// / Analysis of Bunin's story " Antonov apples»
The story “Antonov Apples” was written in 1900. This work belongs to early period works of the great Russian poet and writer Ivan Bunin. Bunin was a passionate connoisseur and admirer of the nature of his native land; he praised it more than once in his works. So, in the story “Antonov Apples” the writer shows us all the beauty of a wonderful time - Indian summer.
“Antonov Apples” is written in the form of a memoir. They do not have a clearly defined plot and end the same way they begin - with a description of scenes of nature. But in this detailed description of natural scenes one can catch the awe and love that the author feels for that wonderful time.
In addition to colorful paintings of nature, Bunin Special attention devotes folk wisdom. His story, “Antonov Apples,” is simply riddled with folk superstitions. Here, for example: if on Lawrence it's raining, then the autumn will be long and the winter will be mild.
Bunin can safely be called a patriot of his homeland. All the values and flavor of our huge country are dear to him. All the images of garden fair participants he created amaze with their accuracy and individuality. Just pay attention to the young elder, whom the author compares to a Kholmogory cow, or the burry man who plays the harmonica.
We can feel all the relief of the story (smells, sounds, aromas, rustles) thanks to the widespread use of artistic definitions.
One important detail that runs through the entire piece is the apple scent. Bunin shows us the apple orchard in different time day and night. And it seems that the night garden, decorated with shining stars, looks no worse than the daytime one.
The main theme of the work is the theme of the collapse of the noble way of life, which found its expression in the image of the estate. For the nobility of that time, an estate was not just a place of residence - it was their whole life. Bunin writes with pain in his heart that the apple orchard is fading, the sweet smell of apples is disappearing, that the old foundations are crumbling, everything is becoming a thing of the past. All this brings back nostalgic memories of the time when the nobility was at the zenith of its existence.
The story “Antonov Apples” also has character traits Bunin's works - simple hobbies village life. Thus, the author admired and greatly appreciated the village way of life with work in an open field, a clean white shirt, a piece of fresh bread and a glass of fresh milk.
Also in the story “Antonov Apples” another hot topic– the theme of class inequality. Bunin argues that the middle class of the nobility can to some extent be called peasant. The writer admits that he did not know the foundations of serfdom, but often recalled how the current courtyards bowed to their masters.
“Antonov apples” teach us to love the nature of our native land, to love our homeland, as much as I.A. Bunin did. They make us remember our history and our roots.
“Antonov apples” by I.A. Bunin
A lyrical tonality, based on the patriarchal depth of national consciousness, is characteristic of I. Bunin’s prose, which is always turned to the past. As if picking up the Turgenev baton, the writer speaks with incomparable melancholy about the ruin, the emptying of the noble nests that were once the stronghold of Russia, its cultural component.
Sometimes there are no words to convey all the pain and joy, sadness and tenderness - all the feelings associated with memories of the past, slipping away at the behest of indomitable time, so memory clings to all aspects of perception (vision, hearing, touch, smell). It is precisely this kind of world, sensual, material, that is woven in Bunin’s story "Antonov apples", written between 1898 and 1900.
Everything is subject to Bunin’s poetic prose: capturing the variety of shades of color ( black-lilac poneva, gray-iron stallion), and the play of chiaroscuro ( “someone’s black silhouettes, as if carved from wood...while giant shadows walk through the apple trees”), and synesthetic metaphors based on co-sensation ( sundresses smelling of paint, clear, icy, heavy water).
Through this variety of details and signs, we are shown the inner richness, intensity of spiritual life and depth of the narrator’s experiences. The hero himself seems to be hidden from the reader, his story is unknown, only that the men call him barchuk. The emphasis is only on his memories and associations associated with the past, with the taste, smell, and appearance of Antonov apples.
The beginning of the story is based on poetic device — gradations, replete with repetition of words "I remember". It seems as if the hero is afraid that at least one shade of feeling will escape from his memories.
The story has several parts. IN first part- memories of the village, men, the joy and carefreeness of life, accompanied by the crunch of Antonov apples.
Part two- autumn time, associated with the story of ancient old women, decorously preparing a gravestone and a richly decorated shroud for themselves, and about rich men. Here the hero’s memories are transferred to the estate to his aunt, Anna Gerasimovna, who is described with a nostalgic longing for light, spacious and blue sky, clear distance, well-trodden road. There, in the lost world, every little thing is imbued with poetry and beauty, even telegraph poles "like silver strings", and the falcons sitting on them - "black marks on music paper". But the most precious, important autumn memory is the smell of Antonov apples.
The third part — "the fading spirit of the landowners", the deepening colors of cold autumn, dead and anxious, awaiting the first rays winter sun, the proximity of loss. The anxious rhythm of the hunt, the estate of Arseny Semenovich, hospitality, the bliss of youth and noble life, honoring its ancient roots and Russian culture.
Fourth part- bitter melancholy that there is no longer the smell of Antonov apples, just as there are no old people or landowners.
The four parts of the story are the circle of life, a run from youth to maturity for the hero, from full life to decline for noble Russia.
