Elizaveta Aprosimova. Northern images and motifs in the story "Stlanik"

At school, the creative heritage of Varlam Tikhonovich Shalamov is addressed in the graduating class. In Russian literature classes, the writer’s stories are considered primarily as works of so-called camp prose, which tell about the hard life of prisoners and the superhuman trials that befell them.

However, the artistic world of V.T. Shalamov’s work is broader, more multifaceted, it is unthinkable without images associated with nature. In many of the writer’s works one can find landscape sketches and descriptions of natural phenomena; Shalamov has stories about animals, and, of course, one of the central images in his works is the image of a tree. And not only because the universe of this writer is the taiga and for him there is no other world. Turning to a tree, the author addresses his soul, the life of a tree is his own life, the life of a person, and this person is not necessarily a prisoner, this is what students should understand when studying the work of V.T. Shalamov.

In the 11th grade, when students get acquainted with the new prose of V.T. Shalamov, which is based on reliability, documentary, terrible truth, it is very problematic to consider the writer’s work in this aspect, primarily due to psychological reasons: everyone who encounters his works for the first time , is in shock. In addition, V.T. Shalamov is one of the few writers to whom schoolchildren turn only once; Almost all the poets and writers whose work is studied in the 11th grade are already familiar to students, since the works of many authors, usually small, were examined in previous years. Therefore, a preliminary acquaintance with this unique writer, a propaedeutic study of his prose, is simply necessary.

In Russian literature lessons in grade IX, students turn to those stories by V.T. Shalamov, which do not directly say that the hero is a prisoner and is in a death camp. In some of the writer’s stories it is impossible to determine even the time and place of action (not in a geographical, but in an administrative-territorial sense); this is the taiga, the Far North - that’s all the reader can find out about. Such stories can be found in the collection “Resurrection of the Larch” (in the 11th grade “Kolyma Stories” are studied).

Students read and discuss stories about animals “Brave Eyes”, “Squirrel”, “Bears”, where the author describes the “difficult and serious taiga animal world”, in which everything is harmonious, natural and, therefore, beautiful. Getting acquainted with the content of these stories, students come to the conclusion that gross human intervention can destroy this wonderful world overnight. You can consider such interesting works as “Waterfall”, “Taming the Fire”, which tell about natural elements - a rare topic in Russian literature; ninth-graders read these stories with great interest, as they learn a lot of new things about the unexplored taiga region. The author writes about the nature of the Far North and its unique flora in the story “The Path”.

As mentioned above, one of the bright, leading, fundamental images in the work of V.T. Shalamov is the image of a tree, therefore, for detailed teaching, ninth-graders can be offered the story “Slanik”.

At first glance, appealing to this story may seem unfounded, since the most frequently mentioned tree in the works of V.T. Shalamov is larch. The word “larch” can be found in almost every work of the writer; One of the most famous is the story “The Resurrection of the Larch,” which concludes the cycle of the same name. This story concentrates everything: both the writer’s creative program and his worldview: “No, larch is a tree unsuitable for romances, you can’t sing about this branch, you can’t write a romance. Here is a word of a different depth, a different layer of human feelings.” This work is very difficult for students of class IX to understand, as it touches on deep philosophical problems. In addition, it is impossible to consider this story outside the context of the life and work of V.T. Shalamov. Getting acquainted with the content of the story, ninth-graders will inevitably encounter the statement: “Larch is the tree of Kolyma, the tree of concentration camps,” which requires a special, detailed explanation and deep understanding. Therefore, in the lessons of Russian literature in the 9th grade, the appeal to the image of larch is of an introductory nature; fragments of stories are considered in which a description of this tree is given; an opportunity to get acquainted with one of the stories in the collection studied in the Xth grade.

“The dwarf dwarf tree always seemed to me to be the most poetic Russian tree...” wrote V.T. Shalamov, so the topic of the lesson is called “The image of the dwarf dwarf tree - “the most poetic Russian tree” - in the prose of V.T. Shalamov.”

At the beginning of the lesson, the students are given the goal of finding out why the author turned to the image of the elfin tree, why he believes that this is the most poetic tree.

