Garnet bracelet analysis briefly. The story “The Garnet Bracelet” in critical literature

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Story Analysis

This story is a reflection of Kuprin’s nature as a romantic. This is a story of extraordinary tragic love, filled with mysterious symbols and mystical mood.

The action of the story begins at the dacha of the princely Shein family, during preparations for the celebration of the name day of Vera Nikolaevna, the prince’s wife. Already here the writer fills the story with symbols. The variability of weather is like the variability of life. At first it was gray and cloudy, and suddenly it suddenly changed to warm and clear. Like the life of the main character, at first gray everyday life, and suddenly an out of the ordinary incident.

During the feast, the guests begin to play poker, and Prince Shein, Vasily Lvovich, begins to entertain the guests with stories in which there is not a penny of truth. And among them is a story about one suitor of Vera Nikolaevna, who allegedly sent her passionate letters every day, and then became a monk; Having died, he bequeathed two buttons and a bottle of perfume with his tears to Vera.

On her name day, her husband gave Vera Nikolaevna earrings with pear-shaped pearls; he placed them early in the morning on his wife’s night table. In the middle of the celebration, the princess received a package from the maid, which contained a gift and a note from an unknown admirer. The gift turned out to be a low-grade gold blown bracelet decorated with a garnet, and in the center of it was a rare green garnet.

In the note, the unknown G.S.Zh. confesses to Vera Nikolaevna his sincere and unrequited love. He says that he asks to accept a gift made from the bottom of his heart, and emphasizes that he is not even trying to win the sympathy of the princess. The fan also draws attention to the bracelet itself, which was worn by his great-grandmother; supposedly the green garnet contained in it gives women the gift of premonition of the future. The princess decides to show the note and bracelet to her husband after the guests have left.

Towards evening, when most of the guests have left, grandfather Anosov (a military comrade of Vera’s father) begins to tell the story of his family life. His wife ran away from him with the actor, and when she tried to return, Anosov did not accept her. He says that true love should be forgiving, modest, selfless, heroic, it always gives itself completely and demands nothing in return. He also inquired about the story that the prince was telling the guests. And I heard from Vera Nikolaevna about a certain petty official who writes her letters of love and always knows what she is doing. Anosov suggests that perhaps this is the same romantic love, which all women in the world crave, but which men are unable to give.

Vera Nikolaevna's brother convinces her and the prince that they could find themselves in an awkward position if G.S.Zh. suddenly he begins to brag to his friends and acquaintances that the princess is accepting his gifts. And the men decide to identify the admirer by initials in the lists of city officials.

The mysterious admirer turns out to be a petty official, Zheltkov, who has been living under the roof of one of the poor houses for many years. During a meeting with Zheltkov, Vera Nikolaevna’s brother, Nikolai Nikolaevich, due to his temperament, behaves arrogantly, harshly, he even tries to intimidate Zheltkov with the police. Vasily Lvovich, on the contrary, behaves very calmly and judiciously, and even treats the official’s feelings with some understanding.

On the evening of this day, Vera Nikolaevna said that she had a premonition that this man was going to kill himself. And indeed, a few days later she read in the newspaper about the suicide of a minor official, Zheltkov, allegedly due to embezzlement of government money. In fact, Zheltkov simply did not want to interfere with Vera Nikolaevna’s life with his feelings, and since I cannot kill love in myself, I decided to kill myself.

But his love did not die, it lived on even after his death. She was in Vera’s memories, she lived next to her, but not as a reproach, but as a gentle guardian angel.

And the garnet bracelet, with the rarest green garnet, appears here as a symbol of the rarest and the most beautiful love, the only one in my entire life that went unanswered, lost in a cheap frame.

After reading the analysis of the story “Garnet Bracelet”, you will definitely want to read other works:

One of the most famous works about tragic love in Russian literature, in which Kuprin explores “love-tragedy”, shows its origins and the role of this feeling in human life, and this research is carried out against a socio-psychological background, which largely determines everything that happens to heroes, but cannot fully explain the phenomenon of love as a feeling that, according to the writer, is beyond the boundaries of cause-and-effect relationships understandable to reason, depending on some higher will.

