Turgenev, "Smoke": a brief summary. "Smoke" Turgenev: the main characters of the novel, the plot

To understand the meaning of the work often helps its brief content. "Smoke" by Turgenev is one of the most important works not only in the work of the writer himself, but also in the asset of Russian literature in general. The novel is interesting not only from the artistic, but also from the socio-political point of view, because it reflected the most acute problems and issues that concerned the educated part of the Russian society during the reforms of the 1860s.

The idea and publication of the novel

One of the most famous Russian writers is IS Turgenev. "Smoke" (the history of the novel makes it possible to better understand the author's intention) is the book in which Ivan Sergeyevich expressed his views with the greatest completeness on his time. It is known that the writer took only six months to form the text, but the manuscript was written for two years: 1865-1867. Perhaps this is due to the fact that at this time the writer was not having the best of times, as will be discussed below.

The main idea of the novel reveals a brief content. The "smoke" of Turgenev is an essay on the hero's searches and sore points of social life in the middle of the century.

Opinions of contemporaries

The novel was published in 1867 and caused contradictory talk: the majority of critics agreed that there was no bright dynamic plot in the work, which was so characteristic of the author's previous works. However, there were those who positively evaluated the new creation of the famous writer, pointing out that in him he was able not only to convey the complex psychology of the heroes, but also to realistically show the situation in which the action develops, which proves the concise content. The "smoke" of Turgenev is a novel about one of the most difficult periods in the history of post-reform Russia.

During his writing, the author entered into a polemic with representatives of the Narodnik movement, denying their view of the special role of the peasant community in the future revival of Russia. The author himself believed that the enlightened nobility should take on this function. The above facts affected the writing of the work, which dragged on.

Introduction

With a brief description of the place of events, a brief summary should begin. Turgenev's "smoke" differs from the author's previous works in that the action takes place not in our country, but abroad - in a German resort where representatives of the nobility and intelligentsia gathered at that time. In the first chapters the reader gets acquainted with a society that serves as a bright and colorful background for the love line and the environment in which socio-political disputes about the future of Russia are ripening and developing.

The author very critically and satirically portrays these people, believing that almost none of them are able to reason and judge about reforms and the situation within the country. Against this background, the main male character of Litvinov is sharply singled out - a young man who does not share empty disputes with tourists. He received a good education, intends to marry his beloved girl and builds projects for the transformation of the estate.

Description of society

Turgenev Ivan Sergeevich, following many of his contemporaries, focused attention on the socio-political situation prevailing in the country. In the middle of the 19th century, intellectuals argued about the way Russia should go after the great reforms of Alexander II, which radically changed not only the socio-economic, political, but also the cultural image of the country. It is about this that there is talk in a local Baden meeting with a certain Gubarev. Litvinov falls into the noisy company of people of a very different rank and class, which the author describes in very sarcastic tones. Judging by his description, Turgenev Ivan considered this kind of discussion a waste of time. Litvinov was irritated by the pompous and somewhat false arguments of those present. The only person who attracts the hero with his original mind is an outward counselor Potugin. Only with him Litvinov more or less finds a common language. There is a point of view that by the mouth of this new hero the author expressed his own position regarding the most acute problems of his time.

The image of Potugin

We should dwell in more detail on the characterization of this character, since its role is great, if not in the development of the plot, or in the ideological sense of the novel. Indeed, the disclosure of not only the psychology of heroes, but also of social and political thought of that time, is dedicated to Turgenev's "Smoke". What is this work about? It is interesting because in it the emotional experiences of the characters and the description of Russian society of the middle of the century are organically intertwined. Potugin is a character who adheres to Western ideology.

He believes that there is no need to criticize Western values, as well as placing excessive hopes for the so-called awakening of the people, because in his opinion, he has always been an active figure in Russian history. This hero believes that you do not need to either humiliate Western culture or exaggerate the identity of the Russian people.

String

The protagonist of "Smoke" Turgenev at the beginning of the work appears as a man with a developed worldview and adjusted life. However, after acquainting the reader with it, the author makes an excursion into the past, telling about his unhappy and broken love. Favorite girl Irina left him for the sake of a brilliant noble society, took the protection of a rich relative, profitedly married and became a real socialite. Litvinov was very worried, but he found the strength to survive this heavy shock and eventually fell in love with a beautiful girl Tatiana, on which he was going to marry. But, as it turns out later, the old love did not die, and with an accidental meeting in Baden Irina and Litvinova breaks out again.

