What color accompanies the image of the deer? Comparative analysis of the role of color in works What color accompanies the image of Olesya and why

Composition

One of the early works of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin, “Olesya,” written in 1898, is full of romantic charm. This is a lyrical love story between a young official and a beautiful forest girl from Polesie.

Kuprin builds a narrative based on a variety of symbolic images that carry the ideological meaning of the work.

Fate threw the hero of the story on official business for six whole months in a remote village in the Volyn province, where he was unbearably bored, unable to find a social circle. And this irresistible, corrosive melancholy of loneliness is symbolized by the description of nature at the beginning of the story: “The wind outside the walls of the house raged like an old, cold, naked devil. In his roar one could hear groans, squeals and wild laughter. The nearby forest murmured and hummed with a continuous, hidden, dull threat.”

Hunting was the young master's only entertainment. One day, having gotten lost while hunting, he comes to a forest hut in which Olesya lives with her grandmother, known to local residents as a witch, a sorceress who casts “damage” on people, and for this she was expelled from the village. The hut, built on stilts due to the flood that floods the forest in the spring, seems to him like a “hut on chicken legs,” and the old woman has all the features of “Baba Yaga, as the folk epic portrays her,” although the hero does not believe in witchcraft.

Acquaintance with Olesya, and then attachment to her, which grew into love, echoes the description of nature awakening from its winter sleep. “Spring came this year early, friendly and - as always in Polesie - unexpected... The joyful, hasty anxiety of life was felt everywhere.” “The joyful... anxiety of life” that occurred in nature symbolizes the unexpected meeting of the hero of the story with Olesya and his love for her.

Fortune telling using cards is also deeply symbolic. “You are receiving great love from some lady of clubs... Don’t laugh, don’t laugh,” Olesya remarked seriously, almost sternly. - I’m only telling you the truth... Oh! This is not going well for this lady of clubs, worse than death. She will accept a great shame through you, such that she cannot forget it for the rest of her life, it will leave her with long-lasting sadness.” If by “queen of clubs” we mean Olesya, then in the further prediction we can see the development of their relationship and the outcome.

“I had not yet thought about love, but I was already experiencing an anxious period preceding love, full of vague, painful, sad sensations.” “Anxiety of life”, “anxious sensations” - the word “anxiety” is present in the story not by chance. It is unlikely that their love could develop easily and serenely. The hero was tormented by doubts. On the one hand, there is a flaring passion for this smart, original, childishly naive girl, and on the other, the impossibility of even imagining “what Olesya will be like, dressed in a fashionable dress, talking in the living room with the wives of ... colleagues, torn from this charming frame of the old forests”, in case of marriage to her.

Driven out of the village, grandmother and Olesya were cursed by people. And when, wanting to please her lover, Olesya went to church, the crowd of parishioners took it as a daring challenge, for which they must repay with shame. Remember the prediction: “She will accept great shame through you...”. The description of the scene of the massacre of Olesya is consonant with the description of nightmarish visions during a fever. “...Then rude ridicule was heard..., accompanied by laughter, then individual exclamations merged into a general shrill woman's hubbub... Stones flew after her, along with cursing, laughter and hooting...”

The hail that fell on the village and destroyed the crops is like a come true threat that Olesya in anger threw at her offenders. Fearing revenge from people for the attack allegedly sent by the “witches,” Olesya and her grandmother left their homes. The girl left without saying goodbye to her lover. When he came to the forest hut, there was no one there anymore.

His attention was drawn to a bright red object hanging on the corner of the window frame. A string of cheap red beads, known in Polesie as “corals,” remained as a reminder of Olesya, of her tender and generous love. The red color of the beads, according to the author, is a symbol of the bright feeling that flared up between two young people who, due to the ignorance and savagery of the morals existing at that time, were not destined to experience the joys of mature love.

Soft lyricism, sincerity and sadness permeate this romantic story by Kuprin.

