The play "Student" Turgenev conceived in 1848. He carefully works on it and in 1850 sends Nekrasov to St. Petersburg. The imminent release of the play by Turgenev had already been announced, and everyone was looking forward to it. But censorship did not allow her to print. Only in 1855 was he able to print a comedy in Sovremennik entitled Month in the Village.
The play was first staged in 1872 in Moscow at the Maly Theater. In 1879 - at the Alexander Theater. The role of Verochka was played by M. G. Savin, the actress was so enthralled by this small role that even the creator of the comedy was struck by her performance: “Have I really written this Verochka ?!” Turgenev was amazed to see Verochka performed by Savina. The play was a huge success and became a repertoire.
Drama or comedy?
The play "A Month in the Country" Turgenev in the subtitle called "comedy." But according to the signs of the genre, in terms of content, it is rather a drama. The author himself called the play a tale in a dramatic form. Many critics also noted that the play is long and boring, not staged, since there is no dramatic streak in it. They noticed that the play is not quite a comedy, but rather a story in dialogues.
Undoubtedly, the love conflict in which the heroes found themselves resembles, rather, a traditional comedy plot. But Turgenev has a rare ability to convey all the spiritual movements of his heroes through their words. An attentive viewer will see behind them experiences and thoughts. It would seem that the hero is talking about an outsider, and a whole drama is revealed to the reader. This is how the state of mind manifests itself in real life. This is precisely the value of Turgenev’s work “A Month in the Village”. A summary of the play is given below.
Heroes of the play
Belyaev Alexey Nikolaevich is a student-raznochinets. He is twenty one years old. He is still young and inexperienced, but sincere, natural and simple. By his naivety, he does not notice the outbreak of love affair around his person.
Rakitin Mikhail Alexandrovich - a nobleman, a friend of the Islaevs house, an interlocutor of Natalya Petrovna. At thirty, he does not have his own family, his own destiny. This is a special type of "extra person", "take root." He is honest, intelligent, intelligent, but unhappy in his own way.
Islaev Arkady Sergeyevich is a thirty-six-year-old landowner and the owner of the estate, where events take place. Hearty, modest and kind, he is helpful and gentle with his wife Natalya Petrovna.
Natalya Petrovna - twenty-nine-year-old mistress of the house, wife of Islaev. An intelligent, passionate woman, she cannot restrain her feelings for Belyaev. Love pushes her into vile deeds, makes her lie and dodge. She makes others unhappy.
The remaining participants in Turgenev’s play “A Month in the Village” (their names are also briefly mentioned):
- Verochka is a seventeen-year-old pupil of the Islaevs. She is clean and innocent. The insidious behavior of Natalya Petrovna forces the girl to agree to a marriage with Bolshintsov.
- Bolshintsov Afanasy Ivanovich - forty-eight-year-old contender for husbands Verochka. A good candidate for a marriage of convenience, but a stupid and difficult person.
- Shpigelsky Ignatius Ilyich is a forty-year-old doctor who easily compromises with his conscience for the sake of profit.
- Anna Semenovna Islaeva - the mother of Arkady Sergeyich.
- Lizaveta Bogdanovna is the companion of Anna Semenovna.
- Kolya is the ten-year-old son of Natalia and Arkady Islaev.
- Schaaf is a German tutor.
- servants are Matvey and Katya.
New teacher
In the estate of the Islaevs, the action of Turgenev’s play “A Month in the Village” takes place. The summary and the first action begins with a description of the living room, where Anna Semenovna, Lizaveta Bogdanovna and the tutor Schaaf play cards. Natalya Petrovna is busy with embroidery, Rakitin reads to her “Count of Monte Cristo”. Soon, an inattentive listener interrupts him and begins a conversation about his son’s new teacher, a student from Moscow who was hired for the summer. Kolya runs into the room and tells with enthusiasm that the teacher made him a bow and arrow and promises to teach him how to swim. Belyaev enters after him, greets all those present and leaves with Kolya to feed the horses.
Servant Matvey reports on the arrival of Dr. Spiegelsky. Natalya Petrovna complains to him of a bad mood. He talks about the girl Verenitsyna, who cannot make a choice between the two chosen ones. To which Natalya Petrovna replies: “You can love two.” Anna Semenovna and Lizaveta Bogdanovna go out into the garden. Rakitin consoles a losing tutor. Shpigelsky tells Islaeva that his friend wants to marry her pupil Vera. Natalya Petrovna is surprised because she considers a seventeen-year-old girl to be a child. This ends the first action of Turgenev’s comedy “A Month in the Village”. A summary of the second action is described below, where the scene unfolds in the Islaevs garden.
