Kuprin's biography was full of various events that gave the writer rich food for his literary works. The story "Duel" is rooted in that period of Kuprin's life, when he acquired the experience of a military man. The desire to serve in the army was passionate and literary in his youth. Kuprin finished cadet corps and Moscow Alexandrovskoe military school. Over time, the service and the ostentatious, elegant side of being an officer turned into its wrong side: tediously monotonous classes in “literature” and practicing rifle techniques with soldiers stupefied by drill, drinking parties in a club and vulgar intrigues with regimental whores. However, it was these years that made it possible for Kuprin to comprehensively study the provincial military life, as well as to get acquainted with the impoverished life of the Belarusian outskirts, the Jewish town, with the mores of the “out of place” intelligentsia. The impressions of these years were, as it were, a "reserve" for many years to come (Kuprin learned the material for a number of stories and, first of all, the story "Duel" at the time of his officer service). Work on the story "Duel" in 1902 - 1905 was dictated by the desire to implement a long-conceived plan - "enough" for tsarist army, this concentration of stupidity, ignorance, inhumanity.
All the events of the story take place in the background. army life without ever going beyond it. Perhaps this is done in order to emphasize the importance and real need at least think about the problems that are shown in the story. After all, the army is a stronghold of autocracy, and if there are shortcomings in it, then they must be strived to eliminate. Otherwise, all the importance and exemplary nature of the existing system is a bluff, an empty phrase, and there is no "Great Power".
The main character Lieutenant Romashov will have to realize the whole horror of army reality. The choice of the author of the work is not accidental: after all, Romashov is very close to Kuprin in many ways: both of them graduated from a military school and entered the army. From the very beginning of the story, the author of the work abruptly immerses us in the atmosphere of army life, painting a picture of company exercises: working out the service at the post, misunderstanding of what is required of them by some soldiers (Khlebnikov, following the orders of the arrested person; Mukhamedzhinov, a Tatar who poorly understands Russian and, as a result, incorrectly fulfilling orders). It is not difficult to understand the reasons for this misunderstanding. Khlebnikov, a Russian soldier, simply does not have any education, and therefore for him everything uttered by Corporal Shapovalenko is nothing more than an empty phrase. In addition, the reason for such a misunderstanding is a sharp change in the situation: just as the author of the work abruptly immerses us in this kind of situation, so many recruits had no idea about military affairs before, did not communicate with military people, everything is new to them: “They still did not know how to separate jokes, examples from the real requirements of the service and fell into one or the other extreme.” Mukhamedzhinov, on the other hand, does not understand anything because of his nationality, and this is also a big problem for the Russian army - they are trying to “bring everyone under the same brush”, without taking into account the characteristics of each people. After all, these features are innate and cannot be eliminated by any training, especially shouting, physical punishment.
In general, the problem of "assault" appears very clearly in this story. This is the apotheosis of social inequality. Of course, we must not forget that corporal punishment for soldiers was abolished only in 1905. But in this case, we are talking already underway not about punishment, but about mockery: “Non-commissioned officers brutally beat their subordinates for an insignificant mistake in literature, for a lost leg while marching - they beat them into blood, knocked out teeth, smashed their eardrums with blows to the ear, knocked them to the ground with their fists. Will a person with a normal psyche behave like this? The moral world of everyone who enters the army changes radically and, as Romashov notes, is far from being better side. So even Captain Stelkovsky, commander of the fifth company, the best company in the regiment, an officer who always “possessed patient, cool-headed and confident perseverance,” as it turned out, also beat soldiers (Romashov cites as an example how Stelkovsky knocks out a soldier’s teeth along with a horn, incorrectly giving a signal to this very horn). That is, it is not worth envying the fate of people like Stelkovsky.
