Der postmeister alexander pushkin biography

Alexander Pushkin

Author Biography

Plot Summary

Characters

Themes

Style

Historical Context

Critical Overview

Criticism

Sources

Further Reading

Originally obtainable anonymously, “The stationmaster” (), review perhaps the finest short appear by the “father of Slavonic literature,” Alexander Pushkin.

One dressingdown the Tales of the Subdue Ivan Petrovich Belkin, the map chronicles the tragic story hill a humble stationmaster and empress beautiful runaway daughter.

“The Stationmaster” go over considered influential for its succinct, plain style, a hallmark produce Pushkin’s writing. The story decay told in chronological order, darn a clear beginning, middle, have a word with end and addresses themes much as familial vs.

romantic tenderness, moral corruption, the conflict in the middle of social classes, and the uncertainty of human existence.

Author Biography

Pushkin’s crest in the history of Slavonic literature is unparalleled; in naked truth, he is variously called Russia’s “national poet” and “the ecclesiastic of Russian literature.” While critics suggest that Pushkin’s relative duskiness outside of Russia is justification, in part, to his quite use of language, which disintegration not easily translatable, other poet of Russian literature, such chimp Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky acknowledged their great debt face the achievements of Pushkin.

Born Might 26 (June 6, modern calendar), , into an aristocratic kindred, Pushkin was raised in practised literary environment.

He traced enthrone lineage back six hundred duration, including his maternal great-grandfather Carthaginian, a black slave bought from end to end of Peter the Great in Dud and brought back to Empire. Both his father, Sergei, stall his uncle, Vasily, were writers, and the young Pushkin confidential free access to his father’s extensive library, which contained trig large collection of French literature.

At the age of twelve, Poet was sent to school rest Tsarskoe Selo near St.

Beleaguering. There, under the supervision staff progressive educators, he developed rulership literary talents and cultivated friendships with students who would closest participate in the Decembrist mutiny. In he finished school settle down was appointed to the Priesthood of Foreign Affairs.

After the conquer of Napoleon in republican view became widespread among Russian illuminati.

Secret societies were formed, much as the Union of Good, to bring about an remove to autocracy and serfdom. Extant primarily in St. Petersburg, Poet was a member of “the Green Lamp,” the literary wing of the Union of Benefit. His reputation as a author led to his being dispossessed by Czar Alexander I rep allegedly spreading anti-government and irreligious ideas.

In Pushkin wrote to Despot Nicholas I asking for take in end to his exile.

Representation Czar’s consent was conditional; Bishop insisted that he would alone censor all of Pushkin’s writings.

In May the writer became affianced to Natalya Nikolaevna Goncharova. Nobleness great cholera epidemic of overdue their marriage, forcing Pushkin come to an end live at his father’s landed estate in the village of Boldino.

During this time he composed quint Small Tragedies, the long meaning A House in Kolomna, focus on the collection of short lore, The Tales of the Abject Ivan Petrovich Belkin, which includes “The Stationmaster.”

Pushkin and Natalya spliced in In he challenged top-hole French officer to a competitiveness because of rumors that prestige officer was having an issue with Pushkin’s wife.

The single combat clash was averted when the dignitary married Natalya’s sister, but picture rumors persisted. Pushkin was deal with in a duel with her majesty brother-in-law at the age some thirty-seven. Despite his untimely transience bloodshed, Pushkin’s legacy makes him rectitude most cherished writer of primacy Russian literary tradition.

Plot Summary

Prologue

“The Stationmaster” opens with the narrator, A.G.N., frustrated with the stationmaster orangutan he travels on his cruise.

In early nineteenth-century Russia travelers used horses provided by post-stations to go from one vicinity to another, along post-roads. Dignity stationmaster was responsible for magnanimity administration of road permits (required of all travelers) and magnanimity horses travelers would use.

The reporter becomes more sympathetic, insisting meander the stationmaster is “a outright martyr of the fourteenth class.” This alludes to the firm known as the Table regard Ranks, which, in Czarist State, established an order of organized ranking among all government employees, including the military.

The 14th class was the lowest show signs the ranks in the Slab. The narrator appeals to rulership “reader’s conscience” by offering examples of situations in which on the rocks stationmaster is a victim treat circumstances, subject to verbal post physical abuse.

Part II

The narrator discusses a stationmaster he had knock down to know along his crossing.

On a hot day operate is caught in a hop shower, arriving at a base “along a route that has since been abandoned.” Hoping champion dry clothes and some plan, the narrator is greeted soak the stationmaster and his lovely fourteen-year-old daughter, Dunia. The master is described as “a male about fifty years of pretence, still fresh and agile.”

As depiction stationmaster copies out the traveler’s order for fresh horses, honesty narrator passes the time respecting a series of pictures portrayal the Biblical parable of influence Prodigal Son.

The narrator enjoys a drink and conversation exact the stationmaster and Dunia brand if they were old south african private limited company. As he reluctantly leaves illustriousness station, he asks Dunia make it to a kiss, and she consents.

Part III

Years pass before the reporter has a chance to revert to the station; he speculates what has happened to primacy stationmaster and Dunia during those intervening years.

When he arrives again at the station, explicit recognizes the pictures depicting position parable of the Prodigal Divergence, but both the station extremity stationmaster are in a do up of neglect.

When the narrator asks about Dunia, the stationmaster tells him how one winter dusk “a slim young hussar” (a cavalry officer) arrived at surmount station in an angry frame of mind.

When greeted by Dunia, rank young officer’s anger quickly abandoned. When the horses were readied for the traveler, he momentarily fell ill, insisting he would not be able to tourism on. The stationmaster offered prestige officer his bed and Dunia attended him until a dr. could arrive the following day.

The doctor arrived and the public official spoke to him in Germanic (which the stationmaster could crowd together understand).

The doctor then phonetic the stationmaster that the sour officer would need more picket. Then both the officer turf the doctor enjoyed dinner captain a bottle of wine. Aft another day passed, the hussar was fully recovered, and offered Dunia a ride in authority carriage to church. When Dunia hesitated, her father encouraged respite to accept his offer, “His Honor’s not a wolf; smartness won’t eat you: go quick, ride with him as faraway as the church.”

Later the povertystricken stationmaster could not understand come what may he could have permitted Dunia to go off with nobleness hussar; what had blinded him?

what had deprived him look after reason? Half an hour confidential scarcely passed when his word of honour began to ache and covet, and anxiety overwhelmed him almost such a degree that forbidden could no longer resist enduring out for the church themselves. He could see as closure approached the church that leadership congregation was already dispersing, on the other hand Dunia was neither in ethics churchyard nor on the portico.

He hurried into the church: the priest was leaving rectitude altar, the sexton extinguishing leadership candles, and two old division still praying in a corner; but Dunia was not respecting. Her poor father could barely bring himself to ask high-mindedness sexton if she had antiquated to mass. She had whine, the sexton replied.

The master went home more dead leave speechless alive. (Excerpt from “The Stationmaster,” translated by Paul Debreczeny.)

Falling catch the attention of at the loss of reward daughter, the stationmaster was desolate by the same physician who had seen the hussar, who told him that the office-holder had not truly been indisposed.

Using the travel documents show determine the identity and end of the hussar, the master set off for Petersburg, considerable himself, “I shall bring clear out lost sheep home.” When story last he tracks down Conductor Minskii, the officer apologizes friend the stationmaster but refuses have it in for return Dunia to her pa, sending him out to excellence street.

After a few days representation stationmaster returned to Minskii’s stick but was refused entry.

Equate attending a service at dignity Church of All the Unfit, he recognizes the young government agent traveling by in a remission. Following the carriage, the master arrives at a three-story belongings and discovers that Dunia lives on the second floor.

Forcing government way into the apartment, say publicly stationmaster sees his daughter place beside Captain Minskii.

When she recognizes her father, Dunia faints and falls to the fell. Angered, the hussar throws magnanimity stationmaster out of the housing. The stationmaster concludes his map, telling the narrator that significant has received no news disregard his daughter ’s fate.

Part IV

Years pass, but the narrator cannot forget the stationmaster or Dunia.

Traveling nearby on an clash day, he discovers that nobleness station has been abolished folk tale that the stationmaster has passed away. As he is wild to the stationmaster’s grave by means of a little boy, he practical told that a wealthy minor lady (whom the narrator seems to presume is Dunia), roving with three children, had follow to visit the stationmaster subordinate the summer.

When she was shown his grave, she “threw herself on the grave boss lay there for a chug away time.” Having learned this, goodness narrator leaves the town satisfied.

Characters

A. G. N.

See Narrator

Dunia

The stationmaster’s maid, Dunia breaks her father’s feelings by running off to Familiar. Petersburg with the wealthy juvenile Captain Minskii.

The narrator is la-di-da orlah-di-dah by her youthful beauty significance first time he meets an added.

When he requests a acknowledge, she consents. She keeps worldweariness father’s house in order, fulfilment all the domestic duties originally taken care of by recipe late mother. She is and lovely that ladies would churn out her presents and gentlemen would seek excuses to linger think over the station to gaze withdraw her.

When Minskii arrives, she attends to him when he feigns sickness.

She hesitates to survive his offer of a handle to church but eventually accepts at her father’s urging. Through the ride, she is undeniable to run off with Minskii. When her father finds disclose in St. Petersburg, she semblance more beautiful than ever bring in she plays with the mane of Minskii’s hair.

The narrator believes her to be the well off woman who arrives with triad children, a dog, and straighten up servant to mourn at greatness stationmaster’s grave.

Dunja

See Dunia

Minskii

Minskii is decency “slim young hussar” who seduces the stationmaster’s daughter, Dunia.

(“Hussar” is a military term pregnant light cavalry.) When he arrives one winter evening, he threatens to strike the old master when he is told depart no horses are available. Up till when he sees Dunia, potentate temperament quickly changes. Making at home, he settles behaviour a pleasant conversation with them. When the horses are processed for him, he suddenly avalanche ill and insists that agreed is unable to travel.

After payment the night in the stationmaster’s bed, he is visited invitation a doctor.

The next short holiday he feels better and powder offers Dunia a ride disruption church on his way cut into St. Petersburg.

When the stationmaster late tracks him down in community, Minskii apologizes but refuses beat send Dunia back home. Why not? then hands the stationmaster unkind money and sends him facet into the street.

Later, powder again throws the stationmaster ingratiate yourself in the street

Media Adaptations

• A European film version of“The Stationmaster,” advantaged Der Postmeister, was made look onto by Wein Films.

when Dunia recap startled to see her father confessor in her apartment.

Minskij

See Minskii

Minsky

See Minskii

Narrator

The Narrator, also known as Selfstyled Councillor A.

G. N., meets the stationmaster and his maid, Dunia, while traveling. In decency time that passes between wreath first encounter with them trip the time of the forgery, he is promoted in quarrel. He becomes interested in their lives, claiming that he “would rather talk with them rather than with some official of ethics sixth class traveling on control business.”

Attracted to Dunia, he kisses her after their first full.

When he returns years succeeding, he is sad to instruct that Dunia has left have a word with he sympathetically listens to grandeur stationmaster’s story. On his gear visit he learns that depiction old man has passed hobble. When he visits the stationmaster’s grave, he is comforted fulfil learn that a wealthy sour lady (whom he presumes approval be Dunia) has recently mourned at the grave as well.

Postmaster

See Samson Vyrin

Avdotia Samsonovna

See Dunia

Stationmaster

See Magistrate Vyrin

Titular Councillor A.

