Who is the main character of the story shot. “Characteristics of the main characters of A. S. Pushkin’s story “The Shot.” A motivated attempt to avoid a new conflict

"Belkin's Tales", written by Pushkin in 1831, were highly appreciated by the Russian reading public.

The great poet also turned out to be a skilled prose writer. Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy called Pushkin’s style of “Tales...” a wonderful school for aspiring writers. Five works are preceded by the story “The Shot” by Pushkin. Summary this work is the topic of this article.

A Tale of the Morals of the Nobles

She is deeply psychological. Its atmosphere is a specific society of serving nobles. On the one hand - imperial principles: harsh and strict service, a heightened, exaggerated concept of honor. On the other hand, there is a passion for things that are momentary and transitory: wine, cards, love affairs. The dueling form of resolving conflicts (often contrived or provoked) was also specific.

The story is told on behalf of the local nobleman of the village of Goryukhino, Ivan Petrovich Belkin. The events take place in a certain provincial town, the name of which the narrator has forgotten. The cavalry regiment stationed there was not overburdened with service. The officers only studied and rode horses in the arena until lunch. Having dined with the regiment commander or in a tavern, they whiled away the time with conversation, cards and punch. Aristocrats in uniform were not always distinguished by their courtesy, and often the dispute for primacy escalated into a duel. Sometimes it's a competition of egos different people took on real drama. Pushkin wrote the story “Shot” about one such story. Its brief content boils down to the story of one delayed duel shot.

The main character is a retired hussar

We meet the retired hussar officer Silvio (the Italian name is deceptive, underneath it hides a purely Russian man). He is 35 years old. His lifestyle, apparently, has not changed since the days of hussar service. His house is always open to the military, and they are always provided with a multi-course meal prepared by his servant Silvio, a retired soldier. Although, on the other hand, this dwelling can only be called a home. It’s hard for our contemporary to imagine, but according to Alexander Sergeevich, its walls and ceiling are so riddled with bullets that they resemble a honeycomb. Silvio practices shooting accuracy every day. Pushkin talks about his ability to kill a fly with one shot without getting up from his chair. The summary of the work for comparison mentions that among the hussars, a master of shooting is considered to be one who hits the map ten times in a row from ten steps. It is obvious that Silvio's skill is an order of magnitude higher. And he really enjoys undeniable authority among his guest officers. He is insightful, he is fearless, he is generous with his friends...

A motivated attempt to avoid a new conflict

However, one day this respect wavered... And this episode served as the beginning of the composition. Nothing foreshadowed such an outcome when once again a group of officers played bank in Silvio’s house.

(Let us pay attention to the detail: why exactly in it? After all, the author mentions only “playing cards.” At the time of Pushkin, preference had not yet come to Russia, and it was the bank that literary heroes, contemporaries of the great poet, played.)

Silvio, as an experienced player, took on the function of the main punter - he wrote down the players' points with chalk and corrected mistakes. One of the new officers, a lieutenant, counting his glasses, lost count out of absent-mindedness, or, according to card terminology, “turned the corner,” that is, he added his bet to the bet of another player. Thus, he unreasonably increased his points. Such a moment in a bank game was not uncommon. Silvio, who played professionally, automatically and without comment corrected the hapless punter's note with chalk. He, inflamed by the drink and the ridicule of his comrades, not understanding the motives of the actions of the main character of the story and perceiving them as rudeness, threw a heavy copper Arabic candlestick (chandal) at him.

The situation escalated to the level of a duel... Pushkin tells not only that Silvio managed to evade. A summary of this scene demonstrates the unhussar behavior of a 35-year-old man. Obviously, he violated the unwritten “code of honor” by not challenging the impudent man to a duel (and, judging by Silvio’s skills, the officer had very little chance of surviving). Those present suspected that the idol, who had tarnished his reputation, was a sin unacceptable for military aristocrats - cowardice. That evening all the hussars went home disappointed...

Explanation of Silvio to Ivan Belkin

However, after some time, the hospitable 35-year-old man nevertheless regained his status among officers. However, the narrator Belkin (the story is told through his lips) was left with an unpleasant aftertaste from the unclaimed Silvio from the unlucky lieutenant of the duel.

Further, following the rules of literary intrigue, under mysterious circumstances he separates Ivan Belkin from Silvio Pushkin. The story “The Shot” tells about a letter Silvio suddenly received, which he had been expecting for a long time. The main character was in such a hurry that he left immediately into the night. However, not forgetting about traditions, he invited the officers to a farewell dinner, asking the narrator to come. Why did he treat Belkin specially? Pushkin is quite convincing here. Before the duel episode, the young officer was enthusiastic about Silvio, considering him a model, an ideal man and officer. The main character, an experienced person, probably felt a change in the narrator’s attitude towards his person. In addition, Silvio considered Belkin his friend, so he finally decided to explain his behavior to him.

