The theme of human relationships, happiness, and love is very close to Kuprin. The story of a separate family, where they are used to solving problems together, pushed the author to the idea of the work. In Kuprin’s story “The Lilac Bush,” the characters are faced with a serious problem, which is solved thanks to the wisdom and love of Verochka, the protagonist’s wife. The description of the main character, her quick, informed decisions, desire to achieve an ideal result, and dedication are the most important scenes in the story; they reveal the secret of a happy relationship. The author does not directly characterize Verochka; her actions very clearly reveal the inner world and spiritual qualities of a woman.
“Lilac Bush” (Kuprin): Brief summary of the work
Let's move directly to the text of the work. Let's analyze the summary of Kuprin's story "The Lilac Bush": it all begins with the fact that a young and not very rich Russian officer Nikolai Almazov is studying at the Academy of the General Staff. He has almost completed all the current assignments, and only one practical work remains, the most difficult one, on instrumental surveying of the area. To pass the exam, Almazov must submit an accurate drawing of the site plan for verification.
But this is not the most exciting thing that a very brief summary can tell you. Kuprin makes the lilac bush fatal for Nikolai Evgrafovich. It was because of him that he failed the exam and returned after class very upset. As it turned out, the meticulous German teacher rejected his drawing, since, in his opinion, the inattentive officer drew some kind of bush on it, although it cannot be in this place, in any case, the teacher himself was one hundred percent sure of this .
The plot of the story “Lilac Bush” briefly
In Kuprin’s work “The Lilac Bush” you can read about the poor officer Nikolai Evgrafovich Almazov. He barely waited for his wife to open the door for him and immediately rushed to his office. His whole appearance and silence indicated that something bad had happened. Considering that today he had to take an exam in instrumental terrain surveying at the Academy of the General Staff, the reason seemed understandable. Nikolai Almazov unsuccessfully tried to enter this Academy for two years, failing the entrance exams. And when he finally did, everything went quite well until today. This was largely facilitated by his wife, Verochka, who, as in, helped her husband in everything.
She was the first one to break down. Vera asked how it all went. Nikolai, with irritation in his voice, replied that since she didn’t understand, everything went very badly. Because of the nasty stain in the drawing, he will have to return to the regiment in disgrace in a month. Vera asked what kind of stain it was. As it turned out, yesterday Nikolai Evgrafovich sat up at the drawings until three o’clock in the morning. He was very tired and accidentally put a greasy green spot on the drawing. He wanted to erase it, but only smeared it. Then he decided to depict bushes in place of the spot and he did a pretty good job. But when he came to hand over the drawings, the pedantic German professor said that he knew this area like the back of his hand and there were no bushes there. After all, all graduates have been depicting this area on their maps for twenty years now. And to all the objections of the main character of the story “The Lilac Bush” by Kuprin, the German only offered to drive to the area tomorrow morning and see for himself.
Further, if you read Kuprin’s “Lilac Bush,” a brief summary, you will learn how, after much thought, Vera decisively stood up and said that she had to go. Almazov decided that his wife wanted him to go apologize to the professor and resolutely refused. But Vera had something completely different in mind. They collected their husband's silver cigarette case, Vera's gold ring and bracelet and went to the pawnshop. Here they waited for a long time until the appraiser completed his work and gave them twenty-three rubles. This was quite enough. Then they went to the gardener. For a long time he did not want to send his workers anywhere until they told him the whole story. Then he agreed to help, but the only bushes he had were lilacs. The whole time they were planting the bushes, Vera was greatly disturbing the workers. But she made sure that the turf around the lilac bush did not differ from the grass around it.
The next day, the main character of the story “The Lilac Bush,” Kuprina, could not sit at home and went to meet her husband on the street. Just by his gait, she realized that everything went well. His stormy story about how surprised the German was and how he even tasted the leaf made people turn around after him. Faith demanded more and more details. Almazov hasn’t dined with such an appetite as today for a long time. Well, when Vera brought tea, they looked at each other and laughed. And then at the same time they asked why there was laughter. It turns out that both remembered this stupidity with lilacs. And Vera admitted that from today on, lilac is her favorite flower.
Unfortunate spot
This is a somewhat incomprehensible incident that Kuprin describes in his work “The Lilac Bush”. The summary continues with interesting facts: it turns out that Almazov, while preparing to take an exam in the evening, accidentally put a green spot on the drawing plan, and then he decided to finish drawing green bushes on it. But the professor was a very pedantic person, and this fact caused him great doubts and indignation (soon a serious dispute even broke out). The academy teacher claimed that he knew this area very well and that there were no bushes there and never had been. He became very angry and promised that the next day he would definitely check whether there was a bush in this area.