Other works on this work

The work is devoted to the study of the forms of artistic embodiment of the author’s position in the trilogy about love by A. I. Kuprin (“Olesya”, “Shulamith”, “Pomegranate Bracelet”)

The sign system and symbolism of these works is examined, Kuprin’s skill in depicting the world of human feelings is revealed, figurative and stylistic means, images-symbols are explored to understand the author’s position in the trilogy about love.

The motif “Love-parting” is universal and unites all plot solutions in the writer’s stories.

Color painting gives a special tone to the narrative, since Kuprin uses a certain color scheme: red, gold, silver (the symbolism of the most commonly used color is revealed in the work)

Through the symbolism of flowers: lily, narcissus, poppy, rose, etc., the author conveys the mental state of the characters.

Using sound images, Kuprin helps the reader not only see, but also hear the song of triumphant love, understand life in all its diversity.

Particular attention in the work is paid to the symbolism of precious stones, since precious stones are used in all three stories.

The structure of the portraits of the main characters, the names, undoubtedly, carry one of the most important loads in revealing the author’s position - beautiful is the one who loves.

Using the principle of mirror reflection in the organization of events, Kuprin strengthens to the limit the leitmotif of all the stories of the trilogy: love conquers death, transforms a person, protects his world, and opens the ability to self-sacrifice.

Each of the stories contains life testaments to their beloved - key phrases-symbols that once again confirm that love has elevated the heroes above the vain world, that this is the most beautiful feeling on earth.

In all three works, the relationship between the sign system and the development of plots is clearly visible. Figurative and stylistic means, symbols, details, names of the main characters, structures of portraits and events play a significant role in revealing the author’s position and understanding the theme of love as one of the sublime human feelings.

Introduction.

1) Color painting and color symbolism.

2) Symbolism of flowers.

3) Sound images.

Symbolism of precious stones.

Structure of portraits. Names.

Compositional symmetry, specularity.

Key phrases-symbols.

Conclusion.

Application.

References.

Introduction.

In literature lessons we raise questions of morality and its role in complex human relationships. Love is a phenomenon in which human psychology and its moral foundations are especially inseparable from each other.

Love as a force capable of transforming the world has always attracted Kuprin. He can truly be called a singer of sublime love, who created examples of ideal feelings of amazing beauty and power, going to the depths of centuries (“Shulamith”), looking into the closet of a loving hermit (“Pomegranate Bracelet”), climbing into the wilderness of the Volyn province (“ Olesya").

This work examines all the stories of Kuprin’s trilogy about love, raising problems that will forever concern humanity. The purpose of this work is to consider the sign system and symbolism of these works, to show the skill of A.I. Kuprin in depicting the world of human feelings, to identify the forms of artistic embodiment of the author’s position in the trilogy about love.

Study biographical information, monographs about the writer’s work, critical literature;

Analyze the works “Olesya”, “Shulamith”, “Pomegranate Bracelet”, find images and details that acquire symbolic meaning in the works;

Explore figurative and stylistic means, images and symbols to understand the author’s position in the trilogy about love.

Thematic commonality of the stories.

The thematic commonality of all the works of the trilogy about love lies in the power of love, the ability of people who have experienced real feelings to self-sacrifice. The relationships of the main characters are different. Moreover, the earlier the events described by Kuprin occurred, the greater the ability of people for true and pure love. For example, in “Sulamith” mutual feelings and mutual happiness of people brought together by fate are shown. In “The Garnet Bracelet,” Zheltkov’s feelings were not mutual, but their power was able to resurrect Vera from mental lethargy. In “Olesya” the main character is so attached to the city life and way of life that even Olesya’s sacrificial love is not able to change his mental limitations.

The motif “Love is parting” is universal and unites all specific plot decisions in the writer’s stories.

It is impossible to understand the romantic concept of love in the writer’s work without reading all three stories.