Silvio informed Belkin that he had no right to put his life at even an insignificant risk (even because of a drunken madcap lieutenant), since he was saving it for another, postponed duel. And from the lips of the main character flowed a speech that captivated the imagination of the readers... With this technique, Pushkin suddenly introduces romance into the narrative, where previously a purely everyday character prevailed. The story “The Shot” introduces us to Silvio’s memories of his hussar times, bright, dramatic events...

Conflict between Silvio and the new officer

Silvio, talking with Belkin, took out a cap with a band pierced an inch from the head. The clever Pushkin found a technique to immediately intrigue the reader. The main character's story flowed about his hussar times, when the hussars “doted on him”, and the authorities, having resigned themselves, perceived him as “inevitable evil”. He was a dashing warrior and a duelist. He was considered the first brawler in the army.

But the other one turned out to be no less brilliant hussar, who fired a deliberately mocking shot at Silvio’s headdress.

Who was the one whose name and title Silvio deliberately did not mention? “Brilliantly lucky,” “scion of a noble family”... A big name, careless courage, a sharp mind, beauty, wild gaiety and endless money generously thrown into the wind... Silvio’s championship was shaken, but he knew what had to be done. The subsequent plot tells about his intention to kill his lucky opponent in a duel.

Pushkin's "Shot" using artistic means reliably acquaints us with the situation that modern psychologists called alpha male competition. The old idol of hussar society was jealous of the new informal leader.

The duel is the first climax of the story

Silvio comes into conflict with an unnamed new officer. Having decisively rejected the counter-offer of friendship, he begins to look for a reason to provoke a quarrel. He succeeded, but not right away. Epigrams were ineffective. The counterpart turned out to be more talented. Then main character At a ball in his mistress's house, he provoked his rival with his rudeness and impudence. The answer was expectedly followed by a slap in the face. Behind her is a challenge to a duel. It would seem that everything is going according to Silvio’s plan... But the situation suddenly went wrong and got out of his control.

When the main plot-forming characters of Pushkin’s story “The Shot” fought each other in their first duel, psychological dominance was not on Silvio’s side. Let's give his opponent credit. He was brighter and bolder to the point of extravagance. He flaunted his indifferent attitude towards his life and death so convincingly that he embarrassed the main character.

They say about such people: “Nerves are like ropes!” Agree, not everyone can, while waiting for a shot from their counterpart, at the same time indifferently take berries out of their cap filled with cherries and spit them towards their opponent.

Since Silvio’s goal was absolute championship, he did not need a purely physical victory in a duel that did not shake the enemy’s spirit. “What’s the point of taking the life of an opponent if he doesn’t value it!” - he thought. Pushkin writes that the first duel did not realize Silvio’s plan (“Shot”). The main characters at this level are psychologically equal, and their confrontation does not resolve the issue of dominance. Silvio turns to the seconds with a statement to interrupt the duel, leaving the shot behind him.

Silvio's solution is to morally defeat his opponent later

He is confident that time will put everything in its place.

Let's return to modern terminology, albeit cynical, but reflecting the essence of things. Silvio is a natural leader. The direction of his personality is a constant conflict with others for the right to be considered the best in military affairs, in duels, and in success with women. He is a polygamous and dominant man. Such people are not created for a family, they are not attached to other joys of life and are uncompromising in their views.

The work “Shot” by Pushkin tells about Silvio’s reasonable plan. The interest in life in his so far invincible counterpart will soon prevail over a careless attitude towards death. Wealth and well-being will certainly, over time, transform his rival from a desperate hussar into the most ordinary landowner and everyman. And what can make a man fall in love with life more than love, wedding and the desire to start a family? This is what Silvio was counting on... He quit his job military service and left for a while, obliging his friends to inform him when his opponent in the duel was going to get married. Years have passed... Thirty-five years is the time to start a home, a family... But Silvio is not like that. He internally remains the same officer, eager to gain primacy in a long-standing dispute. For him this is more than important.

Landowner Belkin visits the count couple

Years and years have passed since Ivan Belkin served in the regiment... He is a local nobleman and is engaged in farming. He learns about the fate of his friend Silvio quite by accident, paying a courtesy visit to his neighboring landowners.

In the dialogue between the guest and the hosts, Pushkin (“Shot”) introduces readers to the continuation of the postponed duel. The heroes meet exactly as Silvio intended. He unexpectedly appears at his counterpart's house when he is least ready.

