The story of first love is the main characters. The main characters of the story
Character system. But is he the only one who finds himself in such a situation? Zinaida is surrounded by seekers admiring her beauty.
“She needed each of the fans,” the narrator says about Zinaida. We can confidently assume: in each, as if in a mirror, some part of her soul is reflected. The desperate hussar Belovzorov was not distinguished by “mental and other virtues.” But he is endearing to his directness, daring, and ability to take risks. Moreover, he is the most suitable match for a noble but poor girl.
The romantic Maidanov “responded to the poetic strings of her soul.” By creating his portrait, the author parodically reduces the features of the romantic poet Lensky: “A tall young man with extremely long black hair (Pushkin’s “And shoulder-length black curls...”), but with “blind eyes.” Sensitive Zinaida “wholeheartedly praised” Maidanov’s poems. But “having listened to his outpourings, she forced him to read Pushkin so that<…>clear the air." Zinaida immeasurably surpasses him in her understanding of beauty. In sad moments, she asks her page to recite “On the Hills of Georgia” by heart. “This is why poetry is good: it tells us what is not there and what is not only better than what is, but even more like the truth...” the girl says thoughtfully. This remark of a subtle connoisseur of the poet is consonant with the words of Gogol, which define Pushkin’s style: “Purity and artlessness have risen<…>to such a high degree that reality itself seems artificial and caricatured before her<…>. Everything is not only the truth, but even better, as it were.”
Among Zinaida, the most profound and original person is undoubtedly Dr. Lushin. Using his example, Turgenev again shows the fatal power of feeling over even the most intelligent and skeptical of people. Obviously, the doctor appeared in her retinue as an observer, in control of his heart. But under the girl's spell he lost weight<...>", nervous irritability replaced in him his former light irony and feigned cynicism." Zinaida, guessing that he “loved her more than anyone,” sometimes treated him cruelly and did not hesitate to test her power “with special malicious pleasure.”
The cult of work, the harsh common language (“hardened”, “our brother is an old bachelor”), the manner of hiding feelings (“laughed more deeply, angrier and shorter”) make him similar to Bazarov in the era of Odintsova’s passion. Like the hero of “Fathers and Sons,” the materialist Lushin tries to logically simply explain his hypnotic infatuation with Zinaida: “...Caprice and independence<…>. These two words exhaust you...” And, like Bazarov, he feels that his words do not contain the whole truth. The fear of the girl’s destructive power forces him to warn young Volodya: “You should study and work while you are young.”<…>. Are you healthy now?.. Is what you feel good for you, okay?” Volodya “he himself realized in his soul that the doctor was right.” But the doctor is not able to carry out his own advice... “I wouldn’t come here myself,” Lushin admits, “if (the doctor clenched his teeth) ... if I weren’t such an eccentric.”
At the same time, Zinaida receives Count Malevsky, a fop and a gossip, “with a smug and ingratiating smile.” Malevsky’s “falseness” is obvious even to the naive Volodya. When asked directly, Zinaida jokes that she “likes mustaches.” But in a moment of spiritual enlightenment, she realizes with horror the features of Malevsky: “How much bad, dark, sinful there is in me.”
As Volodya gets acquainted with the Zasekin family, a feeling of rejection breaks through in the proud princess, which brings her in common with Asya. Zinaida had reason to feel wounded. “Improper upbringing, strange acquaintances and habits, the constant presence of the mother, poverty and disorder in the house...” notes the observant Volodya. Zinaida developed in special conditions, not very similar to the position of a girl in a “lordly, sedate house.” Her family is poor. “They don’t have their own carriage, and the furniture is very empty...” the footman reports. The outbuilding they hired “was so shabby, and small, and low.”
From conversations between his parents, Volodya learns that the marriage of Zinaida’s parents was regarded in the world as a misalliance. Her frivolous father once married a girl from a family of modest social status. However, in terms of character, Madame Zasekina does not in any way resemble the modest Fenechka or the strict Tatyana, Asya’s mother. Zinaida's mother turns out to be a narrow-minded, rude and vulgar bourgeois, the daughter of a clerk. The sensitive young man senses hypocrisy behind her outward cordiality; instead of simplicity, licentiousness. “Too simple,” I thought, looking with involuntary disgust at her (Princess Zasekina’s) entire unprepossessing figure.”
