I. Bunin is one of the few figures of Russian culture appreciated abroad. In 1933 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for the rigorous skill with which he develops the traditions of Russian classical prose." One can relate differently to the personality and views of this writer, but his skill in the field of belles-lettres is undeniable, therefore his works are at least worthy of our attention. One of them, namely "The Gentleman from San Francisco", received such a high rating from the jury that awards the most prestigious prize in the world.
An important quality for a writer is observation, because from the most fleeting episodes and impressions you can create a whole work. Bunin accidentally saw the cover of Thomas Mann's book "Death in Venice" in the store, and a few months later, having come to visit his cousin, he remembered this name and connected it with an even older memory: the death of an American on the island of Capri, where the author himself was resting. And so one of the best Bunin stories turned out, and not just a story, but a whole philosophical parable.
This literary work was enthusiastically received by critics, and the outstanding talent of the writer was compared with the gift of L.N. Tolstoy and A.P. Chekhov. After that, Bunin stood with venerable connoisseurs of the word and the human soul in the same row. His work is so symbolic and eternal that it will never lose its philosophical focus and relevance. And in the age of the power of money and market relations, it is doubly useful to remember what life leads to, inspired only by hoarding.
What a story?
The main character, who has no name (he's just a gentleman from San Francisco), spent his whole life increasing his wealth, and at the age of 58 he decided to devote time to rest (and at the same time family). They go on the steamer "Atlantis" on their entertaining journey. All passengers are immersed in idleness, but the attendants work tirelessly to provide all these breakfasts, lunches, dinners, teas, card games, dances, liqueurs and cognacs. The stay of tourists in Naples is also monotonous, only museums and cathedrals are added to their program. However, the weather does not favor tourists: the Naples December turned out to be rainy. Therefore, the Lord and his family rush to the island of Capri, which pleases with warmth, where they check into the same hotel and are already preparing for routine “entertainment” activities: eating, sleeping, chatting, looking for a groom for their daughter. But suddenly the death of the protagonist breaks into this "idyll". He died suddenly while reading a newspaper.
And here the main idea of the story is revealed to the reader that in the face of death everyone is equal: neither wealth nor power can save from it. This Gentleman, who only recently wasted money, contemptuously spoke to the servants and accepted their respectful bows, lies in a cramped and cheap room, respect has disappeared somewhere, the family is being kicked out of the hotel, because his wife and daughter will leave “trifles” at the cash desk. And now his body is being taken back to America in a soda box, because even a coffin is not to be found in Capri. But he is already riding in the hold, hidden from high-ranking passengers. And no one is particularly grieving, because no one will be able to use the dead man's money.
The meaning of the name
At first, Bunin wanted to name his story "Death on Capri" by analogy with the title "Death in Venice" that inspired him (the writer read this book later and rated it as "unpleasant"). But already after writing the first line, he crossed out this title and called the work by the “name” of the hero.
From the first page, the attitude of the writer to the Lord is clear, for him he is faceless, colorless and soulless, therefore he did not even get a name. He is the master, the top of the social hierarchy. But all this power is fleeting and unsteady, the author recalls. The hero, useless for society, who has not done a single good deed for 58 years and thinks only of himself, remains after death only an unknown gentleman, about whom they only know that he is a rich American.
Characteristics of heroes
There are few characters in the story: the gentleman from San Francisco as a symbol of eternal fussy hoarding, his wife, depicting gray respectability, and their daughter, symbolizing the desire for this respectability.
- The gentleman “worked tirelessly” all his life, but these were the hands of the Chinese, who were hired by the thousands and died just as plentifully in hard service. Other people generally mean little to him, the main thing is profit, wealth, power, savings. It was they who gave him the opportunity to travel, live at the highest level and do not give a damn about others who were less fortunate in life. However, nothing saved the hero from death, you can’t take money to the next world. Yes, and respect, bought and sold, quickly turns into dust: nothing has changed after his death, the celebration of life, money and idleness continued, even there is no one to worry about the last tribute to the dead. The body travels through the authorities, this is nothing, just another piece of luggage that is thrown into the hold, hiding from "decent society".
- The hero's wife lived monotonously, in a philistine way, but with chic: without any problems and difficulties, no worries, just a lazily stretching string of idle days. Nothing impressed her, she was always completely calm, probably having forgotten how to think in the routine of idleness. She is only worried about the future of her daughter: she needs to find a respectable and profitable party for her, so that she can also comfortably go with the flow all her life.
- The daughter did her best to portray innocence and at the same time frankness, attracting suitors. That was what interested her the most. Meeting with an ugly, strange and uninteresting man, but a prince, plunged the girl into excitement. Perhaps this was one of the last strong feelings in her life, and then the future of her mother awaited her. However, some emotions still remained in the girl: she alone had a premonition of trouble (“her heart was suddenly squeezed by melancholy, a feeling of terrible loneliness on this alien, dark island”) and wept for her father.
Main topics
Life and death, everyday life and exclusivity, wealth and poverty, beauty and ugliness - these are the main themes of the story. They immediately reflect the philosophical orientation of the author's intention. He encourages readers to think about themselves: are we chasing something frivolously small, are we mired in routine, missing out on true beauty? After all, a life in which there is no time to think about yourself, your place in the Universe, in which there is no time to look at the surrounding nature, people and notice something good in them, is lived in vain. And you can't fix a life you've lived in vain, and you can't buy a new one for any amount of money. Death will come anyway, you can’t hide from it and pay off, so you need to have time to do something really worthwhile, something to be remembered with a kind word, and not indifferently thrown into the hold. Therefore, it is worth thinking about everyday life, which makes thoughts banal, and feelings faded and weak, about wealth that is not worth the effort, about beauty, in the venality of which ugliness lies.
The wealth of the “masters of life” is contrasted with the poverty of people who live just as ordinary, but suffer poverty and humiliation. Servants who secretly mimic their masters, but grovel before their eyes. Gentlemen who treat servants like inferior beings, but who grovel before even richer and nobler people. A couple hired on a steamboat to play passionate love. Daughter of the Lord, depicting passion and trepidation to lure the prince. All this dirty, base pretense, although presented in a luxurious wrapper, is opposed by the eternal and pure beauty of nature.
Main problems
The main problem of this story is the search for the meaning of life. How to spend your short earthly vigil not in vain, how to leave behind something important and valuable for others? Everyone sees his destiny in his own way, but no one should forget that a person’s spiritual baggage is more important than material. Although it has been said at all times that all eternal values have been lost in modern times, every time this is not true. Both Bunin and other writers remind us readers that life without harmony and inner beauty is not life, but a miserable existence.
The problem of transience of life is also raised by the author. After all, the Gentleman from San Francisco spent his spiritual strength, made money, made money, postponing some simple joys, real emotions for later, but this "later" did not begin. This happens with many people who are mired in everyday life, routine, problems, and affairs. Sometimes you just need to stop, pay attention to loved ones, nature, friends, feel the beauty in the environment. After all, tomorrow may never come.
The meaning of the story
It is not for nothing that the story is called a parable: it has a very instructive message and is intended to give a lesson to the reader. The main idea of the story is the injustice of class society. Most of it is interrupted from bread to water, and the elite mindlessly burns life. The writer states the moral squalor of the existing order, because most of the "masters of life" achieved their wealth in a dishonest way. Such people bring only evil, as the Master from San Francisco pays and ensures the death of Chinese workers. The death of the protagonist emphasizes the thoughts of the author. Nobody is interested in this recently so influential person, because his money no longer gives him power, and he has not committed any respectable and outstanding deeds.
The idleness of these rich people, their effeminacy, perversion, insensitivity to something living and beautiful prove the accidental and injustice of their high position. This fact is hidden behind the description of tourists' leisure time on the steamer, their entertainment (the main of which is lunch), costumes, relationships with each other (the origin of the prince, whom the protagonist's daughter met, makes her fall in love).
