although and overly sensitive. Lev Nikolaevich, together with his friend, once miraculously escaped the chase. Lieutenant Tolstoy also had to rescue his comrades from captivity.
Ransom letters written by two officers
The story takes place during the period of Zhilin, an officer serving in the Navy. His mother sends her son a letter with a request to visit her, and he leaves the fortress with the convoy. On the way, he overtakes him along with Kostylin and stumbles upon horseback "Tatars" (that is, Muslim highlanders).
They shoot the horse, and the officer himself is taken prisoner (his comrade is running). Zhilin is taken to a mountain village, after which they are sold to Abdul-Murat. "How did Zhilin and Kostylin meet after that?" - you ask. It turned out that by that time Kostylin, a colleague of Zhilin, who was also caught by the Tatars, was already in captivity with Abdul-Murat. Abdul-Murat makes the Russian officers write letters home to get a ransom for them. Zhilin indicates the wrong address on the envelope, realizing that in any case, the mother will not be able to collect the necessary amount.
Zhilin and Kostylin in captivity
Kostylin and Zhilin live in a barn, they put pads on their feet during the day. Zhilin fell in love with local children, especially Dina, the 13-year-old daughter of Abdul-Murat, whom he made dolls for. During walks around the neighborhood and the village, this officer is wondering how to escape to the Russian fortress. He digs in the barn at night. Dina sometimes brings him pieces of lamb or flatbread.
Escape of two officers
When Zhilin learns that the inhabitants of this village are alarmed by the death of a fellow villager who died in battle with the Russians, he finally decides to escape. Together with Kostylin, the officer crawls into the tunnel at night. They want to get to the forest, and then to the fortress. But due to the fact that the obese Kostylin was clumsy, they do not have time to carry out their plans, the Tatars notice the young people and deliver them back. They are now put in a pit and no longer remove the blocks at night. Dina sometimes continues to bring food to the officer.
Zhilin's second escape
Realizing that their enslavers are afraid that the Russians may soon come, and therefore they can kill their captives, Zhilin, at nightfall, once asks Dina to get a long stick. With her help, he crawls out of the hole. Kostylin, sagging and ill, remains inside. He tries, including with the help of the girl, to knock the lock off the blocks, but he does not succeed. At dawn, having made his way through the forest, Zhilin goes to the Russian troops. Kostylin subsequently, with his health undermined to the extreme, is redeemed from captivity by his comrades.
Characteristics of the main characters ("Prisoner of the Caucasus", Tolstoy)
Zhilin and Kostylin are Russian officers. They both participate in the war for Zhilina, a letter arrives from her mother, in which she asks her son to visit her before her death to say goodbye. Without thinking twice, he sets out on his journey. But it was dangerous to go alone, since at any time the Tatars could seize and kill him. We went in a group, and therefore very slowly. Then Zhilin and Kostylin decide to go ahead alone. Zhilin was prudent and cautious. After making sure that Kostylin's gun was loaded, and he had a saber in the scabbard, Zhilin decided to see if the Tatars were visible, having climbed the mountain. Climbing higher, he noticed his enemies. The Tatars were very close, and therefore they saw Zhilin.
This brave officer thought that if he managed to run to the gun (which Kostylin had), then the officers would be saved. He shouted to his friend. But the cowardly Kostylin ran away, afraid for his own skin. He did something despicable. In the way Zhilin and Kostylin met, one can see the mockery of fate over the latter. After all, both were eventually captured, and here they met again. The chief Muslim highlander said that a ransom of 5,000 rubles had to be paid, and then they would be released. Kostylin immediately wrote a letter home with a request to get money. And Zhilin answered the highlanders that if they killed him, they would not receive anything at all, and ordered them to wait. He sent his letter intentionally to a different address, because the officer felt sorry for his mother, who was seriously ill, and there was no such money in the family. In addition to his mother, Zhilin had no other relatives.
The comparative characteristics of Zhilin and Kostylin can be supplemented by pointing out how these heroes spent their time in captivity. Zhilin decided that he could and should escape. He dug a tunnel at night, and during the day he made dolls for Dina, who brought food in return.
Kostylin, on the other hand, was idle all day, and slept at night. And now the time has come when the preparations for the escape were completed. The two officers fled. They greatly abraded their legs on the stones, and Zhilin had to carry the weakened Kostylin on himself. Because of this, they were captured. This time the officers were put in a hole, but Dina took out a stick and helped her friend to escape. Kostylin was afraid to flee again and stayed with the highlanders. Zhilin managed to get to his. Kostylin was redeemed only a month later.
As you can see, Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy shows in his story "Prisoner of the Caucasus" the courage and courage of Zhilin and the weakness, cowardice and laziness of his comrade. Comparative characteristics of Zhilin and Kostylin are opposite, but built on contrast. To better convey his idea, the author uses a number of techniques. Read more about them.
Analysis of the title of the story "Prisoner of the Caucasus"
It is interesting to analyze the very title of the story - "Prisoner of the Caucasus". Zhilin and Kostylin are two heroes, but the name is given in the singular. Tolstoy, perhaps, wanted to show by this that only the person who does not give up in the face of the difficulties that have arisen can be a true hero, but actively acts. Passive people become a burden for others in life, not striving for anything and not developing in any way. The author shows, in this way, that not everything in our life directly depends on the circumstances, and each person is the creator of his own destiny.
Names of the main characters
Pay attention also to the names of the heroes, which were not taken by the author by chance, which should also be noted when compiling the comparative characteristics of Zhilin and Kostylin. Starting to read this work, we still do not know the characters of the main characters, but only find out their names. But immediately we get the feeling that Lev Nikolayevich sympathizes more with Zhilin than with Kostylin. The latter, as we think, has a "limping" character, and Zhilin is a strong, "wiry" man, with a strong character. Kostylin, on the other hand, needs the help of outsiders, he is indecisive, dependent. Subsequent events confirm our guesses. The meaning of these rhyming surnames is completely different. So, Zhilin is described as a man of small stature, agile and strong. On the contrary, Kostylin is overweight, heavy on his feet, passive. Throughout the whole work, he only does what prevents a friend from carrying out his plan.
Conclusion
Thus, these two characters are opposite, as evidenced by the description of Zhilin and Kostylin by the author. The main difference between these two officers is that one is a hard-working, active person who believes that one can find a way out of any situation, and the second is a coward, a lazybones, a goof. Zhilin managed to take root in a hostile environment, which helped this officer to get out of captivity. Such a case would unsettle another person, but this officer is not like that. He did not go home after the end of the story, but remained to serve in the Caucasus. And Kostylin, barely alive, was released from captivity for a ransom. Tolstoy did not say what happened to him next. Probably, he did not even consider it necessary to mention the further fate of such a worthless person in his work "Prisoner of the Caucasus". Zhilin and Kostylin are different people, and therefore their fates are different, despite the same life circumstances. It was this idea that Leo Tolstoy wanted to convey to us.
Samuil Marshak noted that the work "Prisoner of the Caucasus" (Tolstoy) is the crown of all books for reading and said that in all world literature it is impossible to find a more perfect example of a story, a small story for children's reading. The description of Zhilin and Kostylin, their characters, helps to educate the younger generation, to develop the personality, because it shows how one should behave in difficult situations. The fate of Zhilin and Kostylin is very instructive.
