How the regimental ladies are presented in the story of the duel. Essay "Heroes and problems of the story A

"Duel" (1905)

Objective of the lesson: show the significance of Kuprin’s story for society’s awareness of the crisis of all Russian life; humanistic, anti-war pathos of the story.

Methodical techniques:analytical conversation, commented reading.

Lesson progress

1. Teacher's word. The revolutionary era confronted all writers with an urgent need to understand the historical destinies of Russia, its people, and national culture. These global issues led to the creation of large “numerous” canvases. Writers interpreted the pace of the world in a contradictory time. This is how Bunin’s stories “The Duel”, “Sukhodol” and “The Village” were written; “Judas Iscariot” by L. Andreev; “Movements”, “Little Bear” by Sergeev-Tsensky.

At first glance, the story (any of them) is simple in its content. But according to the author’s generalizations, it is multi-layered, reminiscent of a “casket within a casket” containing a jewel.

The story "The Duel" published in May 1905, during the days of the defeat of the Russian fleet at Tsushima. The image of a backward, incapacitated army, decayed officers, and downtrodden soldiers had an important socio-political meaning: it was an answer to the question about the causes of the Far Eastern catastrophe. With harsh strokes, as if reckoning with the past, Kuprin draws the army to which he devoted his youth.

This story can be defined as psychological and philosophical. There hasn't been a work like this since Fathers and Sons.

1. Conversation on the novel:

1. What is the theme of the story?The main theme is the crisis of Russia, of all spheres of Russian life. Gorky noted the critical orientation of the story, classifying “The Duel” as civic, revolutionary prose. The story had a wide resonance, brought Kuprin all-Russian fame, and became a reason for controversy in the press about the fate of the Russian army. The problems of the army always reflect the general problems of society. In this sense, Kuprin’s story is still relevant today.
2. Having dedicated “The Duel” in its first publication to Gorky, Kuprin wrote to him: “Now, finally, when it’s all over, I can say that everything bold and violent in my story belongs to you. If you knew how much I learned from Vasya, how grateful I am to you for it.”
3. What, in your opinion, in “The Duel” can be defined as “ bold and exuberant"? From the denial of petty rituals (keeping your hands at your sides and your heels together in a conversation with your superiors, pulling your toe down when marching, shouting “On your shoulder!”, Chapter 9, p. 336.), the main character of “The Duel,” Romashov, comes to denying that that in a rationally organized societythere shouldn't be wars: « Maybe this is all some kind of common mistake, some kind of worldwide delusion, insanity? Is it natural to kill? “Let’s say, tomorrow, let’s say, this very second, this thought occurred to everyone: Russians, Germans, British, Japanese... And now there’s no more war, no more officers and soldiers, everyone has gone home.”Romashov naively believes that to eliminate war it is necessary for all people to suddenly see the light and declare with one voice:“I don’t want to fight!” and threw down their weapons. "What courage ! – said admiringly L. Tolstoy about Romashov. – And how did the censorship miss this and how did the military not protest?”

The preaching of peacekeeping ideas caused strong attacks in the fierce magazine campaign unleashed around the "Duel", and military officials were especially indignant. The story was a major literary event that sounded topical.

1. What thematic lines can be identified in the story?There are several of them: the life of officers, the combat and barracks life of soldiers, relationships between people. It turns out that not all people hold the same pacifist views as Romashov.

1. How does Kuprin paint images of officers?Kuprin knew the army environment very well from his many years of experience. The images of the officers are given accurately. Realistic, with merciless authenticity. Almost all the officers in “The Duel” are nonentities, drunkards, stupid and cruel careerists and ignoramuses.

Moreover, they are confident in their class and moral superiority, and treat civilians with contempt, whom they call “hazel grouse", "shpak", "shtafirka" Even Pushkin for them" some kind of shpak " Among them, it is considered “youthful to scold or beat up a civilian for no apparent reason, to put out a lit cigarette on his nose, to pull a top hat over his ears.” Unfounded arrogance, perverted ideas about the “honor of the uniform” and honor in general, rudeness are a consequence of isolation, isolation from society, inactivity, and dull drills. In ugly revelries, drunkenness, and absurd antics, some kind of blind, animalistic expression was expressed.a senseless rebellion against mortal melancholy and monotony.Officers are not used to thinking and reasoning; some seriously believe that in military service in general “you're not supposed to think"(similar thoughts visited N. Rostov).

Literary critic Yu. V. Babicheva writes: “The officers of the regiment have a single “typical” face with clear signs of caste limitations, senseless cruelty, cynicism, vulgarity and arrogance. At the same time, as the plot develops, each officer, typical in his caste ugliness, is shown at least for a moment as what he could have become if not for the destructive influence of the army».

1. Do you agree that the officers in the story “The Duel” have a single “typical” face? If so, how does this unity manifest itself?The writer shows the officer environment in a vertical section: corporals, junior officers, senior officers, senior officers. "With the exception of a few ambitious and careerists, all officers served as forced, unpleasant, disgusting corvée, languishing with it and not loving it" Scary picture "ugly general revelry" officers. 406, ch. 18.

1. In addition to the common features characteristic of most officers, each of them hasindividual traits,depicted so vividly and expressively that the image becomes almost symbolic:

A) Regimental commander Shulgovich, under his thunderous bourbonism, hides his concern for the officers.

