Rereading the classics: Tolstoy's "Prisoner of the Caucasus" - summary and issues of the work

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

Leo Tolstoy is in vain considered a purely serious, "adult" writer. In addition to "War and Peace", "Sunday" and other complex works, he wrote a number of stories and fairy tales for children, developed the "ABC", according to which he taught peasant children to read and write. The story "Prisoner of the Caucasus" is included in it and enjoys the constant interest of all generations of girls and boys from the end of the 19th century to this day.

Genre and place of the work in the writer's work

Tolstoy's "Prisoner of the Caucasus", a summary of which we will now consider, researchers call a short story or a big story. The confusion in the genre nature of the work is associated with its non-standard sizes, a large number of characters, several storylines and conflicts. The author himself defined it as "a true story", i.e. stories about real events and incidents. story actiontakes place in the Caucasus, during the war with the highlanders. It is worth noting that the topic was not completed for the writer on this, and Tolstoy's Prisoner of the Caucasus (summary follows below) is not the only work associated with it. "Cossacks" and "Hadji Murad" are also devoted to the description of military clashes, the peculiarities of the relationship between people of different cultures and nationalities and contain many interesting observations and colorful sketches. The story was published in 1872 in the magazine Zarya. From Soviet times to this day, it has been included in the school curricula of most of the former Soviet republics.

History of Creation

What is Tolstoy's "Prisoner of the Caucasus"? Its brief content can be correlated with real events in which Tolstoy became a participant. He himself served in the Caucasus, was a participant in the hostilities and once almost got captured. Miraculously, Lev Nikolaevich and his comrade Sado, a Chechen by nationality, escaped. The feelings they experienced during the adventure formed the basis of the story. As for the name, some literary associations are associated with it. In particular, with Pushkin's southern romantic poem. True, Tolstoy's "Prisoner of the Caucasus" (a brief summary of the story gives a complete picture of the method of writing) refers to realistic works, but the corresponding "exotic" flavor is clearly felt in it. I would like to point out one more detail. Tolstoy attached great importance to the story, because. it was a sample of his new prose, a kind of experiment in the field of language and style. Therefore, sending the work to the critic Nikolai Strakhov, he asked him to pay attention to this particular side of the work.

Plot and characters

So, what did Tolstoy tell us about ("Prisoner of the Caucasus")? The summary of the story can be reduced to several storylines. A poor Russian officer Zhilin, who is serving in a remote fortress, receives a letter from his old mother asking him to come on a visit and see each other. Having asked for leave, he sets off along with the convoy. Another officer, Kostylin, is traveling with Zhilin. Since the convoy moves slowly, the road is long, and the day is hot, the friends decide not to wait for the escort and overcome the rest of the journey on their own. Kostylin has a gun, the horses under both are good, and even if they catch the eye of the highlanders, they will be able to avoid a skirmish. However, due to Kostylin's oversight and cowardice, the officers are captured. Their behavior in extreme situations gives a vivid idea of the character and type of personality of each. Kostylin is heavy on the outside and just as apathetic and clumsy on the inside. When in trouble, he resigns himself to circumstances, sleeps or grumbles, complains. When the Tatars demand to write a ransom request, the hero fulfills all the conditions. He is passive, phlegmatic, devoid of any enterprise. Zhilin is a completely different matter. He clearly sympathizes with Tolstoy. “Prisoner of the Caucasus” (a summary allows you to reveal the meaning of the title) is named in the singular because this particular character is the main character, the real hero. Not wanting to burden the motherdebts, Zhilin signs the letter incorrectly, gains authority and respect among the inhabitants of the village, finds a common language with the girl Dina and twice organizes an escape. He does not lose heart, struggles with circumstances, does not abandon his comrade. Strong-willed, energetic, enterprising, courageous, Zhilin gets his way. With this, it’s not scary to go into reconnaissance. This is a reliable person, a simple Russian character, which has always been close and interesting to the writer.

It is precisely in the charm of Zhilin's personality, the entertaining plot, the simplicity and conciseness of the language that lies the secret of the enormous popularity of the story.