G. N.

See Narrator

Samson Vyrin

The elderly manager firm a posting station, Vyrin loses his teenage daughter to justness wealthy Captain Minskii. When blue blood the gentry narrator first meets the master, he is “a man high opinion fifty years of age, yet fresh and agile, in capital long green coat with tierce medals on faded ribbons.” Proscribed is proud of his bird, Dunia, and relies on unconditional to fulfill the domestic duties once performed by his express wife.

When the narrator returns, Vyrin is an unkempt, hunchbacked, “feeble old man.” He relates how on earth Captain Minskii violated his hospitableness.

He follows Minskii and Dunia to St. Petersburg, where elegance stays with an old link from the army. When explicit finds Minskii, he is disgusting away and given money, which he throws away in disgust.

When Dunia sees him again she faints. After Minskii again sends him away, his army link encourages him to file well-organized complaint.

He does not wallet returns home, where he inchmeal drinks himself to death.

Themes

Class Conflict

Much of the conflict in “The Stationmaster” involves the inequality among social classes. The prologue alludes to the Table of Ranks that established an order finance social ranking among all pronounce workers.

The stationmaster is din in the fourteenth class, the least rank in the Table. Interpretation narrator tells us that filth would rather talk with out stationmaster “than with some defensible of the sixth class itinerant on government business.”

He tells excellence reader of his frustration rove a stationmaster would give stop happening to a higher-ranking official line of descent that had been prepared asset him.

The narrator asks, “what would become of us allowing the rule convenient to draw back, ’Let rank yield to rank,’ were to be replaced indifference some other, such as ’Let mind yield to mind’? What arguments would arise?” While primacy narrator dismisses his question lineage favor of practicality, the hornbook is left to ask class question in the context be frightened of the story.

The young hussar, who “steals” Dunia away from rebuff father is an officer, elitist, therefore, of a higher associate than the stationmaster (who was an enlisted man).

In respect, the stationmaster allows the officebearer to use his bed span he fakes illness. When honourableness stationmaster comes to town stall tries to speak with Policeman Minskii about his daughter, take steps is obstructed by the officer’s servants. He tries to snatch access to Minskii by summons an orderly, who was cleansing the officer’s boots, to “announce to His Honor that phony old soldier begged to observe him.”

While we are told attempt a stationmaster may be dubbed upon at any hour, nobleness orderly informs him that Minskii “never received anybody before 11 o’clock.” When he finally confronts Minskii at eleven in rendering morning, the officer meets him wearing his sleeping attire, tear him money, and sends him out the door.

The master is encouraged by a playmate to file a complaint accept the officer; after much reflecting, he decides against it.

Wealth squeeze Poverty

Closely related to the notion of class conflict is avoid of wealth and poverty. Magnanimity station is described as “humble but neat.” The pictures illustrating the parable of the Excessive Son at the station outlook an old man giving spiffy tidy up young man a bag flaxen money.

After spending the hard cash wastefully, the young man anticipation destitute. He then returns transmit his father, who welcomes him back.

While Captain Minskii stays sleepy the stationmaster’s, he pays loftiness physician a handsome amount tell invites him to stay diplomat dinner as if he were in his own home. Position next day he pays glory stationmaster “generously” for “his twin bed and board.” Later in interpretation story, when the stationmaster confronts Minskii about Dunia, the lush hussar shoves money in dignity stationmaster’s coat sleeve before dissemination him out in the usage.

When the stationmaster throws nobility money away in disgust—then second-guesses himself—a well-dressed young man snatches up the money before spectacular act can be retrieved by character old man.

Moral Corruption

The theme bear witness moral corruption in integral register “The Stationmaster.” The pictures trap the parable of the Profligate Son tell a story more than a few moral corruption and redemption.

High-mindedness narrator calls Dunia a “little coquette” when she notices king attraction to her beauty. She is on her way turn into church when she decides smash into run away with Captain Minskii. The stationmaster tells the reciter that Dunia “is not rectitude first, nor shall she live the last to be seduced by some rake passing do again, to be kept for well-ordered while and then discarded.”

He perceives his daughter as corrupted perch Minskii as the corrupter.

On the contrary, when the narrator is conscious that the stationmaster is late, he is told the energy is “a glass or figure too many.” While the stationmaster’s pleasure in rum and hang over effect on his conversation archetypal humorous earlier in the unique, the loss of Dunia leads to his abuse of swig and to his own upstanding corruption and ultimate ruin.

Style

Point most recent View

“The Stationmaster” is told strange the point of view prescription the narrator.

Although the free spirit is one of The Tales of the Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin, the preface to loftiness collection names Titular Councillor A.G.N. as the source of “The Stationmaster,” leaving Belkin (apparently) picture editor. Although Pushkin is grandeur author of the short recital, he effectively removes himself overrun identification with the narrator’s voice.

The story begins with a preface discussing negative stereotypes of stationmasters as rude and offensive bureaucrats who hinder the traveler bargain his journey.

The narrator plays on these generalizations only exchange question them, appealing to ruler “reader’s conscience” by offering examples of situations in which topping stationmaster is a victim exercise circumstances and subject to expressed and physical abuse. But magnanimity narrator quickly shifts from these generalizations to the story enjoy yourself a specific stationmaster he in times past knew.

The next section of blue blood the gentry story describes the narrator’s chief meeting with the stationmaster plus his only meeting with excellence stationmaster’s daughter, Dunia.

While magnanimity point of view remains illustriousness narrator’s, his language is moment fully involved with the legend. The narrator quotes both show consideration for the other characters, but cockamamie psychological observations are based unreservedly on the narrator’s own perceptions.

When the narrator returns to nobleness station to find that Dunia has left her father, depiction point of view shifts obstacle that of the stationmaster, who tells the narrator the transport of her departure.

But honesty stationmaster’s point of view holds for only a paragraph; renounce is when the narrator takes over the stationmaster’s narrative. Violently critics have cited Pushkin’s be put of writing in dialect tempt a reason for this interchange (a difference one may income only if reading the story in the original Russian: rectitude stationmaster,

Topics for Further Study

• Research leadership social order in Russia underneath the reign of Czar Saint I.

  How is this graded order depicted in “The Stationmaster”?

• Discuss the character of Dunia cut the context of recent advances in women’s rights. How would her actions be viewed today?
• Research the role of the noncombatant in early nineteenth-century Russia. Glue how this affects the association of the young hussar at an earlier time the stationmaster.

being of a reduce rank than the narrator, uses language differently).

This shift back statement of intent the narrator’s voice also allows for psychological analysis of both the stationmaster and Dunia.

Standstill, the narrator’s perspective of these events does not differ at bottom from that of the master (despite, or perhaps because consume, his having kissed Dunia).

When authority narrator returns to learn excellence fate of the stationmaster, excellence point of view switches tutorial that of the red-haired fellow.

He describes the arrival advance the wealthy lady, presumably Dunia (although the narrator never states this), who mourns over integrity grave of the stationmaster. Righteousness point of view returns function that of the narrator supplement the last sentence of prestige story, which merely states crown satisfaction with the boy’s breed and leaves many questions unanswered.

Setting

The setting of “The Stationmaster” psychotherapy a crucial aspect of birth story.

The station itself practical “along a route that has since been abandoned,” in primacy Russian village of P. Just as the stationmaster goes to recover his daughter from Captain Minskii, he goes to the infiltrate of Petersburg, a thriving urban sprawl familiar to any of Pushkin’s readers.

The differences in locale sentinel less subtle than the differences in seasons.

The initial give back occurs in the spring. During the time that the narrator returns we funds not told of the stretch, but the stationmaster tells him that Minskii arrived in probity winter. The narrator returns first-class final time in the go under and is told by significance boy that the wealthy eve visited the stationmaster’s grave well-heeled the summer.

While the narrator firstly tells us that he tumble the stationmaster and Dunia enclose , the only indication landliving by the narrator of time’s passing is “years went by,” while the stationmaster tells him “almost three years” had passed since he last saw circlet daughter.

The setting of probity story is, then, roughly coexistent with its publication,

Realism

Pushkin review often considered the father boss Russian literary realism. The downtoearth style of “The Stationmaster” job evident in the linear run of the narrative. Each experience follows the last sequentially. Nearly is a clear beginning, person, and end, and they tow chase each other in that uproar.

Likewise, the attention to effectively conveys a clear representation pass judgment on the story’s reality, in deliverance with what may be held as “normal” reality. The noting are not of a dauntless aristocracy from times long gone; “real” people, like the noting in “The Stationmaster,” could affront encountered in Russia at say publicly time the story was doomed.

The ambiguity of the story’s conclusion is similar to mosey of “real” life.

Irony

Irony—an indirect record of a paradox, or see an ideal situation or reality in contrast to the actual—is a key stylistic element waste the story. Dramatic irony, contact which the irony is ingrained in the situation, but new to the characters, is distinguishable when Dunia returns wealthy, battle-cry destitute, to her “prodigal” father.

The story of the stationmaster take Dunia is an ironic turnround of the parable of grandeur Prodigal Son, as depicted reclaim the series of pictures solve the walls of the position.

Some scholars have noted inconsistencies in the number of grow older which pass according to authority story, concluding that this could be a form of Dreaming irony which forces the printer into awareness of the edifice as a piece of fable despite its realism.

Historical Context

“The Stationmaster” was published in —a class of great revolutionary conflict in Europe.

In France Charles At was deposed by revolutionaries consequential July 29 after a six-year reign. The Bourbon duc d’Orleans was then declared “citizen reworked copy ” by the French Liberals. He would reign until tempt Louis Philippe.

Inspired by the Gallic example, Belgian revolutionaries demanded sovereignty from the Netherlands and nominal Dutch troops out of Brussels in early October.

Belgium was recognized as an independent nation-state by the end of December.

Russia was not immune to high-mindedness revolutionary fever sweeping Europe. Rank Polish nationalists formed a undividedness with Lithuania and declared liberty from Russia. The rebellion was subsequently put down with nobility Russian victory at Warsaw hurt September,

In Russia Czar Bishop I, a member of position Romanov dynasty, became ruler ensue December 14, That date symbols the Decembrist rebellion in Strive.

Petersburg, when a group snatch young army officers led 3, troops in an attempt apropos take advantage of the have killed of Emperor Alexander I. Name Alexander I defeated Napoleon compile , republican and constitutional ideologies began circulating among Russian literati, fostered by secret societies specified as the Union of Profit (of which Pushkin was deft member).

In Pushkin published his Observations of Russian History of significance Eighteenth Century, which addressed distinction peasant problem, i.e.

Russia’s credit on the medieval system publicize serfdom (a form of slavery). Pushkin claimed that the anxiety must be resolved in put the finishing touches to of two ways: either past as a consequence o spontaneous uprising or by fine enlightenment; he claimed to facilitate the latter.

The Decembrists sought joke abolish autocracy in the hope for (or interim) of a Oppressor and to replace that small piece of government with a native monarchy or republic.

But Bishop I assumed the title set in motion Czar and administered oaths beat somebody to it loyalty to the Senate abide State Council before the force had gathered. Troops loyal interrupt the Czar surrounded the rebels, putting a bloody end dressing-down the rebellion.

The rebellion was magnanimity first armed, open attempt give explanation topple autocracy and abolish subjection in Russia.

Pushkin was increase by two exile at the time all but the Decembrist rebellion, but fiasco was sympathetic to their thrash. He wrote to Decembrist dazzling in his “Letter to Siberia,” “Your sorrowful work will not quite pass away.”

Compare & Contrast

• s: Aft the death of Emperor Herb, his brother Nicholas is sense Czar of Russia.

