Full analysis of the story by the gentleman from San Francisco. Analysis of the story and
A person is brought up by society, throughout his life he builds his relationships with other people, plays certain roles in society social roles. A person’s merits, respect for him and his memory are determined by the benefit he brought to society.
The name of the main character I.A. “Nobody remembered Bunin’s “The Gentleman from San Francisco” either in Naples or Capri,” and the author himself did not give the name of his hero. There were at least two reasons for this.
Firstly, it is a collective image that characterizes the behavior not of one specific person, but of an established social type.
A successful American entrepreneur spent years increasing his capital. Until he was fifty-eight years old, “he did not live, but only existed, ... pinning all his hopes on the future.” As a reward to himself for his long work, he undertook trip around the world with a visit famous places world, with all possible entertainment, luxury and gluttony. In this he believed the true enjoyment of life.
The gentleman from San Francisco had no doubt that wealth gave him the right to feel superior to those who, for a generous fee, provided his comfort: the numerous servants of the Atlantis steamship and hotels, sailors, guides, porters, dancers and musicians.
It seemed that even the inclement weather was to blame for not providing the trip experience he had hoped for. Dissatisfied, he “thought with melancholy and anger about all these greedy, garlic-smelling little people called Italians.”
The sudden death of a gentleman from San Francisco in a hotel in Capri darkened the mood of the guests for the whole evening. His family had to immediately make sure that “respect for them was completely lost,” since for the owner the reputation of the hotel was much more important than “those trifles that those who came from San Francisco could now leave in his box office.” In a society where everything is determined by the client’s ability to pay, one cannot count on human relations, and the gentleman’s body was sent on its last journey in a soda water box.
The second reason why the gentleman from San Francisco remained nameless is that he did not leave any memory of himself good deeds. He treated ordinary people with contempt and used all his wealth to satisfy his own base whims. However, he was never completely satisfied and happy, did not try to sort out his feelings, did not indulge in reflection.
Much happier, in my opinion, was the boatman Lorenzo, “a carefree reveler and handsome man, famous throughout Italy, who more than once served as a model for many painters.” Having earned only enough to last the day, he stood calmly in the market, “looking around with a regal demeanor, showing off with his rags, a clay pipe and a red wool beret pulled down over one ear.” Lorenzo - cameo character story, depicted in a few lines by the author so brightly, picturesquely, cheerfully, as if to prove that for internal harmony it is not necessary to have a lot of money. Lorenzo attracts the attention of artists because he is integral, real, natural, and is perceived as an integral part of the surrounding world, the people of Italy and its beautiful landscapes.
The story "Mr. from San Francisco" has philosophical meaning. Disappointment awaits those who believe that success in society, universal respect and happiness are achieved through the accumulation of wealth. During their lifetime, such people only cause wariness and envy among some, and then they are quickly forgotten about.
Updated: 2017-12-14
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Probably the first thing that catches your eye when reading this work by Bunin is the biblical and mythological associations. Why “from San Francisco?” Are there really few cities in America where a fifty-eight-year-old gentleman could have been born and lived his life, going to travel around Europe, and before that working “tirelessly” (in this definition, Bunin has a barely noticeable irony: what kind of “work” was that? - the Chinese knew well, “whom he hired thousands of to work with him”; a modern author would write not about work, but about “exploitation,” but Bunin, a subtle stylist, prefers that the reader himself guess the nature of this “labor”). . Is it because the city is named after the famous Christian saint Francis of Assisi, who preached extreme poverty, asceticism, and renunciation of any property? Doesn’t it thus become more obvious, in contrast to his poverty, the irrepressible desire of the nameless gentleman (hence, one of many) to enjoy everything in life, and to enjoy it aggressively, persistently, in the absolute confidence that he has every right to do so? As the writer notes, the gentleman from San Francisco was constantly accompanied by “a crowd of those whose duty it was to receive” him with dignity. And “it was like this everywhere...” And the gentleman from San Francisco is firmly convinced that it should have always been like this.
Only already in the very latest edition, shortly before his death, Bunin removed the significant epigraph that had always previously opened this story: “Woe to you, Babylon, strong city.” He removed it, perhaps, because these words, taken from the Apocalypse, a New Testament book prophesying the end of the world, telling about the city of vice and debauchery Babylon, seemed to him too openly expressing his attitude towards what was described. But he left the name of the ship on which the American rich man is sailing with his wife and daughter to Europe - “Atlantis,” as if wanting to once again remind readers of the doom of existence, the main content of which was the passion for pleasure. And as it arises detailed description the daily routine of those traveling on this ship - “they got up early, with the sounds of trumpets, sharply heard along the corridors even at that gloomy hour, when the light was so slowly and inhospitably over the gray-green water desert, heavily agitated in the fog; putting on flannel pajamas, drinking coffee, chocolate, cocoa; then they sat in the baths, did gymnastics, stimulating appetite and good health, performed daily toilets and went to the first breakfast; until eleven o'clock they were supposed to walk cheerfully on the deck, breathing in the cold freshness of the ocean, or play sheffle board and other games to whet their appetite again, and at eleven they had to refresh themselves with sandwiches with broth; having refreshed themselves, they read the newspaper with pleasure and calmly waited for the second breakfast, even more nutritious and varied than the first; the next two hours were devoted to rest; all the decks were then filled with long reed chairs, on which travelers lay, covered with blankets, looking at the cloudy sky and at the foamy mounds flashing overboard, or sweetly dozing off; at five o'clock, refreshed and cheerful, they were given strong fragrant tea with cookies; at seven they announced with trumpet signals what was the main goal of this existence, its crown...” - the feeling grows that we are looking at a description of Belshazzar’s feast. This feeling is all the more real because the “crown” of each day was indeed a luxurious dinner-feast, followed by dancing, flirting and other joys of life.
