The story of A.I. Kuprin's Pomegranate Bracelet, published in 1910, is one of the most poetic works of art in Russian literature of the 20th century. It opens with an epigraph referring the reader to famous work J1. van Beethoven's sonata Appassionata. To the same music theme the author returns at the end of the story. The first chapter is a detailed landscape sketch that reveals the contradictory changeability of the natural elements. In it A.I. Kuprin introduces us to the image of the main character - Princess Vera Nikolaevna Sheina, the wife of the leader of the nobility. At first glance, a woman's life seems calm and carefree. Despite financial difficulties, Vera and her husband have an atmosphere of friendship and mutual understanding in the family. Only one small detail alarms the reader: on her birthday, her husband gives Vera earrings made of pear-shaped pearls. Involuntarily, doubt creeps in that the heroine's family happiness is so firm, so indestructible.
On her birthday, her younger sister comes to Sheina, who, like Pushkin's Olga, who sets off the image of Tatyana in Eugene Onegin, contrasts sharply with Vera both in character and in appearance. Anna is playful and wasteful, and Vera is calm, reasonable and economical. Anna is attractive, but ugly, and Vera is endowed with aristocratic beauty. Anna has two children, and Vera has no children, although she passionately desires to have them. An important artistic detail that reveals Anna's character is the gift she gives to her sister: Anna brings Vera a small notebook made from an old prayer book. She enthusiastically recounts how she carefully selected leaflets, clasps and a pencil for the book. To faith, the very fact of altering the prayer book into a notebook seems blasphemous. This shows the integrity of her nature, emphasizes how much the older sister takes life more seriously. We will soon learn that Vera graduated from the Smolny Institute - one of the best educational institutions for women in noble Russia, and her friend is the famous pianist Zhenya Reuter.
General Anosov is an important figure among the guests who have come to the name-day. It is this man, wise in life, who has seen danger and death in his lifetime, and therefore, who knows the value of life, who tells several love stories in the story, which can be designated in the artistic structure of the work as inserted novellas. Unlike the vulgar family stories told by Prince Vasily Lvovich, Vera's husband and owner of the house, where everything is twisted and ridiculed, turns into a farce, the stories of General Anosov are filled with real life details. Gak arises in the story of a dispute about what true love is. Anosov says that people have forgotten how to love, that marriage does not at all imply emotional closeness and warmth. Women often marry in order to get out of care and be the mistress of the house. Men - from fatigue from single life. The desire to continue the race plays a significant role in marriage unions, and selfish motives are often not in the last place. "And where is love?" - Anosov asks. He is interested in such a love for which "to accomplish any feat, to give up his life, to go to torment is not labor at all, but one joy." Here, in the words of General Kuprin, in fact, reveals his concept of love: “Love must be a tragedy. The greatest secret in the world. No life comforts, calculations and compromises should concern her. " Anosov talks about how people become victims of their love feelings, about love triangles that exist contrary to all meaning.
Against this background, the story of the telegraph operator Zheltkov's love for Princess Vera is considered in the story. This feeling flared up when Vera was still free. But she did not reciprocate. Contrary to all logic, Zheltkov did not stop dreaming about his beloved, wrote her tender letters, and even sent a gift for her birthday - a gold bracelet with pomegranates that looked like drops of blood. An expensive gift makes Vera's husband take steps to end the story. Together with the brother of Princess Nikolai, he decides to return the bracelet.
The scene of Prince Shein's visit to Zheltkov's apartment is one of the key scenes of the work. A.I. Kuprin appears here as a true master-rsalist in creating a psychological portrait. The image of the telegraph operator Zheltkov is typical of the Russian classical Literature XIX century image little man... A notable detail in the story is the comparison of the hero's room with the wardroom of a cargo ship. The character of the inhabitant of this modest dwelling is shown primarily through a gesture. In the scene of the visit of Vasily Lvovich and Nikolai Nikolayevich Zheltkov, sometimes in confusion he rubs his hands, then nervously unbuttons and buttoned the buttons of a short jacket (and this detail in this scene becomes a repetitive one). The hero is agitated, he cannot hide his feelings. However, as the conversation develops, when Nikolai Nikolaevich voices a threat to turn to the authorities in order to protect Vera from persecution, Zheltkov suddenly transforms and even laughs. Love gives him strength, and he begins to feel his own righteousness. Kuprin focuses on the difference in mood between Nikolai Nikolaevich and Vasily Lvovich during the visit. Vera's husband, seeing a rival, suddenly becomes serious and judicious. He tries to understand Zheltkov and says to his brother-in-law: "Kolya, is he really to blame for love and is it possible to control such a feeling as love - a feeling that has not yet found an interpreter for itself." In contrast to Nikolai Nikolaevich, Shane allows Zheltkov to write a farewell letter to Vera. A huge role in this scene for understanding the depth of Zheltkov's feelings for Vera is played by a detailed portrait of the hero. His lips turn white like that of a dead man, his eyes fill with tears.
