Introduction
"Garnet Bracelet" is one of the most famous stories of the Russian prose writer Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin. She was published in 1910, but for the domestic reader she still remains a symbol of selfless sincere love, the kind that girls dream about, and the one that we so often miss. Earlier we published this wonderful work. In the same publication, we will tell you about the main characters, analyze the work and talk about its problems.
The events of the story begin to unfold on the birthday of Princess Vera Nikolaevna Sheina. Celebrate at the dacha in the circle of the closest people. In the midst of fun, the hero of the occasion receives a gift - a garnet bracelet. The sender decided to remain unrecognized and signed a short note with only the initials of the GSG. However, everyone immediately guesses that this is a longtime admirer of Vera, some petty official who has been flooding her with love letters for many years now. The husband and brother of the princess quickly figure out the identity of the annoying boyfriend and the next day they go to his house.
In a miserable apartment they are met by a timid official named Zheltkov, he meekly agrees to take the gift and promises never to appear before the eyes of the respectable family, provided that he makes the last farewell call to Vera and makes sure that she does not want to know him. Vera Nikolaevna, of course, asks Zheltkov to leave her. The next morning, the newspapers will write that a certain official has committed suicide. In a farewell note, he wrote that he had squandered state property.
Main characters: characteristics of key images
Kuprin is a master of the portrait, moreover, through appearance, he draws the character of the characters. The author pays a lot of attention to each hero, devoting a good half of the story to portrait characteristics and memories, which are also revealed by the characters. The main characters of the story are:
- - princess, central female image;
- - her husband, prince, provincial marshal of the nobility;
- - a petty official of the control chamber, passionately in love with Vera Nikolaevna;
- Anna Nikolaevna Friesse- Vera's younger sister;
- Nikolai Nikolaevich Mirza-Bulat-Tuganovskiy- brother of Vera and Anna;
- Yakov Mikhailovich Anosov- General, military comrade of Vera's father, a close friend of the family.
Faith is an ideal representative of the high society both in appearance, and in manners, and in character.
“Vera took after her mother, a beautiful Englishwoman, with her tall, flexible figure, gentle, but cold and proud face, beautiful, albeit rather large hands, and that charming sloping of the shoulders, which can be seen in old miniatures”
Princess Vera was married to Vasily Nikolaevich Shein. Their love has long ceased to be passionate and passed into that calm stage of mutual respect and tender friendship. Their union was happy. The couple did not have children, although Vera Nikolaevna passionately wanted a baby, and therefore she gave all her unspent feeling to the children of her younger sister.
Vera was royally calm, coldly kind to everyone, but at the same time very funny, open and sincere with close people. She was not inherent in such feminine tricks as affectation and coquetry. Despite her high status, Vera was very prudent, and knowing how unsuccessfully things were going for her husband, she sometimes tried to deprive herself so as not to put him in an uncomfortable position.
The husband of Vera Nikolaevna is a talented, pleasant, gallant, noble person. He has an amazing sense of humor and is a brilliant storyteller. Shein keeps a home journal, which contains non-fictional stories with pictures about the life of the family and its associates.
Vasily Lvovich loves his wife, perhaps not as passionately as in the first years of marriage, but who knows how long passion really lives? The husband deeply respects her opinion, feelings, personality. He is compassionate and merciful to others, even those who are much lower than him in status (his meeting with Zheltkov testifies to this). Shein is noble and endowed with the courage to admit mistakes and his own wrong.
We first meet Official Zheltkov near the end of the story. Up to this point, he is present in the work invisibly in the grotesque image of a klutz, an eccentric, a fool in love. When the long-awaited meeting finally takes place, we see a meek and shy person in front of us, it is customary to ignore such people and call them “little ones”:
“He was tall, thin, with long, fluffy, soft hair.”
His speeches, however, are devoid of the chaotic whim of a madman. He is fully accountable for his words and deeds. Despite the seeming cowardice, this man is very brave, he boldly tells the prince, the lawful spouse of Vera Nikolaevna, that he is in love with her and cannot do anything about it. Zheltkov does not fawn over the rank and position in society of his guests. He submits, but not to fate, but only to his beloved. And he knows how to love - selflessly and sincerely.
“It so happened that I am not interested in anything in life: neither politics, nor science, nor philosophy, nor concern for the future happiness of people - for me life is only in you. I now feel that some uncomfortable wedge crashed into your life. If you can, forgive me for this.”
