Indifference in the story garnet bracelet. “Garnet Bracelet”: the theme of love in Kuprin’s work

In literature in general, and in Russian literature in particular, the problem of the relationship between man and the world around him occupies a significant place. Personality and environment, individual and society - many Russian writers of the 19th century thought about this. The fruits of these reflections were reflected in many stable formulations, for example in the well-known phrase “Wednesday has eaten.” Interest in this topic intensified noticeably at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, during a turning point for Russia. In the spirit of humanistic traditions inherited from the past, Alexander Kuprin considers this issue, using all the artistic means that have become an achievement of the turn of the century.

The work of this writer was for a long time, as it were, in the shadows, overshadowed by bright representatives of his contemporaries. Today, the works of A. Kuprin are of great interest. They attract the reader with their simplicity, humanity, and democracy in the noblest sense of the word. The world of A. Kuprin’s heroes is motley and diverse. He himself lived a bright life, filled with diverse impressions - he was a military man, a clerk, a land surveyor, and an actor in a traveling circus troupe. A. Kuprin said many times that he does not understand writers who do not find anything more interesting than themselves in nature and people. The writer is very interested in human destinies, while the heroes of his works are most often not successful, successful people, satisfied with themselves and life, but rather the opposite. But A. Kuprin treats his outwardly unsightly and unlucky heroes with the warmth and humanity that has always distinguished Russian writers. In the characters of the stories “White Poodle”, “Taper”, “Gambrinus”, as well as many others, the features of a “little man” are discernible, but the writer not only reproduces this type, but reinterprets it anew.

Let's reveal Kupri's very famous story "The Garnet Bracelet", written in 1911. Its plot is based on a real event - the love of telegraph official P. P. Zheltkov for the wife of an important official, member of the State Council Lyubimov. This story is mentioned by Lyubimov’s son, the author of famous memoirs Lev Lyubimov. In life, everything ended differently than in A. Kuprin’s story -. the official accepted the bracelet and stopped writing letters; nothing more was known about him. The Lyubimov family remembered this incident as strange and curious. Under the pen of the writer, the story turned into a sad and tragic story about the life of a little man who was elevated and destroyed by love. This is conveyed through the composition of the work. It gives an extensive, leisurely introduction, which introduces us to the exposition of the Sheyny house. The story of extraordinary love itself, the story of the garnet bracelet, is told in such a way that we see it through the eyes of different people: Prince Vasily, who tells it as an anecdotal incident, brother Nikolai, for whom everything in this story seems offensive and suspicious. important, Vera Nikolaevna herself and, finally, General Anosov, who was the first to suggest that here, perhaps, lies true love, “of which women dream and of which men are no longer capable.” The circle to which Vera Nikolaevna belongs cannot admit that this is a real feeling, not so much because of the strangeness of Zheltkov’s behavior, but because of the prejudices that control them. Kuprin, wanting to convince us, the readers, of the authenticity of Zheltkov’s love, resorts to the most irrefutable argument - the hero’s suicide. In this way, the little man’s right to happiness is affirmed, and the motive of his moral superiority over the people who so cruelly insulted him, who failed to understand the strength of the feeling that was the whole meaning of his life, arises.

Kuprin's story is both sad and bright. It is permeated by a musical beginning - a piece of music is indicated as an epigraph - and the story ends with a scene when the heroine listens to music at a tragic moment of moral insight for her. The text of the work includes the theme of the inevitability of the death of the main character - it is conveyed through the symbolism of light: at the moment of receiving the bracelet, Vera Nikolaevna sees red stones in it and thinks with alarm that they look like blood. Finally, the theme of the clash of different cultural traditions arises in the story: the theme of the east - the Mongolian blood of the father of Vera and Anna, the Tatar prince, introduces into the story the theme of love-passion, recklessness; the mention that the sisters’ mother is English introduces the theme of rationality, dispassion in the sphere of feelings, and the power of the mind over the heart. In the final part of the story, a third line appears: it is no coincidence that the landlady turns out to be a Catholic. This introduces into the work the theme of love-admiration, which in Catholicism surrounds the Mother of God, love-self-sacrifice.

