"Garnet bracelet" Kuprin A.I.
Zheltkov G.S.- appears in the story only towards the end: “very pale, with a gentle girlish face, blue eyes and a stubborn childish chin with a dimple in the middle; he must have been about thirty, thirty-five years old.” Along with Princess Vera can be called the main character of the story. The outset of the conflict is the receipt by Princess Vera on September 17, on the day of her name day, a letter signed with the initials “G. S. Zh. ”, and a garnet bracelet in a red case.
It was a gift from a stranger then to Vera Zh., who fell in love with her seven years ago, wrote letters, then stopped bothering her at her request, but now again confessed his love. In a letter, Zh. explained that the old silver bracelet once belonged to his grandmother, then all the stones were transferred to a new, gold bracelet. Zh. repents that before "dared to write stupid and daring letters" and adds: "Now I have only reverence, eternal admiration and slavish devotion." One of the guests at the birthday party for fun presents the love story of the telegrapher, P.P.Zh. (distorted G.S.Zh.), to Vera in a comic form, stylized as a tabloid novel. Another guest, a person close to the family, the old general Anosov, suggests: “Maybe this is just a crazy guy, a maniac<...>maybe your life path, Verochka, was crossed by exactly the kind of love that women dream of and that men are no longer capable of.
Under the influence of his brother-in-law, Vera's husband, Prince Vasily Lvovich Shein, decides to return the bracelet and stop correspondence. Zh. struck Shein at the meeting with his sincerity. Zh., having asked permission from Shein, speaks on the phone with Vera, but she also asks to stop "this story." Shein felt that he was present "at some tremendous tragedy of the soul." When he informs Vera about this, she predicts that J. will kill herself. Later, from the newspaper, she accidentally learned about the suicide of Zh., who referred in his suicide note to the embezzlement of state money. In the evening of the same day, she receives a farewell letter from J. He calls his love for Vera “great happiness” sent to him by God. It is recognized that he "is not interested in anything in life: neither politics, nor science, nor philosophy, nor concern for the future happiness of people." All life lies in love for Vera: “Let me be ridiculous in your eyes and in the eyes of your brother<...>As I leave, I say in ecstasy: Hallowed be thy name. Prince Shein admits: Zh. was not crazy and loved Vera very much and therefore was doomed to death. He allows Vera to say goodbye to J. Looking at the deceased, she "realized that the love that every woman dreams of has passed her by." In the face of the dead ^K. she noticed "deep importance", "deep and sweet mystery", "peaceful expression", which "she saw on the masks of the great sufferers - Pushkin and Napoleon."
At home, Vera found a familiar pianist - Jenny Reiter, who played her exactly the place from Beethoven's second sonata, which seemed to J. the most perfect - "Largo Appassionato". And this music became an afterlife declaration of love addressed to Vera. Vera's thoughts that "a great love passed by her" coincided with the music, each "verse" of which ended with the words: "Hallowed be thy name." At the very end of the story, Vera utters words that only she understands: “... he has forgiven me now. Everything is fine".
All the heroes of the story, not excluding Zh., had real prototypes. Criticism pointed, however, to the connection of the "Garnet Bracelet" with the prose of the Norwegian writer Knut Hamsun.
The dramatic events that happened to the main characters will not leave anyone indifferent. Unrequited love took the life of a wonderful man who never managed to come to terms with the fact that he could never be together with his beloved woman. The image and characterization of Zheltkov in the story "Garnet Bracelet" is the key. On his example, you can see that true love exists regardless of time and eras.
Zheltkov- the protagonist of the story. Full name unknown. There is an assumption that his name was George. The man always signed documents with three letters G.S.Zh. Works as an official. For many years he has been unrequitedly in love with Vera Sheina, a married lady.
Image
Young man aged 35.
"...he must have been about thirty, thirty-five years old...".
Skinny, emaciated. High growth. Long, soft hair cascaded down her shoulders. Zheltkov's appearance is painful. Perhaps this is because of the too pale complexion.
“very pale, with a gentle girlish face, with blue eyes and a stubborn childish chin with a dimple in the middle ...”
The official wore a light mustache with a reddish tint. Thin, nervous fingers were in constant motion, which betrayed nervousness and imbalance.
Characteristic
Zheltkov was a wonderful person. Educated, tactful, modest. Over the years that he rented an apartment, he became almost a son for the owner of the living space.
The man had no family. There is only one brother.
Not rich. He lived very modestly, not allowing himself any frills. The salary of a petty official was low, you can’t really clear up.
decent. Noble.
“I immediately guessed a noble person in you ...”