Kuprin fills “The Lilac Bush” with creepy intrigue. The summary further warns that Almazov was threatened with expulsion by revealing the deception, because he already entered the academy only the third time, and this is a great merit of his wife Verochka, who selflessly helped her husband, denied herself everything, was his tutor, copyist, draftsman , a reader, in general, created all the conditions for him to study at the academy.
Plot
Nikolai Evgrafovich Almazov, a young, poor officer, attended classes at the Academy of the General Staff. He passed all previous exams quite successfully and approached the most difficult task - “instrumental photography of the area.” One day he returned home from a lecture and told his wife, Vera, that the area plan he had drawn was rejected by the professor. It turned out that Almazov, while drawing the plan, accidentally put a green spot on it; to correct his mistake, he depicted green bushes in place of the spot. When he presented his work at the academy, the professor doubted the correctness of the facts, since he knew that there had never been bushes in this place. A dispute ensued between the young officer and the professor, during which the professor promised to check the facts the next day, which threatened Almazov with expulsion. And even so, he entered the Academy of the General Staff only the third time, and then thanks to Verochka’s constant moral support. Having told everything to his wife, Nikolai Evgrafovich finally wilted. Suddenly Vera jumped up and began to get dressed. To her husband’s questions, she answered: “If these stupid bushes aren’t there, then they need to be planted now... Yes, planted. If I’ve told a lie, I need to correct it.” Having collected her jewelry, Vera and Nikolai went to the pawnshop, where she pawned her earrings, an antique ring with a solitaire and a bracelet; with the proceeds of twenty-three rubles, she hired gardeners who planted lilac bushes in the indicated place. The next day, Vera could not sit at home and went outside to meet her husband. Even from a distance, just by her lively and slightly bouncing gait, she learned that the story with the bushes ended happily... For a long time, Lieutenant Almazov told his wife how the professor apologized, what was the expression on his face, in what tone he spoke about his old age, that at the same time Kolya felt...
Vera's cunning plan
Kuprin knew the difficult life of an officer firsthand. “The Lilac Bush” (summary) continues with the following events. So, the expulsion of Nikolai Evgrafovich could mean an end to his entire military career. Returning home, he was completely depressed, feeling like a worthless and lost person. But Vera decided to help her husband at all costs and resorted to a trick that cost her a lot of money. She pawns her modest jewelry in a pawnshop and for this money, which amounted to 23 rubles, buys a lilac bush and hires a gardener, who immediately felt sympathy for the sweet lady.
Overnight, a luxurious lilac bush appeared in the indicated place. Almazov’s wife personally monitored this and did not calm down until the lilacs were planted, and in such a way that it was not obvious that they had been planted recently.
Description and characteristics of characters
Kuprin's work tells about the secret of good family relationships.
The main character is Nikolai Evgrafovich Almazov. This is a young officer who studies at a military academy. He entered there on the third attempt, thanks to his wife, who kept his spirits up and did not allow him to lose heart. Almazov has a depressive character and often gives in to difficulties. He has a hard time learning. This time too, Nikolai Evgrafovich successfully passed two exams, but there was a misunderstanding with the last practical work. When the plan was almost ready, Almazov painted a green spot. To remedy the situation, he decided to turn it into trees. The professor knew the area depicted on the plan well and asked to explain where the bushes came from there. Almazov began to insist that they were in this place. The teacher demanded proof. His wife helps Almazov get out of an unpleasant situation with dignity. Kuprin shows Nikolai Evgrafovich as a weak-willed, weak-willed person.
Verochka is Almazov’s wife, a beautiful young woman. She has a sensitive and kind heart and is always ready to help her husband. Vera is doing everything possible to create a comfortable environment in the house for Nikolai Evgrafovich to study. In one person she replaces him as a clerk, draftsman, reader, and tutor. Having learned from her husband about the embarrassment that happened to him, Verochka quickly makes a decision. For the sake of her beloved husband, she sacrifices her jewelry, which she pawns in a pawnshop. Using the proceeds, he persuades the gardener to urgently plant lilac bushes in the place marked on Almazov’s drawing. Thus the problem is resolved. Verochka is shown by the author as a wise and strong-willed woman who is a support and support for her husband.
The professor is an honest and pedantic person. He is an excellent teacher, but has strict principles. The professor goes to the place depicted by Almazov in the plan. Having made sure that bushes really grow there, he apologizes to Nikolai Evgrafovich.
The appraiser in a pawn shop is an indifferent person, accustomed to the troubles of others. He examines and accepts Vera’s jewelry for a long time, and in the end, gives the spouses a decent amount of money, which is quite enough to implement their plan.
The gardener is an old man with gold glasses. At first he is very unhappy with the visitors who approached him with an unusual request so late. After listening to a detailed story about the ill-fated spot, the gardener agrees to help the couple. He admires Verochka’s selfless act.
