A.S. Pushkin "Station keeper": description, characters, analysis of the work

Subject, storylines, direction

In the cycle, the story "The Stationmaster" is the compositional center, the summit. It is based on the characteristic features of literary Russian realism and sentimentalism. The expressiveness of the work, the plot, the capacious, complex theme gives the right to call it a novel in miniature. This is a seemingly simple story about ordinary people, but everyday circumstances that intervened in the fate of the heroes make the semantic load of the story more difficult. Alexander Sergeevich, in addition to the romantic thematic line, reveals the theme of happiness in the broadest sense of the word. Fate gives a person happiness sometimes not when you expect it, following generally accepted morality, everyday foundations. This requires both a successful combination of circumstances and the subsequent struggle for happiness, even if it seems impossible.

Description of the life of Samson Vyrin is inextricably linked with the philosophical thought of the entire cycle of stories. His perception of the world and life is reflected in pictures with German poems hanging on the walls of his home. The narrator describes the content of these pictures, which depicts the biblical legend of the prodigal son. Vyrin also perceives and experiences what happened to his daughter through the prism of the images surrounding him. He hopes that Dunya will return to him, but she did not return. Vyrin's life experience tells him that his child will be deceived and abandoned. The station superintendent is a "little man" who has become a plaything in the hands of the greedy, mercantile sowing of the world, for whom the devastation of the soul is more terrible than material poverty, for whom honor is above all.

The narration comes from the lips of a titular adviser, whose name is hidden behind the initials A. G. N. In turn, this story was "transmitted" to the narrator by Vyrin himself and the "red-haired and crooked" boy. The plot of the drama is the secret departure of Dunya with a little-known hussar to St. Petersburg. Dunya's father is trying to turn back time to save his daughter from what he sees as "doom." The titular councilor's story takes us to St. Petersburg, where Vyrin is trying to find his daughter, and the mournful finale shows us the caretaker's grave outside the outskirts. The lot of the "little man" is humility. Irreparability of the current situation, hopelessness, despair, indifference finish off the caretaker. Dunya asks her father for forgiveness at his grave, her remorse is belated.

  • "The Captain's Daughter", a summary of the chapters of Pushkin's story
  • "Boris Godunov", analysis of the tragedy of Alexander Pushkin
  • "Gypsies", analysis of the poem by Alexander Pushkin

This cycle includes several short stories, which are linked by one storyteller - Ivan Petrovich Belkin.

This character is fictional, as Pushkin wrote, suffered a fever and died in 1828.

In contact with

The reader learns about the fate of the narrator when he is just beginning to get acquainted with the cycle of stories that can be read online. The author in his work acts as a publisher and in the "Preface" tells about the fate of the storyteller Belkin. This cycle of Pushkin's stories came out of print in 1831. It includes the following works:

  1. "Undertaker".

The history of the creation of the story

Alexander Pushkin worked on the work, being in Boldino in 1830... The story was written quickly, in just a few days, and on September 14 it was finished. It is known that he was brought to the Boldinskoe estate by some financial questions, but the cholera epidemic forced him to delay.

During this time, many wonderful and wonderful works were written, among which the most outstanding is The Station Keeper, a brief retelling of which can be read in this article.

The plot and composition of the story

This is a story about ordinary people who experience both moments of happiness and tragedy in their lives. The plot of the story shows that happiness is different for each person and that it is sometimes hidden in the small and the ordinary.

The whole life of the protagonist is connected with the philosophical thought of the whole cycle. In Samson Vyrin's room there are many pictures from the famous parable of the prodigal son, which help not only to understand the content of the whole story, but also its idea. He waited for his Dunya to return to him, but the girl did not return. The father understood perfectly well that his daughter was not needed by the one who took her away from the family.

The story of the work comes from the perspective of a titular adviser who knew both Dunya and her father. In total, there are several main characters in the story:

  1. The narrator.
  2. Dunya.
  3. Samson Vyrin.
  4. Minsk.

The narrator drove through these places several times and drank tea in the caretaker's house, admiring his daughter. According to him, Vyrin himself told him this whole tragic story. The beginning of the whole tragic story takes place at the moment when Dunya secretly escapes from the house with a hussar.

The final scene of the work takes place in the cemetery, where Samson Vyrin is now buried. He asks for forgiveness from this grave and Dunya, who now deeply repents.

The main idea of ​​the story

Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin constantly emphasizes in his story: all parents dream about their children being happy... But Dunya is unhappy, and her sinful love brings torment and worries to her father.

The behavior of Dunya and Minsky brings Vyrin to the grave.

Samson Vyrin dies, as he, continuing to love his daughter, has lost faith that someday he will see her again.

Dunya seemed to have deleted her father from her life, and this ingratitude and loss of the meaning of life, which was in her daughter, leads to such a sad end to the story.