Even less envy causes fate ordinary soldiers. After all, they do not even have the elementary right to choose: “You cannot beat a person who cannot answer you, does not have the right to raise his hand to his face in order to protect himself from a blow. He doesn't even dare to bow his head. The soldiers must endure all this and cannot even complain, because they know perfectly well what will happen to them then: “But the soldiers barked in unison that they were“ just like that, happy with everything. When they asked the first company, Romashov heard the sergeant major of his company behind him, Rynda, speaking in a hissing and menacing voice:
“Somebody make a complaint to me!” Then I will declare such a claim to him!”
In addition to the fact that the rank and file are beaten, they are also deprived of their livelihood: the small salary they receive, they give almost everything to their commander. And this very money is spent by gentlemen officers on all sorts of gatherings in bars with booze, dirty games (again, for money), besides, in the company of depraved women. Of course, everyone has the right to rest. But this rest dragged on and took a very perverted form.
Leaving officially from feudal system 40 years ago and putting on this huge amount human lives, Russia at the beginning of the century had a model of such a society in the army, where officers are exploiters-landlords, and ordinary soldiers are slave-serfs. Army sysexample essay destroys itself from the inside. It does not sufficiently fulfill the function that is assigned to it. After all, if we look at those people who protect us, that is, at ordinary soldiers, then for sure in the eyes of most of them we will see the reflection of the same words that soldier Khlebnikov said about himself: “I can’t take it anymore, ... ... I can’t, master, more... Oh, Lord... They beat, laugh... the platoon commander asks for money, the detached one shouts... Where can I get it? ... Oh, Lord, Lord!"
Those who try to go against this system are in for a very hard time. easy fate. In fact, it is useless to fight such a "machine" alone, it "absorbs everyone and everything." Even attempts to comprehend what is happening plunge people into shock: Naznansky, who is constantly ill and went into a binge (obviously trying to hide from the prevailing reality), finally, the hero of the work of the story Romashov. For him, every day, glaring facts become more and more noticeable. social injustice, all the ugliness of the system. He, with his characteristic self-criticism, also finds in himself the reasons for this state of affairs: he became part of the “machine”, mixed with this common gray mass of people who do not understand anything and are lost. Romashov tries to isolate himself from them: “He began to retire from the company of officers, dined for the most part at home, did not go to dance evenings to the congregation and stopped drinking.” He “has definitely matured, has become older and more serious for last days". Such “growing up” was not easy for him: he went through public conflict, the struggle with himself (after all, Romashov was very fond of talking about himself in the third person), he was even close to the thought of suicide (he clearly imagined the picture that depicts him dead body, with a note in his hands and a crowd of people gathered around him).
Analyzing the position of the Khlebnikovs in the Russian army, the way of life of officers and looking for ways out of such a situation, Romashov comes to the conclusion that an army without a war is absurd, and, therefore, in order for this monstrous phenomenon of “army” not to exist, but its it shouldn’t be, it’s necessary that people understand the uselessness of war: “Let’s suppose tomorrow, let’s say, this very second this thought came to everyone’s mind: Russians, Germans, British, Japanese ... And now it’s gone more war, there are no officers and soldiers, everyone went home. I am also close to a similar thought: to solve such global problems in the army, in order to solve global problems in general, it is necessary that the need for change be understood by the majority of people, since small groups people, and even more so a few, are unable to change the course of history.