Zheltkov calls Vera and asks her for little - about the opportunity to see her at least from time to time without showing her eyes. These meetings could give his life at least some meaning, but Vera denied him that too. Her reputation and the peace of mind of her family were dear to her. She showed cold indifference to the fate of Zheltkov. The telegraph operator turned out to be defenseless against Vera's decision. The strength of love feelings and maximum spiritual openness made him vulnerable. Kuprin constantly emphasizes this defenselessness with portrait details: a child's chin, a gentle girlish face.
In the eleventh chapter of the story, the author emphasizes the motive of fate. Princess Vera, who had never read newspapers for fear of getting her hands dirty, suddenly unfolds the very sheet where the announcement of Zheltkov's suicide is printed. This fragment of the work is intertwined with the scene in which General Anosov says to Vera: “... Who knows? - maybe yours life path, Vera, crossed exactly the kind of love that women dream about and which men are no longer capable of. " It is no coincidence that the princess recalls these words again. One gets the impression that Zheltkov was indeed sent to Vera by fate, but she could not discern selfless nobility, subtlety and beauty in the soul of a simple telegraph operator.
The peculiar construction of the plot in the work of A.I. Kuprin lies in the fact that the author makes the reader a kind of signs that help to predict the further development of the narrative. In "Olesa" this is the motive of fortune-telling, in accordance with which all further relationships of the heroes are formed, in "Duel" - the officers' conversation about a duel. In The Pomegranate Bracelet, the bracelet itself is a sign foreshadowing a tragic denouement, the stones of which look like drops of blood.
Having learned about the death of Zheltkov, Vera realizes that she had a presentiment of a tragic outcome. In his farewell message to his beloved, Zheltkov does not hide an all-consuming passion. He literally deifies Faith, referring to her the words from the prayer "Our Father ...": "Hallowed your name».
In literature " Silver Age"The atheist motives were strong. Zheltkov, deciding to commit suicide, commits the greatest Christian sin, because the church prescribes to endure any spiritual and physical torment sent to a person on earth. But throughout the course of the development of the plot A.I. Kuprin justifies the act of Zheltkov. Not by chance the main character the name of the story is Vera. For Zheltkov, thus, the concepts of "love" and "faith" merge into one. Before dying, the hero asks the landlady to hang a bracelet on the icon.
Looking at the late Zheltkov, Vera is finally convinced that there was truth in Anosov's words. By his act, the poor telegraph operator was able to reach out to the heart of the cold beauty and touch her. Vera brings Zheltkov a red rose and kisses him on the forehead with a long, friendly kiss. Only after death did the hero receive the right to attention and respect for his feelings. Only by his own death did he prove the true depth of his feelings (before that Vera considered him crazy).
Anosov's words about eternal exclusive love become the through-going motive of the story. The last time they are recalled in the story is when, at the request of Zheltkov, Vera listens to Beethoven's second sonata (Appassionata). In the finale of the story, A.I. Kuprin sounded another repetition: "Hallowed be thy name", no less significant in the artistic structure of the work. He once again emphasizes the purity and sublimity of Zheltkov's relationship to his beloved.
Putting love on a par with concepts such as death, faith, A.I. Kuprin emphasizes the importance of this concept for human life in general. Not all people know how to love and stay true to their feelings. The story "Garnet Bracelet" can be regarded as a kind of testament to A.I. Kuprin, addressed to those who are trying to live not with their heart, but with their reason. Their life, correct from the point of view of a rational approach, is doomed to a spiritually devastated existence, for only love can give a person true happiness.
One of the most famous works of tragic love in Russian literature, in which Kuprin explores "love-tragedy", shows its origins and the role of this feeling in human life, and this research is carried out against a socio-psychological background, which largely determines everything that happens with heroes, but cannot fully explain the phenomenon of love as a feeling, which, according to the writer, is beyond the bounds of causal relationships that are understandable to reason, depending on some higher will.
The creative story of the story "Garnet Bracelet", which we will analyze, is widely known: its heroes are not invented, each of them has prototypes, and the "story with a bracelet" itself actually took place in the family of a prominent official, Prince D.N. Lyubimov (member of the State Council), whose wife Lyudmila Ivanovna was presented with a vulgar "garnet bracelet" by the apt telegraph official P. P. Zheltkov; This gift was offensive, the donor was easily identified, and after a conversation with Lyudmila Ivanovna's husband and brother (in the story - Nikolai Nikolaevich) he disappeared from her life forever. All this is true, but after all, Kuprin heard this story back in 1902, and the story was written in 1910 ... Obviously, it took the writer time for the first impressions of what he heard to be embodied in artistic images so that the story from life (rather funny in the presentation of DN Lyubimov ...) turns into a truly tragic story of sublime love, "about which women dream and which men are no longer capable of."