The creative history of the story “The Garnet Bracelet,” which we will analyze, is widely known: its characters are not fictional, each of them has prototypes, and the “story with the bracelet” itself actually happened in the family of a prominent official, Prince D.N. Lyubimov (member State Council), whose wife Lyudmila Ivanovna was presented with a vulgar “garnet bracelet” by the apt telegraph official P.P. Zheltkov; this gift was insulting, the donor was easily identified, and after a conversation with Lyudmila Ivanovna’s husband and brother (in the story - Nikolai Nikolaevich), he disappeared from her life forever. All this is true, but Kuprin heard this story back in 1902, and the story was written in 1910... Obviously, the writer needed time for the first impressions of what he heard to be embodied in artistic images so that the story from life (quite funny as presented by D.N. Lyubimov...) turns into a truly tragic story sublime love, “which women dream about and which men are no longer capable of.”

The plot of the story “The Garnet Bracelet” is simple: on her name day, Vera Nikolaevna Sheina, “the wife of the leader of the nobility,” receives a garnet bracelet as a gift, sent by her longtime admirer since her girlhood, informs her husband about this, and he, under her influence brother, goes to the mysterious "G.S.Zh.", they demand that he stop the persecution married woman, who belongs to high society, he asks permission to call Vera Nikolaevna, after which he promises to leave her alone - and the next day she learns that he shot himself. As we can see, outwardly the story almost repeats life, only in life, fortunately, the ending was not so tragic. However, psychologically everything is much more complicated; Kuprin did not describe, but creatively reworked a real-life incident.

First of all, it is necessary to dwell on the conflict in the story “The Garnet Bracelet”. Here we see an external conflict - between the world of “high society”, to which the heroine belongs, and the world of petty officials, they are “not supposed” to experience any feelings towards women like Vera Nikolaevna - and Zheltkov has long, selflessly, been able to I can even say that he loves her selflessly. Here are the origins of the internal conflict: love, it turns out, can become the meaning of life for a person, what he lives for and what he serves, and everything else - “in Zheltkov’s way” - is just unnecessary things for a person that distract him from the main thing in life. His life purpose is to serve the person he loves. It is easy to notice that both external and internal conflicts works become the main way of revealing the characters of the characters, who manifest themselves in how they relate to love, how they understand the nature of this feeling and its place in the life of every person.

Probably, the author expresses his understanding of what love is in the words of General Anosov, spoken by him at Vera Nikolaevna’s birthday: “Love should be a tragedy. The greatest secret in the world! No life’s conveniences, calculations and compromises should concern it.” Author's position morally, it is indeed uncompromising, and in the story “The Garnet Bracelet” Kuprin explores why such love (and it exists in life, the author convinces the reader of this!) is doomed.

To understand the events taking place in the story, you need to understand what kind of relationship connects Vera Nikolaevna and Vasily Lvovich Shein. At the very beginning of the story, the author says about this: “Princess Vera, whose former passionate love for her husband has long turned into a feeling of lasting, faithful, sincere friendship...” This is very important: the heroes know what it is real love, only in their life it happened that their feeling was reborn into friendship, which is probably also necessary in the relationship between spouses, but not instead of love?.. But the one who himself has experienced the feeling of love can understand another person, that who loves - unlike people who never knew in life what it is - true love, that’s why Prince Vasily Lvovich behaves so unusually, whose wife received such a compromising, if not insulting (this is how Vera’s brother perceives him , Nikolai Nikolaevich Tuganovsky, who insisted on a visit to Zheltkov) congratulations.

On the name day scene, after which the conversation between the Sheins and Nikolai Nikolaevich took place, we should dwell in more detail because it is very important for understanding the role that, as the author believes, love plays in a person’s life. After all, at Princess Vera’s name day, quite prosperous people gathered, who seem to be “doing well” in life, but why do they talk so enthusiastically about this feeling - about love? Maybe because the love of the Sheins turned into “friendship”, Anna Nikolaevna “couldn’t stand her husband... but gave birth to two children from him - a boy and a girl...”? Because any person, no matter what he says about love, secretly believes in it and expects that in his life there will be this bright feeling that changes life?..

