The theme of love in the works of A.I. Kuprin.

Love... Someday this feeling comes to everyone. There is probably no such person who would never love. He did not love his mother or father, woman or man, his child or friend. Love has the ability to resurrect, make people kinder, more soulful and humane. Without love there would be no life, for life itself is love. It was this all-consuming feeling that inspired A.S. Pushkin, M.Yu. Lermontov, L.N. Tolstoy, A.A. Blok, and in general, all the great writers and poets.

A slight wave of the quill pen and such wonderful poems and works as “I loved you...”, “Anna Karenina”, “They loved each other so long and tenderly...” appeared on the sheets of paper.

The 20th century gave us A.I. Kuprin, a writer in whose work the theme of love occupied one of the most important places. I especially admire this man - open, courageous, straightforward, noble. Most of Kuprin's stories are a hymn to pure, ideal, sublime love, which he wrote about throughout his life.

The writer keenly felt the need for “heroic plots”, for self-sacrificing, self-critical heroes. As a result, the most remarkable works were born under the pen of Alexander Ivanovich: “ Garnet bracelet", "Olesya", "Sulamith" and many others.

The story “Olesya” was written in 1898 and was included in the cycle of Polesie works. In addition to the theme of love, A.I. Kuprin touches on no less than important topic interaction between the civilized and natural worlds.

From the very first pages of the work we find ourselves in a remote village in the Volyn province, on the outskirts of Polesie. It was here that fate brought Ivan Timofeevich, a literate, intelligent person. From his lips we learn about the wild customs of the Perbrod peasants. These people are illiterate, uncouth, and uncommunicative. It is clear from everything that they have not yet completely gotten rid of the habits of Polish serfdom.

Ivan Timofeevich is terribly bored in this place, where there is no one to talk to, where there is absolutely nothing to do. That is why Yarmola’s story about the old witch excited him so much. The young man is hungry for adventure, he wants to escape from the daily routine of village life, at least for a while.

During his next hunt, Ivan Timofeevich unexpectedly stumbles upon an old hut, where his first meeting takes place with Olesya, the granddaughter of the local witch Manuilikha. Olesya fascinates with her beauty. Not the beauty of a society lady, but the beauty of a wild fallow deer living in the lap of nature.

But not only the appearance of this girl attracts Ivan Timofeevich. The young man is delighted with the self-confidence, pride, and audacity with which Olesya carries herself. That is why he decides to visit Manuilikha again. Olesya herself is also interested in the unexpected guest. Growing up in the forest, she had little contact with people and was accustomed to treating them with great caution. But Ivan Timofeevich captivates the girl with his ease, kindness, and intelligence. Olesya is very happy when the young guest comes to visit her again. It is she who, reading her hand, characterizes the main character as a person “although kind, but only weak,” and admits that his kindness is “not heartfelt.” His heart is “cold, lazy,” and to those who “will love him,” he will bring, albeit unwittingly, “a lot of evil.” Thus, in the words of the young fortune teller, the young man appears before us as an egoist, incapable of deep emotional experiences. But despite everything, Olesya and Ivan Timofeevich fall in love with each other and completely surrender to this feeling.

Olesya's love makes clear her sensitive delicacy, her special innate intelligence, observation and tact, her instinctive knowledge of the secrets of life. In addition, her love reveals the enormous power of passion and selflessness, and reveals in her the great human talent of understanding and generosity. Olesya is ready to give up her feelings, endure suffering and torment for the sake of her beloved and only one. Against the backdrop of all the people surrounding main character, her figure looks sublime and makes those around her look faded. The images of Polesie peasants become dull, spiritually enslaved, evil, and recklessly cruel. They have neither breadth of mind nor generosity of heart. And Olesya is ready to do anything for the sake of her love: go to church, endure the mockery of local residents, find the strength to leave, leaving behind only a string of cheap red beads, as a symbol of eternal love and devotion .For Kuprin, the image of Olesya is the ideal of a sublime, exceptional personality. This girl is an open, selfless, deep nature, the meaning of her life is love. She raises her above the level of ordinary people, she gives her happiness, but she also makes Olesya defenseless and leads to death.

The figure of Ivan Timofeevich also loses from its proximity to Olesya. His love is ordinary, sometimes even similar to infatuation. The young man, deep down in his soul, understands that his beloved will never be able to live outside of nature. He does not imagine Olesya in secular dress and yet offers her his hand and heart, implying that she will live with him in the city. Ivan Timofeevich does not even allow the thought of giving up his position in society for the sake of his love and remaining to live with Olesya in the forest. He completely comes to terms with what happened and is not going to fight for his love, challenge the current situation. I believe that if Ivan Timofeevich truly loved Olesya, he would definitely find her and try to change his life, but he Unfortunately, he never understood what kind of love passed him by.

The theme of mutual and happy love is touched upon by A.I. Kuprin in the story “Shulamith”. The love of King Solomon and the poor girl Shulamith from the vineyard is strong as death, and those who love themselves are higher than kings and queens.

But the writer kills the girl, leaving Solomon alone, because, according to Kuprin, love is a moment that illuminates spiritual value human personality, brings out the best in her.