Composition and genre
"The Gentleman from San Francisco" can be seen as a story-parable. What is a story (a short work in prose containing a plot, conflict and having one main storyline) is known to most, but how can a parable be characterized? A parable is a small allegorical text that guides the reader on the right path. Therefore, the work in terms of plot and form is a story, and in philosophical, meaningful terms - a parable.
Compositionally, the story is divided into two large parts: the journey of the Lord from San Francisco from the New World and the stay of the body in the hold on the way back. The climax of the work is the death of the hero. Prior to this, describing the ship "Atlantis", tourist places, the author gives the story an anxious mood of expectation. In this part, a sharply negative attitude towards the Master is striking. But death deprived him of all privileges and equated his remains with luggage, so Bunin softens and even sympathizes with him. It also describes the island of Capri, its nature and local residents, these lines are filled with beauty and understanding of the beauty of nature.
Symbols
The work is replete with symbols confirming Bunin's thoughts. The first of them is the steamship Atlantis, on which an endless celebration of luxurious life reigns, but there is a storm, a storm, even the ship itself is trembling overboard. So at the beginning of the twentieth century, the whole society was seething, experiencing a social crisis, only the indifferent bourgeois continued to feast during the plague.
The island of Capri symbolizes real beauty (therefore, the description of its nature and inhabitants is fanned with warm colors): a “joyful, beautiful, sunny” country filled with “fabulous blue”, majestic mountains, the charm of which cannot be conveyed by human language. The existence of our American family and people like them is a pathetic parody of life.
Features of the work
Figurative language, vivid landscapes are inherent in Bunin's creative manner, the skill of the artist of the word was reflected in this story. At first, he creates an unsettling mood, the reader expecting that, despite the splendor of the rich environment around the Master, something irreparable will soon happen. Later, the tension is erased by natural sketches, painted with soft strokes, reflecting love and admiration for beauty.
The second feature is the philosophical and topical content. Bunin castigates the senselessness of the existence of the top of society, its spoiledness, disrespect for other people. It was precisely because of this bourgeoisie, cut off from the life of the people, having fun at its expense, that two years later a bloody revolution broke out in the writer's homeland. Everyone felt that something needed to be changed, but no one did anything, which is why so much blood was shed, so many tragedies happened in those difficult times. And the topic of searching for the meaning of life does not lose its relevance, which is why the story is still of interest to the reader even after 100 years.
Interesting? Save it on your wall!
Module 1
Ways and main trends in the development of Russian literature at the turn of the 19th - 20th centuries.
Practical work
Answer the questions of a heuristic conversation based on I. Bunin's story "The Gentleman from San Francisco".
Heuristic conversation on
I. Bunin's story "The Gentleman from San Francisco"
Initially, this work had an epigraph, which the writer then removed, perhaps in order to keep the reader in suspense to the end, not to give him a ready answer.
After analyzing the story, we will have to guess what thought I. Bunin prefaced his story. To do this, we will need to formulate the main idea of the story.
Now let's turn to the text.
The story of I.A. Bunin is written in the best traditions of Russian classical literature, and therefore is saturated with an ironic note literally from the first lines:
- “He was firmly convinced that he had every right to rest, to pleasure, to travel in every way excellent. For such confidence, he had the argument that, firstly, he was rich, and secondly, he had just embarked on life, despite his fifty-eight years ”;
- “The ocean that walked behind the walls was terrible, but they didn’t think about it, firmly believing in the power of the commander, a red-haired man of monstrous size and weight ...”;
- “... on the tank, the siren was constantly screaming with hellish gloom and screeching with furious malice, but few of the diners heard the siren - it was drowned out by the sounds of a beautiful string orchestra, exquisitely and tirelessly playing in a two-light hall, festively flooded with lights, overflowing with low-cut ladies and men in tailcoats and tuxedos…”;
- "... a daughter, tall, thin, with magnificent hair, charmingly tucked away, with aromatic breath from violet cakes and with the most delicate pink pimples near her lips and between her shoulder blades, a little powdered ..."
- “Naples grew and approached; musicians, shining with copper wind instruments, already crowded on the deck and suddenly deafened everyone with the triumphant sounds of the march, the giant commander, in full dress, appeared on his bridges and, like a merciful pagan god, waved his hand in greeting to the passengers. And when the Atlantis finally entered the harbor, rolled up to the embankment with its multi-storey bulk dotted with people, and the gangway rumbled - how many porters and their assistants in caps with gold galloons, how many all kinds of commission agents, whistling boys and hefty ragamuffins with packs of colored postcards in hands rushed to meet him with an offer of services!
Imperceptibly, irony is replaced by satire and reveals the inherent egoism of a person - directly and openly.
2. On what principle does the hero choose the route?
“A gentleman from San Francisco - no one remembered his name either in Naples or Capri - went to the Old World for two whole years, with his wife and daughter, solely for the sake of entertainment.
…The people to whom he belonged used to start enjoying life with a trip to Europe, to India, to Egypt. He set out to do the same."
Which of the pleasures ahead of the hero alarm the reader?
“The route was developed by a gentleman from San Francisco extensive.
In December and January, he hoped to enjoy the sun of southern Italy, the monuments of antiquity, the tarantella, the serenades of itinerant singers and what people at his age feel especially thin - love of young Neapolitan women , even if not entirely disinterested; - it is not the romance of the ancient country that attracts the hero, but ordinary sensual passions, and the desire for them is based not so much on one’s own desire, but on the position “it is customary”, on public opinion (“and here is public opinion, the spring of honor, our idol, and this is what the world revolves on! - A. Pushkin);
- « he thought of holding a carnival in Nice, in Monte Carlo, where at this time flocks the most select society , where some enthusiastically indulge in car and sailing races, others in roulette, still others in what is commonly called flirting, and fourth in shooting pigeons, which soar very beautifully from cages over an emerald lawn, against the backdrop of a sea of \u200b\u200bthe color of forget-me-nots, and immediately knock on white lumps on the ground; " - in principle, a rather aimless pastime, again for the sake of society, and not to himself (probably, the hero does not really realize his complete psychological dependence on the “spring of honor”, the desire to “break out into people” absorbed him as a person ...
Are there any inconsistencies?
- "he wanted to dedicate the beginning of March to Florence", - usually people come to this city to enjoy the magnificent architecture, sculpture, frescoes, paintings, learn more about the magnificent Lorenzo, at whose court opera, musical theater were born ...
- “to come to Rome to the passions of the Lord, to listen to Miserere there; 1" - from the pleasures of a secular, worldly person, the hero "draws" to cult religious and Christian values;
- "Venice, and Paris, and a bullfight in Seville, and swimming in the English Isles, and Athens, and Constantinople, and Palestine, and Egypt, were included in his plans," - again a set of pleasures of a person who has not decided on his addictions, but goes to one place or another, because it is customary to see something there;
- "and even Japan - of course, already on the way back..." - here is already undisguised hyperbole, reinforcing the satirical tone of the story.
Or maybe some phrase could be rearranged? Then the logic of the story would change.
Perhaps, if not for the following sentence ("And everything went great at first" ) , the story would not have been invective, but comical.
3. Why don't the main characters of the story have names? Which one is the most individual?
The literature of critical realism, in the tradition of which I. Bunin writes, strove for typification, generalization, which is presented in this story.
However, perhaps unbelievably, Bunin's typical heroes have their own, hidden history, somewhere similar to people, like a temperament, age, somewhere more individual. Everything is manifested in the light strokes with which Bunin depicts his characters.
So, for example, a portrait of the gentleman from San Francisco ("Dry, short, awkwardly tailored, but firmly sewn, he sat ... " ) gives enough scope to imagine how exactly this person earned his fortune. And what about the fleeting phrase about the man in the bowler hat? The image of the protagonist is certainly typified, but at the same time, his story may not be so common.
The same can be said about other characters.