They (husband and wife) bear the title of count and countess, are rich and rarely visit their vast and luxurious estate. Having shown hospitality, the couple invite their neighbor, the landowner Belkin, into the living room. There, looking at the paintings, he notices in one of them, depicting the landscape of Switzerland, two bullets embedded in one another, and tells the count about the successful shot.

Pushkin’s story “The Shot” tells in detail about their further conversation. Finally, the thread of the author's intrigue emerges completely. Belkin says that the best shooter he knew shot three times a day. The Count inquires about his name. Having learned that his name is Silvio, he turns pale and admits that the second bullet in the film was fired by him under dramatic circumstances.

Silvio's plan was a success

One day in the first year after their marriage, the Count and Countess returned separately from a horse ride. The countess's horse became stubborn. The Count, having returned home earlier, found Silvio in his house, claiming his right to fire back. The Count turned out to be the same old rival with whom Silvio dreamed of a repeat duel.

Pushkin ends his story (“Shot”) with a description of their meeting. The analysis of this duel of nerves (namely, Silvio turns his demand for a return shot into it) ends with his complete psychological victory.

Duel Master

Firstly, the 35-year-old man did not stoop to a banal murder (his shot would certainly have been fatal). After all, most of all he wanted to receive moral satisfaction over the enemy, and therefore a final victory. He triumphed, he enjoyed revenge. For some reason, I remember the words written much later and spoken by Don Capone: “Revenge is a special dish, you need to enjoy it when it has cooled down...”. Silvio was stalling for time. He asked to light all the candles in the hall. Then, not paying attention to the count’s calls to “finish the matter quickly,” he held him at gunpoint for a full minute. This moment turned out to be the most terrible in the life of his opponent. And only then Silvio joked that since his pistol was not loaded with cherry pits, he wanted to start the fight “from scratch,” that is, on standard conditions, starting with the right of the first shot. Now the psychological advantage belonged entirely to him...

Moral victory for Silvio. Resolution of the composition

The count, who won the right to shoot, was demoralized and shocked.

He missed, putting a bullet into a painting of a Swiss landscape. It's time for Silvio to shoot. And then the countess arrived in the living room. She fell at his feet, begging him not to shoot. The count himself was neither alive nor dead from shock...

Suddenly Silvio stopped the fight. He told the count that he was completely satisfied with his timidity, his fear, and the fact that he forced him to shoot first. Having said this, he left the living room with a quick step, but, turning around on the threshold, fired almost without aiming at the picture, hitting his bullet in the place where the count’s bullet ended up. It was a phenomenal shot - a memory for the count couple for the rest of their lives...

Later they learned from the newspapers that Silvio took part in the armed uprising of the Greeks led by Russian general Alexandra Ypsilanti and was killed by the Turks in the battle of Skulany, which took place on June 16 and 17, 1821, where the Greek rebel army was defeated.

Instead of a conclusion

Is it really important which classic is in the work? the main idea? “The Shot” by Pushkin, perhaps, does not have one. But it has something else: expression, intrigue and... classic composition. That is why Leo Tolstoy encouraged aspiring prose writers to learn to write from Pushkin. Judge for yourself:

The beginning of the plot (an insult to Silvio from a drunken lieutenant that was not repaid by a duel).

First climax (first duel).

Second climax (second duel).

Denouement (Silvio's satisfaction with only a moral victory, the news of his stupid and accidental death).

The work of A. S. Pushkin predetermined the development of Russian literature and laid the foundations of the modern Russian language.

The composition of the story “The Shot” is interesting and complex due to its multi-level nature, which is created by several narrators and a complex plot. A. S. Pushkin himself, who is at the top step of the compositional ladder, formally transfers authorship to Ivan Petrovich Belkin. Imaginary “authorship” leads to the creation of a multi-level text, and this in turn allows us to better and more fully embrace reality, describe morals, and talk about the destinies and aspirations of the heroes. Against the background of exceptional events, a generalized picture of reality is unfolded; the exceptional events themselves are subject to the laws of everyday reality, specific time and space.

The heroes of the story initially find themselves in a situation where love is present. They are in love or are waiting for this feeling, but this is where the development and escalation of significant events in the plot begin.

The central character of the story is the former hussar Silvio. “He was about thirty-five years old... Experience gave him... many advantages; Moreover, his usual sullenness, harsh disposition and evil tongue had a strong influence on young... minds. Some kind of mystery surrounded his fate; he seemed Russian, but had a foreign name... He had books, mostly military ones, and novels. He willingly gave them to read, never demanding them back; but he never returned to the owner the books he had borrowed. His main exercise was pistol shooting.” Some kind of mystery surrounded him, and, probably, it was precisely this that was the reason for everyone’s interest in him.