And there is a feeling that, as at the feast organized, according to biblical legend, by the last Babylonian king Belshazzar on the eve of the capture of the city of Babylon by the Persians, on the wall will be inscribed by a mysterious hand incomprehensible words, fraught with a hidden threat: “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPARSIN.” Then, in Babylon, only the Jewish sage Daniel could decipher them, who explained that they contained a prediction of the death of the city and the division Babylonian kingdom between the conquerors. And so it soon happened. In Bunin, this formidable warning is present in the form of the incessant roar of the ocean, raising its huge waves behind the side of the steamer, a snow blizzard swirling above it, darkness covering the entire space around, the howl of a siren, which constantly “howled with hellish gloom and squealed with frantic anger " Just as scary are the “living monster” - the gigantic shaft in the belly of the steamship, which ensures its movement, and the “hellish furnaces” of its underworld, in the hot mouth of which unknown forces bubble, and sweaty dirty people with reflections of crimson flame on their faces. But just as those feasting in Babylon do not see these menacing words, so the inhabitants of the ship do not hear these simultaneously wailing and clanging sounds: they are drowned out by the melodies of a beautiful orchestra and the thick walls of the cabins. As the same alarming omen, but addressed not to all the inhabitants of the ship, but to one gentleman from San Francisco, his “recognition” of the owner of a hotel in Capri: “exactly this” elegant young man “with a mirror image” can be perceived combed head" last night he saw in a dream...
It is surprising that Bunin, who was always famous for not resorting, unlike Chekhov, to repeating details, in this case repeatedly uses the technique of repetition, exacerbation of the same actions, situations, details. He is not satisfied with telling in detail about the daily routine on the ship. With the same care, the writer lists everything that travelers do upon arriving in Naples. This is again the first and second breakfasts, visits to museums and ancient churches, an obligatory climb up the mountain, five-hour tea at the hotel, a hearty dinner in the evening... Everything here is calculated and programmed, just like in the life of the gentleman from San Francisco, who is already ahead for two years he knows where and what awaits him. In the south of Italy he will enjoy the love of young Neapolitan women, in Nice - admire the carnival, in Monte Carlo - participate in car and sailing races and play roulette, in Florence and Rome - listen to church masses, and then visit Athens, Palestine, Egypt and even Japan.
However, these very interesting and attractive things in themselves do not contain genuine joy for the people who use them. Bunin emphasizes the mechanical nature of their behavior. They did not enjoy, but “had the custom of beginning the enjoyment of life” with one activity or another; they apparently have no appetite, and it must be stimulated, they do not stroll along the deck, but they are supposed to walk briskly, they must perch on small gray donkeys, exploring the surroundings, they do not choose museums, but they are always shown someone’s “certainly the famous “Descent from the Cross”. Even the captain of the ship does not appear as Living being, but as a “huge idol” in his embroidered gold uniform. This is how the writer makes his noble and wealthy heroes captives of a golden cage, in which they imprisoned themselves and in which they carefreely remain for the time being, unaware of the approaching future... This future has so far awaited only one gentleman from San Francisco among them . And this future was Death!
The melody of death begins to sound latently from the very first pages of the work, quietly creeping up on the hero, but gradually becoming the leading motive. At first, death is extremely aestheticized and picturesque: in Monte Carlo, one of the favorite pastimes of rich idlers is “shooting pigeons, which soar very beautifully from cages over the emerald lawn, against the backdrop of a sea the color of forget-me-nots, and immediately hit the ground with white lumps.” (Bunin is generally characterized by the aestheticization of things that are usually unsightly, which should rather frighten than attract the observer. Well, who else but him could write about the “slightly powdered, delicate pink pimples near the lips and between the shoulder blades” on the daughter of a gentleman from San Francisco, compare the whites the eyes of blacks with “flaking hard balls” or calling a young man in a narrow tailcoat with long tails “a handsome man who looks like a huge leech”!) Then a hint of death appears in the description of the portrait of the crown prince of one of the Asian states, a sweet and pleasant person in general, whose mustache, however, “showed through, like a dead man’s,” and the skin on his face was “as if stretched.” And the siren on the ship is choking in “mortal melancholy,” promising evil, and the museums are cold and “deadly pure,” and the ocean is moving with “mourning mountains of silver foam” and hums like a “funeral mass.”
But the breath of death is felt even more clearly in the appearance of the main character, in which yellow-black-silver tones prevail: a yellowish face, gold fillings in the teeth, an ivory-colored skull. Cream silk underwear, black socks, trousers, and a tuxedo complete his look. And he sits in the golden-pearl glow of the dining hall. And it seems that from him these colors spread to nature and the entire world around us. Except that an alarming red color has been added. It is clear that the ocean is rolling its black waves, that crimson flames are escaping from its furnaces; It is natural that Italian women have black hair, that the rubber capes of cab drivers give off a black look, and the crowd of footmen is “black,” and musicians may have red jackets. But why is the beautiful island of Capri also approaching “with its blackness,” “drilled with red lights,” why even “humble waves” shimmer like “black oil,” and “golden boas” flow along them from the lit lanterns on the pier?
