Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev was a brave author, whose works often came under careful review by censorship authorities. The story “Mumu,” known to every schoolchild today, was banned for publication for a long time. And if it weren’t for the author’s diplomatic skills, the world would never have known about this touching and tragic story.
History of creation
In the mid-50s of the XIX century. Turgenev was under house arrest, and then sent into exile for writing an obituary on the death of Gogol. While under the supervision of private bailiffs, in the spring of 1855 Turgenev wrote the story “Mumu”. He shares this thing with the family of the publisher Aksakov, who react positively to the work, but cannot publish it due to censorship protests. A year later, “Mumu” still appears in the Sovremennik magazine, which becomes the reason for the report of the official and the official reviewer of the magazine. Representatives of the censorship authorities are unhappy that the audience can feel compassion for the characters, and therefore do not allow the story to be distributed to other publications. And only in the spring of 1956, in the main department of censorship, after numerous petitions from Turgenev’s friends, a decision was made to include the decision to include “Muma” in the collected works of Ivan Sergeevich.
Analysis of the work
Storyline
The story is based on real events, which took place in the house of Turgenev’s mother in Moscow. The author tells about the life of a lady in whose service is the deaf-mute janitor Gerasim. The servant begins to court the washerwoman Tatyana, but the lady decides to marry her to her shoemaker. To resolve the situation, the lady’s butler invites Tatyana to appear drunk before Gerasim in order to turn him away from her. And this trick works.
A year later, the washerwoman and shoemaker leave for the village on the orders of the lady. Gerasim brings with him a puppy caught from the water and gives him the nickname Mumu. The lady is one of the last to learn about the presence of a dog in the yard and cannot establish a relationship with the animal. Having received an order to get rid of the dog, the butler tries to secretly sell Mumu, but she runs back to Gerasim. When the janitor receives information that the lady is unhappy, he goes to the pond, where he drowns the dog, and he decides to return to his village, and not to the lady’s house in the capital.
Main characters
The real prototype of the character was Varvara Turgeneva's servant Andrei Nemoy. The author paints an image of a reserved person who is unusually hardworking and has a fairly positive attitude towards people. This village peasant was capable of the most real feelings. Despite his external power and gloominess, Gerasim retained the ability to love and keep his word.
Tatiana
This portrait of a young maid includes all the features typical woman from a Russian estate of the 19th century. Downtrodden, unhappy, without her own opinion, this heroine receives protection only during the period of Gerasim’s love. Having no moral right and no real opportunity to contradict her mistress, Tatyana with her own hands ruins her chances for a happy destiny.
Gavrila
(The butler Gavrila on the right in the illustration)
The butler in the story appears as a simple-minded and stupid little man who, through ingratiation, strives to stay in the black and find benefits for himself. It cannot be said that Turgenev portrays Gavrila’s character as evil, but his direct role in the death of the dog and the destruction of the lives of Tatyana and Gerasim leaves a significant negative imprint on the perception of him as a person.
Kapiton
(The footman Kapiton in the illustration stands on the left next to the seated Gavrila)
The image of a shoemaker can be described as a portrait of an educated lackey. This person considers himself smart, but at the same time does not have the proper willpower and high aspirations in life. Ultimately, he turns into a drunkard and a slacker, whom even marriage cannot change.
Of all the characters in Mumu, the elderly lady is the main negative character. It is her actions and decisions that lead to a series of suffering and irreversible tragedies. Turgenev describes this heroine as a capricious and hot-tempered woman who is stubborn and capricious in her desire to decide the destinies of other people. The only ones positive features The lady can be considered her thriftiness and ability to manage the house.
Conclusion
The story “Mumu” by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev cannot be considered a simple work about the hardship of peasant life. This is a philosophical text that helps the reader understand the issues of good and evil, hatred and love, unity and separation. The writer pays great attention to the issue of human attachment and the importance of the presence of loved ones, both in the lives of the rich and in the lives of the poor.
Russian writer Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev was the son of Varvara Petrovna, a domineering woman and a cruel serfdom. Having experienced the early departure of her mother and the hatred of her stepfather in childhood, she received an inheritance from her uncle after a quarrel with him, so the second half of her life is revenge for her irretrievably ruined youth, for the slavery she endured. Having become a sovereign mistress, she gave freedom to her whims and capricious actions.
