Analysis of Pushkin's "Station Master". "The Stationmaster", an analysis of Pushkin's story The historical basis from the work of the Stationmaster
Themes, storylines, direction
In the story cycle Stationmaster” is the compositional center, the top. It is based on character traits literary Russian realism and sentimentalism. The expressiveness of the work, the plot, the capacious, complex theme give the right to call it a novel in miniature. This, it would seem, is a simple story about ordinary people, however, everyday circumstances that intervened in the fate of the characters make the semantic load of the story more difficult. Alexander Sergeevich, in addition to the romantic thematic line, reveals the theme of happiness in the broadest sense of the word. Fate gives a person happiness sometimes not when you expect it, following the generally accepted morality, worldly foundations. This requires both a fortunate combination of circumstances and the subsequent struggle for happiness, even if it seems impossible.
The description of the life of Samson Vyrin is inextricably linked with the philosophical thought of the entire cycle of stories. His perception of the world and life is reflected in the pictures with German poems hung on the walls of his dwelling. The narrator describes the content of these pictures, which depict the biblical legend of the prodigal son. Vyrin also perceives and experiences what happened to his daughter through the prism of the images surrounding him. He hopes that Dunya will return to him, but she did not return. Vyrin's life experience tells him that his child will be deceived and abandoned. The stationmaster is a “little man” who has become a toy in the hands of the greedy, mercenary sowers of the world, for whom the emptiness of the soul is more terrible than material poverty, for whom honor is above all.
The narration comes from the lips of a titular adviser, whose name is hidden behind the initials A. G. N. In turn, this story was “transferred” to the narrator by Vyrin himself and a “red-haired and crooked” boy. The plot of the drama is the secret departure of Dunya with a little-known hussar to Petersburg. Dunya's father tries to turn back time in order to save his daughter from what he sees as "death". The story of the titular adviser takes us to St. Petersburg, where Vyrin is trying to find his daughter, and the mournful ending shows us the grave of the caretaker outside the outskirts. Destiny " little man"- humility. The irreparability of the current situation, hopelessness, despair, indifference finish off the caretaker. Dunya asks for forgiveness from her father at his grave, her repentance is belated.
- "The Captain's Daughter", a summary of the chapters of Pushkin's story
- "Boris Godunov", analysis of the tragedy by Alexander Pushkin
- "Gypsies", analysis of the poem by Alexander Pushkin
Plan
1. Introduction
2.History of creation
3. The meaning of the name
4. Genus and genre
5.Theme
6. Issues
7.Heroes
8. Plot and composition
"The Stationmaster" is part of the "Tales of the late Ivan Petrovich Belkin" series. The story of a man who lost his only daughter enjoyed great success at contemporaries. The work was filmed in 1972.
History of creation. The story was created in the famous "Boldino autumn" of 1830 - one of the most fruitful stages of Pushkin's work. In the poet's manuscript, the date of completion of work on the work is set - September 14th. The story was published in 1831.
The meaning of the name. The title refers to the protagonist of the work, the stationmaster Samson Vyrin. At the beginning of the story, there is a digression by the author, in which he speaks with sympathy about this category of officials, who work as if in "hard labor".
Genus and genre. sentimental tale
main topic works - the fate of the "little man". Stationmasters in the time of Pushkin were a downtrodden and humiliated category of bureaucracy. Passers-by vented all their anger and irritation on them. The stationmaster belonged to the lowest, fourteenth class according to the Table of Ranks. Any traveler treated him with disdain and did not hesitate in expressions. According to the author, there were often cases of assault, which remained without consequences. Pushkin himself traveled frequently in Russia and was acquainted with many of the stationmasters. The poet treated the people below him with respect. He saw that any person has his own deep inner world. Despised people are often much purer and nobler than the refined upper class. Most likely, Minsky does not even consider that he is committing a mean act. In his opinion, in any case, Dunya will be better off in St. Petersburg than at this godforsaken station. He does not think about Samson's feelings at all. As a last resort, Minsky is ready to settle with him with money. For him, Dunya is just a commodity, a treasure that must be taken from the stationmaster.