Zinaida’s mother gives Zinaida freedom, rare for a secular girl, and does not prevent her from organizing cheerful gatherings in the house, during one of which “they stole the hat from the clerk at the Iversky Gate from his knees and forced him, as a ransom, to dance...”. "To me<…>“, who grew up in a sedate lordly house, all this noise and din, this unceremonious, almost violent gaiety, these unprecedented relationships with strangers just rushed into my head...” says Volodya. However, Zinaida, like Asya, is burdened by an empty and idle existence; spiritually she is higher than the surrounding society. The princess worriedly complains to Dr. Lushin that her daughter “drinks water with ice” and fears for her health. The following dialogue takes place between Zinaida and the doctor:
What could come of this?
What? You may catch a cold and die.
- <…>Well, that's the way to go!<…>Is life that much fun? Take a look around<…>. Or do you think that I don’t understand this, I don’t feel it? It gives me pleasure to drink water with ice, and you can seriously assure me that such a life is worth it if you don’t risk it for a moment of pleasure - I’m not talking about happiness.”
The conversation about “happiness” did not arise by chance. In her circle of fans, Zinaida doesn’t see a worthy contender: “No, I can’t love people like that, whom I have to look down on. I need someone who would break me himself...” And then he tries to deceive fate: “I won’t fall into anyone’s clutches, no, no!” The writer has shown many times how pointless it is to renounce love. And in this story we observe how the soul of a proud girl is taken over by a real feeling. In response to Lushin’s reproaches, she bitterly retorts: “We’re late.”<…>, dear doctor. Observe poorly<…>, I have no time for whims now...”
The story “First Love” by Turgenev was written in 1860, and in many ways became a reflection of the author’s personal experiences. This is a story about the first, half-childhood love, which had to face adult love, full of drama and sacrifice.
On our website you can read online a summary of “First Love” chapter by chapter, and then take a test to test your knowledge. A brief retelling of the work will be useful for the reading diary and preparation for a literature lesson.
Main characters
Vladimir- a sixteen-year-old boy who had to endure all the joys and troubles of his first love.
Zinaida- A 21-year-old impoverished princess, spoiled by male attention, with whom Vladimir was in love.
Petr Vasilievich- Vladimir’s father, an intelligent, freedom-loving middle-aged man who started an affair with Zinaida.
Other characters
Princess Zasekina- Zinaida’s mother, an unkempt, uneducated woman with bad manners.
Vladimir's mother- a reserved, delicate woman who was much older than her husband.
Malevsky, Lushin, Maidanov, Nirmatsky and Belovzorov- fans of Zinaida.
Chapter 1
Sixteen-year-old Volodya was preparing to enter university at his parents’ dacha. He lived in anticipation of something extraordinary and this “was destined to come true soon.” Soon the family of Princess Zasekina moved into the small outbuilding.
Chapter 2
During one of his walks, Volodya saw an unusually attractive blond girl in a company of young people. The stranger struck the young man in the heart and he, feeling “unprecedented excitement,” ran home.
Chapter 3
The next morning, all Volodya’s thoughts were occupied only with how to get to know the object of his passion. The young man was rescued by his mother, who ordered him to “go to the princess and verbally explain to her” so that she would come to visit her.
Chapter 4
Finding himself in the Zasekins’ chambers, Volodya was unpleasantly surprised by the excessive simplicity and untidiness of the decoration and the princess herself. Her daughter Zinochka turned out to be the complete opposite - gentle, graceful, with excellent manners. She admitted that she was five years older than Volodya and asked him to “always tell the truth.” At that moment the young man felt as good as a fish in water. But soon his joy faded when a young hussar appeared at the Zasekin family and presented Zinaida with a kitten - Volodya was jealous for the first time in his life.
Chapters 5-7
Volodya's mother found the princess “a very vulgar woman,” obsessive and selfish. It turned out that she was the daughter of a rich clerk, and married a bankrupt prince, who soon squandered her dowry.
At the reception with Volodya’s parents, Princess Zasekina “didn’t show herself off at all,” while Zinaida “behaved herself very strictly, almost arrogantly, like a real princess.” Saying goodbye, she invited Volodya to come to them in the evening.
Arriving at the appointed hour to the Zasekins, Volodya saw Zinaida surrounded by young people. Among her fans were “Count Malevsky, Doctor Lushin, the poet Maidanov, retired captain Nirmatsky and Belovzorov.” The guests had a lot of fun: they played forfeits, “sang and danced, and represented a gypsy camp.”
Chapter 8
His mother was against Volodya’s communication with his neighbors, whom she considered ill-mannered. She reminded her son that he should “prepare for the exam and study.”
