Zheltkov characterization and image of the hero in the story of Kuprin Garnet bracelet
Plan
1. Introduction
2. General characteristics
3. "Holy, eternal, pure love"
4.Conclusion
The theme of love is one of the leading in world literature. Many poets and writers from different angles covered all the shades of this great feeling. Unrequited love deserves special attention. What is a person to do in such a case? A. I. Kuprin gives his answer to this question in the story "Garnet Bracelet", creating the image of G. S. Zheltkov hopelessly in love.
Zheltkov is a poor middle-aged official with an expressionless appearance; "pale, with a tender girlish face." He is very humble and polite. When visiting Nikolai Nikolaevich and Vasily Lvovich, Zheltkov is completely lost. It becomes clear that he rarely has to communicate with representatives of high society.
Upon learning that the purpose of the visit is the persecution of Vera Nikolaevna, Zheltkov becomes very nervous. This is a sacred topic for him. Zheltkov did not expect that it could become a subject of discussion. However, Zheltkov's shyness and modesty instantly disappear at the hint of government intervention. A person tormented by love sincerely wonders what this can give. However, he continues to behave and talk very politely and decently.
Cross Zheltkov - selfless love for Vera Nikolaevna. By chance meeting her for the first time, the official fell in love for life. The first unsuccessful attempts in the form of love letters did not affect Zheltkov's feelings in any way. For eight years now, his admiration for his beloved woman has continued. Many will consider such love a manic idea, simply because in life this almost never happens. According to the lover himself, this is a divine gift, a reward. Zheltkov understands that he has no chance of reciprocity. Yes, he does not dream about it. His only desire is to be able to at least occasionally see the object of his admiration.
Vera Nikolaevna for Zheltkov is a deity in the literal sense. As he himself writes in his last letter: "there is nothing in the world ... more beautiful and more tender than you." Everything that the beloved touches becomes sacred for Zheltkov. As the greatest relics, he keeps her handkerchief, note, program art exhibition. Love completely transforms the poor official, gives meaning to his life.
For insensitive people (like Tuganovsky), his selflessness is incomprehensible and ridiculous. But Prince Shein and Vera Nikolaevna are shaken by Zheltkov's love. They feel an involuntary respect for him. Sending a "stupid bracelet" Zheltkov considers his mistake. He didn't need to be reminded of himself. Already during the visit of Prince Shein with Tuganovsky, the lover decides to commit suicide so as not to disturb anyone else.
Zheltkov's unearthly love seems like a fantasy, especially in our time. Nevertheless, it is an ideal to strive for. Few can boast of complete selflessness in the name of a loved one. The image of Zheltkov recalls that "love is born in heaven", and the best recognition is: "Let your name".
The novel "Garnet Bracelet" by A. Kuprin is rightfully considered one of the best, revealing the theme of love. The storyline is based on real events. The situation in which the main character of the novel found herself was actually experienced by the mother of the writer's friend, Lyubimov. This work is called so for a reason. After all, for the author of "garnet" is a symbol of passionate, but very dangerous love.
History of the creation of the novel
Most of A. Kuprin's stories are permeated with the eternal theme of love, and the novel "Garnet Bracelet" reproduces it most vividly. A. Kuprin began work on his masterpiece in the autumn of 1910 in Odessa. The idea of this work was one visit of the writer to the Lyubimov family in St. Petersburg.
Once Lyubimova's son told an entertaining story about a secret admirer of his mother, who for many years wrote letters to her with frank confessions of unrequited love. Mother was not happy with such a manifestation of feelings, because she had been married for a long time. At the same time, she had a higher social status in society than her admirer - a simple official P.P. Zheltikov. The situation was exacerbated by a gift in the form of a red bracelet, presented on the princess's name day. At that time, this was a daring act and could put a bad shadow on the lady's reputation.
The husband and brother of Lyubimova paid a visit to the fan's home, he was just writing another letter to his beloved. They returned the gift to the owner, asking them not to disturb Lyubimova in the future. None of the family members knew about the further fate of the official.
The story that was told at the tea party hooked the writer. A. Kuprin decided to make it the basis of his novel, which was somewhat modified and supplemented. It should be noted that the work on the novel was difficult, about which the author wrote to his friend Batyushkov in a letter on November 21, 1910. The work was published only in 1911, first published in the journal Zemlya.