A. Kuprin's hero, a little man, faces the world of misunderstanding around him, the world of people for whom love is a kind of madness, and, faced with it, dies.

In the wonderful story “Olesya,” we are presented with a poetic image of a girl who grew up in the hut of an old “witch,” outside the usual norms of a peasant family. Olesya’s love for the intellectual Ivan Timofeevich, who accidentally visited a remote forest village, is a free, simple and strong feeling, without looking back or obligations, among tall pines, painted with the crimson glow of the dying dawn. The girl's story ends tragically. Olesya’s free life is invaded by the selfish calculations of village officials and the superstitions of ignorant peasants. Beaten and molested, Olesya and Manuilikha are forced to flee from the forest nest.

In Kuprin's works, many heroes have similar traits - spiritual purity, dreaminess, ardent imagination, combined with impracticality and lack of will. And they reveal themselves most clearly in love. All heroes treat women with filial purity and reverence. Willingness to give in for the sake of the woman you love, romantic worship, knightly service to her - and at the same time underestimating yourself, lacking faith in your own strengths. Men in Kuprin's stories seem to change places with women. These are the energetic, strong-willed “Polessia sorceress” Olesya and the “kind, but only weak” Ivan Timofeevich, the smart, calculating Shurochka Nikolaevna and the “pure, sweet, but weak and pitiful” second lieutenant Romashov. All these are Kuprin’s heroes with a fragile soul, caught in a cruel world.

Kuprin’s excellent story “Gambrinus,” created in the troubled year of 1907, breathes the atmosphere of revolutionary days. The theme of all-conquering art is intertwined here with the idea of ​​democracy, the bold protest of the “little man” against the black forces of arbitrariness and reaction. Meek and cheerful Sashka, with his extraordinary talent as a violinist and sincerity, attracts a diverse crowd of longshoremen, fishermen, and smugglers to the Odessa tavern. They greet with delight the melodies, which seem to be the background, as if reflecting public moods and events - from the Russo-Japanese War to the rebellious days of the revolution, when Sashka’s violin sounds with the cheerful rhythms of “La Marseilles”. In the days of the onset of terror, Sashka challenges the disguised detectives and the black-hundred “scoundrels in a fur hat,” refusing to play the monarchist anthem at their request, openly denouncing them of murders and pogroms.

Crippled by the tsarist secret police, he returns to his port friends to play for them on the outskirts the tunes of the deafeningly cheerful “Shepherd.” Free creativity and the power of the people's spirit, according to Kuprin, are invincible.

Returning to the question posed at the beginning - “man and the world around him” - we note that in Russian prose of the early 20th century a wide range of answers to it is presented. We have considered only one of the options - the tragic collision of a person with the world around him, his insight and death, but not a senseless death, but containing an element of purification and high meaning.

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin is a Russian writer who, without a doubt, can be classified as a classic. His books are still recognizable and loved by the reader, 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”.

“The Garnet Bracelet” is a true story that Kuprin heard from friends while looking through family albums. The governor's wife made sketches for 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 gold-plated chain with a pendant in the shape of an Easter egg. Alexander Ivanovich took this story as the basis for his work, turning these meager, uninteresting data into a touching story. The writer replaced the chain with the pendant with a bracelet with five garnets, which, according to what King Solomon said in one story, mean 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 with five garnets flecked in green. On the paper note that came with the gift, it is indicated that the gem is capable of endowing the owner with foresight. The princess shares the news with her husband and shows a bracelet from an unknown person. As the action progresses, it turns out that this person is a petty official named Zheltkov. He first saw Vera Nikolaevna at the circus many years ago, and since then the suddenly flared up feelings have not faded away: even her brother’s threats do not stop him. However, Zheltkov does not want to torment his beloved, and he decides to commit suicide so as not to bring shame on her.