Leaving, dissolving into cruelty new reality, Russia was imprinted in Bunin’s story in the smell, taste, and appearance of Antonov apples. The first snow, dark windows of houses, gentle sounds of a guitar and the last lines of the story... “I covered the road with white snow”.
“Antonov Apples” is a work by Bunin, which conventionally ends the early stage of his work. In this article we will analyze the story “Antonov Apples” by Ivan Bunin.
The history of the creation of the story “Antonov Apples”
The story was published in the magazine "Life" in 1900. Inspired by a visit to his brother's estate, he wrote the work. According to Bunin, the garden smelled of Antonov apples, which you can’t breathe in! It is for them that the poet loves autumn.
Before the story was published, Bunin shortened its content. For example, the first page was completely removed. Some descriptions of noble life were also omitted.
Analysis of the composition and problems of the story “Antonov Apples”
The work belongs to the short story genre in which there is a form of internal monologue. The story consists of four chapters, each of which contains a description of a new world. But, combining them together, we get a complete picture of the world, which Bunin so masterfully created.
First part: an amazing garden, its unity with nature, universal fragrance.
Second part: described Golden autumn, the aroma of apples, village chores.
The third part: the change from foggy autumn to harsh winter, along with which the spirit of the landowners, ready to leave their homes, fades away.
Part four: loneliness and melancholy
Analyzing the story “Antonov Apples,” Bunina will note that the work is filled with sounds, as if nature wants to convey something important to the reader. The sounds and noises only intensify towards the end of the story. Only Antonov apples remain unchanged. There is an effect of a closed space; it seems that there is nothing in the world except the estate. The story lacks the usual plot, there is only life cycle, filled with feelings and emotions. As much as man experiences, so does nature. After all, everything in life is interconnected.
The main topic Not only this story, but the entire work of the writer is the theme of Russia. Bunin is worried about the ruined noble estates and estates. This lyrical and soulful work seems to immerse you in the world of reality and a passing Russia. Bunin shows that with the disappearance of the smell of apples, the former Russia also leaves.
The characters in this story have no names. This technique is used to show that any person can be in the place of the characters; there is no specific type. However, along with the consistent change of seasons, the main character. He grows from a child to a youth, from a youth to an adult, and then to an old man.
Other details of the analysis of the story “Antonov Apples”
The eternal theme of the Motherland is widespread in the works of Russian writers. This is due to their patriotism. They understand that the era that was can no longer be returned. Bunin shows himself to be a true master of the pen by introducing symbols into the story. They are easy to read and complement.
Just as the smell of apples disappears from estates, so Russia disappears. An analogy can be drawn with the Cherry Orchard. the main idea of both works is the existence human race, the opportunity to pass on by inheritance everything valuable and dear to the soul. Pictures of nature are filled with melancholy and sadness. Nature is sad along with the author.
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I. Bunin’s story “Antonov Apples” differs markedly not only from traditional stories, but also from traditional literature in particular. Distinctive features The plot and features of the image became the reason that the story attracted the attention of readers and literary researchers.
History of creation and prototypes of heroes
I. Bunin’s story “Antonov Apples” did not become a work created in one go. His “birth” was preceded by long haul.
In one of his letters to V.V. Pashchenko, dated August 14, 1891, Bunin describes his impressions of the autumn days spent on the estate of his brother Evgeniy Alekseevich. From the letter we learn that Bunin was always reverent about autumn - it was his favorite time of year. While visiting his brother, he not only enjoyed delightful autumn paintings, but also enhanced them with the aroma of Antonov apples. Nine years later, these memories became key in creating the story.
Bunin did not make public the prototype of the main character, but such a personality was discovered by researchers. Vera Nikolaevna Muromtseva, the wife of I. Bunin, after the death of her husband, in her work dedicated to the life and work of Bunin, indicated that the prototype of the hero was A.I. Pusheshnikov is a relative of Bunin.
Plot Features
The unusualness of Bunin’s story lies primarily in the fact that in “Antonov Apples” there is no traditional plot as such. At its core, the story contains a fragmentary image of the memories of the lyrical hero.
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All these moments are united by the personality of the protagonist and the general emotional mood. The story completely lacks plot dynamics. The plot of the work consists of the accumulation of various memories, the key element to the appearance and functioning of which was the smell of Antonov apples, which changes in the same way as the events in the hero’s life.
Symbolically, Bunin associates summer with the heyday of landownership - it is at this time that the smell of apples is especially significant and strong. However, gradually the gold of autumn changes from gray to gray and unsightly colors - thus achieving the harmony and cyclical nature of nature.
The story consists of four parts. In the first, the reader learns about nostalgic memories of the village and carefree life, and here the image of Antonov apples appears.
In the second part we will learn about autumn time. Wealthy old women and men care about the shroud and gravestone. Here lyrical hero transported in memories to the estate of Anna Gerasimovna - his aunt. This part reinforces the image of Antonov apples, which for the hero become the key moments of autumn.
