Bunin's story "Dark alleys": a summary

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

The story "Dark Alleys" by Bunin is an interesting and instructive story. It is only a few pages long, but it tells a coherent story that many readers will enjoy. This article will retell the main points of the work.

Start

It all starts in the sketch "Dark Alleys" with the description of a certain place somewhere on the side of the Tula roads. The long hut combines a private upper room and a government post office. Here guests could stay for a few days, dine, relax and send letters to the right people. It was to such an institution that a tarantass rolled up, where a stern man was sitting on the goats, who in all appearance looked like an experienced robber. Inside was a man in a military uniform with rich decorations. The classical appearance betrayed him as an officer during the reign of Alexander II, when all the servicemen looked like the king with a frame of beard and hair. As soon as the transport stopped, the guest ran into a long building.

First events

In the story “Dark Alleys”, the man was clearly in a hurry somewhere, since the coachman only managed to shout after him,to turn left. The man did just that, after which he ended up in the upper room, where he immediately took off his caftan. Despite his age, he looked incredibly slim without outerwear.

The building was quite cozy, warm and clean. Clean tablecloths everywhere, washed benches and the smell was pleasant. The unknown visitor had gray hair, dark eyes and a tired look, he tried to correct himself. Since there was no one in the chamber itself, the hero casually shouted into the entrance hall, after which a rather attractive woman, similar in appearance to a gypsy, immediately appeared.

After a short conversation, it turned out that she is the mistress of the upper room. The man in the story "Dark Alleys" ordered a samovar for himself and spread out on the benches in order to rest. He made a few compliments to the woman about cleanliness and began to ask why she herself was looking after everything here. The hostess replied that this is how she earns her living and does not like to sit idle.

New details

In Bunin's story "Dark Alleys" the dialogue continued with compliments about cleanliness in the building. Suddenly, in one of the answers, she called him by name - Nikolai Alekseevich. After that, the man looked inquisitively into her eyes for a moment.

In the woman's face, he recognized his old acquaintance, whom he had not seen for thirty years. As the dialogue continued, it turned out that she was currently 48, and the man was about sixty. For the hero, this turned out to be a real shock, as can be seen from the reaction. He threw off his weariness and began to pace the room inreflections.

Then questions poured down on the woman, most of them related to what she had been doing all this time and why she had not stayed with the masters. The hostess in Bunin's work "Dark Alleys" evaded answering, and the serviceman blushed.

Then the dialogue turned towards marriage and Nadezhda replied that she had not been able to find anyone worthy for herself, because she loved Nikolai Alekseevich incredibly much. The color blazed even more on his face, and he continued to pace the room.

Love twists and turns

In the story "Dark Alleys" for Nikolai Alekseevich, the meeting and recollection of a woman's love caused an incomprehensible state. The man became all red, but at the same time darker than the clouds. In response to a statement about feelings, he called Nadezhda a friend and said that everything goes on in this world. She objected to this and said that love in the heart lives forever.

Memories of the old days began, when young people retired, Nikolai read poems to a girl about dark alleys. Then Nadezhda mentioned the resentment she felt when she was abandoned. In the upper room, she reproached him for cruelty, said that she wanted to lay hands on herself more than once.

The service sir spread out in compliments about the unearthly beauty of the girl in those years that many guys wanted to get her heart, but Nadezhda chose him. Nikolai again replied that everything in the world passes and is forgotten, and again received objections on this matter. The man could not stand the tension, turned away to the window and asked her to leave somewhere from thisrooms.

Emotional moment

The short summary of the story "Dark Alleys" cannot convey the subtlety of the emotional moment that occurred in the upper room near the Tula roads. Nikolai Alekseevich was too touched by what happened here. He turned to the window and quickly wiped the tears from his eyes with a handkerchief.

For his act, the hero asked for forgiveness from God, because he considered that the girl had already forgotten him, but Nadezhda again objected to him. The owner of the establishment said that she could not do this even in thirty years. All because she had never experienced similar feelings in this life.

The hours spent together were so deeply ingrained in the heart and mind that it was beyond the strength of a woman to forgive betrayal, although now it no longer matters. Nikolai Alekseevich listened to her, after which he himself took the floor. He began to tell the story of his life and proved that bad deeds made sooner or later catch up with a person like a boomerang. In the summary of "Dark Alleys" it is difficult to convey the emotional tone of his speech.

A life story and a place for mystery

Summary of "Dark Alleys" should be continued with a story from the life of a military sovereign who looked into the upper room. He said that he had never been happy in his life. Apologizing in advance for hurt feelings, he announced his boundless love for his wife, but this was precisely his mistake. A young lady cheated on him, after which she left with suchcruelty that even Nikolai's misdeed before Nadezhda cannot be compared.

A son was born from marriage, who was supposed to be a joy for his father, but again everything turned out wrong. The boy grew up completely ill-mannered and arrogant, for him the concepts of honor, conscience, as a result of this, goodness does not mean anything. Nikolai ended the story by saying that this is an ordinary story, because the loss of Hope also took away the warmest thing in this life from him.

He kissed her hand and she kissed back. The further phrase in Bunin's story "Dark Alleys" about the order to saddle the horses was left unfinished. The author left some room for thought and riddles.

Next scene

In the summary of "Dark Alleys" it should be noted that the events continue as Nikolai Alekseevich is already riding in his chariot and recalls his past shame. In his thoughts, the image of a beautifully young Nadezhda returns, which with her beauty could outshine any young lady. He asks himself about the veracity of the words about the happiest moments in his life, when the girl was around.

The new day was approaching sunset, and they all rolled down the muddy roads. The coachman was experienced and chose less beaten ruts so that less dirt would fly off the wheels. The silence was broken first by a man on a goat, who was driving the transport. He noted that the woman outside the chamber window followed them for a long time, and then asked about the duration of their acquaintance.

Nikolai Alekseevich answered briefly, and Klim - the name of the coachman - threw the phrase that this hostessincredibly smart and rich. The old serviceman objected to him that this did not mean anything at all. Klim completely disagreed with this statement.

End

The “Dark Alleys” ends (it should be noted in the summary) that Klim argues that the value of competent management of time and money is worth a lot. Nikolai Alekseevich interrupted him and asked him to go faster so as not to miss the train. After that, he again returned to his reflections on Hope. Minutes with her seemed not just the best, but filled with a kind of magic.

He remembered the poems he read to a young girl. After that, pictures began to arise in the mind of what could have been if the hero had not abandoned his beloved then. At first it seemed like nonsense, but later he managed to imagine Nadezhda as his wife. She would become the mother of his children and live in a Petersburg house.

Such thoughts made him shake his head in different directions, and the story ends there. The author again left room for the reader to reflect on the fate of the two characters, their actions and life path.