The author shows an example of beautiful sacrificial love that can preserve and strengthen happy family relationships.
Happiness
The next day, Vera waited with great impatience for her husband and even went out into the street to meet him. And then from afar she noticed him - he was walking with a cheerful, bouncing gait. From the look of him, she immediately realized that the story with the bush had ended happily, and now they should not be afraid of any revelations.
Nikolai managed to prove to the professor that the bush was still growing in a place where he had never expected to see it.
This is how the lilac bush brought into the house that feeling of happiness and peace that the heroes so dreamed of.
Lieutenant Almazov was impressed and for a long time told his wife how the unusually surprised professor apologized to him, all the time referring to his old age, absent-mindedness and inattention. Verochka’s husband was happier than ever in his life, which means she was with him. Kuprin finished “The Lilac Bush” on such a pleasant note. A summary, of course, cannot convey all this pleasant mood, so it is better to read this work in full.
The theme of human relationships, happiness, and love is very close to Kuprin. The story of a separate family, where they are used to solving problems together, pushed the author to the idea of the work. In Kuprin’s story “The Lilac Bush,” the characters are faced with a serious problem, which is solved thanks to the wisdom and love of Verochka, the protagonist’s wife. The description of the main character, her quick, informed decisions, desire to achieve an ideal result, and dedication are the most important scenes in the story; they reveal the secret of a happy relationship. The author does not directly characterize Verochka; her actions very clearly reveal the inner world and spiritual qualities of a woman.
Analysis of “Lilac Bush” Kuprin
The entire work of Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin is literally permeated with the theme of love, and the most important importance in it is given to the problems of relationships between men and women. One of the most striking examples of Kuprin’s love prose is the story “The Lilac Bush.”
- Year of writing: 1894.
- History of creation - Kuprin has always been interested in the theme of love, the various forms of its manifestation between a man and a woman.
- Theme: Love and marital happiness. A feeling for a loved one based on trust, respect and readiness for self-sacrifice.
- Composition – The composition of the work is mirror-like, consisting of three conventional parts.
- Genre – Story.
- Direction – Realism.
- And now in more detail about the story.
History of creation
In 1894, Alexander Ivanovich wrote a story called “The Lilac Bush.” In the same year, the work was published in the literary magazine Life and Art.
Kuprin's early prose was distinguished by great sincerity and a sensitive attitude towards the characters. The story “The Lilac Bush” was no exception, which immediately appealed to not only readers, but also demanding critics.
At the beginning of his creative career, the writer was concerned, first of all, with the chemistry of love, which could be expressed in various manifestations. It was to her that he dedicated many of his works, including “The Lilac Bush.”
The meaning of the story's title is the romanticized image of the lilac, which in fiction often represents sincere love. For Kuprin, the lilac bush is the center of the work, carrying a special meaning.
This plant also marks the arrival of spring, and in the context of the story this indicates that a wonderful time continues between the spouses, their feelings for each other have not cooled over time.
Subject
The main theme of the work is the power of marital love, which is fully revealed in the relationship between Nikolai and Vera Almazov. This is sacrificial absolute love, alien to any conventions and frameworks.
Having accidentally placed a blot on the drawings and not wanting to start the complex painstaking work again, Nikolai Evgrafovich decides to draw a lilac bush in place of the blot. However, the old professor, who thoroughly knows the features of the area, reveals the cunning of the careless student.
In upset feelings, Almazov shares his problem with his beloved wife Verochka. She comes up with a brilliant idea - to plant a real lilac bush in that very place. Verochka, without hesitating for a moment, pawns all her jewelry at the pawnshop and places an order for the gardener.
The next morning, the surprise of the professor, who saw the spreading bush with his own eyes, knew no bounds. Nikolai Evgrafovich successfully passes the exam and shares the good news with his beloved wife.
It is not for nothing that the writer gives the main character the name Vera. For her husband, she represents true faith in herself and her capabilities. This is a powerful stronghold that reliably shelters him from any adversity and allows him to cope with life’s difficulties and trials. And, as you know, as long as a person has faith in his soul, he is invincible.
Verochka, a kind, smart, far-sighted girl with a huge loving heart, gives her husband similar strength. Her love for Almazov is sacrificial, but she does not feel violated.
On the contrary, she sees the essence of her whole life in making her beloved husband happy, seeing his success in school and at work. She is ready to deny herself a lot in order to make Nikolai’s life a little better.
The main idea of the work is that to achieve personal happiness you must be able to share your love, and not just demand it in return.
Family well-being is impossible without a mutual desire to make the life of your beloved spouse better, a sincere desire to put common interests above your own. This is what the writer teaches in his story.