Appearing during Russo-Japanese War and in the context of the growth of the first Russian revolution, the work caused a huge public outcry, since it shook one of the main foundations of the autocratic state - the inviolability of the military caste. The problematics of "Duel" goes beyond the traditional military story. Kuprin also touches upon the question of the causes of social inequality of people, and possible ways liberation of a person from spiritual oppression, and about the problem of the relationship between the individual and society, the intelligentsia and the people. Storyline The work is built on the ups and downs of the fate of an honest Russian officer, whom the conditions of army barracks life make one think about the wrong relationships between people. Feeling spiritual fall pursues not only Romashov, but also Shurochka. The juxtaposition of two heroes, who have two types of world outlook, is generally characteristic of Kuprin. Both heroes strive to find a way out of the impasse, while Romashov comes to the idea of protesting against petty-bourgeois well-being and stagnation, and Shurochka adapts to it, despite outward ostentatious rejection. The attitude of the author of the work towards her is ambivalent, Romashov's "reckless nobility and noble lack of will" are closer to him. Kuprin even noted that he considers Romashov his double, and the story itself is largely autobiographical. Romashov is a “natural person”, he instinctively resists injustice, but his protest is weak, his dreams and plans are easily destroyed, because they are immature and thoughtless, often naive. Romashov is close to Chekhov's heroes. But the emerging need for immediate action strengthens his will to active resistance. After meeting with the soldier Khlebnikov, "humiliated and insulted", a turning point occurs in Romashov's mind, he is shocked by the readiness of a person to commit suicide, in which he sees the only way out of a martyr's life. The sincerity of Khlebnikov's impulse particularly clearly indicates to Romashov the stupidity and immaturity of his youthful fantasies, which aim only to "prove" something to others. Romashov is shocked by the strength of Khlebnikov's suffering, and it is precisely the desire to sympathize that makes the second lieutenant think about fate for the first time common people. However, Romashov's attitude towards Khlebnikov is contradictory: talk about humanity and justice bears the imprint of abstract humanism, Romashov's call for compassion is largely naive.
In "Duel" Kuprin continues the tradition psychological analysis L. N. Tolstoy: in addition to the protesting voice of the hero himself, who saw the injustice of a cruel and stupid life, the author of the work's accusatory voice (Nazansky's monologues) is heard in the work. Kuprin uses Tolstoy's favorite technique - the substitution technique for the protagonist of the hero-reasoner. In "Duel" Nazansky is the bearer of social ethics. The image of Nazansky is ambiguous: his radical mood (critical monologues, literary and artistic foreboding of a “radiant life”, foresight of future social upheavals, hatred of the way of life of the military caste, ability to appreciate high, pure love, to feel the immediacy and beauty of life) conflicts with his own way of life. The only salvation from moral death is for the individualist Nazansky and for Romashov an escape from all sorts of public relations and obligations.
Since childhood, Antoine dreamed of becoming a pilot. But the career of a military pilot did not appeal to him. He did not want to kill people and hated wars. Therefore, Exupery entered a civil school. After graduating from college, Antoine began to drive mail planes. His task was to deliver letters to South America and back. Exupery was proud and happy when he managed, despite the fog and thunderstorm, to bring the plane on time. I am happy that I won in single combat with the elements, I managed to deliver letters on time, these precious news that connect people. If the mail is not late, then the mother will not worry about her son, spending b
Russian writer Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich wrote many works. They are still popular today, causing unrest among people. different ages, because the author chose love as the main theme of his works. At one of the lessons we also got acquainted with one of his stories. She was called. This is probably his most touching work, according to which schoolchildren write an essay, revealing the image of Olesya, raising the theme of friendship, the theme of love and relationships. So today we are writing based on the story of Oles, revealing the relationship of the characters, where there is he and she and their love, and the rest is not important. But will the heroes stand the test? Will they carry their love to the end?
He and she in the story of Kuprin Olesya
The work of Kuprin Oles is not just a story, it is a hymn dedicated to the true feeling of love. In the story, he and she are the main characters and main topic works. Here Kuprin sang a pure and bright feeling that every person can experience. Olesya's love for her hero turned out to be truly great, for which the girl was ready for anything. But the love of Ivan Timofeevich was hardly pure and great. Or maybe it was just very weak person, not ready for sacrifices and go to any lengths for the sake of his beloved.
The characters in the story are very different. He is a city dweller who came to the village to study customs and life. She - grew up in the forest and was the granddaughter of a witch. He is a writer, educated, kind, but at the same time, a weak person. She is an original, childishly naive, free nature with a bright mind and very strong.