Honest. Sincere. You can always rely on people like him. Will not let you down, will not deceive. Not capable of betrayal.
loves music. Favorite composer Beethoven.
Love in Zheltkov's life
A few years ago, Zheltkov fell in love with Vera after seeing her at the opera. At that time she was not married. He did not have the courage to verbally confess his feelings. He wrote letters to her, but Vera asked not to disturb her anymore. She did not like his importunity. Instead of a reciprocal feeling, a wave of irritation rose in the woman. For a while, he was silent, not reminding himself of anything, until the time came for the celebration of the name day at Vera's. At the celebration, she receives an expensive gift sent by the hopelessly in love Zheltkov. With his gift, he showed that feelings have not cooled down. Only now did he understand everything and realized that the letters were stupid and impudent. He repented and asked for forgiveness. Faith became the meaning of life for him. He couldn't breathe without her. She is the only joy that brightens up gray everyday life. Vera's husband and brother read his letter. At the family council, it was decided to stop his love impulses by returning the bracelet and asking him not to disturb their family anymore. Vera herself told him about it on the phone. For the poor fellow, this was a heavy blow. He could not bear it, deciding to leave this life forever, choosing a terrible way for this - suicide.
Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin is a Russian writer who, without a doubt, can be attributed to the classics. His books are still recognizable and loved by the reader, not only under the compulsion of a school teacher, but at a conscious age. A distinctive feature of his work is documentary, his stories were based on real events or real events became the impetus for their creation - among them is the story "Garnet Bracelet".
“Garnet Bracelet” is a real story that Kuprin heard from friends while viewing family albums. The governor's wife made sketches for letters sent to her by a certain telegraph official who was unrequitedly in love with her. Once she received a gift from him: a gilded chain with a pendant in the shape of an Easter egg. Alexander Ivanovich took this story as the basis for his work, turning these meager, uninteresting data into a touching story. The writer replaced the chain with the pendant with a bracelet with five grenades, which, according to King Solomon in one story, mean anger, passion and love.
Plot
The "Garnet Bracelet" begins with preparations for the celebration, when Vera Nikolaevna Sheina suddenly receives a gift from an unknown person: a bracelet in which five garnets adorned with green splashes. On a paper note that was attached to the gift, it is indicated that the gem is able to endow the owner with foresight. The princess shares the news with her husband and shows a bracelet from an unknown person. In the course of the action, it turns out that this person is a petty official named Zheltkov. For the first time, he saw Vera Nikolaevna in the circus many years ago, and since then, suddenly flared feelings have not faded away: even the threats of her brother do not stop him. Nevertheless, Zheltkov does not want to torment his beloved, and he decides to commit suicide so as not to bring shame on her.
The story ends with the realization of the strength of the sincere feelings of a stranger, which comes to Vera Nikolaevna.
Love Theme
The main theme of the work "Garnet Bracelet" is, of course, the theme of unrequited love. Moreover, Zheltkov is a vivid example of disinterested, sincere, sacrificial feelings that he does not betray, even when his loyalty cost his life. Princess Sheina also fully feels the power of these emotions: years later she realizes that she wants to be loved and love again - and the jewelry presented by Zheltkov marks the imminent emergence of passion. Indeed, soon she falls in love with life again and feels it in a new way. you can read on our website.
The theme of love in the story is frontal and permeates the entire text: this love is high and pure, a manifestation of God. Vera Nikolaevna feels internal changes even after Zheltkov's suicide - she knew the sincerity of a noble feeling and readiness to sacrifice herself for the sake of someone who would not give anything in return. Love changes the character of the whole story: the princess's feelings die, wither, fall asleep, being once passionate and hot, and turned into a strong friendship with her husband. But Vera Nikolaevna in her soul still continues to strive for love, even if it became dull over time: she needed time to let passion and sensuality come out, but before that her calmness could seem indifferent and cold - this puts a high wall for Zheltkov.
Main characters (characteristic)
- Zheltkov worked as a minor official in the control chamber (the author placed him there to emphasize that the main character was a small person). Kuprin does not even indicate his name in the work: only the letters are signed with initials. Zheltkov is exactly what the reader imagines as a low-ranking person: thin, pale-skinned, straightening his jacket with nervous fingers. He has delicate features, blue eyes. According to the story, Zheltkov is about thirty years old, he is not rich, modest, decent and noble - even the husband of Vera Nikolaevna notes this. The elderly mistress of his room says that for all the eight years that he lived with her, he became like a family to her, and he was a very sweet interlocutor. “... Eight years ago I saw you in a circus in a box, and then in the first second I said to myself: I love her because there is nothing like her in the world, there is nothing better ...”, - this is how the modern fairy tale about Zheltkov's feelings for Vera Nikolaevna, although he never cherished hopes that they would be mutual: "... seven years of hopeless and polite love ...". He knows the address of his beloved, what she does, where she spends time, what she wears - he admits that nothing but her is interesting and joyful to him. you can also find it on our website.