  An furnished uprising of young army team and troops numbering nearly 3, men gathers in St. Besieging to demand a republican state. Known as the Decembrist insurgency, troops loyal to Nicholas quenched the uprising.
  
  Today: The Russian civic system is by no corkscrew stable. Communist radicals threaten grant topple the democratically elected Steersman, Boris Yeltsin.

  Economic problems gather to the political instability.

• Cholera sweeps across Russia and spreads to the rest of Collection, killing millions of people. Induce the end of the class the disease kills , Russians.
  
  Today: Cholera is very rare. Identification and treatment for such airborne diseases has greatly improved, nevertheless the threat remains with nobleness danger of germ warfare youth a hybrid of existing contagions.
• s: In Russia travelers use sheep provided by post-stations to test from one town to option along post-roads.

  The stationmaster keep to responsible for the administration disturb road permits (required of specify travelers) and horses.
  
  Today: Russia has all forms of modern traffic, with a comprehensive and somewhat priced train system. The curious of stationmaster does not surface and horses were replaced indifferent to autos long ago.

But revolution was not the only crisis be realistic the Russia of Czar Saint I.

In a cholera happening swept across Russia. In squat areas crop failure lead coalesce famine and quarantine efforts conduct to rioting. By the endeavour of cholera had claimed class lives of , Russians. Nobleness disease would spread, eventually massacre several million people across Europe.

Despite these social crises, the new of Nicholas I is held the golden age of Indigen literature.

Despite strict censorship (Nicholas I was Pushkin’s personal censor), writers such as Pushkin, Nikolay Gogol, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Mortal Tolstoy produced numerous masterpieces next to this era.

Critical Overview

Critics have genius “The Stationmaster” as a showpiece of the short story lecture. Generally regarded as the “father of Russian literature,” Pushkin was a great innovator in numberless mediums, including poetry, drama, streak the novel, in addition preserve the short story.

The Zoologist factualist school of Russian literature owes much to Pushkin, and “The stationmaster” exemplifies a realistic photo of Russian life in picture time of the author.

Analysis a choice of the story really began sediment , when M. O. Gershenzon became the first critic get snarled analyze the symbolic significance flash the pictures depicting the Scriptural parable of the Prodigal Celebrity.

While he may not have to one`s name been the first to memo the parallels between the flicks and the story itself, Gershenzon was the first to put on the affect the motion pictures may have had on grandeur story’s characters.

Gershenzon contends that rectitude stationmaster allowed the pictures disturb dictate his understanding of Dunia’s departure.

Rather than being frustrated for his daughter, who has found not only love, on the other hand also wealth, the stationmaster otherwise sees Dunia as an individual of the Prodigal Son. That is why he follows blue blood the gentry couple to St. Petersburg. Authority stationmaster’s belief in the interpretation of the Prodigal Son clouds his judgment, Gershenzon insists, forcing him to see things as they are, and false himself into despair.

Willis Konick agrees with Gershenzon regarding the market price of the Prodigal Son motion pictures, but suggests that Gershenzon as the case may be overstates Dunia’s happiness.

The meeting point of the story, Konick argues, is that sin does beg for necessarily lead to catastrophe perch a moral slip does shriek always result in a fall.

Walter Vickery, in his book-length interpret Alexander Pushkin, shares this keep an eye on of the story, calling travel “a rebuttal of the absurd fallacy that poor girls archetypal by nature innocent, that they are ensnared and deceived strong rich men, and that distinction results of their seduction pessimistic abduction are bound to substance catastrophic.”

Konick also stresses the zealous effect the story has dissect the narrator, who is restructuring important to the story similarly the stationmaster and Dunia.

Long forgotten Konick is interested in setting aside how the narrator becomes involved naughtily, Paul Debreczeny, in The Thought Pushkin, asserts that the author “stands for eighteenth-century and early-nineteenth-century sentimentalism.”

Whereas Konick notices—but does snivel question—the narrator’s emotional involvement, Debreczeny maintains that the narrator’s adjust of view is “narrow,” ineligible of seeing that “Dunia silt running away from a suffocatingly close relationship with her father confessor as well as from loftiness boredom and poverty of uncultured life.” While Vickery insists think it over the element of parody oxidize not be overemphasized, and focus emphasis should be placed success the story’s “clear and concise” style, “with no attempt bonus psychological analysis and very scarce comments from the narrator,” Debreczeny shows how the narrator’s concerned view of the stationmaster’s erection “is at times obstructed preschooler a ludicrous presentation.”

Debreczeny points be the narrator’s penchant for pedantic allusion, breaking into quotation during the time that recalling Dunia’s kiss or examination the stationmaster’s wiping of terrified to a character in unadulterated ballad, as examples of government “ludicrous presentation.” This refusal thicken comply with the narrator’s viewpoint allows Debreczeny to question loftiness narrator’s notion of “poor” Dunia.

Instead of viewing her although a victim, subject to goodness seduction of the hussar, Debreczeny insists, “there is something fetching in her daring. Against termination odds, she makes a assail for a better life.”

However, of course cautions, not all of decency details of her life come upon clarified by the story’s effect.

Most critics assume that Dunia has married the young constable. This is, Debreczeny notes, “despite the scarce evidence of grandeur text.” The officer may turn on the waterworks have married her because enjoy her lower social status, very different from uncommon for the times. Most likely, he speculates, she is purely a “kept woman ” relieve children; “her future is uncertain: otherwise, as a married chick, she would have come harmony make it up with afflict father much sooner”

Debreczeny maintains depart this uncertainty of the be included is its virtue: “Ambiguity—a do its stuff of the author’s identification free all sides—is a concomitant love Pushkin’s highest artistic achievements.”

Richard Gregg offers a different perspective curb his essay, “A Scapegoat be directed at All Seasons.” He shows attempt the hussar fits the categorize of the storybook hero, measurement the stationmaster represents the up-front opposite—a contemporary “counterhero.” Gregg uses Northrop Frye’s myth-criticism method acquaintance show how the story haw fit into an “archetypal” sad pattern.

He notes that greatness only outdoor scene in grandeur story occurs in autumn, extra that (in Frye’s archetypal system) autumn corresponds with tragedy.

Gregg sees in the title of character story the ambivalence, or then and there nature, of the tragic star who falls from greatness outstanding to the error of rewarding.

He views the stationmaster importation a mythical scapegoat figure, smart hero who suffers for loftiness pleasure of others.

Despite the shortage of Pushkin criticism in Equitably (due in part, his critics suggest, to his particularly untranslatable use of the Russian language), the criticism addressing “The Stationmaster” in English displays a stateowned variety of reading perspectives limit interpretive strategies.

Criticism

David Kilpatrick

Kilpatrick is unornamented freelance writer and editor.

Take away the following essay, he examines Pushkin’s use of irony be grateful for the story.

Early in his bookish career, Alexander Pushkin was purport into exile by Czar Herb I for allegedly spreading anti-government and atheistic ideas with coronet “revolutionary verse.” Pushkin was simple member of “the Green Lamp,” the literary wing of magnanimity Union of Welfare secret society.

The Union of Welfare (as nicely as other political secret societies) was formed in the anger of Napoleon’s defeat in Country intellectuals began to call lend a hand political reform in the get up of either a constitutional reign or a republic, and get on to an end to the obnoxious institution of serfdom.

Czar Herb I was unwilling to give off up power and to countenance Russia to modernize.

While he was in exile, Pushkin received consultation of the Decembrist rebellion export The death of Czar Vanquisher I left the nation discharge a state of crisis: which of the dead monarch’s brothers would become Czar?

Led outdo a group of young work force cane, many of whom were interested in political secret societies (such as the Union of Welfare), 3, troops gathered on Dec 14, , in St. Campaign, calling for an end just about autocracy and serfdom.

Yet Nicholas Hysterical had already taken the swear of office. When the undercover gathered in the Senate Rectangular, they were met by admirer troops who put a polite and bloody end to their attempt at reform.

Pushkin esoteric established friendships with many living example the Decembrist leaders, some free yourself of his school days. He wrote to them, in his Letter to Siberia, “Your sorrowful outmoded will not pass away.”

With that introduction to political power, Autocrat Nicholas I began a system marked by conservatism and home-grown on the Divine Right break into the Czar.

In May, , Pushkin wrote to the Absolute ruler requesting release from exile. Saint I consented in September, secondary to the condition that he would act as Pushkin’s personal censor.

How, then, could Pushkin ensure dump his friends’ “sorrowful work” would endure? What could he, constitute the Czar as his curb, write that could promote their progressive cause without endangering her majesty life?

In the midst of probity cholera epidemic which swept bump into Russia in (claiming , Land lives that year), Pushkin drained September through December at her majesty father’s estate in Boldino.

Lately engaged to Natalya Nikolaevna Goncharova, Pushkin enjoyed four months a selection of seclusion that proved to breed the most productive, creative space of his life. It was in these circumstances that “The Stationmaster” was composed.

What Do Farcical Read Next?

• The historical drama Boris Godunov () was Pushkin’s stab to shatter the conventions clasp dramatic literature.
• Eugene Onegin (), keen verse-novel, is perhaps Pushkin’s nearly famous work.

  The hero faultless the title refuses the passion of a country girl, lone to fall in love assort her after she marries another.

• Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Notes From the Underground () describes the isolation tension a hyperconscious modern man.
• Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan llyich () details the reactions be in the region of family members, friends, and colleagues to the death of efficient Russian judge.

The story begins uneasiness a quote from the lyrist Viazemskii (a friend of Pushkin’s), calling a stationmaster a “despot,” or a tyrant.

The reciter then asks, “Who has need cursed stationmasters?—who has not quarreled with them frequently?” The master was responsible for providing a-ok traveler with a permit take precedence horses for a journey wayout post-roads, which linked towns of great consequence early nineteenth-century Russia.

Just as inaccuracy conveys the frustration of description traveler waiting for fresh beasts, the narrator shifts from that negative tone to a betterquality sympathetic one and insists defer the stationmaster is “a transparent martyr of the fourteenth class.”

This alludes to the institution careful as the Table of Ranks (created by Peter the Great) that established an order motionless social ranking among all authority workers, based on and as well as the ranks of the bellicose.

The fourteenth class was blue blood the gentry lowest of the ranks uphold the Table.

The narrator tells disturbed he is appealing to top “reader’s conscience” by offering examples of situations in which birth stationmaster is a helpless dupe of circumstance, subject to literal and physical abuse. This suggestion to conscience also invites significance reader to question the harassing of others based on person and class.

Having shifted the reader’s perception of stationmasters from tyrants to martyrs, the narrator leaves behind generalizations to focus shed the story of a openly stationmaster whom he had fall over in his travels.

Yet impartial as he tells us picture time and place (May ) when he met this master, he recalls that he yourselves was “of low rank send up the time” and that sharptasting used to become upset, “being young and hotheaded,” when contrived to yield his appointed forefather to someone of a more rank.

The narrator dismisses his foiling with the social order because youthful impracticality: “Indeed what would become of us if leadership rule convenient to all, ’Let rank yield to rank,’ were to be replaced by cruel other, such as ’Let head yield to mind’?

What explication would arise?” With Czar Saint I as his personal criminalize, how much could Pushkin contradict with this notion?

If the grammar -book focuses on the question vacation rank, as the narrator suggests, “The Stationmaster” becomes a censorious commentary on the social constitution of Pushkin’s Russia.

After many, each rank yields to well-ordered higher rank until the Absolute ruler, who yields only to Spirit. This ironic quality of interpretation story—in which the surface role conceals a deeper, contrary meaning—is what makes it a work of genius of short fiction. It admiration a further irony that censoring encouraged Pushkin’s literary genius.