In one of famous works writer “Garnet Bracelet” sounds the theme of unrequited love as a great gift that transforms human soul. Princess Vera Sheina was a strict, independent, kind and “royally calm” woman who loved her husband. But the idyll in the house was destroyed after the appearance of a gift with a letter from “G.S.Zh”. Along with the message, selfless, selfless love, not expecting a reward, entered the house of the Shein princes: love is a mystery, love is a tragedy. The whole meaning of the life of Zheltkov, the sender of the message, was to love Vera Nikolaevna, without demanding anything in return, to praise his beloved from the bottom of his heart, uttering the words: “Hallowed be thy name.” The vague anxiety of Princess Vera after receiving a gift from Zheltkov grew into the bitterness of the loss of something lofty and beautiful at the last last meeting with an already dead admirer: “At that second she realized that the love that every woman dreams of had passed her by.” And Vera Nikolaevna cried, listening to Beethoven’s Second Sonata, knowing that she loved. Loved just for a moment, but forever.

In his stories A.I. Kuprin showed us sincere, devoted, selfless love. The love that every person dreams of. Love, for the sake of which you can sacrifice anything, even your life. Love that will survive millennia, overcome evil, make the world beautiful, and people kind and happy.

Love is one of the main themes in Kuprin's work. The heroes of his works, “illuminated” by this bright feeling, are more fully revealed. In the stories of this wonderful author, love is, as a rule, unselfish and selfless. After reading a large number of in his works one can understand that with him it is always tragic, and it is obviously doomed to suffering.
The poetic and tragic story of a young girl in the story “Olesya” sounds in this vein. Olesya’s world is a world of spiritual harmony, a world of nature. He is alien to Ivan Timofeevich, a representative of a cruel, big city. Olesya attracts him with her “unusuality”, “there was nothing like the local girls in her”, the naturalness, simplicity and some kind of elusive inner freedom characteristic of her image attracted him to her like a magnet.
Olesya grew up in the forest. She could not read or write, but she had enormous spiritual wealth and strong character. Ivan Timofeevich is educated, but not decisive, and his kindness is more like cowardice. These two are absolutely different people they fell in love with each other, but this love does not bring happiness to the heroes, its outcome is tragic.
Ivan Timofeevich feels that he has fallen in love with Olesya, he would even like to marry her, but he is stopped by doubt: “I didn’t even dare to imagine what Olesya would be like, dressed in a fashionable dress, talking in the living room with the wives of my colleagues, torn from the charming the framework of an old forest full of legends and mysterious powers." He realizes that Olesya will not be able to change, become different, and he himself does not want her to change. After all, to become different means to become like everyone else, and this is impossible.
Poetizing life not limited by modern social and cultural frameworks, Kuprin sought to show the clear advantages of a “natural” person, in whom he saw spiritual qualities lost in civilized society. The meaning of the story is to affirm the high standard of man. Kuprin is looking for people in real, everyday life who are obsessed high feeling love that can rise, at least in dreams, above the prose of life. As always, he turns his gaze to the “little” man. This is how the story “The Garnet Bracelet” arises, which tells about a refined all-encompassing love. This story is about hopeless and touching love. Kuprin himself understands love as a miracle, as a wonderful gift. The death of the official brought back to life a woman who did not believe in love, which means that love still conquers death.
In general, the story is dedicated to the inner awakening of Vera, her gradual awareness of the true role of love. To the sound of music, the heroine's soul is reborn. From cold contemplation to a hot, reverent feeling of oneself, a person in general, the world - such is the path of the heroine, who once came into contact with a rare guest of the earth - love.
For Kuprin, love is a hopeless platonic feeling, and also a tragic one. Moreover, there is something hysterical in the chastity of Kuprin’s heroes, and in their attitude towards a loved one, what is striking is that the man and woman seem to have swapped their roles. This is characteristic of the energetic, strong-willed “Polesie sorceress” Olesya in her relationship with the “kind, but only weak Ivan Timofeevich,” and the smart, calculating Shurochka with the “pure and kind Romashov” (“Duel”). Underestimation of oneself, disbelief in one’s right to own a woman, a convulsive desire to withdraw – these traits complete the picture of Kuprin’s hero with a fragile soul caught in a cruel world.
Closed in itself, such love has creative creative power. “It so happened that I am not interested in anything in life: neither politics, nor science, nor philosophy, nor concern for the future happiness of people,” Zheltkov writes before his death to the subject of his generation, “...for me, all life lies only in you.” . Zheltkov leaves this life without complaints, without reproaches, saying like a prayer: “Hallowed be Thy name.”
Kuprin's works, despite the complexity of situations and often dramatic endings, are filled with optimism and love of life. You close the book, and a feeling of something bright remains in your soul for a long time.

A.I. Kuprin traveled a lot around Russia, tried many professions, and reflected all his life experiences in wonderful works. Kuprin's work is loved by readers. His works received truly national recognition: “Moloch”, “Olesya”, “At the Circus”, “Duel”, “Garnet Bracelet”, “Gambrinus”, “Junker” and others.

The story “The Garnet Bracelet” tells about hopeless and touching love. Writer in real life looking for people possessed by this high feeling. For Kuprin himself, love is a miracle, it is a wonderful gift. The death of an official brought back to life a woman who did not believe in love. To the sound of music, the heroine's soul is reborn.

• Where is the love? Is love unselfish, selfless, not waiting for reward? The one about whom it is said “strong as death”? You see, the kind of love for which to accomplish any feat, to give one’s life, to undergo torment is not work at all, but pure joy.
• Love must be a tragedy. The greatest secret in the world! No life conveniences, calculations and compromises should concern her.
• From the letter: “It’s not my fault, Vera Nikolaevna, that God was pleased to send me, as a great happiness, love for you. It so happened that I am not interested in anything in life: neither politics, nor science, nor philosophy, nor concern for the future happiness of people - for me, my whole life lies only in you.

  I am eternally grateful to you just for the fact that you exist. I checked myself - this is not a disease, not a manic idea - this is love with which God wanted to reward me for something...