The plot of the story "The Pomegranate Bracelet" is simple: on her birthday, Vera Nikolaevna Sheina, "the wife of the leader of the nobility", receives a pomegranate bracelet sent by her longtime fan from her girlhood, informs her husband about it, and he, under the influence of her brother, goes to the mysterious "G. S. Zh." that he shot himself. As you can see, outwardly, history almost repeats life, only in life, fortunately, the ending was not so tragic. However, psychologically, everything is much more complicated, Kuprin did not describe, but creatively reworked a case from life.
First of all, it is necessary to dwell on the conflict of the story "Garnet Bracelet". Here we see an external conflict - between the world of "high society", to which the heroine belongs, and the world of petty officials, they "are not supposed" to feel any feelings in relation to women like Vera Nikolaevna - and Zheltkov for a long time, selflessly, can even say, selflessly loves her. Here are the origins of internal conflict: love, it turns out, can become for a person the meaning of life, what he lives for and what he serves, and everything else - "in Zheltkov's way" - are just unnecessary things for a person, distracting him from the main thing in his life's purpose is to serve a loved one. It is easy to see that both the external and internal conflicts of the work become the main way of revealing the characters actors who show themselves in how they relate to love, how they understand the nature of this feeling and its place in the life of every person.
Probably, the author expresses his understanding of what love is in the words of General Anosov, which he said at Vera Nikolaevna's birthday: “Love should be a tragedy. The greatest secret in the world! Author's position morally, she is indeed uncompromising, and in the story "Garnet Bracelet" Kuprin explores why such love (and it exists in life, the author convinces the reader of this!) is doomed.
To understand the events taking place in the story, you need to understand what kind of relationship Vera Nikolaevna and Vasily Lvovich Sheinykh have. At the very beginning of the story, the author says about this: "Princess Vera, whose former passionate love for her husband has long since turned into a feeling of strong, faithful, sincere friendship ..." This is very important: the heroes know what true love is, but only in their life, it so happened that their feeling was reborn into friendship, which is probably also necessary in the relationship of spouses, but not instead of love? .. But the one who himself experienced the feeling of love can understand another person, the one who loves - unlike people who did not know in life what it is - true love, that is why Prince Vasily Lvovich behaves so unusually, whose wife received such a compromising, if not insulting (this is how Vera's brother, Nikolai Nikolaevich Tuganovsky , who insisted on a visit to Zheltkov) congratulations.
On the stage of the name day, after which the conversation between the Sheins and Nikolai Nikolaevich took place, it is necessary to dwell in more detail because it is very important for understanding the role that, as the author believes, love plays in a person's life. After all, quite prosperous people gathered at Princess Vera's name-day, who seem to be "doing well" in life, but why are they talking so enthusiastically about this feeling - about love? Maybe because the love of the Shein spouses turned into "friendship", Anna Nikolaevna could not stand her "husband ... but gave birth to two children from him - a boy and a girl ..."? Because any person, no matter what he says about love, secretly believes in it and expects that in his life there will be this bright feeling that changes life? ..
An interesting compositional technique that Kuprin uses, creating the image of Zheltkov: this hero appears almost at the very end of the story, appears as if for a moment (conversation with guests), in order to disappear forever, but his appearance was prepared both by the story with the gift, and a story about his relationship to Princess Vera, so it seems to the reader that he has known this hero for a long time. And yet, the real Zheltkov turns out to be completely unlike the "hero-in-love", as the reader's imagination may have painted him: "Now he has become all visible: very pale, with a gentle girlish face, with blue eyes and a stubborn child's chin with a dimple in the middle. ; he must have been about thirty, thirty-five years old. " At first he feels very uncomfortable, but this is precisely that awkwardness, he is not afraid of his distinguished guests, and finally he calms down when Nikolai Nikolaevich begins to threaten him. This happens because he feels protected by his love, her, love, cannot be taken away from him, this feeling that determines his life, and it will remain with him until the end of this life.
After Zheltkov gets permission from Prince Shein and goes to call Vera Nikolayevna, Nikolai Nikolayevich reproaches a relative for his indecision, to which Vasily Lvovich replies: like love - with a feeling that has not yet found an interpreter for itself ... I feel sorry for this person, and not only that I feel sorry for it, but now I feel that I am present at some tremendous tragedy of my soul, and I cannot here to clown about. " For Nikolai Nikolaevich, what is happening is "This is decadence", but Vasily Lvovich, who knows what love is, feels completely differently, and his heart turns out to be more accurate in understanding what is happening ... , and the highest wisdom of their conversation was that both spoke the language of love ...
Zheltkov passed away, but before his death he sent a letter to a woman, for whose peace he gladly decided to take this step. In this letter, he explains what exactly happened to him: "I tested myself - this is not a disease, not a manic idea - this is love, with which God was pleased to reward me for something." So he gave the answer to the question that tormented Princess Vera: "And what was it: love or madness?" A very convincing, irrefutable answer, because it was given the way Zheltkov did, the price of this answer is a person's life ...