Interesting compositional technique, which Kuprin uses when creating the image of Zheltkov: this hero appears almost at the very end of the story, appears as if for a moment (conversation with guests), in order to disappear forever, but his appearance is prepared both by the story with the gift and the story about his attitude towards Princess Vera, so it seems to the reader that he has known this hero for a long time. And yet, the real Zheltkov turns out to be completely different from the “hero-lover”, as perhaps the reader’s imagination depicted him: “Now he has become completely visible: very pale, with a gentle girlish face, with blue eyes and a stubborn childish chin with a dimple in the middle ;he must have been about thirty, thirty-five years old." At first he feels very awkward, but this is just that: awkwardness, he is not afraid of his distinguished guests, and he finally calms down when Nikolai Nikolaevich begins to threaten him. This happens because he feels protected by his love, it, love, cannot be taken away from him, this is the feeling that defines his life, and it will remain with him until the end of this life.

After Zheltkov receives permission from Prince Shein and goes to call Vera Nikolaevna, Nikolai Nikolaevich reproaches his relative for his indecision, to which Vasily Lvovich replies: “Really, think, Kolya, is he to blame for love and is it possible to control such a feeling, like love - a feeling that has not yet found an interpreter... I feel sorry for this man, and not only do I feel sorry for him, but I feel that I am present at some enormous tragedy of the soul, and I cannot. here to clown around." For Nikolai Nikolaevich, what is happening is “This is decadence,” but Vasily Lvovich, who knows what love is, feels completely differently, and his heart turns out to be more accurate in understanding what is happening... It is no coincidence that Zheltkov in the conversation addressed only Prince Vasily , and the highest wisdom of their conversation was that both spoke the language of love...

Zheltkov passed away, but before his death he sent a letter to a woman, for whose peace he gladly decided to take this step. In this letter, he explains what exactly happened to him: “I tested myself - this is not a disease, not a manic idea - this is love, with which God wanted to reward me for something.” So he gave the answer to the question that tormented Princess Vera: “And what was it: love or madness?” A very convincing, irrefutable answer, because it was given the way Zheltkov did, the price of this answer is a person’s life...

The fact that Zheltkov truly loves Princess Vera is evidenced, among other things, by the fact that even with his death he made her happy. By forgiving her - although what is her fault?.. Is it “that the love that every woman dreams of passed her by”? But, if this happened, wasn’t it so destined from above that he was sent? tragic love Zheltkov? Maybe true love, as General Anosov said, is always tragic - and this is what determines its authenticity?

The tragic ending of the story “The Garnet Bracelet” does not leave a feeling of hopelessness - no matter what! After all, if true love exists in the world, does it mean that it makes people happy, no matter what they have to go through? Zheltkov died happy because he could do something for the woman he loved, can he be judged for this? Vera Nikolaevna is happy because “he has forgiven me now. Everything is fine.” To what extent is this tragic fate The heroes are “more humane” than life without love, how much they, who have suffered and are suffering, are spiritually higher and humanly happier than those who did not know true feelings in their lives! Truly, Kuprin's story is a hymn to love, without which life makes life...

One cannot help but mention the stunning artistic detail that is the central metaphor of the story. The description of the bracelet contains the following lines: “But in the middle of the bracelet rose, surrounding some strange small green stone, five beautiful cabochon garnets, each the size of a pea.” This "strange little green stone" is also a garnet, only it's a rare garnet unusual color, which not everyone can recognize, especially against the backdrop of “beautiful cabochon garnets.” Just like Zheltkov’s love is a real, only very rare, feeling that is as difficult to recognize as a pomegranate in a small green stone. But because people are not able to understand what is revealed to their eyes, a pomegranate does not cease to be a pomegranate, and love does not cease to be love... They exist, they exist, and it is not their fault that people are simply not ready for meeting them... This is probably one of the main lessons tragic story, told by Kuprin: you need to be very careful about yourself, about people, about your own and other people’s feelings, so that when “God rewards” a person with love, you can see, understand and preserve this great feeling.

Introduction
“The Garnet Bracelet” is one of the most famous stories by Russian prose writer Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin. It was published in 1910, but for the domestic reader it still remains a symbol of unselfish, sincere love, the kind that girls dream about, and the one that we so often miss. Previously, we published a summary of this wonderful work. In this same publication we will tell you about the main characters, analyze the work and talk about its problems.

The events of the story begin to unfold on the birthday of Princess Vera Nikolaevna Sheina. They celebrate at the dacha with their closest people. At the height of the fun, the hero of the occasion receives a gift - a garnet bracelet. The sender decided to remain anonymous and signed a short note only the initials GSG. However, everyone immediately guesses that this is Vera’s long-time admirer, a certain petty official who has been inundating her with love letters for many years. The princess's husband and brother quickly figure out the identity of the annoying suitor and the next day they go to his home.