  I don't know how to finish the letter. From the depths of my soul, I thank you for being my only joy in life, my only consolation, my only thought. May God grant you happiness and may nothing temporary or everyday disturb your beautiful soul. I kiss your hands. G.S.Zh.”

• Well, tell me, my dear, in all honesty, doesn’t every woman, in the depths of her heart, dream of such love - one all-forgiving, ready for anything, modest and selfless?
• Finally he dies, but before his death he bequeaths to give Vera two telegraph buttons and a perfume bottle filled with his tears...

• Every woman who loves is a queen.
• Almost every woman is capable of the highest heroism in love. For her, if she loves, love contains the whole meaning of life - the entire universe!
• You cannot leave a good impression of yourself by coming to a woman empty-handed.
• Individuality is not expressed in strength, not in dexterity, not in intelligence, not in talent, not in creativity. But in love!
• The Russian language in skillful hands and experienced lips is beautiful, melodious, expressive, flexible, obedient, dexterous and capacious.
• Language is the history of a people. Language is the path of civilization and culture. That is why studying and preserving the Russian language is not an idle activity because there is nothing to do, but an urgent necessity.

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One of the primary themes in Kuprin’s work is love. The characters in his creations, “illuminated” by a real strong feeling, open up more deeply. In the works of this wonderful writer, love, like a pattern, is selfless and selfless. Having analyzed a considerable number of his works, one can understand that in his work it is invariably tragic and condemned in advance to torment.

One of the highest values ​​in human life, according to A.I. Kuprin, has always been love. Love, which collects into a single bouquet all the best, all that is healthy and bright, with which life rewards a person, which justifies any hardships and hardships that may come along his way. So in "Oles". So in "Garnet Bracelet". So in "Shulamith". So in "Duel". Until the end of his life, the writer retained the romantic mood of his youth in his soul, and this is what makes his works strong.

Many events take place before us on the pages of the story "The Duel". But the emotional culmination of the work was not tragic fate Romashov, and the night of love he spent with the insidious and therefore even more captivating Shurochka; and the happiness experienced by Romashov on this pre-duel night is so great that it is this alone that is conveyed to the reader.

The poetic and tragic story of a young girl in the story “Olesya” sounds in this vein. Olesya’s world is a world of spiritual harmony, a world of nature. He is alien to Ivan Timofeevich, a representative of a cruel, big city. Olesya attracts him with her “unusuality”, “there was nothing like the local girls in her”, the naturalness, simplicity and some kind of elusive inner freedom characteristic of her image attracted him to her like a magnet.

Olesya grew up among the forest. She could not read or write, but she had great spiritual wealth and a strong character. Ivan Timofeevich is educated, but indecisive, and his kindness is more like cowardice. These two completely different people fell in love with each other, but this love does not bring happiness to the heroes, its outcome is tragic.

Ivan Timofeevich feels that he has fallen in love with Olesya, he would even like to marry her, but he is stopped by doubt: “I didn’t even dare to imagine what Olesya would be like, dressed in a fashionable dress, talking in the living room with the wives of my colleagues, torn from the charming the framework of an old forest full of legends and mysterious powers." He realizes that Olesya will not be able to change, become different, and he himself does not want her to change. After all, to become different means to become like everyone else, and this is impossible.

The story “Olesya” develops the theme of Kuprin’s work - love as a saving force that protects the “pure gold” of human nature from “degradation”, from the destructive influence of bourgeois civilization. It is no coincidence that Kuprin’s favorite hero was a man of strong-willed, courageous character and a noble, kind heart, capable of rejoicing in all the diversity of the world. The work is built on a comparison of two heroes, two natures, two worldviews. On the one hand, an educated intellectual, a representative of urban culture, the rather humane Ivan Timofeevich, on the other, Olesya, a “child of nature” who has not been influenced by urban civilization. Compared to Ivan Timofeevich, a man of a kind but weak, “lazy” heart, Olesya rises with nobility, integrity, and proud confidence in her strength. Freely, without any special tricks, Kuprin draws the appearance of the Polesie beauty, forcing us to follow the richness of shades of her spiritual world, always original, sincere and deep. "Olesya" is Kuprin's artistic discovery. The writer showed us the true beauty of the innocent, almost childish soul of a girl who grew up far from the noisy world of people, among animals, birds and forests. But along with this, Kuprin also highlights human malice, senseless superstition, fear of the unknown, the unknown. However, true love triumphed over all this. A string of red beads is the last tribute to Olesya’s generous heart, the memory of “her tender, generous love.”

Poetizing life not limited by modern social and cultural frameworks, Kuprin sought to show the clear advantages of a “natural” person, in whom he saw spiritual qualities lost in civilized society. The meaning of the story is to affirm the high standard of man. Kuprin is looking for people in real, everyday life who are obsessed with a high feeling of love, who are able to rise, at least in their dreams, above the prose of life. As always, he turns his gaze to the “little” man. This is how the story “The Garnet Bracelet” arises, which tells
about refined all-encompassing love. This story is about hopeless and touching love. Kuprin himself understands love as a miracle, as a wonderful gift. The death of the official brought back to life a woman who did not believe in love, which means that love still conquers death.

In general, the story is dedicated to the inner awakening of Vera, her gradual awareness of the true role of love. To the sound of music, the heroine's soul is reborn. From cold contemplation to a hot, reverent feeling of oneself, a person in general, the world - such is the path of the heroine, who once came into contact with a rare guest of the earth - love.