The children were also afraid of their mother: Ivan recalled that rarely a day passed without being punished with rods. Subsequently youngest son called his mother “Saltychikha” and made her the prototype of the old lady in the story "Mumu". The events underlying the plot of the story actually took place in the Turgenev family. Later, Varvara Zhitova’s younger sister (born out of wedlock with Ivan’s father and living in the house as a pupil) recalled that Varvara Petrovna saw a burly man in the field plowing the land and ordered him to be taken into her caretaker duties. It was Andrei, nicknamed Mute. He wore red shirts and was considered one of the mistress's favorites.
He really had a dog Mumu, which Andrei drowned. Zhitova claimed that Turgenev described Andrei in his work. The portrait resemblance is obvious, but the ending in her memories is strikingly different from the ending of the story of the janitor Gerasim from the story “Mumu”.
Andrei is a submissive and downtrodden creature, content with his slave existence. When the owner orders him to take the life of his beloved little dog, he not only does this, but also continues to live with his owner, having forgiven her for her moment of anger. Turgenev portrayed a man capable of strong and deep feelings, a man who did not want to humbly endure bullying and realized his human dignity.
It is very difficult for a free person living in the 21st century to imagine what it meant at that time to leave his master. A serf who was the property of the owner could be sold, given away, lost at cards, and for escaping he could be returned in the stocks and pinned to death. Gerasim's departure from his mistress meant that he realized that he was a human being and no longer felt like a dumb brute.
Why did Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev change the ending of his story? What idea did you want to convey to the reader?
So, his deaf-mute hero from the village, finding himself in the conditions of the city, endures his new existence very hard, which the author emphasizes with the help of detailed comparisons. He compares Gerasim either to a tree torn out of its usual habitat, or to a bull that was taken from free fields and put on a chain, or to a captured animal. It is no coincidence that all the furniture in Gerasim’s closet is distinguished by its durability and quality, designed for heroic strength.
The writer created Gerasim in the image of his ideas about the Russian people and their future. Turgenev endowed the mute serf with a sense of justice, a thirst for independence, a sense of self-worth - everything that, according to the writer, the Russian people possessed. He turned out to be a completely different person - not Andrei, meek, downtrodden, who meekly accepted the death of his beloved being. His hero had to rebel, which is what Gerasim does.
Deprived of his homeland, deprived of the right to love the meek and downtrodden washerwoman Tatyana, it would seem that Gerasim finally warms his heart near a tiny living bundle - a rescued puppy named Mumu. But an absurd accident, due to which everyone’s favorite becomes enemy number one for the capricious old lady, deprives Gerasim of his last opportunity to remain happy.
Realizing that his dog cannot live in the same house as his owner, Gerasim makes the difficult decision to get rid of his pet himself. This becomes something of a sacrifice for him. There is a festive caftan and a luxurious lunch for your beloved dog. With my own hands Having drowned Mumu, Gerasim crosses the line beyond which the feeling of dependence and fear ends. Having lost everything that was dear to him, the deaf-mute janitor gained freedom. He had nothing left to lose, so, going back to the village, Gerasim experiences "invincible courage, desperate and joyful determination". But until he drowned Mumu, he did not cross this line and did not gain inner freedom.
The composition emphasizes how protest in Gerasim is steadily growing, how the hero is moving towards internal liberation from the bonds of serfdom, how a man awakens in him, living by his own will. In the finale, the author shows leaving the lady and returning to her homeland. However, the hero has changed: naive gullibility and simplicity left him, and the strength of human dignity defeated slavish devotion to his mistress. Only the taste of this victory is bitter: the hero continues his life alone - “stopped hanging out with women” And “doesn’t keep a single dog”.
- “Mumu”, a summary of Turgenev’s story
- “Fathers and Sons”, a summary of the chapters of Turgenev’s novel
Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev wrote his work “Mumu” under the impression of the events that worried him at that time. After all, everything that worries a writer is reflected in his work. After analyzing the story “Mumu”, it is not difficult to find confirmation of this. Turgenev was a true patriot, he was worried about future fate Russia. Therefore, the plot described in his work is a challenge to the era of that time, a challenge to serfdom. The story “Mumu” is not only a narration about the events that took place in the Russian village, it is a work that makes us reflect and think.