Figurative and stylistic means.

Kuprin's attitude to love is revealed through figurative and stylistic means, such as color painting, flower symbolism and sound painting.

1. Color painting and color symbolism.

The unusual, miraculous love of Shulamith and Solomon in the work “Shulamith”, Olesya and Ivan Timofeevich in the work “Olesya” and the love of Zheltkov in “The Pomegranate Bracelet” is emphasized by a variety of figurative and stylistic means. Let's pay attention to some of them. First of all, this is color painting and color symbolism, which is most clearly shown by Kuprin in “Sulamith”.

The earthly world is bright, colorful, picturesquely colorful. But a careful reading shows that Kuprin uses a very specific color scheme.

Having studied the text, I came to the conclusion that in chapters I -VII the red color and its shades are used more - 27 times, gold - 24 times, white 12 times, black - 11 times, blue - 8 times. In the following chapters, in the same ratio, the colors red and gold come first.

Kuprin uses rich, deep, bright and contrasting colors; captures what is bright and conspicuous in the surrounding world, in the objects depicted. The world created by the writer is colorful, sunny, a little motley: it pleases the eye and “happy” the heart.

When describing the reign of Solomon, red, purple, gold, and silver colors are actively used. Their symbolism is as follows. The color red represents right, strength, courage, bravery; purple – high birth, dignity, greatness, power; golden - supremacy, greatness, respect, splendor, wealth; silver – wisdom. The color black is also functional, because (in addition to the traditional indications of death and mourning) it means constancy, modesty, peace, and tranquility.

Descriptions of the love of Solomon and Shulamith are also accompanied by a certain color scheme. The constant color red is the color of love. The color silver in this context is important because it means purity, innocence, purity, joy. A symbol of warmth, life, color, activity and energy is the image of fire, which appears in portrait sketches of Shulamith with her “fiery curls” and “red hair.” It is no coincidence, of course, that the color green in landscapes and the characters’ statements: it symbolizes freedom, joy, jubilation, hope, and health. And, of course, white, blue and pink colors evoke very specific associations in the reader and are filled with metaphorical meanings: the love of the heroes is tender and beautiful, pure and sublime.

And in the story “Olesya” the main color, which the author draws attention to several times throughout the story, is red: “red skirt”, “red scratch”, “red scarf”, “string of red beads”. In different sources this color is symbolized in different ways. The following description of the meaning of the color red suits this text and the development of events in the story: “Red is the color of life, love and mercy. People whose clothing or choice of colors is dominated by the color red are courageous and purposeful; they are more than others characterized by sensitivity, strength and faith in their feelings, and spiritual wealth.” This is how Olesya appears before us.

Let us note that in the garnet bracelet given by Zheltkov to Vera Nikolaevna, red garnets are also burning, surrounding a small green pebble.

The color painting in Kuprin’s works gives a special tone to the narrative: the author sings the hymn of eternal and beautiful love.

2. Symbolism of flowers.

The impression of the colorfulness and brightness of the world surrounding the heroes of the legend is deepened by the constant description of flowers: “like a narcissus flower”, “the king is beautiful, like the lily of the Sharon Valley!”, “Pomegranate trees, olives and wild apple trees, interspersed with cedars and cypresses, bordered him” , “the aroma of blooming grapes is the subtle aroma of mignonette”, “two scarlet poppy flowers”, “two small chamois that graze between the lilies”, “where the green grass is full of daffodils”, “like a blossoming pomegranate”, “the color is similar to cornflowers in wheat”, “similar in color to early violets blooming in the forests”, “Shulamith covered her bed with golden flowers and lilies”, “among white fragrant flowers”, “like a heap of wheat surrounded by lilies”.

The flowers mentioned in the legendary narrative are also symbolic. Lily is a symbol of purity and innocence. Narcissus is a symbol of youthful death, in addition, narcissus is an ancient plant deity of dying and resurrecting nature. Grapes are a symbol of fertility, abundance, vitality and cheerfulness.