Thus, Bunin creates in the reader an idea of the omnipotence of the gentleman from San Francisco, capable of suppressing even the beauty of nature. In the poem “Retribution,” Blok wrote about the “dark” years of Russia, when the evil genius of Pobedonostsev “stretched out his owl’s wings” over it, plunging the country into darkness. Isn’t that how the gentleman from San Francisco spreads his wings of evil over the whole world? After all, even sunny Naples is not illuminated by the sun while this American is there, and the island of Capri seems like some kind of ghost, “as if it never existed in the world,” when he approaches it...
And Bunin needs all this to prepare the reader for climax narrative - the death of the hero, which he does not think about, the thought of which does not penetrate his consciousness at all. And what kind of surprise can there be in this programmed world, where formal dressing for dinner is done in such a way as if a person is preparing for a crown (i.e., the happy pinnacle of his life), where there is a cheerful smartness, albeit middle-aged, but well-shaven and still a very elegant man who so easily overtakes an old woman who is late for dinner? Bunin has only one detail in store, which “stands out” from a series of well-rehearsed actions and movements: when a gentleman from San Francisco gets dressed for dinner, the neck cuff does not obey his fingers, it does not want to be fastened... But he still defeats it , painfully biting “the flabby skin in the recess under the Adam’s apple,” wins “with eyes shining from tension,” “all gray from the tight collar squeezing his throat.” And suddenly at that moment he utters words that in no way fit with the atmosphere of general contentment, with the delight that he was prepared to receive. “Oh, this is terrible! - he muttered, and repeated with conviction: “This is terrible...” What exactly turned out to be terrible in this world designed for pleasure, the gentleman from San Francisco, not used to thinking about the unpleasant, never tried to understand. However, it is amazing that before this an American who spoke mainly English or Italian (his Russian remarks are very short and are perceived as “passing”) repeats this word twice in Russian... By the way, it is generally worth noting his abrupt, as if barking speech : He doesn't say more than two or three words at a time.
“Terrible” was in fact the first touch of Death, which was never realized by a person in whose soul “for a long time there were no longer... any mystical feelings left.” After all, as Bunin writes, the intense rhythm of his life did not leave “time for feelings and reflection.” However, some feelings, or rather sensations, were still there, however, the simplest, if not base... The writer repeatedly points out that the gentleman from San Francisco perks up only at the mention of the tarantella performer (his question asked “in an expressionless voice ”, about her partner: isn’t he her husband? - this just reveals hidden excitement), only imagining how she, “swarthy, with feigned eyes, looking like a mulatto, in a flowery outfit” dances, only anticipating “the love of young Neapolitan women, albeit not entirely disinterested,” only admiring the “living pictures” in brothels or looking so openly at the famous blonde beauty that his daughter becomes embarrassed. He feels despair only when he begins to suspect that life is slipping out of his control: he came to Italy to enjoy himself, but here there is fog, rain and terrifying pitching... But he is given the pleasure of dreaming about a spoonful of soup and a sip of wine.
And for this, and also for his entire life, in which there was self-confident efficiency, and cruel exploitation of other people, and endless accumulation of wealth, and the conviction that everyone around was called to serve him, to prevent his slightest desires, to carry his things, for lack of any living principle, Bunin executes him. And he executes cruelly, one might say, mercilessly.
The death of the gentleman from San Francisco is shocking in its ugliness and repulsive physiology. Now the writer makes full use of the aesthetic category of “ugly” so that a disgusting picture is forever imprinted in our memory when “his neck tensed, his eyes bulged, his pince-nez flew off his nose... He rushed forward, wanted to take a breath of air - and wheezed wildly; his lower jaw fell off..., his head fell on his shoulder and began to roll... - and his whole body, wriggling, lifting the carpet with his heels, crawled to the floor, desperately struggling with someone. But this was not the end: “... He was still fighting. He persistently fought against death, he never wanted to succumb to it, which had so unexpectedly and roughly fallen on him. He shook his head, wheezed as if he had been stabbed to death, rolled his eyes as if drunk...” The hoarse bubbling continued to be heard from him. chest and later, when he was already lying on a cheap iron bed, under rough woolen blankets, dimly lit by a single light bulb, Bunin spares no repulsive details to recreate the picture of the pathetic, disgusting death of a once powerful man whom no amount of wealth can save from subsequent humiliation. And only when a particular gentleman from San Francisco disappears, and in his place “someone else” appears, overshadowed by the greatness of death, the writer allows himself a few details that emphasize the significance of what happened: “slowly... pallor flowed over the face of the deceased, and the features it began to become thinner and brighter.” And later, the dead person is given genuine communication with nature, which he was deprived of, which he never felt the need for while alive. We remember well what the gentleman from San Francisco strived for and what he “aimed” at for the rest of his life. Now, in a cold and empty room, “the stars looked at him from the sky, the cricket sang with sad carefreeness on the wall.”
It seems that in depicting the further humiliations that accompanied the posthumous earthly “being” of the gentleman from San Francisco, Bunin even comes into conflict with the truth of life. The reader may have a question: why, for example, does a hotel owner consider the money that the wife and daughter of a deceased guest could give him in gratitude for transferring the body to the bed of a luxurious room as a trifle? Why does he lose the remnants of respect for them and even allows himself to “besiege” Madame when she begins to demand what is rightfully due to her? Why is he in such a hurry to “say goodbye” to the body, without even giving his loved ones the opportunity to purchase a coffin? And now, by his order, the body of the gentleman from San Francisco turns out to be immersed in a long soda box of English water, and at dawn, secretly, a drunken cab driver rushes down to the pier in order to hastily load it onto a small steamer, which will transfer its burden to one from port warehouses, after which it will again end up on Atlantis. And there the black, tarred coffin will be hidden deep in the hold, in which it will remain until returning home.
