Leo Tolstoy - "Childhood, adolescence, youth." Summary

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Leo Tolstoy is one of the most famous Russian writers. His most famous novels are Anna Karenina, Sunday, War and Peace, as well as the trilogy Childhood, Adolescence, Youth. Many works of the great writer were filmed, so in our time we have the opportunity not only to read, but also to see the heroes of the novels with our own eyes. One of the screened books is the trilogy "Childhood, adolescence, youth" full of interesting events. A brief summary of the novel will help to better understand the problems of the work. Perhaps someone will have a desire to read the novel in its entirety.

The novel "Childhood, adolescence, youth"

Lev Nikolaevich wrote his novel for five years. The work "Childhood, adolescence, youth" tells about the life of a boy in different periods of his life. The book describes experiences, first love, resentment, as well as a feelingthe injustices that many boys experience as they grow up. In this article we will talk about the trilogy written by Leo Tolstoy. "Childhood, adolescence, youth" is a work that will definitely not leave anyone indifferent.

"Childhood, adolescence, youth." Summary. Book one. "Childhood"

The novel begins with a description of Nikolenka Irteniev, who some time ago turned 10 years old. Karl Ivanovich, a teacher, takes him and his brother to their parents. Nikolenka loves her parents very much. The father announces to the boys that he is taking them with him to Moscow. The children are upset by this decision of their father, Nikolenka likes to live in the village, communicate with Katenka, her first love, and go hunting, and he really does not want to part with his mother. Nikolenka has been living with her grandmother for six months now. On her birthday, he reads poetry to her.

Soon the hero realizes that he is in love with Sonya, whom he recently met, and admits this to Volodya. Suddenly, his father receives a letter from the village that Nikolenka's mother is sick and asks them to come. They come and pray for her he alth, but to no avail. After some time, Nikolenka was left without a mother. This left a deep imprint on his soul, as this was the end of his childhood.

Book two. "Boyhood"

The second part of the novel "Childhood, adolescence, youth" describes the events that occurred after Nikolenka moved to Moscow with her brother and father. Hefeels changes in himself and in his attitude to the world around him. Nikolenka is now able to empathize and sympathize. The boy understands how the grandmother who lost her daughter suffers.

Nikolenka goes deeper and deeper into himself, believing that he is ugly and not worthy of happiness. He is jealous of his handsome brother. Grandmother Nikolenka is told that the children were playing with gunpowder, although it was only lead shot. She is sure that Karl has grown old and looks after the children badly, so she changes their tutor. It is hard for children to part with their teacher. But Nikolenka does not like the new French teacher. The boy allows himself to be insolent to him. For some unknown reason, Nikolenka tries to open her father's briefcase with the key and breaks the key in the process. He thinks that everyone is against him, so he hits the tutor and swears with his father and brother. They close him in a closet and promise that they will flog him with rods. The boy feels very lonely and humiliated. When he is released, he asks his father for forgiveness. Nikolenka begins to convulse, which shocks everyone. After twelve hours of sleep, the boy feels better and is pleased that everyone is worried about him.

After some time, Nikolenka's brother, Volodya, enters the university. Soon their grandmother dies, the whole family is very upset by the loss. Nikolenka cannot understand people who swear because of their grandmother's inheritance. He also notices how old his father is and concludes that with age people become calmer and softer. When there are several months left before entering the university, Nikolenka begins to prepare intensively. He meets DmitryNekhlyudov, Volodya's acquaintance from the university, and they become friends.

Book three. "Youth"

The third part of the novel "Childhood, adolescence, youth" tells about the time when Nikolenka continues to prepare for entering the university at the Faculty of Mathematics. He is looking for his purpose in life. Soon the young man enters the university, and his father gives him a carriage with a coachman. Nikolenka feels like an adult and tries to light a pipe. He starts to feel sick. He tells Nekhlyudov about this incident, who in turn tells him about the dangers of smoking. But the young man wants to imitate Volodya and his friend Dubkov, who smoke, play cards and talk about their love affairs. Nikolenka goes to a restaurant where he drinks champagne. He has a conflict with Kolpikov. Nekhlyudov reassures him.

Nikolay decides to go to the village to visit his mother's grave. He remembers his childhood and thinks about the future. His father remarries, but Nikolai and Vladimir disapprove of his choice. Soon the father starts to get along badly with his wife.

University studies

While studying at the university, Nikolai meets many people whose meaning of life is only to have fun. Nekhlyudov tries to reason with Nikolai, but he succumbs to the opinion of the majority. In the end, Nikolai fails his exams, and regards Dmitry's consolation as an insult.

One evening, Nikolay finds his notebook with the rules for himself, in which he wrote a long time ago. He repents and cries, and laterbegins to write for himself a new notebook with the rules by which he is going to live all his life, without changing his principles.

Conclusion

Today we talked about the content of the work written by Leo Tolstoy. "Childhood, adolescence, youth" is a novel with a deep meaning. After reading its summary, each reader will be able to draw certain conclusions, despite the fact that they have not read it in full. The novel "Childhood, adolescence, youth" teaches us not to withdraw into ourselves with our experiences, but to be able to sympathize and empathize with other people.