B) What can you say about Osadchy’s image?The image of Osadchy is ominous. "He's a cruel man."- Romashov says about him. Osadchy's cruelty was constantly experienced by the soldiers, who trembled from his thunderous voice and the inhuman force of his blows. In Osadchy’s company, suicides of soldiers occurred more often than in others. The bestial, bloodthirsty Osadchy, in disputes about the duel, insists on the need for a fatal outcome of the duel - “otherwise it will only be a stupid pity... a comedy.”At the picnic he makes a toast "for the joy of former wars, for the cheerful bloody cruelty" In a bloody battle he finds pleasure, he is intoxicated by the smell of blood, he is ready to chop, stab, shoot all his life - no matter who and for what ( Ch. 8, 14)

Q) Tell us about your impressions of Captain Plum. « Even in the regiment, which, due to the conditions of wild provincial life, was not distinguished by a particularly humane direction, he was some kind of outlandish monument to this ferocious military antiquity.”He did not read a single book, not a single newspaper, and despised everything that went beyond the boundaries of the system, regulations and company. This is a lethargic, dejected man, he brutally beats soldiers until they bleed, but he is attentive."to the soldiers' needs: does not withhold money, personally monitors the company boiler"(chapter 10, 337)

D) What is the difference between Captain Stelkovsky,commander of the 5th company? Perhaps only the image of Captain Stelkovsky - patient, cool-blooded, persistent - does not cause disgust, "soldiers are loved truly: an example, perhaps, the only one in the Russian army"(chapter 15. 376 - 377). “In his company they didn’t fight or even swear, although they weren’t particularly gentle, and yet the company was magnificently appearance and the training was not inferior to any guards unit.”It was his company at the May review that brought tears to the corps commander’s eyes.

D) Lieutenant Colonel Rafalsky (Brem) loves animals and devotes all his free and non-free time to collecting a rare domestic menagerie.352.

E) What are distinctive features Bek-Agamalova? He boasts about his ability to chop, and says with regret that he probably won’t cut a person in half: “I’ll blow my head to hell, I know that, but so that it’s askew... no.” My father did it easily…» (« Yes, there were people in our time..."). With his evil eyes, his hooked nose and bared teeth, he "looked like some kind of predatory, angry and proud bird"(chapter 1)

8) Bestiality generally distinguishes many officers. During a scandal in a brothel, this bestial essence emerges especially clearly: in Bek-Agamalov’s bulging eyes “the exposed round whites sparkled terribly,” his head" was lowered low and menacingly,” “an ominous yellow shine lit up in her eyes». “And at the same time, he bent his legs lower and lower, shrank all over and drew his neck into himself, like an animal ready to make a jump.”. After this scandal, which ended in a fight and a challenge to a duel, “everyone dispersed, embarrassed, depressed, avoiding looking at each other. Everyone was afraid to read in the eyes of others their own horror, their slavish, guilty melancholy - the horror and melancholy of small, evil and dirty animals"(chapter 19).

9) Let us pay attention to the contrast of this description with the following description of the dawn “with a clear, childlike sky and still cool air. Trees, wet, shrouded in barely visibleferry, silently woke up from their dark, mysterious night dreams" Romashov feels “short, disgusting, ugly and infinitely alien among this innocent beauty of the morning, smiling awake».

As Kuprin’s mouthpiece Nazansky says,“all of them, even the best, the most tender of them, wonderful fathers and attentive husbands - all of them in the service become base, cowardly, stupid animals. You may ask: why? Yes, precisely because none of them believes in the service and does not see a reasonable goal for this service».

10) How are the “regimental ladies” depicted?Officers' wives are just as predatory and bloodthirsty as their husbands. Evil, stupid, ignorant, hypocritical. Regimental ladies are the personification of extreme squalor. Their everyday life is woven from gossip, the provincial game of secularism, boring and vulgar connections. The most repulsive image is Raisa Peterson, the wife of Captain Talman. Evil, stupid, depraved and vindictive. "Oh, how disgusting she is!”- Romashov thinks about her with disgust. "And from the thought of his previous physical intimacy with this woman, he felt as if he had not washed for several months and had not changed his linen” (chapter 9).

The rest of the “ladies” are no better. Even the outwardly charmingShurochka Nikolaevafeatures of Osadchy, who seem to be unlike him, appear: she advocates fights with a fatal outcome, says: “I would shoot such people like rabid dogs" There is no truly feminine thing left in her: “I don't want a child. Ugh, what disgusting! - she admits to Romashov (chapter 14).