The story ends with the realization of the strength of the stranger’s sincere feelings, which comes to Vera Nikolaevna.

Love theme

The main theme of the work “Garnet Bracelet” is undoubtedly the theme of unrequited love. Moreover, Zheltkov is a shining example of selfless, 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: years later she realizes that she wants to be loved and love again - and the jewelry donated by Zheltkov marks the imminent appearance of passion. Indeed, she soon falls in love with life again and feels it in a new way.

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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 willingness to sacrifice herself for the sake of someone who will give nothing in return. Love changes the character of the entire story: the princess’s feelings die, fade, fall asleep, having once been passionate and ardent, and turned into a strong friendship with her husband. But Vera Nikolaevna still continues to strive for love in her soul, even if this has become 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.

1. Zheltkov worked as a minor official in the control chamber (the author placed him there to emphasize that the main character was a small man). Kuprin does not even indicate his name in the work: only the letters are signed with initials. Zheltkov is exactly how the reader imagines a man of low position: thin, pale-skinned, straightening his jacket with nervous fingers. He has delicate facial features and 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 owner of his room says that during the eight years that he lived with her, he became like family to her, and he was a very nice person to talk to. “...Eight years ago I saw you in a box at the circus, 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 the 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 her time, what she wears - he admits that he is not interested in anything but her and is not happy.
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3. 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, kind to everyone. She has been married to Prince Vasily Shein for more than six years; together they are full members of high society, organizing balls and receptions, despite financial difficulties.
4. General Anosov is Anna’s godfather, his full name is Yakov Mikhailovich Anosov. He is fat and tall, good-natured, patient, hard of hearing, he has a large, red face with clear eyes, he is very respected for the years of his service, fair and courageous, has a clear conscience, always wears a frock coat and cap, uses a hearing horn and a stick.
5. Prince Vasily Lvovich Shein is the husband of Vera Nikolaevna. Little is said about his appearance, only that he has blond hair and a large head. He is very soft, compassionate, sensitive - he treats Zheltkov’s feelings with understanding, and 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 life’s truth. He saw the world around him in a special way and sought to learn something new; his works are characterized by drama, a certain anxiety, and excitement. “Educational pathos” is called the hallmark of his work.

In many ways, Kuprin’s work was influenced by Dostoevsky, especially in the early stages, when he writes about fatal and significant moments, the role of chance, the psychology of characters’ passions - often the writer makes it clear that not everything can be understood.

It can be said 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 their lightness and spontaneity, poeticization of reality, naturalness and authenticity. Others are the theme of inhumanity and protest, the struggle for feelings. At some point, he begins to be interested in history, antiquity, legends, and thus fantastic stories 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 further proof: Zheltkov’s note about the qualities of the jewelry is the plot within the plot.

The author shows love from different points of view - love in general terms and Zheltkov’s unrequited feelings. These feelings have no future: Vera Nikolaevna’s marital status, differences in social status, circumstances - everything is against them. This doom reveals the subtle romanticism invested by the writer in the text of the story.

The entire work is ringed by references to the same piece of music – a Beethoven sonata. Thus, the music that “sounds” 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 the climax that symbolizes the awakening of Vera Nikolaevna’s soul and the awareness that comes to her. Such attention to melody is also a manifestation of romanticism.

The composition of the story implies the presence of symbols and hidden meanings. So the fading garden implies the fading passion of Vera Nikolaevna. General Anosov tells short stories about love - these are also small plots within the main narrative.

It is difficult to determine the genre of “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 Garnet Bracelet” a story.

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In the life of every person, love always occupies a special place. Poets and writers glorify this feeling. After all, it is precisely this that makes one feel the joy of being, and elevates a person above circumstances and obstacles, even if love is unrequited. A.I. Kuprin is no exception. His story “The Garnet Bracelet” is a masterpiece of world literary heritage.