The fact that Zheltkov truly loves Princess Vera, says, among other things, that even by his death he made her happy. The fact that he forgave her - although what is her fault? .. In that "that love that every woman dreams of passed her by"? But unless, if this happened, was it not so destined from above, as he was sent tragic love Zheltkov? Maybe true love, as General Anosov said, is always tragic - and this is what determines its authenticity?
The tragic ending of the story "Garnet Bracelet" does not leave a feeling of hopelessness - no matter what! After all, if true love exists in the world, then it makes people happy, no matter what they have to endure? Zheltkov died happy, because he could do something for his beloved woman, can he be judged for this? Vera Nikolaevna is happy because "he has forgiven me now. Everything is fine." How much this tragic fate heroes are "more human" than life without love, how much they, suffering and suffering, are spiritually higher and humanly happier than those who did not know true feelings in their lives! Truly, Kuprin's story is a hymn to love, without which life makes life life ...
One cannot fail to mention the stunning artistic detail that is the central metaphor of the story. In the description of the bracelet there are the following lines: "But in the middle of the bracelet, five beautiful cabochon garnets, each the size of a pea, towered, surrounding some strange little green pebble." This "strange little green stone" is also a garnet, only it is a rare garnet of an unusual color, which not everyone can recognize, especially against the background of "beautiful cabochon garnets". In the same way, Zheltkov's love is the most real, only very rare, feeling that is just as difficult to recognize as a pomegranate in a small green pebble. But because people are not able to understand what opens up to their gaze, the pomegranate does not cease to be a pomegranate, and love does not cease to be love ... They are, they exist, and it is not their fault that people are simply not ready for meeting with them ... Probably, this is one of the main lessons of the tragic story told by Kuprin: you need to be very careful about yourself, people, your own and other people's feelings, so that when "God rewards" a person with love, to see, understand and preserve this great feeling.
Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin is a Russian writer who, no doubt, can be attributed to the classics. His books are still recognizable and loved by the reader, and not only under the compulsion of a school teacher, but at a conscious age. A distinctive feature of his work is documentary, his stories were based on real events or real events became the impetus for their creation - among them the story "Garnet Bracelet".
"Garnet Bracelet" is a real story that Kuprin heard from his acquaintances while watching family albums. The governor's wife made sketches for the letters sent to her by a certain telegraph official who was unrequitedly in love with her. One day she received a gift from him: a gilded chain with a pendant in the shape of an Easter egg. Alexander Ivanovich took this story as a basis for his work, turning these meager, uninteresting data into a touching story. The writer replaced the chain with a pendant with a bracelet with five garnets, which, according to what King Solomon said in one story, means anger, passion and love.
Plot
The "pomegranate bracelet" begins with preparations for the celebration, when Vera Nikolaevna Sheina suddenly receives a gift from an unknown person: a bracelet in which five pomegranates adorned with green splashes. The paper note that came with the gift states that precious stone able to endow the owner with foresight. The princess shares the news with her husband and shows a bracelet from an unknown person. In the course of the action, it turns out that this person is a minor official by the name of Zheltkov. For the first time he saw Vera Nikolaevna in the circus many years ago, and since then the suddenly flared up feelings did not fade away: even the threats of her brother did not stop him. Nevertheless, Zheltkov does not want to torment his beloved, and he decides to end his life by suicide so as not to bring shame on her.
The story ends with an awareness of the strength of the stranger's sincere feelings, which comes to Vera Nikolaevna.
Love theme
main topic the works "Garnet Bracelet" are undoubtedly the theme of unrequited love. Moreover, Zheltkov is a vivid example of disinterested, sincere, sacrificial feelings that he does not betray, even when his loyalty cost his life. Princess Sheina also fully feels the power of these emotions: after years she realizes that she wants to be loved and love again - and the jewelry presented by the Zheltkovs marks the imminent appearance of passion. Indeed, soon she falls in love with life again and feels it in a new way. you can read on our website.
The theme of love in the story is frontal and permeates the entire text: this love is high and pure, a manifestation of God. Vera Nikolaevna feels internal changes even after Zheltkov's suicide - she learned the sincerity of a noble feeling and a willingness to sacrifice herself for the sake of someone who will not give anything in return. Love changes the character of the whole story: the princess's feelings die, wither, fall asleep, being once passionate and hot, and have turned into a strong friendship with her husband. But Vera Nikolaevna in her heart still continues to strive for love, even if it dulled over time: she needed time to let passion and sensuality come out, but before that her calmness could seem indifferent and cold - this puts a high wall for Zheltkov.
