"Bread for a dog": a summary. Tendryakov's story "Bread for a Dog"

"Man" and "subhuman" ... Where is the line between them? What is she like? Where does it go? Issues are controversial and complex. One thing can be said - the line is thin, very thin, and each has its own. It is enough for one to experience envy, jealousy, and he loses the human image, another - fear, hunger, poverty or, conversely, to plunge into luxury, the third - animal grin from birth. There are many trials. Hence the great many destinies. Some do not stand up, give up and die, physically or spiritually - there is no difference, moreover, the death of the "soul" is much worse. Others, too, seem to bend, but tirelessly continue the search for a saving straw, and find it, because it cannot but be ... Tendryakov’s story “Bread for a Dog” is about this very fine line ...

Hungry post-revolutionary Russia

Post-revolutionary Russia. What words to describe it? What colors depict the prevailing famine and horror? Only black! But black without white does not make sense, however, like white without black. Therefore, Vladimir Tendryakov in his work “Bread for a Dog” (a brief summary follows), of course, along with gloomy tones, uses all shades of light. There are not as many as we would like, but they are, which means there is hope, love, and justice ...

“Bread for a dog”: a summary of the work of V. Tendryakov

It was 1933. Summer. Small Russian city. Smoked train station building. Not far from it is a husked fence, behind it is a through birch garden, and in it, on the dusty grass, are those who have not been considered people for a long time. Indeed, they had documents that were fraudulent, but identifying them: surname, first name, middle name, year of birth, for which he was convicted and sent to ... But this did not bother anyone, like what they eat, drink, where they live, who work. They are dispossessed peasants, deprived people, enemies of the people, or, as they were called, “kurkulis,” which means they have dropped out of the ranks of people.

However, they also looked and behaved not like people. Depleted by hunger and disease, some seemed like dark-skinned skeletons with huge empty eyes, others seemed to be bloated from dropsy “elephants” with skin blue from tension. Some gnawed bark on trees or ate trash from the ground, others lay in the dust, moaned, staring blankly at the sky. But most of all resembled people those who had already left the world of the living. They lay calmly and calmly. However, even among them were "rebels." With a farewell sigh, they were seized with real madness - they rose, tried to shout out deadly poisonous curses, but only wheezing came out, the foam bubbled, and they calmed down, forever ... The story “Bread for a Dog” does not end on this episode.

The protagonist of the story

Adults tried to get around this gloomy place. The kids didn’t come in either, she was afraid, but curiosity, some kind of animal creature, took up, and they climbed onto the fence and from there watched what was happening. They were suffocated by fear, disgust, they were exhausted from the hidden, and therefore unbearably sharp, piercing pity, but continued to look in all eyes. “What will grow out of these children?” They admire death ... ”- said the station manager, wandering on duty on the platform.

Among those children was a ten-year-old boy Volodka Tenkov, the protagonist of the story “Bread for a Dog”. Analysis of the work will help to better understand the topic, idea and problems of the work. The story unfolds as a series of memories, therefore, the narration is conducted in the first person - on behalf of this boy. As an adult, he was surprised for a long time and could not understand how, being a child, vulnerable, impressionable, with a fragile psyche, he did not get sick and did not lose his mind from that darkness and horror. But then he recalls that by that time his soul was already "corrupted." Man sooner or later gets used to everything, humbles himself. So his soul was used to seeing pain, suffering, public humiliation of "tidy" people from only hunger. However, is she used to it? No, rather, she developed her own “protective layer”. She suffered and was tormented endlessly, but continued to breathe deeply, empathize, and search for saving ways out of hopelessness.

I am ashamed to be full

At first, Volodka tried to honestly share his breakfast - four slices of bread - with his classmates. But there were too many willing and “afflicted” ones - arms extended from all sides. The bread fell, and several legs of impatience, without any malicious intent, walked to pieces and crushed them ...

She tormented Volodka, but at the same time did not let him lose his mind another thought: those who died in a birch garden are enemies. And what are they doing with enemies? They are destroyed, otherwise - no way, because the defeated enemy is all one enemy: he will never forgive and will certainly sharpen the knife behind his back. But on the other hand, can one be considered the enemy of one who gnaws on the bark in a birch forest? Or the enemies of those starved old men and children in dispossessed villages? He found his answer to these questions: he cannot “absorb” his “dishes” alone, to share with someone is simply necessary, even if he or she is an enemy ... “Bread for a dog”, a summary of which is given in This article is a story about torments of conscience, which are terrible, but without which the human soul dies.

Who is the most hungry?

He did not stealthily eat up what was served to him for lunch or dinner, and honestly saved the "thieves" products he attributed to the one who, in his opinion, was the most-most hungry. It was easy and difficult to find such a person. Everyone was hungry in the village, but who is the most? How to find out? You can’t make a mistake ...

He gave his "burning through the pockets" of the remnants of the dinner to one "uncle" with a pale swollen face, and put it to do so every day. He managed to make one happy, but over time the number of beggars began to grow inexorably. Every day near his house a great many gathered. They stood all day and tirelessly waited for his exit. What to do? To feed more than two is not enough strength. But the father said that it was impossible to scoop out the sea with a teaspoon ... And then there was a breakdown, or, as he said, “cure”. In an instant, his eyes darkened, and from somewhere in the bowels of the soul burst out sobs beyond his control and a cry: “Go away! Go away! Bastards! Bastards! Bloodsuckers! " And they silently turned around and left. Forever and ever.

V. Tendryakov: “Bread for a dog”, or “Food for conscience”

Yes, he was cured of boyish pity, but what to do with conscience? It is impossible to get rid of it, otherwise death. He is full, very full, one might say, to the dump. Probably, five of these products would be enough to escape from the fierce starvation. He did not save them; he simply ate their lives. These thoughts did not allow him to eat or sleep. But once a dog came up to their porch. She had empty, "unwashed" eyes ... And suddenly Volodka was overwhelmed as if by steam: here it is - the most hungry and miserable creature in the world! And he began to feed her: every day he brought her a piece of bread. She grabbed him on the fly, but never once came up to the boy. The most devoted person on earth has never once trusted him. But Volodya did not need this gratitude. He did not feed the tattered dog, but his conscience. This is not to say that the proposed “food” really liked conscience. From time to time, she “became ill,” but without the threat of death. The story does not end there. V. Tendryakov (“Bread for a Dog”) included another episode, very small, but very effective, one can say from the author an emotional “total”.

In the same month, the same station manager walking on the platform committed suicide. “Man” and “subhuman”: he crossed this thin line and could not stand it ... How could he not have guessed to find for himself some bald little dog to tear something from himself and share it every day? Here it is the truth!

Once again, I want to recall that the article is dedicated to the story of V. Tendryakov “Bread for a dog”. The summary cannot fully reflect that emotional strain in the soul of a little boy, describe his fear and, at the same time, a silent protest against the existing world order. Therefore, reading the work in full is simply necessary.