Brief retelling of the story

Each person met with the caretakers on the road. Usually such people only cause anger and rudeness. Few of those on the road revere them, considering them to be either robbers or fiends. But if you think about what their life is like, delve into it, then you will begin to treat them more leniently. They have no rest for days on end, and some irritated passers-by can beat them up, ripping off their annoyance and anger that they have accumulated during the ride.

The dwelling of such a caretaker is poor and squalid. There is never peace in it, as the guests spend time there, waiting for the horses. Only compassion can evoke such a caretaker who, regardless of the weather, looks for horses, trying to please everyone passing by. The narrator, who has been traveling for twenty years, often visits such dwellings and he knows very well how hard and ungrateful this hard work is.

The narrator in 1816 rode on duty again... At that time he was young and hot and often quarreled with the station rangers. On one of the rainy days, he stopped at one of the station to rest from the road and change his clothes. The tea was served by a girl who was lovely. Duna was 14 years old at the time. The pictures that adorned the walls of the caretaker's poor dwelling also attracted the attention of the visitor. These were illustrations from the parable of the prodigal son.

Samson Vyrin was fresh and cheerful, he was already fifty years old. He loved his daughter and raised her freely and freely. The three of them drank tea for a long time and talked merrily.

A few years later, the narrator soon found himself in the same places again and decided to visit the stationmaster and his lovely daughter. But Samson Vyrin was impossible to recognize: he had grown old, deep wrinkles were on his unshaven face, hunched over.

In the conversation, it turned out that three years ago, one of the passers-by, seeing Dunya, faked fainting and illness. Dunya looked after him for two days. And on Sunday he was going to leave , offering to bring the girl to the church mass... Dunya thought for a moment, but father himself persuaded to sit in the wagon with the young and slender hussar.

Soon Samson got worried and went to mass, but it turned out that Dunya never appeared there. The girl did not return in the evening, and the drunk driver said that she had left with a young hussar. The caretaker immediately fell ill, and when he recovered, he immediately went to Petersburg to find Captain Minsky and return his daughter home. Soon he found himself at a reception with a hussar, but he simply decided to pay off him and demanded that he never again seek meetings with his daughter, and did not bother her.

But Samson made another attempt and made his way into the house where Dunya lived. He saw her among luxury, happy... But as soon as the girl recognized her father, she immediately fainted. Minsky demanded to expose Vyrin and never let him into this house again. After that, returning home, the stationmaster grew old and never bothered Dunya and Minsky again. This story amazed the narrator and haunted for many years.

When, after a while, he again found himself in these parts, he decided to find out how Samson Vyrin was doing. But it turned out that he died a year ago and was buried in the local cemetery. And in his house was the brewer's family. The brewer's son escorted the narrator to the grave. Vanka said that in the summer some lady came with three children and went to his grave. When she found out that Samson Vyrin had died, she immediately burst into tears. And then she herself went to the cemetery and lay for a long time on the grave of her father.

Analysis of the story

This is a work of Alexander Pushkin the most difficult and saddest of the whole cycle. The short story tells about the tragic fate of the stationmaster and the happy fate of his daughter. Samson Vyrin, having studied the biblical parable of the prodigal son from the pictures, constantly thinks that misfortune can happen to his daughter. He constantly remembers Dunya and thinks that she, too, will be deceived and one day she will be abandoned. And it worries his heart. These thoughts become disastrous for the stationmaster, who died, having lost the meaning of his life.

In this article we will consider a brief analysis of the story "The Stationmaster", which Alexander Pushkin wrote in 1830, and which was included in the collection "Belkin's Tale".

There are two prominent main characters in this work. This is the station superintendent who serves at the station, his name is Samson Vyrin. And his beloved beautiful daughter Dunya. There is also the hussar Minsky, who also played an important role. So, in a nutshell, the plot of the story "Stationmaster":

Samson Vyrin is a minor official at the station. It is kind and peaceful, although it is constantly plagued by people passing by. Vyrin's daughter Dunya is a beauty and helper. Once the hussar Minsky comes to them, who pretends to be sick in order to be with the girl with whom he fell in love for several days. Then, having deceived his father, the hussar takes Dunya to Petersburg. Samson Vyrin makes attempts to take his daughter, but nothing comes of it. Out of grief, he begins to drink, and, in the end, drinks himself from such an unhappy life, turning into a decrepit old man. Dunya, apparently, is marrying Minsky, giving birth to three children, and does not need anything. Having learned about the death of her father, she deeply regrets and reproaches herself all her life.

This is the plot of the story, without considering it, the analysis of The Stationmaster would be incomplete.

Problems of the story

Of course, Pushkin raises a number of problems in this story. For example, we are talking about a conflict - an eternal conflict - between parental will and children. Often, parents do not let their children leave their parents' home, and grown-up children want to live an independent life.

So it is in the "Station Keeper", which we are analyzing. Dunya's daughter helps Vyrin well, because his work is not easy, he does not have enough horses, people get nervous and angry because of this, conflicts are constantly brewing, and Dunya's charm and good looks help to settle a lot. In addition, she works in the comfort of the house, serves in front of clients. It is not surprising that Samson Vyrin values ​​his daughter so much and does not want to let her go, because for him she is the main thing in life.