Analysis of the work
Kuprin got the idea for his story from real life. In fact, the story was more of an anecdotal character. A certain poor telegraph operator named Zheltikov was in love with the wife of one of the Russian generals. Once this eccentric was so brave that he sent his beloved a simple gold chain with a pendant in the form of an Easter egg. Scream and only! Everyone laughed at the stupid telegraph operator, but the inquisitive writer's mind decided to look beyond the anecdote, because real drama can always lurk behind a visible curiosity.
Also in the “Garnet Bracelet”, the Sheins and the guests first make fun of Zheltkov. Vasily Lvovich even has a funny story about this in his home magazine called “Princess Vera and the Telegraph Operator in Love”. People tend not to think about other people's feelings. Sheins were not bad, callous, soulless (this is proved by a metamorphosis in them after meeting Zheltkov), they simply did not believe that the love that the official confessed could exist ..
There are many symbolic elements in the work. For example, a garnet bracelet. Garnet is a stone of love, anger and blood. If a person in a fever takes it in his hand (a parallel with the expression “love fever”), then the stone will take on a more saturated shade. According to Zheltkov himself, this special type of pomegranate (green pomegranate) endows women with the gift of foresight, and protects men from violent death. Zheltkov, having parted with the charm bracelet, dies, and Vera unexpectedly predicts his death.
Another symbolic stone - pearls - also appears in the work. Vera receives pearl earrings as a gift from her husband on the morning of her name day. Pearls, despite their beauty and nobility, are an omen of bad news.
Something bad also tried to predict the weather. On the eve of the fateful day, a terrible storm broke out, but on the birthday everything calmed down, the sun came out and the weather was calm, like a calm before a deafening peal of thunder and an even stronger storm.
Problems of the story
The key problem of the work is the question “What is true love?” In order for the “experiment” to be pure, the author cites different types of “loves”. This is the tender love-friendship of the Sheins, and the prudent, convenient love of Anna Friesse for her indecently rich old husband, who blindly adores his soul mate, and the long-forgotten ancient love of General Amosov, and the all-consuming love-worship of Zheltkov to Vera.
The main character herself for a long time cannot understand - this is love or madness, but looking into his face, even if hidden by the mask of death, she is convinced that it was love. Vasily Lvovich draws the same conclusions when he meets his wife's admirer. And if at first he was somewhat belligerent, then later he could not be angry with the unfortunate one, because, it seems, a secret was revealed to him, which neither he, nor Vera, nor their friends could comprehend.
People are inherently selfish and even in love, they first of all think about their feelings, masking their own egocentrism from the other half and even themselves. True love, which occurs between a man and a woman once in a hundred years, puts the beloved in the first place. So Zheltkov calmly lets Vera go, because only in this way will she be happy. The only problem is that without it, he does not need life. In his world, suicide is a perfectly natural step.
Princess Sheina understands this. She sincerely mourns Zheltkov, a man whom she practically did not know, but, my God, perhaps true love passed by her, which occurs once in a hundred years.
“I am infinitely grateful to you just for the fact that you exist. I checked myself - this is not a disease, not a manic idea - this is love, which God was pleased to reward me for something ... Leaving, I say in delight: “Hallowed be Your name”
Place in literature: Literature of the 20th century → Russian literature of the 20th century → Works of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin → The story "Garnet Bracelet" (1910)
One of the most famous works of Alexander Kuprin is "Garnet Bracelet". What genre does the story about the unrequited love of a modest official Zheltkov belong to? More often this work is called a story. But it also contains features characteristic of the story. It turns out that it is not easy to define the genre of "Garnet Bracelet".
In order to do this, one should recall the content of Kuprin's work, as well as consider the features of both the story and the story.
What is a story?
Under this literary term is understood the composition of small prose. A synonym for this word is "novella". Russian writers usually called their works stories. A short story is a concept that is more common in foreign literature. There is no significant difference between them. Both in the first and in the second case, we are talking about a work of a small volume, in which there are only a few characters. An important feature is the presence of only one storyline.
The structure of such a work is quite simple: plot, climax, denouement. In Russian literature of the 19th century, a story was often called what is commonly called a story today. A striking example is the well-known works of Pushkin. The writer created several stories, the plot of which was allegedly told to him by a certain Belkin, and called them stories. In each of these works there are few characters and only one storyline. So why didn't Pushkin call his collection Belkin's Stories? The fact is that the literary terminology of the 19th century is somewhat different from the modern one.
