Caucasian captive tolstoy heroes. Caucasian captive analysis of the work

The genre of the work is short story. It is dedicated to military actions in the Caucasus in the second half of the 19th century. At this time, there was a bloody war for the annexation of the Caucasus to Russia. The mountain peoples put up stubborn resistance and captured Russian soldiers. Russian convoys could move from one fortress to another only under heavy guard. L.N. Tolstoy himself was a participant in the hostilities and described the events, having an idea of the real picture of events, so the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus” can rightfully be called a true story.

The main participants in the events in the story were two Russian officers - Zhilin and Kostylin.

Zhilin receives a letter from his mother asking him to come home to visit her, asks for leave and leaves the fortress. This is the plot of the work. There are several culminating moments here:

when Zhilin was captured for the first time;
the unsuccessful escape of Zhilin and Kostylin and their repeated captivity;
happy rescue of Zhilin by the Cossacks.

The denouement comes when Zhilin finds himself in the fortress among his own people and remains to serve in the Caucasus, and Kostylin is brought back barely alive a month later, ransomed for five thousand rubles.

Truthfully describing the details of Zhilin’s capture by the Tatars, Tolstoy shows that war is a terrible evil, condemns inter-ethnic strife, and is horrified by what mutual hatred leads to. Suffice it to recall the old mountaineer who almost shot Zhilin because he came close to his sakla. This old man had seven sons killed in this war, and he shot the eighth himself when he went over to the Russians.<…>The old man was blinded by hatred and demanded immediate reprisals against Zhilin.

Ordinary mountaineers treated Zhilin differently. They soon got used to him and began to appreciate him for his skillful hands, his intelligence, and his sociable character. The girl Dina, who at first treated him like an animal, became attached to the prisoner, felt sorry for him, and then helped him escape from captivity and thereby saved his life.

The story is based on a comparison of the main characters. It starts with their last names. Zhilin - from the word “zhila”, i.e. strong, hardy person. A piece of wood called a “crutch” always serves only as a support, or even a burden, to its companion. So Kostylin interfered with Zhilin in everything. Through Kostylin's fault, Zhilin was captured and their first escape failed.

Comparing the two heroes in everything - from appearance to actions and thoughts, we see that the sympathies of the writer, and, accordingly, the readers are completely on the side of Zhilin - a simple, brave, honest Russian officer. You cannot rely on Kostylin for anything.

Tolstoy masterfully depicts in the story the life and customs of the Caucasians. We get an idea of what a local resident’s home looked like, what they ate and drank, and how they conducted their daily life and household chores.

The story delights with its depiction of the magnificent Caucasian nature. Descriptions of landscapes seem to take us to the place of unfolding events.

Tolstoy is a master of portraiture, and not only psychological. A few words are enough for us to see Dina with her little hands, “thin as twigs,” and her eyes sparkling like stars. The appearance of the two officers is also characteristic. Zhilin is a fit, slender, energetic person who clings to life. Kostylin is overweight, cowardly, clumsy, dishonest.

The language of “Prisoner of the Caucasus” is very similar to the language of fairy tales and epics. Sentences begin with a predicate verb, followed by a subject. “Zhilin hears...”, “how Kostylin screams...”, etc.

The story “Prisoner of the Caucasus” was written by such a master of words, with such perfection that, having read it once, we remember its characters for the rest of our lives.

Plan

Zhilin receives a letter from his mother and arranges for his leave.
Zhilin and Kostylin decide to get ahead of the convoy and ride ahead of it. Material from the site
Zhilin is captured by the Tatars because of Kostalin’s cowardice.
Zilina is brought to the village and put in stocks in a barn.
First close encounter with the kidnappers. The girl Dina brings him a drink.
The new “owners” demand that Zhilin write a letter home asking for his own ransom.
They bring Kostylin, from whom they also demand a ransom. Kostylin agrees.
A closer acquaintance of Zhilin with the inhabitants of the village. Friendship with the girl Dina.
Description of the funeral of a local resident.
Zhilin decides to escape from captivity. Kostylin tags along behind him.
The escape fails because of Kostylin.
The Russians are being put in a hole again. Redemption deadlines are becoming stricter.
Dina secretly visits Zhilin and helps him escape.
Happy rescue of Zilina.
Denouement.