Issues. the main problem stories - the defenselessness of the stationmaster. The hard service of Samson Vyrin was brightened up by the only daughter who served as a joy and consolation for the old man. Naturally, beautiful girl attracted the attention of all passers-by. Samson was not even aware of the danger and was glad that Dunya was helping him in his work. The girl really softened the hearts of irritated travelers. The meanness of the hussar hit the main character painfully. He understands that Dunya would never have left him voluntarily. The girl succumbed to the seductive persuasion of a handsome traveler, and when she came to her senses, it was already too late. In St. Petersburg, Samson is again humiliated. The hussar, not embarrassed, thrusts money into him in exchange for his daughter. After that, the old man is not even allowed on the threshold. Another problem of the story is the danger to which the daughters of defenseless people were constantly exposed. The nobility enjoyed their advantage and cases of seduction were in the order of things. In the story, Dunya was still not deceived and became the lawful wife of a hussar, but this is a very rare case. In reality, after some time, the girl would have bothered Minsky and would have been forced to return to her father in disgrace. Dunya achieved happiness at a very high price. Probably for the rest of her life she felt her indelible guilt towards her father. Belated repentance is evidenced by the story of the boy, who says that the lady lay motionless on the grave for a long time.
Heroes. Stationmaster Samson Vyrin, his daughter Dunya, Captain Minsky.
Plot and composition. The story consists of three visits by the narrator to one of the stations. During the first, he met Samson Vyrin and appreciated his lively daughter Dunya. The second visit took place a few years later. The narrator was amazed at how old his acquaintance had aged. He learned his sad story. The passing captain Minsky deceived Dunya with him. Heartbroken, Samson reached St. Petersburg and tried to pick up his daughter. But Minsky treated him rudely, and Dunya no longer showed any desire to return. A few more years passed. The narrator revisited the station and learned that Samson had died of drunkenness. The boy told him that Dunya had come to his father's grave. The narrator himself went to the cemetery to pay tribute to the unfortunate father.
What does the author teach. Pushkin draws the attention of readers to the fact that people who do not enjoy any respect also experience great joy and deep suffering. Samson's grief was understandable only to the narrator. Minsky did not pay any attention to him at all and tried to pay off. Similar cases occurred at every turn, but only a few felt compassion for the deceived and humiliated poor.
Pushkin's work "The Stationmaster" is a story within a story, where the author, in the person of a petty official, talks about his meeting with the stationmaster, and then tells us about his life.
The heroes of the work are the narrator, the stationmaster Samson Vyrin, his daughter Dunya and the hussar Minsky.
Brief analysis of the work
In the story, the author shows us the life of the caretakers in the person of Vyrin, who performs complex and important work at the station, but no one appreciates this work, but only constantly reproach him and blame everything. A person does not see joy in life, and only one consolation is the daughter of Dunya, who later ran away with a hussar, forgetting about her father for many years. But he always remembered his daughter Vyrin, and dreamed of returning her. However, the plan failed to materialize.
With thoughts that his daughter is in trouble, and he cannot help her in any way, the caretaker returns to the station, where, having drunk himself, he dies. He died without being able to understand that his daughter was truly happy and loved, because in his head there could not be thoughts that the poor daughter of a simple caretaker could fall in love with the hussars.
The daughter later remembered her father and came to him with her family, but it was too late, she did not find her father alive.
From the work arise ambiguous thoughts. On the one side humiliated hero and the sad ending of his life, on the other hand, I want to be happy for Dunya, who found her happiness. The author in his work depicted not only a low status in society, but also misunderstanding, loss of purpose in life, resignation to his fate.
The author depicted the life of station workers, showed the problem of the attitude of the whole society towards them. He calls to respect all people and their professions and then they will not be oppressed, which means that “little people” will not be limited in their thoughts and will also believe that happiness exists and their children can also be happy. So, the end of their life will be completely different.
In the famous Boldin autumn of 1830, A.S. In 11 days, Pushkin wrote an amazing work - Belkin's Tale - which included five independent stories told to one person (his name is in the title). In them, the author managed to create a gallery of provincial images, truthfully and without embellishment to show life in modern writer Russia.
A special place in the cycle is occupied by the story "The Stationmaster". It was she who laid the foundation for the development of the theme of the "little man" in Russian literature of the 19th century.