As in “Sulamith,” Kuprin uses many colors when creating the image of Vera Nikolaevna in “The Pomegranate Bracelet.” In Part I, when the image of Vera first appears, Kuprin chose just such an environment for her: “The flowerbeds were empty and had a disorderly appearance. Multi-colored double carnations were blooming, as well as gillyflower - half in flowers, and half in thin green pods that smelled like cabbage; the rose bushes still produced - three times this summer - buds and roses, but already shredded, sparse, as if degenerate. But dahlias, peonies and asters bloomed magnificently with their cold, arrogant beauty, spreading an autumnal, grassy, ​​sad smell in the sensitive air.” Flowers symbolize the withering of Vera’s soul, the fact that her life is monotonous and ordinary. But Zheltkov’s omnipotent love, regardless of the circumstances, helps Vera to rise from mental lethargy and look at the world around her with different eyes. This is evidenced by the large red rose left by Vera to the late Zheltkov.

There is no doubt that the symbolism of flowers plays a certain role: in “Shulamith” - to create an oriental flavor, in “Pomegranate Bracelet” it helps to convey the heroine’s state of mind.

3. Sound images.

The world of the heroes of Kuprin’s legend “Sulamith” is not only picturesque, it is full of sounds that people enjoy.

The joy of life, pleasure, fun from life - these feelings are emphasized in the legendary narrative by numerous sound images: “playing harps, lutes and flutes to the accompaniment of a tambourine”, “sweet music”, “loved to listen to the roar of wild animals”, “sweet female voice, clear and pure”, “a simple and gentle motive flows like a ringing stream in the mountains”, “she laughs so loudly and musically, as if silver hail is falling on a golden dish”, “birds call loudly among the trees”, “a sharp copper sound suddenly swept over Jerusalem. For a long time he trembled mournfully and wavered in the air.”

In “The Pomegranate Bracelet,” Vera’s spiritual revival is also conveyed through sounds and smells: “a light wind came and<…>rustled the leaves. The stars of tobacco smelled sharper…” All this is accompanied by “amazing music”, which Zheltkov bequeathed to listen to.

The development of the relationship between the main characters in “Oles” is conveyed by the sounds of nature, changing their tonality depending on the mood of the lovers. For example, after Ivan Timofeevich met Olesya: “bubbling streams”, “frequent ringing drops”, “sparrows screamed loudly and excitedly” - an unexpected spring like a sudden pure feeling that came into the monotonous life of Ivan Timofeevich. Lively streams are a sign of something new, not yet experienced by the hero. With the further development of relations, nature becomes even more animated: “the fervent cry of the sparrows becomes louder.” And finally: “The thunderclaps shook and the glass rang - the last meeting of Ivan and Olesya, accompanied not only by sounds, but also by color - half the sky was covered by a black cloud<…>but the sun was still shining<…>, and there was something sinister in this mixture of colors.”

Using sound images, Kuprin helps the reader not only see, but also hear the song of triumphant love, life in all its diversity.

Symbolism of precious stones.

Chapter II of the story “Shulamith” contains a detailed portrait of the king and a detail that is extremely important for motivating the events of the story: “Solomon’s hands contained such an excess of vitality that, by placing his palms on the crown of the sick, the king healed headaches, convulsions, black melancholy and demonic possession. . On the index finger of his left hand Solomon wore the Gemma of a blood-red asterix. This ring was many hundreds of years old, and on the back of its stone was carved the inscription “Everything passes” - words that survived both the one who carved them and the people who gave birth to the master, words with which the very love of King Solomon and the story is a song about this love, magical and unearthly.

Asterix has long been credited with healing properties. With one touch to a person’s sore spot, this stone removes all illness. Thus, the ring with Asterix strengthened Solomon’s gift of healing people. The legend says that the ring gives the king power and strength. Thanks to his magic ring, Solomon became the lord of spirits.