“Prisoner of the Caucasus” is a story about a brave officer who did not lose hope of surviving when he was captured by the Tatars.

In the middle of the 19th century. there was a difficult and bloody war in the Caucasus, L.N. Tolstoy served there at that time, so he saw everything with his own eyes.

The genre of the work is determined by the writer himself - a true story, it indicates the reality of the events described. The beginning. Life goes to his mother. Highlights:

1. Zhilin and Kostylin are captured.
2. Unsuccessful escape.
3. Zhilin’s second escape.

The denouement is the happy release of Zhilin, he finds himself in a Cossack detachment. Barely alive, Kostylin, having paid off, ends up in his camp.

The story fully and in detail describes the life of the highlanders, their customs. The narration amazes with its dynamism: everything around moves, breathes, lives, everything is real, but at the same time we are as if in a fairy tale. But the main thing is a vivid description of the characters and actions of people who know how to endure difficulties with dignity, fight for freedom, without losing their own dignity.

The story is based on a comparison of two heroes. By the way, their last names are significant. Zhilin - from the word “vein”, the popular name for blood vessels and tendons. This is a strong, strong-willed, calm, courageous person, capable of withstanding a lot. Kostylin - from the word “crutch”, a wooden tool that helps the lame move. This is a weak-willed person who easily gives in to despondency; he needs to be supported and guided. From the very beginning, the characters behave differently. They both don’t want to move with the barely crawling convoy. However, Zhilin is thinking about whether it is worth risking his life by getting through dangerous places on his own. This hero always thinks first, makes a decision, and then acts. Kostylin’s thoughts here (and further) are deliberately hidden from us by the author. He does not think through his actions in advance. He invites Zhilin to go together, without thinking about the consequences, and tacitly agrees with Zhilin’s proposal not to separate in case of danger. When meeting with the Tatars, Kostylin instantly forgets his promise and, seeing that Zhilin is almost in captivity, shamelessly runs away.

When both end up with the Tatars, Kostylin immediately agrees to write a letter home to be ransomed for five thousand rubles. Zhilin knows that his mother will not be able to send such a sum for ransom, so he first bargains with his captors, and then indicates the wrong address on the envelope. Zhilin says that they won’t be able to give more than five hundred rubles for it. He just wants to gain time so he can get out of captivity himself.

Zhilin commands respect even from his enemies. His “master” Abdul-Murat calls him a horseman, local residents value him as a master who can fix any thing. Zhilin made friends with Dina, the daughter of Abdul-Murat, and makes toys for her.

In captivity, Kostylin is simply waiting for help from home, and Zhilin is counting only on himself. He prepares an escape: he examines the area to know where to move when escaping, feeds the owner’s dog to tame it, and digs a hole out of the barn. Trying to escape from captivity, he does not forget Kostylin and takes him with him. Zhilin does not remember evil (after all, Kostylin once betrayed him). After an unsuccessful escape, Zhilin still does not give up, and Kostylin completely loses heart. Thanks to a happy coincidence of circumstances (Dina’s help, the absence of the Tatars), his own perseverance, courage and ingenuity, Zhilin manages to escape from captivity.

Leo Nikolavevia Tolstoy wrote the story “Caucasian Prisoner” under the impressions of his life in the Caucasus during the war between the highlanders and Russian soldiers. We can see the first mentions of this war in Tolstoy's diaries.

General analysis of the story

The short story was created in the 70s of the 19th century, and many critics were surprised by the simple and accessible language even for children in which it was written. In addition to a realistic description of the life of the mountaineers and the beautiful, wild nature of the Caucasus, Tolstoy also pays attention to another theme of the story, more moral and psychological.

This theme is a confrontation, which is revealed through the example of two personalities, the two main characters of “Prisoner of the Caucasus” - Zhilin and Kostylin. The plot of the story develops quickly, and the description of all events is colorful and memorable.