Main characters (characteristic)
- Zheltkov worked as a minor official in the control chamber (the author placed him there to emphasize that the main character was a small person). Kuprin does not even indicate his name in the work: only letters are signed with initials. Zheltkov is exactly what the reader imagines a person of a low position: thin, pale-skinned, straightening his jacket with nervous fingers. He has gentle features, blue eyes. According to the story, Zheltkov is about thirty years old, he is not rich, modest, decent and noble - even Vera Nikolaevna's husband notes this. The elderly hostess of his room says that for all the eight years that he lived with her, he became like a family for her, and he was a very nice interlocutor. "... Eight years ago I saw you in the circus in a box, and then in the first second I said to myself: I love her because there is nothing like her in the world, there is nothing better ..." - this is how it begins modern fairy tale about Zheltkov's feelings for Vera Nikolaevna, although he never cherished hopes that they would be mutual: "... seven years of hopeless and polite love ...". He knows the address of his beloved, what she does, where she spends time, what she puts on - he admits that he is not interested in anything but her and is not happy. you can also find it on our website.
- Vera Nikolaevna Sheina inherited her mother's appearance: a tall, stately aristocrat with a proud face. Her character is strict, uncomplicated, calm, she is polite and courteous, amiable with everyone. She has been married to Prince Vasily Shein for over six years, together they are full-fledged members of high society, arrange balls and receptions, despite financial difficulties.
- Vera Nikolaevna has a sister, the younger one, Anna Nikolaevna Friesse, who, unlike her, inherited the features of her father and his Mongolian blood: narrow eyes, feminine features, flirtatious facial expressions. Her character is frivolous, perky, cheerful, but contradictory. Her husband, Gustav Ivanovich, is rich and stupid, but he adores her and is constantly nearby: his feelings, it seems, have not changed from the first day, he courted her and still adored her very much. Anna Nikolaevna cannot stand her husband, but they have a son and a daughter, she is faithful to him, although she treats him rather contemptuously.
- General Anosov is Anna's godfather, his full name- Yakov Mikhailovich Anosov. He is obese and tall, good-natured, patient, hears hard, he has a large, red face with clear eyes, he is very respected over the years of his service, fair and courageous, has a clear conscience, wears a frock coat and a cap all the time, uses a hearing horn and a stick.
- Prince Vasily Lvovich Shein is the husband of Vera Nikolaevna. Little is said about his appearance, only that he has blond hair and a big head. He is very gentle, compassionate, sensitive - treats Zheltkov's feelings with understanding, is unshakably calm. He has a sister, a widow, whom he invites to the celebration.
Features of Kuprin's creativity
Kuprin was close to the theme of the character's awareness of the truth of life. He saw the world around him in a special way and strove to learn something new, his works are characterized by drama, a certain anxiety, excitement. "Cognitive pathos" - this is called the hallmark of his work.
In many ways, Dostoevsky influenced Kuprin's work, especially in the early stages, when he writes about fatal and significant moments, the role of chance, the psychology of the characters' passion - often the writer makes it clear that not everything is understandable.
We can say that one of the features of Kuprin's work is a dialogue with readers, in which the plot is traced and reality is depicted - this is especially noticeable in his essays, which, in turn, were influenced by G. Uspensky.
Some of his works are famous for lightness and spontaneity, poeticization of reality, naturalness and naturalness. Others - the theme of inhumanity and protest, the struggle for feelings. At some point, he begins to be interested in history, antiquity, legends, and so fantastic plots are born with motives of the inevitability of chance and fate.
Genre and composition
Kuprin is characterized by a love of plots within plots. The "garnet bracelet" is another proof: Zheltkov's note about the qualities of jewelry is the plot in the plot.
The author shows love from different points of view - love by general concepts and unrequited feelings of Zheltkov. These feelings have no future: marital status Vera Nikolaevna, difference in social status, circumstances - everything is against them. This doom reveals the subtle romanticism that the writer put into the text of the story.
The entire work is ringed with references to the same piece of music- Beethoven's sonatas. Thus, the music, "sounding" throughout the story, shows the power of love and is the key to understanding the text, heard in the final lines. Music communicates the unsaid. Moreover, it is Beethoven's sonata at its climax that symbolizes the awakening of Vera Nikolaevna's soul and the realization that comes to her. This attention to melody is also a manifestation of romanticism.
The composition of the story implies the presence of symbols and hidden meanings. So the withering garden implies the fading passion of Vera Nikolaevna. General Anosov tells short stories about love - these are also small plots within the main narrative.
Hard to define genre"Garnet Bracelet". In fact, the work is called a story, largely due to its composition: it consists of thirteen short chapters. However, the writer himself called "The Pomegranate Bracelet" a story.
Interesting? Keep it on your wall!The story of the great genius of love prose A. I. Kuprin "Garnet Bracelet" can be interpreted in different ways, arguing on the topic of who is here real hero... Critics differ on this issue, some consider Zheltkov to be the hero, who by any means tries to prove his love, but also to declare his existence, others prefer the heroine's husband, who simply wants his wife to be happy. To understand this will help the analysis of the work according to the plan. This material can be used in preparation for the exam in literature in grade 11.
Brief analysis
Year of writing- 1910
History of creation- The writer took as a basis for the plot real story told by one of his friends.
