Theme and problem of the work after the ball. Analysis of Tolstoy's story “After the Ball. Composition based on the work of L. N. Tolstoy

A distinctive feature of the work of Leo Tolstoy is the constant search for answers to moral questions that inevitably arise in the life of every person. We offer for consideration an analysis of the work of L. N. Tolstoy “After the Ball”, which will be useful to students in grade 8 in preparing for a lesson in literature. In the story “After the Ball”, the analysis includes a full disclosure of the topic, as well as features of composition, genre and direction.

Brief analysis

Year of writing- 1903.

History of creation- The plot is based on a real story that happened to the writer's brother. He, being in love with the daughter of a military commander, was going to propose to the girl. However, he changed his mind when he witnessed her father's extreme cruelty towards a soldier.

Subject– The main theme of the work is morality, which fully reveals the problems of the structure of society in tsarist Russia.

Composition– The composition is built on the antithesis - the opposition of the ball and the scene of the punishment of the fugitive soldier.

Genre- Story.

Direction- Realism.

History of creation

The story “After the Ball” was written by Lev Nikolaevich in 1903, but it was published after the death of the writer, in 1911. As a basis for the plot, Tolstoy took the story of his brother, Sergei Nikolayevich, which he shared with him in his youth.

Sergei Tolstoy was passionately in love with Varenka, a charming girl whose father served as a military mayor. The young man's intentions were serious enough, and he was going to tie the knot with his beloved. However, these plans were not destined to come true. Sergei Tolstoy accidentally witnessed his future father-in-law's brutal treatment of a runaway soldier. The spectacle of the brutal reprisal against the unfortunate shocked the young man so much that he suddenly changed his mind about marrying.

Lev Nikolaevich was shocked by the story he heard, but he was able to put it on paper only years later. He was not immediately able to decide on the name of his work, criticizing each of the options. Among them were "Father and Daughter", "The Story of the Ball and Through the Line", "And you say ...".

The meaning of the name"After the ball" lies in the ambiguity and inconsistency of life. After the bright lights of the ball, people find themselves face to face with the realities of reality. Behind the outward splendor and gloss lies unjustified cruelty and hardness of human hearts, and not everyone can come to terms with this fact.

Subject

The work, despite its small volume, fully reveals issues moral and philosophical nature, which has always been close to Lev Nikolaevich.

central theme"After the ball" - morality. The author poses questions to the reader: what are honor, dignity, decency, justice? For many generations, they have worried and continue to worry Russian society.

At the heart of the conflict works lies the dual nature of the Colonel. This is a stately, handsome, mature man, attracting attention with his youthfulness and military bearing. His aristocratic essence is emphasized by impeccable manners, beautiful speech and a pleasant voice. The colonel could easily win over anyone - he showed himself so sweet and amiable during the ball.

But already in the early morning, all this complacency was torn off, like a mask, during the procedure for punishing a fugitive soldier. Varenka's father appears as a formidable, cruel boss, capable of the most terrible deed.

The protagonist, in love with Varenka, having witnessed this reincarnation, is no longer able to continue to have bright feelings for the girl. The spectacle of the inhumane execution of a soldier forever changes his worldview. He comes to the conclusion that he is not in a position to be involved in this evil, and renounces his personal happiness.

Main thought works - exposure of falsehood and feigned complacency of society, behind which lies cruelty towards people who are in a dependent position. If there is no way to change this world for the better and defeat evil, then each person is able to make a conscious choice - to take part or not in this evil. To be honest with yourself is what Tolstoy's work teaches.

Composition

The plot of the story fits into the framework of one night, which abruptly turned the whole life of the protagonist. The composition of the work is a “story within a story”, and consists of several parts: exposition (dialogue leading to the described events), tie-in (ball scene), culmination (scene of the punishment of a soldier) and denouement (the final remark of the narrator).

The main feature of the composition is the opposition of two main parts: the ball and the punishment of the soldier. At first, the reader discovers all the charm of a sparkling ball - a real celebration of love, beauty and youth. Light and sparkling, like splashes of champagne, it turns your head and captivates.

But the very next morning, a completely different picture opens up to the reader's eyes. Against the background of deepening dark colors and to the accompaniment of hysterical, nerve-wracking music, a soldier is severely punished. Such a sharp contrast as an artistic means is the best way to reveal the main idea of the work.

Main characters

Genre

The prose work "After the Ball" is written in the genre of the story. This is evidenced by the small volume and disclosure of one storyline (one incident from the life of one hero). Since the work has the form of a "story within a story", it describes two eras - the 40s of the 19th century, and the sunset of the 19th century. This technique used by the author is intended to show the reader that during this time the problems in society have not changed in any way.