But the genre affiliation of Chekhov's works is beyond doubt. Events in the stories of this writer revolve around any, at first glance, minor incidents that allow the characters to look at their lives differently. There are no superfluous characters in Chekhov's works. His stories are clear and concise. The same can be said about the prose of later authors - Leonid Andreev, Ivan Bunin.
What is a story?
The work of this genre occupies an intermediate position between the short story and the novel. In foreign literature, the concept of "story" is missing. English and French authors created either short stories or novels.
In ancient Rus', any prose work was called a story. Over time, the term has taken on a narrower meaning. Until the middle of the 19th century, it was understood as an essay of a small size, but larger than a story. There are usually significantly fewer characters in the story than in the War and Peace epic, but more than in Chekhov's The Wallet. Nevertheless, modern literary critics sometimes find it difficult to determine the genre of a work written more than 200 years ago.
In the story, events revolve around the protagonist. Actions take place in a short period of time. That is, if the work tells about how the hero was born, graduated from school, university, made a successful career, and then, closer to his seventieth birthday, died safely in his bed, then this is a novel, but not a story.
If only one day in the life of a character is shown, and there are two or three characters in the plot, this is a story. Perhaps the clearest definition of the story would be the following: "a work that can not be called either a novel or a short story." What is the genre of "Garnet Bracelet"? Before answering this question, let's recall the content.
"Garnet bracelet"
A work can be confidently attributed to the genre of a story if it deals with two or three characters. There are more heroes here.
Vera Sheina is married to a kind and well-bred man. She has nothing to do with the telegraph operator who regularly writes love letters to her. Moreover, she never saw his face. Vera's indifference is replaced by a feeling of anxiety, and then pity and regret after she receives a garnet bracelet as a gift from the telegraphist.
The genre of this work could be easily determined if Kuprin excluded such characters as General Anosov, Vera's brother and sister, from the narrative. But these characters are not just present in the plot. They, and especially the general, play a role.
Let us recall several stories included by Kuprin in the "Garnet Bracelet". The genre of a work can be determined in the process of its artistic analysis. And for that, you need to go back to the content.
Crazy Love
The officer fell in love with the wife of the regimental commander. This woman was not attractive, and besides, she was a morphine addict. But love is evil ... The romance did not last long. An experienced woman soon got tired of her young lover.
Garrison life is boring and monotonous. The military wife, apparently, wanted to brighten up everyday life with thrills, and she demanded proof of love from her former lover. Namely, throw yourself under a train. He did not die, but remained disabled for the rest of his life.
Love triangle
Another story from the garrison life is told about another story included in the "Garnet Bracelet". Its genre could be easily determined if it were a separate work. It would be a classic story.
The wife of a brave officer, highly respected by the soldiers, fell in love with a lieutenant. A passionate romance ensued. The traitor did not hide her feelings at all. Moreover, the husband was well aware of her relationship with her lover. When the regiment was sent to war, she threatened him with a divorce if something happened to the lieutenant. The man went to sapper work instead of his wife's lover. Checked guard posts for him at night. He did everything to save the health and life of his opponent.
General
These stories are not random. They were told to Vera by General Anosov, one of the most striking characters in the Garnet Bracelet. The genre of this work would not raise doubts if this colorful hero did not exist in it. In that case, it would be a story. But the general distracts the reader from the main storyline. In addition to the above stories, he also tells Vera about some facts from his biography. In addition, Kuprin paid attention to other minor characters (for example, sister of Vera Sheina). The structure of the work from this has become more complex, the plot is deep and interesting.
The stories told by Anosov impress the main character. And his reasoning about love makes the princess look differently at the feelings of a faceless telegraph operator.
What genre is "Garnet Bracelet"?
It was said above that in literature there was no clear division between such concepts as a story and a story before. But this was only at the beginning of the 19th century. The work referred to in this article was written by Kuprin in 1910. By that time, the concepts used by modern literary critics had already been formed.
The writer defined his work as a story. Calling "Garnet Bracelet" a story is wrong. However, this mistake is forgivable. As one well-known literary critic said, not without a share of irony, no one is perfectly able to distinguish a story from a story, but philology students love to argue on this topic.
A.I. Kuprin in his works often raises the theme of true love. In his story "Garnet Bracelet", written in 1911, he touches on its infinity and significance in human life. However, often this vivid feeling turns out to be unrequited. And the power of such love can destroy the one who experiences it.