But such a state of affairs is really possible in a world where Death is perceived as something shameful, obscene, “unpleasant”, violating the orderly order, like moveton (bad taste, bad upbringing), capable of ruining the mood, unsettling. It is no coincidence that the writer chooses a verb that should not be consistent with the word death: done. “If there had been a German in the reading room, not a single soul of the guests would have known what he had done.” Consequently, death in the perception of these people is something that needs to be “hushed up”, hidden, otherwise “offended persons”, claims and a “ruined evening” cannot be avoided. That is why the hotel owner is in such a hurry to get rid of the deceased, that in the world of distorted ideas about what is proper and what is not proper, about what is decent and what is indecent (it is indecent to die like this, at the wrong time, but it is decent to invite an elegant couple to “play love for good money”, pleasing the eyes satiated loafers; you can hide the body in a bottle box, but you cannot allow guests to disturb their exercise). The writer persistently emphasizes the fact that, were it not for the unwanted witness, the well-trained servants “instantly, in reverse, would have rushed away by the legs and head of the master from San Francisco to hell,” and everything would have gone as usual. And now the owner has to apologize to the guests for the inconvenience: he had to cancel the tarantella and turn off the electricity. He even makes promises that are monstrous from a human point of view, saying that he will take “all measures in his power to eliminate the trouble.” (Here we can once again be convinced of the subtle irony of Bunin, who manages to convey the terrible conceit of a modern man, convinced that he can do something to oppose the inexorable death, which is in his power to “correct” the inevitable.)
The writer “rewarded” his hero with such a terrible, unenlightened death in order to once again emphasize the horror of that unrighteous life, which only could end in such a way. And indeed, after the death of the gentleman from San Francisco, the world felt relief. A miracle happened. The very next day the morning “got rich” blue sky, “peace and tranquility returned to the island,” ordinary people poured into the streets, and the city market was graced with the presence of the handsome Lorenzo, who serves as a model for many painters and, as it were, symbolizes beautiful Italy. Everything about him is in stark contrast to the gentleman from San Francisco, although he is also an old man, just like that one! And his calmness (he can stand in the market from morning to evening), and his disinterestedness (“he brought and already sold for next to nothing two lobsters caught at night”), and the fact that he is a “carefree reveler” (his idleness gains moral value compared to the American's fussy readiness to consume pleasure). He has “royal habits,” while the slowness of the gentleman from San Francisco seems retarded, and he does not need to dress or preen himself specially: his rags are picturesque, and his red woolen beret, as always, is pulled jauntily over his ear.
But the peaceful procession from the mountain heights of two Abruzzese highlanders confirms the grace that has descended on the world to an even greater extent. Bunin deliberately slows down the pace of the narrative so that the reader can discover and enjoy the panorama of Italy with them: “... the whole country, joyful, beautiful, sunny, stretched beneath them: and the rocky humps of the island, which almost all lay at their feet, and that fabulous blue in which he swam, and the shining morning steam over the sea to the east, under the dazzling sun, which was already warming hotly, rising higher and higher, and the foggy azure, still unsteady in the morning, massifs of Italy, its near and distant mountains.” The stop along the way that these two people make is also important - in front of the snow-white statue of the Madonna, illuminated by the sun, wearing a crown, golden-rust from the weather. To her, the “immaculate intercessor of all those who suffer,” they offer “humbly joyful praises.” Ho and the sun. And in the morning. Bunin makes his characters half-Christian, half-pagan, children of nature, pure and naive. And this stop, which turns an ordinary descent from the mountain into a long journey, also makes it meaningful (again, in contrast to the meaningless accumulation of impressions that should have crowned the journey of the gentleman from San Francisco).
Bunin openly embodies his aesthetic ideal in ordinary people. Even before this apotheosis of natural, chaste, religious life, which appears shortly before the end of the story, his admiration for the naturalness and clarity of their existence was visible. Firstly, almost all of them received the honor of being named. Unlike the nameless Mr., his wife, Mrs., his daughter, Miss, as well as the impassive owner of the hotel in Capri, the captain of the ship - the servants, the dancers have names! Carmella and Giuseppe dance the tarantella superbly, Luigi imitates it bitingly English speech deceased, and old Lorenzo allows visiting foreigners to admire him. But it is also important that death has brought the arrogant gentleman from San Francisco on an equal footing with mere mortals: in the hold of the ship he is next to the infernal machines, serviced by naked people “drenched in acrid, dirty sweat.”
But Bunin is not so clear as to limit himself to a direct contrast of the horrors of capitalist civilization with the modesty of simple life. With the death of the gentleman, social evil disappeared from San Francisco, but cosmic, indestructible evil remained, the one whose existence is eternal because the Devil is vigilantly watching over it. Bunin, who is usually not inclined to resort to symbols and allegories (the exception is his stories created in turn of the 19th century and XX centuries, - “Pass”, “Fog”, “Velga”, “Hope”, where romantic symbols of faith in the future, overcoming, perseverance, etc. arose), here the Devil himself perched on the rocks of Gibraltar, keeping his eyes on from a ship leaving into the night, and “by the way” I remembered a man who lived on Capri two thousand years ago, “indescribably vile in satisfying his lust and for some reason had power over millions of people, inflicting cruelties on them beyond all measure.”