For Kuprin, love is a hopeless platonic feeling, and also a tragic one. Moreover, there is something hysterical in the chastity of Kuprin’s heroes, and in their attitude towards a loved one, what is striking is that the man and woman seem to have swapped their roles. This is characteristic of the energetic, strong-willed “Polesie sorceress” Olesya in her relationship with the “kind, but only weak Ivan Timofeevich” and the smart, calculating Shurochka with the “pure and kind Romashov” (“The Duel”). Underestimation of oneself, disbelief in one’s right to own a woman, a convulsive desire to withdraw – these traits complete the picture of Kuprin’s hero with a fragile soul caught in a cruel world.

Increased affection for every human personality and mastery psychological analysis- the specificity of A.I. Kuprin’s artistic talent, which allowed him to fully study the realistic heritage. The importance of his work lies in the artistically convincing discovery of the soul of his contemporary. The author analyzes love as a perfect moral and psychological feeling. The works of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin awaken the original questions of humanity - questions of love.

The stories created by Kuprin, despite the complexity of circumstances and often tragic endings, are filled with love of life and optimism. You close the book you read with his stories, and for a long time the feeling of touching something light and clear remains in your soul for a long time.

Similar essays:
The duel of violence and humanism (based on Kuprin’s story “The Duel”) The meaning of the title of A. I. Kuprin’s story “The Duel” Works about love by A. I. Kuprin
We recommend:
Singer of sublime love (Based on Kuprin's stories "Pomegranate Bracelet", "Olesya", "Shulamith") Loneliness of love (A. I. Kuprin's story "Pomegranate Bracelet")

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MINISTRY OF EDUCATION OF THE MOSCOW REGION

State educational institution of higher education vocational education

MOSCOW STATE REGIONAL UNIVERSITY

(MGOU)

Historical and Philological Institute

Faculty of Russian Philology

Department of Russian LiteratureXX century

Course work

The theme of love in the works of A.I. Kuprina

Completed by the student:

42 groups of 4 courses

facultyRussian philology

"Domestic Philology"

full-time training

Aprilskaya Maria Sergeevna.

Scientific adviser:

Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor

Moscow

2015

Content

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….……..………3

1. Features of the expression of love feelings in the story by A.I. Kuprin “Olesya”…………………………………………………………………………………...………..5

2. Manifestation of the Greatest human feeling in the work of A. I. Kuprin “Shulamith”……………………………………………………………..8

3. The concept of love in the story by A.I. Kuprin “Garnet Bracelet”……….12

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….…18

List of references………………………………………………………..….20

Introduction

The theme of love is called the eternal theme. Over the centuries, many writers and poets have dedicated their works to this great feeling of love, and each of them found something unique and individual in this topic.

The 20th century gave us A.I. Kuprin, a writer in whose work the theme of love occupied one of the most important places. Most of Kuprin's stories are a hymn to pure, sublime love and its transformative power.

Kuprin is an idealist, a dreamer, a romantic, a singer of sublime feelings. He found special, exceptional conditions that allowed him to create romanticized images of women and their ideal love in his works.

The writer keenly felt the need for “heroic plots”, for selfless, self-critical heroes. About love that illuminates human life, Kuprin writes in the stories “Olesya” (1898), “Shulamith” (1908), “Garnet Bracelet” (1911), etc.

In his surroundings, Kuprin saw a sad waste of beauty and strength, a crushing of feelings, and delusion of thought. The writer's ideal went back to the victory of the strength of the spirit over the strength of the body and "love faithful to death." For A.I. Kuprin, love is the most consistent form of affirmation and identification of the personal principle in a person.

Many works have been devoted to the study of the work of A. I. Kuprin. At one time they wrote about Kuprin: L.V. Krutikova “A.I. Kuprin", V.I. Kuleshova " Creative path A.I. Kuprina", L.A. Smirnova “Kuprin” and others.

Kuprin writes about the love that illuminates human life in the stories “Olesya” (1898), “Shulamith” (1908), “Garnet Bracelet” (1911).

Kuprin's books do not leave anyone indifferent; on the contrary, they always attract. Young people can learn a lot from this writer: humanism, kindness, spiritual wisdom, the ability to love, to appreciate love.

Kuprin's stories were an inspired hymn to the glory of true love, which is stronger than death, which makes people beautiful, no matter who these people are.

Relevance The topic is determined by the desire to study the concept of love in the works of A.I. Kuprina.

Theoretical basis The work presented included works by Nikulin L. “Kuprin (literary portrait)”, Krutikova L.V. “A.I. Kuprin", Kuleshova V.I. “The creative path of A.I. Kuprin."

An object course work: creativity of A. Kuprin

Subject was a study of the concept of love in the works “Garnet Bracelet”, “Olesya”, “Shulamith”.

Target of this work - to study the concept of love in the works of A.I. Kuprina

Tasks of this study:

1. Clarify the concept of love in A. I. Kuprin’s story “The Garnet Bracelet”

2. Explore the manifestation of the greatest human feeling in the work of A. I. Kuprin “Shulamith”

3. Determine the peculiarity of the expression of love feelings in the story by A.I. Kuprin "Olesya"

Practical significance the work lies in the possibility of its use in literature lessons dedicated to the work of Kuprin, in electives, extracurricular activities, when preparing reports and abstracts.

1. Features of the expression of love feelings in the story by A.I. Kuprin "Olesya"

“Olesya” is one of the author’s first major works and, in his own words, one of his most beloved. “Olesya” and the later story “River of Life” (1906) Kuprin considered his the best works. “Here is life, freshness,” the writer said, “the struggle with the old, outdated, impulses for the new, the better.”

“Olesya” is one of Kuprin’s most inspired stories about love, man and life. Here the world of intimate feelings and the beauty of nature are combined with everyday pictures of the rural outback, the romance of true love - with cruel morals Perebrod peasants.