What is the essence of the story
An analysis of the work “Mumu” shows that in the image of the janitor Gerasim, Turgenev symbolically showed the Russian people and their beautiful features. Kindness, heroic strength, love of work and sensitivity - these are the qualities of a person that the author put into the image of Gerasim. He gives Gerasim a description of himself wonderful person from all the servants. Turgenev presents Gerasim as a very strong person who can work a lot: “the matter was going well in his hands.” The author loves his hero, responsible and neat, who constantly keeps the entire owner's yard clean.
Yes, he is unsociable, which is confirmed by the way his closet is described, on which he always hung a lock. “He did not like people to visit him,” writes Turgenev. Love and sympathy always prevailed over the formidable image of Gerasim. His kind heart was always open.
Gerasim won respect for himself and his work from the entire household, despite his gloomy appearance. He may be uncommunicative, but “he understood them, carried out all orders exactly, but he also knew his rights, and no one dared to sit in his place at the capital.” As if trying to carry out all the lady’s orders, Gerasim maintains his self-esteem. Analysis of Turgenev's story “Mumu” once again confirms the fact that Gerasim did not have human happiness. It is difficult for him, a man from the village, to live in the city, there he will not be able to communicate with nature. He feels that people are trying to avoid him. Gerasim fell in love with Tatiana, but she was married off to someone else. Deep misfortune settles in Gerasim's soul.
Puppy tragedy
And at that moment when it is so hard for him, a small hope for happiness appears - a small puppy. Rescued from the river by Gerasim, he becomes attached to him in the same way as an owner to a puppy. The puppy's name is Mumu. Mumu is always next to Gerasim, guards the house at night, and comes running to wake him up in the morning. It would seem that the man has found an outlet for himself, but at that moment the lady finds out about the puppy. She wanted to subjugate this little creature, but the puppy does not obey her. Not understanding how anyone can disobey her, she orders the puppy to be removed. The dog's owner locks him in his closet, but his barking gives him away. And then Gerasim decides to take a decisive step - he kills his only friend. Why did this happen? “Why did Gerasim drown Mumu? “- here this problem is revealed more deeply.
Having made a deep analysis of Turgenev’s work “Mumu”, we see not only the unfortunate Gerasim, but also in his person the unfortunate serfs who, being “mute”, hope that the time will come when they will be able to defeat their oppressors.
How should we treat our pets? Are we obligated to take responsibility for their lives? I thought about these questions after reading B. Emelyanov’s text “How I bought a dog.” The work raises important issue relationships between people and animals.
The author, discussing this topic, gives an example from the life of the main character. The man who counted dogs true friends, decided to buy an adult and trained dog. The writer draws our attention to the worried state of the dog, which has lost its former friend: “Tomka lay motionless near the table all day,” thereby Emelyanov admires Tomka’s love for his friend. After receiving the telegram, the dog’s owner, without hesitation, immediately went to pick him up. The publicist notes the importance of the hero’s awareness of the fact that “friends are not for sale,” thereby the prose writer illustrates to us the devotion not only of pets to humans, but also vice versa. The author leads us to the idea that friendship and devotion between man and animal must be protected.
One cannot but agree with B. Emelyanov’s point of view.
Indeed, there are no barriers to friendship between man and animal.
A clear proof is the story of I.S. Turgenev "Mumu". Main character took care of his pet, protected him, gave him all his tenderness and affection. Mumu became Gerasim's best friend, the closest creature he could trust. The forced killing of his dog broke the hero and caused severe mental pain.
Confirmation of this problem can be found in L.N. Andreev’s story “Bite”. The writer shows the irresponsible attitude of people towards dogs. The unfortunate animal lost trust in those around her, became embittered and wild, as her previous owners left her at the dacha and repeatedly abused her. This example shows us the inhumane treatment of animals.
Thus, the problem raised by the prose writer makes each of us think about the importance good relations people to pets, it’s not for nothing that there is such a saying: “We are responsible for those we have tamed.”