The story is realistic, because it is based on a real life event that, through the prism of the protagonist's experiences, reflects the weaknesses of society.

Artwork test

Analysis Rating

Average rating: 4.7. Total ratings received: 1043.

History of creation

The story "After the Ball" was written in 1903, published after the death of the writer in 1911. The story is based on a real event, which Tolstoy learned about when he was a student living with his brothers in Kazan. His brother Sergei Nikolaevich fell in love with the daughter of the local military commander L.P. Koreysha and was going to marry her. But after Sergei Nikolaevich saw the cruel punishment commanded by the father of his beloved girl, he experienced a strong shock. He stopped visiting Koreish's house and gave up the idea of marriage. This story lived so firmly in Tolstoy's memory that many years later he described it in the story "After the Ball." The writer thought about the title of the story. There were several options: “The Story of the Ball and Through the Line”, “Daughter and Father”, etc. As a result, the story was called “After the Ball”.

The writer was concerned about the problem: man and environment, the influence of circumstances on human behavior. Can a person manage himself or is it all about the environment and circumstances.

Genus, genre, creative method

“After the Ball” is a prose work; written in the genre of the story, since the center of the story is one important event in the life of the hero (the shock of what he saw after the ball), and the text is small in volume. It must be said that in his later years Tolstoy showed a special interest in the genre of the story.

The story depicts two eras: the 40s of the XIX century, the reign of Nicholas and the time of the creation of the story. The writer restores the past to show that nothing has changed in the present either. He opposes violence and oppression, against inhuman treatment of people. The story "After the Ball", like all the work of JI.H. Tolstoy is associated with realism in Russian literature.

Subject

Tolstoy reveals in the story “After the Ball” one of the bleak aspects of the life of Nikolaev Russia - the position of the tsarist soldier: twenty-five years of service, senseless drill, complete disenfranchisement of soldiers, being carried through the ranks as punishment. However, the main problem in the story is related to moral issues: what forms a person - social conditions or chance. A single incident rapidly changes a separate life (“The whole life has changed from one night, or rather morning,” says the hero). In the center of the image in the story is the thought of a person who is able to immediately discard class prejudices.

Idea

The idea of the story is revealed with the help of a certain system of images and composition. The main characters are Ivan Vasilyevich and the colonel, the father of the girl the narrator was in love with, through whose images the main problem is solved. The author shows that the society and its structure, and not the case, influence the personality.

In the image of Colonel Tolstoy exposes objective social conditions that distort the nature of a person, instilling in him false concepts of duty.

The ideological content is revealed through the image of the evolution of the narrator's inner feeling, his sense of the world. The writer makes you think about the problem of human responsibility for the environment. It is the consciousness of this responsibility for the life of society that distinguishes Ivan Vasilyevich. A young man from a wealthy family, impressionable and enthusiastic, faced with a terrible injustice, dramatically changed his life path, giving up any career. “I was so ashamed that, not knowing where to look, as if I had been caught in the most shameful act, I lowered my eyes and hurried to go home.” He devoted his life to helping other people: “Tell me better: no matter how many people are good for nothing, if you weren’t there.”

In the story JI.H. Tolstoy, everything is in contrast, everything is shown according to the principle of antithesis: a description of a brilliant ball and a terrible punishment on the field; the situation in the first and second parts; graceful charming Varenka and the figure of a Tatar with his terrible, unnatural back; Varenka's father at the ball, who evoked enthusiastic tenderness in Ivan Vasilievich, and he is also a vicious, formidable old man, demanding that the soldiers obey orders. The study of the general construction of the story becomes a means of revealing its ideological content.

The nature of the conflict

The basis of the conflict of this story is laid, on the one hand, in the image of the two-faced colonel, on the other hand, in the disappointment of Ivan Vasilyevich.

The colonel was a very handsome, stately, tall and fresh old man. Affectionate, unhurried speech emphasized his aristocratic essence and aroused even more admiration. Varenka's father was so sweet and amiable that he endeared himself to everyone, including the protagonist of the story. After the ball, in the scene of the punishment of the soldier, not a single sweet, good-natured line remained on the face of the colonel. There was nothing left of the person who was at the ball, but a new one, formidable and cruel, appeared. Only one angry voice of Peter Vladislavovich inspired fear. Ivan Vasilievich describes the punishment of the soldier in this way: “And I saw how with his strong hand in a suede glove he hit the face of a frightened, short, weak soldier because he did not put his stick on the red back of the Tatar enough.” Ivan Vasilievich cannot love just one person, he must certainly love the whole world, understand and accept it as a whole. Therefore, along with love for Varenka, the hero also loves her father, admires him. When he encounters cruelty and injustice in this world, his whole sense of harmony, the integrity of the world collapses, and he prefers not to love in any way than to love partially. I am not free to change the world, to defeat evil, but I and only I am free to agree or disagree to participate in this evil - this is the logic of the hero's reasoning. And Ivan Vasilievich deliberately refuses his love.