Analysis of the work
Description of the work
On her birthday, Princess Vera Nikolaevna Sheina receives an anonymous gift in the form of a bracelet, which is decorated with green stones - "garnets". A note was attached to the gift, from which it became known that the bracelet belonged to the great-grandmother of the secret admirer of the princess. The unknown person signed with the initials “G.S. J.". The princess is embarrassed by this present and recalls that for many years a stranger has been writing to her about his feelings.
The husband of the princess, Vasily Lvovich Shein, and brother, Nikolai Nikolaevich, who worked as an assistant prosecutor, are looking for a secret writer. It turns out to be a simple official under the name Georgy Zheltkov. The bracelet is returned to him and asked to leave the woman alone. Zheltkov is ashamed that Vera Nikolaevna could lose her reputation because of his actions. It turns out that a long time ago he fell in love with her, accidentally seeing her in the circus. Since then, he writes her letters of unrequited love until his death several times a year.
The next day, the Shein family learns that Georgy Zheltkov, an official, shot himself. He managed to write the last letter to Vera Nikolaevna, in which he asks for her forgiveness. He writes that his life no longer makes sense, but he still loves her. The only thing Zheltkov asks is that the princess does not blame herself for his death. If given fact will torment her, then let her listen to Beethoven's Sonata No. 2 in his honor. The bracelet, which was returned to the official the day before, he ordered the maid to hang on the icon of the Mother of God before his death.
Vera Nikolaevna, after reading the note, asks her husband's permission to look at the deceased. She arrives at the official's apartment, where she sees him dead. The lady kisses him on the forehead and lays a bouquet of flowers on the deceased. When she returns home, she asks to play Beethoven's work, after which Vera Nikolaevna burst into tears. She realizes that "he" has forgiven her. At the end of the novel, Sheina realizes the loss of a great love that a woman can only dream of. Here she recalls the words of General Anosov: "Love must be a tragedy, the greatest mystery in the world."
main characters
Princess, middle-aged woman. She is married, but relations with her husband have long grown into friendly feelings. She has no children, but she is always attentive to her husband, take care of him. She has a bright appearance, is well educated, is fond of music. But for more than 8 years, strange letters have been coming to her from a fan of G.S.Zh. This fact confuses her, she told her husband and family about him and does not reciprocate the writer. At the end of the work, after the death of an official, she bitterly understands the full burden of lost love, which happens only once in a lifetime.
Official Georgy Zheltkov
Young man aged 30-35. Modest, poor, educated. He is secretly in love with Vera Nikolaevna and writes about his feelings to her in letters. When he was returned the gift bracelet and asked to stop writing to the princess, he commits an act of suicide, leaving a farewell note to the woman.
Husband of Vera Nikolaevna. A good, cheerful man who sincerely loves his wife. But because of the love of constant secular life, he is on the verge of ruin, which pulls his family to the bottom.
Younger sister main character. She is married to an influential young man with whom she has 2 children. In marriage, she does not lose her feminine nature, loves to flirt, gamble, but is very pious. Anna is very attached to her older sister.
Nikolai Nikolaevich Mirza-Bulat-Tuganovskiy
Brother of Vera and Anna Nikolaevna. He works as an assistant prosecutor, a very serious guy by nature, with strict rules. Nikolai is not wasteful, far from feelings of sincere love. It is he who asks Zheltkov to stop writing to Vera Nikolaevna.
General Anosov
An old military general, a former friend of the late father of Vera, Anna and Nikolai. Member of the Russian-Turkish war, was wounded. Has no family and children, but is close to Vera and Anna as a father. He is even called "grandfather" in the Sheins' house.
This work is full of different symbols and mysticism. It is based on the story of the tragic and unrequited love of one person. At the end of the novel, the tragedy of history takes on even greater proportions, because the heroine is aware of the severity of loss and unconscious love.
Today, the novel "Garnet Bracelet" is very popular. It describes the great feelings of love, sometimes even dangerous, lyrical, with a tragic ending. This has always been true among the population, because love is immortal. In addition, the main characters of the work are described very realistically. After the release of the story, A. Kuprin gained high popularity.