Many ninth graders come across this name for the first time - elfin wood (this word is not in the Big Encyclopedic Dictionary); Therefore, an anticipatory task is necessary: ​​students must find out what this word means. Having turned to various dictionaries, including special ones, students find out that dwarf dwarf is a relative of the Lebanese cedar, a heat-loving tree growing in the south, in hot countries, and note that V.T. Shalamov actually writes that dwarf dwarf is a tree special, “a distant relative of the cedar, cedar.” Students wonder why the writer calls dwarf dwarf a special tree, and find that everything associated with this tree (in fact, it is a shrub) is contradictory and unnatural: the author writes that dwarf dwarf is unpretentious, but immediately notes that “sensitivity his is extraordinary"; emphasizing the uniqueness of this tree, its unique relationship with the southern tree for the Far North, he claims that it is “courageous and stubborn, like all northern trees.” The very existence of this tree is unnatural, the roots of which are not in the ground, but in the rocky, lifeless soil of the mountain slope. Thus, students come to the conclusion that the author of the story, emphasizing the unnaturalness of the growth of such a tree in northern conditions, speaks of the absurdity of the situation in which people found themselves, abandoned by fate to this harsh region. A person’s stay in the Far North, “at the junction of taiga and tundra,” is unnatural, absurd, especially if this person was born in another place where the climate is much milder, so winter, snow, cold, permafrost are perceived as evil, trouble, a terrible test, through which the hero - the dwarf, the man - will have to go.

Using the technique of personification, the author compares the fate of the dwarf tree with the fate of a person. The story gives a biography of the elfin tree - from autumn to autumn; the life path of the tree - the life of the hero, as well as his characteristics. The students’ task is to follow this path, to find what makes a person and a tree in common. The class can be divided into 4 groups (“Elanik in autumn”, “Elanik in winter”, “Spring”, “Summer”), each of which will consider a corresponding fragment of a literary text. At each time of the year, the dwarf tree behaves differently: in late autumn it bends and spreads, the author compares it to an octopus dressed in green feathers; in winter he, like a bear, goes into hibernation, in spring, forgetting about hopelessness, he rises to his full height, and in summer he is “modest and unnoticeable.” Students come to the conclusion that in all the fragments in which different facets of the “character” of dwarf dwarf wood are presented, the writer highlights the main thing - the uniqueness, exclusivity of this tree. To prove his assertion that dwarf dwarf is a special tree, he contrasts it with other trees, plants, and everything living and inanimate in nature. Thus, students of the first group, studying the fragment that tells about the life of the elfin tree in the fall, find that when all of nature feels the approaching cold and smells of snow, the elfin tree is the only one who does not go to bed (and it turns out to be right, because the cold does not come); the second group notes that in winter the elfin tree behaves differently from other trees: the elfin bushes lie down to spend the winter in the snow. The “Spring” group in its fragment finds the words of the author that the elfin tree “rises before anyone else in the North.” Describing the life of the tundra and taiga in the summer, and contrasting the inconspicuous elfin wood at this time with the bright, hastily and luxuriantly blooming northern summer, the writer again emphasizes its peculiarity - this is the conclusion that the students of the 4th group come to.

The teacher asks the question: “What is the peculiarity of this tree? Is it just that it has an unusual origin and behaves differently from other plants?” Turning to the text, students answer that V.T. Shalamov calls dwarf dwarf a weather predictor, a tree of hope. One can speculate about why this particular tree became a barometer plant (just as a plant placed in an unusual environment for it is forced to adapt and react to the slightest changes in the weather, so the feelings of a person who finds himself in unusual, life-threatening conditions become aggravated) . But the dwarf tree, like a person, can be deceived: the teacher draws the students’ attention to an episode that tells how the dwarf tree trusted the warmth of the fire and rose from the snow. “Stlanik is too gullible,” writes V.T.Shalamov. Can the same be said about a person who has been deceived in his hopes?

“The fire will go out - and the disappointed cedar tree, crying with resentment, will bend over again and lie down in its old place. And it will be covered with snow.”