Main heroes

The main characters of the story are the young man Ivan Vasilyevich, who is in love with Varenka, and the girl's father, Colonel Pyotr Vladislavovich.

The colonel, a handsome and strong man of about fifty, an attentive and caring father who wears homemade boots to dress and take out his beloved daughter, the Colonel is sincere both at the ball, when he dances with his beloved daughter, and after the ball, when, without reasoning, like a zealous a campaigner, drives a fugitive soldier through the ranks. He undoubtedly believes in the need to punish those who have crossed the law. It is this sincerity of the colonel in various life situations that most of all puzzles Ivan Vasilyevich. How to understand someone who is sincerely kind in one situation and sincerely angry in another? “Obviously, he knows something that I don’t know ... If I knew what he knows, I would understand what I saw, and it would not torment me.” Ivan Vasilyevich felt that society was to blame for this contradiction: "If this was done with such confidence and recognized by everyone as necessary, then, therefore, they knew something that I did not know."

Ivan Vasilyevich, a modest and decent young man, shocked by the scene of the beating of soldiers, is not able to understand why this is possible, why there are orders that sticks are needed to protect. The shock experienced by Ivan Vasilyevich turned his ideas about class morality upside down: he began to understand the Tatar's plea for mercy, compassion and anger, sounding in the words of a blacksmith; without realizing it, he shares the highest human laws of morality.

Plot and composition

The plot of the story is uncomplicated. Ivan Vasilyevich, convinced that the environment does not affect a person’s way of thinking, but the whole thing is in the case, tells the story of his youthful love for the beautiful Varenka B. At the ball, the hero meets Varenka’s father, a very handsome, stately, tall and “fresh old man” with ruddy face and luxurious mustache colonel. The owners persuade him to dance the mazurka with his daughter. During the dance, the couple attracts everyone's attention. After the mazurka, the father brings Varenka to Ivan Vasilyevich, and the young people spend the rest of the evening together.

Ivan Vasilievich returns home in the morning, but cannot fall asleep and sets off to wander around the city in the direction of Varenka's house. From afar, he hears the sounds of a flute and a drum, which endlessly repeat the same shrill melody. On the field in front of B.'s house, he sees how some Tatar soldiers are driven through the ranks for escaping. Varenka's father, a handsome, stately colonel B. Tatarin, is in command of the execution, begging the soldiers to "have mercy", but the colonel strictly ensures that the soldiers do not give him the slightest indulgence. One of the soldiers "rubs". B. hits him in the face. Ivan Vasilyevich sees the back of the Tatar, red, motley, wet with blood, and is horrified. Noticing Ivan Vasilievich, B. pretends to be unfamiliar with him and turns away.

Ivan Vasilyevich thinks that the colonel is probably right, since everyone admits that he is acting normally. However, he cannot understand the reasons that forced B. to beat a man severely, and not understanding, he decides not to enter the military service. His love is waning. So one incident changed his life and views.

The whole story is the events of one night, which the hero remembers many years later. The composition of the story is clear and precise, it logically distinguishes four parts: a large dialogue at the beginning of the story, leading to the story of the ball; ball scene; the execution scene and the final remark.

“After the Ball” is built like a “story within a story”: it begins with the fact that the venerable, who has seen a lot in life and, as the author adds, a sincere and truthful person - Ivan Vasilyevich, in a conversation with friends, claims that a person’s life does not develop one way or another at all. from the influence of the environment, but because of the case, and as proof of this he cites the case, as he himself admits, that changed his life. This is actually a story, the heroes of which are Varenka B., her father and Ivan Vasilyevich himself. Thus, from the dialogue of the narrator and his friends at the very beginning of the story, we learn that the episode that will be discussed was of great importance in a person’s life. The form of the oral story gives the events a special realism. The mention of the sincerity of the narrator serves the same purpose. He talks about what happened to him in his youth; this narrative is given a certain “flavor of antiquity”, as well as the mention that Varenka is already old, that “her daughter is married”.

Artistic originality

Tolstoy the artist always took care that in the work "everything should be reduced to unity." In the story “After the Ball”, the contrast became such a unifying principle. The story is built on the technique of contrast, or antithesis, by showing two diametrically opposite episodes and, in connection with this, a sharp change in the experiences of the narrator. Thus, the contrasting composition of the story and the corresponding language help to reveal the idea of the work, tear the mask of good nature from the face of the colonel, and show his true essence.