It is quite easy to “read” the story of the daughter of the protagonist, who guesses a lot:“And the daughter, in some kind of vague awkwardness, tried not to notice him.” (father who “He kept looking at the famous beauty standing next to him, a tall, amazingly built blonde with eyes painted in the latest Parisian fashion, holding a tiny, bent, mangy dog on a silver chain and talking to her all the time ...”) Many details make it possible to understand that the girl is sensual, attentive, yet naive, that, perhaps, her fate will be very difficult:“... her heart was suddenly squeezed by melancholy, a feeling of terrible loneliness on this alien, dark island ...” The attitude of the owner of the hotel towards the wife and daughter of the deceased master changes dramatically. Why? Does the hero's money evaporate with the death of a hero? But the daughter anticipates her future "terrible loneliness...
An elegant couple in love”, about which only one commander knew that she was hired ... What circumstances forced these people to constantly wander around the world, pretending that they were in love? Even peacefully inclined towards each other (the author does not say anything about the love of these heroes), the gentleman and lady from San Francisco began to quarrel, tired of swimming. And this couple?
And the "crown prince" is probably a typical gigolo? What an unusually vivid portrait accompanies this image:"a small man, all wood, broad-faced, narrow-eyed, wearing golden glasses, slightly unpleasant - in that large his mustache showed through like a dead man , in general, cute, simple and modest " !..
You can also build the image of the owner of the hotel (what makes him show cruelty towards the relatives of the deceased, why does he explain the importance of the reputation of his apartment in rude forms?) ...
Less individual, perhaps, is the image of the master's wife. Her image is most of all, in my opinion, typified, universal.
4. How is the ship depicted? What did he look like?
Of course, the image of the ship is an allegory. The ship is a world of people whose thoughts are occupied with entertainment - the same as on solid ground: “There were many passengers, the steamer - the famous "Atlantis" - looked like a huge hotel with all amenities , - with a night bar, with oriental baths, with its own newspaper ... every minute on the tank howled with hellish gloominess and squealed with furious anger, a siren, but few of the diners heard a siren - it was drowned out by the sounds of a beautiful string orchestra, exquisitely and tirelessly playing in a two-light hall , festively flooded with lights, crowded with low-cut ladies and men in tailcoats and tuxedos, slender footmen and respectful head waiters, among which one, the one who took orders only for wine, even walked with a chain around his neck, like a lord mayor.
Let's turn to the daily routine on the ship. How can you describe in three or four words what the passengers were doing?
The passengers of the ship passed their time (strongly rested):“... life on it was very measured: they got up early, ... put on flannel pajamas, drank coffee, chocolate, cocoa; then they sat in the baths, did gymnastics, stimulating the appetite and feeling good, made daily toilets and went to the first breakfast; up to eleven o'clock it was supposed to walk briskly on the decks, breathing the cold freshness of the ocean, or play sheflboard and other games to re-stimulate the appetite, and at eleven to refresh themselves with broth sandwiches; having refreshed themselves, they read the newspaper with pleasure and calmly waited for the second breakfast, even more nutritious and varied than the first; the next two hours were devoted to rest; all the decks were then filled with long reed chairs, on which the travelers lay, covered with rugs, looking at the cloudy sky and at the foamy hillocks flashing overboard, or dozing sweetly; at five o'clock they, refreshed and cheerful, were given strong fragrant tea with biscuits; at seven they announced with trumpet signals about what was the main goal of this entire existence, its crown ... "- dinner, similar to a soiree (or ball).
5. What episodes and details show that the main character is a purely material person, selfish, with a sleeping soul, somewhat immoral, just like the other passengers of Atlantis?
Bunin uses the antithesis, portraying the rich passengers of the ship, who by all means do not want to think about the terrible, boundless ocean, not to think and not notice people who provide passengers with not just comfort, but chic comfort.
“The dinner lasted for more than an hour, and after dinner, dances opened in the ballroom, during which men - including, of course, the gentleman from San Francisco - with their legs up, their faces crimson red, smoked on Havana cigars and got drunk on liquors in a bar , where Negroes served in red camisoles, with squirrels that looked like peeled hard-boiled eggs. The ocean roared behind the wall in black mountains, the blizzard whistled strongly in the heavy gear, the steamer trembled all over, overcoming both it and these mountains, - as if with a plow, tearing apart their unsteady, now and then boiling up and high foamy tails huge masses, the siren, choked with mist, groaned in mortal anguish, the watchmen on their tower froze from the cold and went crazy from the unbearable strain of attention, to the gloomy and sultry bowels of the underworld, its last, ninth circle was like the underwater womb of a steamboat, - the one where the gigantic fireboxes, devouring with their red-hot mouths of heaps of coal, with a roar thrown into them, drenched in acrid, dirty sweat and waist-deep naked people, crimson from the flames; and here, in the bar, they carelessly threw their legs on the arms of their chairs, sipped cognac and liqueurs, floated in waves of spicy smoke, everything in the dance hall shone and poured out light, warmth and joy, couples either spun in waltzes, then bent into tango - and the music insistently, in sweet, shameless sadness, she prayed all about one thing, all about the same ... "
6. Why are the 9 circles of hell mentioned? To which work does the author refer us? Can we talk about duplication?
The story does not just mention the 9 circles of hell ("her(underworld) the last, ninth circle was like the underwater womb of a steamer" ) - this comparison more clearly illustrates the monotonous (albeit filled with many sounds, colors, movements) world and strengthens the antithesis, opposing careless passengers (who "carelessly threw their legs on the arms of their chairs, sipped cognac and liqueurs, swam in waves of spicy smoke ..”) and " waist-deep naked people, purple from the flames" furnaces.
Like N. Gogol, who conceived a poem about Chichikov in 3 volumes, and then M. Bulgakov in the novel "The Master and Margarita", I. Bunin refers to the "Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri, where the lyrical hero, wanting to see the deceased beloved again, first descends into the underworld, having passed all 9 (as it is represented in Christian mythology) circles of hell.
Both Gogol and Bunin, and then Bulgakov, do not use duplication, but a kind of reference to a medieval text. Thus, the space of the story expands, becoming not a single episode, but a universal, typification. In addition, this comparison expresses the author's attitude.
7. Do these pictures only have a social theme or a philosophical one too? In what episodes does the social theme still sound in the story?
Of course, the description of the pastime of the passengers of the Atlantis (where the name of the ship is symbolic) and the people who provide this voyage are both social and philosophical pictures: everyone lives as it is destined for him, and also because of the choice that he himself commits ("in love" dancing couple).
When passengers go ashore, in Italy - a country of romance, antiquity, beauty - the same atmosphere reigns, however, as on board the Atlantis:“So it was everywhere, so it was in navigation, so it should have been in Naples.
Life in Naples immediately flowed according to routine : early in the morning - breakfast in a gloomy dining room, cloudy, little promising sky and crowd of guides at the lobby door ; then the first smiles of the warm pinkish sun, the view from the high-hanging balcony of Vesuvius, shrouded to the foot in shining morning vapors, of the silver-pearl ripples of the bay and the thin outline of Capri on the horizon, of those running below, along the embankment, tiny donkeys in gigs and on detachments of small soldiers walking somewhere with cheerful and defiant music; then - exit to the car and slow traffic along crowded narrow and damp corridors of streets , among the tall, many-windowed houses, a look at the deadly clean and evenly, pleasantly, but boringly, like snow, lit museums or cold, wax-scented churches in which everywhere the same thing: a majestic entrance, covered with a heavy leather curtain, and inside - a huge emptiness, silence , quiet lights of the menorah, reddening in the depths on the throne, adorned with lace, lonely old woman among dark wooden desks , slippery tombstones underfoot and someone's "Descent from the Cross", certainly famous; at one o'clock - second breakfast on Mount San Martino, where he arrives at noon many people of the first class and where one day the daughter of a gentleman from San Francisco almost became ill: it seemed to her that the prince was sitting in the hall, although she already knew from the newspapers that he was in Rome; at five, tea in the hotel, in a smart salon, where it is so warm from the carpets and blazing fireplaces; and there again preparations for dinner - again a powerful, imperious rumble of the gong on all floors, strings again rustling on the stairs with silks and reflected in the mirrors of low-cut ladies , again wide and hospitably open dining room , and red jackets of musicians on the stage, and a black crowd of lackeys near the head waiter , with extraordinary skill, pouring thick pink soup on plates ... "
8. Why are the ocean, waves, wind, siren described in such detail? What does Bunin want to say about modern man? Does he approve?