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In the third part, the reader sees a different autumn - cold and damp. The hero is transported to the estate of Arseny Semenovich and indulges in memories of hunting and past enthusiasm.
The final, fourth part tells about the autumn blues and despondency - at this time Antonov apples no longer smell. The hero is upset by the decline and lack of landownership.
It was no coincidence that the novel was divided into four parts - with their help the author depicts the life cycle and the onset of maturity instead of youth.
Theme and idea of the work
Despite the lack of a traditional plot, the story traditionally has a theme and an idea.
The theme of “Antonov Apples” is the hero’s regret at the desolation of the landowners and their estates. Nostalgia for a wonderful time overwhelms the main character.
An accompanying element is the theme of the harmony and sublimity of nature.
If you started studying Ivan Alekseevich Bunin’s story “Antonov Apples” in school or college, the analysis and summary of this work will help you better understand its meaning and find out what the writer wanted to convey to readers.
Prose masterpiece
As you know, at the beginning of his work, Ivan Alekseevich Bunin created works in poetic form. In the story “Antonov Apples,” the analysis of which you will soon read, the author conveys his love for native land, to the people living here, through prose, but through poetic expression.
This is the writer’s first work in which he talks in detail about the life of rural landowners. With particular delight, the author talks about ordinary people, writes that he would like, like a village man, to get up at dawn, wash himself with cool water from a barrel and go on a visit.
The work clearly senses the movement of time in three forms. This is the period from autumn to winter, from a person’s childhood to his maturity, from the heyday of estate culture to its extinction. The reader witnesses this by studying the story “Antonov Apples.” Analysis of this work also helps to understand this. We can conclude that we see a temporary movement of the earth, human life and local culture. To understand the above, familiarization with the summary of the prose work and its analysis will help.
“Antonov Apples”, Bunin: first chapter
In the first lines the author writes that he remembers early autumn, the smell of Antonov apples. It was at that time that bourgeois gardeners hired men to sort and fill apples, which they then took to the city for sale. The workers did not miss the opportunity to enjoy the fragrant fruits. During the preparation of the mash drink, when it was filtered (“for draining”), everyone drank honey. Even the blackbirds sit here, well-fed and contented, near the coral rowan trees.
The story “Antonov Apples” by Bunin is very positive. The author describes a prosperous village in which there are excellent harvests and people live long. Everything here is famous for its fertility. Even the elder woman looks like a Kholmogory cow. And, as you know, this animal was a symbol of prosperity. The author, describing this woman, says that she seemed to have horns on her head. This association is caused by the braids, which the elder woman styled in a special way. Several tied scarves make the head huge, which makes the woman even more like a cow. The elder is pregnant - this is another technique that helps to see the fertility and prosperity that reigns in these prosperous places. You are convinced of this by reading the beginning of the story “Antonov Apples.” Analysis of these rows confirms these conclusions.
The narrator likes everything here: Fresh air, the smell of straw, the starry night sky. We learn all this from the first chapter, as well as the fact that the story is told on behalf of the barchuk Nikolai.
Chapter 2
Bunin also begins the next part of the work with a mention of Antonov apples. He talks about folk superstition. It is believed that if the Antonovka crop is cropped, then the bread will be cropped too.
The writer shares pleasant impressions from early morning. Ivan Alekseevich so clearly describes how pleasant it is to wash your face by the pond, look into the turquoise sky, that these wonderful sensations are also conveyed to the reader.
Then the narrator says how nice it is after washing to have breakfast with the workers with potatoes, climb on a horse and gallop into the distance. We will learn about this by reading the work “Antonov Apples”. The content of the second chapter reveals the name of that wonderful village - Vyselki. It is here that old people live for 100 years or more, like, for example, Pankrat, who no longer remembers how far over a hundred he has passed.
In this chapter, the narrator remembers the estate of his aunt Anna Gerasimovna. She had a garden, and, of course, Antonov apples grew in it. Bunin talks about his aunt’s beautiful house with columns and a rich household. And the smell of apples hung even in the rooms. The author associated this aroma with pleasant associations. You come to this conclusion by analyzing this work.
Chapter 3
From it we learn about the writer's passion for hunting. After all, it was a popular entertainment for the landowners of those years. made it possible to reduce the number of this dangerous predator, which killed livestock and could attack humans. In the company of fellow hunting enthusiasts, the author shot wolves or other animals and returned home with the trophies to his aunt or stayed for several days with a landowner he knew.
Final chapter
So, our analysis comes to an end. Bunin's "Antonov Apples" in the final chapter conveys the author's anxiety; his impressions are no longer as rosy as at the beginning. He writes that the aroma of these fruits disappears from landowners' estates. Centenarians died, one old man shot himself. And the narrator no longer hunts in the company of people, but alone. But life in Vyselki is still in full swing: village girls bustle about, threshing grain.
The first snow has fallen. This ends the story “Antonov Apples” by Bunin. At the end, as at the beginning of the work, the author puts an ellipsis, since in the form of an essay he spoke about a short period of time, which, thanks to him, the readers were lucky enough to witness.