Another hero (the author does not name him) was in no way inferior to Silvio. He was “a young man of a rich and noble family.” This is how Silvio speaks of him: “Imagine youth, intelligence, beauty, the most frenzied gaiety, the most careless courage, a big name, money that he did not know the account of and which had never been transferred from him, and imagine what action he should was to happen between us... I hated him. His successes in the regiment and in the company of women brought me to complete despair... I began to look for a quarrel with him..."

Being a central component of a literary text, the character is associated with the movement of plot lines, which leads to the dynamism of the image. At the beginning of the story, the indifference of Silvio’s rival is emphasized: “He stood under the gun, choosing ripe cherries from his cap and spitting out the seeds, which flew to me. His indifference infuriated me...” In the finale, his confusion is noticeable: “I felt how my hair suddenly stood on end.”

The thought of revenge does not leave Silvio. The understanding of honor is turned upside down for him: one insult is not washed away with blood due to the fact that the previous duel was not completed.

At the end of the story, the author shows that Silvio nevertheless received peace; it was important for him not to kill his opponent, but simply to amuse his pride: “I won’t,” Silvio answered, “I’m happy: I saw your confusion, your timidity; I made you shoot at me, I've had enough. You will remember me. I commend you to your conscience."

Silvio did not kill his opponent, but nevertheless he triumphed over him, saw his weakness. For him, the main thing was not just to harm the offender, but to see his fear, trample, humiliate him, and show his superiority. The power and strength of his spirit not only amazes with its elemental beauty, but also frightens with its frightening, destructive beauty. His soul is dehumanized by pride. This is how the contradiction between the concept of noble honor, inherent in a specific time and a certain layer of people, and universal human values is manifested.

Satisfying his evil feeling, Silvio brings grief to the count’s wife, who was not involved in the conflict. But after the scene of the count couple’s experiences, the heroic death of the hero, forever driven by his passions, is mentioned.

The author resolves all conflicts in an extraordinary, but very realistic way. In his works, A.S. Pushkin teaches us a wise attitude towards life, nobility, and a tolerant attitude towards people around us and people close to us.

The cycle “Belkin's Tale” was created during the “Boldino Autumn” in 1830. This was the period when, due to the outbreak of cholera, a quarantine was declared on entry and exit to St. Petersburg and Pushkin was forced to spend the entire autumn until the end of the quarantine on the Boldino estate. The stories were published in 1831. The publication was anonymous, that is, Pushkin attributed the authorship to a certain Belkin. The cycle consists of five stories, which, allegedly, were once told to the author by the now deceased Ivan Petrovich Belkin. These are the stories: “The Peasant Young Lady”, “The Undertaker”, “ Stationmaster", "Blizzard" and "Shot".

The idea of the cycle is that the author showed all the levels of Russian society, from bottom to top. Everything is presented here concisely and simply, there is not a single extra words. Pushkin does not explain the actions of his heroes, much less indulge in lengthy explanations of the motives for their actions. Nevertheless, the reader perfectly understands the motives of the actions of his heroes, with their advantages and disadvantages.

The characters in the stories are not bright individuals, like most of Pushkin's heroes. They are typical representatives of their environment. In the foreground they have the everyday side. But Pushkin's story structure, plot development, climax and happy ending hold the reader's interest throughout the entire narrative.

Analysis of works

Shot

The plot of the story is quite simple. The hero of the story, Silveo, being a remarkable person in everything related to hussar daring, hated his no less worthy young rival. It came to a duel, during which his opponent showed such indifference to death that Silveo did not shoot, reserving the right to shoot. For many years he waited for the right opportunity for revenge, until he finally received news of his enemy's marriage. Having come to him with a demand to realize his shot, he received complete satisfaction, humiliating him in front of his wife. In parting, he quite accurately shot at the picture, leaving a hole in it, which served as a reason for the memories.

The main character of the story is, of course, a strong and extraordinary person. But all his advantages fade against the background of his envy of his more successful opponent. Envy, as we know, does not look good on a man, especially a hussar. His dignity fades even more from petty vindictiveness. These qualities are all the more aggravated when he terrifies the count's wife by aiming at him. However, at the last moment something stops him from killing. I think that the true reason is not so important, what is more important is that the person did not kill another person. It is quite possible that at this moment true human feelings awakened in the main character.