Zheltkov G. S. (apparently, Georgy - “pan Ezhiy”)- appears in the story only towards the end: “very pale, with a gentle girlish face, blue eyes and a stubborn childish chin with a dimple in the middle; he must have been about thirty, thirty-five years old.” Along with Princess Vera can be called the main character of the story. The outset of the conflict is the receipt by Princess Vera on September 17, on the day of her name day, a letter signed with the initials “G. S. Zh. ”, and a garnet bracelet in a red case.
It was a gift from a stranger then to Vera Zh., who fell in love with her seven years ago, wrote letters, then stopped bothering her at her request, but now again confessed his love. In a letter, Zh. explained that the old silver bracelet once belonged to his grandmother, then all the stones were transferred to a new, gold bracelet. Zh. repents that before "dared to write stupid and daring letters" and adds: "Now I have only reverence, eternal admiration and slavish devotion." One of the guests at the birthday party for fun presents the love story of the telegrapher, P.P.Zh. (distorted G.S.Zh.), to Vera in a comic form, stylized as a tabloid novel. Another guest, a person close to the family, the old general Anosov, suggests: “Maybe this is just a crazy guy, a maniac<...>maybe your life path, Verochka, was crossed by exactly the kind of love that women dream of and that men are no longer capable of.
Under the influence of his brother-in-law, Vera's husband, Prince Vasily Lvovich Shein, decides to return the bracelet and stop correspondence. Zh. struck Shein at the meeting with his sincerity. Zh., having asked permission from Shein, speaks on the phone with Vera, but she also asks to stop "this story." Shein felt that he was present "at some tremendous tragedy of the soul." When he informs Vera about this, she predicts that J. will kill herself. Later, from the newspaper, she accidentally learned about the suicide of Zh., who referred in his suicide note to the embezzlement of state money. In the evening of the same day, she receives a farewell letter from J. He calls his love for Vera “great happiness” sent to him by God. It is recognized that he "is not interested in anything in life: neither politics, nor science, nor philosophy, nor concern for the future happiness of people." All life lies in love for Vera: “Let me be ridiculous in your eyes and in the eyes of your brother<...>As I leave, I say in ecstasy: Hallowed be thy name. Prince Shein admits: Zh. was not crazy and loved Vera very much and therefore was doomed to death. He allows Vera to say goodbye to J. Looking at the deceased, she "realized that the love that every woman dreams of has passed her by." In the face of the dead ^K. she noticed "deep importance", "deep and sweet mystery", "peaceful expression", which "she saw on the masks of the great sufferers - Pushkin and Napoleon".
At home, Vera found a familiar pianist - Jenny Reiter, who played her exactly the place from Beethoven's second sonata, which seemed to J. the most perfect - "Largo Appassionato". And this music became an afterlife declaration of love addressed to Vera. Vera's thoughts that "a great love passed by her" coincided with the music, each "verse" of which ended with the words: "Hallowed be thy name." At the very end of the story, Vera utters words that only she understands: “... he has forgiven me now. Things are good".
All the heroes of the story, not excluding Zh., had real prototypes. Criticism pointed, however, to the connection of the "Garnet Bracelet" with the prose of the Norwegian writer Knut Hamsun.
Zheltkov was a young man who had long since fallen in love with Vera Nikolaevna. At first he dared to write letters to her. But when she asked him not to do it again, he immediately stopped, since his love was beyond his own desires. At first he dreamed of a meeting and wanted an answer, but, realizing that he would not succeed, he still continued to love the princess.For him, her happiness and peace were in the first place. He was a sensitive young man, capable of deep feeling. For him, Vera Nikolaevna was the ideal and perfection of beauty. He was not crazy because he understood everything that was going on perfectly. He wanted to see Vera, but did not have the right to do so, so he did it secretly.He understood that he could not give her gifts, but he sent her a bracelet, in the hope that she would at least see it and pick it up for a second.