Getting to know the characters
The story of the stationmaster Samson Vyrin was told to Belkin by a certain I.L.P., a titular adviser. His bitter thoughts about the attitude towards people of this rank set the reader in a not very cheerful mood from the very beginning. Anyone stopping at the station is ready to scold them. Either the horses are bad, or the weather and the road are bad, or the mood is not good at all - and the stationmaster is to blame for everything. The main idea of the story is to show the difficult situation common man without high rank and rank.
Samson Vyrin, a retired soldier, a widower who raised his fourteen-year-old daughter Dunechka, calmly endured all the claims of those passing by. He was a fresh and cheerful man of about fifty, sociable and sensitive. This is how the titular adviser saw him at the first meeting.
The house was clean and comfortable, with balsams growing on the windows. And all those who stopped by were given tea from a samovar by Dunya, who had learned to housekeeping early. She, with her meek look and smile, subdued the anger of all the dissatisfied. In the company of Vyrin and the “little coquette”, time for the adviser flew by unnoticed. The guest said goodbye to the hosts as if they were old acquaintances: their company seemed so pleasant to him.
How has Vyrin changed…
The story "The Stationmaster" continues with a description of the second meeting of the narrator with the main character. A few years later, fate again threw him into those parts. He drove up to the station with disturbing thoughts: everything could happen during this time. The premonition did not really deceive: instead of a vigorous and cheerful person, a gray-haired, long-shorn, hunched old man appeared before him. It was still the same Vyrin, only now very taciturn and sullen. However, a glass of punch did its job, and soon the narrator learned the story of Dunya.
About three years ago, a young hussar passed by. He liked the girl, and for several days he pretended to be sick. And when he got mutual feelings from her, he secretly took away, without blessing, from his father. So the misfortune that fell down changed the long-established life of the family. The heroes of The Stationmaster, father and daughter, no longer see each other. The old man's attempt to return Dunya ended in nothing. He got to St. Petersburg and was even able to see her, richly dressed and happy. But the girl, looking at her father, fell unconscious, and he was simply kicked out. Now Samson lived in anguish and loneliness, and the bottle became his main companion.
The story of the prodigal son
Even during his first visit, the narrator noticed pictures with signatures in German on the walls. They depicted the biblical story of the prodigal son who took his share of the inheritance and squandered it. In the last picture, the humble lad returned to his home to the parent who forgave him.
This legend is very reminiscent of what happened to Vyrin and Dunya, therefore it is no coincidence that it is included in the composition of the story "The Stationmaster". The main idea of the work is connected with the idea of helplessness and defenselessness. ordinary people. Vyrin, well acquainted with the foundations high society, and could not believe that his daughter could be happy. The scene seen in St. Petersburg did not convince either - everything can still change. He waited for the return of Dunya until the end of his life, but their meeting and forgiveness never took place. Perhaps Dunya simply did not dare to appear before her father for a long time.
Daughter's return
On his third visit, the narrator learns about the death of an old acquaintance. And the boy accompanying him to the cemetery will tell him about the mistress, who came after the stationmaster had died. The content of their conversation makes it clear that everything went well for Dunya. She arrived in a carriage with six horses, accompanied by a nurse and three barchettes. But Dunya did not find her father alive, and therefore the repentance of the “lost” daughter became impossible. The lady lay on the grave for a long time - this is how, according to tradition, they asked for forgiveness from a deceased person and said goodbye to him forever - and then left.
Why did the happiness of the daughter bring unbearable mental suffering to her father?
Samson Vyrin always believed that life without blessing and as a mistress is a sin. And the fault of Dunya and Minsky, probably, first of all, is that both their departure (the caretaker himself convinced his daughter to take the hussar to the church) and misunderstanding when meeting in St. Petersburg only strengthened him in this conviction, which, in the end, will bring the hero to the grave . There is one more important point- the incident undermined the faith in the father. He sincerely loved his daughter, who was the meaning of his existence. And suddenly such ingratitude: in all the years, Dunya has never made herself known. She seemed to have cut her father out of her life.
Having portrayed a poor man of the lowest rank, but with a high and sensitive soul, A.S. Pushkin drew the attention of contemporaries to the position of people who were on the lowest rung of the social ladder. The inability to protest and resignation to fate make them defenseless against life's circumstances. So is the stationmaster.
The main idea that the author wants to convey to the reader is that it is necessary to be sensitive and attentive towards each person, regardless of his character, and only this will help change the indifference and anger that reign in the world of people.