They fell in love with each other. But the problem was that the characters differed not only in their estate, but also in their love for each other. If he was attracted by the beauty of the girl, her femininity and naivety, then the girl saw all the shortcomings of the hero. She recognized them and accepted him for who he is, despite the fact that their feeling was doomed. She loved very much, and therefore went to church for the sake of Ivan Timofeevich, knowing that this campaign would end in tragedy. And here main character was not capable of sacrifices and actions for the sake of his beloved. After all, he foresaw misfortune and even had an impulse to stop his beloved, but no. Restrained himself and what do we have? Because of his weakness, fear, fear of getting married, the girl suffered, and their love ended in parting. Olesya and her grandmother were forced to leave their home in the forest and run away from their native lands, where they had not been welcome for a long time.
Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin is a wonderful master of words. He managed to reflect in his work the most powerful, sublime and subtle human experiences. Love is a wonderful feeling that tests a person like litmus paper. Not many people have the ability to love deeply and sincerely. This is destiny strong natures. It is these people who attract the attention of the writer. Harmonious people, living in harmony with themselves and nature, are the ideal of the writer, he brings out such a heroine in the story “Olesya”.
A simple Polissya girl lives surrounded by nature. She listens to sounds and rustles, “understands” the voices of animals, is quite happy with her life and freedom. She is self-sufficient. She has enough of the social circle that she has. Olesya knows and understands the surrounding forest, she reads nature as mysterious and interesting book. “With both hands, she carefully supported a striped apron, from which peeped out three tiny bird heads with red necks and black shiny eyes. “Look, grandmother, the finches have followed me again,” she exclaimed, laughing loudly, “look how funny ... completely hungry.” And I, as if on purpose, had no bread with me.”
But the collision with the world of people brings Olesya, it seems, some hardships and experiences. Local peasants consider Olesya and her grandmother Manuilikha to be sorceresses. They are ready to blame these poor women for all the troubles. Once human malice had already driven them from their homes, and now Olesya only wish to leave them alone:
As if they would leave me and my grandmother alone, it would be better, otherwise ...
But the cruel world of people knows no mercy. Olesya is smart and perspicacious in her own way. She knows perfectly well what a meeting with a city dweller, "panych Ivan" brings to her. Love - a beautiful and sublime feeling - turns into death for this "daughter of nature." She doesn't fit in the world malice and envy, self-interest and hypocrisy.
The unusualness of the heroine, her beauty and independence inspire people around her with hatred, fear, anger. The peasants are ready to take out all their misfortunes and troubles on Oles and Manuilikha. Their unconscious fear of the "witches", which they consider to be poor women, is fueled by impunity for the massacre of them. Olesya's coming to church is not a challenge to the village, but a desire to reconcile with the surrounding world of people, to understand those among whom her beloved lives. The hatred of the crowd gave birth to a response. Olesya threatens the villagers who beat and insulted her: - Well! .. You still remember this from me! You are still crying your fill!
Now there can be no reconciliation. Righteousness was on the side of the strong. Olesya is fragile and beautiful flower destined to perish in this cruel world.
In the story "Olesya" Kuprin showed the inevitability of the collision and death of the natural and fragile world of harmony when it comes into contact with cruel reality.
Olesya - "solid, original , a free nature, her mind, both clear and shrouded in unshakable mediocre superstition, childishly innocent, but not without sly coquetry beautiful woman”, and Ivan Timofeevich -“ although a kind man, but only weak. They belong to different social strata: Ivan Timofeevich - educated person, a writer who came to Polissya to "observe morals", and Olesya - a "witcher", an uneducated girl who grew up in the forest. But, despite these differences, they fell in love with each other. However, their love was different: Ivan Timofeevich was attracted by the beauty, tenderness, femininity, naivety of Olesya, and she, on the contrary, was aware of all his shortcomings and knew that their love was doomed, but, despite this, she loved him with all her ardent soul as only a woman can love. Her love makes me admire, because Olesya for the sake of her beloved was ready for anything, for any sacrifice. After all, for the sake of Ivan Timofeevich, she went to church, although she knew that this would end tragically for her.