1. What role do images play? soldier? They are depicted as a mass, motley in national composition, but gray in essence. The soldiers are completely powerless: the officers take their anger out on them, beat them, crush their teeth, and break their eardrums.
2. Kuprin gives and customized looks(there are about 20 of them in the story). A whole series of ordinary soldiers - in chapter 11:

A) poorly thinking, slow-witted B Ondarenko,

B) intimidated, deafened by shouts Arkhipov, who " does not understand and cannot learn the simplest things»,

B) loser Khlebnikov. 340, 375, 348/2.His image is more detailed than others. A ruined, landless and impoverished Russian peasant, “shaved into a soldier."Khlebnikov's lot as a soldier is painful and pitiful. Corporal punishment and constant humiliation is his lot. Sick and weak, with a face " in the fist ", on which a dirty nose stuck up absurdly, with eyes in which "frozen in dull, submissive horror“, this soldier became a general ridicule in the company and an object for mockery and abuse. He is driven to thoughts of suicide, from which Romashov saves him, who sees a human brother in Khlebnikov. Feeling sorry for Khlebnikov, Romashov says: “Khlebnikov, are you feeling bad? And I don’t feel good, my dear... I don’t understand anything that’s going on in the world. Everything is some kind of wild, senseless, cruel nonsense!But we must endure, my dear, we must endure.…» Khlebnikov, although he sees Romashov kind person, who treats the common soldier humanely, but, above all, sees in him master The cruelty, injustice, and absurdity of life become obvious, but the hero sees no way out of this horror other than patience.

G) educated, smart, independent Fokin.

Depicting gray, depersonalized, oppressed « own ignorance, general slavery, bosses’ indifference, arbitrariness and violence» soldiers, Kuprin evokes compassion in the reader for them, shows that in fact these are living people, and not faceless “cogs” of a military machine.

So Kuprin goes for one more, very important topic – the theme of personality.

D. z. 1) Prepare messages based on the images of Romashov and Nazansky (in groups) ( portrait characteristic, relationships with people, views, attitude towards service, etc.)

2) Answer the questions:

How is the theme of love resolved in the story?

What is the meaning of the title of the story?

Lesson 2

Subject: The metaphorical nature of the title of A. I. Kuprin’s story “The Duel.”

Objective of the lesson: analyze the images of heroes expressing author's position in the story.

Methodical techniques:student messages, work on text, analytical conversation.

1. Checking the house. assignments.The author's ideals are expressed by heroes opposed to the bulk - Romashov and Nazansky. These heroes are represented by several students (in groups)
2. Characteristics of the image of Nazansky.The conversations between Romashov and Nazansky contain the essence of the story.

A) We learn about Nazansky from a conversation between the Nikolaevs and Romashov ( Ch. 4): this is an “inveterate man”, he “ goes on leave for one month due to domestic circumstances... This means he started drinking”; “Such officers are a disgrace to the regiment, an abomination!”

B) Chapter 5 contains a description of the meeting between Romashov and Nazansky. We see first "a white figure and a golden-haired head"Nazansky, we hear his calm voice, we get acquainted with his home: " 288", ch. 5. All this, and even a direct look "thoughtful, beautiful blue eyes“contradicts what the Nikolaevs said about him. Nazansky argues “about sublime matters", philosophizes, and this, from the point of view of others, - "nonsense, idle and absurd chatter" He thinks about "289". This is for him "290/1 " He feels someone else's joy and someone else's sorrow, feelsinjustice exists good with Troy, the aimlessness of your life, searches and does not find a way out of the dead end. 431-432.

Description of the landscape, the mysterious night opening from the window, according to himsublime words: "290/2".

Nazansky's face seems to Romashov "beautiful and interesting": golden hair, a high, clean forehead, a neck of noble design, a massive and graceful head, similar to the head of one of the Greek heroes or sages, clear blue eyes looking "lively, smart and meek" True, this description of an almost ideal hero ends with a revelation: “ 291/1".

Dreaming of " future godlike life", Nazansky glorifies the power and beauty of the human mind, enthusiastically calls for respect for man, speaks passionately about love - and at the same time expresses the views of the author himself: " 293/1 " According to Kuprin, love is akin to musical talent. Kuprin will develop this theme later in the story “ Garnet bracelet“, and much of what Nazansky said will directly turn into the story.

B) “435 - underlined” (chapter 21 ). Preaches equality and happiness, glorifies the human mind.

In the passionate speeches of Nazanskya lot of bile and anger, thoughts about the need to fight against"two-headed monster" - the tsarist autocracy andpolice regime in the country, premonitions of the inevitability of deep social upheavals: « 433/1 " Believes in the future life.

He anti-military and armies in general, condemns the brutal treatment of soldiers(ch.21, 430 – 432 ). Nazansky’s accusatory speeches are filled with open pathos. This is peculiar hero's duel with a senseless and cruel system. Some of the statements of this hero, as Kuprin himself later said, “sound like a gramophone"but they are dear to the writer, who invested in Nazansky a lot that worried him.

D) Why do you think such a hero was needed next to Romashov in “The Duel”?Nazansky asserts: there is only man, complete freedom of man. Romashov embodies the principle of human unfreedom. The door is not closed, you can go out. Romashov recalls that his mother tied him to the bed with the thinnest thread. It aroused mystical fear in him, although it could have been broken.

1. Characteristics of Romashov.

Lieutenant Romashov, the main character of “The Duel,” becomes infected with Nazansky’s moods and thoughts. This is a typical Kuprin image of a truth-seeker and humanist. Romashovgiven in constant movement, in the process of his internal change and spiritual growth. Kuprin reproduces not the entire biography of the hero, and the most important pointin it, without a beginning, but with a tragic end.

