The morning that changed my life. Composition “The morning that changed my life. L. Tolstoy. Nikolai Palkin
There are moments in our life that seem insignificant and do not directly concern you, which can turn everything in your life, direct you along a completely different path. You yourself do not realize the impact of such moments, but you simply cannot live as before. As if there is some kind of sign inside and stubbornly does not let you turn back to the old road.
To the hero-narrator from the work of L.N. Tolstoy "After the Ball" had to go through one terrible morning in his life, which completely changed his whole future life, his plans for the future. He himself says this about it: “But I think that the whole thing is in the case. I'll tell about myself."
During the youth of Ivan Vasilyevich, when he was rich, handsome, full of strength, he lived without thinking about anything. The narrator simply enjoyed every day he lived. At the time to which his “case” refers, the hero was very much in love with Varenka B., one of the most beautiful girls in the city.
On the last day of Shrovetide, Ivan Vasilyevich was invited to a ball at the house of the provincial leader. All evening and almost all night he did not leave his adored Varenka. The happiness of the hero knew no bounds. He loved Varenka, loved all the guests in the hall, loved the whole world. But a special, “some kind of enthusiastic tender feeling,” the hero felt for his beloved’s father.
Everything in Colonel B. evoked emotion and delight in the hero. And the fact that Pyotr Vladislavich, despite his years, is slim and fit, and that he is still very handsome. In addition, at first glance it was clear that the colonel adores his daughter, he simply does not have a soul in her.
In the most enthusiastic feelings, Ivan Vasilyevich goes home after the ball. But spiritual excitement does not allow him to fall asleep. Early in the morning, on the first day of Lent, the hero goes out to wander around the city. Walking along the sleepy and foggy streets, he thinks of Varenka, the melody of the mazurka, which he danced with his beloved, still sounds in his head. But near Varenka's house, on the field, the hero sees something that completely changed not only his mood, but his whole life. Ivan Vasilievich witnessed the punishment of the fugitive Tatar.
Many black people lined up in two rows. Between them, two soldiers were leading a bare-chested Tartar tied to their guns. Strong blows fell on the back of the fugitive from two sides. The Tatar was swaying from side to side, but the guns of the soldiers leading him did not allow him to fall. Colonel B., Varenka's father, supervised the punishment.
The torments of the Tartar were terrible. His back was reduced to one bloodied piece of meat. The fugitive begged for mercy: “At every blow, the punished, as if surprised, turned his face wrinkled with suffering in the direction from which the blow fell, and, baring his white teeth, repeated some of the same words. It was only when he was very close that I heard these words. He did not speak, but sobbed: “Brothers, have mercy. Brothers, have mercy."
But even during Great Lent, the most important for Christians, when all people must remember to love their neighbor, the "brothers" did not show mercy. They were not allowed to do this by their commander, Colonel B. He walked next to the Tatar and made sure that the soldiers carried out the order with due diligence: “Suddenly the colonel stopped and quickly approached one of the soldiers. “I will anoint you,” I heard his angry voice. - Will you smear? Will you? And I saw how with his strong hand in a suede glove he beat the face of a frightened short, weak soldier because he did not put his stick on the red back of the Tatar enough. Stumbling his eyes on the narrator, the colonel turned away sternly from him, pretending not to know Ivan Vasilyevich.
The first feeling that the hero experienced, in addition to horror, was shame. Shame for everyone: for myself, for the colonel, for the soldiers. Shame in general for a person who can do this to his fellows. Ivan Vasilyevich hastened to go home. All the way before his eyes there was a terrible picture of the punishment of the Tatar, terrible music sounded in his ears, which accompanied the whole execution.
This scene looks like some kind of mockery, a terrible farce after a wonderful evening spent by the hero at the ball. His emotions and feelings changed dramatically from delightfully beautiful to terrible: “Meanwhile, my heart was almost physical, reaching nausea, longing, such that I stopped several times, and it seemed to me that I was about to vomit with all that horror. who entered me from this spectacle."
But the hero was tormented not only by the picture he witnessed. He was haunted by the question of why the colonel had done this. After all, he could easily mitigate the punishment, not be so zealous in carrying out the order. And in general, probably, he could pardon the Tatar in honor of Lent. What does the colonel know that allows him to act so cruelly? No matter how the hero searched for an answer, nothing came to his mind. Only wine that day helped Ivan Vasilyevich fall asleep.