Kuprin paints the ideal of marital relationships so masterfully that it does not seem like some unattainable abstract value. On the contrary, he inspires the reader to have the right attitude towards marriage, towards his chosen one. One can and should strive for such an ideal, so that over time marriage does not turn into a hateful routine that one wants to get rid of as quickly as possible.
The author conveys a simple idea that you need to learn to love. It is a deep misconception that love is a given that will accompany you throughout your life. She is like a capricious garden flower that needs daily careful care.
Only then will it be able to bear its valuable fruits. True love is not a gift of fate, but a great achievement that you have to work tirelessly for your entire life.
Composition
In the work “Lilac Bush” the analysis includes analysis of the composition. The story can be divided into three conventional parts:
- the return of the upset Nikolai Almazov after passing the practical work, during which a dispute arose with the professor over the lilac bush depicted in the drawing;
- the active participation of Verochka, who with all her heart wants to help her beloved husband;
- happy ending - the meeting of the spouses at home and the news of the successful passing of the exam by the young officer.
This type of composition is called mirror - both at the beginning of the story and at its end, Nikolai Almazov brings Verochka news from the Academy of the General Staff, first sad, then joyful.
Genre
Kuprin’s work “The Lilac Bush” is written in the short story genre, since it has all the characteristic features: a small volume, a small number of characters, one storyline.
The story belongs to the direction of realism. Alexander Ivanovich is one of the most prominent representatives of this trend in Russian literature. All his works are characterized by detailed and colorful descriptions of everyday life, events, and conversations of the main characters, which creates a feeling of complete immersion in the story being described.
Main characters
Almazov Nikolay Evgrafovich | For two years in a row, a young officer has been trying to enter the academy. In the third year, having passed all the exams, he failed the last project. The professor turned out to be a good expert on the landscape, and Nikolai’s tricks did not help correct the mistake. Thanks to his wife, the day after the failure he proves to the professor the presence of bushes. He apologizes, and Almazov is accepted into the academy. A hardworking, persistent, diligent young man wins thanks to his wife’s faith in him and her wisdom and resourcefulness. |
His wife, Vera | His wife Verochka is Nikolai’s true friend and assistant. She believes in him, helps in preparing for exams, makes drawings, spends family funds based on the needs of her husband. Smart, kind, selfless woman. Her wisdom helps her husband out when his latest project fails. She offers to plant bushes where he indicated them on the drawing (due to a stain of green ink, Nikolai depicted bushes, but the professor argued with him that there was no vegetation in that area). A wise wife sells her last expensive things to a pawnshop, the couple buys lilac bushes from the gardener and plants them that same night. |
Professor | German, excellent specialist, excellent teacher, principled, honest person. Almazov calls him a monstrous pedant. The professor apologizes to the young officer, citing his age. He tastes a lilac leaf, wondering how he didn’t notice the bushes before. Lilac becomes a symbol of a young family, the favorite flower of Nikolai’s wife. |
Minor characters
Appraiser
He takes the couple's valuables to the pawnshop and gives them a good amount of money for their adventure. Vera's bracelet and her ring play a decisive role in the money problem. She does not spare jewelry at all; there is nothing more important than her husband and his career for his wife.
Gardener
Does not agree to help people who are going to plant trees at night. Only after learning the real motive for their action does he find workers and send the bushes for planting. Listening to the story of the young family, the gardener smiles several times; he is delighted by the idea of the officer’s wife, her faith in her husband’s success.
History of the story
Kuprin did not immediately decide to become a writer: from childhood he was prepared for a military career. Having first graduated from the Moscow Military Gymnasium, and then from the Alexander Junker School, he left there with the rank of second lieutenant and served for four years in the Dnieper Infantry Regiment.
Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin (1870-1938) - Russian writer, translator.
Hence his excellent knowledge of the rules and laws existing among the Russian military, which gave him extensive material for creativity. His works of art such as the stories “Army Ensign”, “Duel”, “Inquiry” are devoted to the description of the life and everyday life of Russian officers.
One of Alexander Ivanovich’s mini-essays also relates to this topic - the short story “The Lilac Bush,” which Kuprin wrote in 1894, shortly after he retired.
Genre and direction
“The Lilac Bush” was created in the genre of realism
, that is, the events told in it happened (or could well have happened) in reality.
Kuprin is one of the brightest representatives of this trend in Russian literature: his works contain observations of the lives of heroes, descriptions of their thoughts and feelings, no different from the thoughts and feelings of an ordinary person.
Thanks to this, it is easy for the reader to imagine literary characters as living people, to sympathize and empathize, to compare their actions with his own, to think about what he would do in the proposed situation. Therefore, realistic works always arouse great interest and are popular.
