Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin is an outstanding Russian writer of the early twentieth century. In his works, he sang love: genuine, sincere and genuine, not requiring anything in return. Such feelings are not given to everyone to experience, but only a few are able to discern them, accept and surrender to them among the abyss of life events.
A. I. Kuprin - biography and creativity
Little Alexander Kuprin lost his father when he was only a year old. His mother, a representative of an old family of Tatar princes, made a fateful decision for the boy to move to Moscow. At the age of 10, he entered the Moscow Military Academy; his education played a significant role in the writer's work.
Later, he will create more than one work dedicated to his military youth: the writer's memories can be found in the novels āAt the Turn (Cadets)ā, āArmy Ensignā, in the novel āJunkerā. For 4 years, Kuprin remained an officer in the infantry regiment, but his desire to become a novelist never left him: the first known work, the story "In the Dark", Kuprin wrote at 22. The life of the army will be reflected more than once in his work, including in his most significant work, the novel āThe Duelā. One of the important topics that made the writer's works a classic of Russian literature was love. Kuprin, masterfully owning a pen, creating incredibly realistic, detailed and thoughtful images, was not afraid to demonstrate the realities of society, exposing its most immoral sides, as, for example, in the story āPitā.
The story "Garnet Bracelet": the story of creation
Kuprin began work on the story in difficult times for the country: one revolution ended, another funnel spun. The theme of love in Kuprinās work āGarnet Braceletā is created in contrast to the mood of society, it becomes sincere, honest, disinterested. The Pomegranate Bracelet became an ode to such love, a prayer and a requiem for it.
The story was published in 1911. The real story was taken as its basis, which made a deep impression on the writer, Kuprin almost completely preserved it in his work. Only the finale underwent a change: in the original, the Zheltkov prototype abandoned his love, but remained alive. The suicide that ended Zheltkovās love of the story is just another interpretation of the tragic end of incredible feelings, which allows us to fully demonstrate the destructive power of callousness and lack of will of the people of that time, which is described in The Garnet Bracelet. The theme of love in a work is one of the key, it is worked out in detail, and the fact that the story is based on real events makes it even more expressive.
The content of the work
The theme of love in Kuprinās work āGarnet Braceletā is in the center of the plot. The main character of the work is Vera Nikolaevna Sheina, wife of the prince. She constantly receives letters from a secret admirer, but once a fan presents her with an expensive gift - a garnet bracelet. The theme of love in the work begins here. Considering such a gift indecent and incriminating, she told her husband and brother about it. Using the links, they can easily find the sender of the gift.
It turns out to be a modest and petty official Georgy Zheltkov, who, by chance seeing Sheina, fell in love with her whole heart and soul. He was content with his unrequited love, allowing himself occasionally to write letters. The prince came to him with a conversation, after which Zheltkov felt that he had failed his pure and immaculate love, betrayed Vera Nikolaevna, having compromised her with his gift. He wrote a farewell letter, where he asked his beloved to forgive him and listen to the farewell sonata for piano No. 2 by Beethoven, and then shot himself. This story alarmed and interested Sheina, she, having received permission from her husband, went to the apartment of the late Zheltkov. There, for the first time in her life, she experienced those feelings that she had not recognized throughout all eight years of the existence of this love. Already at home, listening to that very melody, she realizes that she has lost the chance of happiness. This is how the theme of love is revealed in the work āGarnet Braceletā.
Images of the main characters
The images of the main characters reflect the social realities of not only that time. These roles are characteristic of humanity as a whole. In pursuit of status and material well-being, a person again and again refuses the most important thing - a bright and pure feeling that does not need expensive gifts and big words.
The image of George Zheltkov is the main confirmation of this. He is not rich, unremarkable. This is a modest man who does not require anything in return for his love. Even in a suicide note, he indicates the false reason for his act, so as not to bring misfortune to his beloved, who indifferently abandoned him.
Vera Nikolaevna is a young woman, accustomed to living exclusively in accordance with the foundations of society. She does not shy away from love, but does not consider it a vital necessity. She has a husband who was able to give her everything that she needed, and she does not consider the existence of other feelings possible. This happens until she encounters the abyss after the death of Zheltkov - the only thing that can excite the heart and inspire, was hopelessly lost.
The main theme of the story āGarnet Braceletā is the theme of love in the work
Love in the story is a symbol of the nobility of the soul. This is not the case with the callous Prince Shein or Nikolai, Vera Nikolaevna herself can be called callous - until the moment of her visit to the apartment of the deceased. Love was the highest manifestation of happiness for Zheltkov, he did not need anything else, he found the bliss and splendor of life in his feelings. Vera Nikolaevna saw only tragedy in this unrequited love, her admirer caused her only pity, and this is the main drama of the heroine - she was not able to appreciate the beauty and purity of these feelings, this is noted by each essay on the work āGarnet Braceletā. The theme of love, interpreted differently, will invariably be found in every text.
Vera Nikolaevna herself committed a betrayal of love when she brought the bracelet to her husband and brother - the foundations of society turned out to be more important to her than the only bright and disinterested feeling that took place in her emotionally scarce life. She understands this too late: the feeling that occurs once every few hundred years has disappeared. It easily touched her, but she could not make out this touch.
Self-Destructive Love
Kuprin himself earlier in his essays once expressed the idea that love is always a tragedy, it contains equally all emotions and joys, pain, happiness, joy and death. All these feelings were placed in one little man, George Zheltkovo, who saw sincere happiness in unrequited feelings for a cold and inaccessible woman. His love did not have ups and downs, until brute force in the person of Vasily Shein intervened in it. The resurrection of love and the resurrection of Zheltkov himself symbolically occurs at the moment of Vera Nikolaevna's enlightenment, when she listens to the very music of Beethoven and cries with acacia. Such is the āGarnet Braceletā - the theme of love in the work is full of sadness and bitterness.
The main conclusions from the work
Perhaps the main line is the theme of love in the work. Kuprin demonstrates the depth of feelings that not every soul can understand and accept.
Love with Kuprin requires a rejection of the moral and norms forcibly imposed by society. Love does not need money or a high position in society, but it requires much more from a person: selflessness, sincerity, complete dedication and selflessness. I would like to note the following, ending the analysis of the work āPomegranate Braceletā: the theme of love in it makes one renounce all social values, but in return gives true happiness.
Cultural heritage works
A huge contribution to the development of love lyrics was made by Kuprin: āGarnet Braceletā, analysis of the work, the theme of love and its study became mandatory in the school curriculum. This work has also been repeatedly filmed. The first film based on the story was released 4 years after publication, in 1914.
Irkutsk Musical Theater named after N. M. Zagursky in 2013 staged the ballet of the same name.