Interestingly, the hero did not blame anyone for what he saw. Crushed by authorities, by the idea that Colonel B. is Varenka's father, by the opinions of society, the narrator tried to find out what people know that gives them permission to mock their fellows. Without knowing it, Ivan Vasilyevich could not enter the service, because he could not allow himself to be forced to commit crimes, crimes against his soul.
And what about love for Varenka? She disappeared on her own. At the sight of this beauty, terrible pictures of the punishment of the Tatar arose in the head of the hero. Ivan Vasilyevich gradually began to move away from Varenka until their feeling disappeared.
So, from one morning, from one moment, the whole life of the hero, who could not sacrifice his moral views for the sake of his position in society, changed.
The story of the morning that changed a person's life Tolstoy pondered for fifty years. The story described in this story really took place in the life of the writer's brother, Sergei Nikolaevich Tolstoy. This prompted Lev Nikolaevich to create this work.
“After the Ball” is a recollection of the protagonist, no longer a young man, respected by all Ivan Vasilyevich. What is described on the pages inspires confidence in the reader, because "it is told very sincerely and truthfully." From this narrative emerges a great life experience of Ivan Vasilyevich.
In the past, he was a very handsome young man. But his life changed significantly after the ball at the chamberlain.
The composition "After the Ball" is built on such a literary device as contrast. It contributes to a deeper transmission of emotional impact. Lev Nikolaevich contrasted the events of the ball and the morning after it. Each of these episodes complements and highlights the other, thereby revealing a terrible reality. And reality, according to L.N. Tolstoy, was that the world is morally bad and, improving it, you need to start with yourself. Ivan Vasilyevich could not figure out whether the world was good or bad, and therefore he retired from an active life.
On that very morning, events took place that destroyed Ivan Vasilyevich's love and changed his whole life. The episode of the punishment of the soldier revealed to the main character all the horror of the reality surrounding him. Morning in the story "After the Ball" symbolizes the end of a life that has not had time to begin. Usually morning is the beginning of life, love, but L.N. Tolstoy changed this literary tradition. The consequences of the morning's events were decisive for the hero.
Descriptions of the author help us to understand and share the feelings of the hero. L.N. Tolstoy connects two, in fact, dissimilar parts of the work into a story using various literary means. They help develop the idea of the story. You can talk about the fog that gradually dissipates and shows everything in its true light. The colors described by the author at the ball are light, clear, clear: "She was in a white dress with a pink belt and white gloves." After the ball: dark, gloomy, harsh, blurred: "a lot of black people." “It was something so colorful, wet, red, unnatural ...” At the ball, everything seems wonderful to Ivan Vasilyevich: “The ball was wonderful: the hall is beautiful<...>The buffet is amazing...”
There are many repetitions in the text. In the second part: “The tall, stately figure of the colonel moved with the same firm step”, “Blows fell in the same way ...” In the first part: “the motive of the mazurka” “waltzed again and again”. Also noticeable is the repetition of direct speech in both parts: “Will you smear? Will you?"
“Persuade, that chere, father, to walk with you ...” It can be confidently said that these two episodes - the ball and after the ball - are opposed to each other. It was these events that influenced the feelings and behavior of the hero. He was confused, his thoughts were jumbled. Ivan Vasilyevich was ashamed of something, for some reason he felt confused and insecure.
faded away. It should be noted that this morning seriously became fateful for the hero.
I think the true reason that changed the life of Ivan Vasilievich lies in his conflict with the outside world. He could not figure out his feelings himself, but he realized that in order to make the world a better place, first of all, you need to start with yourself.
Sometimes it happens that one small episode can change the opinion of a person and the rest of his life. This happened in the story of L.N. Tolstoy “After the Ball”, where not very pleasant events showed the true face of a person whom everyone thought of as a noble, well-mannered man.
Ivan Vasilievich told about this, and the whole story is being conducted on his behalf. It was in his fate that the incident that happened to him played an important role. At that time, while still a young student, he had a lot of fun, since studying did not take much time, and what else can a young man do, besides being quite rich. He dreamed of joining the military later. Cheerful, handsome, he was a success with the ladies and attended balls and parties with pleasure. One ball he remembered to the smallest detail, he dramatically changed not only his outlook on life, but also her very life.