Updated: 2017-06-09
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Useful material on the topic
- The problem of human responsibility towards a pet. Why is it necessary to treat domesticated animals responsibly? (according to the text by B. Emelyanov)
Ivan Turgenev wrote the story "Mumu", reflecting in it his experiences and concerns about Russian destinies and the future of the country. And this is completely understandable, because in order to write a work, its author must be impressed and inspired by something, then these feelings can be clearly expressed on paper. It is known that Ivan Turgenev, like true patriot, thought a lot about what awaited the country, and the events in Russia at that time were far from the most joyful for the people.
Analyzing Turgenev's "Mumu" and discussing the image of Gerasim, we will clearly see that the author built the plot around the problem of serfdom, which was very relevant in that era. We read about Turgenev's challenge to serfdom. Indeed, the action of the story “Mumu,” the analysis of which certainly needs to be done in order to more fully understand Turgenev’s idea, takes place in a Russian village, but all this encourages deep reflection and drawing important conclusions about the character of the Russian person and his soul.
The image of Gerasim in Turgenev's story "Mumu"
The image of Gerasim appears before the readers of the story “Mumu”. This image reveals great qualities. Turgenev shows kindness, strength, hard work and compassion. Gerasim possesses all these qualities, and his example shows how Turgenev would like to see a Russian person. For example, Gerasim has considerable physical strength, he wants and can work hard, things work out in his hands.
Gerasim is also neat and clean. He works as a janitor, and approaches his duties with responsibility, because thanks to him, the owner’s yard is always clean and tidy. When analyzing Turgenev's "Mumu", it is impossible to ignore the image of Gerasim. The author shows his somewhat reclusive character, since Gerasim is unsociable, and even on the doors of his closet there is always a lock. But this formidable appearance does not correspond to the kindness of his heart and generosity, because Gerasim is open-hearted and knows how to sympathize. Therefore it is clear: it is impossible appearance judge a person's inner qualities.
What else is visible in the image of Gerasim when analyzing “Mumu”? He was respected by all the servants, which was deserved - Gerasim worked hard, as if he carried out the orders of his mistress, without losing his sense of self-respect. The main character of the story, Gerasim, never became happy, because he is a simple village man, and city life is built completely differently and flows according to its own laws. In the city there is no sense of unity with nature. So Gerasim, once in the city, realizes that he is being ignored. Having fallen in love with Tatyana, he is deeply unhappy because she becomes the wife of another.
A puppy in the life of the main character "Mumu"
At a difficult moment in life, when the main character is especially sad and hurt in his soul, suddenly a ray of light is visible. The image of Gerasim continues to unfold before the reader, and the analysis of "Mumu" is supplemented important detail- here it is, hope for happy moments, little cute puppy. Gerasim saves the puppy, and they become attached to each other. The puppy's name is Mumu, and the dog is always with his great friend. Mumu watches at night and wakes up his owner in the morning.
It seems that life is filled with meaning and becomes more joyful, but the lady becomes aware of the puppy. Having decided to subjugate Mumu, she experiences a strange disappointment - the puppy does not obey her, but the lady is not used to ordering twice. Is it possible to command love? But that's another question.
The lady, accustomed to seeing her instructions carried out at the same moment and without complaint, cannot bear the disobedience of the little creature, and she orders the dog to be taken out of sight. Gerasim, whose character is well revealed here, decides that Mumu can be hidden in his closet, especially since no one comes to him, but the puppy reveals himself with his barking. Then Gerasim realizes that he has no choice but to resort to drastic measures, and he kills the puppy who has become his only friend. We will answer the question “Why did Gerasim drown Mumu” in another article, but for now in the analysis of Turgenev’s “Mumu” we will emphasize that in the image of Gerasim the author showed an unfortunate serf. Serfs are “mute”, they cannot declare their rights, they simply submit to the regime, but in the soul of such a person there is hope that someday his oppression will come to an end.
We strongly recommend you read it full version works or at least for informational purposes a summary of the story. We hope you found this article useful, in which we showed an analysis of Turgenev’s “Mumu” and the image of Gerasim.