The writer introduces us to the atmosphere of harsh village life with poverty, ignorance, bribes, savagery, and drunkenness. The artist contrasts this world of evil and ignorance with another world - one of true harmony and beauty, depicted just as realistically and fully. Moreover, it is the bright atmosphere of great true love that inspires the story, infecting with impulses “toward a new, better.” “Love is the brightest and most understandable reproduction of my Self. It is not in strength, not in dexterity, not in intelligence, not in talent... individuality is not expressed in creativity. But in love,” - so, clearly exaggerating, Kuprin wrote to his friend F. Batyushkov.

The writer was right about one thing: in love the whole person, his character, worldview, and structure of feelings are revealed. In the books of great Russian writers, love is inseparable from the rhythm of the era, from the breath of time. Starting with Pushkin, artists tested the character of their contemporary not only through social and political actions, but also through the sphere of his personal feelings. A true hero became not only a person - a fighter, activist, thinker, but also a person of great feelings, capable of deeply experiencing, loving with inspiration. Kuprin in “Oles” continues the humanistic line of Russian literature. He checks modern man- an intellectual of the end of the century - from the inside, to the highest degree.

The story is built on a comparison of two heroes, two natures, two world relations. On the one hand, Ivan Timofeevich is an educated intellectual, a representative of urban culture, and quite humane; on the other hand, Olesya is a “child of nature,” a person who has not been influenced by urban civilization. The balance of natures speaks for itself. Compared to Ivan Timofeevich, a man of a kind but weak, “lazy” heart, Olesya rises with nobility, integrity, and proud confidence in her strength.

If in his relationships with Yarmola and the village people Ivan Timofeevich looks brave, humane and noble, then in his interactions with Olesya the negative sides of his personality also appear. His feelings turn out to be timid, the movements of his soul are constrained and inconsistent. “Tearful expectation”, “subtle apprehension”, and the hero’s indecision highlight the wealth of soul, courage and freedom of Olesya.

Freely, without any special tricks, Kuprin draws the appearance of the Polesie beauty, forcing us to follow the richness of shades of her spiritual world, always original, sincere and deep. There are few books in Russian and world literature where such an earthly and poetic image of a girl living in harmony with nature and her feelings would appear. Olesya is Kuprin’s artistic discovery.

A true artistic instinct helped the writer reveal the beauty of the human personality, generously endowed by nature. Naivety and authority, femininity and proud independence, “flexible, agile mind”, “primitive and vivid imagination”, touching courage, delicacy and innate tact, involvement in the innermost secrets of nature and spiritual generosity - these qualities are highlighted by the writer, drawing the charming appearance of Olesya, an integral, original, free nature, which flashed as a rare gem in the surrounding darkness and ignorance.

In the story, for the first time, Kuprin’s cherished thought is so fully expressed: a person can be beautiful if he develops, and not destroys, the physical, spiritual and intellectual abilities given to him by nature.

Subsequently, Kuprin will say that only with the triumph of freedom will a person in love be happy. In “Oles” the writer revealed this possible happiness of free, unfettered and unclouded love. In fact, the flowering of love and human personality forms the poetic core of the story.

With an amazing sense of tact, Kuprin makes us relive the anxious period of the birth of love, “full of vague, painfully sad sensations,” and its happiest seconds of “pure, complete, all-consuming delight,” and long joyful meetings of lovers in the dense pine forest. The world of spring, jubilant nature - mysterious and beautiful - merges in the story with an equally beautiful outpouring of human feelings.

The bright, fairy-tale atmosphere of the story does not fade even after the tragic ending. Over everything insignificant, petty and evil, true, great earthly love triumphs, which is remembered without bitterness - “easily and joyfully.” The final touch of the story is typical: a string of red beads on the corner of the window frame among the dirty disorder of a hastily abandoned “hut on chicken legs.” This detail gives compositional and semantic completeness to the work. A string of red beads is the last tribute to Olesya’s generous heart, the memory of “her tender, generous love.”

The story is told from the perspective of the hero. He did not forget Olesya, love illuminated life, made it rich, bright, sensual. With her loss comes wisdom.

2. Manifestation of the greatest human feeling in the work of A. I. Kuprin “Shulamith”

The theme of mutual and happy love is touched upon by A.I. Kuprin in the story “Shulamith”. The love of King Solomon and the poor girl Shulamith from the vineyard is strong as death, and those who love themselves are higher than kings and queens.

It is impossible to understand the romantic concept of love in the writer’s work without reading the legend “Shulamith”. Appeal to this work makes it possible to show the originality of the historical and literary process at the turn of the century.

In the fall of 1906, Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin wrote one of his most beautiful stories, “Shulamith,” inspired by the immortal biblical “Song of Songs.”

The source of Kuprin's legend was the Bible. The plot of the legend - the love story of Solomon and Shulamith - is based on the Old Testament Song of Solomon.

The biblical “Song of Songs” seems to have no plot. These are exclamations of love, these are enthusiastic descriptions of nature and praise of the groom, the bride, or the choir that echoes them. From these scattered hymns, “Songs,” Kuprin builds a story about the great love of King Solomon and a girl named Shulamith. She burns with love for the young and beautiful King Solomon, but jealousy destroys her, intrigue destroys her, and in the end she dies; It is precisely this death that the lines of the biblical poem “Song of Songs” speak of: “Strong as death is love.” These are powerful, timeless words.

The legend alternates chapters in which the actions of King Solomon, his thoughts and preaching are recreated and described. love relationship Shulamith and Solomon.