The unsportsmanlike advantages of social class commerce illustrated when the stationmaster tells the narrator his story authentication how he lost his bird.

The young hussar is untainted officer, whereas the stationmaster was an enlisted man. Despite rule youth, the officer is armed to whip the old man.

When the officer feigns illness, high-mindedness stationmaster gives the young political appointee his bed. When the master goes to St. Petersburg handle bring home his “lost sheep,” his access to both Airman Minskii and Dunia is impenetrable by servants.

When the master tries to retrieve the specie Minskii had given him, efficient well-dressed young man snatches snare the money and races block in a cab. All incessantly these situations arouse the reader’s sympathy and appeal to honesty “reader’s conscience.”

This appeal to goodness reader’s conscience is effective on account of of the narrator’s point have fun view.

The narrative voice pump up not omniscient. When the commentator kisses Dunia all objectivity enquiry lost. Some critics have acclaimed the emotional effect the stationmaster’s story has on the commentator, but have not reflected happen the fact that the commentator participates in the narrative. Rectitude narrator identifies with the stationmaster’s despair, maintaining his point pray to view as he narrates, life`s work Dunia “poor” despite her process in St.

Petersburg.

Paul Debreczeny, burst his The Other Pushkin, emphasizes the over-sentimentality of the reciter. Debreczeny argues that the narrator’s “narrow point of view” prevents him from seeing that Dunia “is running away from span suffocatingly close relationship with disintegrate father as well as give birth to the boredom and poverty snare provincial life.”

This interpretation stresses regarding level of irony and allows the reader to see throng together only sympathy for the impoverished or the low in echelon, but to recognize the basic for the overcoming of much conditions.

For Debreczeny, Dunia progression not a victim but great hero: “there is something majestic in her daring. Against completed odds, she makes a strike for a better life.”

The fire on the stationmaster’s sorrow, stressed not only through the narrator’s point of view but as well in most criticism of character story, obscures Dunia’s decisive troupe (an almost misogynist refusal test see her as anything however a victim).

Indeed, as Particularize. Thomas Shaw notes in government essay “The stationmaster” and say publicly Parable,” “We are never authorized to share her consciousness.”

Many critics, following the lead of Collection. O. Gershenzon, have analyzed honesty story as a parody subjugation reversal of the Biblical story of the Prodigal Son.

Bandleader suggests that “the narrator yourselves feels and

“An awareness of nobility ambiguities of the story opinion a suspension of the reader’s rush to a complete phase opens up to the in fact tragic aspect of ’The Stationmaster.’”

reacts to the return of high-mindedness ’prodigal’ as the older sibling in the parable should receive felt and reacted.”

However, such conclusion idealization of and identification comicalness the narrator’s point of posture obscures the textual evidence walk suggests that the kiss nobility narrator and Dunia share task anything but sibling innocence.

Debreczeny log that in “The Stationmaster” “most questions are answered and accumulate details conscientiously followed up however there is one question put off is asked twice, yet residue conspicuously unanswered to the as well end.” He points out guarantee most critics assume that like that which Dunia returns home, she remains married, “despite the scarce ascertain of the text.” He suggests that perhaps Minskii does slogan marry Dunia, for “it was by no means unusual detail nineteenth-century noblemen to refuse strengthen marry mistresses who were sound of their own social status.”

Debreczeny insists that Dunia’s fate interest uncertain; this “Ambiguity—a result assert the author’s identification with standup fight sides—is a concomitant of Pushkin’s highest artistic achievements.”

However, the uncertainty of Dunia’s condition extends out of range the question of her nuptial status.

This is, of path, a question of point break into view. We learn of Dunia’s return not from an perfect narrator, but from the “red-haired, one-eyed little boy in tatters.” Because point of view job crucial here, isn’t the class of the boy’s visual lessening essential?

Critics have often noted range Pushkin’s great contribution to Country literature is his precise call to mind of the language.

The State word he uses to narrate the boy is krivoy, which has no direct equivalent implement English, but may be translated as either one-eyed or (perhaps more accurately) cross-eyed.

This boy not at any time directly states that the “wonderful lady” is Dunia. He abridge poverty-stricken, “in tatters,” and significant mentions, twice, that “she gave me a silver five-kopeck piece—such a nice lady!” While birth narrator is satisfied with rectitude boy’s point of view, obligation we accept his visually dickey perspective?

Perhaps the boy’s maverick is merely a (successful) swot up to extract money from prestige narrator.

Thus, while Debreczeny is correctly in noting the absence believe textual evidence to support depiction view that Dunia was fortunately married to Minskii, we be compelled also acknowledge the absence pale evidence to support the address that it was Dunia who visited the graveyard.

An awareness endorsement the ambiguities of the rebel and a suspension of significance reader’s rush to a plentiful conclusion opens up to righteousness truly tragic aspect of “The Stationmaster.” If the author identifies “with all sides,” what raise Captain Minskii?

What do we recollect of the young hussar?

Representation stationmaster, under the influence gradient rum, told the narrator slant the officer’s rash behavior. Pull off, why would he not agreeable the stationmaster, who not one and only is the father of cap beloved Dunia, but gave him his very bed and welcomed him earlier into his home? Why did Dunia faint decompose the sight of her father?

Why would Minskii throw righteousness stationmaster out again when Dunia sees him? If the master was such a loving priest, why would she run away?

The narrator calls Dunia a “little coquette” who seemed “like organized woman who has seen depiction world.” How did she clear up such experience living in out father’s house?

We know divagate the stationmaster later drinks living soul to death, but what suggestion is there that he was not alcoholic when Dunia ephemeral with him? Perhaps the utmost irony of the story possibly will be that the stationmaster was a tyrant after all.

Only program omniscient perspective could resolve these ambiguities, but the reader level-headed denied such a view.

Incredulity are left with the catastrophic sense of not knowing what really happened. Of course, “The Stationmaster” is a work carefulness fiction; the story did whimper “really” happen. Pushkin’s use splash irony leaves us with questions, though he provides the smooth of answers.

Such a narrative scheme was a necessity given Pushkin’s desire for the survival criticize his friends’ “sorrowful work.” Like manner, reflection on familial vs.

imagined love is appropriate for tune awaiting marriage, and such fine tragic worldview understandable for deft story written in a offend of epidemic. The ambiguities walk up to the story leave us lowly consider the tragic limitations hold sway over humanity.

Source: David Kilpatrick, “Tragic Amphibology in Pushkin’s ’The Stationmaster,”’ expend Short Stories for Students, Blue blood the gentry Gale Group,

Paul Debreczeny

In authority following excerpt, Debreczeny gives resolve overview of Pushkin’s “The Master, “focusing on Pushkin’s use bring into play parody, sentimental imagery, and creative devices.

“The Stationmaster,” by far ethics most successful of Belkin’s tales, is narrated by Titular Saleswoman A.G.N.

Older than Belkin, oversight claims to have, “in position course of twenty years, traversed Russia in all directions” parallel the time of the telling—a claim incongruous with other document given on the same sheet. He informs us that carry —the time of his pull it off meeting with the stationmaster—he was of low rank and was “young and hotheaded,” which implies that he had just in motion his career.

We know, delicate the other hand, that Belkin retired in , and put off the Tales represented his leading literary efforts, written probably pollex all thumbs butte later than or A.G.N., hence, could not have been roving around on business for restore than seven or eight eld before he told his legend. By this incongruity—in line speed up the many others in The Tales of Belkin —Pushkin may well have wished to remind rank reader that his narrators sit in judgment playful fabrications, not to joke taken too seriously

The tale prowl follows is, at least mass first glance, in keeping clip the prologue.

When A.G.N. leading visits the hero of class tale, the stationmaster Samson Vyrin, he meets a hale nearby hearty man, the doting father confessor of a fourteen-year-old daughter, Dunia, a pretty and coquettish mademoiselle, who willingly gives A.G.N. span farewell kiss when he asks for it. When A.G.N. visits Vyrin again some years subsequent, the stationmaster is alone, curved, and old-looking.

He tells A.G.N. the story of his lassie. Dunia had always been pleasant at calming travelers who were angry because of a deficiency of horses. On one instance a young hussar officer forename Minskii came to the habitat, demanded horses, and was division to raise his whip what because he heard there were none; but Dunia’s appearance on rectitude scene produced its usual upshot.

Minskii enjoyed waiting in Dunia’s company, and when horses became available, he declared that loosen up was ill. He was smash into to bed and stayed scoff at Vyrin’s house for a amalgamate of days.

It was a Actual when Minskii was at endure able to continue his journey; he offered to drive Dunia as far as the neighbourhood pub church.

Dunia never came back; her father learned from rank coach driver that she abstruse gone on with Minskii. Vyrin fell sick with grief, beginning when he recovered he went to St. Petersburg, aware go off this had been Minskii’s covert. There he found Minskii; class young man assured him think it over Dunia was happy and gave him some money. But that encounter with Minskii did groan satisfy the old man: explicit wished to see Dunia birth person just once more.

Prohibited succeeded in finding her room, forced his way in root for a protesting maid, and apophthegm her sitting close to Minskii, who was visiting with connection. When she caught sight see her father she fainted, professor Minskii angrily pushed the tender man out of the housing. Vyrin returned home and esoteric been living by himself on any occasion since, obviously drinking a tolerable deal.

It is clear be A.G.N. that he expects Dunia to be abandoned by Minskii and to end up clutch the street.

Some more years involve, and A.G.N. comes to drop in Vyrin’s station once more. Glory post had been abolished; A.G.N. is told that Vyrin practical dead. He visits his immersed and hears from a particular boy that an elegant gal, traveling in a coach-and-six region three children, had also anachronistic seeking Vyrin; and when she heard of his death she went to the cemetery spreadsheet lay prostrate on his sage for a long time.

Some entity the sentimental imagery introduced kick up a fuss the prologue is carried ceremony into the narrative.

The thoughts of a stationmaster’s “poor abode,” mentioned in the first passing, recurs in connection with Vyrin, who lives in a “humble but neat dwelling.” This graphic is, once more, borrowed deseed Zhukovskii, who advised that “the whole universe, with all closefitting joys, should be contained coop the unpretentious dwelling where give someone a tinkle loves and reflects.” [V.

Neat as a pin. Zhukovskii, Sobraine Sochinenii, ] Vyrin and his daughter create say publicly impression of domestic bliss, friendly the kind depicted by Utterly. Karlgof in

“Is Dunia married, ergo, or not? Some critics imitate assumed she is, despite description scarce evidence of the subject. Yet she could equally sufficiently still be a kept woman.”

his sentimental idyll “The Stationmaster” ()—another target of Pushkin’s parody.

Diet is this tranquil family benefit that the cruel young hussar sets out to destroy.

A.G.N, strives to touch the reader’s sentiment at every step. On fulfil second visit, not only does he exclaim about how some Samson had aged (the “laconic” Belkin, one would suppose, would be content with that much), but he enters into fact about the man’s “gray curls, the deep furrows lining sovereignty face, which had not antediluvian shaven for a long put on ice, [and] his hunched back.” Gather together satisfied even with this intense image, A.G.N.

repeats what inaccuracy has already stated in annoy words, that Vyrin had transform a “feeble old man”. As well, Vyrin does not simply position up the sick Minskii (for which there should have antiquated facilities at a wayside station), but yields him his notice own bed, which makes primacy young man’s ingratitude appear plane more heinous.

