The theme of love in the works of Bunin for the first time in the history of Russian literature reveals not only the platonic, but also the bodily side of love relationships. In his work, the writer tries to correlate what is happening in the heart of a person with those demands made by him by a society whose life is built on a sale-purchase relationship and in which dark wild instincts often come to the fore. Nevertheless, the author touches the intimate side of relations between people with extraordinary tact.
The theme of love in Bunin’s works is the first bold statement that body passion does not always come after a rush of the soul, which sometimes happens in life and vice versa. For example, this happens with the heroes of his story “Sunstroke”. Ivan Alekseevich in his creations describes love in all its multifaceted nature - either it appears in the guise of great joy, then it turns into cruel disappointment, at the same time it is both in spring and autumn in human life.
Early work
The theme of love in Bunin's works of the early period of his work cannot remain indifferent. The stories “Dawn All Night,” “In August,” “Autumn,” and several others are very short, simple, but significant. The feelings experienced by the heroes are most often ambivalent. Rarely Bunin characters come to a harmonious relationship - their impulses disappear much more often, before they really have time to arise. However, a thirst for love continues to burn in their hearts. A sad farewell to a beloved ends in daydreaming (“In August”), a date leaves a strong imprint in the memory, for it testifies to touching a real feeling (“Autumn”). And, for example, the heroine of the story “Zarya all night” is imbued with a premonition of strong love, which the young girl is ready to pour on her future chosen one. However, disappointment comes to young heroes as quickly as the hobby itself. Bunin unusually talented reveals this difference between reality and dreams. After the complete singing of nightingales and the spring tender night thrill in the garden, the sounds of gunfire are heard through the dream to Tata. Her fiance shoots at the jackdaws, and the girl suddenly realizes that she is not able to love this ordinary, down to earth person.
“Mitina Love” (1924) - one of Bunin’s best works about love
In the 20s, during the period of emigration of the writer, the theme of love in Bunin's works is enriched with new shades. In his story “Mitin's Love” (1924), the author consistently talks about how the spiritual formation of the protagonist is gradually being realized, how life leads him from love to collapse. The sublime feelings in this narrative closely overlap with reality. Mitya’s love for Katya and his bright hopes are as if undermined by a vague sense of anxiety. Dreaming of a career as a great actress, the girl finds herself in the midst of a fake metropolitan life and cheats on her lover. Even a relationship with another woman - a down-to-earth, albeit prominent Alyonka - failed to ease Mitya’s spiritual torment. As a result, the hero, unprotected, unprepared for a clash with harsh reality, decides to lay hands on himself.
Theme of love triangles in the work of I. Bunin
Sometimes the theme of love in Bunin's works is revealed on the other hand, they show the eternal problem of love triangles (husband-wife-lover). Vivid examples of such stories can serve as the "Caucasus", "Ida", "The Most Beautiful of the Sun." Marriage in these creations becomes an insurmountable obstacle to the desired happiness. It is in these stories that the image of love first appears as a “sunstroke”, which finds its further development in the Dark Alleys cycle.
"Dark Alleys" - the most famous cycle of stories of the writer
The theme of love in the stories of Bunin of this cycle (“Dark Alleys”, “Tanya”, “Late Hour”, “Rus”, “Business Cards”, etc.) is an instant flash, bodily pleasures to which the heroes are pushed by genuine hot passion. But this does not end there. "Sunstroke" gradually leads the characters to indescribable selfless tenderness, and then to true love. The author refers to the images of lonely people and ordinary life. And therefore, the memories of the past fanned by romantic impressions seem so wonderful to his heroes. However, even here, after people become closer both spiritually and physically, it is as if nature itself leads them to the inevitable separation, and sometimes to death.
San Francisco Mister - A Bold Interpretation of Love Relationships
The mastery of describing the details of everyday life, as well as striking for a vivid description of love inherent in all the stories of the cycle, reaches its zenith in 1944, when Bunin finishes work on the story “Clean Monday”, which tells about the fate of a woman who passed away from life and love to the monastery.
And the theme of love in the understanding of Bunin was especially vividly revealed with the help of the story “Mr. from San Francisco”. This is a narrative of the lowest and ugliest manifestations of a warped great feeling. The falsity, deceit, automatism and lifelessness that caused the inability to love are especially strongly emphasized in the images of “The Lord from San Francisco”.
Bunin himself considered love to be the feeling that frees a person from the captivity of everything superficial, makes him unusually natural and brings him closer to nature.