Analysis: "The Captain's Daughter", the story of Alexander Pushkin. Summary

In this article we will consider the work that AS Pushkin wrote in 1836: we will describe its brief content and carry out an analysis. "The Captain's Daughter" by genre is a historical story. We recall the brief content of the work.

In it, the narrative is conducted on behalf of Pyotr Andreevich Grinev, a 50-year-old man. He recalls the time when he met Emelian Pugachev, the leader of the peasant uprising.

Origin and childhood of Peter Grinev

Peter was born and raised in the family of a poor gentleman. The boy practically did not get an education - he only learned to read and write at the age of 12 with the help of Savelich. Peter led until 16 years the life of a typical underprivileged. He played with the boys from the village and dreamed of a cheerful life in Petersburg, because he was registered as a sergeant in the Semenov regiment , even when he was in his mother's womb.

However, his father decided otherwise - he sent Petrusha, a 17-year-old boy, to the army, and not to Petersburg, so he "sniffed gunpowder." Saying goodbye, he gave an instruction to Peter, which is rendered in the epigraph of "The Captain's Daughter": "Take care of your honor from the youth." So Grinev was in Orenburg fortress. Together with Peter went here and Savelich, his tutor.

The way to the fortress

Savelich and Peter at the entrance to the city lost their way, having fallen into a snowstorm. They were saved only by the help of a stranger, who led the heroes to the road to housing. Petrusha, in gratitude for his salvation, gave this stranger a sheepskin coat, and also offered him wine.

Acquaintance with the Belogorsky Fortress

Here Peter comes to the Belgorod fortress for service. It did not look like a fortified structure. Only a few "disabled" is the army, its only weapon is a cannon. Mironov Ivan Kuzmich manages the fortress. This is an honest and kind person, although not different in education. Vasilisa Yegorovna, his wife, conducts all business in the fortress. Grinev converges quite closely with the commandant's family. He spends a lot of time with him.

The relationship between Grinev and Shvabrin

His friend at first is also an officer Shvabrin, who serves in this fortress. However, soon they quarrel because of the fact that Shvabrin unflatteringly responded to Masha, the daughter of Mironov, who likes Grinev (the image of the captain's daughter will be discussed below). Peter summons a duel Shvabrin and gets injured. Masha, courting him, tells Grinev that Shvabrin once asked for her hand, but she refused him. Grinev decides to marry this girl and writes a letter to his father asking for a blessing. But he does not agree to such a marriage, since the captain's daughter is a dowry. The main characters of the work, therefore, can not get married. Masha does not want to marry without a father's blessing.

Pugachevtsy in Belogorsky Fortress

In 1773, in October, Mironov received a letter. It reports on Pugachev, who poses as the deceased Peter III. He had already assembled a large army consisting of peasants, was able to capture several fortresses. Prepares to meet Pugacheva and Belogorsky Fortress. The commandant is going to send his daughter to Orenburg, but it does not have time to do it - the Pugachevs are already here. The villagers greet the invaders with bread and salt. All those who serve in the fortress are taken prisoner. They must swear allegiance to Pugachev. However, the commandant refused to take the oath, he was hanged. His wife also perishes. But Grinev is unexpectedly free. Savelich says to him that Pugachev is that stranger whom Grinev once presented with a hare sheepskin coat.

The fate of Masha after arriving at the fortress Pugacheva

Despite the fact that the protagonist is openly sworn allegiance to Emelian, he lets go. Grinev leaves the fortress, but in it remains the captain's daughter. The main characters who love each other can not be reunited. The girl is sick and hides under the guise of a niece of a local priest. Shvabrin is appointed commandant of the fortress. He swore an oath to Pugachev. This is troubling Grinev. In Orenburg, the protagonist asks for help, but does not find it. He receives a letter from Masha soon. The girl writes that Shvabrin forces her to marry him. In case of refusal, he promises to tell Pugachev's people that she is a captain's daughter. The description of all these events in the work is given in detail - we have identified only the main points.

Pugachev frees Masha

They go to Belogorsky fortress Grinev with Savelich. But they get on the way to captivity to the Pugachevites and meet again with their leader.

Peter honestly tells Emelyan where he is going and why; And unexpectedly for Grinev Pugachev decides to help him "punish the offender of the orphan." Pugachev in the fortress frees Masha. It does not stop even Shvabrin's story about who she really is.