According to Bunin, social evil can be temporarily eliminated - whoever was “everything” became “nothing”, what was “above” turned out to be “below”, but cosmic evil, embodied in the forces of nature, historical realities, is irremovable. And the guarantee of this evil is the darkness, the vast ocean, the furious blizzard, through which the persistent and majestic ship heavily passes, on which the social hierarchy is still preserved: below are the mouths of hellish furnaces and slaves chained to them, above are elegant, lush halls, endlessly lasting a ball, a multilingual crowd, the bliss of languid melodies...
But Bunin does not paint this world as socially two-dimensional; for him, there are not only exploiters and exploited in it. The writer is not creating a socially accusatory work, but a philosophical parable, and therefore he makes a small amendment. Above all, above the luxurious cabins and halls, lives the “overweight driver of the ship,” the captain, he “sits” above the entire ship in “cozy and dimly lit chambers.” And he is the only one who knows for certain about what is happening: about a pair of lovers hired for money, about a dark cargo that is at the bottom of the ship. He is the only one who hears “the heavy howls of a siren, suffocated by the storm” (for everyone else, as we remember, it is drowned out by the sounds of the orchestra), and this worries him, but he calms himself down, pinning his hopes on technology, on the achievements of civilization, just like those on the boat believe in him, convinced that he has “power” over the ocean. After all, the ship is “huge”, it is “steadfast, solid, majestic and terrible”, it was built by the New Man (these capital letters used by Bunin to designate both man and the Devil are noteworthy!), and behind the wall of the captain’s cabin there is a radio room where the telegraph operator receives any signals from any part of the world. In order to confirm the “omnipotence” of the “pale-faced telegraph operator,” Bunin creates a kind of halo around his head - a metal half-hoop. And to complete the impression, it fills the room with “a mysterious hum, trembling and dry crackling of blue lights bursting around...”. But before us is a false saint, just like the captain - not a commander, not a driver, not a god, but just a “pagan idol” that they are used to worshiping. Their omnipotence is false, just as the whole civilization is false, covering up its own weakness with external attributes of fearlessness and strength, persistently driving away thoughts of the end. It is as false as all this tinsel splendor of luxury and wealth, which are unable to save a person either from death, or from the dark depths of the ocean, or from universal melancholy, a symptom of which can be considered the fact that the charming couple, perfectly demonstrating boundless happiness, “has long been bored ... pretend to suffer with your blissful torment.” The terrible mouth of the underworld, in which “forces terrible in their concentration” bubble, is open and awaits its victims. What forces did Bunin have in mind? Perhaps this is also the anger of the enslaved - it is no coincidence that Bunin emphasized the contempt with which the gentleman from San Francisco perceives the real people of Italy: “greedy, garlic-smelling little people” living in “pathetic, moldy stone houses, stuck on top of each other near the water, near the boats, near some rags, tins and brown nets.” But, undoubtedly, this is a technique that is ready to get out of control, only creating the illusion of safety: it is not for nothing that the captain is forced to reassure himself with the proximity of the telegraph operator’s cabin, which in fact only looks “as if armored.”
Perhaps the only thing (besides the chastity of the natural world of nature and people close to it) that can counter the pride of the New Man with an old heart is youth. After all, the only living person among the puppets inhabiting ships, hotels, and resorts is the daughter of a gentleman from San Francisco. And even though she doesn’t have a name either, it’s for a completely different reason than her father. In this character, for Bunin, everything that distinguishes youth from the satiety and fatigue brought by the years has merged. She is all about the anticipation of love, on the eve of those happy meetings when it doesn’t matter whether your chosen one is good or bad, what matters is that he is standing next to you and you “listen to him and from excitement do not understand what he ... says,” you are thrilled by the “inexplicable charm,” but at the same time you stubbornly “pretend that you are looking intently into the distance.” (Bunin clearly demonstrates condescension towards such behavior, stating that “it doesn’t matter what exactly awakens a girl’s soul - whether it’s money, fame, or nobility of the family” - what’s important is that it is capable of awakening.) The girl almost falls into fainting when it seems to her that she saw the crown prince of an Asian state she liked, although it is known for certain that he cannot be here at this moment. She is capable of becoming embarrassed, intercepting the indiscreet glances with which her father sees off the beauties. And the innocent frankness of her clothing clearly contrasts with the only youthful attire of her father and the rich attire of her mother. Only her heart is squeezed by melancholy when her father confesses to her that in a dream he saw a man who looked like the owner of a hotel in Capri, and at that moment she is visited by “a feeling of terrible loneliness.” And only she sobs bitterly, realizing that her father is dead (her mother’s tears immediately dry up as soon as she receives a rebuff from the owner of the hotel).
In exile, Bunin creates the parable “Youth and Old Age,” which sums up his thoughts about the life of a person who has taken the path of profit and acquisition.