Comparative characteristics of the heroes: Kostylin and Zhilin

L.N. Tolstoy skillfully uses contrast to convey the theme of his story to his readers. Under the external contrast of the energetic Zhilin and the heavy Kostylin lies the contradictions of their inner worlds.

Zhilin creates the impression of a lively and joyful person, while Kostylin looks unkindly at the world around him and is distinguished by cruelty and malice. Moreover, it cannot be said that the difference between these heroes is determined by the circumstances: they are both Russian officers, both take part in Russia’s war against the Caucasus.

But between them there is an abyss - their internal principles, their views on the world, their life values are completely opposite. Zhilin is a devoted and honest person who helps Kostylin even after he betrayed him due to his cowardice and stupidity.

After all, Zhilin could not even think that he could do differently, and when he rushes to his friend for a gun to protect himself from the mountaineers, he is sure that he will help him. And even when they are captured, he still takes the cowardly soldier with him during his escape.

His soul is wide and open, Zhilin looks at the world and other people with sincerity and inner honesty. He carries the soldier Kostylin when he gets tired of his long rescue from Tatar captivity. And both heroes again find themselves back where they had difficulty getting out, only now they are put in a huge pit.

Passive hero and active hero

And here Tolstoy describes the climax of the story, the girl Dina, with whom the good soldier managed to become friends during captivity, helps Zhilin escape with the help of a stick. And the weak and weak-willed Kostylin is afraid to run away and thinks that it will be better if one of his relatives pays money for him.

Zhilin manages to escape on his own, he does not want to worry his mother with requests for money, and thinks about her health. Zhilin cannot be such a weak-willed coward as Kostylin; his nature is courage, boldness and courage.

And from this it follows that the values of life for him are completely different, they are spiritual and pure. Kostylin is the personification of passivity and inaction, the only thing that lives inside him is fear only for himself and anger towards other people.

Introduction

In the history of Russian literature there are such facts when writers of different directions and aesthetic positions turn to the same titles of their works. I was interested in three “Prisoners of the Caucasus” by A.S. Pushkin, M.Yu. Lermontov, L.N. Tolstoy. Why do authors name their works the same? Maybe this indicates continuity between the works? Or maybe they are polemically opposed to each other?

Goal of the work: identify the features of the plot of A.S.’s poems Pushkin and M.Yu. Lermontov “Prisoner of the Caucasus”, story by L.N. Tolstoy "Prisoner of the Caucasus".

Tasks:

Analysis of the plot of A.S. Pushkin’s poem “Prisoner of the Caucasus”, highlighting its structural elements;
Determine the influence of Pushkin’s poem on the plot of M.Yu. Lermontov’s poem, finding common and different things in them;
Study of the features of the Caucasian plot in the story of L.N. Tolstoy;
Conduct a comparative analysis of three works.

Object of study- works by A.S. Pushkin, M.Yu. Lermontov, L.N. Tolstoy “Prisoner of the Caucasus”.

Subject of study: plots of these works.

Practical significance: The work can be used in literature lessons, as well as in preparation for olympiads and the Unified State Exam in literature.

Research methods: comparison, juxtaposition.

Hypothesis: We believe that the implementation of the plot about the Caucasian captive completely depends on the author's concept and the literary movement to which the author belongs.

Poem by A. S. Pushkin “Prisoner of the Caucasus”

“Prisoner of the Caucasus” is a romantic poem by Pushkin, written by him during his southern exile in 1822. The author set himself the goal of reproducing the character of a young man of his time, dissatisfied with reality and seized by a thirst for freedom. The hero, who has neither a name nor a past, went to the Caucasus - the land of strong and freedom-loving people - to find the freedom of spirit he desired and needed, but was captured.

In the romantic poem, the epic line (the Caucasus, the exotic life of the highlanders, the arrival of Russian conquerors) is intertwined with the lyrical line (the love of a captive Russian and a Circassian woman). Highlanders are “natural” people who live in harmony with the world. A stranger to the wild world, the captive brings destruction to it: because of him, a young Circassian woman throws herself into the abyss of the sea.