In addition, Zheltkov was a very honest and noble young man, he did not pursue Vera Nikolaevna after her marriage and after she wrote him a note asking him never to write to her again. He only occasionally sent her congratulations on big holidays, such as New Year, Christmas, Birthday. Zheltkov was noble, since he did not try to upset Vera Nikolaevna's barque, and when he realized that he had already gone far and was interfering with his manifestations, he decided to simply get out of the way. But since he could not live without her, he committed suicide, because for him it was the only way to keep himself from not seeing her, not sending gifts, letters, not making himself known. He was mentally strong enough to draw this conclusion for himself, but he was not strong enough to live without his love.
Writing
And the heart will no longer respond
It's all over... And my song rushes
In an empty night where you are no more.
A. Akhmatova
A. I. Kuprin is an original writer of the 20th century, in whose work the precepts of Russian classical literature with its democratism, passionate desire to solve the problems of social life, humanism, deep interest in the life of the people. Loyalty to traditions, the influence of L. N. Tolstoy and A. P. Chekhov, the impact of the creative ideas of M. Gorky determined the originality fiction Kuprin, his place in the literary process of the beginning of the century.
The theme of "enlightenment" of a simple Russian person, eagerly seeking truth in social life, was especially close to the writers, whose work was formed during the years of the revolutionary upsurge. Therefore, in the center of the works there is invariably a small person, an average intellectual-truth seeker, and the main theme is bourgeois civilization, devouring thousands of human lives and entailing the vulgarization of people's relationships "It is natural in such a situation to turn to one of the eternal themes - the theme of love. love as one of the mysteries of life, and A. Kuprin.
Following "Olesya" (1898) and "Duel" (1905), in the 1910s, a kind of "trilogy" about love came out from under his pen, which is formed by the works "Shulamith", "Garnet Bracelet" and "Pit" ( the latter depicts anti-love). Love for Kuprin is a saving force that protects the human soul from the destructive influence of civilization; a phenomenon of life, an unexpected gift that illuminates life in the midst of everyday reality and established life. But love in his works is associated with the idea of death.
The heroes of Kuprin most often die when faced with the world of cruelty, lack of spirituality and the generally accepted philistine morality of the modern world.
The meaning and content of the life of the protagonist of the story "Garnet Bracelet" was a great, but, unfortunately, unrequited love. G. S. Zheltkov is a young man of pleasant appearance, an employee of the control chamber. He is musical, endowed with a sense of beauty, subtly feels and knows how to understand people. Despite his poverty, Zheltkov has a "pedigree", his sofa is covered with a "worn beautiful Teke carpet."
But its main value is "seven years of hopeless and polite love." The object of his admiration is the eldest daughter of the late Prince Mirza-Bulat-Tuganovsky, the wife of the leader of the nobility in the city of K., Vera Nikolaevna Sheina. She married for love a childhood friend, but now she feels for her husband "a feeling of lasting, faithful, true friendship." Both Vera Nikolaevna herself and those around her consider her marriage a happy one. Vera Nikolaevna is endowed with "aristocratic" beauty. She attracts "with her tall, flexible figure, gentle, but cold and proud face, beautiful, although rather large hands, and that charming sloping of the shoulders, which can be seen in ancient miniatures."
The heroine is a sensitive, subtle nature with many talents. But Vera does not respond to Zheltkov's feelings. She perceives his attention, his letters and the gift of a garnet bracelet as something unnecessary, besides breaking the usual measured course of life. The princess is accustomed to take life seriously. She soberly assesses the financial situation of the family and tries to "help the prince refrain from complete ruin", denying herself a lot and saving on household chores. The Sheins have a wide circle of acquaintances, and reputation is very important for Princess Vera, she is afraid to look ridiculous or ridiculous. She considers the fan himself "with the funny surname Zheltkov" a "madman" who "haunts her with his love", and even once asks him in writing "not to bother her anymore with his love outpourings." The love of our hero is incomprehensible to the princess and seems burdensome.
