Bunin, gentleman from San Francisco, direction. Test based on the story by I.A. Bunin "Mr. from San Francisco"

The story “The Gentleman from San Francisco” was written by Ivan Alekseevich Bunin, a great Russian poet and Nobel Prize laureate.

History of this creation literary masterpiece also originates in 1915. The author himself recalls that he was inspired to write the story by Thomas Mann’s book “The Death of Venice.”

Bunin first saw this book in a bookstore on Kuznetsky Most, but for some reason did not buy it.

According to the plot, the book describes the sudden death of a resident of the United States of America who came to the island of Capri.

At first it was called "Death on Capri". But then the author decided to change the title to “Mr. from San Francisco.”

Interesting Facts:

• The story was written by the author in the Vasilievsky village in the Oryol province.
• The author claims that it only took him 4 days to write the story.

Important! This was the first work to which the author paid special attention to writing.

According to his reviews, the story turned out incredible, because he thought through every detail to the smallest detail and was very emotional about all the events he wrote.

Summary

The plot of the text is divided into 2 parts:

1. The first part describes the events during the life of an elderly and wealthy entrepreneur who decided to go on a trip with his family to Capri.
2. The second part highlights the death of Mr. from a seizure and the main problems of the staff administration regarding hiding this tragedy from other guests.

Description of characters

The story turned out to be very moral and philosophical. He reminds a person that everything he has planned can be destroyed at any moment.

Note! This work very clearly conveys the character and mood of the main characters, who are described in great detail by the author in the text.

Character characteristics table:

In addition to the above characters, there are many in the story episodic characters, which detail goals and aspirations in life.

The image of the main character

Quotes from the story indicate a person's constant dissatisfaction, even when he is in a premium environment.

Psychological portrait of the main character:

1. Indifference to morality, lack of spirituality. The main character cannot be called cruel, but he does not accept the requests and problems of strangers.

   He exists in his own rich world, beyond which he is very afraid to go.

2. Limitation. A man without own opinion. Wealth imposed its own stereotypes of life on him, which are difficult not to obey.

Important! Main feature hero - narcissism.

Analysis and problem

Text analysis:

1. The main idea of ​​the story is that a person can lose his life in one moment, even if he has fabulous wealth.
2. Initially, determining the genre of writing a work is very difficult.

   But at the end of the story, we can conclude that this instructive story, indicating that fate is unpredictable and it is worth preparing for the most unforeseen situations.

3. The outline of the story can be indirectly divided into 2 parts: before and after the death of Mr.

   The first part is dominated by the features of indifference and willfulness of the protagonist, who does not take into account society. He is not loved, but respected for his many achievements in life.

In the second part, the hero dies, and respect for his person disappears.

The death occurs in a hotel, so the hotel manager immediately finds arguments and reasons for hiding the tragic incident from the public.

After death, other characters show fear for their position in society, neglecting the feelings and emotions of the widow.

From the epigraphs of the characters one can understand that the author wanted to highlight and highlight the following problems:

• The true importance of money.
• The purpose of man in the world.

Today the story is very popular. He enters school curriculum, so it is not forgotten.

Based on the work, schoolchildren write summaries, retellings, notes, and stage theatrical performances.

Many people think that the book is poorly received by teenagers, but this is not so. The work teaches you to take care and be grateful for what you have.

Reading this story makes you want to rethink your actions, become a more noble and kind person.

Today based on of this work films are being made. This is a very instructive story that could help many people.

Thanks to technical progress the work appears in audiobook format, which allows you to listen to it rather than read it.

Many literary critics We advise you to read the full edition rather than summary story in order to feel its full meaning and understand the images of the main characters.

The idea of ​​the work symbolizes the desire for respect and disdain life values for the sake of making money and personal pleasure.

Useful video

The genre of “The Gentleman from San Francisco” (1915) is a story, and his genre originality determined by social and philosophical issues.