In contact with
Direction and genre of the work
Kuprin, being a real literary artist, liked to reflect real life in his works. He was the one who wrote many stories and novels based on real events. "Garnet Bracelet" was no exception. "Garnet Bracelet" genre - a story written in the spirit.
It was based on an incident that happened to the wife of one of the Russian governors. A telegraph official was in love with her unrequitedly and passionately, who once sent her a chain with a small pendant.
If for people from the real world this case was tantamount to a joke, then for Kuprin's characters a similar story turns into a strong tragedy.
The genre of the work "Garnet Bracelet" cannot be a story, due to the insufficient number of characters and one storyline. If we talk about the features of the composition, then it is worth highlighting many small details that, as events slowly unfold, hint at a catastrophe at the end of the work. To an inattentive reader, it may seem that the text is fairly filled with details. However, it is they help the author to create a complete picture.“Garnet Bracelet”, the composition of which is also framed by inserts about love, ends with a scene explaining the meaning of the epigraph: “L. van Beethoven. 2 Son. (op. 2, no. 2). Largo Appassionato"
The theme of love, in one form or another, sews the whole work with a red thread.
Attention! There is nothing left unsaid in this masterpiece. Thanks to skillful artistic descriptions, realistic images emerge before the eyes of readers, the plausibility of which no one will doubt. Natural, simple people with ordinary desires and needs are of genuine interest to readers.
Image system
There are not so many heroes in Kuprin's work. To each of them the author gives a detailed portrait. The appearance of the characters reveals what is going on in the soul of each of them. Description of the heroes of the "Garnet Bracelet", their memories occupy a large part in the text.
Vera Sheina
This woman of regal calm, is the central figure story. It is on her name day that an event takes place that forever changed her life - she receives a garnet bracelet as a gift, which gives its owner the gift of foresight.
Important! A revolution in the mind of the heroine occurs when she listens to Beethoven's sonata, bequeathed to her by Zheltkov. Dissolving in music, she awakens to life, to passions. However, her feelings are difficult, and even impossible, to understand others.
Georgy Zheltkov
The only joy in the whole life of a petty official is opportunity to love at a distance Vera Nikolaevna. However, the hero of the "Garnet Bracelet" cannot stand his all-consuming love. It is she who elevates the character above other people with their base, and even insignificant, feelings and desires.
Thanks to his gift of high love, Georgy Stepanovich was able to experience great happiness. He bequeathed his life to Vera alone. Dying, he did not hold a grudge against her, but continued to love, cherishing her image in his heart, as evidenced by the words spoken towards her: “Hallowed be thy name!”.
Main thought
If you look closely at the work of Kuprin, you can see a number of short stories reflecting his search for the ideal of love. These include:
- "Shulamith";
- "On the road";
- "Lenochka".
Completing this love cycle, "Garnet Bracelet" showed, alas, not the deep feeling that the writer was looking for and would like to fully reflect. However, in its strength, Zheltkov’s painful unrequited love is not inferior at all, but on the contrary, transcends the attitudes and feelings of other characters. Contrasted with his hot and passionate emotions in the story is the calmness that reigns between the Shein spouses. The author emphasizes that only good friendship remained between them, and the spiritual flame has long been extinguished.
Zheltkov is supposed to excite the calm state of Vera. He does not evoke reciprocal feelings in a woman, but arouses excitement in her. If throughout the book they were expressed as premonitions, then at the end, obvious contradictions rage in her soul.
A sense of danger in Sheina arises already when she first sees a gift sent to her and a letter from a secret admirer. She involuntarily compares the modest gold bracelet adorned with five bright red garnets to blood. This is one of the key symbols that marked the future suicide of the unfortunate lover.
The author admitted that he had never written anything more sensitive and subtle. And the analysis of the work "Garnet Bracelet" confirms this. The bitterness of the story intensifies autumn landscape, the atmosphere of farewell to summer cottages, cold and transparent days. The nobility of Zheltkov's soul was appreciated even by Vera's husband, he allowed the telegraph operator to write her the last letter. In it, each line is a poem about love, a real ode.
Play by Alexander Ostrovsky: a summary of the chapters
Strong episode story can be considered a scene where the main characters meet, whose fates are so suddenly intertwined and changed. Living Vera looked at the peaceful face of the dead man and thought about her spiritual shock. Numerous aphorisms, often used in speech, fill this small work. What quotes make readers shudder:
- “I am infinitely grateful to you just for the fact that you exist. I tested myself - this is not a disease, not a manic idea - this is love, which God was pleased to reward me for something.