Nature (ocean, waves, wind…) is not in harmony with the people who are on "Atlantis":“It was the end of November, until Gibraltar I had to sail either in the icy haze, or in the midst of a storm with sleet ... The ocean that walked behind the walls was terrible ... The ocean with a rumble walked behind the wall with black mountains, the blizzard whistled hard in heavy gear, the ship was shaking all over , overcoming both her and these mountains, - as if with a plow, tearing their unsteady masses to the sides, now and then boiling up and flying high with foamy tails, - a siren choked by fog wailed in mortal anguish ... " as if warning people to remember the main thing (maybe about God, about duty, their destiny ...) But the passengers did not hear the sirens, intoxicated with all kinds of entertainment; but watchmen, in order to stay alive, to save the ship, it is necessary to overcome the force of the elements (“froze from the cold and went crazy from the unbearable strain of attention watchmen on their tower ”), and then follows a comparison with the underworld ...
And in the behavior of passengers,
And in behavior "all those who fed and watered him (gentlemen from San Francisco), from morning to evening served him, preventing his slightest desire, guarded his cleanliness and peace, dragged his things, called porters for him, delivered his chests to hotels, as well as the belongings of other wealthy passengers.
And the last lines of the story confirm this."And again painfully writhed and sometimes convulsively faced among this crowd, among the brilliance of lights, silks, diamonds and naked female shoulders, a thin and flexible pair of hired lovers: sinfully modest girl with lowered eyelashes, with an innocent haircut, and a tall young man with black, as if glued on hair, pale from powder, in the most elegant patent leather shoes, in a narrow tailcoat with long tails - a handsome man who looks like a huge leech . And no one knew either that already got bored a long time ago this couple pretend to suffer with their blissful torment to shamelessly sad music, nor what stands deep, deep below them, at the bottom of the dark hold, next to the gloomy and sultry bowels of the ship, heavily overcome darkness, ocean, blizzard ... "
9. What descriptions and episodes of the story foreshadow the death of the protagonist? Does God or fate give him signs that he needs to prepare for the most important thing?
1. “On the day of departure - very memorable for a family from San Francisco! - even in the morning there was no sun . Heavy fog Vesuvius hid to its very foundation, low gray above the leaden swell of the sea. The island of Capri was not visible at all - as if it never really existed ».
2. " And a little boat... so rolled from side to side, that the family from San Francisco was lying in layers on the sofas in the miserable mess of this steamboat, wrapping their legs in blankets and closing their eyes from nausea ... Mister, lying on his back, in a wide coat and a large cap, did not open his jaws all the way ; his face became dark, his mustache white, his head ached severely: the last days, thanks to bad weather, he drank too much in the evenings and admired the “living pictures” too much in some brothels.
3. At the stops, at Castellammare, at Sorrento, it was a little easier; but even here it waved terribly, the coast with all its cliffs, gardens, pines, pink and white hotels, and smoky, curly-green mountains flew up and down outside the window, as if on a swing ... And a gentleman from San Francisco, feeling as he should - a very old man - I was already thinking with longing and anger about all these greedy, garlic-stinking little people called Italians ... "
4. “Politely and elegantly bowed master, remarkably elegant young man, met them, for a moment struck the master from San Francisco: he suddenly remembered that this night, among other confusion that besieged him in a dream, he saw this particular gentleman , exactly the same as this one, in the same business card and with the same mirror-combed head. Surprised, he almost stopped. But since not even the mustard seed of any so-called mystical feelings remained in his soul for a long time, his surprise immediately faded: he jokingly told his wife and daughter about this strange coincidence of dream and reality, walking along the corridor of the hotel. His daughter, however, looked at him with alarm at that moment: her heart was suddenly gripped by melancholy , a feeling of terrible loneliness on this alien, dark island ... "
5. " And after a pause, after thinking something, but without saying anything, the gentleman from San Francisco dismissed him with a nod of his head.
And then he again began to prepare for the wedding : he turned on electricity everywhere, filled all the mirrors with a reflection of light and brilliance, furniture and open chests, began to shave, wash and call every minute, while along the entire corridor rushed and interrupted his other impatient calls - from the rooms of his wife and daughter ... The floor was still rocking under him, his fingertips were very painful, the cufflink sometimes bit hard flabby skin in the recess under the Adam's apple, but he was persistent and finally, with eyes shining with tension, all gray from the overly tight collar that squeezed his throat , did finish the job - and in exhaustion sat down in front of the dressing table, all reflected in it and repeated in other mirrors.
- not trying to understand, not thinking what exactly is terrible ».
Of course, fate warns the hero:
Heavy fog hides the island, as if it does not exist (so the hero will go into oblivion),
On the steamboat, the gentleman was very sick, he feels old, weak (this is an occasion to think about life and death once again!),
The heart of the master's daughter, probably a sensual and emotional girl, was suddenly compressed by melancholy when her father told her and his wife that he had seen the owner of the hotel in which they stayed in a dream the day before (an extremely unpleasant sign!),
When the gentleman dresses for dinner, the objects surrounding him (floor, cufflink, collar) do not seem to obey the person ...
And what does it mean to prepare for death?
« What did the gentleman from San Francisco feel and think on this so significant evening for him ?
He, like anyone who has experienced pitching, only really wanted to eat, dreamed with pleasure of the first spoonful of soup, the first sip of wine and did the usual business of the toilet, even in some excitement, leaving no time for feelings and reflections .
Having shaved, washed, properly inserted a few teeth, standing in front of the mirrors, he moistened and cleaned with brushes in a silver frame the remnants of pearl hair around a swarthy-yellow skull, pulled on a strong senile body with a waist plump from increased nutrition, and on dry legs with flat feet - black silk socks and ballroom shoes, crouching, he put in order the black trousers and the snow-white shirt with a protruding chest, which were highly pulled up with silk straps, set the cufflinks in the shiny cuffs and began to suffer with catching under the hard collar of the cufflinks of the neck.
But then loudly, as if in a pagan temple, the second gong hummed throughout the house ... "
Starting “on the contrary”, it can be noted that the author thinks about the approach of death: it is necessary to devote some time “for feelings and reflections” and, of course, not to worry about food and costume at this moment.
10. Does he catch the signs of fate, does he think about death, about God? At least a second of insight was?
Unfortunately, the gentleman from San Francisco does not see the signs of fate, does not notice, and frankly ignores them. Seeing the owner of the hotel in which the hero was destined to die, "surprised, he almost stopped. But as in his soul for a long time not even the mustard seed of any so-called mystical feelings remained, his surprise immediately faded: he jokingly said about this strange coincidence of dream and reality to his wife and daughter, walking along the corridor of the hotel " .
Perhaps a spark of insight ran through the mind of the hero when, dressed for dinner, he looked at himself in the mirror: “... The floor was still swaying under him, his fingertips were very painful, the cufflink sometimes bit hard on the flabby skin in the recess under the Adam's apple, but he was persistent and finally, with eyes shining from tension, all gray from the excessively tight collar that squeezed his throat, he finished the job - and in exhaustion sat down in front of the dressing table, all reflected in it and repeated in other mirrors.
- Oh, it's terrible! he muttered, lowering his strong bald head and not trying to understand, not thinking what it was that was terrible…”
11. How did he spend the last, as it turned out, 2 hours before his death? Did you sin, as usual, or become thoughtful, sad? Does the attitude of the reader change? At what point?