Social problems are presented in the story as follows: Bunin debunks the power of wealth, showing the consequences of this power: social inequality of people, their alienation, imaginary respect for man. The comfortable steamship Atlantis, on which a wealthy American sails from the New World to Europe, depicts a model of Bunin's contemporary bourgeois society, where many people serve the rich passengers on the upper deck - the “masters of life,” as they believe. While the “masters of life” are dancing and having fun in luxurious salons, stokers are working in the engine room in a hellish roar, on the observation tower the sailors on watch are freezing from the cold and going blind from unbearable stress. At the beginning of the story, a gentleman from San Francisco smugly observes the obsequious services of all the employees in all the hotels where he stays. But after the death of the hero, this respectful helpfulness blows away like the wind: the bellhop Luigi imitates the dead American, and the owner of the Capri hotel, realizing that now big money There is no money to be made from the gentleman from San Francisco; he quickly escorts the sobbing widow and daughter out of his establishment.

The story of the gentleman from San Francisco becomes for the author an impetus for philosophical discussions about the values ​​of bourgeois civilization, about the meaning human life, about man’s short-sighted claims to dominance in the world, about the unknowability of nature, surrounding a person. In other words, the story presents diverse philosophical content.

Bunin reflects primarily on the purpose of life and tells the story of the main character, who, according to the author, lived his life incorrectly and uselessly. The gentleman from San Francisco devoted all his strength and talent to non-essential things. At the beginning of the story, the writer meaningfully mentions the previous life of the gentleman from San Francisco. He put all his strength and talents into earning a lot of capital. To achieve this, he mercilessly exploited hired workers (Chinese immigrants). True, the gentleman from San Francisco did not spare himself, he denied himself everything, so that his life, the author notes, could not be called life, but only existence. And so, at fifty-eight years old, the hero decided to rest, that is, like all rich Americans, to go on a long journey. Only now can he afford to live a life of pleasure: doing nothing, eating tasty and plentiful food, seeing all sorts of sights.

In the exhibition, Bunin talks in detail about the life of the rich on the ship: this is a long series of meals that ends with the main, solemn event of the day - lunch. The writer lists in detail all the various dishes that the rich public consumes, all the rare wines that they drink, all the beautiful dishes and furniture that surround passengers in the cabins and salons, all the jewelry that adorns “first-class” people, perfectly tailored men’s suits and dresses I'll give. The gentleman from San Francisco already looks like a thing made of ivory and gold: “his large teeth shone with gold fillings, his strong bald head shone with old ivory.”

And the dreams of the gentleman from San Francisco are described in detail by Bunin: in Naples to chase young girls, in Nice to watch car and sailing races, in Monte Carlo to play roulette, in Rome to watch a carnival and a service in the Vatican. So the author masterfully shows the outwardly respectable, but internally empty and insignificant life of an American rich man.

To earn capital at any cost, and then do nothing and live for your own pleasure - this is the goal to which the gentleman from San Francisco devoted all his strength and abilities. However, he chose, according to Bunin, the wrong goal. The American does not think at all about the end, about death, and yet death is already behind him. All his life he worshiped money, because he believed that everything in the world is sold and everything is bought, but this “master of life” turns out to be helpless before death, and here his big money no longer has any meaning.

As if in contrast to the gentleman from San Francisco, another hero appears in the story, another old man - the boatman Lorenzo, who does not put off life for later and does not save capital. Lorenzo lives by his labor, sensitively understands nature, constantly enjoys life, although his clothes are in rags and he smokes a simple clay pipe, and not an expensive Havana cigar.

The death of the American millionaire, who during his lifetime considered himself a very important person, changed almost nothing in the world around him; no social tragedy or catastrophe occurred. Only the evening for the guests of the hotel where the gentleman from San Francisco died was hopelessly ruined: instead of Carmella’s enticing dance, they saw an ugly scene of the old man’s death. This is how Bunin illustrates the philosophical idea about the continuity and unstoppability of life, about the insignificance of an individual human life in the face of eternal nature. The next morning, the dead millionaire was taken to the pier in a soda box, and the island of Capri lived its own life. ordinary life: bagpipers played hymns in honor Mother of God, the old women were driving donkeys to the hotel, on which rich tourists would go during the day to inspect the ruins of Tiberius’s villa, merchants on fish market laid out their goods, etc. Philosophical thought once again emphasizes the unstoppability of life ring composition story. At the beginning and at the end of the work, Bunin gives a description of “Atlantis” - a miracle modern technology and comfort. But if a gentleman from San Francisco travels to Europe in a cabin on the upper deck, then his body returns back in a hold that looks like hell.