History of creation
The work “The Stationmaster” is included in the cycle of A. S. Pushkin “The Tales of the Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin”. Thanks to the author's dating, the exact date of completion of work on the second story is known - September 14, 1830.
The meaning of the name
Stationmaster - main character story, consisting in the rank of collegiate registrar - the lowest class (14th) in the Table of Ranks.
The main theme of the work is the unfortunate fate of a poor official
The story begins with a lengthy digression by the author, in which he reflects on the true situation of numerous Russian stationmasters. The epigraph contains the statement of Prince Vyazemsky: "College registrar, dictator of the postal station." Pushkin rightly refutes this mocking assertion.
The author judges on the basis of his many years of travel experience in the vast Russian expanses. He knows that the power of the stationmaster is very ephemeral. Everyone passing by considers him his enemy and the culprit of the delay. In the absence of other people, travelers take out all the anger accumulated over a long journey on the “martyr of the fourteenth grade”. Despite his low, but still official official status, the caretaker may even be beaten by an influential person.
The author concludes that a completely wrong idea has developed regarding the stationmasters. For the most part, they are "peaceful people, naturally helpful ... modest in claims ... and not too greedy." Communicating on duty with a variety of travelers, stationmasters on the spot accumulate a huge life experience and become very interesting conversationalists.
A vivid example of the unenviable fate of stationmasters is the sad story of one of the author's acquaintances, Samson Vyrin. During the first meeting, he made a very pleasant impression on the narrator: "a man in his fifties, fresh and vigorous".
The author is clearly lying. Much more than the owner, he liked the faithful assistant of Samson - the young daughter of Dunya. The girl reminds the caretaker of the dead wife not only appearance but also performance. The author hardly parted with a hospitable family, leaving the best memories of her.
The author managed to visit this station next time only a few years later. He anticipates that these years could not pass without a trace for a happy father and daughter, but the reality turned out to be much harsher than his assumptions.
The once strong and energetic Samson turned into a decrepit old man, gloomy and taciturn. The caretaker now lived alone. Only after the proposed glass did he tell the author his sad story.
Dunya grew up and became an indispensable assistant in Vyrin's house. Her blossoming beauty and skillful manner calmed the most formidable travelers, who instantly changed their anger to mercy at the sight of the caretaker's daughter.
Samson was happy and overlooked the impending danger. One of the next travelers (captain Minsky) paid special attention to Dunya. Pretending to be sick, he spent three days at the station and during this time managed to subdue the ingenuous beauty with flattering speeches. Leaving, Minsky persuaded Dunya to take him to the church for a farewell ride. The girl never returned home.
The despair of the poor stationmaster was unbearable. He became seriously ill and after recovery decided to return his daughter at any cost. Samson managed to find Minsky in St. Petersburg. However, at the first meeting, the captain tried to cynically pay off with money, during the second, he rudely kicked his grief-stricken father out of the house with the words: “... why are you sneaking around me like a robber? …Go away!". Samson resigned himself to fate and returned home. For the past three years, he has not known anything about his daughter and is afraid that Minsky, having played enough, abandoned and doomed Dunya to poverty.
Issues
Pushkin raises the problem of the "little man". Samson Vyrin is absolutely defenseless. He is constantly threatened and insulted by every higher official, that is, by anyone passing by.
The only joy in life for Samson is his beloved daughter, but it turns out that he can be deprived of this joy with impunity. In fact, Minsky simply stole a naive girl from his father. He is not afraid of the consequences, because the nobility and wealth will turn the law in his direction. Samson does not even try to complain: all his efforts will be in vain.
The ending of the story is relatively auspicious. Dunya broke her father's heart and will repent for the rest of her life. But at the same time, she nevertheless became the legal wife of Minsky. In reality, sooner or later, the captain would have abandoned the provincial girl, and she suffered the fate of a fallen city woman.
Composition
The short story consists of four parts: the author's introduction and a description of his three visits to the station ***. During these visits emerges full picture the unfortunate fate of Samson Vyrin and his daughter.
What does the author teach
Pushkin draws the reader's attention to people deprived of their fate. Samson is not just a defenseless petty official. First of all, this is a living person who experiences his joys and sufferings. Minsky's callous attitude becomes main reason untimely death of the stationmaster.