It is in the poem by A. S. Pushkin that one can identify the main structural elements of the so-called Caucasian plot, which were transformed in the works of the same name by M. Yu. Lermontov and L. N. Tolstoy.

Basic plot elements:

Russian in the Caucasus;
he is amazed by the beauty of the area;
disappointed hero;
love story;
motives for capture and escape.

Poem by M.Yu. Lermontov “Prisoner of the Caucasus”

His romantic poem M.Yu. Lermontov wrote in 1828, when he was only 14 years old. The poem was created under the strong influence of Pushkin's poem of the same name. It is clear that, by giving the same name to his work, the young poet consciously refers to the plot of the poem by A.S. Pushkin "Prisoner of the Caucasus". In his poem, he raises the same problems as his idol, showing the moral superiority of the “children of nature” over the “children of civilization.” To show that over time the problems raised by A.S. Pushkin, have not lost their relevance, Lermontov uses the technique of poetic roll call. Some of Pushkin’s poems were included in their entirety in the poem, others in slightly altered form.

The author of the poem is an aspiring poet, trying to give expression to his own moods, thoughts and feelings using someone else's material. By calling his poem this way, young Lermontov boldly strives to measure his strength with the greatest poet of our time, wants to tell the story that excited him and captured him in his own way, to convey it somehow in his own way. Lermontov did not imitate, did not copy, but assimilated from Pushkin’s experience that which could contribute to the expression of his own creative individuality.

General and different in poems

Both poems are romantic. Like A.S. Pushkin, Lermontov’s hero is nameless. There is a lot of Pushkin in the depiction of the captive; the hero is a lonely wanderer. It is not surprising that certain features, such as proud loneliness, mystery, and ardent passion, unite the heroes of the two poems:
And the shine of his eyes is cold.../...Feelings, passions,

Burnt in the eyes forever/Lurking like a lion in a cave/Deep in the heart...
Plot-wise, Lermontov’s “Prisoner of the Caucasus” is close to Pushkin’s work of the same name, but Lermontov has increased the number of characters and their characters are different. The prisoner is devoid of the traits of disappointment and satiety with life. The hero yearns for his homeland and freedom, seeks the support of friends. The Circassian woman has a more decisive character than Pushkin’s heroine; she demands the love of a captive.

In Pushkin’s poem, the captive invites the Circassian woman to leave with him:

“Oh my friend!” the Russian cried, “I am yours forever, I am yours until the grave.

Let’s both leave this terrible land./Run with me!”

The Circassian woman, knowing that he loves another, refuses to follow him and commits suicide. The prisoner happily leaves captivity.

Lermontov gives a completely different outcome. His heroine is a more decisive and courageous person. She says to the Russian:

“But you said / That you love, Russian, you are different.

Forget her, I’m ready / To run with you to the edge of the universe!

Forget her, love me / Your unchanging friend."

The prisoner cannot reciprocate her feelings. The Circassian woman helps him free himself from the chains, but the hero did not have to return to his homeland. The Circassian woman's father (a new character created by Lermontov) kills the fugitive. The daughter, like a Pushkin heroine, throws herself into the river and drowns. Her father is tormented by remorse, unable to find peace of mind.

We see that in his poem “Prisoner of the Caucasus,” the young poet is looking for new plot points and depicts the characters of the characters in his own way, although the main structural elements of the Caucasian plot remain Pushkin’s.

The story of L. N. Tolstoy “Prisoner of the Caucasus”

Tolstoy creates a realistic work with Pushkin’s title “Prisoner of the Caucasus”, starting from the same title, Tolstoy, as it were, declares his desire to write about the same thing in a new way.

“Prisoner of the Caucasus” by L.N. Tolstoy is a true story, the material for which was events from the life of the writer and stories he heard while serving in the Caucasus. The story was written in 1872 and is a realistic work.