Portrait the hero is outwardly expressive: “ 260, ch. 1 ”, sometimes simple-minded. However, in Romashov’s actions one can feel inner strength , coming from a sense of rightness and justice. For example, he unexpectedly defends the Tatar Sharafutdinov, who does not understand Russian, from the colonel who insults him (chapter 1, 262-263 )

He stands up for the soldier Khlebnikov when a non-commissioned officer wants to beat him ( Chapter 10, 340/1).

He even prevails over the bestial Bek-Agamalov, when he almost hacked to death with a saber a woman from a brothel where officers were carousing: “ Chapter 18, 414" . Bek-Agamalov is grateful to Romashov for not letting him, who had become brutal from drunkenness, hack a woman to death

In all these fights Romashov rises to the occasion.

- What kind of life does he lead?? (bored, drunk, lonely, in a relationship with an unloved woman)

There are plans ? Extensive in self-education, study of languages, literature, art. But they remain only plans.

What does he dream about? About a brilliant career, he sees himself as an outstanding commander. His dreams are poetic, but are wasted. 267-269.

- Where Romashov likes to go? Meet trains at the station, 265. chapter 2. His heart strives for beauty. Wed. from Tolstoy (“Resurrection”), Nekrasov (“Troika”), Blok (“On the Railroad”, 439) Direct reminiscence ( echo, influence of someone's creativity in work of art). The railway is read as a theme of distance, a theme of life's exit

Romashov is a romantic, subtle nature. He has " 264 " Attractive in the herospiritual gentleness, kindness , innate sense of justice. All this sharply distinguishes him from the other officers of the regiment.

The army situation in a mediocre regiment is painful and boring. Pointless, sometimes idiotic military practice. His disappointments are painful.

- Why is Kuprin's hero young?The soul-deadening bureaucracy reigns over blooming youth. By selecting young hero, Kuprin intensified the torment "absurdity, incomprehensibility».

What feeling does Romashov evoke in the reader?Deep sympathy.

Romashov has evolutionary tendency. Moves towards knowledge of life.Collision between man and officerfirst happens in Romashov himself, in his soul and consciousness. This internal struggle gradually turns into open duel with Nikolaev and with all the officers. P. 312 (7 chapters), 348, 349, 419.

Romashov graduallyfreed from false understanding of honorofficer's uniform. The turning point was the hero’s reflections on the position of the human person in society, his internal monologue in defense of human rights, dignity and freedom. Romashova "I was stunned and shocked by the unexpectedly bright consciousness of my individuality.”and he rebelled in his own way against depersonalization of a person in military service, in defense of the ordinary soldier. He is indignant at the regimental authorities, who maintain a state of hostility between soldiers and officers. But his impulses to protest are replaced by complete apathy and indifference, his soul is often overwhelmed by depression: “My life is gone!

The feeling of absurdity, confusion, and incomprehensibility of life depresses him. During a conversation with a sick, disfigured Khlebnikov Romashov is experiencingacute pity and compassion for him(ch. 16 ). He, brought up in the spirit of superiority over the mass of soldiers, indifference to the difficult fate of soldiers, begins to understand that Khlebnikov and his comrades are depersonalized and oppressed by their own ignorance, general slavery, arbitrariness and violence, that soldiers are also people who have the right to sympathy. 402/1, 342 .

A. And Kuprin recalled that the scene at the canvas railway made a great impression on Gorky: " When I read the conversation between Second Lieutenant Romashov and the pathetic soldier Khlebnikov, Alexei Maksimovich was moved, and it was scary to see this big man with wet eyes.”

Unexpectedly for himself, he suddenly rebels against God himself, who allows evil and injustice (another duel , perhaps the most important)."402". He closed in on himself, focused on his inner world, firmly decided to break with military service in order to start a new life:"403"; "404/1 “- this is how Romashov defines for himself the worthy purpose of life.

A modest person grows spiritually and discovers the eternal values ​​of existence. Kuprin sees in the hero’s youth hope for the future transformation of the world. The service makes a repulsive impression on him precisely because of its unnaturalness and inhumanity. However, Romashov does not have time to fulfill his dream and dies as a result of betrayal.

4. Thoughts about the possibility of another life are combined with thoughts about love forShurochka Nikolaeva. Sweet, feminine Shurochka, with whom Nazansky is in love, essentiallyguilty of the murder of Romashov in a duel. Self-interest, calculation, lust for power, double-mindedness, « some kind of evil and proud force", Shurochka’s resourcefulness is not noticed by the loving Romashov. She demands: "You definitely have to shoot tomorrow“- and Romashov agrees for her sake to a duel that could have been avoided.

Types of business people have already been created in Russian literature (Chichikov. Stolz). Shurochka is a business man in a skirt. She strives to break out of her environment. The only way is for her husband to enter the academy; he strives to leave for the capital from the bourgeois province. 280, 4 ch.

In order to gain her place in the world, she rejects the passionate love of Nazansky, and sacrifices Romashov for the sake of preserving her husband’s reputation and career. Outwardly charming and smart, she appears disgusting in a conversation with Romashov on the eve of the duel. 440/2.

1. Discussion of the meaning of the story's title.

A) The title itself conveys the personal and social conflict at the heart of the plot.

Plot aspect. P fights , which we have already talked about, inevitably and naturally lead to a denouement - to the last fight.

