To understand the meaning of the work for schoolchildren, its brief content often helps. Turgenev's “Smoke” is one of the largest 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 an artistic, but also from a socio-political point of view, as it reflects the most acute problems and issues that worried the educated part of Russian society during the reform period of the 1860s.
The idea and publication of the novel
One of the most famous Russian writers is I. S. Turgenev. “Smoke” (the story of the creation of the novel allows a better understanding of the author’s intent) - this is the book in which Ivan Sergeyevich most fully expressed his views on contemporary times. It is known that it took the writer only six months to write the text, but the writing of the manuscript lasted two years: 1865–1867. Perhaps this is due to the fact that at this time the writer was going through hard times, as will be discussed below.
The main idea of the novel reveals a brief summary. Turgenev's “Smoke” is an essay about the hero’s quest and sore issues of social life in the middle of the century.
Opinions of contemporaries
The novel was published in 1867 and caused controversy: most critics agreed that the work does not have a vivid dynamic plot, which was so characteristic of the author’s previous works. However, there were those who positively appreciated the new creation of the famous writer, indicating that in him he managed not only to convey the complex psychology of the heroes, but also realistic to show the environment in which the action develops, which proves the summary. Turgenev's “Smoke” is a novel about one of the most difficult periods in the history of post-reform Russia.
During his writing, the author entered into polemics with representatives of the populist movement, denying their point of view about 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
A brief description should begin with a short description of the place of development of events. The “Smoke” of Turgenev differs from the previous works of the author 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 vivid and colorful backdrop for the love line and an environment in which social and political debates about the future of Russia mature and develop.
The author depicts these people very critically and satirically, believing that almost none of them is able to think reasonably and judge the reforms and the situation inside the country. Against this background, the main male character of Litvinov stands out sharply - a young man who does not share the empty arguments of vacationers. He received a good education, intends to marry his girlfriend and is building estate transformation projects.
Description of the company
Turgenev Ivan Sergeevich, following many of his contemporaries, focused on the socio-political situation in the country. In the middle of the 19th century, there was a debate among the intelligentsia about what path Russia should take after the great reforms of Alexander II, which fundamentally changed not only the socio-economic, political, but also the cultural image of the country. That is what is being talked about at a local Baden meeting with a certain Gubarev. Litvinov falls into a noisy company of people of various ranks and estates, which the author describes in very sarcastic tones.
Judging by his description, Ivan Turgenev considered such discussions to be 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 a certain adviser Potugin. Only with him Litvinov more or less finds a common language. There is a point of view that, through the lips of this new hero, the author expressed his own position regarding the most acute problems of his time.
The image of Potugin
It is necessary to dwell in more detail on the characterization of this character, since his role is great if not in the development of the plot, then in the ideological sense of the novel. After all, the disclosure of not only the psychology of heroes, but also of the socio-political thought of that time was devoted to Turgenev's “Smoke”. What is this work about? It is interesting because it organically interweaves the emotional experiences of the heroes and a description of Russian society in the middle of the century. Potugin is a character who adheres to Western ideology.
He believes that it is not necessary to criticize Western values, nor to place undue hopes on the so-called awakening of the people, since, in his opinion, he has always been an active protagonist of Russian history. This hero believes that it is neither necessary to humiliate Western culture, nor to exaggerate the identity of the Russian people.
Tie
The main character from Turgenev's “Smoke” at the beginning of the work appears as a person with an established worldview and an established life. However, introducing the reader to him, the author takes an excursion into the past, narrating about his unhappy and broken love. His girlfriend Irina left him for the sake of a brilliant noble society, took the protection of a wealthy relative, married favorably and became a real socialite. Litvinov was very worried, but found the strength to survive this difficult shock and eventually fell in love with the beautiful girl Tatyana, whom he was going to marry. But, as it turns out later, the old love did not die, and in a chance meeting in Baden, Irina and Litvinova flare up again.
Action development
The true master of psychological analysis is rightly considered Turgenev. “Smoke” (the plot of the novel is dedicated to a love line that unfolds against the background of a description of the social life of the Russian intelligentsia) is a work in which the history of the relations of the characters is closely intertwined with the characteristics of the society in which they live and act. Irina, although she became a brilliant secular lady, did not get used to the conventions of the environment in which she fell.
She was a freedom-loving nature, strong, courageous and passionate, and in her temperament and mind she stood head and shoulders above all representatives of her circle. Having met Litvinov, Irina immediately reached for him as a sincere and dear person. The novel "Smoke" is characterized by the swiftness of events. Literally after several meetings, the old feelings of the heroes flared up again, so Litvinov even decided to terminate the engagement with Tatyana.
Break
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 unusual emotional sensitivity. When meeting with the groom, she felt a change in him long before he dared to admit to her treason. After a short conversation, the girl guessed almost everything, and this confused Litvinov. In the scene of explanation, Tatyana has a clear moral advantage. She kept herself calm and noble, did not suit her ex-groom any scenes, with dignity accepted his refusal to engage in engagement as a given. Roman Turgenev's “Smoke”, the analysis of which should contain a brief description of this heroine, focuses on the spiritual beauty of the girl, who, suffering and tormented after the breakdown, nevertheless found the strength to live on.
Climax
The most tense moment in the story is the final explanation between Litvinov and Irina. Both make 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 flee and how to live with her secretly. Nevertheless, a decision was made, and the lovers tuned in to implement it.
However, at the last, most decisive moment, Irina refused to run, sending Litvinov a note in which she explained 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 keep their relationship in the form in which they were until now.
Denouement
Of great importance for understanding the nature of the heroines is the explanation that Potugin gave the hero regarding his relationship with Irina. He said that he himself was strangely in love with this woman, but that this love brought him only misery and grief. He called his feelings a dark passion and advised Litvinov to pay attention to Tatyana, who has a golden heart and a noble character. The protagonist, however, felt annihilated and broken after breaking up with his bride and Irina's refusal. He felt that he was not worthy of the first, and simply was not able to continue a secret relationship with the second. In despair and despair, he leaves for Russia, not imagining how he will live on and no longer hoping to somehow fix his broken life.
Conclusion
The novel "Smoke", the ending of which leads the hero to Tatyana, who has forgiven her unfaithful groom, gives some explanations to the title of the book at the end. In the description of the hero’s return to Russia, the thought sounds that his love, endless disputes, the struggle of opinions, the vanity of thoughts, all these endless disputes about the fate of Russia are just 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 those who so fiercely argued about the fate of the country. Now they appeared to his eyes in the most unsightly form, arguing about horses and stand. On his estate, he somehow starts to farm. Now Litvinov no longer built brilliant transformation projects, but acted on the basis of specific needs. He even succeeded a little and paid off his father's debts. After some time, the hero found out that Tatyana lives nearby and is engaged in a school for peasants. Litvinov wrote her a letter, in response, 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 continued popularity among the reading public. Users note as the main advantages an interesting plot, colorful characters, a reliable image of the inner world of heroes. Some of them note that female images, which are registered with special skill, turned out to be especially successful. People indicate that, against the background of Irina and Tatyana, the main character turned out to be somewhat inexpressive and pale. A number of readers believe that the author too critically approached the description of secular society and exaggerated its negative features to overshadow the positive qualities of Irina. The language and the construction of the narrative do not raise any questions: everyone unanimously asserts that the literary style of the writer and the idea itself are original. Almost everyone notes that although this work does not go through school, it should nevertheless be recommended to students for compulsory reading as one of the writer’s best novels. This book may seem interesting not only to literature lovers, but also to historians, since it very clearly reflects the era of post-reform Russia.