We found out why Lermontov gave his youthful poem the title “Prisoner of the Caucasus.” But why does L.N. Tolstoy, almost half a century later, give his work the same name? Let's try to figure this out.

In the 60-70s, Tolstoy thought a lot about the true purpose of literature. An analysis of the critical literature on this work allows us to conclude that by the time L.N. Tolstoy himself began working on the story, he was finally convinced of the need to learn from the people their morality, their views on the world, simplicity and wisdom, the ability to “take root” in any situation, to survive in any situation, without complaining and without shifting your troubles onto the shoulders of others. The writer at this time was completely occupied with public education, he wrote “The ABC” for peasant children, all the literary texts in which are simple, entertaining, and instructive.

"Prisoner of the Caucasus" was originally published in the magazine "Zarya", intended exclusively for adults, and then placed in the 4th book of "Russian children's books for reading", that is, the story was written by Tolstoy specifically for children. Tolstoy addresses children who have not yet been “spoiled” by social and national abnormal relationships. He wants to tell us the truth, teach us to distinguish good from evil, help us follow goodness.

“The Prisoner of the Caucasus” by Leo Tolstoy is not just a story written specifically for children, and that is why it is so instructive. It was a sample of his new prose, a kind of experiment in the field of language and style. Therefore, sending criticism to Nikolai Strakhov of the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus” he wrote for children, Tolstoy explains: “This is an example of the techniques and language with which I write and will write for big ones.” This testimony of Leo Tolstoy is extremely remarkable. He, at that time already the famous author of “Sevastopol Stories”, “Cossacks”, “Childhood and Adolescence” and “War and Smir”, seemed to be learning to write again while working on a book for children. And at the same time he also claimed that he would write for adults in the same way, using the same “techniques of language.”

It is in order to emphasize the polemical nature of his position that Tolstoy gives his story the title “Prisoner of the Caucasus” - a title that evokes direct associations with the poems of Pushkin and Lermontov. With his story, he wanted to expose the “false” poetics of romanticism. In romantic literature, Tolstoy was irritated by many things: both the characters and the environment that surrounds them. Tolstoy highly valued Pushkin's prose and spoke negatively about his poems. It was surprising to read in Leo Tolstoy’s diary dated June 7, 1856, where he wrote: “Gypsies” are charming<...>, the rest of the poems, excluding Onegin, are terrible rubbish"

Comparative analysis of works

General

In his “Prisoner of the Caucasus,” L.N. Tolstoy leaves the main structural elements of the Caucasian plot intact:

· the Russian is captured by the highlanders;

· meets a Circassian/Tatar woman who brings him food;

· with her help he manages to escape. (In Lermontov’s poem, the hero was unable to reach his homeland: he was overtaken by a Circassian bullet).

But otherwise, Tolstoy’s story in all respects represents a complete antithesis to the other two “Prisoners of the Caucasus” by Pushkin and Lermontov.

Various

Subtitle

The very subtitle of the story (truth) contrasts the truthfully told story with romantic “fables”. It is known that the story is based on a real incident - an attack by highlanders on L.N. Tolstoy and four other officers who had become separated from the convoy.

Hero names

The heroes of both poems do not have names, with the exception of Girey, who delivered the prisoner to the village. (In Lermontov's poem). In Tolstoy’s story, all the main characters have names, and the main characters are given “speaking” surnames. (Zhilin and Kostylin)

Age

The characters of Pushkin and Lermontov are young men (typical of romantic poetry). Zhilin is an older man. We learn about this when we mention the old mother.

The reasons why the heroes ended up in the Caucasus

Pushkin's hero, disillusioned with the “unfaithful life” and “dreams of love,” goes to the Caucasus to find freedom there and is captured.

We know practically nothing about the motives for Lermontov’s hero’s stay in the Caucasus. Lermontov says that “in his native country” the captive “destroyed the holy hearts of hope.” But the reason that forced him to leave his father’s house is not named.

Zhilin serves in the Caucasus, sends money to his mother and plans to get married after leaving the service.