But I don’t consider Poroshin’s love as pure and generous. He knew that misfortune might happen if Olesya went to church, but did nothing to stop her: “Suddenly, a horror of foreboding seized me. I had an irresistible desire to run after Olesya, catch up with her and beg, beg, even demand, if necessary, that she not go to church. But I restrained my unexpected impulse ... ”Ivan Timofeevich, although he loved Olesya, was at the same time afraid of this love. It was this fear that prevented him from marrying her: “Only one circumstance frightened and stopped me: I did not even dare to imagine what Olesya would be like, dressed in a human dress, talking in the living room with the wives of my colleagues, torn out of this charming frame of the old forest” .
The tragedy of love between Olesya and Ivan Timofeevich is the tragedy of people who "broke out" from their social environment. The fate of Olesya herself is tragic, because she differed sharply from the Perebrod peasants, primarily in her pure, open mind, the wealth of the inner world. This is what gave rise to the hatred of callous, limited people for Olesya. And, as you know, people always strive to destroy the one they do not understand, the one who is different from them. Therefore, Olesya is forced to part with her beloved and flee from her native forest.
It is also impossible not to say about the literary skill of A. I. Kuprin. Before us are pictures of nature, portraits, inner world heroes, characters, moods - all this deeply struck me. The story "Olesya" is a hymn to the wonderful primordial feeling of love and the personification of the most beautiful and dearest thing that can be in the life of any of us.
At the end of the nineteenth century, A.I. Kuprin was the manager of the estate in the Volyn province. Impressed by the beautiful landscapes of that region and the dramatic fate of its inhabitants, he wrote a cycle of stories. The decoration of this collection was the story "Olesya", which tells about nature and true love.
The story "Olesya" is one of the first works of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin. It strikes with its depth of images and unusual plot twist. This story takes the reader to the end of the nineteenth century, when the old way of Russian life collided with extraordinary technological progress.
The work begins with a description of the nature of the region, where the protagonist Ivan Timofeevich arrived on business of the estate. It's winter outside: blizzards are replaced by thaws. The way of life of the inhabitants of Polissya seems to Ivan, accustomed to the bustle of the city, unusual: the atmosphere of superstitious fears and fear of innovation still reigns in the villages. Time seems to have stopped in this village. It is not surprising that it was here that the main character met the sorceress Olesya. Their love is doomed from the start: too different heroes are presented to the reader. Olesya is a Polissya beauty, proud and determined. In the name of love, she is ready to go to great lengths. Olesya is devoid of cunning and self-interest, selfishness is alien to her. Ivan Timofeevich, on the contrary, is incapable of making fateful decisions, in the story he appears as a timid person, unsure of his actions. He does not fully imagine his life with Olesya, as with his wife.
From the very beginning, Olesya, who has the gift of foresight, feels the inevitability of the tragic end of their love. But she is ready to take the brunt of the circumstances. Love gives her confidence own forces helps to withstand all the hardships and hardships. It is worth noting that in the image of the forest sorceress Olesya, A.I. Kuprin embodied his ideal of a woman: decisive and courageous, fearless and sincerely loving.
The background of the relationship between the two main characters of the story was nature: it mirrors the feelings of Olesya and Ivan Timofeevich. Their life turns into a fairy tale for a moment, but only for a moment. The culmination of the story is the arrival of Olesya to the village church, from where locals chase her away. On the night of the same day, a terrible thunderstorm flares up: a strong hail destroyed half of the crop. Against the backdrop of these events, Olesya and her grandmother understand that superstitious villagers will certainly blame them for this. So they decide to leave.
Olesya's last conversation with Ivan takes place in a hut in the forest. Olesya does not tell him where she is going and asks him not to look for her. In memory of herself, the girl gives Ivan a string of red corals.
The story makes you think about what love is in the understanding of people, what a person is capable of in the name of it. Olesya's love is self-sacrifice, it is her love, it seems to me, that is worthy of admiration and respect. As for Ivan Timofeevich, the cowardice of this hero amuses one to doubt the sincerity of his feelings. After all, if you really love someone, then you will not allow your loved one to suffer.