Children are invited to reflect on these words and answer the question: why did the author in this case replace the word “elfin wood” with the word “cedar”? Examining the content of the text, students find that the author of the story uses the word “cedar” twice: when he introduces the reader to the tree (“a distant relative of the cedar, cedar”) and when he wants to remind that this is a tree whose coniferous paws “speak of the south, of warmth.” , about life,” according to the laws of nature, should not have ended up in an icy country. Likewise, a person born for happiness should not suffer, should not fight death in a distant, unsuitable land for life, because this is against all human laws.

In order to answer the question posed at the beginning of the lesson (why V.T. Shalamov writes about dwarf dwarf and calls it the most poetic Russian tree), students turn to the ending of the story, which contains a deep symbolic meaning. But first, ninth-graders must answer the question: “Can every person who goes through difficult trials be compared to such a vulnerable, but hardy, persistent tree as the dwarf?” Students answer that not everyone is able to withstand difficulties, troubles, and deprivations. Such people, like the grass of the field, “curl up and dry up,” falling off like small yellow needles. Only the one who has retained all the best that was in him can survive, has retained the light in his soul, “and then one can see far away how huge green torches of elfin wood are burning among the pale yellow grass and gray moss in the forest.”

A torch is a symbol of light, civilization, culture. The elven people, burning, bring light, life, and give hope to humanity. Students are asked to trace what colors the writer uses in this passage. Pale yellow is the color of withering, death; gray is mediocrity, and green is the color of hope, the color of life. The author of the story constantly reminds the reader that dwarf dwarf is an evergreen tree. Evergreen - this word contains the idea of ​​immortality - the immortality of a tree, a person, a poet. V.T. Shalamov wrote that he survived thanks to poetry: in the most bitter moments, when he no longer had the strength to live, he recited poetry by heart. Poetry helped him survive; it illuminated his path, like a green torch giving hope. Maybe that's why writer V.T. Shalamov calls dwarf dwarf “the most poetic Russian tree”? Students are asked to think about this topic and write a short essay in which they can express their vision of the issue.

The creative legacy of Varlam Tikhonovich Shalamov is an amazing document, a tragic page in the history of our country. However, we should not forget that V.T. Shalamov is, first of all, a writer, and in literature lessons dedicated to the work of this wonderful prose writer and poet, it is necessary to acquaint children with the artistic world of his immortal works, which reflect not only time and events, but also the soul of the writer, the person.

Russian literature. 2006. No. 4. – P. 33-36.

All rights to distribute and use the works of Varlam Shalamov belong to A.L.. Use of materials is possible only with the consent of the editors of ed@site. The site was created in 2008-2009. funded by the Russian Humanitarian Foundation grant No. 08-03-12112v.

The teacher asks the question: “What is special about this tree? Is it just that it has an unusual origin and behaves differently from other plants?” Turning to the text, students answer that V. T. Shalamov calls dwarf dwarf a weather predictor, a tree of hope.

One can speculate about why this particular tree became a barometer plant (just as a plant placed in an unusual environment for it is forced to adapt and react to the slightest changes in the weather, so the feelings of a person who finds himself in unusual, life-threatening conditions become aggravated) . But the dwarf tree, like a person, can be deceived: the teacher draws the students’ attention to an episode that tells how the dwarf tree trusted the warmth of the fire and rose from the snow. “Stlanik is too gullible,” writes V.T.

Shalamov. Can the same be said about a person who has been deceived in his hopes? “The fire will go out - and the disappointed cedar tree, crying with resentment, will bend over again and lie down in its old place. And it will be covered with snow.”

Children are invited to reflect on these words and answer the question: why did the author in this case replace the word “elfin wood” with the word “cedar”? Examining the content of the text, students find that the author of the story uses the word “cedar” twice: when he introduces the reader to the tree (“a distant relative of the cedar, cedar”) and when he wants to remind that this is a tree whose coniferous paws “speak of the south, of warmth.” , about life,” according to the laws of nature, should not have ended up in an icy country. Likewise, a person born for happiness should not suffer, should not fight death in a distant, unsuitable land for life, because this is against all human laws. In order to answer the question posed at the beginning of the lesson (why V.T. Shalamov writes about dwarf dwarf and calls it the most poetic Russian tree), students turn to the ending of the story, which contains a deep symbolic meaning.

