Kuprin with his Garnet bracelet will be interesting for our reader's diary, which tells the story of one official and his love for a society lady. Kuprin's work, The Garnet Bracelet, touches on the theme of love, based on a plot from life.
Kuprin's story Garnet bracelet history
The history of the creation of the story Kuprin's Garnet Bracelet began in the fall of 1910, when the writer conceived his work, which was supposed to be a story. But Kuprin got carried away with writing and did not notice how the work grew and grew, and here the story of the creation of Kuprin’s Garnet Bracelet suggests that the story grew into a story. The story brought success to the author. What plot was taken from life?
Once Lyubimov told Kuprin a story about an official who fell in love with his mother. He constantly wrote letters, and then in one of the letters he sent a garnet bracelet, which was a daring act at that time. So Lyubimova’s fiance went to the fan’s home, where he wrote another letter. In the conversation, the men asked the fan not to write again and not to appear in the life of Lyubimov’s mother. The fan disappeared and no one else knew about his fate. Kuprin, having heard this story, decided to write his own work with his own ending.
A significant place in Russian literature is occupied by the writer Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin, who created many wonderful works. But it was “The Garnet Bracelet” that attracted and attracts the reader with its understandable, but so deep meaning and content. The controversy surrounding this story still continues, and its popularity continues unabated. Kuprin decided to endow his heroes with the rarest, but most real gift - love, and he succeeded.A sad love story forms the basis of the story “The Garnet Bracelet”. True, selfless, faithful love is a deep and sincere feeling, the main theme of the story of the great writer.
The history of the creation of the story “Garnet Bracelet”
Alexander Ivanovich began writing his new story, which the famous writer Kuprin conceived as a novella, in the autumn of 1910 in the Ukrainian city of Odessa. He thought that he could write it in a few days, and even reports this in one of his letters to his friend, the literary critic Klestov. He wrote to him that very soon he would send his new manuscript to a familiar book publisher. But the writer was wrong.
The story went beyond the required plot, and therefore took the writer not several days, as he planned, but several months. It is also known that the work is based on a story that actually happened. Alexander Ivanovich reports this in a letter to the philologist and friend Fyodor Batyushkov, when, describing to him how the work on the manuscript is going, they remind him of the history itself, which formed the basis of the work:
“This - remember? - the sad story of a small telegraph official P.P. Zheltikov, who was so hopelessly, touchingly and selflessly in love with Lyubimov’s wife (D.N. is now the governor in Vilna).”
He admitted in a letter to his friend Batyushkov, dated November 21, 1910, that work on a new work was going hard. He wrote:
“Now I’m writing “Bracelet,” but it’s not going well. The main reason is my ignorance of music... And the secular tone!
It is known that in December the manuscript was not yet ready, but work was intensively going on on it, and in one of the letters Kuprin himself gives an assessment of his manuscript, saying that the result is a rather “cute” thing that you don’t even want to crumple up .
The manuscript was published in 1911, when it was published in the magazine “Earth”. At that time, it also contained a dedication to Kuprin’s friend, the writer Klestov, who took an active part in its creation. The story “The Garnet Bracelet” also had an epigraph - the first line of music from one of Beethoven’s sonnets.
Plot of the story
The composition of the story consists of thirteen chapters. At the beginning of the story it is told how difficult it was for Princess Vera Nikolaevna Shein. After all, at the beginning of autumn she was still living in the country, when all the neighbors had long since moved to the city due to bad weather. The young woman could not do this, since her city house was being renovated. But soon the weather calmed down, and the sun even came out. With the warmth, the mood of the main character also improved.
In the second chapter, the reader learns that the princess’s birthday had to be celebrated with pomp, because this was required by her husband’s position. A celebration was scheduled for September 17, which was clearly beyond the family’s means. The thing is that her husband had been bankrupt for a long time, but still did not show it to others, although this affected the family: Vera Nikolaevna not only could not afford anything extra, she even saved on everything. On this day, her sister, with whom the princess was on good terms, came to help the young woman. Anna Nikolaevna Friesse was not at all like her sister, but her relatives were very attached to each other.