Going to that ball, the young man was especially careful, where he expected to meet his beloved young lady. Varenka was the best: graceful, tall, cheerful. Ivan Vasilyevich invited only her to all the dances. He was intoxicated with feelings, his heart was singing, his head was spinning with happiness. He also liked Varenka's dance with her father, a stately colonel in years.
After the end of the ball, having arrived at his home, the young man realized that he could not sleep. And he decided to take a walk and went to the house of his beloved. But here his joy and happiness disappeared somewhere. Near the house where his Varenka lived, he witnessed a terrible scene, the punishment of a fugitive Tatar. This poor fellow was chased through a hundred of soldiers armed with sticks, but the most disgusting thing was that Varya's father was walking nearby and commanding this outrage. Seeing the young man, he hastily turned away and made a pitchfork that he did not know him.
Here on the street was real life. Now Ivan Vasilyevich looked with completely different eyes at life and at people, and at himself. It often happens that a person is alone in one place, and completely changes in another.
Before judging a person, you should get to know him better and look at him in different situations.
Morning that changed life After the ball composition (Tolstoy)
The story of L.N. Tolstoy “After the Ball” reveals a case from the life of a young man who completely changed the worldview of the hero.
The protagonist of the story is a young man, a university student, Ivan Vasilyevich. Studying was easy for him and did not take much time. He was a cheerful, cheerful person. He spent his free time with joy at balls and parties, where he was given entertainment and fun. One of these balls left such a strong mark on the soul of Ivan Vasilievich that the hero completely revised his perception and attitude to life. On this day, Ivan Vasilievich was going very diligently for the party: this ball was to be attended by Varenka, the hero's favorite. The girl was tall, slender and stately, a smile always adorned her features. At the ball they danced a lot, waltzes were replaced by mazurkas, and Ivan Vasilyevich was truly happy, his head was turned by a feeling of love. But most of all that evening he was impressed by Varenka's dance with her father, a handsome, slender old man who bore the rank of colonel.
After the ball, the hero was so overwhelmed with a sense of happiness that he could not sleep for a long time. So he decided to take a walk through the streets of the sleeping city. His legs involuntarily led him to where Varenka lived. But it was here that Ivan Vasilyevich's happy dreams were destined to dissipate, to melt away. Before his eyes appeared a terrible picture of the massacre of a fugitive Tatar, who was led through a line of soldiers equipped with sticks. The Tartar's back was unnaturally red, and blood flowed down it in streams. The hero could not believe that she was part of a human body. Varenka's father commanded this punishment. He walked alongside the runaway soldier and made sure that the others were following his orders. One of the soldiers, as it seemed to the colonel, did not hit the Tatar hard enough. Then he rushed in his direction and with a cry began to strike the soldier in the face. The terrible scene of punishment plunged the hero into deep thought: how can an old military man, who danced so cheerfully with his daughter at the ball, be so cruel and merciless? Seeing Ivan Vasilyevich, the colonel turned away, pretending not to know him.
After this incident, the hero completely revised his views on life. He stopped wanting to be a military man, stopped attending balls: the hero realized that behind a cheerful life at secular evenings, a sadder cruel reality is hidden. Love for Varenka gradually faded away: it reminded him of that picture of inhuman punishment that he saw on the morning after the ball that changed his life.
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The story of Leo Tolstoy "After the Ball" was written based on the story that actually took place with his brother of the writer. Before us, events unfold as presented by Ivan Vasilyevich, a young nobleman who spent the evening the day before in the company of the young beauty Varenka at a ball in the house of the provincial marshal of the nobility. The merry night flew by unnoticed, and the young man met the morning of the next day, twisted in the clouds. The whole world seemed to him spiritualized and beautiful, because a real spring blossomed in his soul.
But in fact, March reigned in the yard. Only two hours Ivan was able to sit at home, and with the first rays of the sun on the wings of love he hurried to the house of his beloved, hoping to see her again. But he did not reach the desired gate. In the field next to which stood Varenka's house, he saw people in uniform, and immediately realized that something important was happening there. The drums were beating, the faces of the people were fierce, and the execution itself that was taking place made the young man freeze in horror and examine everything in detail.
