"Jump into the coffin," Mamleev: a brief summary, the main characters, the problems

In his work, Yuri Mamleev describes a gloomy, mysterious world, prompting readers to seriously reflect on the unknown depths of the human soul, the finitude and meaninglessness of life, the inevitability of death. Heroes of the author, as a rule, are people with serious mental disabilities or simply inadequate marginals. Their images openly demonstrate all the most pernicious that can exist in the world. They are indefatigable researchers of the entire transcendental, including the nature of death, surrounded by a mystical aura of mystery. How did these themes develop in Mamleev's "Leap into the Coffin" story? The brief content of the work and its problems will be considered as detailed below as possible.

Characters

The events about which the author tells in his story occur in the most ordinary communal apartment. That's only the people who live in it, are able to break the habitual patterns of behavior. There you can meet sorcerer Kuzma and the most developed member of the family of the Pochkaryovs - Nicephorus. He is already three and a half years old, but everyone still calls him an infant, because he behaves as if he had not come out of that age yet. The sorcerer Kuzma is afraid of Nicephorus because he can not understand what spirit he sent to this world.

However, no one particularly likes a baby. And he mostly communicates with the seventy-year-old Catherine, who suffers from an ailment unknown to science. Doctors only make a helpless gesture, and the old woman becomes practically incompetent, than very upsetting her cousin eternally gay brother Vasily, a little hysterical sister Natalia and her son Mitya, abusing alcohol.

Catherine's disease becomes a real stumbling block for her relatives, a problem that prevents them from living. It is with the theme of spiritual frailty that begins his story "Leap into the coffin" Mamleev.

Summary: grotesque tie

Vasily, Natalia and Mitya send Catherine to the hospital without end, which, however, does not change the situation. The old woman can not serve herself and every day becomes weaker. It revives only when Nikifor appears.

And after the final verdict of the doctor: "incurable, soon will die" - relatives begin to wait tensely for the end of their torment. Mitya was tired of taking out the pots. Natalia suddenly discovers with surprise the lack of a constant love for her sister. Basil quickly loses a sense of humor. And since the coveted moment of Catherine's death does not come, the relatives unanimously decide to bury the old woman alive. They openly tell their charges about this idea and ask her for consent to such a crazy plan. The proposal to suffocate in the coffin without enthusiasm, but promises to think and give an answer.

Such an ambiguous tie with a fair share of the grotesque is offered to the reader by Yuri Mamleev. He frankly reveals in it all the basest thoughts that can be born in a person's head. The author simply turns inside out the human souls, exposing them for everyone to see, and in parallel begins to develop the theme of death.

What is death?

Relatives demand from the old woman an immediate answer, arguing that they themselves would rather die than Catherine. They thought of everything, including how to get a certificate of death and not disgrace. Ekaterina already looks like a deceased person, the main thing is that she lay quietly and not inadvertently tear up their plan.

The transition to non-existence frightens the old woman. Basil only makes a helpless gesture. By the lips of the old man, Yuri Mamleev asks an existential question: "What is death?" What is the point of fearing it, if it is an unknown mystery? Death for Basil is an abstract concept, therefore he refers to it superficially and easily.

However, for Catherine this question is more urgent. It's not for him to suffocate in a coffin, but to her. However, she knows who to turn to in order to make a decision - to Nikifor.

The image of Nicephorus

It is through the image of the child that he develops the idea of a transcendent reality in the story "Leap into the Coffin" Mamleev. The problematic of the work is closely connected with the unknown, concluded in Nikifor, who came not in the world he wanted, did not want to grow up, perceived being in a different way and, unlike the elders, knew the highest truth.

He even before the verdict of the doctor about the incurability of Catherine understands that she will not soon. In Nikifor all inhabitants of the communal see something alien: the wizard Kuzma avoids the baby, Natalya wants to spit in his direction. Mitya does not consider Nicephorus as a man at all. However, it is to him that Catherine seeks advice. With his approval, she decides to become a deceased person during her lifetime, and then die.

Unknown knowledge, the metaphysical component of being, invests in the image of the baby in the story "Jump to the coffin" Mamleev. We continue to review the summary.

Preparation for death

With the approval of Nicephorus, the old woman agrees to the insane venture of relatives who immediately go to the doctor. Sick of the disease, she does not evoke any suspicions from a nurse who has come to witness death.

And happy with the quick release of the ill-fated burden Vasily, Natalya and Mitya begin to equate the living Catherine to the real deceased. Even a request for a cup of tea causes them something in between bewilderment and indignation. Can the dead drink and eat? They should not have simple human desires. In addition, if you feed and drink Catherine, she will inevitably have to lead to the lavatory, otherwise the smell from the coffin will give a false death.

Total ego-centrism coupled with excessive cynicism causes some shock when reading the work "Jump into the coffin." Mamleev, whose story is a storehouse of paradoxes, not only demonstrates the dark side of the human soul, but also guides the reader through the realization of death as an integral part of life.

Death is part of life?

Of course, Catherine is afraid of her fate, despite the fact that she voluntarily agreed to a funeral and, it seems, resigned herself to her swift death. The status of the deceased does not prevent her from continuing to feel like a living person, and even in a dream she screams about her unwillingness to leave this world. Catherine as if anew born, begins to move quickly and shows all signs of health.

Seeing the extraordinary liveliness of the old woman, relatives are thinking about canceling the funeral, regardless of the possible consequences: the prospect of shame and imprisonment.

However, a sudden surge of energy is quickly coming to naught. Catherine is weakening, but already somehow differently. Discouraged relatives, she says that she wants to fall into a coffin. They do not mind, just decorate the bed of a living dead with flowers. Catherine does not say anything else, does not think about anything, as if she falls into the void. Perhaps she is no longer afraid of death and perceives it as some natural part of life. This is partly the meaning of Mamleev's story "Jump into the coffin." The analysis of further events is reduced to a metaphysical theme of death / immortality.

Is the soul immortal?

At the funeral the old woman lies motionless, only twice winks to the priest, who reads prayers. However, he does not think to check whether the deceased is really dead, writing off everything on demons who decided to embarrass him.

The coffin is covered with a lid and carried to the cemetery, and in front of the heroes there is an endless distance, as if calling to another, eternal, unknown life.

Describing nature in the story "Jump to the coffin" in this way, Yuri Vitalievich Mamleev makes you think about what will happen beyond the line of life. The end of the work has a sublimely enthusiastic coloring, giving away mysticism.

The lid of the coffin is slaughtered without incident. Natalia gives in to a spiritual impulse and crouches down to her. At that moment she imagines that from the grave there are ominous curses directed against the whole world. Soul of Catherine, meanwhile, separates from the body and goes to the call of the Great Spirit, approaching the Earth.

Metaphysical realism Yu. Mamleev

Yu. Mamleev touches on the issues of life and death, the unknown depths of the human personality in virtually all of his creations, including the story "Leap into the Coffin." The genre in which he is written, the author defined as metaphysical realism. Its essence consists in the close interconnection of human life with the knowledge of the transcendental component of the world and personality. Her Mamleev analyzes, above it he makes the reader think.

With the underlying hidden phenomena, the author's main characters collide. It is through their evaluation and describes the unknown in his story "Leap into the coffin" Mamleev. The summary of the work we have analyzed above. This is a kind of fusion of grotesque and deep philosophical thought, which not only shock the reader, but also make him indulge in reflections on the darkest component of human being.