An unusual story on an ordinary topic

The theme of love in the work “Garnet Bracelet” occupies the main place. The story reveals the most secret corners of the human soul, which is why it is loved by readers of various age groups. In the work, the author shows what a person is really capable of for the sake of true love. Every reader hopes that he will be able to feel exactly the same as the main character of this story. The theme of love in the work “The Garnet Bracelet” is, first of all, the theme of relationships between the sexes, dangerous and ambiguous for any writer. After all, it is very difficult to avoid banality when describing something that has already been said a thousand times. However, the writer manages to touch even the most experienced reader with his story.

Impossibility of happiness

Kuprin in his story talks about beautiful and unrequited love - this must be mentioned when analyzing the work “Garnet Bracelet”. The theme of love in the story occupies a central place, because its main character, Zheltkov, experiences unrequited feelings. He loves Vera, but cannot be with her because she is completely indifferent to him. Besides this, all circumstances are against them being together. Firstly, they occupy different positions on the social ladder. Zheltkov is poor, he is a representative of a completely different class. Secondly, Vera is bound by marriage. She would never agree to cheat on her husband, because she is attached to him with all her soul. And these are just two reasons why Zheltkov cannot be with Vera.

Christian feelings

With such hopelessness it is hardly possible to believe in anything. However, the main character does not lose hope. His love was absolutely phenomenal, he could only give without demanding anything in return. The theme of love in the work “Garnet Bracelet” is at the center of the storyline. And the feelings that Zheltkov experiences for Vera are tinged with the sacrifice inherent in Christianity. After all, the main character did not rebel, he came to terms with his situation. Nor did he expect any reward for his patience in the form of a response. His love had no selfish motives. Zheltkov managed to renounce himself, putting his feelings for his beloved first.

Caring for your loved one

At the same time, the main character turns out to be honest towards Vera and her husband. He admits the sinfulness of his passion. Not once in all the years that he loved Vera did Zheltkov cross the threshold of her house with a proposal or compromise the woman in any way. That is, he cared about her personal happiness and well-being more than about himself, and this is true self-denial.

The greatness of the feelings that Zheltkov experienced lies in the fact that he was able to let Vera go for the sake of her happiness. And he did this at the cost of his own life. He knew what he would do to himself after he squandered government money, but he took this step deliberately. And at the same time, the main character did not give Vera a single reason to believe that she could be guilty of anything. An official commits suicide because of a crime he committed.

In those days, desperate people took their own lives so that their obligations would not be transferred to loved ones. And therefore, Zheltkov’s action seemed logical and had nothing to do with Vera. This fact testifies to the unusual tenderness of the feeling that Zheltkov had for her. This is the rarest treasure of the human soul. The official proved that love can be stronger than death itself.

A turning point

In an essay on the work “Garnet Bracelet. Theme of Love" you can indicate what the plot of the story was. The main character - Vera - is the wife of the prince. She constantly receives letters from a secret admirer. However, one day, instead of letters, a rather expensive gift arrives - a garnet bracelet. The theme of love in Kuprin’s work originates here. Vera regarded such a gift as compromising and told everything to her husband and brother, who easily found who sent it.

It turned out to be a modest civil servant Georgy Zheltkov. He accidentally saw Vera and fell in love with her with all his being. At the same time, Zheltkov was quite pleased with the fact that love was unrequited. The prince appears to him, after which the official feels that he has let Vera down, because he compromised her with an expensive garnet bracelet. The theme of tragic love in the work sounds like a leitmotif. Zheltkov asked Vera for forgiveness in a letter, asked her to listen to a Beethoven sonata and committed suicide - he shot himself.

Tragedy of Vera

This story interested Vera, she asked her husband for permission to visit the deceased’s apartment. In the analysis of the work “Garnet Bracelet” by Kuprin, the theme of love should be considered in detail. The student should point out that it was in Zheltkov’s apartment that she felt all those feelings that she had never experienced during the entire 8 years that Zheltkov loved her. At home, listening to that same sonata, she realized that Zheltkov could make her happy.