The story about Solomon's passion for precious stones, which in Kuprin's legend results in a lengthy monologue of the king about the properties and beauty of precious stones, gives the story a peculiar oriental flavor. Let's look at some of them.

In “Garnet Bracelet” Kuprin also put great meaning into the use of precious stones.

Structure of portraits.

Kuprin found another artistic technique that helps the reader develop his own specific attitude towards the events depicted. These are special structures of portraits of the main characters, thanks to which the hero with his feelings and thoughts is perceived not so much as a specific and unique individual, but as a person, whose appearance and character have reached descendants in a “cultural refraction”, through the prism of fine art, historical narrative, and legendary tale.

Such a perception of the image of King Solomon in the story “Shulamith” is motivated by the fact that he was “painted” by the historian Josphat: “... truly the king was beautiful, like the lily of the Valley of Sharon!”

His face was pale, his lips were like a bright scarlet ribbon; the wavy hair was blue-black, and in it - the adornment of wisdom - glistened gray hair, like the silver threads of mountain streams; Gray hair also sparkled in his black beard, curled, according to the custom of the Assyrian kings, in regular small rows.

The description uses comparisons: “the king’s eyes were dark, like the darkest agate, like the sky on a moonless summer night, and the eyelashes, opening like arrows from top to bottom, looked like black rays around black stars...”, “... lit up in the king’s eyes, like sparks in black diamonds, warm lights of affectionate, gentle laughter..."

The style of ancient Eastern fine art in the descriptions of the king is visible in the calm rhythm, in the idealization of the image of the king, as well as in the color painting of the portrait (pale face, scarlet lips, black hair), in highlighting the eyes through comparison. The following detail is not lost here: “a beard curled in regular small rows.”

Orientation towards ancient Eastern verbal art is manifested in hyperbolization (“And the lightning of wrath in the eyes of the king threw people to the ground”), a system of comparisons (“like the lily of the Sharon Valley”, “like the darkest agate”)

The stylized description of Solomon’s appearance combines different aesthetic traditions and reflects various cultural layers. This creates a feeling of “epic time”, a feeling of historical distance, at the beginning of which is the era of the king, at the end – the time of the modern reader.

When describing the appearance of Sulamith, the focus on the ancient Eastern cultural and aesthetic tradition is combined with indications of Solomon’s perception of the heroine.

The portrait of the heroine is executed subtly and quite skillfully. Kuprin combines “sound” and pictorial description. First, Solomon hears “a sweet female voice, clear and pure...”. Then the overall picture appears: “A girl in a light blue dress walks between the rows of vines<…>. Her red hair burns in the sun.<…>That's how she sings<…>" Characteristic of ancient Eastern fine art are indications of lightness and grace: “a clear and pure voice”, “in a light blue dress”, “easily climbing a mountain”.