Volodya shared his impressions of Zinaida with his father, an intelligent, interesting man who valued freedom above all else. After a conversation with Volodya, he “ordered to saddle his horse” and went to the Zasekins. In the evening the young man found Zinaida pale and thoughtful.
Chapter 9
Volodya was languishing in love with Zinaida, who by that time was carried away by playing with her fans - “she kept them all on a leash, at her feet.”
One day Volodya found his chosen one in a strange mood. When looking at his face, she noted that he “has the same eyes,” and then admitted that she was disgusted with everything. Volodya realized that Zinaida was in love.
Chapters 10-12
Volodya kept trying to understand who was the lucky guy with whom Zinaida fell in love. Doctor Lushin tried to warn him against frequent visits from the Zasekin family - the choice of house was “painfully unfortunate”, and its atmosphere was destructive for a pure, ardent young man.
Meanwhile, “Zinaida became more and more strange, more and more incomprehensible.” She began to allow herself strange antics, and one day she passionately kissed Volodya.
Chapters 13-15
The young man felt indescribable bliss for a long time after kissing his beloved. One day he noticed how, during a horseback ride, his father enthusiastically whispered something in Zinaida’s ear. For the next week, the girl did not show herself to anyone, saying she was sick. After a while, she told Volodya that “now everything is over,” asked for forgiveness for her previous coldness and offered friendship.
Chapter 16
One day the young princess invited the guests to tell their dreams. When it was her turn, she described her dream. In it she was in the image of a queen, surrounded by fans. Each of them is ready to die for her, but the queen’s heart is given to the only one who is waiting for her near the fountain. “No one knows him,” but the queen is ready to come at his first call and “both stay with him and get lost with him.”
Chapters 17-19
The next day, Malevsky, looking “contemptuously and playfully” at Volodya, hinted that he needed to be constantly nurturing his “queen,” especially at night. The young man realized that Zinaida was leading a double life.
At night in the garden, Volodya noticed his father sneaking around, but did not attach any importance to it. Soon everything fell into place - “a terrible scene occurred between father and mother.” The mother “reproached the father for infidelity, for dating a neighboring young lady,” and in response he lost his temper and left. This “sudden revelation” completely crushed Volodya.
Chapter 20
It was decided to return to Moscow. Volodya came to say goodbye to Zinaida and tell her that he would “love and adore” her until the end of his days. The touched girl hugged Volodya to her and “kissed” him deeply and passionately.
In Moscow, a young man who experienced a love drama did not soon “get rid of the past, and did not soon get to work.” His mental wound was healing very slowly, but he did not feel anger towards his father. During a frank conversation, Pyotr Vasilyevich gave advice to his son “to live normally and not give in to hobbies.”
Chapter 21
One day Volodya went horseback riding with his father. After a long walk, Pyotr Vasilyevich asked his son to wait a little and disappeared somewhere in an alley. Tired of the long wait, Volodya began to look for his father, and soon found him near a wooden house, in the window of which Zinaida could be seen. A tense conversation took place between them, during which Pyotr Vasilyevich hit Zinaida’s naked hand with a whip, and she only “kissed the red scar on it.” The father immediately “threw the whip aside” and ran into the house to his beloved.
Volodya was shocked by what he saw - he understood what true, “adult” love was, which had nothing to do with his enthusiastic youthful feeling. Six months later, his father died of a stroke, having previously received “a letter from Moscow, which excited him extremely.” Before his death, he warned Volodya against female love.
Chapter 22
After four years, Volodya successfully graduated from the university. He found out that Zinaida got married, but at first it was not easy for her to find a match for herself after her relationship with Pyotr Vasilyevich. Volodya put off meeting his first love until he learned that she “died almost suddenly from childbirth.”
Conclusion
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Turgenev, reviews of which are given in this article, were first published in Russia in 1860. It tells about the emotional experiences of the young protagonist, his first real love, who had to face dramatic and sacrificial relationships between adults.
History of creation
The story “First Love” by Turgenev, reviews can be found in this article, was written by the author in St. Petersburg at the beginning of 1860.
As the writer himself admitted, he created the work on the basis of his own emotional experience, as well as events that actually happened in the writer’s family. Turgenev later admitted that he described everything as it was, trying not to embellish anything. One of the main characters was his father. Later, many condemned the writer for such frankness, and especially for the fact that he did not hide the fact that all these were real events and not fiction.
Turgenev himself was firmly convinced that there was nothing wrong with this, since he had nothing to hide from the public.
Plot of the story
Turgenev's story "First Love" received mostly positive reviews. Both from readers and literary critics.