Final Feature. The duel between Romashov and Nikolaev is not described in the story. ABOUT death of Romashov communicate dry, official, soulless lines report Staff Captain Dietz ( Chapter 23, 443 ). The ending is perceived as tragic because Romashov’s death is meaningless. This last chord is filled with compassion. This fight and the death of the hero are predetermined:Romashov is too different from everyone else,to survive in this society.

Mentioned several times in the story duels , a painful, stuffy atmosphere is intensified. Chapter 19 describes how drunken officers pullfuneral chant,(in Vetkin’s stupid eyes this motive brings tears), but pure sounds funeral services suddenly interrupt "a terrible, cynical curse" Osadchy, 419. The offended Romashov tries to reason with people. After this, a scandal breaks out, leading to Romashov challenging Nikolaev to a duel, 420, 426.

B) The meaning of the title is in Romashov’s duel with the bad that is in him. This conflict is presented as philosophical, the hero’s comprehension of freedom and necessity.

B) Theme of the fight –a sign of reality itself, the disunity of people, the misunderstanding of one person by another.

G) Civilians - officers, 411-412. Caste officer prejudices.

D) Officers and soldiers(Humiliated, let us remember the Tatar, Romashov’s orderly, finishing his coffee behind him, finishing his lunches)

E) But the name is also metaphorical, symbolic meaning. Kuprin wrote: “with all the strength of my soul I hate the years of my childhood and youth, the years of the corps, the cadet school and service in the regiment. About everything. What I have experienced and seen, I must write. And with my novel I will challenge the royal army to a duel" The name also has another, much greater social aspect. The story is a duel between Kuprin and the entire army, with the entire system that kills the individual in a person and kills the person himself. In 1905, this story, of course, was perceived by revolutionary forces as a call to fight. But almost a hundred years after it was written, the story remains a call for respect for the human person, for reconciliation and brotherly love.

5. So, traditions of Russian literature:

1) Kuprinsky’s hero is closely related to the concept extra person, Tolstoy's hero.

2) Subtle psychological drawing (Dostoevsky, Tolstoy). Like L. Tolstoy, he explores in depth the struggle of feelings, the contradictions of the awakening consciousness, their collapse. Romashov is close to Chekhov's characters. Kuprin's approach to his hero is akin to Chekhov's. An embarrassed, short-sighted and baggy second lieutenant, thinking of himself in the third person in the words of stilted novels, 375, 380. 387., evokes a mocking and compassionate attitude. This is exactly how the figure of Petya Trofimov is illuminated.

3) Spontaneous democracy, sympathy little man. (Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky)

4) Social and philosophical definition of good and evil.

5) Orientation towards some kind of doctrine. Tolstoy is looking for his “green stick”. Kuprin does not know how to rebuild the world. His work contains a rejection of evil.

Agenosov's textbook, part 1, p. 26.

V. Lilin, With. 64 – reviews of “The Duel” by Gorky, L. Tolstoy.

Sasha is the wife of Lieutenant Nikolaev. Officer Romashov serves with a lieutenant in the same military unit and is devoted friend to his wife.

Description of Shurochka's appearance.

Nikolaeva Alexandra Petrovna is a young female. She has a sweet, pale face with scarlet lips. There is a small mole on the left earlobe. Eyes blue. She looks like a small, light, flexible, strong woman. Her movements are impetuous and sudden. She is very stylish, although her hair is not dark, but to some extent the "Carmen" or gypsy image comes through.

Characteristics of Alexandra.

Shurochka believes that she is not beautiful, but an interesting woman. Shurochka is an intelligent woman. Knows several foreign languages and knows how to competently and skillfully conduct dialogue with people. She can be capricious and ironic. Loves to do handicrafts. The goal of her life is to escape from her husband’s provincial town. Shurochka says that she despises her husband. Refuses to have children until he earns a lot. And she lives with him only because she invested in his career. She dreams that her husband will be enrolled in the Academy and he will take her away from the province. She does her best to help her husband prepare for his exams. She encouraged him in times of depression and believed in him. Romashov is in love with her and Sasha likes him, but she is confident in his weak character and does not see a future together with him. For Alexandra, the main thing in a man is his reputation in society and strength. She considers herself a cold-blooded and disgusting woman.

Based on the above, Sashenka has a very rich experience behind her, she knows how to survive in critical situations, she has deep-rooted life principles. Her priorities had long been set and the fact that Romashov died in a duel was not her cold calculation; unfortunately, there are losses in life and we can’t do anything about it.

Alexandra, in my opinion, turned out positive hero works. We have all made mistakes more than once in our lives, and that is why we have gained enormous experience. After all, if you don’t make a decision yourself, then this decision will be made for you. It is easy to shift responsibility onto other shoulders, because then there will be someone to blame in case of failures.

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Women's images

A. I. Kuprin’s story “The Duel” was first published in 1905. In it, the author showed all the shortcomings of an officer’s life, which he himself knew firsthand. He slightly gave autobiographical features to the main character of the story, young second lieutenant Romashov. Reading the story, we see that it has several thematic lines at once. First of all, this is an officer environment. Then the combat and barracks life of soldiers and, finally, the personal relationships of people.