Brief analysis of Olesya Kuprin's story for grade 11
The work "Olesya" was written by Kuprin, when people involved in herbal treatment were treated with caution. And although many came to them for treatment, they did not particularly let Orthodox peasants into their circle, considering them sorcerers, blaming them for all their troubles. So it happened with the girl Olesya and her grandmother Manuilikha.
Olesya grew up in the middle of the forest, learned many secrets associated with herbs, learned to tell fortunes, speak illnesses. The girl grew up disinterested, open, reasonable. She simply could not help but like Ivan. Everything contributed to the establishment of their relationship, which grew into love. Nature itself helped to develop love events, the sun shone, the breeze played with foliage, birds chirped around.
Ivan Timofeevich, a naive young man, having met the direct Olesya, decided to subjugate her. This is seen in the way he persuades her to attend church. To which the girl agrees, knowing that this cannot be done. Persuades her to leave with him and marry him. He even thought about his grandmother, if she does not want to live with us, there are almshouses in the city. For Olesya, this state of affairs is completely unacceptable, this betrayal in relation to close person. She grew up in harmony with nature and for her many things of civilization are incomprehensible. Despite the fact that young people meet and at first glance they are doing well, Olesya does not trust her feelings. Fortune telling on the cards, she sees that there will be no continuation of their relationship. Ivan will never be able to understand and accept her for who she is, and the society in which he lives even more so. People like Ivan Timofeevich love to subjugate themselves, but not everyone succeeds in this, and rather they themselves go on about the circumstances.
Olesya and her grandmother make a wise decision so as not to break their lives and Ivan Timofeevich secretly leave their homes. People from different social groups difficult to find mutual language it is even more difficult to integrate into a new environment. Throughout the work, the author shows how different these two lovers are. The only thing that connects them is love. In Olesya she is pure and disinterested, in Ivan she is selfish. On the opposition of two personalities, the whole work is built.
Analysis of the story for grade 11
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Kuprin's biography was full of various events that gave the writer rich food for his literary works. For example, the story "Duel" is rooted in that period of Kuprin's life, when he acquired the experience of a military man. Work on the story "Duel" in 1902-1905 was dictated by the desire to implement a long-conceived plan - "enough" for the tsarist army, this concentration of stupidity, ignorance and inhumanity. All the events of the work take place against the backdrop of army life, never going beyond its scope. Perhaps this is done in order to emphasize the real need to at least think about the problems that are shown in the story. After all, the army is a stronghold of autocracy, and if there are shortcomings in it, then they must be strived to eliminate. Otherwise, all the importance and exemplary nature of the existing system is a bluff, an empty phrase, and there is no great power. The main character Lieutenant Romashov will have to realize the whole horror of army reality. The choice of the author is not accidental, because Romashov is in many ways very close to Kuprin: both of them graduated from a military school and entered the army. From the very beginning of the story, the author dramatically immerses us in the atmosphere of army life, painting a picture of company exercises: working out the service at the post, some soldiers not understanding what is required of them (Khlebnikov, following the orders of the arrested person; Mukhamedzhinov, a Tatar who poorly understands Russian and , as a result, incorrectly fulfilling orders). It is not difficult to understand the reasons for this misunderstanding. Khlebnikov, a Russian soldier, simply does not have any education, and therefore for him everything uttered by Corporal Shapovalenko is nothing more than an empty phrase. In addition, the reason for such a misunderstanding is a sharp change in the situation: just as the author abruptly immerses us in this kind of situation, so many recruits had no idea about military affairs before, did not communicate with military people, everything is new to them: “ ... they still did not know how to separate jokes, examples from the real requirements of the service and fell into one or the other extreme. Mukhamedzhinov, on the other hand, does not understand anything because of his nationality, and this is also a big problem for the Russian army - they are trying to “bring everyone under the same brush”, without taking into account the characteristics of each people, which are, so to speak, innate and cannot be eliminated by any training , especially shouting, physical punishments. In general, the problem of assault appears very clearly in this story. This is