- Vera Nikolaevna Sheina inherited her mother's appearance: a tall, stately aristocrat with a proud face. Her character is strict, uncomplicated, calm, she is polite and courteous, kind to everyone. She has been married to Prince Vasily Shein for more than six years, together they are full-fledged members of high society, arrange balls and receptions, despite financial difficulties.
- Vera Nikolaevna has a sister, the youngest, Anna Nikolaevna Friesse, who, unlike her, inherited her father's features and his Mongolian blood: a narrow slit in the eyes, femininity of features, flirty facial expressions. Her character is frivolous, perky, cheerful, but contradictory. Her husband, Gustav Ivanovich, is rich and stupid, but idolizes her and is constantly nearby: his feelings, it seems, have not changed from the first day, he courted her and still adored her very much. Anna Nikolaevna cannot stand her husband, but they have a son and a daughter, she is faithful to him, although she is quite contemptuous.
- General Anosov is Anna's godfather, his full name is Yakov Mikhailovich Anosov. He is fat and tall, good-natured, patient, does not hear well, he has a large, red face with clear eyes, he is very respected for the years of his service, he is fair and courageous, he has a clear conscience, constantly wears a frock coat and cap, uses a hearing horn and a stick.
- Prince Vasily Lvovich Shein is the husband of Vera Nikolaevna. Little is said about his appearance, only that he has blond hair and a big head. He is very soft, compassionate, sensitive - he treats Zheltkov's feelings with understanding, unshakably calm. He has a sister, a widow, whom he invites to the celebration.
Features of Kuprin's creativity
Kuprin was close to the theme of the character's awareness of the truth of life. He saw the world around him in a special way and strove to learn something new, his works are characterized by drama, some anxiety, excitement. "Cognitive pathos" - this is called the hallmark of his work.
In many ways, Dostoevsky influenced Kuprin's work, especially in the early stages, when he writes about fatal and significant moments, the role of chance, the psychology of characters' passion - often the writer makes it clear that not everything can be understood.
It can be said that one of the features of Kuprin's work is a dialogue with readers, in which the plot is traced and reality is depicted - this is especially noticeable in his essays, which in turn were influenced by G. Uspensky.
Some of his works are famous for their lightness and immediacy, poetization of reality, naturalness and naturalness. Others - the theme of inhumanity and protest, the struggle for feelings. At some point, he becomes interested in history, antiquity, legends, and this is how fantastic stories are born with the motives of the inevitability of chance and fate.
Genre and composition
Kuprin is characterized by love for stories within stories. The “Garnet Bracelet” is another proof: Zheltkov’s note about the qualities of the jewelry is the plot in the plot.
The author shows love from different points of view - love in general terms and Zheltkov's unrequited feelings. These feelings have no future: the marital status of Vera Nikolaevna, the difference in social status, circumstances - everything is against them. In this doom, the subtle romanticism invested by the writer in the text of the story is manifested.
The whole work is ringed by references to the same piece of music - Beethoven's sonata. So the music, "sounding" throughout the story, shows the power of love and is the key to understanding the text, resounding in the final lines. Music communicates the unsaid. Moreover, it is Beethoven's sonata at the climax that symbolizes the awakening of the soul of Vera Nikolaevna and the realization that comes to her. Such attention to melody is also a manifestation of romanticism.
The composition of the story implies the presence of symbols and hidden meanings. So a fading garden implies the fading passion of Vera Nikolaevna. General Anosov tells short stories about love - these are also small plots within the main narrative.
It is difficult to determine the genre of the "Garnet Bracelet". In fact, the work is called a story, largely due to its composition: it consists of thirteen short chapters. However, the writer himself called "Garnet Bracelet" a story.
Interesting? Save it on your wall!What a magnificent, strong, flaming and huge feeling lives in one of the heroes of the story "". Of course, this is the love that Zheltkov's heart was boundlessly filled with. But how did this love affect the life and fate of this character? Did she endow him with happiness or become the biggest tragedy?