But first, ninth-graders must answer the question: “Can every person who goes through difficult trials be compared to such a vulnerable, but hardy, persistent tree as the dwarf?” Students answer that not everyone is able to withstand difficulties, troubles, and deprivations. Such people, like the grass of the field, “curl up and dry up,” falling off like small yellow needles. Only the one who has retained all the best that was in him can survive, has retained the light in his soul, “and then one can see far away how huge green torches of elfin wood are burning among the pale yellow grass and gray moss in the forest.” A torch is a symbol of light, civilization, culture.

The elven people, burning, bring light, life, and give hope to humanity. Students are asked to trace what colors the writer uses in this passage. Pale yellow is the color of withering, death; gray is mediocrity, and green is the color of hope, the color of life. The author of the story constantly reminds the reader that dwarf dwarf is an evergreen tree.

Evergreen - this word contains the idea of ​​immortality - the immortality of a tree, a person, a poet. V. T. Shalamov wrote that he survived thanks to poetry: in the most bitter moments, when he no longer had the strength to live, he recited poetry by heart. Poetry helped him survive, it illuminated his path, like a green torch giving hope. Maybe that's why writer V.

T. Shalamov calls dwarf dwarf "the most poetic Russian tree"?

Students are asked to speculate on this topic and write a short essay in which they can express their vision of the issue. The creative legacy of Varlam Tikhonovich Shalamov is an amazing document, a tragic page in the history of our country. However, we should not forget that V.

T. Shalamov is, first of all, a writer, and in literature lessons dedicated to the work of this wonderful prose writer and poet, it is necessary to introduce children to the artistic world of his immortal works, which reflect not only time and events, but also the soul of the writer, the person.

It's better to die standing than to live on your knees. The story “Stlanik” was written by the Russian writer Varlam Tikhonovich Shalamov in the fifties of our century, during his residence in the Kalinin region, and belongs to the cycle “Kolyma Stories”. Like many other writers of that time, Varlam Tikhonovich became a victim of totalitarianism. Endless exiles, gold mines, taiga business trips, hospital beds... In 1949, in Kolyma, he first began recording his works. In documentary and philosophical prose, Shalamov expressed the entire painful experience of superhuman trials in Stalin's maximum security camps. Hunger, cold, beatings and humiliation stopped only after the writer was rehabilitated in 1956. But this event, alas, was not the end of all the suffering endured. As a writer, the author of many thoughtful works, the worst awaited him: a boycott from various literary publications, a complete disregard for creativity. Shalamov's stories were not published. This was motivated by the fact that they lacked enthusiasm, only abstract humanism. But how could a person who had suffered so much from this regime sing its praises? Despite the fact that his stories were constantly returned by the editors, he continued to write. His severe health condition did not allow him to do this himself, so he dictated his poems and memoirs. Only five years after the writer’s death, in 1987, were his first works published: works from the Kolyma notebooks. Among them is the story I am reviewing. Dwarf dwarf is a taiga tree, a relative of cedar, growing, thanks to its unpretentiousness, on mountain slopes, clinging to stones with its roots. It is notable for its ability to respond to environmental conditions. In anticipation of cold weather or snowfall, it presses against the surface and spreads out. This is the literal meaning of the story, its theme. But it seems to me that this tree is not only a weather predictor for Shalamov. He writes that dwarf dwarf is the only evergreen tree in these northern regions, the tree of hope. Strong, stubborn, unpretentious, he is like a man left alone in the fight against the elements. In summer, when other plants are trying to bloom as quickly as possible, outpacing each other, dwarf, on the contrary, is invisible. He is an unshakable ideologist of the struggle, embraced by the warm spirit of summer, does not give in to temptation and does not betray his principles. He is constantly alert and ready to sacrifice himself to the elements. Isn't that similar to people? Remember how humiliated Boris Pasternak was subjected to? And a little later, it would seem, at a completely different time, the bullying of Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov? Yes, these people survived, although they were misunderstood by the majority and rejected. But many others broke under the yoke of the totalitarian system. Were they unfaithful to their ideals or simply too trusting? Maybe they really faded and left behind only an extinct, cold forest? Shalamov wrote about dwarf dwarf as an overly trusting tree: as soon as you light a fire near it, it immediately raises its fluffy green branches. The fire will go out, and the dwarf tree, upset by the deception, will go down, covered with snow. According to the author, human feelings are not so refined. But despite this, people too often remain deceived. If a tree is able to return to everyday life after this, then a person is rarely able to do so. The appearance of a fire in the life of a cedar tree can be compared, in my opinion, with the period of Khrushchev’s “thaw”. How many people then became victims of deception and betrayal! As Shalamov wrote, a person has only five senses. Yes, perhaps they are not enough to recognize the changes taking place around, but they are quite enough to penetrate the thousands that possessed the writer. After reading the story, I understood the importance of hope and faith in the best for a person. Like a sprout, an evergreen tree, making its way through the blizzard and cold to the sunlight, hope in the human mind makes it believe and defend its ideals. No wonder they say that she is the last to die. In addition, I couldn’t help but think about the enormous courage of both the lone taiga tree and the many people fighting for justice. Review is a study containing a critical assessment. My rebellious nature could certainly help me with criticism, but only when I disagree with something. This seemingly abstract work contains so many hidden meanings and various arguments that I simply cannot argue with, that I can only completely share my opinion with the author. If the criticism is positive, then the review was a success. And finally, I want to say that it would be wonderful if the fire in the soul of every fighter for justice burned as hot and bright as firewood from the wonderful taiga tree.