Theme - The main theme of this story is love, unrequited and real.
Composition - In the exposition, the action begins, introducing the heroes of the story, followed by a set-up when Vera Nikolaevna receives a garnet bracelet as a gift. Features of the composition in the use of symbols, secret meanings. Here is the garden, which is described at the time of withering, and the novella, the bracelet itself, the main symbol is the Beethoven sonata, which is the leitmotif of the story. The action develops, Zheltkov dies, and the culminating moment sounds a Beethoven sonata, and - the denouement.
Genre - It is difficult to determine the genre essence of the "Garnet Bracelet" By its composition, consisting of thirteen chapters, it can be attributed to the genre of the story, and the writer himself believed that "The Garnet Bracelet" was a story.
Direction - In the story, everything is subordinated to the direction of realism, where a light touch of romanticism is felt.
History of creation
The story of the creation of the story has a real basis. Once the writer was visiting his friend, where they looked at family photographs. An acquaintance told a story that happened in his family. Some official fell in love with his mother, he wrote letters to her. Once this petty official sent some trinket as a present to his beloved woman. Having found out who this official was, they made a suggestion to him, and he disappeared from the horizon. Kuprin came up with the idea to embellish this story, covering in more detail love theme... He added a romantic touch, elevated the ending and created his "Garnet Bracelet", leaving the essence of the story. The story was written in 1910, and in 1911 the story was published in print.
Theme
A lexander Kuprin is considered the unsurpassed Russian genius of love prose, he has created many works that glorify love in any of its manifestations.
In The Pomegranate Bracelet, the analysis of the story is subordinated to this theme beloved by the author, the theme of love.
In essence, this work deals with moral issues relationships associated with the love relationship of the heroes of the story. In this work, all events are associated with love, this is even the meaning of the title of this story, since the pomegranate is a symbol of love, a symbol of passion, blood and anger.
The writer, giving such a name to his name, immediately makes it clear what the main idea of the story is about.
He considers various forms of love, its different manifestations. Each person described by the writer has a different attitude to this feeling. For someone, it's just a habit, social status, superficial well-being. For another, it is that unique, real feeling, carried through all life, for the sake of which it was worth living.
For the protagonist Zheltkov, love is a sacred feeling for which he lives, realizing that his love is doomed to irresponsibility. The adoration of his beloved woman helps him to endure all the hardships of life, to believe in the sincerity of his feelings. Vera Nikolaevna for him is the meaning of his whole life. When Zheltkov was told that by his behavior he compromises his beloved woman, the official concluded that the problems of social inequality would always stand in his way to happiness, and committed suicide.
Composition
The composition of the story contains many secret meanings and symbols. The garnet bracelet gives a vivid definition of the all-consuming theme of passionate love, its definition as blood, makes it clear that this love can be destructive and unhappy, anger - led to the suicide of Zheltkov.
The fading garden reminds of Vera Nikolaevna's fading love for her husband. Drawings and poems in her husband's family notes are the story of his love, sincere and pure, which has not undergone any changes during the entire time of their life together. Despite her fading passion and cool attitude towards him, he continues to love his wife for real.
General Amosov prefers to share stories of love with his interlocutors, which is also symbolic. This is the only person in the work who correctly understands the true essence of love. He is a great psychologist, an expert human souls who clearly sees all their secret and obvious thoughts.
Beethoven's second sonata, the main symbol of the whole story, runs through the whole work as a red thread. Action develops against the background of music. The final sounding of the sonata is a strong climax. Beethoven's work reveals all the innuendo, all the innermost thoughts and feelings of the heroes.
The plot of the action - Vera Nikolaevna receives a gift. Development of action - brother and husband go to sort things out with Zheltkov. The main character the work, left aside throughout the entire narrative, commits suicide. The culminating moment - Beethoven's sonata sounds, and Vera Nikolaevna comes to the realization of her life.
Kuprin masterfully ends his story, leading all actions to a denouement, where the true power of love is revealed.
Under the influence of music, the sleeping soul of Vera Nikolaevna wakes up. She begins to realize that she has lived an essentially aimless and useless life, all the while creating visible well-being. happy family, and true love, accompanying her all her life, passed by.
What the writer's creation teaches, everyone decides in his own way, here everything depends on the reader. Only he decides in whose favor to make a choice.
genre
The work of the great writer consists of thirteen chapters and belongs to the genre of the story. The writer believed that this is a story. The period of events taking place lasts for a long time, it involves a large number of characters, and it fully corresponds to the accepted genre.
In 1910 Kuprin created the story "Garnet Bracelet". A summary of the chapters of this work is offered to your attention. In addition, we will analyze the story, which will help you understand its meaning.