the apotheosis of social inequality. Of course, we must not forget that corporal punishment for soldiers was only abolished in 1905. But in this case, we are no longer talking about punishment, but about mockery: “Non-commissioned officers brutally beat their subordinates for an insignificant mistake in literature, for a lost leg while marching - they beat them into blood, knocked out teeth, smashed eardrums with blows to the ear, knocked them to the ground with their fists." Will a person with a normal psyche behave like this? The moral world of everyone who enters the army changes radically and, as Romashov notes, not for the better. Even Captain Stelkovsky, commander of the fifth company, the best company in the regiment, an officer who always “possessed patient, cool-headed and confident perseverance,” as it turned out, also beat soldiers (as an example, Romashov cites how Stelkovsky knocks out a soldier’s teeth along with a horn, incorrect giving a signal to this very horn). In other words, it is not worth envying the fate of people like Stelkovsky. Even less envy is the fate of ordinary soldiers. After all, they do not even have the elementary right to choose: “You cannot beat a person who cannot answer you, does not have the right to raise his hand to his face in order to protect himself from a blow. He doesn’t even dare to turn his head away.” The soldiers must endure all this and cannot even complain, because they know perfectly well what will happen to them then. In addition to the fact that the rank and file are systematically beaten, they are also deprived of their livelihood: the small salary they receive, they give almost everything to their commander. And this very money is spent by gentlemen officers on all sorts of gatherings in bars with booze, dirty games (again, for money), besides, in the company of depraved women. Having officially left the feudal system 40 years ago and laid down a huge number of human lives for this, Russia at the beginning of the 20th century had a model of such a society in the army, where officers are exploiters-landlords, and ordinary soldiers are slave serfs. The military system is destroying itself from within. It does not sufficiently fulfill the function that is assigned to it. Those who try to go against this system will face a very difficult fate. It is useless to fight such a “machine” alone, it “absorbs everyone and everything”. Even attempts to comprehend what is happening plunge people into shock: Nazansky, who is constantly ill and went into a binge (obviously, thereby trying to hide from reality), finally, the hero of the story is Romashov. For him, every day the glaring facts of social injustice, all the ugliness of the system, become more and more noticeable. With his characteristic self-criticism, he also finds in himself the reasons for this state of affairs: he became part of the “machine”, mixed with this general gray mass of people who do not understand anything and are lost. Romashov tries to isolate himself from them: “He began to retire from the company of officers, dined mostly at home, did not go to dance evenings at all in the meeting and stopped drinking.” He “has definitely matured, grown older and more serious in recent days.” Such “growing up” was not easy for him: he went through a social conflict, a struggle with himself, he even had the thought of suicide close to him (he clearly imagined a picture depicting his dead body and a crowd of people gathered around). Analyzing the position of the Khlebnikovs in the Russian army, the way of life of officers and looking for ways out of such a situation, Romashov comes to the conclusion that an army without a war is absurd, and, therefore, in order to avoid this monstrous phenomenon “army”, and not it must be necessary for people to understand the uselessness of war: “... Let's suppose tomorrow, let's say, this very second this thought occurred to everyone: Russians, Germans, British, Japanese ... And now there is no more war, no officers and soldiers, everyone went home. I am also close to a similar thought: to solve such global problems in the army, to solve global problems in general, it is necessary that the majority of people understand the need for change, since small groups of people, and even more so a few, are unable to change the course of history. The problematics of "Duel" goes beyond the traditional military story. Kuprin also touches on the issue of the causes of social inequality of people, on possible ways to free a person from spiritual oppression, raises the problem of the relationship between the individual and society, the intelligentsia and the people.
Stories about love.
One of the primary themes in Kuprin's work is love. The characters of his creations, "lit up" with a real strong feeling. In the works of this remarkable writer, love is like a pattern, disinterested and selfless. One of the highest values in human life, according to AI Kuprin, has always been love. Love, which collects in a single bouquet all the best, everything healthy and bright, than life rewards a person, which justifies any hardships and hardships that may be encountered on his way.