The theme of love in this work connects temporal specificity and eternity. On the one hand, these are the seven days and nights of love between Solomon and Shulamith, which contained all the stages of the development of feelings and the tragic ending of love. On the other hand, "tender and fiery, devoted and beautiful love, which alone is dearer than wealth, fame and wisdom, which is dearer than life itself, because it does not even value life and is not afraid of death,” - that which gives life to humanity, that which is not subject to time, that which connects an individual with eternal life humanity.

The organization of artistic time in Kuprin’s legend helps the reader to perceive the love that once happened between two people as an extraordinary event, imprinted in the memory of generations.

The symbolism and emblem of color (paints) and flowers are consistent with the general content of the legend, its pathos, with the model of the world created in it, with the emotional structure of the images of the heroes, with the author’s orientation towards the Old Testament and ancient Eastern traditions.

Descriptions of the love of Solomon and Shulamith are also accompanied by a certain color scheme. Red is a permanent color - the color of love. The color silver in this context is important because it means purity, innocence, purity, joy. A symbol of warmth, life, light, activity and energy is the image of fire, which appears in portrait sketches of Shulamith with her “fiery curls” and “red hair.” Not by chance, of course green color in landscapes and in the statements of heroes: green color symbolizes freedom, joy, jubilation, hope, health. And, of course, white, blue and pink colors evoke very specific associations in the reader and are filled with metaphorical meanings: the love of the heroes is tender and beautiful, pure and sublime.

The flowers mentioned in the legendary narrative also have symbolism that helps the author reveal the meaning of the legend. Lily is a symbol of purity and innocence (note that the metaphor of the lily was cultivated in the art of romanticism). Narcissus is a symbol of youthful death, in addition, Narcissus is an ancient plant deity of dying and resurrecting nature: in the myth of the abduction of Persephone, the narcissus flower is mentioned. Grapes are a symbol of fertility, abundance, vitality and cheerfulness.

The key words that help reveal this meaning of the legend are the words cheerfulness and joy: “heartfelt joy”, “cheerfulness of the heart”, “light and joyful”, “joy”, “happiness”, “joyful fear”, “moan of happiness” ,

“he exclaimed joyfully,” “joy of the heart,” “great joy illuminated his face like a golden sunshine,” “joyful children’s laughter,” “his eyes shine with happiness,” “joy,” “my heart grows with joy,” “ delight”, “There has never been and never will be a woman happier than me.”

The strength of the heroes’ love, the brightness and spontaneity of its manifestations described in the legend, the glorification of feelings and the idealization of heroes determined the writer’s choice of artistically expressive, emotionally charged figurative and stylistic images. At the same time, they are universal, since they are correlated with the eternal theme of love and have mythological origins or are part of the circle of traditional literary images. It should be noted that the Kuprin legend is practically indecomposable into “planes” of the narrative: real and allegorical, for example. Every detail, every word, every image is symbolic, allegorical, conventional. Together they form an image - a symbol of love, indicated by the name of the legend - "Shulamith".

Before her death, Shulamith says to her lover: “I thank you, my king, for everything: for your wisdom, to which you allowed me to cling to with my lips... like a sweet source... There has never been and will never be a woman happier than me.” The main idea of ​​this work: love is as strong as death, and it alone, eternal, protects humanity from the moral degeneration that threatens it modern society. In the story “Shulamith” the writer showed a pure and tender feeling: “The love of a poor girl from a vineyard and a great king will never pass or be forgotten, because love is strong as death, because every woman who loves is a queen, because love is beautiful!"

Art world, created by the writer in legend, seeming so ancient and conventional, is in fact very modern and deeply individual.

According to the content of “Shulamith”: high happiness and tragedy of true love. By types of heroes: a sage-lover of life and a pure girl. According to the most important source: the most “romantic” part of the Bible is the “Song of Songs”. In terms of composition and plot: “epic distance” and approaching modernity... According to the author’s pathos: admiration of the world and man, perception of a true miracle - a person in his best and sublime feelings.

"Sulamith" by Kuprin continues the literary and aesthetic tradition associated with the names of Turgenev ("Song of Triumphant Love"), Mamin-Sibiryak ("Tears of the Queen", "Maya"), M. Gorky ("The Girl and Death", "Khan and His son", "Wallachian Tale"), that is, the names of writers who, in the genre of literary legend, expressed - within the limits of realism - a romantic worldview.

At the same time, Kuprin's "Shulamith" is the writer's aesthetic and emotional response to his era, marked by a feeling of transition, renewal, movement towards something new, a search for positive principles in life, a dream of realizing the ideal in reality. It is no coincidence that D. Merezhkovsky saw a revival of romanticism in the art and literature of this time. "Sulamith" by A.I. Kuprin is a bright romantic legend.

3. The concept of love in the story by A.I. Kuprin “Garnet Bracelet”

The story “The Garnet Bracelet,” written in 1907, tells us about genuine, strong, but unrequited love. It is worth noting that this work is based on real events from the family chronicles of the princes Tugan-Baranovsky. This story became one of the most famous and profound works about love in Russian literature.

According to many researchers, “everything in this story is masterfully written, starting with its title. The title itself is surprisingly poetic and sonorous.

It sounds like a line of a poem written in iambic trimeter."

One of the most painful stories about love, the saddest is “The Garnet Bracelet”. The most surprising thing in this work can be considered the epigraph: “L. von Bethovn. Son (op. 2 no. 2). Largo Appassionato.” Here the sadness and delight of love are combined with the music of Beethoven. And how successfully the refrain was found: “Hallowed be thy name!”

Critics have repeatedly pointed out that “the “motifs” characteristic of the “Garnet Bracelet” gradually sprouted in previous work.