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin 1870 -1938 Teacher Feoktistova O.V. Municipal educational institution "Secondary school No. 8" August 26 (September 7), 1870 - born in the town of Narovchat, Penza province, into the family of an official. 1890 – after graduating from the cadet school, he enters the army. 1894 - leaves military service, works as a loader, actor, organizes a circus, manages an estate, collaborates in local newspapers as a reporter and feuilletonist. Kuprin contrasts modern civilization with natural life in communication with nature (“Olesya” 1898 and “Black Fog” 1905). In the stories “Gambrinus” (1907), “The Garnet Bracelet” (1911), integrity and nobility of feelings are contrasted with the vulgarity and hypocrisy of bourgeois morality. He is fond of exotic, biblical motifs (“Shulamith” 1908). These and his other works (“Dreams”, “Wedding”, “River of Life”, “Murderer”, “Delusion”, “Resentment”) were a response to the events of the first Russian revolution in 1919 - he was forced to emigrate to Paris. 1937 – return to the USSR. August 25, 1938 - died in Moscow The story "Olesya" Before us is a poetic image of the girl Olesya, 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 gets a tragic end; here Olesya’s free life is invaded by the selfish calculations of village officials and the superstitions of dark peasants. Beaten and ridiculed, Olesya is forced to flee from the forest nest. What is the significance of the setting of the story? The action of the story takes place in the lap of nature in the remote places of Polesie, where fate threw the hero, a city man, for a whole 6 months. The hero expects new impressions. What role does the landscape play? The winter landscape emphasizes detachment from civilization. Nature gradually becomes a participant in the events: “The wind raged like an old, cold, naked devil. In its roar one could hear groans, squeals and wild laughter..." Gradually, the sounds of the wind almost materialize, and the hero imagines some kind of "terrible guest bursting into his house." Descriptions of nature are often imbued with a lyrical warm mood: "The snow turned pink in the sun and turned blue in the shadow . I was overcome by the quiet charm of this solemn silence...” Nature and its power are embodied in the “sorceress” Olesya. The characters meet in the spring: nature awakens, feelings awaken. In the last chapter - a sudden whirlwind, thunderstorm, hail - harbingers of separation and the collapse of love. How does Kuprin draw the image of the main character? A tall brunette about 20-25 years old with a face that “could not be forgotten, but is difficult to describe”: “cunning, imperiousness and naivety” in the look of “large, shiny, dark eyes.” What does Kuprin compare the heroine to? With young fir trees growing in the open air of an old forest, the Hero is attracted by “the halo of mystery that surrounded her, the reputation of a witch, life in the thicket of a forest in the middle of a swamp,” but most of all - a proud confidence in her own strength. Its mystery has a special appeal. Olesya does not know calculation or selfishness. Everything that poisons the relations of people in the civilized world, to which Ivan Timofeevich belongs, is alien to her. What is unique about the portrayal of the hero-storyteller? Olesya herself describes the hero: “Although you are a kind person, you are only weak... Your kindness is not good. Not cordial. You are not the master of your word... You will not love anyone with your heart, because your heart is cold, lazy, and you will bring a lot of grief to those who love you.” How is the plot of the story structured? Pictures of life and nature are connected into a single flow: after the hero’s meeting with Olesya, there is a picture of a stormy spring, a declaration of love is accompanied by a description of a moonlit night. The plot is built on the opposition of Olesya’s world and the world of Ivan Timofeevich. He perceives the relationship with Olesya as a naive, charming fairy tale, which she already knew it is known that this love will bring grief... His love gradually decreases... He thinks first of all about himself: “Good and learned people marry seamstresses, maids... and live wonderfully... Will I not be more unhappy than others?” How is Olesya changing? Her love becomes selfless. The pagan Olesya comes to church and barely escapes from the brutal crowd, ready to tear the witch apart. What color accompanies the image of Olesya? “Olesya’s red skirt stood out as a bright spot against the dazzling white, even background of snow” (in the first meeting); Red cashmere scarf; A string of cheap red beads is the only thing that remains “in memory of Olesya and her tender, generous love” (in the last episode) Why did the heroes’ happiness turn out to be so short? Olesya, who has the gift of foresight, realizes the inevitability of the end of her short happiness. They are too different people. All the more valuable is her self-denial. The theme of “magical love” is replaced by the theme of the unattainability of happiness.

“Barbos and the crook Kuprin” - Well done to the sheep, and well done to the sheep himself. Explain the meaning of proverbs. Fear can't save you from any misfortune. Who has not experienced friendship, to death. Why did Barbos' behavior change? The heart is a falcon, and the courage is a crow. Be faithful; it is difficult to be separated. Homework. Friendship, loyalty. Lesson topic: Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin.