In a wretched apartment they are met by a timid official named Zheltkov, he meekly agrees to take the gift and promises never to appear in front of the respectable family again, provided that he makes a final farewell call to Vera and makes sure that she does not want to know him. Vera Nikolaevna, of course, asks Zheltkov to leave her. The next morning the newspapers will write that a certain official took his own life. In his farewell note, he wrote that he had squandered government property.

Main characters: characteristics of key images

Kuprin is a master of portraiture, and through appearance he draws the character of the characters. The author pays a lot of attention to each character, devoting a good half of the story to portrait characteristics and memories, which also reveal characters. The main characters of the story are:

  • – princess, central female image;
  • - her husband, the prince, the provincial leader of the nobility;
  • - a minor official of the control chamber, passionately in love with Vera Nikolaevna;
  • Anna Nikolaevna Friesseyounger sister Faith;
  • Nikolai Nikolaevich Mirza-Bulat-Tuganovsky– brother of Vera and Anna;
  • Yakov Mikhailovich Anosov- general, military comrade of Vera’s father, close friend of the family.

Vera is an ideal representative of high society in appearance, manners, and character.

“Vera took after her mother, a beautiful Englishwoman, with her tall, flexible figure, gentle but cold and proud face, beautiful, albeit rather large hands and that charming sloping shoulders that can be seen in ancient miniatures.”

Princess Vera was married to Vasily Nikolaevich Shein. Their love had long ceased to be passionate and moved into that calm stage of mutual respect and tender friendship. Their union was happy. The couple did not have children, although Vera Nikolaevna passionately wanted a baby, and therefore gave all her unspent feelings to the children of her younger sister.

Vera was royally calm, coldly kind to everyone, but at the same time very funny, open and sincere with close people. She was not characterized by such feminine tricks as affectation and coquetry. Despite her high status, Vera was very prudent, and knowing how poorly things were going for her husband, she sometimes tried to deprive herself so as not to put him in an uncomfortable position.



Vera Nikolaevna’s husband is a talented, pleasant, gallant, noble man. He has an amazing sense of humor and is a brilliant storyteller. Shein keeps a home journal in which she records true stories with pictures about the life of the family and its relatives.

Vasily Lvovich loves his wife, perhaps not as passionately as in the first years of marriage, but who knows how long passion actually lasts? The husband deeply respects her opinion, feelings, and personality. He is compassionate and merciful to others, even those who are much lower in status than him (this is evidenced by his meeting with Zheltkov). Shein is noble and endowed with the courage to admit mistakes and his own wrongness.



We first meet Official Zheltkov towards the end of the story. Until this moment, he is present in the work invisibly in grotesque image a klutz, an eccentric, a fool in love. When the long-awaited meeting finally takes place, we see before us a meek and shy person, it is customary to not notice such people and call them “little”:

“He was tall, thin, with long, fluffy, soft hair.”

His speeches, however, are devoid of the chaotic whims of a madman. He is fully aware of his words and actions. Despite his apparent cowardice, this man is very courageous; he boldly tells the prince, Vera Nikolaevna’s legal husband, that he is in love with her and cannot do anything about it. Zheltkov does not fawn over the rank and position in society of his guests. He submits, but not to fate, but only to his beloved. And he also knows how to love – selflessly and sincerely.

“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 life lies only in you. I now feel that I have crashed into your life like some kind of uncomfortable wedge. If you can, forgive me for this"

Analysis of the work

Kuprin got the idea for his story from real life. In reality, the story was more anecdotal in nature. A certain poor telegraph operator named Zheltikov was in love with the wife of one of Russian generals. One day this eccentric was so brave that he sent his beloved a simple gold chain with a pendant in the form easter egg. It's hilarious and that's it! Everyone laughed at the stupid telegraph operator, but the inquisitive writer’s mind decided to look beyond the anecdote, because behind the apparent curiosity there can always be a real drama hidden.

Also in “The Pomegranate Bracelet,” the Sheins and their guests first make fun of Zheltkov. Vasily Lvovich even has a funny story about this in his home magazine called “Princess Vera and the telegraph operator in love.” People tend not to think about other people's feelings. The Sheins were not bad, callous, soulless (this is proven by the metamorphosis in them after meeting Zheltkov), they simply did not believe that the love in which the official admitted could exist..