- “At that moment, she realized that the love that every woman dreams of has passed her by.”
- "Do not go to your death until you are called."
Garnet bracelet. Alexander Kuprin
Garnet bracelet. A.I. Kuprin (analysis)
Conclusion
Zheltkov's unrequited passion did not pass without a trace for the main character. The symbol of eternal love - a garnet bracelet - turned her life upside down. Kuprin, who always blesses this feeling, expressed in his story the full force of this inexplicable attraction.
"Garnet bracelet" quotation of the heroes - Zheltkov, Vera, Anosov, and a description of the heroes
"Pomegranate Bracelet" quote characterization of heroes
Portrait of Vera Sheina: “... went to her mother, a beautiful Englishwoman, with her tall, flexible figure, gentle, but cold and proud face, beautiful, although rather large hands and that charming sloping of the shoulders, which can be seen in old miniatures”
“And Vera was strictly simple, cold with everyone ... amiable, independent and regal, calm”
"She was superstitious." It turned out that there were 13 guests. "This is not good!" Vera thought to herself.
Portrait of Zheltkov:“... very pale, with a gentle girlish face, with blue eyes and a stubborn childish chin with a dimple in the middle; he must have been about thirty, thirty-five years old.”
"Madman; maybe it's just a crazy guy, a maniac, who knows? - maybe your life path, Verochka, was crossed by just such a love that women dream about and that men are no longer capable of ”about Zheltkov
“I feel that this person is not capable of deceiving and lying knowingly ...” Prince Shein about Zheltkov
Anna's portrait: “She was half a head shorter, somewhat broad in the shoulders, lively and frivolous, a mocker. Her face is of a strongly Mongolian type with rather noticeable cheekbones, with narrow eyes ... however, it captivated with some elusive and incomprehensible charm ... "
Portrait of General Anosov:“A fat, tall, silver old man, he heavily climbed off the footboard ... He had a large, rude, red face with a fleshy nose and with that good-natured, majestic, slightly contemptuous expression in his narrowed eyes ... which is characteristic of courageous and simple people ... "
Anna's husband - Gustav Ivanovich“... he laughed loudly and enthusiastically, and his thin, smoothly covered face with shiny skin, with slick, thin, blond hair, with sunken eye sockets, looked like a skull, exposing bad teeth in laughter”
"White Poodle Kuprin" - Annotation. A.I. Kuprin. Man came into the world for boundless freedom, creativity and happiness. The real basis of the plot of the creation of the work. But Seryozha willingly shared his plans. Argument composition. The lady got angry with us. Sinkwein. The old man was taciturn and tried to talk about himself as little as possible.
"White Poodle" - Outcome Denouement. ZHZL (life of remarkable people). Two words that define (adjectives). Splash. Title each section. 3) “I want! 6) Rescue of the dog. P udel. p u d e l n. Composition. Subject. in Tushnov. 1 option.
"Kuprin's story Elephant" - Improve the skills of analyzing a literary text, based on the questions posed. Popular expressions: Elephant something and not notice. Prepare a retelling of the story from another person. To make an elephant out of a fly is to attach great importance to something insignificant. A dream come true. Elephant something and not to notice - not to notice the main thing.
"Christmas story" - Christmas. Christmas time. 3. Happy ending. “Every person can be kind, compassionate and beautiful in soul” A.I. Kuprin. 2. The heroes of the stories are children. Features of the Christmas story. Mercy miracle. The miracle of the Christmas story. Christmas story by A.I. Kuprin "The Wonderful Doctor". 1. The events described in the story take place on Christmas Eve, during Christmas time.
"Kuprin Golden Rooster" - Answer No. 3. Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin "GOLDEN COCK". 3. What figurative means allow you to feel the mood of the writer? 2. Does Kuprin convey the special sound of cock singing? KUPRIN Alexander Ivanovich Russian realist writer. In the story, I noticed a lot of epithets. Answers on questions. 5. Kuprin writes: "... almost beyond hearing, I catch the most delicate pianissimo."
"Kuprin Lilac Bush" - Russian language lesson in 6 "a" class. 110 years since the birth of Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov. Teacher of Russian language and literature. Plato. Dramatization of the story by A.I. Kuprin "Lilac Bush" (8 B class). "Lilac Bush" Statement 8 B class. The book is a silent teacher. 140 years since the birth of A.I. Kuprin. Nedelskaya Tatyana Alekseevna.
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