Development of action

True master of psychological analysis is rightly considered Turgenev. "Smoke" (the plot of the novel is devoted to the love line, which unfolds on the background of the description of the social life of the Russian intelligentsia) is a work in which the history of the relations of heroes is closely intertwined with the character of the society in which they live and act. Irina, although she became a brilliant socialite, was never used to the conventions of the environment she was in.

She was a freedom-loving nature, strong, courageous and passionate, and in temperament and intelligence she stood on her head above all representatives of her circle. Meeting Litvinov, Irina immediately reached out to him as a sincere and dear to her man. The novel "Smoke" differs by the rapidity of the development of events. Already literally after several meetings the old feelings of the heroes broke out again, so Litvinov even decided to terminate the engagement with Tatyana.

Gap

This heroine is the personification and artistic embodiment of all the best that the writer saw in a woman. Tatyana is smart, modest, kind, but most importantly she is distinguished by her extraordinary spiritual sensitivity. At a meeting with the groom she felt a change in him long before he dared to confess her to treason. After a short conversation the girl almost guessed everything, and this put Litvinov at a dead end. In the scene of explanation, Tatyana remains the undoubted moral advantage. She behaved calmly and nobly, did not suit his ex-groom any scenes, with dignity accepted his refusal of engagement as a reality. Roman Turgenev's "Smoke", the analysis of which should contain a brief description of this heroine, focuses attention on the spiritual beauty of the girl, who, suffering and tormented after a break in relations, nevertheless found the strength to live on.

Culmination

The most intense moment in the narrative is the final explanation between Litvinov and Irina. Both take a desperate decision to flee together to start a new life away from the noisy light. However, already in this conversation, some hopelessness of their mood was felt: Irina could not immediately decide on this step, and Litvinov himself did not fully imagine how to implement the flight and how to live with it in secret. Nevertheless, the decision was made, and the lovers tuned in to implement it.

However, at the last, most decisive moment, Irina refused to flee, sending Litvinov a note explaining that she could not leave the light, despite all the hatred for him. At the same time, she announced that she did not want to part with him, and asked to preserve their relationship in the form in which they had been so far.

Decoupling

Of great importance for understanding the nature of the heroines is the explanation that Potugin gave the hero about his relationship with Irina. He told me that he was strangely in love with this woman, but that this love brought him only misery and pain. He called his feelings a dark passion and advised Litvinov to pay attention to Tatiana, who has a heart of gold and a noble character. The protagonist, however, felt himself destroyed and defeated after the break with the bride and Irina's refusal. He felt that he was not worthy of the first, and to continue the secret relationship with the second simply could not. In despair and despair, he leaves for Russia, not imagining how he will live on and no longer hoping to somehow improve his broken life.

Conclusion

The novel "Smoke", the final of which leads the hero to Tatiana, who forgave her unfaithful groom, at the end gives some explanations for the title of the book. In describing the hero's return to Russia, the idea that his love, endless controversy, the struggle of opinions, the vanity of thoughts, all these endless disputes about the destinies of Russia sounds like a mirage that dissipates like smoke over time. And as a visible confirmation of this idea, the author introduced a scene in which the hero sees in the inn the people who argued with such fierce controversy about the fate of the country. Now they appeared to his eyes in the most unattractive form, arguing about horses and standing. In his estate, he somehow begins to farm. Now Litvinov no longer built brilliant projects for transformation, but acted on the basis of specific needs. He even succeeded a little and paid off his father's debts. After a while, the hero learned that Tatiana lives nearby and is engaged in a school for peasants. Litvinov wrote her a letter, in return she invited him to her home, where their reconciliation took place.

Readers' opinions

The real master of the poetic depiction of Russian life was Turgenev. "Smoke", reviews of which are generally very positive, enjoys constant popularity with the reading public. Users note as the main advantages of an interesting plot, colorful characters, a reliable image of the inner world of the characters. Some of them note that women's images are especially successful, which are prescribed with special skill. People point out that against the background of Irina and Tatiana, the protagonist turned out to be somewhat inexpressive and pale. A number of readers believe that the author was too critical to describe secular society and exaggerated his negative features in order to highlight the positive qualities of Irina. Language and the construction of the narrative does not cause anyone questions: all unanimously affirm that the literary style of the writer and the idea itself are original. Almost everyone notes that although this work does not go through at school, nevertheless it should be recommended to students for compulsory reading as one of the best novels of the writer. This book may seem interesting not only to lovers of literature, but also to historians, since it reflects the epoch of post-reform Russia very vividly.