We find a prototype not so much of Zheltkov’s character as of his fate in the story “The First One You Come Along” (1897), that love to the point of self-abasement and even self-destruction, the willingness to die in the name of the woman you love - this theme was touched by an uncertain hand in the story “A Strange Case” (1895 ), blossoms into the exciting, masterfully rendered “Garnet Bracelet”.

Kuprin worked on “The Garnet Bracelet” with great passion and genuine creative enthusiasm.

According to Afanasyev V.N., “It was not by chance that Kuprin ended his story with a tragic ending; he needed such an ending in order to further highlight the power of Zheltkov’s love for a woman almost unknown to him - a love that happens “once every few hundred years.”

Before us typical representatives aristocracy of the early 20th century, the Shein family. Vera Nikolaevna Sheina is a beautiful society lady, moderately happy in her marriage, lives a calm, dignified life. Her husband, Prince Shein, is a worthy man, Vera respects him.

The first pages of the story are devoted to a description of nature. As Shtilman S. accurately remarked, “Kuprin’s landscape is full of sounds, colors and, especially, smells... Kuprin’s landscape is highly emotional and unlike anyone else’s.”

It’s as if all events happen against their miraculous light background, it comes true wonderful fairy tale love. The cold autumn landscape of fading nature is similar in essence to the mood of Vera Nikolaevna Sheina. Nothing attracts her in this life, perhaps that is why the brightness of her being is enslaved by everyday life and dullness. Even during a conversation with her sister Anna, in which the latter admires the beauty of the sea, she replies that at first this beauty also excites her, and then “begins to crush her with its flat emptiness...”. Vera could not be imbued with a sense of beauty in the world around her. She was not a natural romantic. And, having seen something out of the ordinary, some peculiarity, I tried (even if involuntarily) to bring it down to earth, to compare it with the world around me. Her life flowed slowly, measuredly, quietly, and, it would seem, satisfied the principles of life, without going beyond them. Vera married a prince, yes, but the same exemplary one, quiet man what she was like.

The poor official Zheltkov, having once met Princess Vera Nikolaevna, fell in love with her with all his heart. This love leaves no room for other interests of the lover.

Afanasyev V.N. believes that “it is in the sphere of love that Kuprin primarily shows in his work” small man your big feelings." It is difficult to agree with his opinion, since the heroes of Kuprin’s work can hardly be called “little people”; they are capable of holy, great feelings.

And so Vera Nikolaevna receives a bracelet from Zheltkov, the shine of the garnets plunges her into horror, her brain is immediately pierced by the thought “like blood,” and now a clear feeling about the impending misfortune weighs on her, and this time it is not at all empty. From that moment on, her peace of mind was destroyed. Vera considered Zheltkov “unfortunate”; she could not understand the tragedy of this love. The expression “happy unhappy person” turned out to be somewhat contradictory. After all, in his feeling for Vera, Zheltkov experienced happiness.

Leaving forever, he thought that Vera’s path would become free, her life would improve and go on as before. But there is no turning back. Saying goodbye to Zheltkov’s body was the culminating moment of her life. At this moment, the power of love reached its maximum value and became equal to death.

Eight years of happy, selfless love, demanding nothing in return, eight years of devotion to a sweet ideal, dedication to one’s own principles.

In one short moment of happiness, sacrificing everything accumulated over such a long period of time is not something everyone can do. But Zheltkov’s love for Vera did not obey any models, she was above them. And even if her end turned out to be tragic, Zheltkov’s forgiveness was rewarded.

Zheltkov leaves this life so as not to interfere with the princess’s life, and, dying, thanks her for the fact that she was for him “the only joy in life, the only consolation, the only thought.” This is a story not so much about love as a prayer to it. In his dying letter, the loving official blesses his beloved princess: “As I leave, I say in delight: “Hallowed be Thy name.” The crystal palace in which Vera lived shattered, letting in a lot of light, warmth, and sincerity into life. Merging in the finale with Beethoven’s music, it merges with Zheltkov’s love and with the eternal memory of him.

Paying honor to Zheltkov’s feeling, V. N. Afanasyev, however, notes, “And if Kuprin himself, conveying his impressions of Bizet’s opera “Carmen,” wrote that “love is always a tragedy, always struggle and achievement, always joy and fear, resurrection and death “, then Zheltkov’s feeling is a quiet, submissive adoration, without ups and downs, without fighting for a loved one, without hopes for reciprocity. Such adoration dries up the soul, makes it timid and powerless. Is this why Zheltkov, crushed by his love, so willingly agrees to die?”

According to the critic, “The Garnet Bracelet” is one of Kuprin’s most sincere and beloved works by readers, and yet the stamp of some inferiority lies both on the image of its central character, Zheltkov, and on the very feeling for Vera Sheina, who has isolated herself with her love from life with With all her worries and anxieties, closed in his feelings, as if in a shell, Zheltkov does not know the true joy of love.”

What was Zheltkov’s feeling - was it true love, inspiring, unique, strong, or insanity, madness that makes a person weak and flawed? What was the death of the hero - weakness, cowardice, saturated with fear or strength, the desire not to annoy and leave his beloved? This, in our opinion, is the true conflict of the story.

Analyzing Kuprin’s “Garnet Bracelet”, Yu. V. Babicheva writes:

“This is a kind of akathist of love...” A. Chalova comes to the conclusion that when creating the “Garnet Bracelet,” Kuprin used the akathist model.