Images of heroes

You can briefly describe the images of the heroes in the analysis of the work “Garnet Bracelet”. The theme of love, chosen by Kuprin, helped him create characters that reflect the social realities not only of his era. Their roles apply to all of humanity. The image of the official Zheltkov is proof of this. He is not rich, he has no special merits. Zheltkov is a completely modest person. He does not demand anything in return for his feelings.

Vera is a woman who is accustomed to obeying the rules of society. Of course, she does not give up love, but she does not consider it a vital necessity. After all, she has a husband who can give her everything she needs, so she doesn’t need feelings. But this happens only until she finds out about Zheltkov’s death. Love in Kuprin's work symbolizes the nobility of the human soul. Neither Prince Shein nor Vera herself can boast of this feeling. Love was the highest manifestation of Zheltkov’s soul. Without demanding anything, he knew how to enjoy the splendor of his experiences.

Moral that the reader can take away

It also needs to be said that the theme of love in the work “Garnet Bracelet” was not chosen by chance by Kuprin. The reader can conclude this: in a world where comfort and daily obligations come to the fore, under no circumstances should you take your loved one for granted. We need to value him as much as ourselves, which is what the main character of the story Zheltkov teaches us.

Composition

The theme of love is one of the fundamental themes of world literature. Every writer certainly paid tribute to her. The wonderful Russian writer A.I. Kuprin illuminated it in his own way in his story The Garnet Bracelet, which K. Paustovsky called one of the most fragrant stories about love.

The plot of the story was taken by Kuprin from life. But the comic story of the real G.S.Zh. turned under the pen of a talented writer into a touching song of love.

The story begins in a decidedly ordinary way. The life of two spouses, in which the former passionate love... turned into friendship, empty talk about the need to morally raise vicious children. But already at the beginning of the story, some kind of anxiety is felt. The sister gives Princess Vera, the heroine of the story, a lady's notebook, converted from a prayer book of the 17th century, and Vera feels some unusual feeling.

Thirteen people gather at the festive table in connection with Verochka’s name day, and she feels that this is not good. And then General Anosov begins to argue that love, unselfish, selfless, not expecting a reward, has disappeared from modern life. All this is a kind of prologue to the main event: Princess Vera is brought a letter and a garnet bracelet from the unknown G.S.Zh. This is how the theme of love as a tragedy, as the greatest secret in the world, enters the story.

It is characteristic that this great love flared up in the heart of a simple official Zheltkov. In other words, the eternal theme of love turns out to be connected with the theme of the little man, to which Pushkin, Gogol, and Dostoevsky paid tribute in their time.

Kuprin's little man evokes neither pity nor a condescending smile. Zheltkov is beautiful in his pure and great love. This love became his need, the meaning of life. In his suicide letter to Vera, he admits: This is not a disease, not a manic idea, this is love with which God was pleased to reward me for something... Leaving, I say in delight: “Hallowed be thy name.”

The symbol of this love becomes a garnet bracelet, so carelessly given by Zheltkov to Verochka. However, the bracelet is not only a symbol of love, it is also a symbol of fate.

The green pomegranate, according to legend, protects men from violent death, and gives women the gift of foresight. Zheltkov gives the bracelet and dies because his secret love became obvious and encountered the cruelty of people. “Vera, having received the bracelet, learned this greatest secret of love. Standing at Zheltkov’s coffin, she was struck by the peaceful expression on his face, as if before his death he had learned some deep and sweet secret, and remembered that she had seen a similar expression on the death masks of the great sufferers Pushkin and Napoleon.

What an important detail! Great love elevated a little official to the level of a genius!

Two elements occupy a large place in the story: music and nature. The brilliant autumn landscape, the grassy smell of the last flowers, the gray and silent sea - all this, with its farewell chords, conveys the bitterness of parting to the story: It was even sadder to see the abandoned dachas with their sudden spaciousness, with disfigured flower beds... The calmed trees silently and obediently dropped their yellow leaves.

