Astafiev, "The Boy in the White Shirt": a summary of the story

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

One of the most famous Soviet authors is V. Astafiev. “A Boy in a White Shirt” (a brief summary of this story is the subject of this article) is perhaps the most poignant and touching work of the author, in which he described the difficult time of the early 1930s, when a famine broke out in a number of regions of the USSR, which claimed lives of many people. This composition is distinguished by lyricism and at the same time deep drama, largely due to the fact that it mainly features the little boy Petenka, who has become a victim of hard times.

Intro

The real master of lyrical prose is Astafiev. “The Boy in the White Shirt” (the summary of this work is proof of this) is a story that reflects the realities of the difficult era of the 1930s. In the beginning, the author describes a sad picture of the village, which was deserted due to the fact that the entire able-bodied population was forced to go to the haunts in order to save the harvest from drought. The narrator's aunt also went to the field, leaving her three little sons alone: Sasha, who was seven years old,six-year-old Vanya and Petenka, who was not yet three years old. The boys, yearning for their mother, decided to go in search of her on their own. Masterfully described the rural steppe landscape in his work Astafiev. “The Boy in a White Shirt” (a summary of the story shows the writer’s ability to briefly and concisely create a panorama of nature with the help of epithets) is a work in which subtle good humor is combined with deep philosophical reflections on life and its meaning.

Journey of Heroes

For the brothers, the search for their mother was a real test. The writer did not skimp on paints, showing what obstacles they managed to overcome on the road: a river, a gorge, blockages, oats. The author paints a touching picture of how the older brothers carried the younger brother on their shoulders, how they persuaded him with various inventions and lured him to continue on his way, showing either animals or a river, until, finally, they resorted to the last resort and said that their mother was waiting ahead of them. These words made Petenka go on, in spite of mortal fatigue. The writer Astafiev conveyed the experiences of his heroes very reliably. “The Boy in the White Shirt” (a summary of the story shows how subtly and skillfully he conveys the emotional experiences of the characters) is a work that, despite its brevity, amazes with the authenticity of the reproduction of the era.

Description of mother

An important place in the essay isthe image of the boys' mother, who worked in the field during her sons' journey. The writer reproduces in detail the difficult conditions of her work. The only consolation for her was the memory of her children. The thought of them helps her come to terms with difficult conditions and hard work in the harvest. She has stocked up milk for the boys and is looking forward to the time when she can give them food. The author in very touching terms describes the meeting of the mother with her sons. At the same time, he uses live colloquial speech to convey all the tenderness of this woman. The first thing she did was straighten their clothes and then feed them, giving them the last of her provisions. The writer in very strong terms describes the mother's grief when she learned about the disappearance of her youngest son.

Life after loss

Many famous works were written by Astafiev. “The Boy in the White Shirt” (a summary of the story will give schoolchildren some idea of the work of this writer) is a work that occupies a prominent place in Soviet literature, despite its small volume. The final part of the essay is devoted to the mother's life after this tragic story. She had a large family, she survived and buried many, but she did not remember any of her relatives with such warmth and love as her younger Petenka. No one knew how to convey the experiences of ordinary village people like Viktor Astafiev. "The Boy in the White Shirt" (the summary of the story should include a description of the features of hislanguage) is an essay that can be offered to schoolchildren in lessons on Soviet literature.

Language

This composition is written in a lively colloquial language, which is saturated with folk expressions and even fabulous folklore elements. This gives the narrative a particularly sad lyrical tone that permeates the entire work. The author affectionately compares the boys with nightingale robbers, describes nature with colorful epithets, and conveys the relationship between the brothers with the help of touching epithets. The finale has a deeply symbolic meaning, largely due to the creation of the image of a child in snow-white clothes, which symbolizes his purity and innocence. So, Astafiev became one of the most recognized Soviet writers. “The Boy in the White Shirt” (a very brief summary of the story should contain a conclusion about the idea of the story) is an essay that is a must-read for anyone who is interested not only in the author’s work, but also in the history of the country.