Contrast is also used by the writer when choosing language means. So, when describing the portrait of Varenka, white color prevails: “white dress”, “white kid gloves”, “white satin shoes” (such an artistic technique is called color painting). This is due to the fact that white is the personification of purity, light, joy, Tolstoy, using this word, emphasizes the feeling of a holiday and conveys the state of mind of the narrator. The musical accompaniment of the story speaks about the holiday in the soul of Ivan Vasilyevich: a cheerful quadrille, a gentle smooth waltz, a perky polka, an elegant mazurka create a joyful mood.

In the scene of punishment, there are other colors and other music: “... I saw ... something big, black, and heard the sounds of a flute and a drum coming from there. ... it was... hard, bad music."

The meaning of the work

The meaning of the story is enormous. Tolstoy poses broad humanistic problems: why do some live a carefree life, while others drag out a beggarly existence? What is justice, honor, dignity? These problems have worried and are worrying more than one generation of Russian society. That is why Tolstoy remembered an incident that happened in his youth and made it the basis of his story.

2008 marks the 180th anniversary of the birth of the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy. Hundreds of books and articles have been written about him, his works are known all over the world, his name is honored in all countries, the heroes of his novels and short stories live on screens, on theater stages. His word is heard on radio and television. “Without knowing Tolstoy,” wrote M. Gorky, “you cannot consider yourself knowing your country, you cannot consider yourself a cultured person.”

Tolstoy's humanism, his penetration into the inner world of man, his protest against social injustice do not become obsolete, but live and influence the minds and hearts of people today.

A whole epoch in the development of Russian classical fiction is associated with the name of Tolstoy.

Tolstoy's legacy is of great importance for the formation of the worldview and aesthetic tastes of readers. Acquaintance with his works, filled with high humanistic and moral ideals, undoubtedly contribute to spiritual enrichment.

In Russian literature, there is no other writer whose work would be as diverse and complex as the work of L.N. Tolstoy. The great writer developed the Russian literary language, enriched literature with new means of depicting life.

The world significance of Tolstoy's work is determined by the formulation of great, exciting socio-political, philosophical and moral problems, unsurpassed realism in the depiction of life and high artistic skill.

His works - novels, short stories, stories, plays are read with unflagging interest by more and more generations of people all over the globe. This is evidenced by the fact that the decade from 2000 to 2010 was declared by UNESCO as the decade of L.N. Tolstoy.

Before proceeding directly to the analysis of the story "After the Ball", we will briefly consider the history of its creation. In this article you will also find the compositional features of the work and its plot. The story "After the Ball" was published after the death of Leo Tolstoy in 1911, although he wrote it in 1903. This trend of returned prose was typical of that literary period. The story is based on real events. Living with his brothers in Kazan, Tolstoy learned from his brother Sergei the details of his personal life. The brother fell in love with the daughter of a military commander, but seeing the cruelty of her father, he forgot about marriage and did not appear in their house again. This story made a huge indelible impression, and later became the basis of the plot of the story "After the Ball".

Tolstoy thought for a long time about the title of the story. But he called it that way, and this is important in the analysis of "After the Ball", because it was important for Tolstoy to show how a person would behave after certain circumstances, how it will behave in the new environment.

The genre of the story and its theme

The work "After the Ball" by Tolstoy is a story, because it tells about one event and one main character. There is one story line. It was the stories that Tolstoy wrote in the heyday of his literary activity. But this story describes two eras: the era of the past, i.e. 40s of the XIX century, and the end of the XIX century. The author used this technique to show that nothing has changed in the social fabric.

When analyzing Tolstoy's "After the Ball", it is important to take into account the theme of the work. The main theme of the story is morality. The way one incident radically changes a person's worldview. The sub-theme is the life of a soldier. The service is described as twenty-five years long, unquestioning, the severity of the conditions.

Other Analysis Details

The idea in the story is revealed through a system of images. This is Ivan Vasilyevich and the colonel. They are a stumbling block. With the help of these images, Tolstoy shows that it is not chance that decides fate, but the consequences of social life and society. You can see the severity of that time. The story is based on antithesis. The whole work is built on contrast. Starting from the beauty of a polished floor and to a terrible punishment; the refinement of Varenka and the sullenness of the Tatar; flute and drum sounds. The image of the father, who initially caused tenderness, and then turned into an evil old man. Such a technique vividly showed how life and its perception have changed for Ivan Vasilyevich.

