Based on the mountain legend heard in the Caucasus, Lermontov wrote his poem. “The Fugitive” (a brief summary will be presented in the article) is a work that tells of the coward and traitor Garuna, who threw his father and brothers onto the battlefield, lost his saber and rifle, fled to the mountains away from the battle, saving his worthless life. The poem was allegedly written between 1840 and 1841. The exact date of writing was not preserved, but it was during this period that Mikhail Yurievich was in the Caucasus, got acquainted with the customs of the Circassians, saw with his own eyes bloody battles.
Battlefield Escape
During the battle, all Circassians were killed, including the father and two brothers of Harun. The young man survived and, instead of taking revenge for the shed blood, he fled. Relatives died for freedom and honor, but this is not familiar to Harun, his own life is more important for him, he understands that he had to take revenge, but forgets about duty and shame. The highlanders had a tradition - survivors should pick up and bury the fallen in battle, and not leave them to reproach the enemies, Lermontov also knew about this. The fugitive poem has glorified the coward for centuries, because the Circassians do not forget both brave warriors and traitors.
Contempt of a friend and beloved
Harun, sneaking between the rocks, went to his native aul. Peace and silence greeted him, because no one but him returned from the battle. The young man decided to find shelter with an old friend Selim, he was lying on a lava, defeated by an illness and was dying, so he did not recognize the alien. Harun himself told him about the battle, that everyone was dead, and only he survived. Selim hoped to hear good news even before he died, but the conversation with the fugitive woke the fighter’s blood in him. The dying man scorned the coward and drove him out of his house. This is what Lermontov writes about .
The fugitive (the summary of the poem is unable to convey all his misadventures) went on, then he remembered his beloved. The girl was waiting for him day and night, the young man hoped that she would accept him, despite his cowardice. Only Harun approached the familiar sakla when he heard an old song sung by his beloved. Folk art was also used in the poem The Fugitive by M. Yu. Lermontov. The song spoke of a young man who was escorted to war by a girl, instructing to be brave, because whoever does not defeat the enemy and changes his own will die without glory, his bones will not even be buried. Hearing this, Harun went away from his beloved's house, he had only hope for the forgiveness of his mother.
Inglorious death
Even parents do not forgive betrayal of their homeland - Lermontov wrote his poem about this. The fugitive (a brief summary allows you to get acquainted with the work, but it is better to read it in the original) hoped to be adopted by the mother. He knocked on his father's house, begging to open. His mother has been waiting for him since the war, but not one. Upon learning that her husband and two sons were killed, the woman asks if Harun has avenged them. The young man says no, but he was in a hurry to console his mother and brighten her old age. She refuses such a son, because he dishonored the whole family. All night, prayers were heard under the window, until the dagger stopped the shame of the unfortunate. Whether Garun killed himself or someone else punished him, does not specify Lermontov. “The Fugitive” (we have now covered the summary of the work) is a poem that has become a reminder of the shameful death of all cowards and traitors to the motherland. The corpse of Harun was not even carried to the cemetery; yard dogs licked his blood.