Pardon Grinev the Empress

The historical story "The Captain's Daughter" ends with the following events. Grinev takes the girl to her parents. He himself returns to the army. Pugachev's speech fails, but Grinev is arrested, since Shvabrin in court says that Peter is a spy of Pugachev. The protagonist is sentenced to exile to Siberia, and only a visit to the empress by Masha helps to obtain Grinyov's pardon. But Shvabrina is sent to hard labor.

Theme of the work "The Captain's Daughter"

The problems considered in the work are very numerous. The most important of them, of course, is the problem of honor. In general, in terms of the breadth of reality, the significance of the topic posed by the author, the artistic perfection of the work, the story "The Captain's Daughter" is the summit achievement, a masterpiece created by Pushkin the realist. It was completed 3 months before the author's death. Thus, was the last major of his work, "The Captain's Daughter."

Problems posed by the author, in many respects concern a very important topic for that time - the theme of peasant war, peasant uprising. Pushkin study of the history of the Pugachev uprising gave the opportunity to truthfully and accurately tell about the events depicted in the story. The meaning of the "Captain's Daughter" was, in particular, to show the psychology of its participants.

Father Peter, Grinev Andrei Petrovich

Grinev Andrei Petrovich was negative about dishonest and easy ways to do career at court. Therefore, he did not want to send his son Peter to St. Petersburg to serve in the guard. He wanted him to "sniff the gunpowder" and become a soldier, not a slacker. It is he who pronounces the words that are rendered in the epigraph of "The Captain's Daughter": "Take care of your honor from the youth."

Grinev-father is not deprived of the features inherent in the representative of that time. Let us recall, for example, his harsh treatment of a resigned and loving wife, Peter's mother, his reprisal for a French teacher, an outrageously coarse tone of a letter to Savelich, in which he calls him "the old dog." Before us in these episodes appears a typical nobleman-serf. However, there are also positive qualities in Grinev's father. This is the strength of character, straightforwardness, honesty. These features and cause the reader's natural and involuntary sympathy for him - to this strict person to others and to himself a stern man.

The character of Peter Grinev

The character of Peter Grinev, a 16-year-old boy, is shown by the author in the movement, development, which occurred under the influence of the living conditions in which he found himself. Petrush first - light-minded and carefree landlord's son, a bumbler-slacker, practically Fonvizinsky Mitrofanushka. He dreams of the pleasures of the easy life of a Guards officer in the capital.

In Petr Grinev joined the loving, kind heart of his mother with the courage, directness, honesty inherent in his father. These qualities Grinev-the father has strengthened in it in a firm farewell to serve faithfully, obey the superiors and, most importantly, cherish the honor from the youth.

The kindness of the protagonist manifested itself in a generous present to the "peasant" who indicated to him the road during the storm and played a decisive role in the fate of the hero. And after, risking everything, Grinev rushed to the rescue of Savyelich, captured. The depth of his nature affected the pure and great feeling that arose in him to Masha Mironova.

Honor in the "Captain's Daughter" - a very important characteristic of the individual. And Peter Grinev with his behavior proved loyalty to his father's covenants, did not change what he considered his honor and his duty. Good inclinations and traits peculiar to him were tempered, strengthened and triumphed definitively under the influence of the harsh school of life, to which his father gave it, sending him to a remote steppe outskirts instead of Petersburg. Major events in history, to which Grinev became a participant, did not allow him to descend after a personal affront (father did not consent to a marriage with Masha) and lose heart, told the young man's soul "a strong and good shock."

Shvabrin Alexey Ivanovich

"The Captain's Daughter" is a book in which among the main characters we find Shvabrin Alexei Ivanovich, rival Grinev - the exact opposite of the direct and honest Peter. The author of this character does not deprive of positive features. He is observant, intelligent, educated, an interesting interlocutor, sharp-tongued. However, for personal purposes, Alexei is ready to commit a dishonorable act. He slandered Masha Mironov, casting a shadow on her mother as well. Shvabrin strikes a treacherous blow to Grinev in a duel and writes, in addition, a deceitful denunciation of Peter to his father. Alexei Ivanovich does not follow the ideological convictions on the side of Pugachev: he is counting on saving his life, and in case of success he hopes to make a career under Emelian. But most importantly, he yearns to crack down on Grinev and marry violently on Masha, who does not like him.