Man, according to Bunin, is in vain to think that thanks to his scientific discoveries And creative achievements received power over nature: human life, according to Bunin, is only a moment in the life of nature; man has no power not only over nature, but also over own destiny. A gentleman from San Francisco planned out his life (to earn money, and then relax and enjoy wealth), but suddenly died, without ever beginning to live as he dreamed. In other words, pride modern man is not justified by anything: depicting “Atlantis” in the winter ocean, the author shows that the life of modern man, as before, hangs by a thread. Waves and wind mercilessly toss the huge ship, and passengers are saved from death in the cold waves only by the thin hull of the ship.

To summarize, it should be said that the main place in the story “Mr. from San Francisco” is occupied by philosophical reasoning, and social problems Bunin presents them only as a consequence of more general (timeless and even suprahuman) laws that reign in the world. Social characteristics The main character is also subordinated to universal humanity. Consequently, “The Mister from San Francisco” is a philosophical (and not social-philosophical) story in which the author comes to a tragic generalization, talking about the frailty of earthly life individual person and humanity in general and at the same time about the greatness and beauty of living life, the meaning of which “human words are powerless to express.”

The gentleman from San Francisco is clearly described satirically, because appearance The image of a respectable millionaire does not correspond to his unsightly essence - petty interests and primitive spiritual needs. Bunin constantly emphasizes character traits hero: self-confidence, cold callousness, limited interests. At the same time, the gentleman from San Francisco is the ideal of bourgeois society.

The author achieves a satirical effect when he omits all the individual characteristics of the hero (name, type of business, condition, life history). At the same time, Bunin very successfully chooses the tone of the narrative - imperturbable, no matter what the author is talking about. Accusatory pathos is uniquely combined in “The Gentleman from San Francisco” with a lyrical subtext that expresses the position of the author, standing, as it were, above his hero. The sad lyrical intonation softens the sharpness and harshness of the satirical social exposure in Bunin's story. Denunciation fades into the background, giving way to humanistic, philosophical view on the hero.

The main character of Bunin's story lived his life in anticipation of rest and pleasure; until a certain time, he worked, but did not live, but existed. All his plans to live were postponed for the future. Expensive outfits, treats, shows - everything that is appropriate for people with a high income accompanies the gentleman, but does not bring him any impressions or pleasure. The main characters of "Mr. from San Francisco" endure all the joys rich life calm and indifferent, this is the same necessity as following fashion for the sake of convenience.

Characteristics of the characters "Mr. from San Francisco"

Main characters

Minor characters

In the story, Bunin touches on the topic of the meaning of human life, the price of money and human happiness. A sharp contrast is created by the description of the journey before and after the death of the main character. At the end of the work "Mr. from San Francisco" the heroes mourn more about a spoiled trip, about a lost status, than about death loved one. Analysis of pictures of nature and the lives of those who continue their path, despite the death of a person, suggests the indifference of everything around him to his tragedy. The truth is cruel: for a person hanging out in a wooden box for a week in the hold, money and position do not play any role.

Work test

Ivan Alekseevich Bunin is known throughout the world as an outstanding poet and writer, who in his works, continuing the traditions of Russian literature, raises important questions, showing the tragedy of human existence. In his story “The Gentleman from San Francisco,” the famous writer shows the decline of the bourgeois world.

History of the story

The story of the great famous writer I.A. Bunin’s “Mr. from San Francisco” was first published in the popular collection “The Word”. This event took place in 1915. The writer himself told the story of writing this work in one of his essays. In the summer of that year, he was walking around Moscow and, passing along the Kuznetsky Bridge, stopped near the Gautier bookstore to carefully examine its window, where sellers usually displayed new or popular books. Ivan Alekseevich’s gaze lingered on one of the brochures on display. It was a book foreign writer Thomas Mann "Death in Venice".