In the third chapter, the writer talks about the meeting of the sisters and about a walk by the sea, where Anna gave her sister her valuable gift - a notebook with an antique cover. The fourth chapter takes the reader to that evening when guests began to arrive for the celebration. Among the other invitees was General Anosov, who was a friend of the girls’ father and had known the sisters since childhood. The girls called him grandfather, but they did it sweetly and with great respect and love.
The fifth chapter talks about how fun the evening was in the Sheins’ house. Prince Vasily Shein, Vera’s husband, constantly told stories that happened to his relatives and friends, but he did it so cleverly that the guests no longer even understood where the truth was and where it was fiction. Vera Nikolaevna was about to give the order to serve tea, but after counting the guests, she became very frightened. The princess was a superstitious woman, and there were thirteen guests at the table.
Going out to the maid, she learned that the messenger had brought a gift and a note. Vera Nikolaevna started with a note and immediately, from the first lines, realized that it was from her secret admirer. But she felt a little uneasy. The woman also looked at the bracelet, it was beautiful! But the princess faced an important question about whether she should show this gift to her husband.
The sixth chapter is the story of the princess and the telegraph operator. Vera’s husband showed his album with funny pictures and one of them was the story of his wife and a minor official. But it was not finished yet, so Prince Vasily began to simply tell it, not paying attention to the fact that his wife was against it.
In the seventh chapter, the princess says goodbye to the guests: some of them went home, while others settled on the summer terrace. Taking a moment, the young woman shows the letter from her secret admirer to her husband.
General Anosov, leaving in the eighth chapter, listens to the story of Vera Nikolaevna about the letters that the secret sender has been writing for a long time, and then tells the woman that true love is quite rare, but she was lucky. After all, this “madman” loves her with the selfless love that every woman can dream of.
In the ninth chapter, the princess's husband and her brother discuss the bracelet case and come to the conclusion that this story has not only dragged on, but can also negatively affect the family's reputation. Before going to bed, they decide tomorrow to find this secret admirer of Vera Nikolaevna, return the bracelet to him and put an end to this story forever.
In the tenth chapter, Prince Vasily and the girl’s brother Nikolai find Zheltkov and ask to end this story forever. Vera Nikolaevna's husband felt the tragedy of his soul in this man, so he allows him to write a last letter to his wife. After reading this message, the princess immediately realized that this man would definitely do something to himself, for example, kill himself.
In the eleventh chapter, the princess learns about Zheltkov’s death and reads his last letter, where she remembers the following lines: “I tested myself - this is not a disease, not a manic idea - this is love with which God wanted to reward me for something. As I leave, I say in delight: “Hallowed be Thy name.” The princess decides to go to his funeral and look at this man. My husband doesn't mind.
The twelfth and thirteenth chapters are a visit to the deceased Zheltkov, reading his last message and the woman’s disappointment that true love has passed her by.
Characteristics of the characters
There are few characters in the work. But it’s worth dwelling in more detail on the main characters:
Vera Nikolaevna Sheina.
Mr. Zheltkov.
The main character of the story is Vera Nikolaevna Sheina. She comes from an old noble family. Vera is liked by everyone around her, as she is very beautiful and sweet: a gentle face, an aristocratic figure. She has been married for six years. The husband occupies an important place in secular society, although he has financial problems. Vera Nikolaevna has a good education. She also has a brother Nikolai and a sister Anna. She lives with her husband somewhere on the Black Sea coast. Despite the fact that Vera is a superstitious woman and does not read newspapers at all, she loves gambling.
Another main and important character of the story is Mr. Zheltkov. The thin and tall man with nervous fingers was not a rich man. He looked about thirty-five years old. He serves in the control chamber, but holds a low position - a minor official. Kuprin characterizes him as a modest, well-mannered and noble person. Kuprin copied this image from a real person. The prototype of the main character was the petty telegraph official P.P. Zheltikov.