“Kuprin Olesya” - How is the plot of the story structured? What color accompanies Olesya's image? The winter landscape emphasizes detachment from civilization. Beaten and ridiculed, Olesya is forced to flee from the forest nest. Olesya does not know calculation or selfishness. Teacher Feoktistova O.V. Municipal educational institution "Secondary school No. 8". The hero expects new impressions. What is the significance of the setting of the story?

“Biography of Kuprin” - Brief biography. Even then he dreamed of becoming “a poet or novelist.” The seventeen years that the writer spent in exile were an unproductive period. He came to Lenin in 1918 with a proposal to publish a newspaper for the village - "Earth". However, the new creative plans were not destined to come true.

“Kuprin Alexander Ivanovich” - In the 90s. meets Bunin, Chekhov and Gorky. Publishes the essay "Native Moscow". In the spring of 1937, the seriously ill Kuprin returned to his homeland. The story “The Duel” (1905). In 1901 The writer spent seventeen years in exile. In the spring of 1897, the writer was in Polesie. Kuprin emigrates abroad.

“The Work of Kuprin” - The Story “Olesya” (1898). Born on September 8, 1870 in the town of Narovchatov, Penza province. Kuprin serves in the 46th Dnieper Infantry Regiment with the rank of second lieutenant. In the era of revolutions. Crossword. 3. 7. The first inclinations towards literature appeared in the cadet corps. The father died of cholera. Biography of Alexander Ivanovich KUPRIN.

"A.I. Kuprin" - Vocabulary work. A taper is a musician who plays in small restaurants and at dance parties. RUBINSTEIN, ANTON GRIGORIEVICH (1829–1894), Russian composer and pianist. Green house in Gatchina.

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A.I. Kuprin “Olesya”

The richness of the inner world of the heroine of the story “Olesya” and her tragic fate

1. Why did the author title the story after the heroine?
2. What is the significance of the setting of the story?
3. What role does landscape play in the story? Give examples.
4. How does Kuprin draw the image of the main character?
5. Why for most local residents, peasants - Olesya's neighbors, is she a sorceress, a "witcher"?

The word "witch" has many meanings. It means not only an evil witch, but also a sorceress, a good sorceress, an enchantress.

1. For Kuprin, is Olesya a witch who seduced Ivan Timofeevich, or a sorceress who revealed the beauty of love to the hero? Prove your point.
2. Does the heroine's name correspond to her witchcraft essence? What meaning of the word “witch” does it best suit?
3. Why do the neighbors hate and persecute Olesya? Who and why did the author choose to compare with Olesya?
4. Why did the visiting “gentleman” become the object of comparison? What attracted the heroine to Ivan Timofeevich?
5. The profession that Ivan Timofeevich aspires to is a writer,- Was it given by the author to his hero by chance?
6. Is there anything in common between the skills of a writer and a sorcerer?
7. What is special about the image of the hero-storyteller?
8. Did you like Olesya? Why did the pampered gentleman Ivan Timofeevich fall in love with her, essentially a savage, far from civilization?
9. What did Olesya bring with her to the hut at the time of her first appearance? What human qualities of Olesya does this scene speak about?
10. What quality did Olesya value most in a person? Do you agree with her assessment?
11. Why does Olesya actually refuse Ivan Timofeevich’s proposal? After all, the dream of every girl at all times was to hear recognition and a marriage proposal from the person she loves?
12. Will Olesya keep her love for Ivan Timofeevich for the rest of her life?
13. Why does Olesya characterize Ivan Timofeevich so mercilessly: “Your kindness is not good, not heartfelt. You are not master of your word. You like to get the upper hand over people... Do you have a cold, lazy heart? Do you agree with her conclusions?
14. Is it correct to say that, without fighting for his happiness, Ivan Timofeevich simply betrayed his and Olesya’s love?
15. Read the episode of Olesya's visit to church. Why didn’t Ivan Timofeevich, who understood how this campaign could end for Olesya, stop him and save his beloved girl?
16. Why does the author call the relationship between his characters “a naive, charming fairy tale of love”? Fairy tales should have a happy ending. What is the ending in this work?
17. What color accompanies Olesya's image? Why do you think?
18. Evaluate the role of detail in the narrative using the example of red beads at the end of the work. What do they represent?
19. Why did the heroes' happiness turn out to be so short?
20. What do you think is the idea of ​​the story?
21. What remains of the love for Olesya in the soul of Ivan Timofeevich?
22. What about your soul after reading the whole story?