“Akathist” is translated from Greek as “a hymn during which one cannot sit.” It consists of 12 pairs of kontakia and ikos and the last kontakion, which has no pair and is repeated three times, after which 1 ikos and 1 kontakion are read. The akathist is usually followed by a prayer. Thus, A. Chalova believes, the akathist can be divided into 13 parts. There are the same number of chapters in “The Garnet Bracelet.” Very often the akathist is built on a consistent description of miracles and deeds in the name of God. In “The Pomegranate Bracelet” this corresponds to love stories, of which there are at least ten.

Undoubtedly, Kontakion 13 is very important. In The Garnet Bracelet, chapter 13 is clearly the climax. The motives for death and forgiveness are clearly outlined in it. And in this same chapter, Kuprin includes prayer.

In this story, A. I. Kuprin especially highlighted the figure of the old general

Anosov, who is sure that high love exists, but it “... must be a tragedy, the greatest secret in the world,” without compromise.

According to S. Volkov, “it is General Anosov who will formulate the main idea of ​​the story: There must be love...”. Volkov deliberately breaks off the phrase, emphasizing that “true love, which existed once upon a time, could not disappear, it will definitely return, it’s just that it might not have been noticed yet, not recognized, and unrecognized, it already lives somewhere nearby. Her return will be a real miracle.” It is difficult to agree with Volkov’s opinion; General Anosov could not formulate the main idea of ​​the story, since he himself had not experienced such love.

“For Princess Vera herself, “the former passionate love for her husband has long since turned into a feeling of lasting, faithful, true friendship; however, this love did not bring her the desired happiness - she is childless and passionately dreams of children.”

According to S. Volkov, “the heroes of the story do not attach the real meaning to love, they cannot understand and accept all its seriousness and tragedy.”

Ardent love either quickly burns out and comes to sobering up, as in the unsuccessful marriage of General Anosov, or passes “into a feeling of lasting, faithful, true friendship” for her husband, as with Princess Vera.

And therefore the old general doubted whether this was the kind of love: “selfless, selfless love, not expecting a reward? The one about which it is said is “strong as death.” This is exactly what a small, poor official with a dissonant surname likes. Eight years is a long time to test feelings, and, however, during all these years he did not forget her for a second, “every moment of the day was filled with you, with the thought of you...”. And, nevertheless, Zheltkov always remained on the sidelines, without humiliating or humiliating her.

Princess Vera, a woman, for all her aristocratic restraint, very impressionable, capable of understanding and appreciating beauty, felt that her life came into contact with this great love, sung by the best poets of the world. And being at the tomb of Zheltkov, who was in love with her, “she realized that the love that every woman dreams of had passed her by.”

“During the years of reaction,” writes Afanasyev V.N., “when decadents and naturalists of all stripes ridiculed and trampled human love into the dirt, Kuprin in the story “The Garnet Bracelet” once again showed the beauty and greatness of this feeling, but, making his hero capable only selfless and all-consuming love, and at the same time denying him all other interests, unwittingly impoverished and limited the image of this hero.”

Selfless love, not expecting a reward - this is exactly the kind of selfless and all-forgiving love that Kuprin writes in his story “The Garnet Bracelet.” Love transforms everyone it touches.

Conclusion

Love in Russian literature is portrayed as one of the main human values. According to Kuprin, “individuality is not expressed in strength, not in dexterity, not in intelligence, not in creativity. But in love!

Extraordinary strength and sincerity of feeling are characteristic of the heroes of Kuprin's stories. Love seems to say: “Where I stand, it cannot be dirty.” The natural fusion of the frankly sensual and the ideal creates an artistic impression: the spirit penetrates the flesh and ennobles it. This, in my opinion, is the philosophy of love in the true sense.

Kuprin's creativity attracts with its love of life, humanism, love and compassion for people. Convexity of the image, simple and clear language, precise and subtle drawing, lack of edification, psychologism of the characters - all this brings them closer to the best classical tradition in Russian literature.

Love in Kuprin’s perception is often tragic. But, perhaps, only this feeling can give meaning to human existence. We can say that the writer tests his heroes with love. Strong people(such as Zheltkov, Olesya) thanks to this feeling they begin to glow from within, they are able to carry love in their hearts, no matter what.

As V. G. Afanasyev wrote, “Love has always been the main, organizing theme of all Kuprin’s great works. Both in “Shulamith” and in “Pomegranate Bracelet” there is a great passionate feeling that inspires the heroes, determines the movement of the plot, helps to identify best qualities heroes. And although the love of Kuprin’s heroes is rarely happy and even less often finds an equal response in the heart of the one to whom it is addressed (“Shulamith” in this regard is perhaps the only exception), its disclosure in all its breadth and versatility gives romantic excitement and elation to the works , elevating above the gray, dreary life, affirming in the minds of readers the idea of ​​the power and beauty of a genuine and great human feeling.”

Real love- great happiness, even if it ends in separation, death, tragedy. Many of Kuprin’s heroes, who have lost, overlooked, or destroyed their love themselves, come to this conclusion, albeit late. In this late repentance, late spiritual resurrection, enlightenment of the heroes lies that all-purifying melody that speaks of the imperfection of people who have not yet learned to live. Recognize and value real feelings, and about the imperfections of life itself, social conditions, environment, circumstances that often interfere with truly human relationships, and most importantly - about those high emotions that leave an unfading trace of spiritual beauty, generosity, devotion and purity. Love is a mysterious element that transforms a person’s life, giving his destiny uniqueness against the background of ordinary everyday stories, filling his earthly existence with special meaning.

In his stories A.I. Kuprin showed us sincere, devoted, selfless love. The love that every person dreams of. Love, for the sake of which you can sacrifice anything, even your life. Love that will survive millennia, overcome evil, make the world beautiful, and people kind and happy.

List of used literature

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