Composition
The compositional structure of the story divides the miniature into three parts, summary
which looks like this:
- The main character, Nikolai Evgrafovich Almazov, returns from an examination test at a military academy and informs his wife of failure - the exam was not passed: a complex topographical drawing of the area, completed with great difficulty and care, was not accepted by the professor. And all because at the last moment, while applying the final touches, Almazov’s tired hand trembled and put a blot on the paper. Realizing that it will not be possible to remove a random blemish without leaving a trace, the young officer decides to “disguise” the blot as a bush. However, the examinee fails to deceive the pedantic teacher: he declares that he knows the area, the plan of which Almazov drew, better than his own bedroom, and has never noticed any bush on it. Moreover, the professor wants to meet with Nikolai tomorrow at this place to confirm the absence of the bush. Nikolai will be caught in deception, the young man will face not only expulsion from the academy, but also public disgrace, and the officer’s career plans are in danger of collapse.
- His wife Verochka urges her husband not to despair - all is not lost: if the unfortunate bush is not there, then it needs to be planted, and this must be done immediately, without delay. Although it is already night outside, the St. Petersburg white night, the wife collects all the jewelry she has, and the two of them go to the pawnshop: after all, to bring her idea to life, she needs money. Having received the required amount from the appraiser, the husband and wife rush to the gardener. He is distrustful of the unexpected request, suspecting some kind of trick. To dispel his suspicions, the Almazovs tell their story, which evokes sympathy from the gardener, and he agrees to help. Having chosen a suitable bush, which turned out to be a lilac, they all went together to the place of the upcoming meeting with the professor and planted the plant, covering it with turf. Only after personally making sure that the lilacs look as if they have always grown here does Verochka finally go home.
- The next day, she anxiously and impatiently awaits her husband’s return from the academy, and, seeing his beaming face and cheerful gait, she understands: they won this battle! Over dinner, the wife listens again and again to Nikolai’s story about how surprised the professor was to see a bush where, in his opinion, nothing like that should have been. He even tore off a lilac leaf and chewed it. Then he turned to Almazov, apologized and shook his hand. The young people laugh merrily, they are immensely happy, and Verochka declares that from this day on, lilac will be her favorite flower.
“The Lilac Bush” ends the same way it began: with Nikolai’s return from the academy, only at the end of the story, unlike its beginning, it becomes triumphant - the couple’s undertaking was a complete success, the crisis was successfully resolved. This construction of works is called mirror.
Read the summary of the story Lilac Bush by Kuprin
Nikolai Evgrafovich Almazov, one of the main characters of the story, comes home to his wife, and barely waiting for her to open the door, he quickly goes to his office. The wife immediately knew from her husband’s face when something was wrong with him, and this time seeing his stern and frowning face, she realized that something was wrong.
She followed Nikolai into his office. Almazov, in turn, was an ordinary poor young officer. He was currently studying at the Academy of the General Staff, and on this ill-fated day he had just returned from the exam. Today Almazov handed over his last completed work to the professor, and this work was very important and contained surveying of the area. Before this, there were other exams that were very difficult for Nikolai, and only his wife knew how much he suffered and tried to pass everything.
Yes, if we take only the admission itself, then only in the third year of attempts did Almazov manage to enroll. All this time, his wife was next to him and supported him, perhaps if not for her support, Nikolai would have given up long ago and given up. Vera constantly tried in every possible way to help her husband and cheer him up. She even taught herself not to be upset by failures and to always smile. Verochka was ready to give up everything she wanted in order to create comfortable conditions for her beloved husband, because she understood perfectly well that he was busy with his work. She even helped him in every possible way with his work and studies, being his tutor, book reader, copyist and draftsman.
The couple sat in silence for about five minutes until Vera was the first to speak. She asked what happened to the job, whether she was accepted, and wanted her husband to tell her everything. Nikolai reacted sharply and in a nervous voice told his wife that they had not accepted the job. Almazov was very angry because his job was not accepted because of the stain.
At first Vera did not understand what had happened, after which her husband told her how he had been working late in the evening and was very tired. The plan turned out to be very good and neat, but at the very end Nikolai’s hands began to shake and he put a stain on the paper. I tried to clean it, but I smeared it even more. Nikolai decided to draw trees in that place, and in the end everything turned out very well. During the inspection, the professor noticed the presence of bushes and began to ask where they were from in the drawing. So an argument ensued, as a result the professor was ready to go to that area to make sure that there were no bushes there. Verochka was probably even more upset than her husband. She thought about how to help him.
As a result, the wife goes to the pawnshop and hands over all the jewelry that she found in her possession. She wanted to use the money she received to buy vegetation and plant it in that place. Arriving at the gardener, they start a conversation and the gardener recommends buying a lilac bush. The couple, after listening to the man, buy a lilac bush and go to that area to plant vegetation there. The next day, the husband had to go back to hand in his work. Vera was very worried and waited for her husband. In the end, it turned out this way: the professor, who arrived at the place where the bush actually was, was very surprised and apologized. After that, he gave the go-ahead for this area plan. This incident brought the couple closer and made them happy, because it turned out the way they wanted. Now lilac will truly become their favorite tree.