The plot of the story “First Love” by Turgenev, reviews of which are in this article, is the memoirs of an elderly man. At the end of his life, he recalls the very first romantic feeling that visited him in his youth.
At the center of the story is the main character named Vladimir. He is only 16 years old. He lives with his family on his parents' country estate. There he meets the charming 21-year-old Zinaida Alexandrovna Zasekina, a princess who moves in next door. He immediately falls in love with a beautiful girl, who also shows him signs of attention.
There are many obstacles in his way. Firstly, Zinaida is surrounded by a large number of other young people, each of whom strives to achieve her favor. And secondly, his feelings turn out to be non-reciprocal. Zinaida is capricious, has a playful character, she often mocks the hero, ridiculing him for various reasons. For example, for his comparative youth.
The Mystery of Zinaida
The story “First Love” by Turgenev,” reviews of which are given in this article, captivates the reader. Especially when it turns out who was the true object of Zinaida’s love. This is Vladimir’s father, whose name is Pyotr Vasilyevich.
The main character secretly watches the scene of his father's romantic meeting with Zinaida, which, however, ends in a breakup. Pyotr Vasilyevich decides to leave the young girl. However, his wife becomes aware of the husband’s affair. The family leaves the estate.
Soon Pyotr Vasilyevich dies. He is struck by a stroke. At the end of the story, the main character learns that Zinaida married Mr. Dolsky. He is going to see her, but does not have time. Princess Zinaida dies during childbirth.
Prototypes of the story's heroes
As already mentioned, Turgenev’s story “First Love” is based on real events. In reviews of the work you can find direct references to the prototypes of the main characters.
The prototype of Pyotr Vasilyevich is his father, whose name was Sergei Nikolaevich Turgenev. His personal life was not entirely successful. He married for convenience to a woman who was much older than him, but wealthier. The writer's mother is Varvara Petrovna Lutovinova. When they got married, she was 28 years old, and Turgenev's father was 22.
Sergei Nikolaevich never felt love and tenderness for his wife. Therefore, after several years of relatively happy family life, he began to openly stare at other women. He succeeded in this; Turgenev’s father was popular with the opposite sex. His most famous mistress, with whom he had the longest relationship, Ekaterina Lvovna Shakhovskaya. Shortly after breaking up with her, he died at a relatively young age. He was only 40 years old.
Turgenev's father's mistress
Princess Shakhovskaya became the prototype of Zinaida Alexandrovna in Turgenev’s story “First Love”. You can find reviews of the product in this article. She was a poetess, young Turgenev himself was really in love with her, but she gave preference to his father.
Her fate turned out as described in the story. Soon after breaking up with Sergei Nikolaevich Turgenev, she married Lev Kharitonovich Vladimirov. Six months later, they had a boy. Shakhovskaya had a hard time giving birth; a week after the birth of the child, she died.
Analysis of the work
In the analysis of the work “First Love” by Turgenev, it is worth noting that the author was best able to depict the emergence of a bright and great feeling that visits every person, as well as the development of love that emerged from a fleeting youthful infatuation.
The author claims that love can give a person a huge range of different feelings. Moreover, they may not always be positive. Love not only gives delight or peace, but can also instill hatred and anger in the soul.
In this work you can follow all the stages of love. The main character first experiences moments of happiness and rapture, then a feeling of black jealousy. And also annoyance and disappointment when it turns out that his main rival is his own father.
Narrative Features
Simplicity of presentation is one of the main advantages of all of Turgenev's prose. The reader does not have to constantly arrange complex facts into a single chain. Instead, the straightforward plot creates an impression of realism and sincerity. All the lines sound very natural, because everything actually happened in the author’s life. For this reason, working on this story gave him such pleasure.
The story “First Love” by Turgenev, the analysis of which is given in this article, is divided into chapters. Each of them contains a specific, completely independent plot. Thanks to this structure, the writer can more easily convey his ideas to the reader and demonstrate the full range of development of the characters’ feelings.
The climax of the story comes in chapter 12. It describes in detail the whole range of powerful and contradictory feelings that the main character experiences for Princess Zinaida. The reader has a unique opportunity to look into the souls of the characters. Find out how they really feel and how they experience the events that are happening.
Images of heroes
It is also important that almost all the characters in Turgenev’s story are in development. The protagonist's father is presented clearly and contrastingly. At some point, the reader can even sympathize with him, because his life is doomed. He is married to an unloved woman, and all his relationships on the side are doomed.
Throughout the story, the image of the main character, Princess Zinaida, also changes radically. Her image is undergoing a process of evolution. She transforms from the frivolous girl she was at the beginning into a truly loving, strong and independent woman.