Having lived for many years among officers, they became more pragmatic, tougher and callous. Kuprin openly refers to some officers’ wives as “dolls” and “mannequins.” They are cutesy, wear cloying perfume, are ready to whiten their whole face with makeup, but their souls remain dark. Such, for example, is the mature married lady Raisa Peterson, who annoys the protagonist, a young second lieutenant, with her harassment.

Tired of constant harassment, he refuses the woman and asks her to leave him alone. But Peterson is not happy with this arrangement. He learns that Romashov visits the Nikolaevs’ house in the evenings and begins to suspect him of having a warm relationship with the lieutenant’s wife Shurochka. Then the annoyed woman begins to write anonymous letters to Nikolaev asking him to pay attention to his wife’s behavior. These anonymous letters subsequently become the reason for the breakdown of friendly relations between both officers.

So the author shows that Raisa is a vulgar and insignificant person, with the absence of any moral principles. Moreover, she is not the only one in the garrison. There are also the evil hypocritical gossips, the wife of Captain Telman and A.I. Migunov. As for Alexandra Petrovna Nikolaeva (Shurochka), the only author portrays her as more or less virtuous, sensible and charming. She does not participate in regimental gossip and intrigue, and does not play vulgar games of seduction.

At the same time, she shows a little more than just friendly relations towards Romashov. Shurochka is smart, talented and interesting. She knows how to win someone over, knows with whom and how to communicate, and has a natural taste in choosing clothes. The author shows that her main task is to help her mediocre husband pass the academy exam and not lose face. For the sake of this stupid and mediocre man, she sacrifices Romashov. For this reason, all its advantages at the end of the work are reduced to zero.

Nazansky also loved Shurochka even before Nikolaev, but she refused him. Since then, strained relations have developed between the two lieutenants. Thus, despite all its advantages, main character The story is also not the best female character ever described by Kuprin. The character of this woman is truthful and realistic, but her prudence led to her death best friend.

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"Duel"

In stories about the life of the army, written over the course of a decade (1894-1904), Kuprin spoke about individual events in army life. However, the impression of integrity and completeness of such a topic could only be given by epic work. “The Duel” became such a work. “Overnight”, “Hike”, “Night Shift”, “In the Barracks” were sketches for the story “The Duel”.

Maria Karlovna recalls how much importance Gorky attached to Kuprin’s work on “The Duel”: “We had a good talk with Gorky, Mashenka,” Alexander Ivanovich told me the next day, returning from “Znanie.” “He asked in detail about my war years and that the plan for the “Duel” had not yet completely formed in my head, although I thought about it a lot, Gorky was still very dissatisfied with our conversation.

Write, write without delay. Such a story is now necessary,” he said. “Precisely now, when students expelled for riots are being given up as soldiers, and during the demonstration on Kazan Square, students and intellectuals were beaten not only by the police, but also by army units under the command of officers... This did not hurt only indifferent ordinary people, but also the general public - after all, almost every family has a son or brother who is a student. The behavior of the officers outraged everyone. And what did this lead to? The officers imagined themselves to be the authorities called upon to defend the throne and the fatherland from “internal enemies.”

“I can’t write “The Duel” soon,” I answered Gorky. “The story must end with a duel, and not only have I never fought a duel, but I didn’t even have to be a second.” What does a person experience when aiming at his opponent, and most importantly, when he himself is standing at gunpoint? These experiences, the psychology of these people are unknown to me. And my thought involuntarily returns to the details of the duel between Pushkin and Dantes and Lermontov and Martynov. But this is literature, not personal real experiences. Now I think with annoyance that there were several cases in my life that, if I wanted, could have ended in a duel, but I missed these cases, which I now regret.

Here, Masha, Alexey Maksimovich stood up and walked around the room irritably.

God knows what you're saying, you're going to write about officers when the officer seed is still so strong in you. The duel was inevitable,” you say indifferently, as if this outrage was in the order of things... I didn’t expect it from you. Just know that if you don’t write this story, it will be a crime." Work on “The Duel” did not go well for a long time, Kuprin could not find the name of the main character. And then one day Maria Karlovna, returning from her friends, answered Kuprin’s question like this “ ...And who was there?"

I can list them for you, but you don’t know any of them. There were old notaries, and among the young people the Rukavishnikovs and Sonin’s former admirer Romashov - he is now married.

Alexander Ivanovich suddenly raised his head, stared at me and, still holding the mutilated ashtray in his hands, asked:

Who, who?

But I told you who.

No, repeat the last name again.

Magistrate Romashov. Romashov, magistrate. Do you finally understand? - I repeated angrily.

Alexander Ivanovich jumped up and threw away the ashtray.

Romashov, Romashov,” he said in a low voice several times and, coming up to me, took my hands. “Masha, my angel, don’t be angry with me.” I always worry and get angry, like a fool, like a jealous fool, when you are away from home for a long time. I know that I'm funny. Certainly. Romashov. Romashov, Only Romashov... Yes, exactly Romashov. How smart you are, Mashenka, for going to Sonya. It could have happened that he would never have known about Romashov’s existence. And now “Duel” has come to life, it will live... It will live!!”

Gorky helped Kuprin a lot in his work on the story. “I remember,” Kuprin recalled, “I abandoned The Duel many times; it seemed to me that it was not done brightly enough, but Gorky, after reading the written chapters, was delighted and even shed tears. If he had not inspired me with confidence in my work, I would have written the novel.” “I probably wouldn’t have finished mine.”