A young and poor officer named “Almazov” came home from a speech at the Academy of General. headquarters and sat down in his office without taking off his clothes. The wife immediately realized that something bad had happened. On this day, Nikolai defended his instrumental photography of the area to the professor. Nikolai Almazov was offendedly silent, but because of his wife’s demands, he told his situation.
Last night, when Nikolai was finishing up working on the project, he made a huge spot with ink. He wanted to clean it up, but it only made things worse. He couldn’t think of anything better than to draw a bunch of trees in place of the spot. The scientist to whom Almazov handed over the work, of course, noticed this. Almazov wanted to argue, but the professor didn’t even want to hear that there were some trees there. The wife came up with a brilliant plan. They took all the jewelry from the house and then went to the jewelry buyer. There they handed over a diamond ring and a bent bracelet, receiving 23 rubles for it.
Surprisingly, the diamond ring cost only 3 rubles, and the old bracelet was valued at much more. Then they went to the gardener, it was already late, the gardener did not even agree to sell anything, but when Almazov’s wife told this story, he sold them lilac bushes, and then they planted them in the desired area. The next day, when Nikolai went to the professor to prove he was right, the wife simply could not wait for her husband at home. She went out to meet him from work. From a distance, it was clear from his gait that everything went well. They hugged, held hands and went home in joy.
So lilac became the favorite flower of Nikolai Almazov’s wife. This work teaches us that close people will often help us in difficult situations, that such people should be greatly appreciated, because without them we cannot cope with this difficult life. The main thing in this life is the support of a loved one; they are the most important thing we have.
Composition
At the center of Kuprin’s story “The Lilac Bush” are two heroes - the young officer Almazov and his wife Verochka. We learn that Almazov has been trying to enter the Academy of the General Staff for three years. This is very important for the hero - Almazov passes the exams to the limit of his capabilities, because he does not want to return back to his regiment, and even with complete defeat. This is a very proud person with great ambitions. But, at the same time, Almazov is weak; his wife Verochka is his support, his “strong hand”.
This woman is stronger, braver and brighter than her husband. However, the heroine does not live her own life; she is entirely concerned with the worries and affairs of her husband. His admission to the Academy is her life's work. That is why Verochka decides to deceive the professor who was taking Almazov’s final exam - a terrain plan. Due to accidental negligence and blots, the pedantic German did not accept the drawing. The desperate officer comes home almost crying. Of course, Verochka could not see her husband in such a state. Therefore, she decides on a daring but ignoble act - to deceive the professor and plant bushes in the place where they were on Almazov’s plan.
Having pawned the last jewels in the pawnshop at night, the heroine convinces the gardener to send his people out of town, she goes with them and her husband, and controls the whole process to the end. And only when Almazov receives the long-awaited assessment does Verochka calm down. The hero is also pleased - his dream has come true, he will finally enter the Academy.
None of these heroes think that they have committed an immoral act. For Almazov this does not matter, the main thing is that he achieved his goal, satisfied his ambitions. For Verochka, this also does not matter, because she did everything she could for her beloved husband.
Thus, the heroes of “The Lilac Bush” are very different, but complement each other perfectly. Almazov is weak and cowardly, but overly ambitious, and Verochka is strong, determined, bright, but completely absorbed in love for her pathetic husband.
The purpose of this article is to help the reader make a literary analysis of Kuprin’s famous work “The Lilac Bush”.
Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin is an outstanding master of words; every story or story of this author testifies to an exceptional literary gift.
Kuprin's work attracts with its realism, carefully drawn characters, and a deep understanding of the feelings of his heroes. The writer can be put on a par with such brilliant prose writers of the time as Maxim Gorky, Ivan Bunin, Anton Chekhov, with whom he was personally acquainted.