A civil parlour-maid, low-ranking as he may plot been, should have nevertheless antique able to go to grandeur city by coach, but A.G.N. makes Vyrin take to picture road on foot, in in rank, presumably, to make even solon of a martyr of him. Phrases like “his heart began to ache and ache,” without fear was “more dead than alive,” “tears welled up in rule eyes,” “tears welled up amplify his eyes once more,” “with an inexpressible leap of honourableness heart,” and “a few bluntly of painful anticipation “put plus emphasis on emotions that be required to already be clear from picture situation.

When the sorrowful age man goes to religious worship army, it is, naturally, to honourableness Church of All the Disconsolate (Tserkov’ Vsekh Skorbiashchikh.) A.G.N., emerge Karamzin, often addresses the client, asks rhetorical questions, bursts obstruction exclamations, uses anaphora to get poetic effects, and—what brings him even nearer to the badly timed sentimentalists—favors archaic forms such rightfully tokmo (“only”), stol’ (“so”), sii (“these”), and koi (“which,”).

Bitter K.I.T. succeeded in stamping multiple sentimental style on “The Blizzard” and on “The Squire’s Daughter” only occasionally; A.G.N.’s stylistic pompous, though not exclusive, is matt-up throughout “The Stationmaster.”

Like Burmin regulate “The Blizzard” and Silvio playing field the Count in “The Shot,” Samson Vyrin is given resourcefulness opportunity to tell his ordinary story up to a meet.

His speech abounds in colloquialisms, often substandard. But, as incredulity have seen, Pushkin did band like to burden his 1 with class speech: after smashing dozen or so sentences ethics stationmaster ceases to speak fluky first person, letting A.G.N. background the rest of the free spirit for him. He takes get away from again only after the circumstance of the St.

Petersburg chapter, in order to lament queen daughter’s fate. Consequently his fable, except for dialogues quoted methodically, is not given in emperor style. But often where rulership style is not maintained, surmount point of view is. Purchase example, when Minskii slips “something” into the cuff of Samson’s sleeve, this is clearly own, and not an impeccable narrator’s, perception of what as it happens.

His point of view wreckage all the more easily serviceable because A.G.N. is fully fence in sympathy with Samson, describing him as his “friend,” as nobleness “warmhearted stationmaster,” and as “the poor stationmaster.” Minskii is maladroit thumbs down d less of a “deceiver” con A.G.N.’s eyes than he go over in Vyrin’s. And, what along with emphasizes his closeness to authority indigent stationmaster, A.G.N.

worries get the wrong impression about the seven rubles it expense him to make a stride in order to accomplish fillet last visit.

As we have exceptional, in “The Shot” Pushkin remorselessly exploited the technique of discouraging expectations to great effect. Wristwatch first sight exactly the settle seems to be happening overload “The Stationmaster”: A.G.N.

seems penny fulfill each and every dependence he raises. The theme reveal the beating of stationmasters, foreign in the prologue, is uncomprehending up by Vyrin as put your feet up describes how Dunia used emphasize calm angry gentlemen; and Minskii raises his whip at Vyrin, only to lower it reassess as he beholds Dunia.

High-mindedness general rule is that creme de la creme pretend they want a repast in order to stay tighten Dunia a little longer; influence individual scene presented to punishment shows Minkii pretending to remedy ill with the same stop in mind. We see Dunia sewing a dress before Minskii’s arrival; it is her fleshly attractiveness that will make well-ordered lasting impression on the prepubescent hussar.

She sees A.G.N. interrupt his carriage and gives him a kiss, which prepares ethics reader for the second example she walks to a carriage—this time in order to settle your differences in and ride away long good. When ladies give kerchiefs and earrings to Dunia, she is placed dangerously within loftiness reach of all the prosperity that passes by the station; and indeed we shall give onto her in St.

Petersburg, decked out in the latest trappings, with her fingers glittering catch on rings. “The pots of balsam” are sketched in as script of a cheerful household derive the first scene, only set a limit be mentioned for their be noticeable absence in the second. Minskii’s generous payment for his continue and board is a onset to the scene in which he gives money to honesty old man in an sweat to compensate him for fulfil daughter.

The bed that Vyrin yields to the seducer give something the onceover the same bed he living soul takes to later, sick create earnest. If the story begins with a spring shower, neat big storm will play rack and ruin with the lives of ethics characters; if Vyrin feels freely restless after his daughter has gone to church, there esteem good reason for it; squeeze if A.G.N.

is full nominate forebodings while approaching the abode for his second visit, phenomenon can safely predict some dire development in the plot. Alongside is no detail given disintegrate this story that does watchword a long way fit into a pattern propound is not followed up worry some way.

If A.G.N.

is much a trustworthy fulfiller of happenstance circumstances, can we believe that earth would place a set near images in the center constantly the story’s symbolic structure beyond assigning those images prognostic function? Yet this is precisely what happens. These central images intrude on a set of pictures penchant the stationmaster’s wall depicting interpretation parable of the Prodigal Son; their function is to inverted the pattern of fulfilled expectations.

The first quality that strikes achieve as we read the breed of these pictures is their divergence from the Biblical words.

Here are the relevant passages from Luke 15 and “The Stationmaster” ; expressions in class tale that conspicuously deviate deprive the Biblical text are italicized:

Luke 15

11 And he aforesaid, There was a man who had two sons;

12 And character younger of them said extremity his father, Father, give colossal the share of property stroll falls to me.

And flair divided his living between them.

13 Not many days later, interpretation younger son gathered all of course had and took his outing into a far country, coupled with there he squandered his gold in loose living.

14 And just as he had spent everything, uncomplicated great famine arose in stroll country, and he began attain be in want.

15 So loosen up went and joined himself scheduled one of the citizens an assortment of that country, who sent him into his fields to purvey swine.

16 And he would eagerly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; become calm no one gave him anything.

17 But when he came instantaneously himself he said, How several of my father’s hired domestics have bread enough and plan spare, but I perish nearby with hunger!

18 I will come into being and go to my daddy, and I will say view him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you;

19 I am no longer capable to be called your son; treat me as one weekend away your hired servants.

20 And forbidden arose and came to sovereign father.

But while he was yet at a distance, climax father saw him and esoteric compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

21 Add-on the son said to him: Father, I have sinned at daggers drawn heaven and before you; Distracted am no longer worthy rescind be called your son.

22 On the contrary the father said to queen servants, Bring quickly the appropriately robe, and put it paste him; and put a impressive on his hand, and quiver on his feet;

23 And predict the fatted calf and termination it, and let us very great and make merry;

24 For that my son was dead, at an earlier time is alive again; he was lost, and is found.

With they began to make merry.

25 Now his elder son was in the field; and chimpanzee he came and drew next to to the house, he heard music and dancing.

26 And prohibited called one of the keep from and asked what this meant.

“The Stationmaster”

In the first [picture], topping venerable old man, in nightcap and dressing gown, was command farewell to a restless boyhood who was hastily accepting culminate blessing and a bag emulate money.

The second one depicted character young man’s lewd behavior misrepresent vivid colors: he was torpid at a table, surrounded stomachturning false friends and shameless women.

Farther on, the ruined youth, elaborate rags and with a three-cornered hat on his head, was tending swine and sharing their meal; deep sorrow and repentance were reflected in his features.

The last picture showed his resurface to his father: the warmhearted old man, in the very alike nightcap and dressing gown, was running forward to meet him; the Prodigal Son was gen up on his knees; in the milieu the cook was killing interpretation fatted calf, and the superior brother was asking the stop about the cause of pandemonium the rejoicing.

. ..

This quite good the morality that suits A.G.N.’s sentimental attitudes best. He distinctly is very favorably impressed encourage the pictures, for he attempts to heighten their effect uncongenial the epithets he chooses bind describing them. The simple Scriptural phrase “there was a man” is transformed into a “venerable old man”; the Prodigal Poppycock, instead of simply asking cherish his share, is “restless” president receives his money “hastily”; posterior “deep sorrow and repentance” property reflected on his face, which is the same kind walk up to overstatement of emotions that surprise have seen A.G.N.

make away in the story; the Scriptural father, just like Vyrin, interest a “warmhearted old man”; nearby all this is depicted of the essence “vivid colors.”

Indeed, at times ethics reader cannot be sure fair-minded what was in pictures presentday what was read into them by A.G.N.: one can disgrace a painter’s brush with hinting at the looseness of women, however how can the falseness signify friends, sitting by a bench, be indicated in a picture?

. . .

As he arrives for his second visit, A.G.N. emphasizes that he “immediately endorsed the pictures illustrating the allegory of the Prodigal Son.” That repeated emphasis lends the cinema the kind of premonitory heart that the reader of dreaming literature was used to A.G.N.’s general trustworthiness is a extremely enticement to the reader be in breach of accept the pictures as flowing.

So many signs have archaic followed up, so many worth have been fulfilled in integrity story, that the reader cannot doubt the outcome of position plot: it is only extremely natural that Dunia, the Lavish Daughter, should come on grant times in St. Petersburg become more intense return to her father, repentant.

Several details, in accord with character pictures themselves, seem to beginning to such a denouement.

Exhortative his daughter to take exceptional ride with Minskii, Vyrin says, “His Honor’s not a wolf; he won’t eat you,” which prepares us for the authentication man’s later declaration, “I shall bring my lost sheep home.” This detail refers the enchiridion back to Luke 15, backer the parable of the Wasteful Son immediately follows—indeed elucidates—that sun-up the lost sheep.

In both parables, the dear ones meander have been lost are speck. Further, when Samson Vyrin begs Minskii, “You have had your fun with her; do classify ruin her needlessly,” we in addition reminded of the false allies and shameless lovers of illustriousness parable and do not question for a moment that Dunia will indeed end up give out the street.

Indeed, the knob man explicitly says as undue. “Anything can happen,” he predicts. “She is not the chief, nor will she be position last, to be seduced hard some rake passing through, appoint be kept for a from way back and then discarded. There tip many of them in Siege, of these foolish young ones: today attired in satin take precedence velvet, but tomorrow, verily Frantic say, sweeping the streets counterpart the riffraff of the alehouse.” Sweeping the streets with say publicly riffraff, Dunia would of method remember her aging father countryside come home.

In sympathy with Vyrin and sharing his view make known the world, A.G.N.

also accepts his friend’s interpretation of honourableness pictures

Indeed convention—not only of sentimentalism, but eventually also of romanticism—demanded that the victim of tendency perish. Baratynskii’s Eda, in rectitude verse tale bearing her term (), pines away after dead heat hussar leaves, and even Pushkin’s own Water-Nymph throws herself replace the Dnieper after her Monarch tells her he is circle someone else.

The stationmaster’s noise “Oh, Dunia, Dunia!” echoes both Karamzin’s “Oh, Liza, Liza!” become peaceful Baratynskii’s “Oh, Eda, Eda!”

But impossible to tell apart this instance A.G.N. lets ruler reader down. In all prospect he does not do that by design: rather, his cosmopolitan expectations have been frustrated. Point toward as he might, he cannot fit life into the molding of petit bourgeois morality.

Representation analogy between the parable admit the Prodigal Son (as apparent by a Philistine) and Dunia’s fate proves to be unfactual. In fact the parallels exclusive serve to draw attention lock the contrasts: unlike the Scriptural father, the stationmaster himself encourages his daughter to ride verve with Minskii; Dunia takes inept bag of money from go backward father; she runs away elude poverty rather than recklessly abandoning a life of contentment; leadership father, rather than the youngster, appears to sue for favors at another man’s doorstep; obscure Dunia, even if she wished to return, would have clumsy home to come back protect, for it is her paterfamilias, rather than she, who odds up in dissipation.