There are many symbolic elements in the work. For example, a garnet bracelet. Garnet is a stone of love, anger and blood. If a feverish person picks it up (a parallel with the expression “love fever”), the stone will take on a more saturated hue. According to Zheltkov himself, this special type of pomegranate (green pomegranate) gives women the gift of foresight, and protects men from violent death. Zheltkov, having parted with his amulet bracelet, dies, and Vera unexpectedly predicts his death.

Another symbolic stone - pearls - also appears in the work. Vera receives pearl earrings as a gift from her husband on the morning of her name day. Pearls, despite their beauty and nobility, are an omen of bad news.
The weather also tried to predict something bad. On the eve of the fateful day, a terrible storm broke out, but on the birthday everything calmed down, the sun came out and the weather was calm, like a calm before a deafening clap of thunder and even more strong storm.

Problems of the story

The key problem of the work is the question “What is true love?” In order for the “experiment” to be pure, the author provides different types“love.” This is the tender love-friendship of the Sheins, and the calculating, convenient love of Anna Friesse for her indecently rich old man-husband, who blindly adores her soul mate, and the long-forgotten ancient love of General Amosov, and the all-consuming love-worship of Zheltkov for Vera.

The main character herself cannot understand for a long time whether it is love or madness, but looking into his face, albeit hidden by the mask of death, she is convinced that it was love. Vasily Lvovich draws the same conclusions after meeting his wife’s admirer. And if at first he was somewhat belligerent, then later he could not be angry with the unfortunate man, because, it seems, a secret was revealed to him that neither he, nor Vera, nor their friends could comprehend.

People are selfish by nature and even in love, they first of all think about their feelings, masking their own egocentrism from their other half and even themselves. True love, which occurs between a man and a woman once every hundred years, puts the beloved in first place. So Zheltkov calmly lets Vera go, because that’s the only way she will be happy. The only problem is that he doesn’t need life without her. In his world, suicide is a completely natural step.

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"Garnet bracelet"


Story by A.I. Kuprin's "Garnet Bracelet", published in 1910, is one of the most poetic works of art Russian literature of the 20th century. It opens with an epigraph referring the reader to famous work J1. van Beethoven - sonata "Appassionata". To this same musical theme the author returns at the end of the story. The first chapter is an extensive landscape sketch, revealing the contradictory variability of the natural elements. In it A.I. Kuprin introduces us to the image of the main character - Princess Vera Nikolaevna Sheina, the wife of the leader of the nobility. At first glance, a woman’s life seems calm and carefree. Despite the financial difficulties, Vera and her husband have an atmosphere of friendship and mutual understanding in their family. Only one small detail alarms the reader: on her name day, her husband gives Vera earrings made of pear-shaped pearls. Doubt involuntarily creeps in that the heroine’s family happiness is so strong, so indestructible.

Her younger sister comes to Sheina’s name day, who, like Pushkin’s Olga, who sets off the image of Tatyana in Eugene Onegin, sharply contrasts with Vera both in character and in appearance. Anna is playful and wasteful, and Vera is calm, reasonable and economical. Anna is attractive but ugly, while Vera is endowed with aristocratic beauty. Anna has two children, but Vera has no children, although she passionately desires to have them. Important artistic detail, revealing Anna’s character is the gift she gives to her sister: Anna brings Vera a small notebook made from an old prayer book. She enthusiastically talks about how she carefully selected leaves, clasps and a pencil for the book. Faith, the very fact of altering the prayer book into notebook seems blasphemous. This shows the integrity of her nature and emphasizes how much more seriously the older sister takes life. We will soon learn that Vera graduated from the Smolny Institute - one of the best educational institutions for women in noble Russia, and her friend is famous pianist Zhenya Reiter.

Among the guests who arrived for the name day, General Anosov is an important figure. It is this man, wise in life, who has seen danger and death in his lifetime, and therefore knows the value of life, who tells in the story several stories about love, which can be described in artistic structure works as inserted novellas. Unlike the vulgar family stories told by Prince Vasily Lvovich, Vera’s husband and the owner of the house, where everything is twisted and ridiculed and turns into a farce, General Anosov’s stories are filled with real life details. This is how a dispute arises in the story about what true love is. Anosov says that people have forgotten how to love, that marriage does not at all imply spiritual closeness and warmth. Women often get married to get out of care and be the mistress of the house. Men are tired of single life. A significant role in marriages is played by the desire to continue the family line, and selfish motives often turn out to be unhelpful. last place. “Where is the love?” - asks Anosov. He is interested in the kind of love for which “to accomplish any feat, to give one’s life, to go to torment is not work at all, but one joy.” Here, in the words of General Kuprin, in essence, reveals his concept of love: “Love must be a tragedy. The greatest secret in the world. No life conveniences, calculations or compromises should concern her.” Anosov talks about how people become victims of their love feeling, O love triangles, which exist contrary to all meaning.