Thus, the romantic motives of escape from civilization and disappointment in love are opposed by rational and completely prosaic motives.

Capture

All three heroes are captured. Neither Pushkin nor Lermontov see the reasons why this happened. For them, the very fact of loss of freedom is important. Tolstoy tells in detail how and why this happened. Zhilin is captured by the Tatars, among other things, because it is important for him to emphasize: Kostylin’s cowardice is to blame.

The hero of Pushkin - Lermontov is captured by a lone warrior who drags his captives to the village on a lasso. The situation described by Tolstoy is more realistic. A whole detachment attacks Zhilin and Kostylin, and the bound Zhilin is placed on a horse. Tolstoy draws attention to the everydayness of the prisoner’s feelings. “Zhilin sits behind the Tatar, sways, rubs his face into the stinking Tatar back. All he sees in front of him is a hefty Tatar back, a sinewy neck, and the shaved back of his head turning blue under his hat.”

The description of the hero’s appearance is also emphatically unromantic: “Zilin’s head is broken, blood is caked above his eyes.” The heroes of the poems of Pushkin and Lermontov also suffered ( From Pushkin:“a cold and dumb captive, / with a disfigured head”;

From Lermontov:"pale face, washed in blood")

In captivity

The heroes of both poems, brought to the village, “lie in heavy oblivion” until noon. Zhilin, on the contrary, maintains clarity of thought throughout the entire journey and even tries to notice the road.

The behavior of the heroes in captivity is completely opposite. The heroes of the poems mainly contemplate what surrounds them and indulge in fruitless hopes.

(from Pushkin: “The night follows the night; / He longs for freedom in vain.". The prisoners in the poems are absolutely inactive: passionately dreaming of escape, they do nothing to achieve freedom.

In captivity, Zhilin is constantly busy with some kind of “handicraft” and at the first opportunity begins preparations for escape. It should be noted that in Tolstoy's story much attention is paid to the unromantic issue of ransom. In the poems of Pushkin and Lermontov this issue is not addressed at all.

All three characters observe the life of the mountaineers with interest. Tolstoy debunks the romantic idea of the “free sons of the Caucasus,” showing readers that the Tatars are the most ordinary people.

In Pushkin, the “hopeless captive” often climbs the mountain near the village, where “magnificent pictures” open before him: “Thrones of eternal snow, / Their peaks seemed to the eyes / A motionless chain of clouds, / And in their circle there was a two-headed colossus, / in a crown of shining ice, / Elbrus was huge, majestic, / White in the blue sky.”. Zhilin also climbs the mountain and sees the same landscape: “There is another mountain from the village, even steeper; and behind that mountain there is another mountain. Between the mountains the forest turns blue, and there are more mountains - rising higher and higher. And above all, mountains white as sugar stand under the snow. And one snowy mountain stands taller than the others.”. The description is emphatically not romantic: “white as sugar”, “stands like a hat”.

The very idea of climbing a mountain in chains to admire the beautiful landscape seems absurd to Tolstoy. His hero climbs a mountain to choose a route for his future escape.

Heroines

In all three works, the heroine helps the prisoner escape. In the poems of Pushkin and Lermontov, these are young black-haired, black-eyed beauties. ( At Pushkin's: “And a black wave falls / Her hair falls on her chest and shoulders.” At Lermontov's : “And the tears of the black-eyed maiden / did not touch his soul”.) Typically romantic heroines. Tolstoy, trying to exclude any romantic situation, turns his heroine into a “thin, skinny”, black-eyed girl of about thirteen with a black braid.

The Circassian woman, on her own initiative, brings a saw and herself frees the captive from his shackles. Zhilin escapes from captivity twice and each time the initiative comes from him. Tolstoy includes in his story the scene of the failed release from the shackles, when Dina tries to knock the lock off Zhilin’s block with a stone. “Yes, the hands are thin, like twigs - there is no strength at all. Threw a stone and cried".