Bunin noticed that this work had already been translated into Russian. But, after standing for several minutes and carefully examining the book, the writer never entered the bookstore and did not buy it. He will regret this many times later.

In the early autumn of 1915, he went to the Oryol province. In the village of Vasilyevskoye, Yeletsk district, the great writer lived cousin, with whom he often visited a lot, taking a break from the city noise and bustle. And now, being on his relative’s estate, he remembered the book he had seen in the capital. And then he remembered his vacation on Capra, when he stayed at the Kwisisana hotel. In this hotel at that time it happened sudden death some rich American. And suddenly Bunin wanted to write the book “Death on Capra.”

Working on a story

The story was written by the writer quickly, in just four days. Bunin himself describes this time as follows, when he wrote calmly and slowly:

“I’ll write a little, get dressed, take a loaded double-barreled shotgun, and walk through the garden to the threshing floor.” Bunin wrote: “I was excited and wrote, even through enthusiastic tears, only the place where the Zaponyars go and praise the Madonna.”

The writer changed the title of the story as soon as he wrote the first line of his work. This is how the name “Mr. from San Francisco” appeared. Initially, Ivan Alekseevich took the epigraph from the Apocalypse. It goes like this: “Woe to you, Babylon, strong city!” But already during the first republication this epigraph was removed by the writer himself.

Bunin himself claimed in his essay “The Origin of My Stories” that all the events of his work are fictitious. Researchers of Bunin's work claim that the writer did hard work, as he tried to get rid of pages of the story that contained edifying or journalistic elements, and also got rid of epithets and foreign words. This can be clearly seen from the manuscript, which has survived to this day.

A certain rich gentleman from San Francisco spent his entire life trying to achieve a certain position in society. And he was able to achieve this only when he became rich. All of my life in different ways he earned money, and finally, at 58 years old, he was able to deny himself and his family nothing. That's why he decided to go on a long journey.
A gentleman from San Francisco, whose name no one knew, goes with his family to the Old World for 2 years. His route was planned in advance by him:

✔ December, as well as January, is a visit to Italy;
✔ he will celebrate the carnival in Nice, and also in Monte Carlo;
✔ early March – visit to Florence;
✔ the passion of God is a visit to Rome.

And on the way back he was going to visit other countries and states: Venice, Paris, Seville, Egypt, Japan and others. But these plans fail to come true. First, on the huge ship "Atlantis", amidst fun and constant celebration, the gentleman's family sails to the shores of Italy, where they continue to enjoy everything that they could not afford before.

After being in Italy, they are transported to the island of Capri, where they check into an expensive hotel. Maids and servants were ready to serve them every minute, clean up after them and fulfill their every desire. They get good tips for it every time. That same evening, the gentleman sees a poster advertising beautiful dancer. Having learned from the servant that her partner is brother beauty, he decides to look after her a little. That's why for a long time dressing up in front of the mirror. But the tie squeezed his throat so tightly that he could hardly breathe. Having learned that his wife and daughter were not yet ready, he decided to wait for them downstairs, reading the newspaper or spending this time in pleasant communication.

The composition of the story is divided into two parts. The first part shows all the delights of the bourgeois world, and the second part is the result of the life that is led by people who decide to go through and experience all the sins. Therefore, the second compositional part begins from the moment when the gentleman without a name comes downstairs and picks up a newspaper to read. But at the same moment he falls to the floor and, wheezing, begins to die.

The servants and the innkeeper tried to provide him with a little help, but most of all they were afraid for their reputation, so they hastened to console their living clients. And the half-dead gentleman was moved to the poorest room. This room was dirty and dark. But the hotel owner refused the demands of his daughter and wife to move the gentleman to his apartment, because then he would no longer be able to rent out this room to anyone, and the rich residents, having learned about such a neighborhood, would simply run away.