When Minsky takes Dunya away, Vyrin thinks that this looks like a kidnapping, he does not believe that she herself wants to go with him. Going to rescue his daughter, Vyrin is faced with a strong reaction - the hussar does not want to part with his beloved in any way, although it seems to the station attendant that he is simply using her as a new toy - he will play and throw her away.

Samson Vyrin is confused and depressed, and although he goes back to his place, he imagines the fate of his daughter very sadly. He can’t believe that Dunya and the hussar Minsky will be happy, and in the end he just gets drunk.

What does the story "The Stationmaster" teach that the author especially wanted to emphasize? Many conclusions can be drawn, everyone will find something of their own. But in any case, there is an incentive to cherish family ties, to love loved ones and think about their feelings. In addition, you should never despair and allow circumstances to drive you into a corner.

We hope that you will also be helped by summary of this work. You have now read a brief analysis of The Station Keeper. We also bring to your attention an article with essay on this story.

Plan

1. Introduction

2.History of creation

3.The meaning of the name

4.Kind and genre

5.The topic

6.Problems

7 heroes

8 plot and composition

"The Stationmaster" is included in the cycle "Tales of the Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin". The story of a man who lost his only daughter enjoyed great success among his contemporaries. The work was filmed in 1972.

History of creation. The story was created in the famous "Boldin autumn" of 1830 - one of the most fruitful stages in Pushkin's work. The date of completion of work on the work is set in the poet's manuscript - September 14. The story was published in 1831.

The meaning of the name. The name indicates the main character of the work - the stationmaster Samson Vyrin. The beginning of the story contains the author's digression, in which he speaks with sympathy about this category of officials, working as if in "hard labor".

Genre and genre... Sentimental tale

main topic works are the fate of the "little man". Station keepers in the time of Pushkin were a downtrodden and humiliated category of bureaucracy. The passers-by took out all their anger and irritation on them. The stationmaster belonged to the lowest, fourteenth grade on the Table of Ranks. Any traveler treated him with disdain and did not hesitate in expressions. According to the author, there were frequent cases of assault, which remained without consequences. Pushkin himself often traveled around Russia and was familiar with many station keepers. The poet treated people below him with respect. He saw that every person has their own deep inner world. Despised people are often much purer and nobler than the refined upper class. Most likely, Minsky does not even think that he is committing a dastardly act. In his opinion, Dunya will in any case be better in Petersburg than at this God-forsaken station. He does not think about Samson's feelings at all. In an extreme case, Minsky is ready to pay him money. For him, Dunya is just a commodity, a treasure that must be taken from the station superintendent.

Problematic... The main problem of the story is the defenselessness of the station superintendent. The hard service of Samson Vyrin was brightened up by his only daughter, who served as a joy and consolation for the old man. Naturally, the beautiful girl attracted the attention of everyone passing by. Samson was not even aware of the danger and was glad that Dunya was helping him in his work. The girl really softened the hearts of the disgruntled travelers. The meanness of the hussar painfully hit the main character. He understands that Dunya would never have left him voluntarily. The girl succumbed to the seductive persuasion of the handsome traveler, and when she came to her senses, it was already too late. In St. Petersburg, Samson is again humiliated. The hussar, unashamedly, shoves him money in exchange for his daughter. After that, the old man is not even allowed on the doorstep. Another problem with the story is the danger to which the daughters of defenseless people were constantly exposed. The nobility took advantage of it and seduction was the order of the day. In the story, Dunya was not deceived and became the lawful wife of a hussar, but this is a very rare case. In reality, after some time, the girl would have bothered Minsky and would have been forced to return to her father disgraced. Dunya achieved happiness at a very high price. Probably, for the rest of her life, she felt her indelible guilt before her father. The story of the boy testifies to belated repentance, who says that the lady lay motionless on the grave for a long time.

Heroes... Stationmaster Samson Vyrin, his daughter Dunya, captain Minsky.

Plot and composition... The tale consists of three visits by the narrator to one of the stations. During the first, he met Samson Vyrin and appreciated his lively daughter Dunya. The second visit took place several years later. The narrator was amazed at how old his acquaintance was. He learned his woeful story. The passing captain Minsky deceived Dunya with him. Broken with grief, Samson reached St. Petersburg and tried to pick up his daughter. But Minsky treated him rudely, and Dunya no longer showed any desire to go back. Several more years passed. The narrator visited the station again and learned that Samson had died of drunkenness. The boy told him that Dunya had come to his father's grave. The narrator himself went to the cemetery to pay tribute to the unfortunate father.

What does the author teach... Pushkin draws the readers' attention to the fact that people who do not enjoy any respect also experience great joy and deep suffering. Samson's grief was clear only to the narrator. Minsky did not pay attention to him at all and tried to pay off. Similar incidents occurred at every turn, but only a few felt compassion for the deceived and humiliated poor.