Gorky’s influence, according to Kuprin, determined “everything wild and bold” in the story.

“The Duel,” published in the VI book of “Knowledge,” had a dedication: “The author dedicates this story to Maxim Gorky with a feeling of deep respect and sincere friendship.”

Although there is no clear and conscious revolutionary spirit in “The Duel,” there is no doubt that the story most fully expressed Kuprin’s progressive views, which were formed under the influence of Gorky.

The main character of "The Duel", a largely autobiographical story, is Second Lieutenant Romashov. Dreaminess and lack of will are his main features. Romashov is kind and responsive. He has an innate sense of justice, and this distinguishes him from other officers.

Kuprin doesn’t say anything about Romashov’s past. The hero of the story leads a boring lifestyle, drinks alcohol, and is in a relationship with an unloved woman. All his extensive plans for self-education, studying languages, literature and the arts remain only plans. Romashov dreams only of a brilliant career: “In his dreams he sees himself as an outstanding commander.”

Gradually, Romashov frees himself from many habits characteristic of officers. “Is the whole point of life to be to keep your hands at your sides and your feet together?” - he asks himself.

Romashov gradually comes to the conclusion that military service is devoid of any reasonable purpose. Everyone hates her: soldiers, officers, and himself. Romashov is an opponent of war. "...Is it natural to kill?" He naively suggests that everyone - military and civilian - should declare: “I don’t want to fight!”, throw down their weapons, and then, Romashov believes, the war will disappear forever.

How can we free soldiers from oppression and lack of rights? Neither Romashov nor the other characters in the story can answer this question. Romashov comes to the conclusion that the soldiers will have to endure for the time being, and for himself he sees a way out in leaving the army, becoming a free man and indulging in one of the three “proud callings of man” - science, art or free physical labor. But everything is in the future.

One of Kuprin’s friends spoke in 1918 about the supposed continuation of “The Duel”: “Romashov, only wounded and not killed, is recovering physically and mentally. After the crisis he suffered, new life. He finally broke with the past, with the environment and conditions under which he lived before. This ending of the story should have been joined by another work, united with the first only by the commonality of the hero. That is, the main thing actor Romashov remained, but in a different role, a participant in other events. This would be, in its own way, a new Faust of the second part, having survived his first romance with Gretchen.

The story, accidentally interrupted by the message about Romashov’s death (Kuprin could not explain to himself how he agreed to this formal ending), tormented the author for a long time, who because of this did not begin processing the second part.

Presumably, the second part was entitled "Beggars". It still remains only in notes."

In “The Duel,” Nazansky appears as one of the main characters, along with Romashov. The conversations between Nazansky and Romashov contain the ideological essence of the story. Nazansky acutely feels the injustice of the existing system, the aimlessness of his life, he searches and does not find a way out of the impasse. This is a man who preaches equality and happiness, praising the human mind, love, and nature. Nazansky believes in a wonderful future life, in the fact that the forces will mature to fight social injustice. But the views of Nazansky, who preaches extreme individualism, are confused. Endowed with intelligence, strength, beauty, and an ardent desire for truth, it would seem that he should be an active fighter for human happiness! But alas! Like many other heroes of Kuprin, Nazansky floats with the flow of life. This was typical not only of many of the writer’s heroes, but also of intellectuals in general who were far from the people, who remained aloof from the struggle, and who were spiritually powerless. And Kuprin thought of making such a hero a herald of social truth...

Shurochka - Alexandra Petrovna - in contrast to Romashov and Nazansky, who are in love with her, has a strong will, knows what she wants, and achieves it by all means. She dreams of “a big real society, light, music, worship, subtle flattery,” and rushes to the capital. And in order to gain her place in the world, Shurochka rejects Nazansky’s passionate love, does everything to “push” her husband into the academy, and sacrifices Romashov for the sake of preserving her husband’s career and reputation. In Shurochka, the egoism of an ambitious bourgeois woman, external charm and intelligence are intertwined. Her will and perseverance are aimed at achieving selfish, selfish goals.

The image of Shurochka is one of the writer’s most successful creations in “The Duel.” A.V. Lunacharsky noted that Kuprin managed to “bring out a curious, completely lively and undeniably interesting female type.”

Shurochka’s “ideal” is shallow, vulgar and limited. And Shurochka appears completely disgusting in her conversation with Romashov on the eve of the duel.

The other regimental ladies are many times worse than Shurochka: angry, stupid, ignorant, hypocritical. These are Raisa Peterson, Anna Ivanovna Morgunova, the wife of Captain Talman and others. Kuprin depicted the world of the “regimental ladies” with the same ruthlessness as the world of the officers.

The writer showed the soldier with great sympathy. The fate of the driven and downtrodden Khlebnikov clearly reveals the plight of a soldier, an unhappy and suffering person. Conversations with Khlebnikov made a turning point in Romashov’s soul. He, brought up in the spirit of superiority over the mass of soldiers, indifference to the difficult fate of soldiers, begins to understand that Khlebnikov and his comrades are “depersonalized and oppressed by their own ignorance, general slavery, superior indifference, arbitrariness and violence,” that soldiers are also people, people who have right to sympathy.