In his case, there is some truth to both. Zheltkov loved Princess Vera Nikolaevna to the last breath and to the last beat of his heart. He could not live a minute without the thought of a beautiful woman. He sent her love letters, he explained his strong feelings, but it was all in vain. Vera Nikolaevna could not answer him in return. Her marital status and position in society did not allow her to take the slightest step. Therefore, she tried to ignore all cases of Zheltkov's attentiveness to her person. Because of this, the hero was constantly left alone, alone with his dreams and desires.
At one moment he was insanely happy, but at another moment he was alone, with a feeling of unrequited love. And he made no attempt to correct this situation.
Of course, it was possible to run away to another city, go to work and achieve a life goal. But, Zheltkov did not prefer to fight for his love-free life. He was left alone with his unaccepted feelings. So, his life ended, without a sense of the importance and necessity of his love.
However, the hero still remained happy. Even after death, there was peace and tranquility on his face. This feeling of happiness from such a strong and eternal love did not leave him. Zheltkov accepted his fate as a sign from above, as a message. He did not reproach anyone and did not complain about anyone. Indeed, for such a pure, clear and strong feeling as love, he was ready to part with his life. And this love lived in his heart all the time, pleased and made the hero happy.
Composition
And the heart will no longer respond
It's all over... And my song rushes
In an empty night where you are no more.
A. Akhmatova
A. I. Kuprin is an original writer of the 20th century, in whose work the precepts of Russian classical literature with its democracy, passionate desire to solve the problems of social life, humanism, and a deep interest in the life of the people were refracted in a peculiar way. Loyalty to traditions, the influence of L. N. Tolstoy and A. P. Chekhov, the impact of the creative ideas of M. Gorky determined the originality of Kuprin's artistic prose, his place in the literary process of the beginning of the century.
The theme of "enlightenment" of a simple Russian person, eagerly seeking truth in social life, was especially close to the writers, whose work was formed during the years of the revolutionary upsurge. Therefore, in the center of the works there is invariably a small person, an average intellectual-truth seeker, and the main theme is bourgeois civilization, devouring thousands of human lives and entailing the vulgarization of human relationships. "It is natural in such a situation to turn to one of the eternal themes - the theme of love. love as one of the mysteries of life, and A. Kuprin.
Following "Olesya" (1898) and "Duel" (1905), in the 1910s, a kind of "trilogy" about love came out from under his pen, which is formed by the works "Shulamith", "Garnet Bracelet" and "Pit" ( the latter depicts anti-love). Love for Kuprin is a saving force that protects the human soul from the destructive influence of civilization; a phenomenon of life, an unexpected gift that illuminates life in the midst of everyday reality and established life. But love in his works is associated with the idea of death.
The heroes of Kuprin most often die when faced with the world of cruelty, lack of spirituality and the generally accepted philistine morality of the modern world.
The meaning and content of the life of the protagonist of the story "Garnet Bracelet" was a great, but, unfortunately, unrequited love. G. S. Zheltkov is a young man of pleasant appearance, an employee of the control chamber. He is musical, endowed with a sense of beauty, subtly feels and knows how to understand people. Despite his poverty, Zheltkov has a "pedigree", his sofa is covered with a "worn beautiful Teke carpet."
But its main value is "seven years of hopeless and polite love." The object of his admiration is the eldest daughter of the late Prince Mirza-Bulat-Tuganovsky, the wife of the leader of the nobility in the city of K., Vera Nikolaevna Sheina. She married for love a childhood friend, but now she feels for her husband "a feeling of lasting, faithful, true friendship." Both Vera Nikolaevna herself and those around her consider her marriage a happy one. Vera Nikolaevna is endowed with "aristocratic" beauty. She attracts "with her tall, flexible figure, gentle, but cold and proud face, beautiful, although rather large hands, and that charming sloping of the shoulders, which can be seen in ancient miniatures."
The heroine is a sensitive, subtle nature with many talents. But Vera does not respond to Zheltkov's feelings. She perceives his attention, his letters and the gift of a garnet bracelet as something unnecessary, besides breaking the usual measured course of life. The princess is accustomed to take life seriously. She soberly assesses the financial situation of the family and tries to "help the prince refrain from complete ruin", denying herself a lot and saving on household chores. The Sheins have a wide circle of acquaintances, and reputation is very important for Princess Vera, she is afraid to look ridiculous or ridiculous. She considers the fan himself "with the funny surname Zheltkov" a "madman" who "haunts her with his love", and even once asks him in writing "not to bother her anymore with his love outpourings." The love of our hero is incomprehensible to the princess and seems burdensome.