Main characters and their characteristics
Kuprin gives a very detailed description of the character of the main characters for such a small work, from which the reader can easily understand the reasons and motivations for their actions:
- A young, poor officer Nikolai Almazov
, who has set himself the task of graduating from the military academy in St. Petersburg and making a career, with great difficulty overcomes obstacles on the way to this goal. Only on the third attempt does the applicant finally enter this educational institution and is very afraid that if he fails any exam, he will be expelled, will have to return to the regiment, to a remote province, and all previous efforts will lose meaning. Almazov is an ambitious man who dreams of getting out of poverty solely through his own intelligence and diligence, but studying becomes a very heavy burden for him, which takes too much energy. Nikolai would never have been able to cope with it if he had been alone. But next to him is a faithful wife. - Verochka, Nikolai’s wife
, not only does everything possible to provide her husband with normal living conditions necessary for serious mental work, but also actively helps him in his studies: reads aloud, rewrites notes, “rehearses” Nikolai in preparation for exam tests, asking questions and listening to the answers, remembers and writes down everything necessary. In addition, his wife carefully supports him in case of failures, tries to instill the idea that insurmountable obstacles do not exist, and a way out of any situation can always be found. This trait of her character manifests itself especially clearly after failing the exam, when Nikolai lost heart and is ready to give up and give up without a fight. Thus, the comparative characteristics show that in this pair the leader is Verochka. - Another character who can also be considered one of the main ones, since he is invisibly present in the story throughout its entire length, is the academy teacher who takes Nikolai’s exam
. An excellent specialist, but a great pedant, like most Germans, the professor is absolutely confident in his competence and knowledge, and wants every student of the academy to flawlessly follow his instructions.
In the second line of the plot are the pawn shop appraiser and the gardener - people without whom the married couple would not have been able to bring their witty adventure to life. If the appraiser, in general, does not care who exchanges their valuables for money and for what reason, then the gardener is very sympathetic to the young couple’s idea and agrees to fulfill their request, despite its originality.
Detailed characteristics of the characters “Lilac Bush”
Main characters:
- Almazov Nikolay Evgrafovich. For two years in a row, a young officer has been trying to enter the academy. In the third year, having passed all the exams, he failed the last project. The professor turned out to be a good expert on the landscape, and Nikolai’s tricks did not help correct the mistake. Thanks to his wife, the day after the failure he proves to the professor the presence of bushes. He apologizes, and Almazov is accepted into the academy. A hardworking, persistent, diligent young man wins thanks to his wife’s faith in him and her wisdom and resourcefulness.
- His wife, Vera. His wife Verochka is Nikolai’s true friend and assistant. She believes in him, helps in preparing for exams, makes drawings, spends family funds based on the needs of her husband. Smart, kind, selfless woman. Her wisdom helps her husband out when his latest project fails. She offers to plant bushes where he indicated them on the drawing (due to a stain of green ink, Nikolai depicted bushes, but the professor argued with him that there was no vegetation in that area). A wise wife sells her last expensive things to a pawnshop, the couple buys lilac bushes from the gardener and plants them that same night.
- Professor. German, excellent specialist, excellent teacher, principled, honest person. Almazov calls him a monstrous pedant. The professor apologizes to the young officer, citing his age. He tastes a lilac leaf, wondering how he didn’t notice the bushes before. Lilac becomes a symbol of a young family, the favorite flower of Nikolai’s wife.
Minor characters:
- Appraiser. He takes the couple's valuables to the pawnshop and gives them a good amount of money for their adventure. Vera's bracelet and her ring play a decisive role in the money problem. She does not spare jewelry at all; there is nothing more important than her husband and his career for his wife.
- Gardener. Does not agree to help people who are going to plant trees at night. Only after learning the real motive for their action does he find workers and send the bushes for planting. Listening to the story of the young family, the gardener smiles several times; he is delighted by the idea of the officer’s wife, her faith in her husband’s success.
Thus, the heroes of “The Lilac Bush” are united by a common goal, but morally and intellectually the woman prevails. She is spiritually stronger, calmer, wiser than her husband. She is the guardian angel of the family, its foundation. It is noteworthy that the man himself is to blame for the problem with the delivery of the project.
His wife helped him with the theory and drawings, but he made a “blot” with green ink and tried to erase it, which completely ruined the work. At this moment one can feel the irresponsibility and immaturity of the young officer’s action: such an attitude towards the final work is unacceptable.
Nikolai is exhausted by exams, nervous tension, and an overwhelming academic load. Only his wife’s faith and perseverance saves him from breakdown; he cannot betray her hopes. Kuprin writes about true, sacrificial love, capable of devoting oneself to another person and dissolving in him.
Such a family is doomed to be happy, because the idea of the story was taken by the writer from personal experience.
Theme of the story
All the main events of this literary miniature, the retelling of which takes about one page of the reader’s diary, fit into 24 hours - that’s how long the story described in it lasts.
However, in the story “Lilac Branch”, despite the very brief content, the author raised serious questions and made the reader think about what it means to be happy.
Kuprin shows that the devoted love of loved ones is the main condition for happiness for most people.
If there is a person nearby with whom we can share everything that happens in our lives, who is always ready to accept our problems as their own and make sacrifices to solve them, together we can overcome any obstacles - this is the main thing that the author teaches the reader in his work.
main idea
In his story, the author draws the reader's attention to how great the role of a woman is in marriage. The main idea, the red thread running through the entire work, is the idea that only thanks to the love, patience and understanding of his wife, her help and support, Nikolai Almazov finally manages to achieve success.