It's better to die standing than to live on your knees.
The story “Stlanik” was written by the Russian writer Varlam Tikhonovich Shalamov in the fifties of our century, during his residence in the Kalinin region, and belongs to the cycle “Kolyma Stories”. Like many other writers of that time, Varlam Tikhonovich became a victim of totalitarianism. Endless exiles, gold mines, taiga business trips, hospital beds... In 1949, in Kolyma, he first began recording his works. In documentary and philosophical prose, Shalamov expressed the entire painful experience of superhuman trials in Stalin’s maximum security camps. Hunger, cold, beatings and humiliation stopped only after the writer was rehabilitated in 1956. But this event, alas, was not the end of all the suffering endured. As a writer, the author of many thoughtful works, the worst awaited him: a boycott from various literary publications, a complete disregard for creativity. Shalamov's stories were not published. This was motivated by the fact that they lacked enthusiasm, only abstract humanism. But how could a person who had suffered so much from this regime sing its praises? Despite the fact that his stories were constantly returned by the editors, he continued to write. His severe health condition did not allow him to do this himself, so he dictated his poems and memoirs. Only five years after the writer’s death, in 1987, were his first works published: works from the Kolyma notebooks. Among them is the story I am reviewing.
Elf dwarf is a taiga tree, a relative of cedar, growing, thanks to its unpretentiousness, on mountain slopes, clinging to stones with its roots. It is notable for its ability to respond to environmental conditions. In anticipation of cold weather or snowfall, it presses against the surface and spreads out. This is the literal meaning of the story, its theme. But it seems to me that this tree is not only a weather predictor for Shalamov. He writes that dwarf dwarf is the only evergreen tree in these northern regions, the tree of hope. Strong, stubborn, unpretentious, he is like a man left alone in the fight against the elements. In summer, when other plants are trying to bloom as quickly as possible, outpacing each other, dwarf, on the contrary, is invisible. He is an unshakable ideologist of the struggle, embraced by the warm spirit of summer, does not give in to temptation and does not betray his principles. He is constantly alert and ready to sacrifice himself to the elements. Isn't that similar to people? Remember how humiliated Boris Pasternak was subjected to? And a little later, it would seem, at a completely different time, the bullying of Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov? Yes, these people survived, although they were misunderstood by the majority and rejected. But many others broke under the yoke of the totalitarian system. Were they unfaithful to their ideals or simply too trusting? Maybe they really faded and left behind only an extinct, cold forest?
Shalamov wrote about dwarf dwarf as an overly trusting tree: as soon as you light a fire near it, it immediately raises its fluffy green branches. The fire will go out, and the dwarf tree, upset by the deception, will go down, covered with snow. According to the author, human feelings are not so refined. But despite this, people too often remain deceived. If a tree is able to return to everyday life after this, then a person is rarely able to do so. The appearance of a fire in the life of a cedar tree can be compared, in my opinion, with the period of Khrushchev’s “thaw”. How many people then became victims of deception and betrayal!
As Shalamov wrote, a person has only five senses. Yes, perhaps they are not enough to recognize the changes taking place around, but they are quite enough to penetrate the thousands that possessed the writer. After reading the story, I understood the importance of hope and faith in the best for a person. Like a sprout, an evergreen tree, making its way through the blizzard and cold to the sunlight, hope in the human mind makes it believe and defend its ideals. No wonder they say that she is the last to die. In addition, I couldn’t help but think about the enormous courage of both the lone taiga tree and the many people fighting for justice.
Review is a study containing a critical assessment. My rebellious nature could certainly help me with criticism, but only when I disagree with something. This seemingly abstract work contains so many hidden meanings and various arguments that I simply cannot argue with, that I can only completely share my opinion with the author. If the criticism is positive, then the review was a success. And finally, I want to say that it would be wonderful if the fire in the soul of every fighter for justice burned as hot and bright as firewood from the wonderful taiga tree.