There are other characters in this story:
✔ Anna.
✔ Nikolay
✔ The husband of the main character, Vasily Shein.
✔ General Anosov.
✔ Others.
Each of the characters played a role in the content of the story.
Details in the novel
The story “The Garnet Bracelet” contains many important details that allow us to more deeply reveal the content of the work. But especially among all these details, the garnet bracelet stands out. According to the plot, the main character Vera receives it as a gift from a secret admirer. But first Zheltkov, who is a secret admirer, puts it in a bright red case.
Kuprin gives a detailed description of the bracelet, making one admire its beauty and sophistication: “It was gold, low-grade, very thick, but inflated and on the outside completely covered with small old, poorly polished garnets.” But the further description of the precious bracelet attracts special attention: “In the middle of the bracelet rose, surrounding some strange small green stone, five beautiful cabochon garnets, each the size of a pea.”
The writer also talks about the history of this bracelet, thus emphasizing how important it was for the petty official Zheltkov. The writer writes that this expensive jewelry belonged to the great-grandmother of the protagonist, and the last person to wear it was his late mother, whom he loved very much and kept the warmest memories of her. The green garnet in the middle of the bracelet, according to a minor official, had its own ancient legend, which was passed down in the Zheltkov family from generation to generation. According to this legend, a person is freed from difficult thoughts, a woman also receives the gift of providence as a reward, and a man will be protected from any violent death.
Criticism of the story “The Garnet Bracelet”
Writers highly appreciated Kuprin's skill.
The first review of the work was given by Maxim Gorky in one of his letters in 1911. He was delighted with this story and constantly repeated that it was wonderfully written and that good literature was finally beginning. Reading “The Garnet Bracelet” for the famous revolutionary writer Maxim Gorky became a real holiday. He wrote:
“And what an excellent thing “Garnet Bracelet” by Kuprin... Wonderful!”
The hero of the story “The Garnet Bracelet” is one of the most touching images in literature. The author himself cried over the manuscript of this work. Kuprin claimed that it was the most chaste of all that he created. Characteristics of the heroes (“Garnet Bracelet”) is the topic of this article.
Faith
The main characters are the Sheina spouses. It is noteworthy that the characteristics of the heroes (“Garnet Bracelet”) are given by the author very unevenly. Kuprin did not consider it necessary to describe the character of Princess Vera and her habits. He described the heroine’s appearance, comparing her with her sister Anna.
He has a flexible figure, a gentle, cold and proud face. That's almost all that is said about the main character. Her sister is depicted in more detail, although her presence in the story does not affect the plot in any way.
Each of the images is a kind of means for revealing the main theme of the work, namely the theme of love. And therefore the writer characterizes the characters quite selectively. “The Garnet Bracelet” is a story in which the fate and inner world of the characters can be understood from short phrases spoken by them and various small details.
Princess Vera is a kind, sensitive and honest woman. The ending of the story speaks about her ability to sympathize, when she comes to the house of the deceased Zheltkov to say goodbye to him. Honesty is indicated by the remorse of conscience that she experiences in one of the scenes. When a dispute breaks out between Vasily and Vera’s brother Nikolai about correspondence, which allegedly compromises all family members, Shein coldly notes that this epistolary phenomenon is exclusively one-sided. At her husband’s words, the princess blushes deeply. After all, only one single message was received by the person who presented this ill-fated garnet bracelet.
The main characters, whose characteristics are finally revealed in the denouement, are secondary characters throughout the main part.
Vasily Shein
Even less is said about this hero than about Vera Nikolaevna. As already noted, in the work “The Garnet Bracelet” the main characters, whose characteristics are given by the author at the beginning of the story laconically and restrained, show their best qualities at the end. Vasily Shein goes to Zheltkov and, unlike Vera’s brother, who accompanies him, behaves tactfully, politely and somewhat confused. The prince is able to see a huge tragedy in a man who has been in love with his wife for eight years. He knows how to feel someone else's pain even when someone else would only show hostility and acute irritation.