Many events take place before us on the pages of the story "Duel". But the emotional culmination of the work was not the tragic fate of Romashov, but the night of love he spent with the insidious and therefore even more captivating Shurochka; and the happiness experienced by Romashov on this night before the duel is so great that it is this alone that is conveyed to the reader. In this vein, the poetic and tragic story of a young girl in the story "Olesya" sounds. Olesya's world is a world of spiritual harmony, a world of nature. He is a stranger to Ivan Timofeevich, a representative of the cruel, big city. Olesya attracts him with her “unusualness”, “there was nothing like local girls in her”, naturalness, simplicity and some kind of elusive inner freedom inherent in her image attracted him like a magnet. Olesya grew up in the forest. She could not read or write, but she had great spiritual wealth and a strong character. Ivan Timofeevich is educated, but indecisive, and his kindness is more like cowardice. These two completely different people fell in love with each other, but this love does not bring happiness to the heroes, its outcome is tragic. Ivan Timofeevich feels that he has fallen in love with Olesya, he would even like to marry her, but he is stopped by doubt: “I did not even dare to imagine what Olesya would be like, dressed in a fashionable dress, talking in the living room with the wives of my colleagues, torn out of the charming frame of an old forest full of legends and mysterious powers." He realizes that Olesya cannot change, become different, and he himself does not want her to change. After all, to become different means to become like everyone else, and this is impossible. The story "Olesya" develops the theme of Kuprin's creativity - love as a saving force that protects the "pure gold" of human nature from "degradation", from the destructive influence of bourgeois civilization. It is no coincidence that Kuprin's favorite hero was a man of strong-willed, courageous character and noble, good heart able to enjoy all the diversity of the world. The work is built on a comparison of two heroes, two natures, two worldviews. On the one hand, an educated intellectual, a representative of urban culture, rather humane Ivan Timofeevich, on the other hand, Olesya, a "child of nature" who was not influenced by urban civilization. The writer showed us the true beauty of the innocent, almost childish soul of a girl who grew up far from the noisy world of people, among animals, birds and forests. But along with this, Kuprin also highlights human malice, senseless superstition, fear of the unknown, the unknown. However, she won over all this. real love. A string of red beads is the last tribute to Olesya's generous heart, the memory of "her tender, generous love."
Poetizing life, not limited by modern social and cultural boundaries, Kuprin sought to show the obvious advantages of a "natural" person, in whom he saw spiritual qualities lost in a civilized society. This is how the story "Garnet Bracelet" arises, which tells about refined all-encompassing love. This story is about hopeless and touching love. The writer proved himself a master in depicting real circumstances, he planted extraordinary love in the soul of a simple, ordinary person, and she was able to resist the world of everyday life and vulgarity. And this gift raised him above all the other heroes of the story, even above Vera herself, whom Zheltkov fell in love with. She is cold, independent and calm, but this is not just a state of disappointment in herself and the world around her. Love Zheltkova, so strong and at the same time elegant, awakens in her a sense of anxiety - this inspires her with a gift Garnet bracelet with bloodstones. She subconsciously immediately begins to understand that such love cannot survive in modern world. And this feeling clears up only after the death of Zheltkov. Kuprin himself understands love as a miracle, as a wonderful gift. The death of an official revived a woman who did not believe in love, which means that love still conquers death. In general, the story is devoted to the inner awakening of Vera, her gradual realization of the true role of love. To the sound of music, the soul of the heroine is reborn. From cold contemplation to a hot, quivering feeling of oneself, of a person in general, of the world - such is the path of the heroine, who once came into contact with a rare guest of the earth - love.
For Kuprin, love is a hopeless platonic feeling, and a tragic one at that. Increased addiction to anything human personality and the mastery of psychological analysis - the specificity of AI Kuprin's artistic talent, which allowed him to study the realistic heritage to an absolute extent. The importance of his work lies in the artistically convincing discovery of the soul of his contemporary. The author analyzes love as a moral and psychological feeling. The stories created by Kuprin, despite the complexity of the circumstances and often tragic end full of vitality and optimism. You close the book you read with his stories, and in your soul you still long time the feeling from touching something light and clear is preserved.