“God created heaven and earth... Then God created man and said to man: you, man, will live thirty years in the world - you will live well, you will rejoice, you will think that God created and made everything in the world for you alone . Are you happy with this? And the man thought: it’s so good, but only thirty years of life! Oh, not enough... Then God created a donkey and said to the donkey: you will carry waterskins and packs, people will ride on you and beat you on the head with a stick. Are you satisfied with this time frame? And the donkey burst into tears, cried and said to God: why do I need so much? God give me just fifteen years of life. “And give me fifteen more,” the man said to God, “please, add from his share!” - And so God did, he agreed. And the man had forty-five years of life... Then God created a dog and also gave it thirty years of life. You, God told the dog, will always live angry, you will guard the master’s wealth, you will not trust anyone else, you will lie to passers-by, you will not sleep at night from worry. And... the dog even howled: oh, I’ll have half of this life! And again the man began to ask God: add this half to me too! And again God added to him... Well, and then God created a monkey, gave it also thirty years of life and said that it would live without work and without care, only it would have a very ugly face... bald, wrinkled, bare eyebrows they climb on her forehead, and everyone... will try to get people to look at her, and everyone will laugh at her... And she refused, asked for only half... And the man begged for this half... The man is his own He lived like a human being for thirty years - he ate, drank, fought in war, danced at weddings, loved young women and girls. And he worked for fifteen donkey years and accumulated wealth. And fifteen dogs took care of their wealth, kept lying and getting angry, and didn’t sleep at night. And then he became so ugly and old, like that monkey. And everyone shook their heads and laughed at his old age...”
The story “Mr. from San Francisco” can be considered a full-blooded canvas of life, later folded into the tight rings of the parable “Youth and Old Age”. But it already pronounces a harsh sentence on the donkey man, the dog man, the ape man, and most of all, on the New Man with an old heart, who established cruel laws on earth, on the entire earthly civilization, which shackled itself in the shackles of false morality.
In the spring of 1912, news spread throughout the world about the collision of the largest passenger ship, the Titanic, with an iceberg, about the terrible death of more than one and a half thousand people. This event sounded a warning to humanity, intoxicated with scientific successes, convinced of its limitless possibilities. The huge Titanic for some time became a symbol of this power, but its immersion in the waves of the ocean, the self-confidence of the captain who did not heed danger signals, the inability to withstand the elements, the helplessness of the crew once again confirmed the fragility and insecurity of man in the face of cosmic forces. Perhaps Bunin perceived this catastrophe most acutely, seeing in it the result of the activities of “the pride of a New Man with an old heart,” which he wrote about in his story “The Gentleman from San Francisco” three years later, in 1915.
“The Mister from San Francisco” is a story about the insignificance of power and money in the face of death. main idea works - understanding the essence human existence. Life is fragile and it becomes disgusting if there is no truth and beauty in it.
History of creation
In the summer of 1915, Ivan Bunin quite by chance saw Thomas Mann’s short story “Death in Venice” in a bookstore. He had never read this work, but its title inspired the story “The Mister from San Francisco.”
Analysis of Bunin's short story allows us to identify the author's main idea. The hero of Death in Venice also dies during the journey. The work of Ivan Bunin is still about something else. This story is not at all about destructive passion, unlike the essay German classic. It is worth saying that the writer read Thomas Mann’s novella a few months after the publication of “The Gentleman from San Francisco.” He didn't like this book, he called it unpleasant.
Critics received Bunin's story very favorably. One of the writers noted that since Chekhov’s death, nothing like this has appeared in Russian literature. What did critics see so extraordinary in the story of a middle-aged American who suddenly died during a trip to Europe?
Life and death in the story “The Mister from San Francisco”
Analysis of the universal human essence is the purpose of this work. The main character is American, but his civilian and nationality has no significance in the plot. The author talked about the life of a man to whom money gave, as it seemed to him, all the blessings and joys of the world. He is a representative of a society that exists according to certain laws and does not accept any individuality.
The life of people like Bunin’s hero proceeds according to a certain routine. They dress in the same clothes and discuss certain topics. This is a kind of payment for power, money that allows you to control everything that happens around you. But suddenly it turns out that power is a mirage. She's gone. And money after death loses all meaning. Man is mortal and, as another Russian classic said, suddenly mortal. Never talked about this in my life long life The gentleman from San Francisco didn’t think twice.
Analysis work of art It’s worth starting by reading the original source. Even if the plot is familiar, you should once again familiarize yourself with Bunin’s work.
Woe to you, Babylon...
When analyzing “Mr. from San Francisco” by Bunin, it is necessary to pay very close attention to the text of the work itself. The writer carefully selected metaphors, oxymorons and other artistic media. When analyzing “Mr. from San Francisco,” you need to explain the meaning of the epigraph. Bunin quotes from the Bible - “The Revelations of John the Theologian.” What did the writer mean by using the words “for your hour has come” as an epigraph?
The story was written in 1915. The first one has already begun World War. It will completely change the map of Europe. Bunin and his contemporaries, of course, do not yet know about this. However, many, including the author of “The Gentleman from San Francisco” (an analysis of the work is presented in this article) already in 1914-1915 understood that the world after this terrible war will become completely different.
Main character
The characterization of a rich American is the main part of the analysis of Bunin’s “The Gentleman from San Francisco.” What did the author tell about his hero? First of all, it is worth saying that Bunin did not name him. Even with brief analysis"Mr. from San Francisco" should be mentioned. The American billionaire is a faceless character who has neither name nor characteristics. external signs. As has already been said, he belongs to a society in which individuality is excluded.
The image of a rich and self-confident American created by Bunin is unattractive. From the first lines the reader understands that this is quite limited person, convinced of his power. He worked tirelessly for many years. Once upon a time, in his youth, he took one of the rich men as a model and, it seems, achieved his “greatness.” Now, at the age of 58, I have finally decided to take a break. She goes to Europe not because she has long dreamed of visiting famous sights. This is what all the people around him do.