Later, after Zheltkov commits suicide, Vasily conveys to Vera his impressions of what he saw: “This man loved you, and he was not mad,” he says, and at the same time treats with understanding the princess’s desire to say goodbye to the deceased.
But at the same time, both Vera and Vasily are arrogant people. Which, however, is not surprising, given their position in society. This quality is not negative. This is not arrogance, nor is it a kind of condescension that manifests itself in their attitude towards people outside their circle. Vera is characterized by coldness and an authoritative tone. Vasily treats his wife’s secret admirer with excessive irony. And perhaps all this led to the tragedy.
After reading the summary of the work, one gets the impression that Kuprin dedicated “Garnet Bracelet” to love, which is so scarce in real life. The characteristics of the heroes, which are revealed in the story, give, however, credibility and truthfulness to this plot. To understand this, you need to read carefully and thoughtfully.
Anosov
The author devoted most of the fourth chapter to the image of this hero. The image of Anosov plays an important role in revealing the main idea of the story. In one of the fragments, he talks with the heroine about true love, which he has never experienced in his entire long life, because such a feeling is born once every hundred years. And in response to Vera’s story about Zheltkov, he suggested that this was that rare case.
Zheltkov
This man is pale and has a gentle girlish face. There is no need to talk about the qualities of his character, since the meaning of his life is Vera Nikolaevna. In his last letter, he confesses to her that after he saw her for the first time, he stopped being interested in anything. The image of Zheltkov is central to the plot, but little is said about him. The strength of the feeling he experienced for the last eight years of his life is much more important than his personality.
Using a small diagram, you can summarize the analysis of images in the story “Garnet Bracelet”
Characteristics of heroes (table)
This is the characteristic of heroes. “Garnet Bracelet” - despite its small volume, is a profound work. The article provides a brief description of the imagery and lacks important details and citations.
K. Paustovsky called this story a “fragrant” work about love, and researchers compared it with a Beethoven sonata. We are talking about “Garnet Bracelet” by A. Kuprin. Schoolchildren get to know him in 11th grade. The story captivates the reader with its exciting plot, deep images and original interpretation of the eternal theme of love. We offer an analysis of the work, which will be a good assistant in preparing for the lesson and the Unified State Exam. For convenience, the article provides a brief and complete analysis of the plan.
Brief Analysis
Year of writing - 1910
History of creation- A. I. Kuprin was inspired to write the work by a story he heard in a family of friends.
Subject- The story reveals traditional themes of unrequited love, a sincere feeling that all women dream of.
Composition- The semantic and formal organization of the story has its own peculiarities. The work begins with an epigraph addressed to Beethoven’s “Sonata No. 2.” This same musical masterpiece acts as a symbol in the final part. The author wove small love stories told by Vasily Lvovich into the outline of the main plot. The story consists of 13 parts.
Genre- A story. The writer himself considered his work a story.
Direction- Realism.
History of creation
The story of the creation of the story is connected with real events. A. Kuprin was a friend of Governor Lyubimov’s family. While viewing the family album, the Lyubimovs told Alexander Ivanovich an interesting love story. A telegraph official was in love with the governor's wife. The woman collected his letters and made sketches for them. Once she received a gift from an admirer: a gold-plated chain and a pendant in the shape of an Easter egg.
Work on the work began in September 1910, as evidenced by the author’s letters addressed to his colleagues. At first, Alexander Ivanovich was going to write a story. But he was so inspired by the artistic transformation of the story he heard that the work turned out to be much more than it was intended. Kuprin created the “Garnet Bracelet” for about 3 months. He wrote to Batyushkov about the progress of the work. In one of the letters, the writer admitted that he had difficulties associated with his “ignorance in music.” However, Alexander Ivanovich valued the “Garnet Bracelet” very much, so he did not want to “crumple” it.