The last, as it turned out, 2 hours before his death, the gentleman from San Francisco spent the same way as many other hours on this trip - dressing up for dinner. Of course, he did not commit mortal sins while dressing in front of a mirror, nor did he feel sad, although more than once he suddenly felt old and tired, but he tried to drive away these thoughts and feelings as unnecessary, false. But in vain.
As I said, the story begins with lines riddled with irony, sometimes sarcasm. But Russian writers are unique in that they are unusually humane. Just as Bazarov “deceived” Turgenev’s plan, so Bunin, denouncing an indifferent “well-fed” person, does not dare to mock Death and denounces the callousness and indifference of those who do not console the widow and daughter, but as if on purpose make everything more painful for them, in the worst conditions sending the body of the gentleman from San Francisco home to America ...
Death is always unsightly and terrible. Describing the last hours and minutes of his hero's life, Bunin presents us no longer a master, but simply a man.
12. How does the last 2 minutes of his life characterize him?
“... hastily getting up from his seat, the gentleman from San Francisco pulled his collar even more with a tie, and his stomach with an open waistcoat, put on a tuxedo, straightened his cuffs, looked at himself again in the mirror ... cheerfully leaving his room and walking across the carpet to the next one, wife, loudly asked if they were soon?
- In five minutes! - a girl's voice answered loudly and already cheerfully from behind the door.
- Great, said the gentleman from San Francisco.
And he slowly walked down the corridors and stairs, covered with red carpets, down, looking for a reading room.
- Oncoming servants huddled against him against the wall, and he walked, as if not noticing them.
- An old woman late for dinner, already stooped, with milky hair, but low-cut, in a light gray silk dress, hurried ahead of him with all her might, but funny, like a chicken, and he easily overtook her.
- Near the glass doors of the dining room, where everyone was already assembled and began to eat, he stopped in front of a table cluttered with boxes of cigars and Egyptian cigarettes, took a large manilla and threw three lira on the table;
- on the winter veranda he casually glanced out the open window: from the darkness a gentle air blew on him, he imagined the top of an old palm tree, spreading its fronds across the stars, which seemed gigantic, the distant steady sound of the sea came ... "
As soon as we get to know the hero, we learn that he recovers on his journey, being“I am firmly convinced that he has every right to rest, to enjoy, to travel in all respects excellent.
For such confidence, he had the argument that, firstly, he was rich, and secondly, he had just embarked on life, despite his fifty-eight years. Until that time, he had not lived, but only existed, though not badly, but still pinning all his hopes on the future. He worked tirelessly - the Chinese, whom he ordered to work for him by the thousands, knew well what this meant! - and finally he saw that a lot had already been done, that he had almost caught up with those whom he had once taken as a model, and decided to take a break ».
These lines present us with a person who has achieved wealth with great difficulty (which, in principle, cannot but cause at least some respect for him). Probably, the road up was (as is usually the case) not easy, I often had to hide my true feelings, and even more so the pain. The hero quite "cheerfully" went into the fatal room for him, behaving (or pretending?) at ease: I think that this is a strong character, quite stubborn, stubborn. You can hardly call him stupid, but an entangled "idol" (as Pushkin calls public opinion) - certainly.
13. Prove that social and philosophical themes are intertwined in the scene of the master's death. The death of a loved one shows the true relationship in the family. What can you say about it?
“Wife, daughter, doctor, servants stood and looked at him. Suddenly, what they expected and feared happened - the wheezing stopped. And slowly, slowly, in front of everyone, pallor flowed down the face of the deceased, and his features began to thin, brighten ... "- Moreover, in the previous sentence, Bunin wrote that“It was no longer the gentleman from San Francisco, he was no longer there, but someone else.” So from the ironic image the author moves to the philosophical, vital, wise experience of the years lived, personal losses ...
“The owner came in. "Gia e morto" the doctor whispered to him. host with impassive face shrugged. Mrs., with tears quietly rolling down her cheeks, went up to him and timidly said that now it is necessary to transfer the deceased to his room.
- Oh no, madam - hastily, correctly, but already without any courtesy and not in English, but in French objected the owner, who was not at all interested in those trifles that those who came from San Francisco could now leave in his cashier. “It is absolutely impossible, madam,” he said, and added in explanation that he greatly appreciated these apartments, that if he granted her desire, then all of Capri would know about it and tourists would begin to avoid them.
Miss , who had been looking at him strangely all the time, sat down on a chair and, covering her mouth with a handkerchief, she sobbed . Mrs.'s tears immediately dried up, her face flushed . She raised her tone, began to demand, speaking her own language and still not believing that respect for them was completely lost.
The highlighted expressions illustrate those social aspects when sincere human feelings are manifested:
Callousness, greed, fear for the reputation of the institution - on the part of the owner,
Pain, compassion, experience - from relatives, as well as the strength of the character of Mrs., offended by the fact, "that respect for them (to her living a few years ago! to her husband, to herself, to her daughter)completely lost."
14. In condemning the world of the rich, does the author idealize the world of the poor? Prove it.
Condemning the world of the rich, Bunin does not idealize the world of the poor.
Perhaps the writer relies on the opinion of Pushkin, who, reflecting on the correct, accurate words to "Anchar", left the lines in the final version: "But human person sent to the Anchar by the powerful look, and he obediently flowed on the way and returned in the morning with poison. He brought mortal resin and a branch with withered leaves, and sweat rolled down his pale brow in cold streams. brought , and weakened, and lay down under the arch of the hut on the bast, and died poor slave at the feet of the invincible lords …»
So Bunin's "ordinary people" are not endowed with those qualities that make us admire them and be proud of them.
- «… when the Atlantis finally entered the harbor, rolled up to the embankment with its many-storied bulk, dotted with people, and the gangway rumbled, - how many porters and their assistants in caps with gold galloons, how many all kinds of commission agents, whistling boys and hefty ragamuffins with bundles of colored postcards in hand rushed to meet him with an offer of services! »
- “The dead man remained in the dark, blue stars looked at him from the sky, a cricket sang with sad carelessness on the wall ... In the dimly lit corridor, two maids were sitting on the windowsill, mending something. Luigi entered with a bunch of dresses on his arm, in shoes.
- Pronto? (Ready?) - he asked anxiously in a ringing whisper, pointing with his eyes at the terrible door at the end of the corridor. He waved his free hand lightly in that direction. - Partenza! - he shouted in a whisper, as if seeing off the train, what is usually shouted in Italy at the stations when trains depart, - and maids, choking on silent laughter dropped their heads on each other's shoulders. .
Although, of course, not all people are like that. Bunin presents us and them, living carefree, at ease, with reverence for God and his Mother.
But the writer idealizes not the world of people, but the image of the Mother of God - inanimate, molded by human hands and illuminated by the Creator: “...all illuminated by the sun, all in its warmth and brilliance, she stood in snow-white gypsum clothes and in a royal crown, golden-rusty from bad weather ... "
15. Are there any characters in the story who, from the author's point of view, live righteously, correctly, or at least naturally (in some ways they relate more correctly to life and death, sin and God)?
Yes, and such images - sincere and natural - are presented by Bunin in his short story.
« Only the market on a small square traded in fish and herbs, and there were only ordinary people among whom, as always, without any business, stood Lorenzo, a tall old boatman, a carefree reveler and a handsome man , famous throughout Italy, who more than once served as a model for many painters: he brought and already sold for a pittance two lobsters he caught at night, rustling in the apron of the cook of the very hotel where the family from San Francisco spent the night, and now he could calmly stand even until the evening , glancing around with regal habit, showing off with his rags, a clay pipe and a red woolen beret lowered over one ear.