"Garnet Bracelet"

The work is based on a real fact - the story of a modest official to a socialite, the mother of the writer L. Lyubimov.

From the memoirs of L. Lyubimov:

“Between her first and second marriages, my mother becameto receive letters, the author of which, without identifying himself and emphasizing that the difference in social status does not allow him to count on reciprocity, declared his love for her. These letters were preserved in my family for a long time, and I read them in my youth. An anonymous lover, as it turned out later - Zhelty (in Zheltkov's story), wrote that he worked at the telegraph (in Kuprin, Prince Shein jokingly decides that some telegraph operator could write like that), in one letter he reported that under the guise the floor polisher entered my mother’s apartment and described the situation (in Kuprin, Shein again jokingly tells how Zheltkov, disguised as a chimney sweep and smeared with soot, penetrates Princess Vera’s boudoir. The tone of the messages was either pompous or grumpy. He was sometimes angry with his mother , then thanked her, although she did not react to his explanations.

At first, these letters amused everyone, but then (they arrived almost every day for two or three years) my mother even stopped reading them, and only my grandmother laughed for a long time, opening the next message from the loving telegraph operator in the morning.

And then came the denouement: an anonymous correspondent sent the mother a garnet bracelet. My uncle<...>and my father, then my mother’s ex-fiancé, went to see Yellow. All this happened not in the Black Sea city, like Kuprin, but in St. Petersburg. But Zhelty, like Zheltkov, actually lived on the sixth floor. “The spit-stained staircase,” writes Kuprin, “smelled of mice, cats, kerosene and laundry” - all this corresponds to what I heard from my father. Yellow lived in a squalid attic. He was caught composing another message. Like Kuprin’s Shein: the father was more silent during the explanation, looking “with bewilderment and greedy serious curiosity into the face of this strange man.” My father told me that he felt some kind of secret in Yellow, a flame of genuine selfless passion. My uncle, again like Kuprin’s Nikolai Nikolaevich, got excited and was needlessly harsh. Yellow accepted the bracelet and gloomily promised not to write to my mother again. That was the end of it. In any case, we know nothing about his further fate.”

L. Favorite. In a foreign land, 1963

1. How Kuprin artistically transformed a real story he heard inthe family of a high-ranking official Lyubimov?
2. What social barriers (and are they the only ones?) push back the hero’s love inthe realm of an inaccessible dream?
3. Can we say that “The Garnet Bracelet” expressed Kuprin’s own dream of an ideal, unearthly feeling?
4. How does Kuprin draw the main character of the story, Princess Vera Nikolaevna Sheina?
5. What technique does the author use to more clearly highlight the appearance of Zheltkov in the story?
6. What gifts did Vera receive? What is their significance?
7. How does Zheltkov’s gift look against this background? What is its value?
8. How does the theme of love develop in the story?
9. How is Zheltkov and his love portrayed by the author? What traditional theme for Russian literature does Kuprin develop?
10. What is the significance of the image of a hero after his death?
11. What mood will the ending of the story have?
12. What role does music play in creating this mood?
13. Compare the understanding of love in the works of Kuprin and Bunin (based on Kuprin’s “Olesya”, “The Duel”, “Garnet Bracelet” and Bunin’s stories “Sunstroke” and Clean Monday”).
14. What brings us together and how do two writers of the same age sharply differ in other components of creativity - the processing of life material, the degree of metaphorical prose, “plot construction,” the nature of conflicts?