Moon image

Young Caucasian captives leave the village on a moonlit night, without thinking about conspiracy at all. ( From Pushkin:“The pale light of the moon flashes through the white huts of the village”. From Lermontov: “And above him the golden moon / floated up on a white cloud”.) The moon also appears in Tolstoy’s story, but it causes nothing but trouble for the hero. “I began to approach the forest, a month emerged from behind the mountains - white, light, just like during the day. All leaves are visible on the trees. Quiet, light in the mountains". Tolstoy repeatedly emphasizes that on his first escape, when Zhilin could choose, he was waiting for a moonless night. “The moon had just begun - the nights were still dark.”

River image

In Pushkin and Lermontov, the river is an insurmountable barrier separating the hero from freedom. In both poems it is a mighty stream. Zhilin and Kostylin ford the river, barely getting their feet wet. “We went through the yard under the steep slope to the river, crossed the river, went through the ravine.”

Conclusion

Thus, having examined the works of the same name by A.S. Pushkin, M.Yu. Lermontov, L.N. Tolstoy, we can conclude that the implementation of the plot about a Caucasian prisoner completely depends on the author’s concept and the literary direction to which the author belongs.

In romanticism (Pushkin and Lermontov) the main ones are the disappointed fugitive and the ideal of a free, natural world, and in realism (Tolstoy) the description of war and military actions.

Based on the plot of the poem by A.S. Pushkin, the theme of the Caucasian captive subsequently passes through the plots of other works, enriching them and at the same time influencing them, that is, it appears as an invariant for all subsequent post-Pushkin plots.

Job prospects

Pushkin's poem opens the theme of the tragic confrontation between Russia and the Caucasus, a theme that, apparently, will never be exhausted. We would like to continue this work by examining the plot of the Caucasian captive using the example of works of Russian literature of the 20th century: the story by Vladimir Makanin “Prisoner of the Caucasus” (1995) and the documentary story by Irina Kolontaevskaya “Prisoner of the Caucasus” (2001)

“Prisoner of the Caucasus” is a story, the analysis of which will be extremely interesting for schoolchildren. Created by the great author who wrote “War and Peace”, “Anna Karenina”, as well as many other works, namely Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy.

The essay shows a Russian officer captured by mountain peoples. Written for the school textbook “ABC”, it was first published in the magazine “Zarya”. Year of writing: 1872.

One of the writer’s more famous works is included in the school curriculum. Writers such as Samuil Marshak or Viktor Shklovsky left their reviews of this work.

The history of the creation of the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus”

The history of the creation of the work is connected with the events that happened to the author during his service in the Caucasus. He wrote in his diary that he was almost captured.

Tolstoy wrote about the influence of the Caucasus on his life and work in 1859: “...It was both a painful and good time. Never, neither before nor after, have I reached such a height of thought as at that time... And everything that I found then will forever remain my conviction.”

The writer’s relatives, for example, Tolstoy’s brother-in-law and daughter, recalled this situation. The latter said that her father and his friend accompanied the convoy to the fortress. There were four more guides there.

The path led through a gorge, and the mountaineers had the opportunity to attack them. They got bored and decided to overtake the convoy and gallop forward. The three rode down the crevice, and Tolstoy and his friend went up. They did not have time to reach the ridge when they suddenly saw Chechens running towards them. Luckily they were able to escape.

Briefly, the plot tells about the times of the Caucasian War. Officer Ivan Zhilin serves here. The soldiers' place of residence is a fortress.

His mother sent Ivan a letter asking him to visit her. Here Zhilin leaves the fortress with a convoy.

Since the convoy is moving slowly, Zhilin and another officer named Kostili decide to go forward themselves. They meet the mountaineers. Kostylin abandons Zhilin and leaves. The mountaineers shoot Zhilin's horse and take him prisoner. Later Kostylin is also captured. They live in a barn.

A quote from the story describes the state of the characters: “Zhilin lived like this with his friend for a whole month. The owner keeps laughing. - Yours, Ivan, is good, - mine, Abdul, is good. “But he fed me poorly; he only gave me unleavened bread made from millet flour, baked into flatbreads, or even unbaked dough.”