And along the cliffs of Monte Solaro, along the ancient Phoenician road carved into the rocks, along its stone steps, descended from Anacapri two Abruzzi highlanders . One, under a leather cloak, had a bagpipe - a large goat fur with two pipes, the other - something like a wooden tong. They walked - and a whole country, joyful, beautiful, sunny, stretched under them: and the rocky humps of the island, which lay almost entirely at their feet, and that fabulous blue in which he swam, and shining morning vapors over the sea to the east, under the dazzling sun, which was already warming hotly, rising higher and higher, and the misty-azure, unsteady massifs of Italy, its near and distant mountains, the beauty of which is powerless to express the human word.
Halfway they slowed down: over the road, in the grotto of the rocky wall of Monte Solaro, all illuminated by the sun, all in its warmth and brilliance, stood in snow-white plaster clothes and in a royal crown, golden-rusty from bad weather, mother of God, meek and merciful, with eyes raised to heaven, to the eternal and blessed abodes of her thrice-blessed son . They bared their heads - and naive and humbly joyful praises poured out to their sun, morning, to her, the immaculate intercessor of all those who suffer in this evil and beautiful world, and who was born from her womb in the cave of Bethlehem, in a poor shepherd's shelter, in the distant land of Judah ... "
16. Why do you think the ship is called "Atlantis" and why the gentleman from San Francisco was there again?
The ship is called "Atlantis" not by chance:
Firstly, written in 1915, a huge ship, of course, its name echoes the tragically famous Titanic;
And secondly, ancient Atlantis is a legendary island where an ancient civilization reached incredible heights of technical and terrible human sins, for which it was punished by the gods and wiped off the face of the earth.
Everything in life makes its circle and returns to its origins - so the master (more precisely, what was before him) returns to his homeland. This is first. And secondly, what is the contrast without a description of a living millionaire who went with incredible comfort to Europe, and a description of a miserable coffin with his body on the way back?!
Does the ship only look like a hotel?
In principle, the answer to this question has already been given: the ship is an allegory of a secular society, satiated with pleasures, all sorts of options for a prosperous - FAT - life, where people do not think about what surrounds them, and are even afraid to think about it. "The ocean that went beyond the walls was terrible, but they did not think about it, firmly believing in the power of the commander over it, ... few of the diners heard the siren - it was drowned out by the sounds of a beautiful string orchestra, exquisitely and tirelessly playing in the two-light hall ... "
As mentioned above, the ironic intonation of the story is replaced by a deep philosophical understanding.
The bright, dazzling atmosphere of the dining room on the ship is represented by cheerful, joyful faces: “...in the dance hall
everything shone and poured out light, warmth and joy,
the couples now whirled in waltzes, then bent in tango - and the music insistently, in sweetly shameless sadness, begged all for one thing, all for the same ...
Was among this brilliant crowd some great rich man, shaved, long, in an old-fashioned tailcoat,
was famous spanish writer,
was universal beauty ,
there was an elegant couple in love, whom everyone watched with curiosity and who did not hide their happiness: he danced only with her, and everything came out of them so subtly, charmingly ... " A series of vivid enumerations ends with a description of a couple in love. And the following remark is more dissonant with this false joy: “...only one commander knew that this couple was hired by Lloyd to play love for good money and had been sailing on one ship or another for a long time.
When the tone of the story changes from ironic to philosophical, when the body of the gentleman from San Francisco returns in a completely different way on this brilliant ship, the author’s bitter remark reinforces the main idea of the work: “And no one knew either what this couple had long been bored with pretending to suffer their blissful torment to shamelessly sad music, nor what stands deep, deep under them, at the bottom of the dark hold, in the vicinity of the gloomy and sultry bowels of the ship, hard overcome darkness, ocean, blizzard... »
What can you say about Bunin's concept of love?
Bunin's concept of love is tragic. Moments of love, according to Bunin, become the pinnacle of a person's life.
Only by falling in love can a person truly feel another person, only a feeling justifies high demands on himself and his neighbor, only a lover is able to overcome his egoism. The state of love is not fruitless for Bunin's heroes, it elevates souls.
In the story “The Gentleman from San Francisco”, the theme of love is not the leading one, but some points can be noted in dotted lines:
Does the protagonist's wife love her husband?
What is the fate of the hero's daughter?
What kind of love does the writer praise?
Considering the image of the wife of a Mr. from San Francisco, at first you perceive this woman in the same way as the rest of the images sarcastically presented in the story: she does not go to Europe of her own desire, personal aspiration, hobby, but because “it is customary in society”, “so the daughter will find a worthy match”, perhaps also because “the husband said so”. But death takes the master, takes the man - and the image of this heroine becomes "warmer", more humane: we feel sorry for the woman who has lost a loved one (how often men climb to the top of the hierarchical ladder, leaning on the shoulders of a faithful wife!), who is unexpectedly insulted, humiliated her husband's ashes...Mrs.'s tears immediately dried up, her face flushed. She raised her voice, began to demand, speaking her own language and still not believing that respect for them was finally lost. The owner, with polite dignity, rebuked her: if Madame does not like the order of the hotel, he does not dare to detain her; and firmly stated that the body should be taken out this very day at dawn, that the police had already been given to know that their representative would immediately appear and carry out the necessary formalities ... Can even a simple ready-made coffin be obtained in Capri, Madame asks? Unfortunately, no, in no case, and no one will have time to do it. We'll have to do something else... Soda English water, for example, he gets in large and long boxes... the partitions from such a box can be removed..."
I have already spoken about the daughter of the hero: it seems to me that she could have had a very difficult fate (for example, if the girl had connected her life with the “crown prince”), perhaps the girl will have many trials now. The lines of L.N. Tolstoy, with which his novel “Anna Karenina” begins, became an aphorism: “All happy families are alike, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
But in the story there is still the sound of love: for the beautiful past - magnificent Italy, for the incomprehensible and majestic Nature, for God and the Virgin Mary.
“After ten minutes, the family from San Francisco got into a large barge, after fifteen they stepped on the stones of the embankment, and then got into a bright trailer and buzzed up the slope, among the stakes in the vineyards, dilapidated stone fences and wet, clumsy, covered in some places straw canopies of orange trees, with a brilliance of orange fruits and thick glossy foliage, gliding downhill, past the open windows of the trailer ... The land in Italy smells sweet after rain, and each of its islands has its own special smell!
- “And at dawn, when it turned white outside the window of number forty-three and the damp wind rustled the torn banana leaves, when the blue morning sky rose and stretched over the island of Capri and turned golden against the sun rising behind the distant blue mountains of Italy, the clean and clear peak of Monte Solaro ... But the morning was fresh, in such air, in the middle of the sea, under the morning sky, the hop soon disappears and carelessness soon returns to the person ... The steamboat, lying far below like a beetle, on the gentle and bright blue, which the Gulf of Naples is so densely and full of, already gave the last beeps - and they cheerfully responded throughout the island, each bend of which, each ridge, each stone was so clearly visible from everywhere, as if there was no air at all.
- “They walked - and a whole country, joyful, beautiful, sunny, stretched under them: and the rocky humps of the island, which almost all lay at their feet, and that fabulous blue in which he swam, and the shining morning vapors over the sea to the east, under the dazzling sun, which was already warming hot, rising higher and higher, and the misty azure, unsteady massifs of Italy, its near and distant mountains, the beauty of which is powerless to express the human word. Halfway they slowed down: over the road, in the grotto of the rocky wall of Monte Solaro, all illuminated by the sun, all in its warmth and brilliance, stood in snow-white plaster robes and in a royal crown, golden-rusty from bad weather, the Mother of God, meek and merciful , with eyes raised to heaven, to the eternal and blessed abodes of her thrice-blessed son. They bared their heads - and naive and humbly joyful praises poured out to their sun, morning, to her, the immaculate intercessor of all those who suffer in this evil and beautiful world, and who was born from her womb in the cave of Bethlehem, in a poor shepherd's shelter, in the distant land of Judah .. ."
17. Why is the raging ocean again depicted in detail? Why is the devil watching the ship from the rocks? Why does the ship seem to be winking at him?