“Stlanik” was written by the Russian writer Varlam Tikhonovich Shalamov in the fifties of our century, during his residence in the Kalinin region, and belongs to the cycle “Kolyma Stories”. Like many other writers of that time, Varlam Tikhonovich became a victim of totalitarianism. Endless exiles, gold mines, taiga business trips, hospital beds...

In 1949, in Kolyma, he first began recording his works. In documentary and philosophical prose, Shalamov expressed the entire painful experience of superhuman trials in Stalin's maximum security camps. Hunger, cold, beatings and humiliation stopped only after he was rehabilitated in 1956. But this event, alas, was not the end of all the suffering endured.

As a writer, the author of many thoughtful works, the worst awaited him: a boycott from various literary publications, a complete disregard for creativity. Shalamov's stories were not published. This was motivated by the fact that they lacked enthusiasm, only abstract humanism. But how could he, who had suffered so much from this regime, praise him? Despite the fact that his stories were constantly returned by the editors, he continued to write.

His severe health condition did not allow him to do this himself, so he dictated his poems and memoirs. Only five years after the writer’s death, in 1987, were his first works published: works from the Kolyma notebooks. Among them is the story I am reviewing. Elf dwarf is a taiga tree, a relative of cedar, growing, thanks to its unpretentiousness, on mountain slopes, clinging to stones with its roots. It is notable for its ability to respond to environmental conditions.

In anticipation of cold weather or snowfall, it presses against the surface and spreads out. This is the literal meaning of the story, its theme. But it seems to me that this tree is not only a weather predictor for Shalamov.

He writes that dwarf dwarf is the only evergreen tree in these northern regions, the tree of hope. Strong, stubborn, unpretentious, he is like a man left alone in the fight against the elements. In summer, when other plants are trying to bloom as quickly as possible, outpacing each other, dwarf, on the contrary, is invisible. He is an unshakable ideologist of the struggle, embraced by the warm spirit of summer, does not give in to temptation and does not betray his principles. He is constantly alert and ready to sacrifice himself to the elements.

Isn't that similar to people? Do you remember what humiliation you were subjected to? And a little later, it would seem, at a completely different time, the bullying of Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov? Yes, these people survived, although they were misunderstood by the majority and rejected.

But many others broke under the yoke of the totalitarian system. Were they unfaithful to their ideals or simply too trusting? Maybe they really faded and left behind only an extinct, cold forest? Shalamov wrote about dwarf dwarf as an overly trusting tree: as soon as you light a fire near it, it immediately raises its fluffy green branches. The fire will go out, and the dwarf tree, upset by the deception, will go down, covered with snow. According to the author, human feelings are not so refined.

But despite this, people too often remain deceived. If a tree is able to return to everyday life after this, then a person is rarely able to do so. The appearance of a fire in the life of a cedar tree can be compared, in my opinion, with the period of Khrushchev’s “thaw”. How many people then