For Zheltkov, the whole life lies in Vera Nikolaevna. He is no longer interested in anything: "neither politics, nor science, nor philosophy, nor concern for the future happiness of people." Zheltkov's heart is always near her beloved, at her feet, "every moment of the day is filled" with Vera Nikolaevna, thoughts and dreams about her. But Zheltkov's love is "not a disease, not a manic idea." He fell in love with Vera "because there is nothing in the world like her, there is nothing better, there is no beast, no plant, no star, no man more beautiful ... and more tender." This great love is a gift from heaven, "great happiness." This is love, “which God was pleased to reward me for something,” he writes, experiencing “reverence, eternal admiration” for the woman he loves, and boundless gratitude for the mere fact that she exists. The princess, unknowingly herself, painfully injures Zheltkov, pushes him to suicide with the words: "Oh, if you only knew how tired I am of this whole story. Please stop it as soon as possible." But he asked for such a small thing: "to stay in the city, so that at least occasionally to see her, of course, without showing her eyes."
Farewell to Vera Nikolaevna for the hero is tantamount to saying goodbye to life. But, knowing perfectly well that his feelings are not shared, Zheltkov hopes and is “even sure” that Vera Nikolaevna will remember him someday. And indeed, after Zheltkov’s death, saying goodbye to him, she realizes that she has lost something important and very valuable, that “a great love that repeats only once in a thousand years”, “that love that every woman dreams of has passed past her." Shocked by this realization, Vera asks the pianist to play something, not doubting that Jenny will play the very passage from the Second Sonata that Zheltkov asked for. And when she listened to "this exceptional work, unique in its depth," "her soul seemed to split in two." She was filled with music and poems that ended with the words from the farewell letter loving person: "Hallowed be thy name" ...
Music theme"Appassionata" claims high strength love. Music in the story generally plays a very important role, it is not by chance that the title of Beethoven's second sonata is included in the epigraph. It serves as the key to understanding the whole work. "Prayer for Love" runs like a leitmotif throughout the work and sounds powerfully in its finale. What the enamored official of the control chamber was unable to put into words was "told" by the music of the great composer. As you can see, mutual, perfect love did not take place, but this high and poetic feeling, albeit concentrated in one soul, opened the way to a beautiful rebirth of another. After all, every woman in the depths of her heart dreams of such love - "one, all-forgiving, ready for anything, modest and selfless."
Just a few pages, a few lines from a letter, and before us was the life of a man. Is it real life? Is the main character real?
According to the memoirs of L. Arsenyeva, a younger contemporary of the writer, in the late 1920s in Paris, the aging A. Kuprin challenged his interlocutor to a duel, who allowed himself to doubt the plausibility of the plot of the "Garnet Bracelet". Kuprin rarely resorted to pure fiction in his work. All his works are realistic, based on real events, personal impressions from meetings with people, from conversations. The story of love, which formed the basis of the story, the writer heard in the summer of 1906 while visiting a member of the State Council, Dmitry Nikolaevich Lyubimov. The Lyubimovs showed Kuprin a family album. There were illustrations for letters that Lyubimov's wife received from a person signing the initials P.P.Zh. (it turned out to be petty postal official Pyotr Petrovich Zheltikov). Kuprin creatively rethought what he had heard and, by the power of his talent, turned an ordinary episode into a love story, about which "the best minds and souls of mankind - poets, novelists, musicians, artists" have been dreaming and yearning for centuries. Unlike the hero of the story, Kuprin, Zheltikov did not shoot himself, but was transferred to the province, where he then married. But he served as a real prototype for the creation of a hero who won our hearts with the strength and purity of his feelings.
The image of Zheltkov is real. It is real because, contrary to the opinion of General Anosov, there is still love in the world, which is not affected by "any comforts of life, calculations and compromises," and there are men capable of "strong desires, heroic deeds, tenderness and adoration." I would like to believe that in modern world perhaps a bright, humane feeling, reckless, "hopeless and polite", chivalrous, heroic love; love is strong and pure, the love that God sends to the elect, "like great happiness." Such love, "for which to accomplish any feat, to give one's life, to go to torment, is not labor at all, but one joy." But such love cannot, must not end in a fatal outcome. Why die? You need to live, knowing that you are just nearby, in the same city, in the same country, on the same planet with the person you love, and from this life is filled with meaning and becomes beautiful.
Despite the tragic ending, "Kuprin's story is optimistic, life-affirming, because in the "Garnet Bracelet" the author, probably stronger and brighter than in other works, sings Eternal values life, spiritual strength and purity, nobility and the ability to sacrifice in the name of love. And, of course, love itself - the most sublime and beautiful of all human feelings.