Bunin's story is designed for a thoughtful, attentive reader who knows how to compare the images presented by the writer with the main questions of mankind: why do we live, what do we do wrong, since troubles and misfortunes do not lag behind a person (what to do? Who is to blame? Does God exist?) Ocean - this is the personification of existence, the element of life, sometimes merciless and evil, sometimes incredibly beautiful and full of freedom ...
In this story, the ocean is raging: nature does not accept the crazy fun of the passengers of the Atlantis, which is opposed to Nature.“And again, again the ship went on its distant sea route. At night he sailed past the island of Capri, and his lights, slowly hiding in the dark sea, were sad for him who looked at them from the island. But there, on the ship, in the bright halls shining with chandeliers, there was, as usual, a crowded ball that night. Therefore, it is logical that the devil is watching the ship from the rocks, counting how many souls will soon go to hell...
The expression "people's ball" is perceived in a negative sense, in some way, perhaps, associative with a satanic ball. And then Bunin draws a parallel between the image of the Devil and the ship: “The Devil was as huge as a cliff, but so was the ship, many-tiered, many-trumpeted, created by the pride of a New Man with an old heart.” And so they, created by pride, wink at each other.
18. Remember when the story was written? What were the moods in the society?
The story was written in 1915, following the tragic years of 1912 and 1914.
The wreck of the Titanic - maritime disaster that occurred on the night of 14 to 15 Aprilwhen the Filipino crashed
To understand the causes of the First World War, one must remember the balance of power in Europe, where the three major world powers - the Russian Empire, Great Britain and England by the 19th century had already divided spheres of influence among themselves.
Having strengthened economically and militarily at the end of the 19th century, Germany began to urgently need a new living space for a growing population and markets for its goods. Colonies were needed, which Germany did not have. To achieve this, it was necessary to start a new redistribution of the world by defeating the allied bloc of three powers - England, Russia and France. In response to the German threat, the Entente alliance was created, consisting of Russia, France and England that joined them.
In addition to the desire of Germany to win back its living space and colonies, there were other reasons for the First World War. This question is so complex that there is still no single point of view on this matter.
Another reason for the war is the choice of the path of development of society. Could the war have been avoided? - this question was asked by everyone, probably, in these difficult years.
All sources unanimously say that it is possible if the leadership of the countries participating in the conflict would really want it. Germany was most interested in the war, for which she was fully prepared, and made every effort to start it.
And every thoughtful writer sought to explain the causes of the war not only by political and economic reasons, but by moral and spiritual ones.
In principle, the word "criticism" does not have a negative meaning (it is a literal translation of the word "judgment"), but the definition of literature (both Russian and world) of the 2nd half of the 19th century is the literature of critical - accusatory - realism. And Bunin in the story "The Gentleman from San Francisco" continues the tradition of exposing the moral character of a person, vividly represented in the works of critical realism.
Also along with the word "Armageddon " is used in the senseor catastrophes on a planetary scale.
In this work, no doubt, the word is used in the latter sense. All the more, this strengthens the comparison of the ship with the Devil, the comparison of the boilers of the steamer with fiery hell, and the actions of the passengers with satanic reckless revelry.
"- Blizzard fought in his (ship) rigging and wide-mouthed pipes, white with snow, but he was steadfast, firm, majestic and terrible .
- On the uppermost roof of it, those cozy, dimly lit chambers rose lonely among the snowy whirlwinds, where, immersed in a sensitive and anxious drowsiness, he sat above the whole ship overweight driver (commander of the ship, a red-haired man of monstrous size and weight),like a pagan idol. He heard heavy howls and furious squeals of a siren choked by a storm, but he calmed himself by the proximity of that, ultimately for him the most incomprehensible, what was behind his wall: that armored cabin, which now and then was filled with a mysterious rumble, trembling and dry crackling blue lights flashing and bursting around a pale-faced telegraph operator with a metal half-hoop on his head. - At the bottom, in the underwater womb of Atlantis, dimly shone with steel, the thousand-pound bulks of boilers sizzled with steam and oozed boiling water and oil and all sorts of other machines, that kitchen, heated from the bottom by infernal furnaces, in which the movement of the ship was cooked, - forces terrible in their concentration bubbled, transmitted to its very keel, to an infinitely long dungeon, to a round tunnel, weakly illuminated by electricity, where slowly, with a rigor that overwhelms the human soul, a gigantic shaft rotated in its oily bed, like a living monster, stretching in this tunnel, like a vent.
- And the middle of "Atlantis", dining and ballrooms she poured out light and joy, buzzed with the talk of the smart crowd , fragrant with fresh flowers, sang with a string orchestra.
This ship-underworld parallel opens the narrative and completes it, as if placing the image of a person in the circle of this lexical paradigm.
20. Formulate the main idea of the story. How does this idea resonate with the epigraph to the story, which was later filmed by the author?
The original title of the story was "Death on Capri". As an epigraph, the author took the lines from the Apocalypse: "Woe to you, Babylon, strong city!" The meaning of the statement is revealed if we recall the sad fate of Babylon, which turned out to be far from being as strong as it seemed. So, nothing lasts forever on earth. Especially a person whose life is a moment compared to eternity.
In the process of working on the work, the author abandoned the title, which contained the word "death". Despite this, the feeling of catastrophe, indicated in the first version of the title and epigraph, permeates the entire content of The Gentleman from San Francisco. I. A. Bunin, with the help of symbolic images, speaks of the inevitability of the death of the kingdom of gain and lust.
Only in the very last edition, shortly before his death, Bunin removed a significant epigraph. He removed it, perhaps because these words, taken from the Apocalysis, seemed to him too frankly expressing his attitude to what was described. But he left the name of the steamer on which the American rich man sails with his wife and daughter to Europe - "Atlantis", as if wanting to once again remind readers of the doom of existence, the main content of which was the passion for pleasure.
The main character of the story I.A. Bunin "" was a man without a name and surname, without a rank and rank. Nobody could remember his name. Everyone called him simply - The gentleman from San Francisco.
The protagonist of the work was a prominent representative of the capitalist society. All his life he worked hard, denied himself in many ways, which allowed him to make good capital and become one of the richest residents of the United States.
And so, at the end of his life, the gentleman from San Francisco decides it's time to take a break. And he goes with his family on a trip to European countries. At that time, the gentleman from San Francisco was fifty-eight years old.
Describing his appearance, Bunin shows his main character as a man of small stature, unremarkable. He was of a strong build, with a bald head shining in the sun. The only things that made him stand out from the crowd were his huge gold teeth and a sumptuous tuxedo with a starched shirt. And yes, he was very rich. All his gestures, actions, words constantly emphasized his great condition.
The gentleman from San Francisco begins his journey to old Europe on the Atlantis liner. Atlantis was like a huge floating hotel that carried its passengers from the US to Europe and back. The ship had everything a millionaire could need: expensive alcohol, cigars, live music and, of course, servants.
It is worth noting that the main character had a bad character. He was constantly dissatisfied with those around him, grumbling at everyone for no reason. Even the fact of being on vacation brought him only irritation.
Being on the island of Capri and preparing for dinner, the gentleman from San Francisco said: "Oh, this is terrible!" He doesn't even focus on what's terrible. And yet this terrible thing happened. While in the reading room, the Gentleman from San Francisco dies of a heart attack. Death breaks his dreams of an expensive and rich life. The gentleman from San Francisco returns to America as a forgotten and nameless man in a tarred coffin.
In his work I.A. Bunin tells about the journey to Europe of a certain gentleman from San Francisco with his wife and daughter. The family is sailing on a steamer with the symbolic name "Atlantis". Everything is planned, there is no room for accidents. At first glance, it may seem that the plot is based on the journey of the main characters, but this is not so. The main idea of the story, which the author wanted to convey to the reader, is the role of a person in society and the real meaning of wealth, power, in such a fragile and not eternal life of every person.