The work was first seen by the world on the pages of the magazine “Earth” in 1911. Criticism of the work focused on its ideas and expressive “psychological situations.”
Subject
In order to grasp the ideological sound of the story “Garnet Bracelet,” its analysis should begin with a description of the main problem.
Motif of love has always been common in literature. Masters of the pen have revealed different facets of this feeling, trying to understand how it affects a person. In the work of A. Kuprin, this motif takes pride of place. main topic“Pomegranate Bracelet” - unrequited love. The problematics of the work are dictated by the specified topic.
The events of the story unfold at the Sheins' dacha. The author begins the work with landscape sketches. The end of summer was not encouraging with good weather, but at the beginning of September nature compensated for the gloomy August with sunny days. Reading the work further, it is not difficult to guess that the landscapes not only help to immerse oneself in the countryside atmosphere, but also symbolize changes in the life of the main character, Vera Nikolaevna Sheina: her life with her husband was gray and boring until the woman received an unusual gift.
At the beginning of the work, the reader observes only two characters - the Sheins. The author focuses on the fact that the love between these people faded away, or rather, “turned into a feeling of lasting, faithful, true friendship.”
The system of images is complemented in an episode reproducing the celebration of the princess’s name day.
The holiday is remembered by the stories of Prince Vasily Lvovich about the unrequited love of a telegraph operator for his wife. On the same day, Vera Nikolaevna received a garnet bracelet and a letter signed with initials as a gift. The woman told about the strange gift to her husband, father's friend and brother. They decided to find the author of the letter.
It turned out that the gift was presented by the official Zheltkov, who was madly in love with the princess. Vera Nikolaevna's brother returned the bracelet to the man. After explanations with the Sheins, Zheltkov committed suicide. He left a note to his beloved in which he asked to play a Beethoven sonata if Vera remembered him. In the evening, the woman fulfilled the request of the deceased and finally felt that the man had forgiven her.
“The Pomegranate Bracelet” is filled with reflections on love that come from the lips of the characters. These thoughts are like keys to a door behind which are hidden answers about the essence of a tender, but sometimes ruthless feeling. However, the author does not try to impose his point of view. The reader must draw his own conclusions. To understand what the writer teaches, you need to analyze the actions of the heroes, their characters and destinies.
The work of A. Kuprin is filled with symbols. Main role a garnet bracelet plays, hence the title of the story. The decoration symbolizes true love. The bracelet contains five precious stones. In one of King Solomon's parables, they meant love, passion and anger. An interpretation of the meaning of the title of the story will be incomplete without taking into account the symbolic component. Also, special attention is drawn to Beethoven's sonata, which in this context can be interpreted as a symbol of unhappy but eternal love.
The work develops idea that true love does not disappear from the heart without a trace. Main thought- sincere love exists, you just need to be able to notice and accept it.
Composition
The compositional features of the work are manifested both at the formal and semantic levels. First, A. Kuprin draws the reader to Beethoven’s sonnet through an epigraph. In the finale, it turns out that the musical masterpiece plays the role of a symbol. With the help of this symbolic image, a frame is created that enhances the ideological sound.
The order of the plot elements is not broken. The exhibition includes landscape sketches, an introduction to the Shein family, and a story about the upcoming holiday. The beginning is Vera Nikolaevna receiving a gift. The development of events - a story about the name day, the search for the recipient of the gift, a meeting with Zheltkov. The climax is Zheltkov’s recognition that only death will kill his feelings. The denouement is the death of Zheltkov and the story of how Vera listens to the sonata.
Main characters
Genre
The genre of “The Garnet Bracelet” is a story. The work reveals several storylines, the system of images is quite branched. In terms of volume, it also approaches the story. A. Kuprin was a representative of realism, and the story under analysis was written in this direction. It is based on real events; in addition, the author expressively conveyed the atmosphere of his era.
Work test
Rating Analysis
Average rating: 4.4. Total ratings received: 2174.
The novel “The 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 named so for a reason. Indeed, for the author, “pomegranate” is a symbol of passionate, but very dangerous love.