The first chapter of the story "Garnet Bracelet"
A summary of the chapters, like the work itself, opens with a description of the bad weather that set in on the Black Sea coast in the second half of August. However, by the beginning of September, the sea calmed down, the sun came out. This made Sheina very happy, who, due to unfinished repairs, could not leave for the city. This concludes the first chapter of the story "Garnet Bracelet". Highly summary, is not it? But this chapter doesn't happen important events, they are all ahead.
Chapter two
Sheina's birthday is September 17. On this day, her husband wanted to invite several of the closest people to dinner. He presented Vera Nikolaevna with pearl earrings. The princess felt deep affection for her husband, which replaced passionate love. Anna Nikolaevna, her sister, also arrived. Vera did not have children of her own, so she loved Anna's children, a girl and a boy, whom she gave birth to from an unloved, but rich husband.
Chapter Three
The sisters decided to sit over the cliff and admire the sea. Anna is delighted, but Vera is already used to these views and she is even tired of the sea. The sister gave Princess Sheina a lady's cornet, converted from a prayer book. They then went home, listing the guests who were coming in the evening, and also discussed the table.
Chapter four
Guests soon began to arrive. The summary of the story "Pomegranate Bracelet" by chapters, compiled by us, omits the enumeration of the guests, since it is insignificant for the development of the plot. However, it should be noted that among them was General Anosov, whom the sisters loved very much. He was like their own grandfather. The sisters met Anosov near the carriage and took him to the house. The general was a friend of the family and became very attached to Anna and Vera, since he had no children of his own. He went through several wars, and everyone called him brave. Anosov received many injuries and also developed illnesses. However, he decided not to retire, so he served as commandant in the fortress. Everyone in the city knew and respected him.
Fifth chapter (summary)
Analysis of this chapter allows us to highlight the following main events. The dinner was successful, it was pleasant and warm. Everyone was entertained by Vasily Lvovich, Vera's husband, telling stories he had composed. He took real situations as a basis and exaggerated them to the point of impossibility, so it turned out very funny. With stories, he touched both Nikolai Nikolaevich (Sheina's brother) and Gustav Ivanovich Friesse, Anna Nikolaevna's husband. In the midst of poker, Vera was called by the maid. She gave Sheina a gift - a garnet bracelet. Together with him was a note from Vera's secret admirer. For 7 years, this person signed himself as G.S.Zh. He congratulated his beloved on the day of the angel, and also told the story of this bracelet, transmitted through the female line in his family. The admirer changed the silver parts, leaving only the stones. Now the garnet bracelet has become gold. The chapter summary proceeds to the description of the sixth chapter.
Chapter Six
The evening continues. Colonel Ponomarev has a great success in poker. Some of the guests are playing whist. And Prince Vasily Lvovich decides to show the audience a humorous home album. It chronicles events in the family in a comic form. The prince shows the guests the last drawing: "Princess Vera and the telegraph operator in love." This page is devoted to the history of how Vera received letters from her secret admirer. The woman does not give him any chance, and the adorer even enters the house under the guise of a dishwasher and a chimney sweep. After this mysterious man spends some time in an insane asylum, he decides to go to a monastery. The admirer bequeaths to Vera before his death 2 telegraph buttons and a bottle of his tears.
Seventh chapter
We pass to the seventh chapter, describing the story "Garnet Bracelet" (summary). General Anosov told his sisters stories, just like in childhood. They looked after him, cut cheese, added wine. Among other things, he talked about the affair with the Bulgarian, with whom he had to lodge, and also about the fact that they had to leave when the regiment moved on. Then Anosov said that he probably never really loved. The evening came to an end, everyone began to say goodbye, and Anna and Vera went to see off Anosov's crew.
Eighth chapter
Vera walked arm in arm with the general, and with Bakhtinsky - Anna, Vera's sister from the story "Garnet Bracelet". The chapter summary does not elaborate on their conversation. We will pass only some of its points. They said that at this time, women and men are not capable of true love. The general told 2 stories that this feeling still occurs, but sometimes it takes strange forms. The first story is about how a young ensign fell in love with an old lecher. He got tired of this woman very quickly. The ensign wanted to commit suicide by throwing himself under the train. However, at the last moment, someone grabbed him. The ensign's brushes were cut off, he became a beggar and after a while froze. The second story is about how the husband loved his wife, who openly betrayed him and did not put him in anything, although he was an honest and courageous officer. Vera announced her admirer, to which the general said that maybe her life intersected just with disinterested true love. Are you wondering how the summary of Kuprin's story "Garnet Bracelet" ends? We recommend that you read it to the end - the finale is very interesting.
Chapter 9
When Vera returned to the house, she heard her husband Vasily Lvovich talking to her brother Nikolai Nikolaevich. Before leaving, Vera asked her husband to look at the fan's gift, and now they were discussing it. Nikolai was very categorical. He wanted to do away with the scraps decisively so that they would not tarnish his sister's reputation. Nikolai Nikolaevich reproached the Sheins for not taking this act seriously, although it could lead to sad consequences. Vasily Lvovich and the princess's brother decided to find the mysterious admirer the very next day, return the gift and ask them not to bother Vera Nikolaevna with letters anymore.