Family of Mironov and Ivan Ignatievich

Let's get acquainted in brief and with the characters of other characters that Pushkin created in the work "The Captain's Daughter". The heroes in question will belong to the rank and file officers, like Shvabrin. They are closely related to the soldiers' mass. It is about Ivan Ignatyevich, a crooked garrison lieutenant, and the captain Mironov, who by birth was not even a nobleman - he left the soldiers' children for officers. And Vasilisa Yegorovna, his wife, and the captain himself, and the crooked lieutenant from the work of the "Captain's Daughter" - these heroes were uneducated people, with limited horizons, who did not give them an opportunity to understand the causes and causes of the popular uprising.

They were not without shortcomings, typical for that time. Let us recall at least the "justice" of the captain. She says that you can not tell who is right, who is to blame - Prokhor or Ustinya. You should punish both. However, the Mironovs were kind and simple people, devoted to the duty, ready to fearlessly die for "the shrine of their conscience."

The image of Masha Mironova

Let's continue the analysis. The Captain's daughter (in honor of which the work of interest was named) is a very bright heroine. Pushkin with special warmth and sympathy creates the image of Masha Mironova. In it, hidden under the tenderness of appearance, is strength and steadfastness, revealing love for Grinev, resistance to Shvabrin, her trip to Petersburg to the Empress for the salvation of her fiance. Such is the work created by Pushkin, the captain's daughter. Analyzing the actions of this heroine, Alexander Sergeyevich obviously sympathizes with her.

Savelich, Uncle Grinev

The author very truthfully shows the image of Savelich, Uncle Grinev, a serf peasant. His devotion to gentlemen is far from simple servitude, as shown by our analysis. "The Captain's Daughter" is a story in which Savelich is shown not as a servant demeaning before the masters. So, in response to the unfair and gross reproaches of Grinev-father, he in his letter calls himself "your faithful servant," "slave," as was customary at the time when addressing the masters of the serfs. However, the tone of the letter of this hero is imbued with a sense of human dignity. The spiritual wealth, the inner nobility of his nature, is fully revealed in the deeply human and completely disinterested attachment of a lonely, poor old man to his pet.

The image of Emelian Pugachev in the work

Pushkin ("The Captain's Daughter") analyzed the image of Emelian Pugachev. In 1830, he intensely studied the history of his uprising. The image of Emelian, created in the work of interest to us, differs sharply from the previous images of Pugachev. Without any embellishment Pushkin showed this leader of the popular revolt. His image is given in all harsh reality, sometimes cruel.

In the depiction of the author Emelyan differs "with a sharpness" - rebellious and free spirit, clarity of mind, heroic expulsion and coolness, breadth of nature. He tells Grinev a fairy tale about a crow and an eagle. Its meaning is that a moment of bright and free life is better than long years of vegetation. Pugachev speaks of himself, that his custom is "to execute so to execute, to pardon so to pardon."

Compositional parallelism

Alexander Sergeevich called the story "Captain's daughter." We are again transferred to the noble estate of the Grinevs, in the same situation, in the last chapter of the work. This parallelism of the beginning and end of the composition of the story gives completeness and harmony. However, Pushkin adds new strokes to the description of the situation. Thus, Grinev the father flips through his calendar absent-mindedly, his mother does not cook honey jam this time, but knits a sweatshirt for Petrusha, who should be sent to an eternal settlement in Siberia. A family tragedy was replaced by a family idyll.

Language features

The language in which the work is written is a wonderful side of the story. Each actor Pushkin gives a special language style, which corresponds to the level of his development, mental outlook, character, social status. Therefore, from the replicas of the characters, their statements to the readers, unusually living and convex human images arise. They summarize the characteristic aspects of the life of Russian society at that time.

This completes the analysis. "The Captain's Daughter" is a work that can be written about for a very long time. He, as expressed by N. Gogol, characterizes "purity and artlessness", raised to such a degree that reality seems caricatured and artificial in front of him. Gogol noted that all Russian novels and novels seem just a "cloying smash" before the work "The Captain's Daughter", a description of which was presented in this article.