It is interesting that in the end she turns out to be not as frivolous as she might have seemed at the very beginning of the story. Closer to the middle of the work, she appears before us in the image of an unhappy girl who is doomed to suffer in this life because of love. She is literally constantly tormented and gnawing from the inside by the thought that her love for a married man has no future. However, she steadfastly and courageously endures all the hardships that befall her. This speaks only of one thing - during her affair with Pyotr Vasilyevich, she turned into a wise woman who knows the value of her feelings.
The main character of the story
In fact, the main character of the story is a real child. Youthful maximalism in him prevails over many rational feelings. For example, he wants to kill his rival, who is preventing him from reuniting with Zinaida Alexandrovna.
However, when he finds out that he has to compete with his own father, all his stormy mood goes away. He forgives everyone around him and looks at the situation in which he finds himself in a completely different way. Agree, the act is very naive and childish in its own way.
Year of writing: 1860
Genre: story
Main characters: Volodya, princess Zinaida
Plot
Teenager Volodya and his family live in a dacha; next door to them Princess Zasekina and her daughter Zinaida rent a dacha. After the first meeting, the young man falls selflessly in love with the girl, despite the fact that she is five years older than him. He tries to court him, and the girl plays with him, flirts and flirts, just like with her other many fans. Volodya is sometimes seriously jealous of his beloved. And soon he finds out that she is having a serious affair with his father.
After an ugly scene between the parents, Volodya’s family returns to Moscow and then changes their place of residence to St. Petersburg. However, six months later, Vladimir’s father suddenly died of a stroke after receiving some news.
And after some time, Volodya finds out that Zinochka got married and died in childbirth a few months later.
Conclusion (my opinion)
The young man was disappointed in his first feeling, so he stopped trusting women, and it was difficult for him to fall in love again. It is rightly said that first love is never forgotten.
D. z.: on the trail. lesson (March 26) - checking homework. Please complete the task for everyone, since absence from class is not the reason for unfinished homework. All homework grades will be posted in the journal.
March 26, (if N.V. doesn’t come out) - we’ll finish “First Love” and start A. N. Ostrovsky (the play “Poverty is not a vice”)
Episodes
In a work of art, as in life, the episode plays a big role. After all, in our lives, characters are revealed precisely in small situations. Do you want to understand someone better? Watch how he behaves in minute situations.
Writers actively use this. Therefore, let us turn to any episode of the story.
Take one of the episodes
(for example, “Game of forfeits” (Chapter VII);
“Thunderstorm” (chapter VII);
“Jump from the Wall” (chap. XII);
“Zinaida’s explanation with her father” (Chapter XXI), but you can take absolutely any episode for analysis) and please characterize it according to the proposed plan.
ANALYSIS PLAN
1. Episode location In the development of the plot and composition of the work. Its conventional name.
2. Speech structure of the episode: dialogue (speech characteristics of the characters, features of the author’s remarks), narration (depiction of events), description (portrait, landscape, psychological state of the characters), author’s reasoning (lyrical digressions).
3. What events are happening in the episode, who participates in them, what aspects of the characters’ character are revealed? (Or: What is being described and how? What details of the descriptions can be considered key? What thesis is being proven in the author’s argument? What is the pathos of the author’s narrative?)
4. How and for what purpose does the author use the details of visual representation? (Or: What arguments does the author give to prove his theses?)
5. What figurative and expressive means of artistic speech does the writer use, for what purpose?
6. What is the emotional tone of the episode. How is it created?
7. Determine the theme and problem of the work. What development did they get in this episode? What is the significance of the episode for revealing the main idea of the work, expressing the author’s position?
Characteristics of the heroes of the story
Of course, we will focus our main attention on the characters of the “love triangle”: Zinaida, Voldemar and father
A plan that will help you understand the hero of the story
- Portrait (based on quotes only)
- Landscape and its role in revealing character characteristics
- Speech
- Actions (key episodes)
- Conclusions.
The story “First Love” is a work about the complexity of human relationships, about how tragic relationships between people can be if they are not based on love. This is the tragedy of a father bound by marital ties, a family in which there is no love. This is the tragedy of Zinaida, who fell in love with the man of her dreams, but due to circumstances did not have the opportunity to unite with him. This is the tragedy of the boy Voldemar, whose first love turned out to be so dramatic.
But still, the most important thing is Love as a wonderful feeling, as an eternal human value. Even tragic, unrequited love is beautiful if only because it awakens in a person the best strings of his soul.