The history of the novel
Most of A. Kuprin’s stories are permeated with the eternal theme of love, and the novel “The Garnet Bracelet” most vividly reproduces it. A. Kuprin began work on his masterpiece in the fall of 1910 in Odessa. The idea for this work was the writer’s visit to the Lyubimov family in St. Petersburg.
One day, Lyubimova’s son told an entertaining story about his mother’s secret admirer, who for many years wrote her letters with frank declarations of unrequited love. The mother was not delighted with this 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 aggravated by a gift in the form of a red bracelet, given for the princess’s name day. At that time, this was a daring act and could cast a bad shadow on the lady’s reputation.
Lyubimova’s husband and brother 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 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 use it as the basis for his novel, which was somewhat modified and expanded. It should be noted that 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 magazine “Earth”.
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”. The gift was accompanied by a note, from which it became known that the bracelet belonged to the great-grandmother of the princess's secret admirer. The unknown person signed with the initials “G.S.” AND.". The princess is embarrassed by this present and remembers that for many years a stranger has been writing to her about his feelings.
The princess's husband, Vasily Lvovich Shein, and brother, Nikolai Nikolaevich, who worked as an assistant prosecutor, are looking for a secret writer. He turns out to be a simple official under the name Georgy Zheltkov. They return the bracelet to him and ask him to leave the woman alone. Zheltkov feels a sense of shame that Vera Nikolaevna could lose her reputation because of his actions. It turns out that he fell in love with her a long time ago, having accidentally seen her at the circus. Since then, he writes letters to her about unrequited love until his death several times a year.
The next day, the Shein family learns that official Georgy Zheltkov shot himself. He managed to write his last letter to Vera Nikolaevna, in which he asks for her forgiveness. He writes that his life no longer has meaning, but he still loves her. The only thing Zheltkov asks is that the princess not blame herself for his death. If this fact torments 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, having read the note, asks her husband for permission to look at the deceased. She arrives at the official's apartment, where she sees him dead. The lady kisses his forehead and places a bouquet of flowers on the deceased. When she returns home, she asks to play a piece by Beethoven, 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 the great love that a woman can only dream of. Here she recalls the words of General Anosov: “Love should be a tragedy, the greatest secret in the world.”
Main characters
Princess, middle-aged woman. She is married, but her relationship with her husband has long grown into friendly feelings. She has no children, but she is always attentive to her husband and takes care of him. She has a bright appearance, is well educated, and is interested in music. But for more than 8 years she has been receiving strange letters from a fan of “G.S.Z.” This fact confuses her; she told her husband and family about it and does not reciprocate the writer’s feelings. At the end of the work, after the death of the official, she bitterly understands the severity of lost love, which happens only once in a life.
Official Georgy Zheltkov
A young man about 30-35 years old. Modest, poor, well-mannered. He is secretly in love with Vera Nikolaevna and writes about his feelings to her in letters. When the bracelet he had been given was returned to him and asked to stop writing to the princess, he commits an act of suicide, leaving a farewell note to the woman.
Vera Nikolaevna's husband. A good, cheerful man who truly loves his wife. But because of his love for constant social life, he is on the verge of ruin, which drags his family to the bottom.
The main character's younger sister. 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, gambles, but is very pious. Anna is very attached to her older sister.
Nikolai Nikolaevich Mirza-Bulat-Tuganovsky
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. A participant in the Russian-Turkish war, he was wounded. He has no family or children, but is close to Vera and Anna like his own 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 one man's tragic and unrequited love. At the end of the novel, the tragedy of the story takes on even greater proportions, because the heroine realizes the severity of loss and unconscious love.
Today the novel “The Garnet Bracelet” is very popular. It describes great feelings of love, sometimes even dangerous, lyrical, with a tragic ending. This has always been relevant among the population, because love is immortal. In addition, the main characters of the work are described very realistically. After the publication of the story, A. Kuprin gained high popularity.