Rakitin guesses the feelings of Islaeva
The maid Katya is busy picking berries. Matvey seeks an answer from her to his marriage proposal. Seeing Shaaf walking with a fishing rod, he leaves. Katya continues to collect raspberries when Belyaev and Vera enter the garden. They sit on a bench and try to attach a tail to a kite. Verochka asks Alexey about his studies, about Moscow and talks about himself. Rakitin and Natalya Petrovna come, and Belyaev and Vera leave to look for Kolya.
Islaeva and Rakitin sat on a bench. He is trying to find out from her why she has recently been irritable. Natalya Petrovna is angry and leaves. Michael suspects that she was carried away by a young teacher. I saw Belyaev and started a conversation with him. Islaev returns, blooms noticeably at the sight of Belyaev and leads Alexei to launch a kite. Rakitin darkly wanders after.
Shpigelsky and Bolshintsov join the company. The doctor tells Michael that they need to talk. This concludes the second act of Turgenev’s play “A Month in the Village”. The summary of the third act begins with a conversation between Rakitin and the doctor. The action takes place in the living room.
Natalya Petrovna learns about Vera's love
Shpigelsky asks Rakitin to assist in the matter of Vera’s marriage and admits that for a successful outcome Bolshintsov promised him three horses. Seeing Natalya Petrovna leaving the office, the doctor leaves. Islaeva begins to talk about Belyaev, but Rakitin interrupts the unpleasant conversation and asks Natalya Petrovna to decide the fate of the pupil immediately. He calls Vera and leaves them to talk. Islaeva directly asked the girl if she agreed to marry Bolshintsov. This proposal seems absurd to Vera, and she confesses to Islaeva about her feelings for Alexei. Natalya Petrovna cannot hide her jealousy.
Alarmed Rakitin enters, he is sure that the only right way out is to send Belyaev, he must leave. Natalya Petrovna is crying on Mikhail’s shoulder, and Arkady and Anna Semenovna enter the room. Islaeva runs away, and Rakitin is being questioned. Excited Michael promises to give them an answer later.
Islaeva declares to Alexey that she is forced to refuse him a place because her pupil is in love with him. Hearing in response that he considers Vera to be just a child, Islaeva says that Alexey can not rush to leave. They say goodbye, and the third act of Ivan Turgenev’s play “A Month in the Village” ends with Isaeva’s monologue. A summary of the fourth part is described below. The action takes place in the hallway, in the description the author indicated that the evening had come.
Islaeva confesses to Alexei his feelings
The maid Katya is waiting in the hallway of Alexei. It's starting to rain. Shpigelsky and Lizaveta Bogdanovna run into the house. Katya is hiding. The doctor suggests that Elizabeth Bogdanovna marry him. The rain ended and they returned to the garden. Alexei appears, and the maid brings Faith. The girl knows about the upcoming departure of Belyaev and came to say goodbye. He assures the girl that not everything has been decided with his departure.
Natalya Petrovna enters, and Vera begins to shame her that, having revealed her secret to Alexei, she did an ugly act. Even jealousy does not justify it. Faith runs away in tears. Belyaev is shocked and confused at the same time. Natalya Petrovna admits his feelings to him. Alex is completely confused. The conversation is interrupted by Rakitin. Alexei, confident that he should leave immediately, leaves. Arkady enters and sees that his wife is alone with Rakitin and is very excited. But he does not ask questions. The fourth action of the play “A Month in the Village” by Turgenev ends with Islaev blithely taking Natalya Petrovna by the arm and inviting everyone to drink tea.
The house is empty ... Everyone is leaving ...
Islaev is trying to work, looking through papers. But thoughts about Natalya and Mikhail do not allow him to concentrate. He asks the servant to invite Michael to him. As soon as he enters, Islaev demands an explanation from him. Rakitin admits that he has long been in love with his wife. Islaev is indignant, but sure of his decency. Rakitin assures Arkady that he will leave their house tomorrow.
Mikhail announces his departure, but Natalya Petrovna is cold with him. Rakitin leaves to collect things. Alex goes out after him. Islaeva is trying to ask Verochka for forgiveness. But she does not want to show the appearance of well-being. Shpigelsky persuades Vera to pay attention to Bolshintsov. To his surprise, she did not resist, since she could no longer remain in this house. She agrees to marriage, and Shpigelsky hurries to get his troika.
Belyaev comes to say goodbye and asks Vera to convey a farewell note to Islaeva, as he immediately leaves for Moscow. As soon as Natalya Petrovna appears on the threshold, Vera hands her a message. Islaeva is deeply shocked: Alex did not even come to say goodbye. The wife is trying to console Arkady, in an undertone scolding Rakitin. He is sure that she is upset because of Michael. Vera leads away the paled Natalya Petrovna.