Music appears in the story as a force that helps a person to see clearly. Listening to a sonata by the great Beethoven, Zheltkov’s favorite musical work, given to his beloved woman as a will, Verochka hears the voice of a man in love with her: Think about me, and I will be with you, because you and I love each other only for one moment, but forever.

Princess Vera realized that the love that every woman dreams of had passed her by. But that’s not why she’s crying, she’s simply overwhelmed with admiration for these sublime, almost unearthly feelings. Peru Kuprin wrote many works about love, but in none of them, in my opinion, will we find such psychological depth of comprehension of this feeling as in the Garnet Bracelet

The story by A. I. Kuprin, The Garnet Bracelet, amazes the reader with the depth of feelings of one of the characters, as well as with the question that the author poses in the work, what is love? At all times, people have tried to find an answer to the question of the reasons for the emergence of this ardent feeling. But there is no universal answer. Each person answers the question of love in his own way throughout his life. And the petty official Zheltkov, who dared to love Princess Vera Nikolaevna, seems to be both a victim of fate and an amazing, exalted person, not at all similar to those around him.

Indeed, selfless love is a completely unique phenomenon that is very, very rare. It is no coincidence that Princess Vera Nikolaevna, being at the coffin of Zheltkov, who was in love with her, realized that the love that every woman dreams of had passed her by.

The story says practically nothing about Zheltkov himself. The reader learns about him through small details. But even these minor details used by the author in his narrative indicate a lot. We understand that the inner world of this extraordinary person was very, very rich. This man was not like others, he was not mired in the wretched and dull everyday life, his. the soul strived for the beautiful and sublime.

What could be more beautiful and sublime than love itself. By some whim of fate, Vera Nikolaevna once seemed to Zheltkov to be an amazing, completely unearthly creature. And a strong, bright feeling flared up in his heart. He was always at some distance from his beloved, and, obviously, this distance contributed to the strength of his passion. He could not forget the beautiful image of the princess, and he was not stopped at all by the indifference on the part of his beloved.

Zheltkov did not demand anything for his love; his letters to the princess were just a desire to speak out, to convey his feelings to his beloved being. Otherwise, love was the only treasure of the poor petty official. With all his desire, he could not have power over his soul, in which the image of the princess occupied too large a place. Zheltkov idealized his beloved, he knew nothing about her, so he painted a completely unearthly image in his imagination. And this also reveals the originality of his nature. His love could not be discredited or tarnished precisely because it was too far from real life. Zheltkov never met his beloved, his feelings remained a mirage, they were not connected with reality. And in this regard, the lover N Zheltkov appears before the reader as a dreamer, romantic and idealist, divorced from life.

He endowed the best qualities of a woman about whom he knew absolutely nothing. Perhaps if fate had given Zheltkov at least one meeting with the princess, he would have changed his opinion about her. At the very least, she would not seem to him an ideal creature, absolutely devoid of flaws. But, alas, the meeting turned out to be impossible.

Speaking of love, one cannot help but recall the conversation between General Anosov and Princess Vera Nikolaevna. The conversation concerns precisely this unique phenomenon of love. Anosov says: Love must be a tragedy. The greatest secret in the world! No life conveniences, calculations and compromises should concern her!

If you approach love with exactly this yardstick, then it becomes clear that Zheltkov’s love is exactly like that. He easily puts his feelings for the beautiful princess above everything else in the world. In essence, life itself does not have much value for Zheltkov. And, probably, the reason for this is the lack of demand for his love, because Mr. Zheltkov’s life is not decorated with anything except feelings for the princess. At the same time, the princess herself lives a completely different life, in which there is no place for the lover Zheltkov. Moreover, signs of attention on his part, that is, numerous letters, simply anger the lovely Vera Nikolaevna. And she doesn't want the flow of these letters to continue. The princess is not interested in her unknown admirer; she is happy without him. All the more surprising and even strange is Zheltkov, who consciously cultivates his passion for Vera Nikolaevna.