A. I. Kuprin recalled that the scene near the railway track made a great impression on A. M. Gorky. “When I read the conversation between Second Lieutenant Romashov and the pathetic soldier Khlebnikov, Alexey Maksimovich Gorky was moved and it was scary to see this big adult man with wet eyes.”

Khlebnikov, although he sees in Romashov a kind person who treats a simple soldier like a human being, but first of all sees him as a gentleman. Romashov's humanism is limited to sympathy for the soldier and advice - “we must endure, my dear, we must endure.”

In "The Duel" Kuprin showed the moral and spiritual disintegration of the military intelligentsia, its distance from the people.

“With the exception of a few ambitious and careerists, all officers served as forced, unpleasant, disgusting corvée, languishing with it and not loving it. Junior officers were completely late for classes like schoolchildren and slowly ran away from them if they knew that they would not be punished for it.” The company commanders, mostly people with large families, immersed in domestic squabbles and the affairs of their wives, oppressed by cruel poverty and living beyond their means, groaned under the burden of exorbitant expenses and bills. They built patch upon patch, grabbing money in one place to cover it up. the debt was in another; many of them decided - and most often at the insistence of their wives - to borrow money from the company sums or from the payments due to the soldiers for free work; others for months and even years delayed the soldiers' money letters, which, according to the rules, they owed. Some people lived only on screws, stoss and landsknecht: some played dirty - they knew about it, but turned a blind eye. At the same time, everyone drank heavily both in the meeting and at each other’s houses, while others. , like Plum, alone."

It is clear that these people are not destined to fight together with the people for their future. The only path that would bring liberation to the people was the revolutionary path, but neither Romashov nor the writer himself saw it.

Kuprin sympathizes not only with Romashov, but also with Mikhin, Nazansky, Stelkovsky, and the corps commander. Stelkovsky taught the officers of his company to treat soldiers without shouting and achieved what the officers of other companies achieved with difficulty “through beatings, punishments, yelling and turmoil.” For this attitude, the soldiers “truly” loved Stelkovsky.

But there are few Romashovs and Stelkovskys. They are opposed by the Nikolaevs, Petersons, and Diets. In "The Duel" the evils of military life are presented as an expression of the general incurable illness of the entire autocratic system.

“The Duel” is an example of a precise, strictly thought-out composition. The story consistently reveals inner world Romashov, shows the pattern and inevitability of his death. The very title of the story - "The Duel" - conveys the meaning of the drama, the personal and social conflict underlying the plot. But the title of the story also has another, much greater social meaning. This meaning is in Romashov’s duel with the bad that is in himself, with caste officer prejudices and traditions, with philistinism and philistinism. Romashov, who dared to oppose himself to the morals and customs of the officer environment, became a victim of the duel.

Highly appreciating “The Duel,” Gorky said: “A magnificent story! I believe that it should make an irresistible impression on all honest, thinking officers. Kuprin’s goal was to bring them closer to people, to show that they are alone from them... In fact In fact, the isolation of our officers is a tragic isolation for them. Kuprin did a great service to the officers. He helped them, to a certain extent, understand themselves, their position in life, all its abnormality and tragedy.” L. N. Tolstoy’s daughter Tatyana Lvovna wrote in her diary: “In the evenings we read Kuprin’s “The Duel,” and dad reads it most of all. He likes...” Kuprin himself attached great importance to the story. He said: “My first real thing was I consider “Duel”... “Duel” for me constitutes my main “ninth wave”.

Collection "Knowledge", in which "Duel" was published

The release of "Duel" was a notable event literary life. The “duel” literally thundered throughout the country, engulfed in revolutionary fire. Nazansky’s inspired monologues were read at concerts organized by revolutionary youth. It is interesting that a group of advanced officers, welcoming the release of “The Duel,” wrote in one of the newspapers in 1905: “The ulcers that affect the modern officer environment do not need palliative, but radical treatment, which will become possible only with the complete improvement of all Russian life ". By “complete recovery” they meant, of course, the revolutionary reorganization of the country.

While working on the story, Kuprin objectively became closer to the revolutionary-democratic movement, and his political position can be called revolutionary-democratic, bearing in mind the words of V.I. Lenin about “revolutionary bourgeois democracy”, “which, even if it was not fully conscious politically, with a number of prejudices, etc., capable of a decisive and merciless struggle against all remnants of feudal Russia..."

The satirist V. Knyazev wittily remarked in 1918 that Kuprin's story caused " tsarist army a thousand times more terrible blow than what the Japanese inflicted on the Russian fleet at Tsushima." For the people who joined the army in the First World War were already accustomed to reading books, and "The Duel" opened their eyes, instilled hatred for the officers and forced, along with other reasons, turn bayonets against the true enemy - the landowners and capitalists, “Living in Russia and not knowing the “Duel,” Knyazev wrote, “is the same as wandering through zoology and not seeing an elephant.”

Written on the basis of impressions from army life at the end of the 19th century, “The Duel” “outlived itself” for a long time. It was perceived as a story about the modern Russian army not only during the war with Japan and the revolution of 1905-1907, but also later, during the First World War. The story also helps to understand the psychology of white officers during the Civil War.