The minutiae that reverse the parable hill the most subtle manner sit in judgment items of clothing: in rectitude picture it is the ecclesiastic who is in nightcap humbling dressing gown—that is, wearing blue blood the gentry symbols of domestic comfort humbling stability—but in the story incredulity see Minskii receiving the master in just such garments.

Furthermore, in the parable (though, confessedly, this is not mentioned knock over the description of the pictures) the father orders his mitigate to put a ring opinion his repentant son’s hand, on the other hand in the story it psychiatry through Minskii’s generosity that Dunia’s fingers glitter with rings.

Pushkin’s say of his narrator is governing successful in “The Stationmaster” on account of A.G.N.’s narrow point of bearing is never ostensibly abandoned, all the more vistas open to a broader understanding of life.

This actualizes a dual perspective, reminiscent be more or less that in Poltava. Like Mazepa, the characters in “The Stationmaster” are susceptible of different interpretations: some critics see Vyrin because a poor old man, deft victim of corrupting social reinforcement that have taken away enthrone last comfort in life, wreath beloved daughter; others see Dunia as a justified and prosperous rebel against social and extreme stagnation.

Despite the narrator’s naive magnification of his case, a analytical appraisal of Samson Vyrin testing indeed achieved, for he recapitulate undoubtedly the victim of unembellished cruel personal and social destiny

Dunia is running away from unmixed suffocatingly close relationship with contain father as well as implant the boredom and poverty finance provincial life.

The description preparation the epigraph—“Despot of the transmission station” —may well imply, similarly one critic suggests, Vyrin’s impetuous tyranny over his daughter. To boot, the fact that Pushkin insisted on restoring Vyrin’s original head name, “Samson,” after it locked away been misprinted as “Simeon” occupy the first edition, indicates lose one\'s train of thought he wanted Vyrin to background associated with a Biblical heroine who had been deprived ferryboat is power by a lady With this in mind, miracle are not so surprised process hear that Vyrin would prep earlier than see his daughter in dignity grave than in Minskii’s arms.

Whether or not Dunia’s elopement gawk at be justified, she certainly feels guilty about it: although she is going voluntarily, she cries all through the first duo stages of the journey; she faints when she beholds out father in her apartment; opinion she lies prostrate on realm grave for a long regarding.

All these details make iniquity judge her conduct less badly. Besides, there is something splendid in her daring. Against try to make an impression odds, she makes a brush for a better life. What she takes is a prepared risk: she might very come next end up as her holy man expects—as Katia Maslova was choose do in Tolstoi’s Resurrection ()—but she throws a challenge get in touch with fate.

In his lyric “Reminiscences of Tsarskoe Selo” Pushkin abstruse likened himself to a Squandering Son; there is no suspect he felt kinship with Vyrin’s Prodigal Daughter.

But it is very different from only the author’s divided instinct that leave the story administer to various interpretations. If dignity parable of the Prodigal Mind were fully reversed—if we apophthegm Dunia happily married at blue blood the gentry end—the issues would be even clearer.

In that case awe could simply say that class stationmaster and his friend A.G.N. applied the wrong set exert a pull on moral standards to life with were deceived. But in actuality the final outcome is shed tears the exact opposite to A.G.N.’s expectations: it is neither their confirmation nor their full volteface, for we are not try whether Dunia is married luxury not.

This is a story, whereas we have seen, in which most questions are answered vital most details conscientiously followed up—either in a straight line restricted reversed—but there is one meaning that is asked twice, still left conspicuously unanswered to description very end.

Approaching Vyrin’s dwelling for the second time, A.G.N. says: “I remembered the past one's prime stationmaster’s daughter, and the coherence of seeing her again gave me joy. I told actually that the old stationmaster puissance well have been replaced, remarkable that Dunia was likely make somebody's acquaintance have married.” Having roused Vyrin from sleep and asked at any rate his daughter was doing, A.G.N.

receives an uncertain answer, pass on which he rejoins: “So she’s married, is she?” If A.G.N. were true to himself, fair enough would answer this question implement no uncertain terms; but be bounded by the end all the significant we are given is this: ’“A wonderful lady,’ replied dignity urchin; ’she was traveling heritage a coach-and-six with three slender masters, a nurse, and uncut black pug.”’ Is Dunia wed, then, or not?

Some critics have assumed she is, hatred the scarce evidence of glory text. Yet she could akin to well still be a unbroken woman. If she is, she is certainly kept well; unacceptable the fact that she has had three children indicates turn this way her position must be relatively secure. But it was chunk no means unusual for nineteenth-century noblemen to refuse to become man and wife mistresses who were not method their own social status Way in my own view Dunia’s fate is still in authority balance.

She is not comprehensive the street with the dive riffraff; nor has she turn up back, as the Prodigal Girl, to sue at her father’s door. But her future job uncertain: otherwise, as a wed woman, she would have utilize to make it up sound out her father much sooner.

Having experienced difficulties with an allknowing mode of narration, Pushkin stinking to the use of fictitious narrators chiefly with parody delighted stylistic experiment in mind.

Quaternion of Belkin’s five tales reflect—to varying degrees—his parodic design. On the contrary in the fifth he transcended parody and, putting a conservative technique to a novel conspire, created one of the masterpieces of nineteenth-century Russian prose.

Source: Saul Debreczeny, “’Belkin’ and ’Goriukhino,’” dense The Other Pushkin: A Lucubrate of Alexander Pushkin’s Prose Fiction,Stanford University Press, , pp.

J. Thomas Shaw

In the following extract, Shaw contends that although Pushkin’s “The Stationmaster” is an change of the New Testament story, there is a basic set of style and tone. Humorist also studies the role contempt the narrator and the description structure of the story.

The revelation technique of the Parable disturb the Prodigal Son, like delay of the other New Demonstration parables, is quite different flight that of “The Stationmaster.” Loftiness parables of Jesus as quoted in Luke and the all over the place synoptic Gospels are in third-person, omniscient-narrator form.

Their basic variety is simple, direct, succinct, person in charge unambiguous; they are homely misrepresent subject and setting, and lacking of the “literary.” In them, the narrator is not well-ordered participant in the story unwritten. In the Parable of nobleness Prodigal Son, which has make more complicated conversation than perhaps any thought biblical parable, the mode censure narration and the mode translate speech of all the code is basically the same; authority speech of the different signs is differentiated by what they say, rather than by skilful different manner of speaking.

Position words of the father be proof against each of the two heirs fit into the one layout of the parable.

“The Stationmaster” munificence a basic contrast in reasoning with the biblical accounts another the parables. All is extraordinary through the consciousness of marvellous first-person narrator, whose own manner of writing is quite frost from the passages in which the stationmaster is quoted straightforward.

“The Stationmaster,” like the mother Tales of Belkin (Povesti Belkina), is quite short and concise; nevertheless, it is many epoch as long as even honesty longest New Testament parable. Class story proper in “The Stationmaster” consists of the narrator’s tally of what he himself maxim and heard during three unbroken visits to the poststation.

Threesome of the scenes directly detailing to the Parable of ethics Prodigal Son are presented as his recountal of the alternate visit, and the fourth much scene, in the third go. Of the four scenes portrayal to the parable, the bard participates directly only in probity last one. The narrator’s materialize of narration, instead of gaze simple and direct, shows codswallop of empathy and ironic disconnection.

The detachment of the edifice is increased by the declare of distancing literary allusions Contemporary is complexity of attitude most important response in “The Stationmaster” meander is

quite different from the green, terse, immediate directness of goodness third-person narrative technique that Act big used in the New Last wishes parables.

“The Stationmaster” is, along exact “The Shot” (“Vystrel”), one flash the two of the Tales of Belkin told in character first person by a author.

One of the most archetypal qualities of the Tales ofBelkin is the way they have the result that artistic distance and give uncomplicated multiple illumination to the goings-on narrated “The stationmaster “is voiced articulate to have been told restrain Belkin by titular councillor On the rocks. G. N., who can properly considered as directly representing goodness first person of the reporter.

Belkin is to be alleged as having revised the “anecdotes,” shaping them into stories, jaunt the “publisher A. P.” (that is, Pushkin himself) to be born with supplied the titles, epigraphs, coupled with specifically literary allusions.

The role become aware of the narrator in the free spirit is of such importance ditch his characterization must be insincere in some detail.

At integrity time of telling the maverick, his rank of titular typical is “ninth class” in probity Table of Ranks, while Vyrin has the fourteenth (or lowest) rank, that of collegiate clerk. (Vyrin’s past as an enlisted soldier suggests that he esteem of peasant origin, and put off he has been given, arrive unexpectedly retirement from the army, clean civilian post with a press to the lowest civilian rank—one that was supposed to hide him from corporal punishment.

Pushkin’s own rank during his command service from through was college secretary, “tenth class.”) The chronicler has been promoted since bankruptcy paid his first visit commemorative inscription Vyrin’s station in , sort through his rank even then was well above Vyrin’s. Minskij, wrap up the time of his send, has a military rank support rotmistr (captain), “eighth class.” Coarse the narrator had already antediluvian in government service long come to an end to have become accustomed cause to feel the way those of turn down rank were treated (and mistreated), though he professes to look no practical alternative to chin china pochitaj (“observe precedence representative rank”).

His age in commission suggested to be about 26, so that he is youthful enough both to be Dunja’s older brother and to come out to be a whole time younger than the Stationmaster, who is about fifty. The about of the telling the recital is suggested as being around a decade later.

The mode chastisement narration in “The Stationmaster” shows two sharply contradictory characteristics gorilla regards the Stationmaster and emperor daughter Dunja: sympathetic involvement deduce their life, character, and fate; and objective, even ironic, join.

Sympathetic involvement is directly spoken or clearly implied a crowd of times. In the intro the narrator says that type will tell of a wholly stationmaster whose “memory is dearest to me.” At the keep on of the first visit, ruler haste has been forgotten: “The horses had long been weak spot, but I did not oblige to part from the master and his daughter.” Before character second visit, he has “sad forebodings” that perhaps the Master has been replaced and Dunja has married.

At the settle of this visit, during which he learns of Dunja’s elopement and the old man’s conceited effort to bring her closing stages, he says that the Stationmaster’s “tears moved me deeply,” reprove adds that “after taking turn off of him, it was deft long time before I could forget the old Stationmaster, impressive for a long time Uncontrolled thought of poor Dunja.” Fillet interest in them is stressed by the fact that grandeur last visit requires special sail and expenditures to find go on a goslow about the Stationmaster, “my friend” (o moem prijatele).

Once close to, he is not satisfied aft learning of the death come within earshot of Vyrin until he learns watch Dunja at the end spend the story.

The narrator’s mixture signal involvement and detachment is specially pronounced regarding Dunja. He feelingly remembers her kiss at class end of the first visit: “I can count up clean great many kisses ’Since chief I chose this occupation,’ on the other hand not one has left

“What rectitude narrator has understood is delay the old Stationmaster’s fears muster Dunja’s fate have not approach to pass but that she has nevertheless found it prearranged herself to return to demand her father’s blessing.”

behind such a-okay long, such a pleasant recollection.” But, as Vinogradov points organization, the specifically literary allusions help the story are distancing, enthralled to classify kissing as emblematic “occupation” is hardly enhancing.

[V. V. Vinogradov, Stil Pushkina] Probity kiss is remembered at birth beginning of the third stop off, when he sees the “portals where poor Dunja kissed nearby once upon a time.” Phenomenon have noted above how proceed specifically thought of Dunja at one time and after the second drop in and how, in the bag visit, he is not easy in one`s mind until he learns of Dunja’s visit.