Is it possible to call Zheltkov a sufferer who lived his life uselessly, giving himself up as a sacrifice to some amazing soulless love? On the one hand, he appears exactly like that. He was ready to give the life of his beloved, but no one needed such a sacrifice. The garnet bracelet itself is a detail that even more clearly emphasizes the whole tragedy of this man. He is ready to part with a family heirloom, an ornament passed down by inheritance from the women of his family. Zheltkov is ready to give his only jewel to a completely stranger, and she did not need this gift at all.

The narrative is accompanied by additional illustrations of the love relationships of various people. General Anosov tells Verochka the story of his marriage. At the same time, he admits that his feelings can be called anything but true love. He also talks about situations that he had to face in his own life. In each of these stories, the beautiful human feeling of love appears in some kind of perverted form.

The story of a young warrant officer and the wife of a regimental commander, and also the story of the captain’s wife and Lieutenant Vishnyakov shows love in its most unsightly form. Each time the reader indignantly rejects the idea that such a relationship can be called love.

Love should be creative, not destructive. Love divorced from life evokes admiration, but nothing more. A person who is capable of such sublime feelings can be admired, one can consider him completely special and amazing. You can also feel sorry for him on a purely human level. After all, although his love brightened up his life, shone in the sky like a bright star, it did not allow Zheltkov to become a happy person or at least make the object of his love happy.

That is why the death of the main character at the end of the story seems to be a completely natural outcome. Love dried him up, took away all the best that was in his nature. But she gave nothing in return. Therefore, the unhappy person has nothing else left. Obviously, by the death of the hero, Kuprin wanted to express his attitude towards his love. Zheltkov is, of course, a unique, very special person. Therefore, it is very difficult for him to live among ordinary people. It turns out that there is no place for him on this earth. And this is his tragedy, and not his fault at all. Zheltkov deified his beloved, his prayer was addressed to her: Hallowed be Thy name.

However, with all this, Princess Vera was an ordinary earthly woman who sincerely loved her husband. So her deification is a figment of poor Zheltkov’s imagination. Of course, his love can be called a unique, wonderful, amazingly beautiful phenomenon. When the princess listened to Beethoven's sonata, she simultaneously thought that a great love had passed her by, something that happens only once every thousand years. Yes, such selfless and amazingly pure love is very rare. But it’s still good that it happens this way. After all, such love goes hand in hand with tragedy, it ruins a person’s life. And the beauty of the soul remains unclaimed, no one knows about it or notices it.

Other works on this work

One of the most famous works of Alexander Kuprin is “Garnet Bracelet”. What genre is the story about the unrequited love of the modest official Zheltkov? More often this work is called a story. But it also contains features characteristic of the story. It turns out that defining the genre of “Garnet Bracelet” is not easy.

In order to do this, one should remember the content of Kuprin’s work, and also consider the features of both the story and the story.

What is a story?

This literary term refers to the composition of short prose. A synonym for this word is “short story”. Russian writers usually called their works stories. A short story is a concept that is more common in foreign literature. There is no significant difference between them. In both the first and second cases, we are talking about a work of small volume, in which there are only a few heroes. An important feature is the presence of only one storyline.

The structure of such a work is quite simple: beginning, climax, denouement. In Russian literature of the 19th century, a story was often called what today is commonly called a story. A striking example is the well-known works of Pushkin. The writer created several stories, the plot of which was allegedly told to him by a certain Belkin, and called them stories. In each of these works there are few characters and only one storyline. So why didn’t Pushkin call his collection “Belkin’s Stories”? The fact is that the literary terminology of the 19th century is somewhat different from the modern one.

But the genre of Chekhov’s works is beyond doubt. Events in the stories of this writer revolve around some seemingly minor incidents that allow the characters to look at their lives differently. There are no unnecessary characters in Chekhov's works. His stories are clear and concise. The same can be said about the prose of later authors - Leonid Andreev, Ivan Bunin.