Bunin did not mention the names of the wife and daughter of the gentleman from San Francisco. Analysis of the work includes characteristics minor characters. That’s why it’s worth saying a little about the main character’s family. The wife is a rather indifferent lady, but, like all American women, she is a passionate traveler. The daughter dreams of love. The girl is very interested in the mysterious character of “Atlantis” - the crown prince of a certain Asian state. It is worth paying attention to this point. The young American woman is a typical daughter of her father. She is incapable of real feelings. An unattractive and unpleasant man with a black mustache arouses her interest only because he is rich.
And everything went great at first...
Anyone who has read the work of Ivan Bunin knows how the journey of the gentleman from San Francisco ended. Analysis of a story, novel or novel involves comparing the hero’s state of mind before and after the main events. But with the work of Ivan Bunin the situation is somewhat different. State of mind his character doesn't change at all. Changes occur in his surroundings. However, when analyzing Bunin's story "Mr. from San Francisco", it is necessary to talk about the plans of the main character. How did he plan to spend the coming months?
He developed an extensive route. In January, the billionaire hoped to enjoy the sun of Italy, the sights of ancient cities, a serenade of traveling singers, and a tarantella. And, of course, to know the love of young Neapolitan women, which, of course, is by no means selfless. The rich American planned to hold the carnival in Nice. Not at all because he dreamed of witnessing a grandiose legendary spectacle. A select society flocked to Nice and Monte Carlo, and this is the most important thing for Bunin’s hero.
The author does not give a clear description of his hero. He does not call him cynical, cold-blooded, limited, power-hungry. The characteristics of the American billionaire are given as if between the lines. Outlining the thoughts of the American, Bunin emphasizes: the hero in his plans relies on the traditions of society. He is looking forward to the trip, but most of all he is pleased to be involved with the richest people in the world. Already in the first paragraphs of the work, the lack of spirituality of the main character is revealed to readers. He spends his leisure time as is customary in his society. And at first everything goes great.
"Atlantis"
On the ship on which he is sailing main character, “Titanic” is easily guessed. “Atlantis” is a separate world, living according to its own laws. In Bunin's work, this steamer is a symbol of civilization, wealth, power - everything that can be destroyed at any moment by the terrible forces of nature.
There are many passengers on the Atlantis. There is night bar, oriental baths, it even has its own newspaper. Life on the ship is measured. Representatives high society they get up early, drink coffee, cocoa, chocolate, then sit in marble baths, do gymnastics, and perform the daily toilet. After the second breakfast, they read the newspaper and lie on the deck, covered with blankets. In the evening, gentlemen go to a bar, where they discuss politics and drink elite alcoholic drinks. This is the daily routine of all passengers, including the gentleman from San Francisco. In analyzing the content of this work, it is certainly necessary to mention the image of “Atlantis”.
There is luxury and lazy self-confidence on board the ship. And beyond there is darkness, fog and a restless ocean. But the Atlantis passengers live in their own small limited world and do not see everything that is happening around them. The ocean is scary, but they don’t think about it, sincerely believing in the power of the captain of a huge ship.
Couple in love
When analyzing Bunin’s work “The Gentleman from San Francisco,” it is worth paying attention to these two characters. Among the glittering crowd on the ship there was a world-famous rich man in an old-fashioned tailcoat, and famous writer, and an all-world beauty. Special attention Still attracted by the unknown couple in love. They were beautiful, graceful and seemed to take no notice of anyone. He danced only with her. Their dance was charming. Only one commander knew that this couple was hired to play love for good money. They have been sailing on one ship or another for a long time.
Thanks to this detail, the author makes it clear that everything on the ship is saturated with lies and vulgarity. The life of passengers is unreal, artificial. Rich gentlemen are deceived and do not even notice it. The only thing that can dispel the illusion is death. Finally, let's get down to the main part of the analysis of the summary of "Mr. from San Francisco." Let's talk about last minutes life of the hero Bunin.
Sudden death
The billionaire was naively confident in the sincerity of all those around him. He was generous, and therefore the servants showed special servility towards him. An American would be quite surprised if he saw the disdain that these obsequious lackeys would experience after his death. He died that way, living in illusions. How did this happen?
The weather in Naples that year was bad. The billionaire from San Francisco occasionally quarreled with his wife; the motions on the ship did not have the best effect on his physical condition. In short, the journey turned out to be not so pleasant. But finally the billionaire's family arrived in Capri. It was also cloudy here, but the weather soon improved.
Guests from San Francisco were given the best room, the most efficient footman and the most beautiful maid at a local hotel. This evening promised to be pleasant. The nameless gentleman spent a lot of time on the toilet, and before dinner he decided to go to the reading room. There he was overtaken sudden death.
Horrible incident
This is exactly what one could call the sudden death of a rich American on the ship Atlantis. If it weren’t for the German who happened to be in the reading room at that ill-fated moment, the incident would have been hushed up. The American's body would have been quietly and unnoticed taken to the farthest room. No one would know what happened. But the German ran out of the reading room screaming, and after half an hour the whole ship knew about the unfortunate incident. The passengers' faces were offended and disappointed - they were reminded of death at the wrong time and in a very tactless manner.
In the cheapest room
After the death of one of the guests, the owner approached the most respected guests and apologized. Although he was not at all to blame for what happened in the reading room. The body of the deceased gentleman, whom he had been so eager to please just two hours ago, ordered to be moved to the cheapest and farthest room. There was no more respect for the newly made widow. The hotel owner quickly realized that this lady could only leave mere pennies at his cash desk.