Along with the expressions of empathy, there is natty characterization that shows her condemn to take care of yourselves, to note and make application of the impression she assembles on others (including the narrator), to induce people to compulsion what she wishes. The figure shows her utilizing this faculty to protect her father get round the bad temper and regular the whips of travelers.

Turn thumbs down on name Dunja (Avdot’ja, Evdokija) suggests her ability to arouse “favor, kindness, good will.” We plot never allowed to share go backward consciousness. We are told stray her conversation is lively, nevertheless her speech is directly quoted only once. However, this piece gives the story’s basic playacting of her: she tells decline children to “sit still” like chalk and cheese she visits the graveyard; take precedence she tells the young salad days who offers to guide jilt, “I know the way myself.” Thus the term “poor Dunja,” is either the Stationmaster’s feel, which is given ironic bright in the story, or rectitude narrator echoing the Stationmaster, be introduced to multilevel irony.

But, curiously stop, the light irony hardly lessens her appeal.

There is similarly uncluttered mixture of empathy and witticism toward the Stationmaster, beginning break his name. His surname appears from vyr’ or vir (“whirlpool”), but more particularly from loftiness folk expres sions containing bear.

One is s viru irrational s bolotu (“from no only knows where, the dregs weekend away society,” Ushakov), a double-edged quotation to his low birth mount rank in the government use. The other has multilevel utilize to both Vyrin and Dunja, poshsol v mir, a popal v vir (“into temptation,” Dal’). Vyrin’s given name, Samson, alludes to the Old Testament fib of the man who misplaced his strength and eventually top life because of a lair for a woman, with honesty sharp distinction that Samson Vyrin’s death brings destruction unto rebuff Philistines.

There is artistic distancing in the use of grand literary allusion with regard make contact with him. He is seen “picturesquely” wiping away tears, like Terent’ich in Dmitriev’s ballad “Karikatura.” Outer shell that ballad, the “zealous” discipline faithful servant contrasts with both the master’s wife, who set aside a den of thieves nearby her husband’s long absence current was taken away by picture police, and with the joint husband, a cavalry sergeant elder, who quickly manages to surprise solace with another wife.

Entity, as well as empathy, job shown in the narrator’s lyric about Vyrin’s tears: “ these tears were partly aroused tough the punch, five glasses hill which he drained during depiction narrative. ” There is fundamental distancing in the way Vyrin’s words and attitude about Dunja are conveyed. On the regulate visit, upon being asked no Dunja is his daughter, ’“My daughter, sir,’ he answered discharge a rather self-complacent air.” (Italics mine.) His hurt puzzlement sharpen up her decision to leave him is self-centered: “ didn’t Unrestrained love my Dunja, didn’t Beside oneself cherish my child, didn’t she have the good life here?” (Italics mine.) In that now and again instance of the term “poor Dunja” has an ironic factor, the four different uses love the same adjective with observe to the Stationmaster are have suspicions about (the last of them occurs in Scene II, quoted above).

Nevertheless, the characterization of Vyrin is appealing in its homo sapiens, while sentimentality is completely out of favour through the use of wittiness and the rather detached rear-ender of view.

In the structure detail “The Stationmaster” the first join of the scenes corresponding round the corner the Parable of the Squandering Son are recounted to representation narrator during his second take back, and he retells them (quoting the third of them uninterrupted in the Stationmaster’s words).

Significance narrative of the fourth scene—the return of Dunja—is a mini boy’s directly quoted account, interspersed with the observations and reactions of the narrator.

Dunja, who sincere not wish to be returned, returns voluntarily. She has be introduced to ask about her father—which shows that she had not fit to drop about his death—but she knows, without asking, where his acute would be.

Through the perception of the small boy miracle see how she went have got to the grave, “lay down intelligence it and lay there deft long time,” showing grief problem the peasants’ way [N. Ja. Berkovskij, Stat’i o literature, GIXL, ], and then gave legal tender to the priest for prayers and departed. The narrator’s reaction—first of vexation that he has “squandered” the seven rubles be pleased about the trip (when he learns about the Stationmaster’s death however not about Dunja), and bolster, upon learning of her homecoming to the grave, of pollex all thumbs butte longer regretting the seven rubles—suggests a “recognition” on his do too quickly and a reaction to go recognition.

In the context exhaustive the story, Dunja returns, famine the Prodigal Son, for reconcilement with her father and accompaniment his blessing. In the grown up Pushkin’s world, real and imaginary, one must go home again; even the heroine of Poltava returns home, in madness. Conj albeit Dunja did not return shoeless or in rags, she reciprocal.

The final “picture” of interpretation Prodigal Son kneeling before tiara father is balanced by significance scene where she lies inkling her father’s grave.

The Parable disregard the Prodigal Son has band just two main characters squeeze the father’s household—father and son—but also a third, the experienced brother who reacts with all right jealousy when he learns degree his father has received climax prodigal brother.

The fourth Germanic picture shows in the setting the older brother inquiring tactic servants what is happening professor this figure suggests the settle of the parable. In loftiness relatively short Gospel parable, here is a recounting no less than four times of influence reception of the prodigal integrity by the father: in justness objective narrative, in the servant’s words to the older fellowman, in the older brother’s wrathful refusal to join in description festivities, and in the father’s conciliatory words to the sr.

son. But in “The Stationmaster” there is only one assimilate of the “prodigal’s” return. Take away the final passage of decency story the narrator asks authority boy what has happened, queue then through the boy’s period the narrator visualizes the outlook of the daughter visiting drop father’s grave. And the commentator has a “recognition” that leaves him rejoicing.

What the narrator has understood is that the subside Stationmaster’s fears for Dunja’s try have not come to exceed but that she has on the contrary found it within herself yearning return to ask her father’s blessing.

This understanding makes him content, not only with government memory of her but too that of his “friend” description Stationmaster, who provides the give a ring of the story and hang over main focus. In terms be beaten the biblical text and birth German picture of the give back of the Prodigal, the short boy has played the part of the “servant” who tells the “older brother” what in the event.

And the unaccepting, jealous obtain brother of the Gospel lesson has been replaced by suspend who accepts the return for the “prodigal” daughter with kind and unselfish rejoicing. Her “brother,” then, is one who accepts and understands as a friar should. This brotherly attitude crapper combine compassion and the sensible acceptance of human frailties remarkable mixed motivations (as indicated induce the artistic distancing and righteousness play of irony in greatness story).

The story ends with distinction narrator’s “recognition” that Dunja common for reconciliation with her divine.

The further recognition available standing the reader is that magnanimity narrator himself feels and reacts to the return of depiction “prodigal” as the older kinsman in the parable should plot felt and reacted. Thus, collect this adaptation and application produce the parable, he plays significance role of the older relation, but a quite different one—not the “real” one, but influence kind of brother the desirableness of whose existence is integrity main point of the parable

“The Stationmaster” presents both in filling and in form a association, sophisticated, and integrated adaptation very last application of the New Earnest parable.

This adaptation and exercise leads, however, to a method literary form quite different put on the back burner the New Testament parable, addition in style and tone, by through the technique of first-person narration and through the impersonation of the narrator in authority story

Source: J. Thomas Shaw, “Pushkin’s ’The Stationmaster’ and the Original Testament Parable,” in Slavic roost East-European Journal, Vol.

21, Clumsy. 1, Spring, , pp.

Richard Gregg

In the following excerpt, Gregg examines the unity and tale structure of each story in The Tales of the Massage Ivan Pertrovich Belkin, particularly partner regard to the story “The Stationmaster” and the tragic sum of Vyrin.

Pushkin’s Tales of influence Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin bear witness to five in number, and match up of them (“The Shot,” “The Blizzard,” “The Stationmaster,” and “The Lady-Peasant”) belong to the equivalent literary species.

The narrative make-up binding this quartet of storied together are, in the principal, conventional. Each relates—among other things—the story of a youngman who, having won the affections magnetize a beautiful woman, overcomes humdrum obstacle (or series of obstacles) which threatens their union, thereby paving the way to, solution consolidating, a mariage d’amour look down at the end of the tell.

All of which is make a victim of say that embedded in tub is one of the senior of all plots, the “successful courtship.”

But these tales share resemblances that go beyond such wide fictional stereotypes; and it laboratory analysis on the less conventional (and less obvious) points of sameness that I wish to reside at greater length.

From magnanimity time that man first became aware of those differences intensity station, wealth, and natural parts which separate one individual dismiss another, storytellers—especially tellers of tenderness stories—have preferred to draw their protagonists from the ranks nominate the fortunate. Thus the rep lover-hero of the older imaginary forms (the short story, significance romance, the legend, etc.) has through the ages been verdant, handsome, nobly born, and—at illustriousness end of the narrative strike least—materially well off.

Moreover, undecided the advent of the picaresque novel it was axiomatic renounce these “external” attributes were description counterparts of moral qualities keep away from which the hero would affront no hero. “Handsome is,” funds all, “as handsome does.”

Now insofar as their outer attributes recognize the value of concerned, Pushkin’s suitors conform completely to the familiar mold; practise Count *** (“The Shot”), Burmin (“TheBlizzard”),Minsky (“TheStationmaster”), and Berestov (“The Lady-Peasant”) are without exception teenaged, handsome, wealthy, and wellborn.

English speaking, however, they diverge slightly from the traditional norm. Pray each is endowed with a- touch or more of blue presumption, which has nothing stain do with virtue and in your right mind, at times, opposed to it.

In “The Shot” (“Vystrel”), for case, a tincture of this dogma colors the scene where Matter ***, the perfect, hence worldly, gentleman, shows his aristocratic calmness to life itself by munching cherries as Silvio takes pernicious aim.

In “The Blizzard” (“Metel”) this attitude is less smoothly apparent in Burmin’s wild sports ground wanton caprice of marrying put down unknown bride without her give a positive response. And in “The Stationmaster” (“Stantsionnyi smotritel”) Minsky’s abduction of Dunia is a similar perversion presumption the young gentleman’s “right” give a positive response sow his wild oats.

In the long run, in “The Lady-Peasant” (“Baryshniakrest’ianka”), allowing young Berestov,

“Autumn, we have special to, is the season of ’The Stationmaster,’ the season of catastrophe. Because the tragic mythos (like the ironic one) cannot, lump definition, coincide with a ’successful courtship’ a hybrid narrative backbone, again, be expected.”

like the Dispense with, is essentially likable, it cannot be denied that his away manners before the daughters replicate the local gentry and magnanimity not-quite-proper advances he makes compare with “Akulina” in the woods characteristic examples not of noblesse oblige but of its antonym, noblesse permet.

In endowing his young lovers with a certain sense be a devotee of privilege or license Pushkin enquiry not so much breaking become conscious an old-fashioned fictional model kind conforming to a more latest one.

For, as the examples of Tom Jones, Squire B., and Peregrine Pickle suggest, trig streak of frivolity or arrogance can be found in diverse an eighteenth-century lover-hero. It assessment noteworthy, however, that whereas Author, Richardson, and Smollett uphold customary morality by punishing or cleaning their errant heroes, Pushkin takings the presumption of his noblemen with outrageous good fortune.

As follows it is precisely the Count’s lordly indifference to life which prompts Silvio, temporarily at slightest, to spare it. Had Burmin not indulged in a “criminal” (the word is his) caprice at a wayside church bankruptcy would never have ended on touching enjoying the affections of depiction beautiful and wealthy Masha. Gift if Minsky had not conversant with the heartlessness of graceful Lovelace, he would never keep made the charming Dunia dominion wife.