What is a story?

A work of this genre occupies an intermediate position between a short story and a novel. In foreign literature, the concept of “story” is absent. English and French authors created either short stories or novels.

In Ancient Rus', any prose work was called a story. Over time, the term acquired a narrower meaning. Until the middle of the 19th century, it was understood as a work of small size, but larger than a story. There are usually significantly fewer heroes in the story than in the epic "War and Peace", but more than in Chekhov's "Wallet". Yet modern literary scholars sometimes find it difficult to determine the genre of a work written more than 200 years ago.

In the story, events revolve around the main character. Actions take place over a short period of time. That is, if the work tells how the hero was born, graduated from school, university, made a successful career, and then, closer to his seventieth birthday, died safely in his bed, then this is a novel, but not a story.

If only one day in the life of a character is shown, and the plot contains two or three characters, it is a story. Perhaps the clearest definition of a story is the following: “a work that cannot be called either a novel or a story.” What is the genre of "Garnet Bracelet"? Before answering this question, let's remember the content.

"Garnet bracelet"

A work can be confidently classified as a short story if it involves two or three characters. There are more heroes here.

Vera Sheina is married to a kind and well-mannered man. She doesn't care about the telegraph operator who regularly writes her love letters. Moreover, she had never even seen his face. Vera's indifference gives way to a feeling of anxiety, and then pity and regret after she receives a garnet bracelet as a gift from the telegraph operator.

The genre of this work could be easily determined if Kuprin had excluded from the narrative such characters as General Anosov, Vera’s brother and sister. But these characters are not just present in the plot. They, and especially the general, play a certain role.

Let us recall several stories included by Kuprin in “Garnet Bracelet”. The genre of a work can be determined in the process of its artistic analysis. And to do this, you should again turn to the content.

Crazy Love

The officer fell in love with the wife of the regimental commander. This woman was not attractive, and she was also a morphine addict. But love is evil... The romance did not last long. The experienced woman soon became tired of her young lover.

Garrison life is boring and monotonous. The military wife, apparently, wanted to brighten up her everyday life with thrills, and she demanded proof of love from her former lover. Namely, throw yourself under a train. He did not die, but remained disabled for life.

Love triangle

Another incident from garrison life is told in another story included in the “Garnet Bracelet.” Its genre could be easily determined if it were a separate work. It would be a classic story.

The wife of a brave officer, highly respected by the soldiers, fell in love with the lieutenant. A passionate romance ensued. The traitor did not hide her feelings at all. Moreover, the husband was well aware of her relationship with her lover. When the regiment was sent to war, she threatened him with divorce if something happened to the lieutenant. The man went to sapper work instead of his wife's lover. I checked the guard posts for him at night. He did everything to preserve the health and life of his opponent.

General

These stories are not given by chance. They were told to Vera by General Anosov, one of the most striking characters in “The Garnet Bracelet.” The genre of this work would not be in doubt if it were not for this colorful character. In that case it would be a story. But the general distracts the reader from the main storyline. In addition to the above stories, he also tells Vera about some facts from his biography. In addition, Kuprin paid attention to other minor characters (for example, Vera Sheina’s sister). This made the structure of the work more complex, the plot deeper and more interesting.

The stories told by Anosov make an impression on the main character. And his thoughts about love make the princess look differently at the feelings of the faceless telegraph operator.

What genre does “Garnet Bracelet” belong to?

It was said above that in literature previously there was no clear division between such concepts as story and story. But this was only at the beginning of the 19th century. The work discussed in this article was written by Kuprin in 1910. By that time, the concepts used by modern literary scholars had already been formed.

The writer defined his work as a story. Calling "The Garnet Bracelet" a story is incorrect. However, this mistake is forgivable. As one famous literary critic said, not without a bit of irony, no one can perfectly distinguish a story from a story, but philology students like to argue on this topic.