Frightened Anna Semenovna, Shaaf, Lizaveta Bogdanovna, Shpigelsky and Kolya run in. They were informed that Natalya Petrovna became ill. Arkady assures them that everything is in order. Kolya is looking for his teacher, but Rakitin reports that Alex is leaving. Shocked Islaev comes out to carry them out, and Shpigelsky takes them to the city with a new troika. Kolya leaves with Schaaf for a lesson. Anna Semenovna sighs that the house is completely empty. Lizaveta Bogdanovna modestly says: "... and I will not stay here long ... and I'm leaving." With these words Turgenev ends with “A Month in the Village”. The content of the play shows that everyone leaves this house.
Analysis of the work. Soul drama or selfishness?
The characters of Turgenev's heroes are revealed not so much in action as in monologues and dialogues. The comedy “A Month in the Village” was no exception. In the first action, the Islaevs' drawing room is in front of the reader. Rakitin is reading a book. This is all a mundane background, but through it comes the true essence of what is happening. Natalya Petrovna does not like everything; she is annoyed by the fact that her husband takes it all with fervor, and that Rakitin unconditionally agrees with her on everything.
It seems that she is hated by this boring living room, the "lace" of smart conversations, and she wants natural feelings and sincere actions. Therefore, she was drawn to a young student with a "cheerful, bold look." In a conversation with Rakitin, she emphasizes that Belyaev does not look like them at all, that he is a man of another world. The reader is ready to believe her: that she is a woman who is eager for space, at will from smart, but apathetic interlocutors.
But then Shpigelsky appears with the story of the girl Verenitsyna. And the insightful doctor, regarding Islaeva’s complaints that she’s bored, says: “You are my lady, who will make you laugh?” You don’t need that now. ” Having a husband, she keeps Rakitin near her for four years, now a student has appeared, embarrassing her peace. Hence the rapid pulse, nerves, bile. Shpigelsky prescribes drops for her, but when asked by Anna Semenovna whether Natasha is healthy, she answers: “Perfectly.”
From his point of view, all the love experiences of Islaeva are just a lordly whim. He does not approve of it, but does not hesitate to use it for his own selfish purposes. She rejected Verochka’s marriage proposal, claiming that she was a child. But, driven by jealousy, Islaeva returns to the conversation about her marriage.
Natalya Petrovna torments Rakitin with riddles, turns to him for help. But at the same time he does not hide his attitude to Belyaev. This desire to capture as much attention and affection as possible speaks not so much of her feelings as of egoism. Hearing her monologue about contempt for oneself, a promise to love only her husband, about jealousy, about remorse, the reader no longer believes in the depth of her experiences. It was this skill of Ivan Sergeyevich that his contemporaries admired. How masterfully, in dialogues and monologues, he reveals the drama in “A Month in the Village” by Turgenev.
Analysis of the work. General escape or condemnation?
Now, not only Shpigelsky sees a predator in Islaeva, but also Verochka, who has experienced her selfishness. The broken fate of the girl does not touch Islaev, and if she asks for forgiveness from her, then only for her own peace of mind. Trusting Verochka one day morally matured. On the day when her faith in people, her love, was destroyed. Rakitin, hearing that Verochka and Belyaev love each other, exclaims: “Poor woman!” Selflessly devoted Rakitin sincerely sympathizes with Islaeva. But in the end, her selfishness also drives him out of this house.
The cheerful, sincere Belyaev brought a stream of fresh air into the house. Kolya, who did not know real childhood, from the very first day fell in love with his teacher. Vera did not know the true joy of life and sincere communication. Even Islaeva, looking at Alexei, realized that she had never been young. For Belyaev, Natalya Petrovna was something unattainable, "the highest being." He did not even think of drawing close to her. Nevertheless, her recognition took the young man by surprise: he puts on a new frock coat, inserts a flower in his buttonhole. He is changing, becoming different. And only Rakitin's mockery makes him sober.
Belyaev decides to leave. Before leaving, she tells Verochka that he loved her. This unites them, this is their common moral victory. Verochka also does not want to stay here anymore. Offended by the attitude of Islaeva, Rakitin leaves the house. Spiegelsky, long embittered at the bar, says his "presence is not required here." Even Lizaveta Bogdanovna reports her imminent departure. In her last phrase, Ivan Turgenev in “A Month in the Village” emphasizes, as it were, that universal flight is nothing but universal condemnation. And only the good-natured Islaev, modest and cordial, continues to still love his Natasha.