For Zheltkov, the whole life lies in Vera Nikolaevna. He is no longer interested in anything: "neither politics, nor science, nor philosophy, nor concern for the future happiness of people." Zheltkov's heart is always near her beloved, at her feet, "every moment of the day is filled" with Vera Nikolaevna, thoughts and dreams about her. But Zheltkov's love is "not a disease, not a manic idea." He fell in love with Vera "because there is nothing in the world like her, there is nothing better, there is no beast, no plant, no star, no man more beautiful ... and more tender." This great love is a gift from heaven, "great happiness." This is love, “which God was pleased to reward me for something,” he writes, experiencing “reverence, eternal admiration” for the woman he loves, and boundless gratitude for the mere fact that she exists. The princess, unknowingly herself, painfully injures Zheltkov, pushes him to suicide with the words: "Oh, if you only knew how tired I am of this whole story. Please stop it as soon as possible." But he asked for such a small thing: "to stay in the city, so that at least occasionally to see her, of course, without showing her eyes."
Farewell to Vera Nikolaevna for the hero is tantamount to saying goodbye to life. But, knowing perfectly well that his feelings are not shared, Zheltkov hopes and is “even sure” that Vera Nikolaevna will remember him someday. And indeed, after Zheltkov’s death, saying goodbye to him, she realizes that she has lost something important and very valuable, that “a great love that repeats only once in a thousand years”, “that love that every woman dreams of has passed past her." Shocked by this realization, Vera asks the pianist to play something, not doubting that Jenny will play the very passage from the Second Sonata that Zheltkov asked for. And when she listened to "this exceptional work, unique in its depth," "her soul seemed to split in two." It was filled with music and poems that ended with the words from the farewell letter of a loving person: "Hallowed be thy name" ...
The musical theme "Appassionata" affirms the high power of love. Music in the story generally plays a very important role, it is not by chance that the title of Beethoven's second sonata is included in the epigraph. It serves as the key to understanding the whole work. "Prayer for Love" runs like a leitmotif throughout the work and sounds powerfully in its finale. What the enamored official of the control chamber was unable to put into words was "told" by the music of the great composer. As you can see, mutual, perfect love did not take place, but this high and poetic feeling, albeit concentrated in one soul, opened the way to a beautiful rebirth of another. After all, every woman in the depths of her heart dreams of such love - "one, all-forgiving, ready for anything, modest and selfless."
Just a few pages, a few lines from a letter, and before us was the life of a man. Is it real life? Is the main character real?
According to the memoirs of L. Arsenyeva, a younger contemporary of the writer, in the late 1920s in Paris, the aging A. Kuprin challenged an interlocutor to a duel, who allowed himself to doubt the plausibility of the plot of the "Garnet Bracelet". Kuprin rarely resorted to pure fiction in his work. All his works are realistic, based on real events, personal impressions from meetings with people, from conversations. The story of love, which formed the basis of the story, the writer heard in the summer of 1906 while visiting a member of the State Council, Dmitry Nikolaevich Lyubimov. The Lyubimovs showed Kuprin a family album. There were illustrations for letters that Lyubimov's wife received from a person signing the initials P.P.Zh. (it turned out to be petty postal official Pyotr Petrovich Zheltikov). Kuprin creatively rethought what he had heard and, by the power of his talent, turned an ordinary episode into a love story, about which "the best minds and souls of mankind - poets, novelists, musicians, artists" have been dreaming and yearning for centuries. Unlike the hero of the story, Kuprin, Zheltikov did not shoot himself, but was transferred to the province, where he then married. But he served as a real prototype for the creation of a hero who won our hearts with the strength and purity of his feelings.
The image of Zheltkov is real. It is real because in the world, contrary to the opinion of General Anosov, there is still love, which is not affected by "any comforts of life, calculations and compromises", and there are men capable of "strong desires, heroic deeds, tenderness and adoration." I would like to believe that in the modern world a bright, humane feeling is possible, reckless, "hopeless and polite", chivalrous, heroic love; love is strong and pure, the love that God sends to the elect, "like great happiness." Such love, "for which to accomplish any feat, to give one's life, to go to torment, is not labor at all, but one joy." But such love cannot, must not end in a fatal outcome. Why die? You need to live, knowing that you are just nearby, in the same city, in the same country, on the same planet with the person you love, and from this life is filled with meaning and becomes beautiful.
Despite the tragic ending, Kuprin's story is optimistic, life-affirming, because in the "Garnet Bracelet" the author, probably stronger and brighter than in other works, sings of the eternal values of life, spiritual strength and purity, nobility and the ability to sacrifice in the name of love. And, of course, love itself - the most sublime and beautiful of all human feelings.