Let's see who are the main characters of the story "After the Ball":

Ivan Vasilievich. A pleasant young man in love with Varenka. He made a reassessment of his life and actions, seeing the brutal harshness. He thought about what humanity is and how people should be treated. After what he saw, he decided that he would never hurt anyone.
Peter Vladislavovich. A strong old man who sincerely loves his daughter. The man is courteous and gallant at the ball, a kind host, but in the scene with the massacre he appears before the readers in a completely different light.

Plot and composition

We have carried out a brief analysis of the story "After the Ball". What is the essence of the plot and the composition of the work? Before us opens a picture of the ball, in which a well-groomed colonel dances with love and tenderness with his daughter. It was on this evening that Ivan Vasilievich met Varenka. They dance together, you can't take your eyes off them. In the morning, the main character goes home to his beloved. Passing through the city, he notices that the soldiers are leading the Tatar to the place of punishment. It is a great surprise for him that Varenka's father is leading this action. It opens up for him from another, secret side. A cold, angry and insensitive colonel gives out instructions on how to beat the offender. Seeing his daughter's fiancé, he pretended they were strangers. After what he saw, the young man changes his attitude not only to this family, but also to society as a whole. The duration of the story is one day.

Composition

The story of Leo Tolstoy describes the events that took place in Russia during the reign of Nicholas I. That was the harsh time of the reign of the tsar, frightened by the uprising of the Decembrists and intensified the reaction of public life. Compositionally, the story consists of two parts: the hero at the ball and the events that happened to him after the ball. Judging by the title, "after the ball" events are much more important not only for the hero, but also for the author.

The prototype of the protagonist of the story "After the Ball" was the brother of L.N. Tolstoy Sergei Nikolaevich. Only after 50 years Lev Nikolaevich will write this story. In it, he talks about how a person's life can change in just one morning. Events unfold in the 40s of the XIX century. At that time, the hero of the story was "a student at a provincial university", he lived "as is typical of youth": he studied and had fun. He was a cheerful, lively fellow: he rode from the mountains with young ladies, reveled with his comrades. But his main pleasure was evenings and balls, as he danced well and was not ugly.

The first part of the story is devoted to acquaintance with "everyone respected" Ivan Vasilyevich. He talks a lot about himself, about his life, but Varenka B. takes the place of the most beloved girl in his life. Without a doubt, Varya was his strongest love. This eighteen-year-old girl was charming and beautiful, and even her regal appearance did not frighten anyone, thanks to her cheerful smile and sparkling eyes.

In the second part of the story, the action develops at the ball of the provincial marshal. Ivan Vasilievich is stunned by Varya's beauty and falls in love more and more. From such wonderful feelings, he is ready to love everyone and everything. Everything in this world seems beautiful and delightful to him. It seems that nothing can change this strong love. By that evening, the young man was preparing especially carefully, since his beloved girl, Varenka, was supposed to be present.

Everything was just wonderful: "The hall is beautiful, with choirs, musicians - famous at that time serfs of an amateur landowner, a magnificent buffet and a flood of champagne." At that time, Ivan Vasilyevich was drunk with love for Varenka B., she was also charming: "tall, slender, graceful and majestic." She always held herself unusually straight, "as if she could not help it, throwing her head back a little, and this gave her, with her beauty and tall stature, despite her thinness, even bony, some kind of regal appearance that would scare away from her, if not for the affectionate, always cheerful smile. That evening, the hero of the story did not notice the other girls; her "radiant, dimpled, reddened face and gentle, sweet eyes" always stood before his eyes. He was truly happy. Ivan Vasilyevich danced almost all the dances with his beloved: quadrilles, polkas, and waltzes; "danced until you drop."

Ah, what a magical night it was! Waltzes and mazurkas gave way to quadrilles and polkas, champagne flowed like water, Varenka's benevolent smiles and glances, her gentle silvery laughter made her dizzy. Ivan Vasilyevich was overwhelmed with happiness: "I was not only cheerful and contented, I was happy, blissful, I was kind, I was not me, but some kind of unearthly creature that knows no evil and is capable of only good." A particularly vivid impression was made on him by Varenka's dance with his father, a handsome, stately old man with the rank of colonel. This dance fascinated not only the hero of the story, but also all the guests present. The beauty of Varenka and her father is emphasized by this dance. They are beautiful together, and after the dance, Ivan Vasilyevich is more and more sure that Varya is his happiness. He is inspired, he is in love, he is happy! Full of such magical feelings, Ivan returns home and finds no place for himself there. His loving soul requires action, his feelings are trying to break out. He must be close to his beloved! Even if he does not see her, he wants to be close to her. He goes to where she lives.