At night, Zhilin makes a tunnel, but the idea turned out to be a failure. In the end, he managed to escape with the help of the owner's daughter Dina. He reached the Russian troops, and they subsequently saved Kostylin.

The work shows the life of the mountain people, their customs, tells how they lived, and also contains a description of nature, thanks to which you can better understand the experiences of the characters.

The main characters and their characteristics

The main characters are Zhilin, Kostylin, and the secondary ones are Dina and Abdul-Murat. Ivan Zhilin is the main character of “Prisoner of the Caucasus”.

Briefly about him we can say that he is a real Russian officer, he is characterized by such character traits as courage and fearlessness.

Zhilin is stubborn, but at the same time he treats everyone with respect, including himself.

He demands respect even from the Tatars who captured him. Ivan knows how to fix things well and, unlike Kostylin, he has willpower.

Another main character of the story is Kostylin. These characters are contrasted. Kostylin's main character trait is cowardice. He is a plump, slow man.

He is the same in behavior. Kostylin is sad and complains all the time. This hero doesn't even have respect for himself. Because of his lifestyle, he became ill. Kostylin cannot fight for freedom.

Literary direction and genre

L. N. Tolstoy wrote “Prisoner of the Caucasus” in the style of realism. The author worked in this literary direction and studied it well. Lev Nikolaevich depicts real life as it was. The events of works of this direction do not go beyond the limits of reality.

Many people think, is this a story or a story? Many experts classify a work as a story genre, based on the number of main characters and plot lines.

Theme and composition

The theme of “Prisoner of the Caucasus” is the war of the Russian Empire with the mountain peoples. The outline of a story contains such structural elements as beginning, development of events, climax and denouement.

The exposition is quite short, containing only a couple of sentences. She talks about how one officer served in the Caucasus.

Plot: Zhilin receives a letter from his mother and goes to visit her.

Development of events: Ivan is captured, later Kostylin joins him. Zhilin is planning an escape, but he cannot escape. The highlanders put officers Zhilin and Kostylin in a hole

The climax tells that officer Zhilin, thanks to Dina’s help, gets out of captivity.

Denouement: the escape was a success. Then the Russians brought Ivan to the fortress and saved Kostylin.

Trails

The story uses various tropes. Epithets: “with a red beard”, “silver dagger”, “tin jug”, “down pillows”.

Metaphors: a provincial river, but the river was glorious.

Comparisons: “teeth as small as needles,” “like fabulous Japanese roosters.”

Personifications: low stars moved and trembled, potatoes hissed.

The main idea of the story

The main idea is not to despair and fight to the end, and then everything will be fine. The author contrasts the two main characters Zhilin and Kostylin.

Zhilin tries to escape from captivity, and Kostylin gives up morally. One might wonder why the story is named this way, since in the title there is one prisoner, but in the story there are two?

The meaning of the title of the story shows that there is one prisoner in the story - Zhilin. He is not just waiting for release, but is trying to break free.

Issues

The work touches on many issues. From the first pages of the story you can see the problem of betrayal. Ivan trusted his friend, but this is exactly what turned against him. This whole situation happened because of Kostylin, since he did not cover for his comrade.

The story also provides an illustration of class inequality. A rich person is used to living on everything he has ready, but a simple person must give all his strength to live normally.

And given that the action takes place in the Caucasus, L.N. Tolstoy touches on the problem of war. The emperor wanted to subjugate the highlanders, and the war began. This forced the mountain peoples to capture the Russians quite brutally.

Themes of the work

Lev Nikolaevich revealed the theme of courage in the work.

After all, if the main character did not have courage, he would not have been able to break free.

The writer talks about kindness as a quality that all people should have.

This can be seen in the example of Dina, who was raised among slave traders. She valued a person for his personal qualities, not money.

What does the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus” teach?

The work teaches that, regardless of the difficulties that appear before a person, there is no need to retreat, but one should pull oneself together and move only forward, show perseverance and perseverance.

At the same time, we should not forget about mercy and kindness towards others, and that not everything can be bought with money.