Chapter Ten
Nikolai Nikolaevich and Shein visited Zheltkov, who rented an apartment the next day. Climbing up to him, they found young man 30-35 years old, good-faced, blond. This is how Alexander Kuprin described it ("Garnet Bracelet"). A summary will not give you an answer to the question about the meaning of this person's surname. However, after reading the analysis below, you will find out about this too. They introduced themselves, but no one sat down, despite the fact that Zheltkov offered to do it twice. Nikolai asked Vera's admirer not to write to her again and returned the gift. Zheltkov agreed, but he only wanted to talk to Vasily. He explained to his wife Vera that he loved his wife, but he apologized very much and would not write to her anymore. Then he asked to be allowed to write the last letter to Vera. The princess's brother was categorically against, but her husband agreed. Zheltkov promised that he would no longer be heard or seen. Shein told his wife about everything, and she had a premonition that the fan would kill himself.
Eleventh chapter
Vera did not like newspapers, but she accidentally caught sight of a note that Zheltkov shot himself in his apartment because of the embezzlement of state funds. The woman was surprised that she had sensed his death in advance. In the evening she was handed a letter written by a fan. He apologized for disturbing her and was a hindrance to her for so long. He confessed that he loved her, but promised that he would leave soon and she would never see him again. Zheltkov asked Vera to play a sonata from Beethoven's orchestra (D major # 2). The woman told her husband that something terrible had intervened in their lives. He replied that he believed in the feelings of her admirer, that he was not crazy at all. The princess decided to look at him, asking permission from her husband, since she did not want to offend him.
Chapter twelve
Sheina came to his house in a carriage and asked to see Zheltkov. The hostess accompanied her. Vera saw him, and then remembered the words of General Anosov about true love... The woman approached and kissed her admirer in a friendly way. When Sheina was about to leave, the hostess suddenly detained her in order to convey a note from the deceased. Zheltkov told her to hand it over if a lady came. It was written in it that the best is sonata No. 2 from his orchestra. Sheina suddenly burst into tears. Although she told the hostess that she always reacted to death in this way, in fact Vera cried for Zheltkov. The story "Pomegranate Bracelet" is already coming to an end. The chapter summary ends with the events described in Chapter 13.
Chapter thirteen
When Sheina returned home, she found the pianist Jenny Reiter. The woman was upset. She asked Jenny to play something and went out to the flower garden. Sheina was sure that she would play exactly Beethoven's sonata. And so it happened. In the music that came to the princess, words could be heard that brought comfort. Vera was crying, leaning against the acacia. When Reuters came to her, the princess kissed her and said that now he had forgiven her and everything would be fine. This is how music influenced her. Most likely, Zheltkov wanted to achieve exactly this, since he always wanted only the well-being and happiness of his beloved. This concludes Kuprin "Garnet Bracelet". A summary of the chapters was outlined by us, we now turn to the analysis of the story.
Analysis of the work
It is known that the basis of the work was an incident that happened in reality. The author's mother was once in a situation similar to that described. Note that the theme of love is permeated with most of the works of Alexander Ivanovich (Kuprin's photo is presented above). It is no coincidence that the author calls his story "Garnet Bracelet". Its summary gave you an idea of the meaning of the name. We add that the red pomegranate, from the point of view of the author, is a symbol of love, and, moreover, a dangerous one. The sender of the gift is G.S. Zheltkov, a secret young man of about 30-35 years old, thin, with a yellowish face (most likely, that is why he received such a surname). By occupation, Zheltkov is a minor official. However, his feelings for Sheina were great and boiled for about 8 years. Sometimes this unrequited love reached madness. An admirer of Vera collected all the things that belonged to her or were at least one moment in the hands of his beloved. He revealed himself with his gift, opened his feelings to the whole family of Vera.
Note that in a conversation with a fan of Vera Shein shows nobility. The prince sees that Zheltkov's feelings are real. His love was so strong that the admirer of Vera was unable to do anything with her. In a conversation with him, the thought sounds that Zheltkov cannot get his beloved out of his head, that his death is the only way out of this situation. Vera Nikolaevna then anticipates the imminent death of Zheltkov. After his death, she has a desire to see him, and she suddenly realizes that this is the person she needed. This woman's feelings for her husband have long since grown into respect and understanding. Perhaps her fate would have been different if she had accepted the garnet bracelet.
A summary, analysis, biography of the author - all this is often asked to schoolchildren. Performing any kind of work on literature, we often meet with one or another manifestation of love and their role in the work or in the life of the author. And this is not accidental, because this topic is one of the main topics for writers and poets. Without this feeling, there would be no humanity, because this is one of the indispensable components of society. Many writers and poets glorified him, including Kuprin. "Garnet Bracelet", a summary of the chapters and analysis of which have been set out, is one of best works dedicated to the love theme.