In comparison with other works of the writer, the accusatory pathos is especially strong in the story "After the Ball". It has elements of a parable, a moralizing principle, the idea of enlightenment is opposed to the idea of spiritual perfection - all this is characteristic of the late Tolstoy. The writer turns to a sharply social conflict, which is also expressed at the level of a contrasting composition (ball - punishment).

The positive details in the first part of the story (beautiful face, stately figure of the colonel, mustache like Nicholas I, charming smile) become negative in the second part. The beauty of the colonel disgusts Ivan Vasilyevich, who is watching the punishment (the protruding lip, the colonel's pouting cheeks). The writer resorts to contrasting color matching (the dominant white and pink colors of the first part are opposed to the red, colorful, unnatural appearance of the Tatar’s back in the second part of the story), as well as contrasting sounds (the sounds of waltz, quadrille, mazurka, polka in the first part are dissonant with the whistle flute, drum thump, refrain repeated throughout the second movement).

Happy dreams of Ivan Vasilyevich were dispelled by the scene of the terrible punishment of the fugitive Tatar, who was let through the ranks of soldiers armed with sticks. The execution was commanded by Varenka's father, the same stately colonel who until recently had danced so sweetly with his daughter at the provincial marshal's.

The harsh reality struck Ivan Vasilyevich. He could not and did not want to believe that next to the holiday there is pain, suffering, cruelty, injustice. The hero admits that "love has waned since that day," because the image of Varenka constantly resurrected in his memory the picture of "the colonel on the square." Moreover, he abandoned the military career, as he had planned before.

Everything sang in Ivan Vasilyevich's soul, and occasionally the tune of the mazurka was heard, but that morning he also heard some other, cruel, bad music, while becoming a witness to a terrible spectacle. He saw how the soldiers were driving a Tatar through the line for the escape, who was tied to the guns of two soldiers, and on whom blows rained down from both sides. At each blow, the punished person turned his face, wrinkled from suffering, in the direction from which the blow fell, and did not say, but sobbed: "Brothers, have mercy. Brothers, have mercy." But his voice was not heard. The Tatar's back was "something so colorful, wet, red, unnatural" that Ivan Vasilievich did not believe that it could be a human body.

What he saw made a strong impression on him, but he was especially shocked by the fact that the tall military man who led the detachment of soldiers turned out to be Varenka's father. Ivan Vasilyevich felt so ashamed that, not knowing where to look, as if he had been caught in the most shameful act, he lowered his eyes and hurried to go home.

After this incident, he decided not to serve anywhere at all, in order to always be at odds with his conscience. The hero changes morally. There is a kind of insight, a different view of the world appears.
"And love from that day on, waned. When she, as often happened with her, with a smile on her face, thought, I immediately remembered the colonel on the square, and I felt somehow awkward and unpleasant ... And love disappeared like that to no."

How conscience awakens in a person, a sense of responsibility for his neighbor and love for him is shown in his work by L.N. Tolstoy. The accusatory pathos is especially strong in the story "After the Ball". It has elements of a parable, and the idea of enlightenment is opposed to the idea of spiritual perfection. This view of life is characteristic of the later works of the writer. In my opinion, this story very well reveals Tolstoy's philanthropy, his real attitude to life.

The story "After the Ball" is striking in its contrast, but it is precisely this construction of the plot that allows Leo Tolstoy to more fully reveal the idea of \u200b\u200bthe work.

(Option 2)

The very title of the story sets the reader on a fascinating reading, it seems that we are waiting for a story about a magnificent and beautiful life, about the love and happiness of the heroes. The later work of Tolstoy, written in 1903, in the era of a crisis brewing in the country, before the Russo-Japanese war, which Russia shamefully lost, and the first revolution, it turns out, is not at all descriptive and entertaining, and this defeat itself showed the failure of the state regime, after all, the state of the army primarily reflects the situation in the country.

The action of the story takes place in the 40s of the XIX century, in the epoch of Nicholas. It is not in vain that Tolstoy returns to the past, since for him the parallels between the position in society and in the army in these seemingly different eras are obvious.

And the main emphasis is on moral issues, not "army". I think that the main problem is what shapes a person - social conditions or chance.

Ivan Vasilyevich - the hero of the story - a nobleman of the Nikolaev era, an ordinary person, good, but simple, little reasoning: "... we didn't have any circles at our university at that time, no theories, but we were just young and lived, as is typical of youth : Learn and have fun. We see that the narrator was not interested in global questions. He lives in the world of balls, revels, falling in love with Varenka, without thinking about what is happening around him, in the country in which he lives. This is an ordinary inhabitant, although kind and decent, with a good soul.