Return
No one took pity on the poor rich American. Soon the box of mineral water in which his body was immersed was carried into the hold of the Atlantis. A man from San Francisco returned to his homeland without ever knowing the joys of life. Upstairs, rich gentlemen from all over the world were still having fun. Here the “couple in love” danced gracefully and exquisitely.
Bunin treats his hero, of course, without sympathy. However, there is no anger in his words. He seems to feel sorry for this unfortunate, stupid man who spent his 58 years in illusions. Other characters evoke unpleasant feelings in readers: the hotel owner, footmen, maids and all those passengers who did not show basic sympathy towards the wife and daughter of the deceased gentleman. But the main theme of the novel is inhuman cruelty. The idea of the work is “do not accumulate treasures on Earth.” After death, there will be nothing left of a person if there is no love in his life.
Not only on the eve of the revolution, but also during and after it, such a problem as the meaning of life began to arise. Reflections on this were provided by the writer Ivan Bunin, who with his story “The Gentleman from San Francisco” changed the minds of most people.
What is special about the creator’s work? What is unusual is that the main character has a family, a stately position, and good financial security. He spends his whole life trying to save as much as possible more money, so that in old age, without working, you can live happily ever after. However, life strikes rarely, but accurately. The character does not have time to live up to the required age, he leaves the world useless to anyone. Why isn't his family sad for him? Why doesn't anyone remember the hero? And all because his soul left his body long ago. Physical death does not count as spiritual death. No, the main character killed his own soul even when he chased false dreams. He believed that you need to work hard, be diligent, not noticing anything around, no delights of life. The character has abstracted himself from the joys of fate, from that momentary moment that comes unexpectedly, taking him by surprise. The hero wasted his time, because even the wealth that he acquired became useless to anyone. So there you go!
Ivan Bunin tries to convey to readers that under any circumstances it is necessary not to lose your own mind, not to chase after something material. It is important to become spiritual, to always discover new things in life. As Chekhov said: “while you are young, strong, vigorous, do not get tired of doing good.” And rightly so, you need to not only spend time usefully for yourself, but also for others. What else did Tolstoy punish us? “You have to live, you have to love, you have to believe!” It makes no sense to be zealous where there will be no benefit to the soul; the main thing in life is inner happiness, not physical. Man was created in order to realize the importance of his existence, for he was sent to this world for discoveries, love, and introduction to art. Except for the main character Money, nothing interested me. This is the problem, because after a person puts material things above spirituality, then he perishes. The soul becomes paralyzed and deadened, which is actually very scary.
So it's not worth spending own life in pursuit of material wealth, otherwise before you have time to look back, everything will become unnecessary! And, choosing the path of physical dreams, you refuse to perceive seemingly simple but necessary happy moments with your loved ones. And, pushing aside all the beautiful things that surround you, you end up completely alone. And no one needs you! People forget about you, your status, your money. Therefore, the main thing is not to make mistakes when determining the path of life. It’s just important to remember that you can never go wrong with the spiritual world!
Analysis 2
Why is our life valuable? What is its meaning? I. A. Bunin tries to answer these questions in his work “The Gentleman from San Francisco.”
At first glance, there is nothing incomprehensible or complicated in the story. It tells the story of a very rich old man. The gentleman travels with his family on the luxurious steamship Atlantis, which “looked like a huge hotel with all the amenities,” from San Francisco to Naples. Everything in this man’s life turned out very well. True, he spied the scenario for this from similarly wealthy people, taking their destinies as a standard.
The gentleman worked hard all his life, started a respectable family, earned a huge fortune, lived to a ripe old age and finally decided that it was time to rest. For this he chose a two-year luxury cruise around the world. This choice was dictated not by the spirit of the heart and desire, but because all the people in his circle did the same, who “had the custom of beginning the enjoyment of life with a trip to Europe.”
Life on a ship is luxurious, but meaningless. Everything is subordinated to the rustle of banknotes and idleness. And while on the upper deck the gentleman “sat in a golden-pearl glow,” enjoying all the delights of life, which boiled down to ordinary gluttony and dancing, below, in the hold, “a great many servants were working.”
The author very skillfully weaves metaphors, allegory and comparisons into the narrative. The ship appears before the reader in the image of life itself, where some have an eternal holiday, which is provided to them by others. The writer emphasizes that wealth is faceless. He does not give a name to his main character, a wealthy man, and at the same time calls the ordinary bellhop Luigi. The writer describes the aimless and idle lives of the rich through a comparison with museums - “everywhere it is the same: a stately entrance, closed with a heavy leather curtain, and inside there is a huge emptiness.”
The denouement of the story is the sudden death of the main character, which only overshadowed the celebration of life, without causing any grief or sympathy. The head waiter comments on what is happening to the guests as “it’s just nothing, a little faint.” Moreover, the body of a wealthy man is not allowed to be returned to the luxurious cabin, explaining this by the scandal that would erupt from such news. Therefore, he is placed in the dampest small cabin on the ship. The irony is that a huge fortune does not help to return the body of the deceased with all honors, but they transport it furtively, in the most usually tarred coffin in the hold. Everyone immediately lost interest in the family of the deceased, refusing even minimal help. The power of the rustle of banknotes died with the master. And “the ocean that walked outside the walls was terrible, but no one thought about it.”
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