Against this background, the story examines the love story of telegraph operator Zheltkov for Princess Vera. This feeling flared up when Vera was still free. But she did not reciprocate his feelings. Contrary to all logic, Zheltkov did not stop dreaming about his beloved, wrote tender letters to her, and even sent her a gift for her name day - a gold bracelet with garnets that looked like droplets of blood. An expensive gift forces Vera’s husband to take measures to stop the story. He, together with the princess's brother Nikolai, decides to return the bracelet.

The scene of Prince Shein's visit to Zheltkov's apartment is one of key scenes works. A.I. Kuprin appears here as a genuine master-artist in creating psychological portrait. The image of the telegraph operator Zheltkov is typical of Russian classical literature of the 19th century century image little man. A notable detail in the story is the comparison of the hero’s room with the wardroom of a cargo ship. The character of the inhabitant of this humble dwelling is shown primarily through gesture. In the scene of the visit of Vasily Lvovich and Nikolai Nikolaevich, Zheltkov either rubs his hands in confusion, or nervously unbuttons and fastens the buttons of his short jacket (and this detail becomes repetitive in this scene). The hero is excited, he is unable to hide his feelings. However, as the conversation progresses, when Nikolai Nikolaevich voices a threat to turn to the authorities in order to protect Vera from persecution, Zheltkov suddenly transforms and even laughs. Love gives him strength, and he begins to feel that he is right. Kuprin focuses on the difference in mood between Nikolai Nikolaevich and Vasily Lvovich during the visit. Vera's husband, seeing his opponent, suddenly becomes serious and reasonable. He tries to understand Zheltkov and says to his brother-in-law: “Kolya, is he really to blame for love and is it possible to control such a feeling as love - a feeling that has not yet found an interpreter.” Unlike Nikolai Nikolaevich, Shane allows Zheltkov to write to Vera Farewell letter. A huge role in this scene for understanding the depth of Zheltkov’s feelings for Vera is played by a detailed portrait of the hero. His lips become white, like those of a dead man, his eyes fill with tears.

Zheltkov calls Vera and asks her for a small thing - for the opportunity to see her at least occasionally, without appearing in front of her. These meetings could have given his life at least some meaning, but Vera refused him this too. Her reputation and the peace of her family were more valuable to her. She showed cold indifference to Zheltkov’s fate. The telegraph operator found himself defenseless against Vera’s decision. The strength of love and maximum spiritual openness made him vulnerable. Kuprin constantly emphasizes this defenselessness with portrait details: a child’s chin, a gentle girl’s face.

In the eleventh chapter of the story, the author emphasizes the motive of fate. Princess Vera, who never read newspapers for fear of getting her hands dirty, suddenly unfolds the very sheet on which the announcement of Zheltkov’s suicide was printed. This fragment of the work is intertwined with the scene in which General Anosov says to Vera: “...Who knows? - maybe yours life path, Verochka, crossed exactly the kind of love that women dream about and which men are no longer capable of.” It is no coincidence that the princess recalls these words again. It seems that Zheltkov was really sent to Vera by fate, and she could not discern selfless nobility, subtlety and beauty in the soul of a simple telegraph operator.

A unique plot structure in the works of A.I. Kuprin lies in the fact that the author makes peculiar signs to the reader that help to predict further development narratives. In “Oles” this is a motive of fortune-telling, in accordance with which all further relationships between the characters develop; in “The Duel” it is a conversation between officers about a duel. In “The Garnet Bracelet,” the sign foreshadowing the tragic outcome is the bracelet itself, the stones of which look like droplets of blood.

Upon learning of Zheltkov’s death, Vera realizes that she foresaw a tragic outcome. In his farewell message to his beloved, Zheltkov does not hide his all-consuming passion. He literally deifies Faith, turning to her the words from the prayer “Our Father...”: “Hallowed be the your name».

