Anatoly Aleksin is the author of more than a hundred soulful and good works for children and adolescents. One of them is "Third in the fifth row." A summary of the story is presented in the article.
Retelling plan
The narrative in this work is in the first person. On behalf of a woman who worked for thirty-five years as a teacher of Russian language and literature. When she retired, she once remembered one of her students - Van Belova. Rather, the heroine of Aleksin’s work did not forget about this unusual and complex teenager. However, due to some circumstances, she had to recall everything that was connected with Belov, the very boy who is easy to find in the group photograph of 6th grade students: he is third in the fifth row.
A summary of the story should be outlined according to the plan:
- Elizabeth.
- The son of a teacher.
- Alyona.
- Lisa's disease.
- Letter.
- The fate of Vanya Belov.
Elizabeth
An important role in the work of Aleksin is played by the motive of justice, honesty. Using examples of stories from the life of adolescents, the writer seeks to answer deep moral questions. This topic was touched upon by a prose writer in the work “Third in the Fifth Row”. The summary of the story should nevertheless begin with a description of the events that occurred twenty years after the last bell rang for the hero of this story - Vani Belov.
Vera Matveevna (the woman on whose behalf the narrative is being conducted), as has already been said, has been a teacher for more than a quarter of a century. When the granddaughter was born, a decision was made at the family council to entrust the girl's upbringing to her. Firstly, the son and daughter-in-law worked as archaeologists and were constantly on the move. Secondly, who is better than Vera Matveevna, a teacher with great experience, will cope with this difficult task?
Elizabeth - the granddaughter of the protagonist - was an unusual girl. Hearing once about her namesake, the Empress, she decided once and for all not to respond to the diminutive version of her name. From now on, despite her very tender age, she began to be called Elizabeth.
Vera Matveevna often told her granddaughter about her rich pedagogical experience. Once she told the girl about Van Belov. This teenager differed from his peers in an absolute impatience to the slightest manifestations of injustice.
Elizabeth loved to listen to stories about Van. Vera Matveevna had only one photo with him - a black-and-white photograph, which depicted a sixth grade student. Schoolchildren lined up in five rows. On the day the photograph was taken, Vanya argued with friends that he could stay on a complex structure consisting of two chairs. He won the argument. Evidence of this is the photo in which he is third in the fifth row.
The summary of the story should be continued with the story of how in those distant pre-war times the heroine of the work belonged to Belov.
Teacher's son
The events Vera Matveevna recalls took place in the thirty-seventh year. What made the heroine of the third in the fifth row come back to the past? The content and meaning of the work can be stated in a few words: an elderly person is aware and acknowledges mistakes made in his youth.
Vera Matveevna always knew what to do in a given situation. And she never listened to anyone's opinion. Son Volodya studied in her class. In order to convince herself and others of her impartial professional attitude, she underestimated his grades and criticized his written works with the whole class.
But there was a student in the class who saw injustice in this, and therefore protested in every way. Once even went on a hunger strike. This true lover was Vanya. It was he who once decided to refuse food until the class teacher corrected the two Volodya. The assessment, according to Belov, was delivered unfairly. Vera Matveevna had to give in.
Volodya did not like mathematics. Moreover, he was panicky afraid of the teacher who taught this subject. Once, when students were supposed to write an important test, a mathematician was locked in the teacher's room. The control did not take place. The next day, Belov admitted that he had locked the teacher. It was easy to guess that he did it for Volodya.
Alyona
That was the name of the teacher in the kindergarten, which Elizabeth attended. Alena was not only kind, but beautiful and incredibly feminine. She was loved not only by children. Alena was also sympathetic to the fathers of her wards. Soon, the popularity of the young teacher became too noticeable. Mothers took up arms against Alena, remembered that she ended up in kindergarten by accident, that is, had no special education. A collective statement was drawn up with a request to change the teacher. And suddenly Elizabeth remembered Van Belov and decided to follow his example. Namely, to go on a hunger strike.
Vera Matveevna told her granddaughter about the conflicting student, so that she would not repeat his tricks. But it turned out differently. Elizabeth fell in love with Vanya. She began to imitate him. And just like Belov, the girl managed to achieve her goal: Alena remained at her post.
Lisa's disease
A girl with a severe allergic attack was in the hospital. This event is the culmination of the third in the fifth row. The plot of the story is simple. A middle-aged teacher recalls a teenager, who for her was once an evil genius, a complex personality, a problem child. And only in the most difficult moments of her life she understands who this notorious Vanya Belov was.
Elizabeth is taken to intensive care. A kind nurse is lying to a woman, assuring that everything is fine with the girl. And a few meters from Vera Matveevna, doctors are fighting for the life of a child. The main one is Ivan Belov. The woman decides that this is exactly the Vanya that she could not remember without a shudder for many years. And she suddenly realizes that only he can help her. Only such a decisive, uncompromising person like Belov can save his life ...
Letter
Everything worked out. Elizabeth was saved. The doctor, thanks to whom the girl remained alive, was really called Ivan Belov. But it was not him.
A few days later, Vera Matveevna wrote a letter to her son, in which she reminded him of a friend who had once saved him from a deuce in control. And only then did she find out the truth. In the teacher’s math, Vanya wasn’t locked at all, but the son of Vera Matveevna. Belov took the blame. The heroine of the story suddenly realized how unfair she was towards this boy. He was not a difficult teenager. He was a man who could only empathize, make a sacrifice. And Vera Matveevna decided that it was time to meet and explain with her former student.
The fate of Vanya Belov
The teacher found his parents' house. They did not immediately recognize her. When Vera Matveevna asked about Van, her mother took out a small sheet from the box. This was an old letter received in 1945. Ivan Belov died in the last month of the war, in the battle of Penzlau.
What is the main idea of the story “Third in the fifth row”?
Analysis of the work
Vanya Belov knew compassion from a young age. He was always ready to make a sacrifice for the sake of another person. Even if such actions obviously entailed unpleasant consequences. Such people are capable of a real feat. But strangely enough, in a peaceful, calm life, those like Belov are annoying, puzzling. The third in the fifth row, the analysis and content of which is presented in the article, is the story of a young idealist, the Soviet Don Quixote, who would have been fighting windmills all his life. If not for the war ...