This is how a rich gentleman without a name from San Francisco died in a poor and wretched environment. And neither the doctor nor his relatives - no one could help him at that moment. Only his adult daughter cried, as some kind of loneliness set in her soul. Soon the protagonist’s wheezing subsided, and the owner immediately asked the relatives to remove the body before the morning, otherwise the reputation of their establishment could suffer greatly. The wife started talking about the coffin, but no one on the island could make it so quickly. Therefore, it was decided to take out the body in a long box in which it was transported soda water and removing partitions from it.

On a small ship they transported both the coffin and the gentleman’s family, who were no longer treated with the same respect as before, to Italy and there they were loaded into the dark and damp hold of the steamship Atlantis, on which the journey of the gentleman without a name and his family began . Having experienced many humiliations, the old man’s body returned to its homeland, and on the upper decks the fun continued, and no one cared at all that there, below, stood a small coffin with the body of a gentleman from San Francisco. A person’s life also ends quickly, leaving either memories or emptiness in people’s hearts.

Characteristics of the gentleman from San Francisco

The writer does not specifically indicate the name of the main character, since his character is a fictitious person. But still, you can learn a lot about him from the entire narrative:

Elderly American;
he is 58 years old;
rich;
he has a wife;
The hero also has an adult daughter.

Bunin gives a description of it appearance: “Dry, low, poorly cut, but tightly sewn, polished to a gloss and moderately lively.” But the writer then moves on to more detailed description hero: “There was something Mongolian in his yellowish face with a trimmed silver mustache, his large teeth glittered with gold fillings, and his strong bald head was old ivory.”

The gentleman with no name from San Francisco was hardworking person and quite purposeful, since he once set himself the goal of getting rich and worked hard all these years until he achieved his goal. It turns out that he did not even live, but existed, thinking only about work. But in his dreams, he always imagined how he would go on vacation and enjoy all the benefits, having prosperity.

And so, when he achieved everything, he went with his family to travel. And here he began to drink and eat a lot, but also visited brothels. He stays only in the best hotels and gives such tips that the servants surround him with attention and care. But he dies without realizing his dream. A rich gentleman without a name goes back to his homeland, but in a coffin and in a dark hold, where he is no longer given any honors.

Story Analysis

Force Bunin's story, of course, is contained not in the plot, but in the images that he painted. Frequent images are symbols that appear in the story:

★ The stormy sea is like a wide field.
★ The captain's image is like an idol.
★ A dancing couple of lovers who were hired to pretend to be in love. They symbolize the falsehood and rottenness of this bourgeois world.
★ The ship on which a rich gentleman without a name is sailing from San Francisco to an amusing trip, then he takes his body back. So this ship is a symbol of human life. This ship symbolizes human sins, which most often accompany rich people.

But as soon as the life of such a person ends, these people become completely indifferent to the misfortune of others.
The external imagery that Bunin uses in his work makes the plot more dense and rich.

Criticism about the story of I.A. Bunin

This work was highly appreciated by writers and critics. Thus, Maxim Gorky said that he read the new work of his favorite writer with great trepidation. He hastened to report this in a letter to Bunin in 1916.

Thomas Mann wrote in his diary that “in his moral power and strict plasticity he can be placed next to some of the most significant works Tolstoy - with “Polykushka”, with “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”.

Critics noted this story by the writer Bunin as his most outstanding work. It was said that this story helped the writer achieve highest point of its development.

The story "Mr. from San Francisco" begins with the journey of a certain man and his family. The author does not mention the name of the hero intentionally. This collective image. The only thing that becomes clear to the reader is that the man is quite wealthy and is now going on vacation. He is 58 years old, but, in his opinion, he is just beginning to live. The man believes that he deserves a rest because he worked hard. The author clarifies that the hero has many hired workers under his command, with whose hands he made his fortune. The gentleman from San Francisco has plans to visit many countries, sightseeing and other places where he can have a good rest and indulge in gluttony. You will find out whether his dreams came true by reading the summary. "The Man from San Francisco" is a story that has received worldwide acclaim and is certainly worth reading.

"Atlantis"

The whole family from San Francisco sets sail on a ship called Atlantis. It is a huge hotel on the water, on the upper decks of which guests have fun, dance, eat, listen to music and simply enjoy life, while dirty and hard work is in full swing in the holds. The entire work “Mr. from San Francisco” is based on such oppositions. The heroes of the story are the head of the family himself, his middle-aged wife and their daughter of marriageable age. The girl is already at the age when she urgently needs to get married, so her parents go on a trip with the hope of finding her a decent match along the way in the form of some billionaire.