Ivan Vasilyevich, colonel, father of Varya, the girl with whom the narrator was in love, and Varya herself are, perhaps, the main characters of the story. Yes, and Varya, rather, an object, with her "help" a story is tied up. The main problem is solved through the images of her father and the main character. The author shows that, nevertheless, the social structure, and not chance, influences the formation of personality.

The story consists of two parts - the ball and after the ball, moreover, the first part is much more voluminous. A wonderful secular evening, everyone is having fun, the hero is fascinated by Varenka, her wonderful, kind, quiet father-colonel. The young man is in seventh heaven with joy. But, returning from the ball, he sees a terrible scene on the parade ground - the beating of a Tatar by soldiers under the command of the "kind" and charming father Varenka.

The underside of reality rudely invaded the intimate life of the narrator, breaking the little world he had so carefully created.

The protagonist is shocked by what he saw, here Tolstoy used the opposition technique: the colonel at the ball and after it. In the first case, this is a sweet and courteous person, in the second, it is a symbol of a cruel military machine, ruthless, not caring about anyone and not thinking about anyone. Even the cheerful music of the mazurka and the sounds of the drum and flute, under which the soldier was tortured, are opposed to each other.

This incident turned the life of Ivan Vasilyevich. But if we analyze the text more deeply, we will understand that it was not the chance, but the environment that broke the naive world of the hero, she dealt him a stunning blow.

The hero feels remorse, as if he himself, and not the colonel, hits the soldier in the face with backhand - this is the great semantic load of the story. It is no coincidence that it is called "After the Ball". It seems to me that the meaning of the story is that the environment affects a person, it seems to tear off the veils of decency, exposing the insides of social reality.

The hero, having lived his life, did not understand what happened to him and why. He remained alone, probably unable to overcome the distrust of people born that morning. And not only the love for a woman since then "went down", but also the belief in the purity and sincerity of human relations.

Other writings on this work

"Love has declined since that day ..." (According to the story of L. N. Tolstoy "After the Ball") "After the ball". L.N. Tolstoy After the ball “What is L. N. Tolstoy’s story “After the Ball” directed against? On what, according to the author, do changes in human relations depend? Author and narrator in L. N. Tolstoy's story "After the Ball" Ivan Vasilyevich at the ball and after the ball (according to the story "After the ball") Ideological and artistic originality of L.N. Tolstoy's story "After the Ball" Personality and society in the story of L. N. Tolstoy "After the ball" My impression of L. N. Tolstoy's story "After the Ball" The image of Ivan Vasilievich (Based on the story of L. N. Tolstoy "After the Ball") Colonel at the ball and after the ball Colonel at the ball and after the ball (according to the story of L. N. Tolstoy "After the ball") Why did Ivan Vasilyevich reassess his values? (according to the story of L. N. Tolstoy "After the ball") Why is the story of L.N. Tolstoy is called "After the Ball" Why is L. N. Tolstoy's story called "After the Ball" and not "The Ball"? Reception of contrast in the story of L. N. Tolstoy "After the ball" The story of L. Tolstoy "After the ball"

The story "After the Ball" is small in volume, but raises problems of a general philosophical and moral level related to Tolstoy's worldview, who saw in a simple plot a deep contradiction between the external and the internal, what lies on the surface and what is hidden from prying eyes. Discord in feelings and actions becomes the object of close attention of the writer, who explores the areas of the obscure human soul.

The plot was based on a real story, which, according to one version, during his student days, Tolstoy heard from his brother Sergei. The basis of the future story was the incident that happened to Sergei Nikolaevich. In love with the daughter of the military commander - Varvara Koreysh, he was going to propose to her, but when he saw the cruel punishment of the soldier commanded by the girl's father, he abandoned his intention.

What he saw shocked him, and the story itself haunted Leo Tolstoy for a long time, who embodied the plot in a story only years later. The work was published a year after the death of the writer.

The meaning of the name

The story did not immediately receive its final title. Tolstoy considered several drafts, among which were "The Story of the Ball and Through the Line", "Father and Daughter", "And you say ...". The result of a long search was the title "After the Ball."

The meaning of the title "After the Ball" is ambiguous. Tolstoy in many of his works raised the problem of man and society. The object of his interest is the circumstances that influence human decisions and actions, as well as the principles, rules and motives that guide him in his choice. On the one hand, the title emphasizes the double-mindedness of one of the main characters, the unnaturalness of his life, in which, with the change of scenery, there is also a change in personality. After the ball, the masks change. The behavior of the hero changes, and his life itself, ugly on the inside, has nothing to do with the brilliance and magnificence of the title side. On the other hand, after the ball, the hero-narrator also comes to understand the people with whom he wanted to connect his life, the realization of the contradictory nature of life, in which unjustified cruelty peacefully coexists with elegance and imaginary nobility.