At the same time, Verochka does not try to emphasize her special merits - she is happy only because she sees her husband happy. Such mutually penetrating happiness becomes the main condition for a strong family union.
Issues
Revealing the topic of the importance of marital love for the happiness of any person, Kuprin shows that this feeling has many features of that very Christian love, which, according to the Gospel teaching, is more important than anything in the world. She is long-suffering, merciful, bears all things, believes all things, endures all things.
Sacrificial love is difficult because it does not pursue profit, it is not proud or arrogant, but only strives to help and support. It is with this love that Verochka loves her husband. Sacrificing for her husband, if not everything, then very much, the wife is not going to present him with a bill, but only rejoices at the achievements.
Meaning of the name
Kuprin called his story “The Lilac Bush” because it became a symbol of Verochka’s love for her husband, its unique embodiment.
The willingness to do everything in your power for your loved one, and even, if necessary, remake the world around you - this is what embodies the meaning of the name.
The lilac bush will always remind both spouses of this slightly funny, but very touching story - it’s not for nothing that Verochka tells her husband that now lilac will become her favorite flower.
Analysis of Kuprin's story “The Lilac Bush”
Looking at some reviews of the story and arguments for an essay based on it, one can come across arguments that Nikolai Almazov is a weak, weak-willed man who has entrusted the solution to his problems to his wife. However, if this were true, a woman like Verochka would hardly be able to love him.
At the beginning of the story, Almazov indeed shows his weakness, but readers need to be lenient towards the hero and understand that he is weighed down by a huge burden of responsibility, and behind him are several unsuccessful attempts to get closer to his dream.
As studies by psychologists show, most men, considered the stronger sex, are stronger than women only physically; emotionally, they are most often significantly inferior to their other halves. Only a few of them can confidently walk through life without leaning on a woman’s shoulder, while next to a faithful and devoted wife who believes in their strength and masculinity, men are capable of heroic deeds.
Kuprin understood this truth from his own experience and tried to convey it in his story.
Essay 2
There are not many characters (and events) in this work. The main ones, of course, are the Almazovs, and the secondary ones: the professor, the gardener, his workers, Nikolai’s classmates... The latter are simply mentioned, because someone, for example, had to plant these bushes.
Verochka is the main, most active hero. She recognizes her husband's leadership, but it is she who supports him and does not allow him to give up. She is young, pleasant, smiling, sweet... Her very name is so affectionate, childish, as if she is younger than her husband, although he himself is very young. She may be five years younger, but the most important thing is that she is more perky—internally young. Verochka lights up with the idea that came to her, doesn’t look for excuses, but finds opportunities... She definitely loves her husband very much, worries about him. It is clear that she is smart not only because of this idea, but also because she built their budget economically, as stated at the beginning of the story. That is, she is able to live modestly and does not waste money. Among the shortcomings, we can only name, perhaps, excessive optimism, which can irritate others (and activity too), and also some sacrifice in relation to her husband (even studying helps). She forgives him almost everything.
Nikolai Evgrafovich, as Verochka respectfully calls her husband, is a military man. He has already served for some time, and is now studying at the Academy. He tries for the sake of their young family (they don’t have children yet); they live separately from their relatives, who were not mentioned at all in the story. He is young, often pessimistic (ready to fall into despair), he has a fantasy, but not to find a solution to the problem, but to imagine possible “terrible” consequences. He may be irritable. For example, after a failed exam, he “growls” at his wife, although she is not at all to blame. Nikolai is proud and also an enthusiastic person. Not only did he not admit that there were no bushes, but only a blot, although he later regretted it, but he also began to insist that he was right. After the scam, he regrets deceiving the professor.
The professor at the academy is a strict German who knows the area very well. Nikolai either scolds him or praises him (depending on his mood). This is an older man. He probably expelled many students on principle - he was strict. But Nikolai made him doubt his abilities and made him think about retirement.
The gardener is a family man who is suspicious of late shoppers. But he is kind and helps them after learning the truth.
Other works: ← Olesya and Ivan Timofeevich comparative characteristics ↑ Kuprin Image and characterization of Khlebnikov in the story The Duel →
Criticism
The writer's contemporaries - both readers and critics - enthusiastically accepted Kuprin's little masterpiece. The famous literary critic of that time, I.V. Terentyev, wrote in his article that this story resembles the purest moral source, which has healing powers.
He was especially fascinated by the image of Verochka, the creation of which Terentyev considered an important creative achievement of the author. Literary scholars of the 20th and 21st centuries put the story “The Lilac Bush” on a par with many much more voluminous works.
>Characteristics of heroes