The entire situation on the ship is well described by the summary. A gentleman from San Francisco completely devotes himself to relaxation and has no idea what this journey will lead to.

Every day on the ship begins and ends the same. In the morning they get up early, when it is still dark, drink hot chocolate and coffee, then do gymnastics to awaken their appetite, after which they calmly go for their first breakfast. Then they walk along the decks, have fun playing games, and wait for second breakfast. After the next meal, it’s time to relax and enjoy the views of the ocean, and it all ends with tea. The crowning achievement of every evening is dinner. This is a special time when the best orchestra plays for the guests of the ship, and exquisite drinks are served on the tables. Ladies and their gentlemen wear chic dresses and tuxedos.

When the time comes to dance, all eyes are focused every evening on one loving couple who does not hide their feelings. And only one commander of the ship, a heavyset man with a red beard, who appears in front of guests very rarely, knows that this couple is just actors hired to create a romantic atmosphere on board. A brief summary will tell you what happened next. The gentleman from San Francisco and his family are enjoying their trip and indulge in relaxation and pleasure.

Crown Prince

Life on the ship flows smoothly and measuredly. Suddenly a new guest steps on board and attracts everyone's attention. This is the crown prince who has unusual appearance. His skin, as if varnished, has a yellowish tint. And with all his appearance he resembles a dead man.

The daughter of the gentleman from San Francisco was immediately introduced to the prince, and in her heart flashed tender feelings in relation to him, or rather, to his condition.

A description of all the details of the work contains the summary presented here. "The Mister from San Francisco" is a story filled with many references to the theme of death.

Naples

A family from San Francisco comes ashore in Naples. Life becomes measured again, starting with breakfast and ending with dinner and entertainment. However, the weather lets our travelers down. It rains all the time and spoils the mood and rest. They decide to change their location and go to Capri on a small boat. A family from San Francisco suffers from seasickness all the way, so they arrive at their destination exhausted and sick.

Island of Capri

Sorrento welcomes new guests with some excitement. A crowd of people gather at the funicular site, ready at any time to offer their services for a small fee. And they are all looking forward to our heroes, who stand out among the rest of the newcomers.

Relationships between different people financial situation in his story touches on I.A. Bunin. The gentleman from San Francisco, accustomed to the constant helpfulness of people, perceives everything that happens without much gratitude.

Finally the family reaches the hotel. Everything is as usual there. They are provided with one of best rooms and a team of the most efficient and polite servants.

Fatal evening

After arrival, all family members begin their preparations for dinner. After taking a bath and putting on a tailcoat that was choking him, the gentleman from San Francisco goes out to the library. There he sits down in a chair and opens the newspaper to view the latest news. Suddenly he feels bad, the lines float before his eyes, and he falls. If it weren’t for the German who also came here for a portion of the latest news, no one would have guessed what exactly happened here. The servants would quickly take the gentleman from San Francisco to the farthest room in order not to make this most unpleasant incident public. However, the German panics, and the incident turns out to be known to all the guests.

The dying gentleman from San Francisco is taken by servants to the worst room, which is dark and damp, and placed on an iron bed. Soon his wife and daughter come running, both excited and tearful, but it’s too late. What everyone feared happened. Our hero has died.

And everyone will be rewarded according to their sins...

The wife of the deceased is refused a request to move the gentleman from San Francisco back to their room. The hotel owner wants to get rid of the body as quickly as possible, so he doesn’t even give him the opportunity to wait until they make the simplest coffin. The deceased is placed in an old soda box and sent on the same ship to Return trip. The only difference is that he arrived here on the upper deck, surrounded by numerous guests, and from here he is sent in deep solitude in a dark hold. On this sad note, I. A. Bunin ends his story. “Mr. from San Francisco” is a work about the meaning of life; it serves as a kind of reminder to all living people that death is not chosen based on the principle of material well-being.