Genre and direction

“After the Ball” is a prose work; written in the genre of a story and takes out of the context of the hero's life one single event that became a turning point for him, ambiguous both for the character himself and for readers.

The story is realistic, since the plot is based on a real, even everyday case, reflecting the inner world of the hero and, at the same time, setting the social tone.

Main characters and their characteristics

Ivan Vasilievich- narrator. Already being old, he tells about the events of his past youth. The protagonist at the time of the described event was a provincial student, but a rich and handsome dandy. He is distinguished by conscientiousness, a sense of justice and impressionability. He could not forget about the beating of the Tatar and therefore did not connect his life with his beloved girl. The young man was very emotional: he almost vomited when he wandered home after seeing the sight.
Varenka- Lover of the protagonist. This is a tall, stately and "majestic" secular girl who conquered gentlemen with a captivating and affectionate smile. She had a regal appearance, but her kind soul did not allow anyone to be shy in the presence of the heroine. She, too, favored the narrator's advances.
Colonel(Peter Vladislavich - Tolstoy's spelling is preserved) - a handsome and stately military man. A tall and ruddy elderly man with an affectionate smile and pleasant manners. For the sake of his daughter, he saves on himself: he wears only official boots, for example. However, in the scene with corporal punishment, the hero looks angry and cruel: he hits the soldier in the face, who weakly hit the offending Tatar.

Topics and issues

The theme of the story can be considered at once at several levels, taking as a basis both the socio-psychological and general philosophical aspect, and the deeper one - moral, ethical, personal.

In the first case, consider the problem of man and his environment which he can obey or, on the contrary, resist. Does the environment completely shape the personality, or is there another entity that cannot be suppressed, free and capable of fighting what seems wrong and alien to it? Tolstoy here opposes the equation of personality and the violation of its natural rights. The writer reserves the right to independently decide for himself what is good and what is bad for every person capable of free choice.

Another external theme is slavery. soldier position during the reign of Nicholas. The complete lack of rights of the common man, the most difficult conditions of service and corporal punishment to which those who served the motherland were subjected, return not only to the topic of suppression of the individual, but also to the problem of social inequality in Nikolaev Russia.

The question of the moral, personal level of comprehension of this work is entirely connected with the image of the military. Duplicity and hypocrisy a colonel, a family man and a caring father, on the one hand, on the other, a merciless and ruthless commander, indifferent to the pain of others. The horror of the situation for the hero-narrator is not so much in the fact that the colonel arranges for the torture of an innocent soldier, but in his calm indifference to what is happening. Trembling in relation to his daughter coexists in him with undisguised cruelty. The ratio of these sides in one person is impossible to imagine, so great is the discrepancy between one and the other. Tolstoy shows a rare, but no less stable human type of people-masks, capable of cruelty, covered with ostentatious good manners.

Idea

The main idea of the story “After the Ball” is in following humanistic ideals, appealing to truly good feelings, in which universal human should prevail. To counteract the evil inclination is possible only through self-improvement, the search for real, not clouded by the imagination and false impression of meanings. Tolstoy calls to remain a man even in those situations when one can afford lawlessness due to status and position.

It is no coincidence that the hero of the story becomes ashamed of what he saw. He feels his involvement in what is happening, responsibility for the cruelty of another. According to Tolstoy, this is how it should be. Lawlessness begins with an individual, the fight against it is the task of everyone who is not indifferent to someone else's grief.

Tolstoy's creative method, based on the study of the contradictions of the human soul, has always deserved high praise. The psychologism of the story, the emotional richness and the writer's own artistic style make a relatively small work a carrier of many meanings, contradictory, like human nature itself.

Morality

L.N. Tolstoy is known to the average reader as a great master of the word, a writer who entered Russian literature as the creator of monumental psychological novels. However, his influence on Russian literature and culture is much deeper than one can imagine. Tolstoy is not just a great writer, but also a thinker, the founder of religious and philosophical teachings. The desire for moral perfection, the ideal of sacrificial love that casts out fear - the program of Tolstoy, who saw the meaning of life in selfless service to one's neighbor, based on pure perfect love. He conveys these thoughts to the public through the story "After the Ball", where the hero did not turn away from someone else's grief, could not come to terms with him. In his refusal to get acquainted with the cruel military leader - a fair reaction of society, which should show its members how to behave.

The conclusion is simple: it is necessary to be responsive and fair in any situation, even if personal interest is at stake. The hero was fascinated by the daughter of a military leader, but made a choice in favor of moral duty. Also, one should not abuse a high position and justify vices with it.