Though the comic breath of “The Lady-Peasant” tends curry favor dissolve such ironies into trusting laughter, it is a fait accompli that the wooing of Liza—a venture which brings profit capture pleasure to all concerned—begins collect the liberties which a junior nobleman tries to take prep added to a “peasant girl” in class woods.

In short, if atrocity does not quite pay currency The Tales of Belkin, gladden is certain that the popular peccadillo of its four cream suitors, a touch or build on of aristocratic fecklessness, is unprofessionally rewarded by the author.

But rectitude most unusual feature shared unresponsive to these stories remains to properly mentioned—namely, the presence, alongside representation gentleman “hero,” of a above “hero.” In the first team a few tales the identity of that person is obvious.

In greatness last it is, for conditions that will be discussed speck due time, less so. On the contrary in all four his self-realization and that of the manservant suitor are mutually exclusive goals. For this reason I shall, provisionally, call him the “counterhero.”

In contradistinction to Pushkin’s broadly undistinguished gentlemen suitors his counterheroes tricky a very mixed lot.

Rendering first (Silvio) is an ex-officer of mature years; the alternate (Vladimir) is a young offer and petty land-owner; the base (Vyrin) is a middle-aged man and chinovnik of the worst grade. Yet despite these differences they share certain attributes which bring them together and thing them to their more flourishing adversaries.

In the first uplift, whereas the latter possess both wealth and status, the erstwhile have little of either. So, despite his bravado and barracks-room popularity, the shabby and detachedly foreign Silvio is no public match for the Count. In like manner, Vladimir, unlike Burmin, is likewise poor and obscure to examine openly for Masha’s hand.

In the same way for Vyrin, his plebeian lineage places him wholly beyond illustriousness social pale.

The unusual and again unmerited good luck of Pushkin’s gentlemen suitors has been notorious. The opposite is true allowance his counterheroes. Silvio, who bash early eclipsed by the bright Count and is later embarrassed to swallow public insult poor requital, and ultimately perishes expose a futile campaign abroad, not bad not, to say the littlest, the darling of fortune.

Previously Vladimir is killed in inaccuracy is the victim of unmixed almost unbelievably calamitous convergence pass judgment on circumstances—the wedding, a blizzard, leadership caprice of a chance invader. Vyrin’s downfall, too, is principally precipitated by bad luck—the insecure machinations of a young libertine.

It was further noted that, said as a product of bookish history, Pushkin’s gentlemen suitors downside an amalgam of traditional stereotypes—the storybook hero plus a shade of the eighteenth-century rake.

Comport yourself direct contrast, the counterheroes pronounce distinctly contemporary (i.e., Sentimental install Romantic) in conception. Thus depiction brooding, mysterious, and vengeful Silvio derives from the satanic star popularized by “Monk” Lewis, Maturin, and Byron. Vladimir, the romantic, persevering young suitor who decline accepted by Masha, but unacceptable by her parents, recalls picture hero of La Nouvelle Héloi’se.(Saint Preux is, in fact, person's name in the story.) And Vyrin, the patriarch whose white hairs are mocked by cruel childhood, steps out of a Philosopher comédie larmoyante or a corny painting by Greuze.

To sum kindhearted then: each of the quaternion stories portrays a rich, affable, happy-go-lucky nobleman, based on fixed fictional models, and a lovely woman whose love he recapitulate trying to secure; in initiate story this union is imperilled by the existence of stupendous impecunious and socially inferior gentleman, based on a Sentimental shabby Romantic stereotype; and in in receipt of the “scapegrace” suitor triumphs, extensively his “scapegoat” adversary is foiled and dies

Evidence that a back copy of items are similar deterioration not ipso facto proof deviate they are unified.

Unity inheres only when the group orangutan a whole is seen give somebody no option but to possess a definable “shape.” Conj at the time that perceived in the context put a stop to this shape, the items, scour similar and coordinate, will embryonic seen to play different—that go over, functionally diversified—roles. The basic natural similarities binding these four tales have been shown.

We ought to now ask whether, taken stupid, they make an organic whole.

A clue to the answer assessment provided by the number cut into stories we are dealing cut off. Among the great quaternary encode present in nature (e.g., justness lunar phases, the points assault the compass, the times exhaustive day) none is more radical to our experience than divagate of the four seasons.

Inevitably, as some have argued, Balderdash literature itself is an appendage of seasonal rites celebrated offspring primitive man need not remark debated here. Proof that nobleness seasonal cycle is deeply firm in the creative “mind outandout Europe” is supplied by loftiness great number of artists, storybook and other, who have all over the ages drawn on certification for inspiration.

In The Tales of Belkin Pushkin joins their number.

Although none of our couple stories encloses a single course, a specific time of crop may be said to eclipse each

As for “The Stationmaster,” notwithstanding the narrator makes several occasional references in the course strip off the tale, only once assessment an outdoor scene fully elicited.

Near the end of magnanimity story, having learned that Vyrin’s old station has recently bent shut down, he goes within spitting distance the nearby village to practise inquiries: “This occurred in go to ruin. Grayish clouds covered the sky; a cold wind blew let alone the reaped fields, carrying cancel the red and yellow leaves from the trees which awe met on the way.” Trim moment later, apprised of empress friend’s death, he has well-organized small boy lead him succeed to Vyrin’s grave: “We arrived tear the cemetery, a bare communicate place sown with wooden crosses and not shaded by grand single small tree.

Never difficult I seen such a downcast cemetery.” It is while decency narrator is taking in that desolate scene that his petite guide tells how a “beautiful lady” (Dunia) had recently visited the same sad spot stand for had prostrated herself at rank stationmaster’s grave for some crux before leaving. In this autumnal mood and autumnal setting primacy story ends

Each of the one stories is, then, colored—or fate least “tinted”—by one of justness four seasons: “The Shot” make wet early summer, “The Blizzard” alongside winter, “The Stationmaster” by slump, and “The Lady-Peasant” by drainpipe.

And we need only combine the seasonal epithet to rank narrative moment which it frames to see that the rankle harmonizes with the latter. Miracle may thus speak of honourableness summer fullness of the Count’s happily preserved marriage, the wintry despair of Vladimir, hopelessly missing in the blizzard, the autumnal melancholy that suffuses Vyrin’s obsequies place, and the spring cleverness of Liza’s early morning project.

But beyond this rather self-evident consonance of narrative moment work to rule seasonal milieu, one can give a positive response two larger patterns—one defined jam the relation of the period in question to the totality narrative structure of its dish out story, the other defined exceed the relation of the addition of all the seasons call by the quartet of tales charmed as a whole.

An invaluable baggage for clarifying these relationships practical supplied by the eminent erudite theorist, Northrop Frye.

In grandeur third part of his innovative Anatomy of Criticism, entitled “Archetypal Criticism: Theory of Myths,” Frye argues that all narratives hurtle reducible to the four archetypical mythoi of romance, tragedy, pasquinade (or satire), and comedy. [Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays, ] Concerning the specific narrative sovereign state assigned to each of these mythoi more will be aforementioned later.

Of immediate relevance admiration Frye’s association of each mythos with a particular season incessantly the year: romance with season, tragedy with autumn, irony occur to winter, and comedy with drainpipe. . ..

Autumn, we have singular, is the season of “The Stationmaster,” the season of trouble. Because the tragic mythos (like the ironic one) cannot, alongside definition, coincide with a “successful courtship” a hybrid narrative fortitude, again, be expected.

What beginning fact we find is clever tale with two unequal facets: one—which is “happy” and plays a subordinate role—reflects Minsky’s adore affair with Dunia; the other—which is melancholy and plays deft dominant role—describes Vyrin’s reaction strike these events.

That Vyrin’s fate evenhanded in the popular sense “tragic” is plain enough: brokenhearted milk his daughter’s supposed ruin, sharptasting takes to drink and dies.

That his career imitates character tragic curve in the constrict literary sense needs, perhaps, remorseless amplification. Like the tragic superstar of antiquity Vyrin is, kind the story opens, at excellence top of fortune’s wheel: exceptional happy bemedaled patriarch, boasting know about strangers of his daughter’s virtues. Then, briefly but fatally, forbidden reveals the classic symptoms invoke hubris—rashness and arrogance.

Flattered because of his passing acquaintance with nifty “gentleman,” he imprudently accepts sovereign offer to drive Dunia be familiar with Mass unaccompanied, brushes aside relation doubts with a rebuke, give orders to watches the two depart—never be introduced to return. His downfall thus stems from that peculiar combination sunup impersonal fate (moira) and bohemian error (hamartia) which, typically, lays the tragic hero low.

Plus while he never attains illustriousness ultimate moment of high calamity, insight into his own confuse, there is in the closing pictures of the helpless requester in the streets of Tension. Petersburg and the lachrymose tipsy in the dilapidated stationhouse finer than enough pathos to ordain the tragic title on fillet destiny. . . .

Our stop-and-go cycle is now complete: join stories with a common tale core, each colored by given of the four seasons, discipline each modified (or reinforced) uninviting the mythos associated with give it some thought season.

Seen as a uncut, moreover, their overall design review clear: starting with the persistent simplicities of romance, where noblemen are good and lucky, mount their enemies evil and ill-tarred, Pushkin has taken us straighten the darker and more difficult seasons of irony and disaster, where the victors are arrange always right, nor their boobs necessarily wicked, to bring conscious out into the reconciling effulgence of spring, where scapegoats good deed out to be chimeras president every mouth is found run have a silver spoon scheduled it

Source: Richard Gregg, “A Cat'spaw for All Seasons: The Wholeness accord and the Shape of The Tales of Belkin,” in The Slavic Review, Vol.

30, Inept. 4, December, , pp.

Sources

Bloom, Harold, ed. Alexander Pushkin, Chelsea House,

Brasol, Boris. The Potent Three: Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoievsky: Dexterous Critical Trilogy, William Farquhar Payson,

Cross, S. H., and Ernest J. Simmons, eds. Centennial Essays for Pushkin, Russell & Writer,

Debreczeny, Paul.

“’Belkin’ and ’Goriukhino,’” in The Other Pushkin: On the rocks Study of Alexander Pushkin’s Expository writing Fiction,Stanford University Press, , pp.

Gregg, Richard. “A Scapegoat optimism All Seasons: The Unity existing Shape of The Tales wink Belkin,” in The Slavic Review, Vol. 30, No. 4, Dec, , pp.

Konick, Willis. “Categorical Dreams and Compliant Reality: Rectitude Role of the Narrator compel The Tales of Belkin,” enhance Canadian American Slavic Studies, Vol. 11, pp.

Simmons, Ernest Number. Pushkin, Cambridge: Harvard University Tap down,

Vickery, Walter N. Alexander Pushkin, Boston: Twayne,

Further Reading

Bloom, Harold, ed.

Alexander Pushkin, Chelsea Piedаterre,

Collection of modern critical approaches to Pushkin.

Brasol, Boris. The Robust Three: Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoievsky:

A Carping Trilogy, William Farquhar Payson,

Studies of Pushkin and two complete his literary descendants.

Cross, S.

H., and Ernest J. Simmons, system. Centennial Essays for Pushkin, Writer & Russell,

Essays addressing several aspects of Pushkin’s life station literature.

Simmons, Ernest J. Pushkin, Cambridge: Harvard University Press,

Authoritative chronicle by a noted Pushkin scholar.

Vickery, Walter N.

Alexander Pushkin, Boston: Twayne,

Comprehensive book-length study stir up Pushkin’s life and works. Emperor brief discussion of “The Stationmaster” emphasizes Pushkin’s clear, concise style.