Such an ending is characteristic of that Pushkin spirit that gives so much spiritual warmth to Belkin’s Tales. He convinces the reader, without unnecessary pathos, to believe in the triumph of “good feelings” over the stupid and worthless rules of society. Silveo’s nobility may seem spontaneous, but this is a quality of soul that originally lived in him.

Blizzard

A kind of play of situations. Fatal and happy accidents, which play an important role in the story. The romantic heroine of the story, Marya Gavrilovna, agrees to a secret marriage with Vladimir, rejected by her parents. As a result of a fatal accident, more precisely due to a strong snowstorm, the heroine marries an unknown hussar. Vladimir goes to war with Napoleon and dies. As a result of a chain of happy accidents, the story comes to a happy ending.

In the characteristics main character, the author immediately notes that she was brought up on French novels, which is why she is in love. It is possible that she liked Vladimir because she had read many novels. This already indicates the frivolity of her character, as well as her romanticism. Vladimir is not at all behind Maria. Such a romantic. He is inclined to dream of a secret wedding, after which, in his opinion, his parents will be moved and give them their blessing. His reasoning is somewhat reminiscent of one of Gogol’s heroes, Manilov. When circumstances require action, he, by and large, turns out to be incapable of anything.

The author does not hide his ironic attitude towards the characters with their passion for romantic fashion. But when war comes into play, a lot changes. Any war opens the souls of people, leaving only the true. The romantic Vladimir dies heroically and becomes a hero. Burmin, for fun, having married an unknown girl, now looks at it differently and is looking for his unknown wife in order to marry his beloved. The best pages of the story are the description of the blizzard, the main character of the story, which played a fatal role for Vladimir and a happy one for Marya Gavrilovna and Burmin.

Undertaker

Here we find ourselves among traders and artisans. The main characters here are the undertaker Prokhorov Adrian, his daughters and friends. The heroes are not preoccupied with romantic fantasies; they walk firmly on the earth and solve earthly problems. Such as the upcoming rich funeral of the merchant Tryukhina, which competitors may intercept. The death of a person for people like the undertaker is just an opportunity to make money. Even in his sleep, he views his deceased clients only in terms of their profitability. In the dead who came to visit Adrian, the author clearly reflected those social relations that existed in society at that time.

Pushkinsky small man- this is the progenitor of Gogol’s Akaki Bashmachkin. An official who can be beaten by noble travelers. Confident that his daughter Dunya, stolen by a passing hussar, was abandoned by him, he wishes her death. However, everything happens the other way around. Hussar Minsky, who turned out to be a worthy man, married Duna. The father's expectations were not justified; his daughter became rich and noble. However, the experienced reader understands that Samson Vyrin still lost his daughter. Vyrin's world and Minsky's world are separated by a huge hole that he is unable to overcome. Dunya was able to step over it without hesitation only thanks to her blind love for Minsky and feminine spontaneity.

However, she did not have the courage to go further and step over the rules of the “decent” society in which she found herself. In fact, she abandoned her father. Her subsequent visit to her father’s grave is just an attempt to calm her conscience. If the end had been as Vyrin expected, it would have been another story about an unfortunate, gullible girl and a scoundrel-seducer, of which there were many at that time. However, with Pushkin everything is much deeper and more realistic. It would seem that the happy ending of the story leaves a tragic aftertaste.

Peasant young lady

This last story cycle. In many ways, it resembles a vaudeville story with dressing up. The heroes here are also romantic, but their romanticism is born not from French novels, but from their natures. In addition, the romanticism of the heroes is active. They are fighting for their happiness, Alexey is ready to make a sacrifice for the sake of his beloved and give up his father’s fortune.

The heroine of the story, Liza, the daughter of a rich master, disguised as a peasant woman, meets Alexei Berestov in the forest and the young people fall in love. Alexey, sincerely considering Liza-Akulina a peasant, decides to marry her, disdaining social prejudices. A decent solution for young man, I must admit. Characterizes him from the very the best side. Respect for him especially increases when he is ready to give up wealth for the sake of his beloved girl. This characterizes him not only as an honest and noble person, but also courageous. Lisa's masquerade image helped to reveal the true feelings of the heroes when ordinary Russian people were revealed in them.

The work of A. S. Pushkin predetermined the development of Russian literature and laid the foundations of the modern Russian language.

In his works, A.S. Pushkin teaches us a wise attitude towards life, nobility, and a tolerant attitude towards people around us and people close to us.

The work of A. S. Pushkin predetermined the development of Russian literature and laid the foundations of the modern Russian language.

In his works, A.S. Pushkin teaches us a wise attitude towards life, nobility, and a tolerant attitude towards people around us and people close to us.