The protagonist of the work is a gentleman from San Francisco, a fifty-eight-year-old man, a wealthy man. He does not have a name because the character personifies all representatives of the stratum of society to which he belongs. People seeking to buy happiness with money, they deceive themselves by surrounding them with luxury goods. One example of such deception in the work is a pair of actors hired to portray true love. Lies - that's what reigns on the ship.
In the image of the gentleman from San Francisco, we can see not only negative features. Our hero is a stubborn person, he understands the importance of work and does not refuse it. He devoted himself to work and achieved significant results. I believe that the pursuit of a better life cannot be condemned, so what the gentleman from San Francisco did deserves praise. All his life he worked, for himself, for his family and deserved a break.
But despite all the positive human qualities, the character embodies the features of the society to which he belongs. He is selfish, greedy for power, arrogant, cynical. Considering his opinion to be truly true, he is not shy and openly declares his superiority. The hero puts himself above others and this applies not only to people who are not equal to him in position, but also to other peoples. Enjoying life, the main character forgets about its transience. And sudden, illogical death, which is emphasized by the adverb "suddenly", overtakes the gentleman from San Francisco. He dies and all that feigned importance, power and authority, die with him.
Sailing to the Old World, a respected and respected master, he returns to the New World in a dark, damp hold, forgotten and abandoned by everyone. Only his family shed tears for him, but I think they were fake to some extent. Perhaps they were crying from the knowledge that without the master from San Francisco, the society of rich and noble people would reject them. By his own example, the main character showed what all wealth means, power after death. Nothing. After the death of the protagonist of the work, the writer does not stop the story, he continues to write. This is what makes the reader understand that the gentleman from San Francisco is just a part of the constantly moving life stream. And his death becomes so insignificant for the whole outside world and for all the people around him.
Summing up, I want to say that after death everyone is equal. Therefore, one cannot destroy the person in oneself and succumb to base temptations. Life is short, which means you need to appreciate every moment and not put material wealth in the first place.
Essay about the gentleman from san francisco
Bunin described the representative of the world of money. The gentleman had made a great fortune through the Chinese labor force and decided to take a relaxing round-the-world cruise along a detailed itinerary. On the steamship Atlantis, which he chose for a comfortable journey, enjoyment and relaxation, the elite audience of the upper deck diligently work up an appetite every day, after heavy meals they take baths and other procedures, struggling with digestive problems from overeating, then take a walk again to restore their appetite.
With special care, passengers prepare for evening entertainment with delicious dishes and expensive drinks. Every day proceeds according to a strictly established order. The life of first class passengers is carefree and easy. They are surrounded by luxury. And the master spends his time just like the people of his circle. Only something false is felt in this "harmony", as in love, which is portrayed by a dancing couple for money.
The appearance of a respectable gentleman from San Francisco corresponds to his essence: gold fillings in his teeth, a mustache like silver, ivory skin, the remains of pearl-colored hair. Outwardly, he shows his cost and solvency. Only the face is like a mask, because there is no description of the eyes. The character does not have a name, because he is impersonal, like people from his environment, whose life is unspiritual and primitive. These individuals determine the values of life exclusively in terms of money. But nature does not give in to the power of money and spoils the rest bought for big money.
The sea is stormy, tormented by seasickness. The master is disappointed with the journey. Such an expensive vacation does not bring pleasure. He is annoyed by seemingly monotonous sights and museums, because he is not able to appreciate the beautiful. Awareness of the horror of his existence comes to him only a moment before his sudden death. But it was only at the age of 58 that he decided to live in pleasure.
Fate ruined his plans. And the body of the dead old man does not return home first class, he is shamefully hidden in the hold in a box from under the water, so as not to overshadow the rest of the others. Everyone forgets about him, as if he never existed. At the end of the story, the lights on the rocks of Gibraltar resemble the eyes of the Devil, who follow the sailing ship with the name of the lost civilization. This is symbolic, because the world of capital, devoid of spirituality, leads people along the path of self-destruction.
At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, the realistic method prevailed in literature. One of the representatives of this style is the largest writer of the 20th century, an outstanding master of the word Ivan Alekseevich Bunin. He rightfully occupies one of the first places in the art of Russian realism. Although, unlike other writers of this trend, Bunin stood somewhat apart from active social and political life.
Bunin is a realist, but in his works realism is painted in romantic tones, he writes with longing. Almost all of his poems are imbued with sadness:
And the wind, and the rain, and the haze
Above the cold desert water.
Until spring, the gardens are empty.
I am alone in the house. I'm dark
Behind the easel, and blowing through the window.
("Loneliness", 1903)
Bunin has always - from the first to the last poems and stories - been faithful to the truth of life, remaining a true artist. In truth, his soul was exposed, at first glance, as if hidden behind a kind of veil. Adherence to truth was inseparable from his love for everything pure and good in the world, from love for nature, for his native land, for man. He could not stand works in which faith in the power of reason is destroyed, “vulgarity, artificiality and invariably false tone” spill over the sea.
He himself wrote his own, simple - what he lived, what entered his flesh and blood. Starting with poems, he did not lose interest in them all his life. And next to them was prose - natural and wise, musical and pictorial in language, full of deep psychologism. His short stories "Antonov's Apples", "The Gentleman from San Francisco", "The Village", the book of short stories "Dark Alleys", the novel "The Life of Arsenev" and many other works are a significant phenomenon in Russian and world literature, one of their unattainable artistic peaks. .
Consider the story "The Gentleman from San Francisco". In the pre-revolutionary years, the idea of the futility and sinfulness of civilization is strengthened in the writer's work. Bunin condemns people for their craving for pleasure, for the unfair organization of social life.
With the smallest details, so naturally combined in this story with strangeness and excitement, Bunin describes the world around him, he does not spare colors on the image of the external, material world in which this society of the powerful of this world exists. He contemptuously enumerates every little thing, all those portions of steamboat, hotel and other luxury, which are true life in the understanding of these "gentlemen from San Francisco." However, their feelings and sensations have already died, so nothing can bring them pleasure. He almost does not endow the hero of his story with external signs, and does not give his name at all, because he is not worthy to be called a man.
Using the example of the fate of a gentleman from San Francisco, I. Bunin talks about a life lived aimlessly - in profit, exploitation, and the greedy pursuit of money. How eager the gentleman from San Francisco was to enjoy the culture, how he believed that his life would be eternal! This very life with cooks, with seductive and accessible women, with lackeys and guides. How cheerful was this gentleman himself, “dry, short, not well-tailored, but firmly sewn.” There is nothing spiritual about this man. Literally every step he takes is haunted by the author's irony, until, having obeyed the general law, he no longer becomes a "gentleman" from San Francisco, but simply a dead old man, whose proximity irritates other merry gentlemen with an inappropriate reminder of death.
But the story does not end with the death of a rich gentleman. Having passed away, the rich American continues to be his main character. The departure of the hero takes place on the same ship, but now not in a luxury cabin, but in the iron cellars of the ship. The sweet and vulgar music of the eternal festival of salons does not reach here. Bunin vividly shows the contrast between the life and death of a gentleman from San Francisco. This contrast emphasizes the meaninglessness of life in a society corroded by social contradictions.
The ending of the story matters a lot. No one in the halls of Atlantis, which radiated light and joy, knew that "deep below them stood the coffin of the master." The coffin in the hold is a kind of verdict on the mindlessly rejoicing society. Ballroom music again thunders "among the furious blizzard that swept over the ocean, humming like a funeral mass." Warnings are also conveyed by the figure of the Devil watching the frivolous "Atlantis".
Maybe the Devil is the main character of the story? Maybe with his blessing civilization is rampant? Who knows the answers to these questions? With the story "The Gentleman from San Francisco," Bunin predicts the end of the current world.
We know that Bunin was forced to leave his homeland. He left Russia, but forever remained in the literature of Russia as one of her sons.