In literature " Silver Age“God-fighting motives were strong. Zheltkov, deciding to commit suicide, commits the greatest Christian sin, because the church prescribes to endure any spiritual and physical torment sent to a person on earth. But with the entire course of development of the plot, A.I. Kuprin justifies Zheltkov’s action. It is no coincidence that the main character of the story is named Vera. For Zheltkov, thus, the concepts of “love” and “faith” merge together. Before his death, the hero asks the landlady to hang a bracelet on the icon.

Looking at the late Zheltkov, Vera is finally convinced that there was truth in Anosov’s words. By his action, the poor telegraph operator was able to reach the heart of the cold beauty and touch her. Vera brings Zheltkov a red rose and kisses him on the forehead with a long, friendly kiss. Only after death did the hero receive the right to attention and respect for his feelings. Only with his own death did he prove the true depth of his experiences (before that, Vera considered him crazy).

Anosov's words about eternal, exclusive love become the running theme of the story. IN last time they are remembered in the story when, at Zheltkov’s request, Vera listens to Beethoven’s second sonata (“Appassionata”). At the end of the story by A.I. Kuprin sounds another repetition: “Hallowed be Thy name,” which is no less significant in the artistic structure of the work. He once again emphasizes the purity and sublimity of Zheltkov’s attitude towards his beloved.

Putting love on a par with such concepts as death, faith, A.I. Kuprin emphasizes the importance of this concept for human life as a whole. Not all people know how to love and remain faithful to their feelings. The story “The Garnet Bracelet” can be considered as a kind of testament to A.I. Kuprin, addressed to those who are trying to live not with their hearts, but with their minds. Their life, correct from the point of view of a rational approach, is doomed to a spiritually devastated existence, for only love can give a person true happiness.

The work “The Garnet Bracelet,” the analysis of which we will now present in this article, is read by everyone - both students and adults who graduated from school a long time ago. And all because Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin is a great master short prose, his stories, which so vividly describe the brightest feelings, have their own unique style and help to understand the subtle notes of the soul of a Russian person. That is why we will now look at the analysis of the story “The Garnet Bracelet”.

What a story

The basis for the plot of the story was real story, which Kuprin recognized. The love of one telegraph official for a married lady led to the fact that he could no longer hide his feelings and decided to give her a gift. So, the main character, whose name is Sheina Vera Nikolaevna, is presented with a very interesting decoration as a gift. Not only does the note suggest that the gift was made by a secret admirer, it also talks about the properties of green pomegranate. And the gift is a garnet bracelet. The giver is sure that the owner of this stone gets the opportunity to foresee.

In the analysis of the story “The Garnet Bracelet”, it is important to note that the green garnet becomes a symbol of passionate love and ardent feelings. Princess Sheina, who received the gift, decides to tell her husband that she received such a gift and even gives him the attached note to read. The reader soon learns that the secret admirer is the hero of the story Zheltkov. He serves as a minor official and has long been in love with the princess. Although after it becomes known about him, Zheltkov receives threats from Sheina’s brother and others offensive words, thanks to his love, he endures everything.

In the end, in order to avert shame from his beloved, Zheltkov takes his own life. Even without making a deep analysis of the story “The Garnet Bracelet,” it is clear that the princess only after these sad events understands how deep and pure the feelings of the poor official Zheltkov were. But she understands not only this, but something else important.

Kuprin reveals the theme of love

The image of Zheltkov, which runs like a red thread through the entire narrative, shows what selfless and self-sacrificing love can be in a person’s heart. Without betraying his feelings, Zheltkov decides to say goodbye to life. However, changes are also taking place in Princess Sheina, and this is thanks to Zheltkov’s love. Now Vera again wants to feel that she is loved and wants to love herself, and this becomes the central theme of the story “The Garnet Bracelet,” which we are now analyzing. After all, during the time that main character married, she practically forgets about feelings and goes with the flow.

What meaning did Kuprin put into the symbol of the garnet bracelet? Firstly, thanks to this bracelet, Princess Vera realized that passion and love can be experienced again, and secondly, having received such a gift, she blossomed and fell in love with life again, again her days were filled with colors and emotions.

Alexander Kuprin attached great importance to the theme of love in his works, and this is clearly visible in “The Garnet Bracelet.” Love, as a pure feeling, should be in a person’s heart. Although the ending of the story is sad, the main character remained happy because she understood what feelings her soul is capable of.

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