Probably not a single literature in the world can be compared with Russian. It is always filled with deep meaning, instructive and makes you think about certain events. Moreover, the meaning of such works is often much deeper than it might seem at first glance. It is to such works that the story of V. A. Soloukhin, “The Law of the Alarm,” is related. A brief summary of it, as well as the points that the author draws attention to, we will describe in this article.
Briefly about the author of the work
Vladimir Alekseevich Soloukhin is a famous Russian writer of the Soviet era. He was born in the summer of 1924 in an ordinary village family. More precisely, it was usual in terms of the activities of his parents, but the number of children in it is truly impressive. As it turned out, the author of the sensational work was the tenth child of his parents.
Education and the beginning of literary activity
Since his childhood, Vladimir Alekseevich Soloukhin grew up in a large and friendly team. Despite the fact that the family was not rich at all, the author of the story “The Law of the Alarm” received a decent education.
At first it was studying at a local rural school. And then the writer entered and successfully graduated from the Vladimir Mechanical College. And although his specialty as a tool mechanic was not connected with literature, he began to write the first poems, studying in a technical school.
At that time, there were people who agreed to publish his poems in a newspaper called "Call". From this day on, they started talking about the writer as a promising and talented literary figure. Who would have thought that he would justify the hopes placed on him and write a realistic story called "The Law of the Alarm". The summary of this work allows us to understand how deep the meaning lies in it.
Military service and the beginning of a serious literary career
The future author of the story "The Law of the Alarm", Soloukhin decided to seriously engage in the development of his literary career after serving in the army. To do this, he even entered the A. Gorky Literary Institute.
Later, he became an honorary member of the Writers' Union, wrote many vital and realistic stories, poems, and even ran into the ranks of the media. At different points in time, he managed to work in the magazine "Young Guard" and the editorial board of "Our Contemporary".
The story "The Law of the Alarm": a summary
The famous Soviet and Russian writer created his work “The Law of the Alarm” in 1971. At the same time, it was first published in the journal Sovremennik. So what is this story about?
It tells of a village in which a fire broke out in several houses. The glow from the fire was visible in neighboring villages. Many nearby residents found out what happened after the alarm. In this case, a small bell played in his role. At that time, this was the only fire warning signal, as the previous church bell was destroyed along with the church.
Difficulty of choice and willingness to help
After the locals gathered on an alarm, they began to reflect on what kind of village the fire occurred. Then they thought about how to help their compatriots. In addition, the main firefighter of the area was very far away. Therefore, it was necessary to act quickly. But what stopped eyewitnesses from concrete actions?
At the time of the fire, as the “Law of the Alarm” narrates, the main characters - ordinary villagers - were forced to choose between anticipation and action. In the first case, it was assumed that the villagers would remain in place, and other residents whose villages were closer would help those in need. In the second case, active actions were supposed. Throughout the story, the villagers could not decide which option to choose.
The wonderful salvation of compatriots
However, they still did not want to stand and watch the village burn out. As a result, they tore the castle from the fire barn and went to extinguish the fire in a neighboring village. As it turned out, their help was timely, because in the village where the flames burned, two houses were almost burnt down, and the fire spread to other buildings.
At the same time, no one to help but the hesitant villagers, never arrived. Firstly, in the village itself there were very few residents, and even mostly only women. And secondly, other villagers apparently hoped that someone else would save the victims of the fire, and did not take any action. As a result, the fire was extinguished and the village was saved. That’s what the story “The Law of the Alarm” is about.
What is the point here?
After examining the summary of the “Alarm Clock”, Each reader will be able to draw certain conclusions. In some ways they may be similar or partially different. It all depends on how the story is interpreted. For example, some readers confidently declare that the relevance of this work is not lost today.
The thing is that when someone from strangers has trouble, such as a fire, each of us will act differently. Someone immediately begins to call the rescue service, call the fire brigade and ambulance. Other eyewitnesses will immediately run to help, hoping to save the property and the victims themselves.
And someone will simply watch and even shoot a video, which then will be safely posted on the Web. By the way, the latest version with filming can often be read among numerous user reviews. "The law of the alarm" although it was not written in the light of modern technology, it nevertheless touches on burning topics. After all, indifferent, onlookers and just lovers of bread and circuses were even in those distant times.
What does this work teach?
Other readers confidently say that this story teaches us to act. Do not rely on someone. The author is sure that every eyewitness is simply obliged to lend a helping hand to people in distress. After all, the law of the alarm is that the one who heard the signal for help cannot remain aloof. People need support. And this means that it is necessary to make every effort so that it can be rendered.
Brief historical background on bell ringing
In addition to the main message about helping those in need, the author raises the topic of Russian history. Indeed, many centuries ago, bell ringing was used not only on the eve of various religious holidays, it informed the arrival of senior officials, but also informed of the approach of enemies and emergency incidents (most often fires).
At the same time, the bell itself, with the help of which they informed about this or that event, had rather impressive dimensions. He was always associated among the inhabitants of Russia with something important and even divine.
What problems does the author raise?
Since the replacement of a large church bell with a small bell, as mentioned in the work of V. A. Soloukhin, the attitude to the signal has changed significantly.
There was a peculiar substitution of concepts. Something large and important was replaced by a smaller and less important one. For the same reason, people who heard the alarm were confused for a long time.
They did not know how to respond to this signal. Therefore, the author highlights this moment. In his understanding, the foundations that had existed for many years before can not be changed. Otherwise, fundamental changes will occur in human culture. Moreover, a great influence will be exerted precisely on his cultural and moral life values. And having lost these priorities, a person will simply lose himself. It will change beyond recognition. This is what the author of the story is trying to convey to the reader.