Astafyev, “Boy in a White Shirt”: a summary of the story

One of the most famous Soviet authors is V. Astafiev. “A boy in a white shirt” (a summary of this story is the subject of this article) is perhaps the most piercing and touching work of the author, in which he described the difficult time of the early 1930s, when famine erupted in a number of regions of the USSR of many people. This composition is lyrical and at the same time deeply dramatic, largely due to the fact that it mainly consists of a little boy, Petenka, who fell victim to hard times.

Introduction

The real master of lyrical prose is Astafiev. “A boy in a white shirt” (a summary of this work is proof of this) is a story in which the realities of a difficult era of the 1930s were reflected. In the beginning, the author describes a sad picture of the village, which was empty due to the fact that the entire able-bodied population was forced to go to borrow in order to save the crop from drought. The narrator’s aunt also went to the field, leaving her three little sons alone: ​​Sasha, who was seven years old, six-year-old Vanya and Petenka, who was not yet three years old. The boys, longing for their mother, decided to independently go in search of her. Masterfully described the rural steppe landscape in his work Astafiev. “A Boy in a White Shirt” (a short summary of the story shows the writer's ability to create a panorama of nature briefly and succinctly with the help of epithets) is a work in which subtle kind humor is combined with deep philosophical reflections on life and its meaning.

astafiev boy in a white shirt summary

Heroes Travel

For the brothers, the search for the mother was a real test. The writer did not skimp on colors, showing what obstacles they managed to overcome on the road: a river, a gorge, rubble, oats. The author paints a touching picture of how the older brothers carried the younger on their shoulders, how they persuaded him with various inventions and lured him on to continue the journey, showing them animals and the river, until, at last, they resorted to the last resort and said that their mother was waiting for them in front. These words made Petenka go on, despite fatal fatigue. Very reliably the experiences of his heroes were conveyed by the writer Astafiev. “A Boy in a White Shirt” (a short summary of the story shows how subtly and skillfully he conveys the emotional experiences of the heroes) - a work that, despite its brevity, amazes with the authenticity of the reproduction of the era.

astafiev boy in a white shirt summary of the story

Mother description

An important place in the composition is played by the image of the mother of the boys, who worked in the field during the travel of her sons. The writer reproduces in detail the difficult conditions of her work. The only joy for her was the memory of her children. Thinking of them helps her put up with difficult conditions and hard work on the harvest. She has stocked milk for the boys and is looking forward to the time when she can give them food. The author in very touching expressions describes the meeting of the mother with her sons. At the same time, he uses lively colloquial speech to convey all the tenderness of this woman. The first thing she did was straighten their clothes, and then fed them, giving them the last of her supplies. The writer in very strong terms describes the mother’s grief when she found out about the disappearance of her youngest son.

victor astafiev boy in a white shirt summary of the story

Life after loss

Many famous works were written by Astafiev. “A Boy in a White Shirt” (a short summary of the story will give schoolchildren some idea of ​​the work of this writer) is a work that occupies a prominent place in Soviet literature, despite its small volume. The final part of the work is dedicated to the life of the mother after this tragic story. She had a large family, she survived and buried many, however, she did not recall any of her relatives with such warmth and love as her younger Petenka. No one was able to convey the experiences of ordinary village people like Viktor Astafyev. “A boy in a white shirt” (a short summary of the story should include a description of the features of his language) is an essay that can be offered to schoolchildren in the lessons on Soviet literature.

astafiev boy in a white shirt very brief

Tongue

This work is written in a lively spoken language, which is full of folk expressions and even fairy-tale folklore elements. This gives the story a particularly sad lyrical tone that permeates the entire work. The author affectionately compares boys with nightingales-robbers, describes nature with colorful epithets, and communicates relations between brothers with the help of touching epithets. The finale has a deeply symbolic significance, largely due to the creation of the image of a child in snow-white clothes, which symbolizes his purity and innocence. So, one of the most recognized Soviet writers was Astafiev. “A boy in a white shirt” (a very brief summary of the story should contain a conclusion about the idea of ​​the story) is an essay that is necessary for reading to anyone who is interested not only in the work of the author, but also in the history of the country.

Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/C45809/


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