(Colonel Pyotr Anisimovich, Varenka's father, severely punishes a fugitive Tatar soldier in the service)
On this spring morning, a young soldier, a Tatar by nationality, was punished. According to the then order, for an attempted desertion, he had to be led through the ranks of his colleagues, and each of them was obliged to strike with all his might with a stick on the back of the offender. This sight in itself was terrible, but only Ivan's eyes were attracted by something else. Namely, Varenka's father, Colonel B.
An officer in full dress uniform supervised the punishment, but not only was present, but participated! Literally a few hours ago at the ball, everyone admired his aristocratic manners and courteous manners, and now the contrast with what he saw was so striking that the young man, who witnessed the ugly scene, did not even immediately believe his eyes. The well-groomed colonel, without taking off his snow-white gloves, beat a soldier who was guilty of not hitting the punished Tatar as hard as he should have.
Was what was happening legal? Yes it was. All within the framework of the laws in force at that time. But this is precisely what causes anger and protest in Ivan's heart. He considers such punishments to be inhuman and give rise only to evil, but not to humility. His disgust before what he saw is so great that he literally struggles with nausea and cannot believe that a person he knows, perhaps even a future relative, turned out to be so low spiritually. Everything suggests that the colonel is a real sadist, because he personally makes sure that the gauntlets are fresh, and beats the soldier with pleasure.
This morning really changed the life of Ivan Vasilyevich. He abandoned thoughts of military service, and until recently, such a beloved girl ceased to seem so beautiful. The mere thought of future meetings with the colonel filled him with horror and disgust. And so the young man became not a military man, but a writer. Who knows how his fate would have been if he had not gone for a walk that March morning, but simply went to bed ...
The events described by L. N. Tolstoy in his story “After the Ball” are not invented. They took place in Russia in 1853, and fifty years later the writer put them at the basis of his work. From the very beginning, it seems that this story is about love, but it is not.
The story is told in the first person. The protagonist of the story is Ivan Vasilyevich. In his youth, he was a very cheerful and lively fellow, and even rich. He loved to ride horses with the young ladies, sometimes he reveled with his comrades, but his main pleasure was evenings and balls.
At one of the balls, he met the daughter of Colonel Varenka and fell in love with her. She was a tall, slender girl, dressed in a white dress with a pink belt, she had a beautiful face and gentle blue eyes. Ivan Vasilievich did not drink at all that evening, he was drunk with love for Varya. He did not even ask the girl if she loved him, the main thing was that he was in love with her. He danced almost all the dances with Varya, and did not feel his body at all when he waltzed.
Time flew inexorably, the ball was drawing to a close. And then Varenka's father arrived. It was a military leader of the type of an old campaigner of the Nikolaev bearing. The author describes him as a man of excellent physique, with a broad chest, strong shoulders and long, slender legs. Everyone around persuaded the colonel to go dancing with his daughter, and finally the guests got their way. The colonel took out his sword from his belt, pulled on a suede glove on his right hand, “everything is necessary according to the law,” he said smiling, taking his daughter’s hand and standing, waiting for the beat. After waiting for the beginning of the mazurka, father and daughter moved around the hall. Ivan Vasilyevich not only admired at this moment, but followed with tenderness every movement of the couple. He liked the colonel, he felt for him some kind of tenderly enthusiastic feeling. Varenka's father seemed to the narrator a kind and amiable man.
Arriving home, Ivan Vasilyevich could not fall asleep. Without closing his eyes, he saw his beloved in front of him either at the moment when she chose the gentlemen, then when she sipped a glass of champagne at dinner. But most of all he saw Varenka paired with her father when she swam in the dance.
The young man was too happy and saw everything in pink. After spending two hours at home in insomnia, he decided to take a walk. It was the most carnival weather outside: fog saturated with water, snow was melting on the roads, and dripping from all the roofs. At that moment, everything was especially sweet and significant to Ivan Vasilyevich. And suddenly he saw something big, black, and heard the sounds of a flute and a drum coming from there. Everything sang in his soul and occasionally heard the tune of the mazurka. But it was some other, cruel, bad music.
Ivan Vasilyevich thought that the soldiers were being taught, but then they told him that this Tatar was being punished for escaping. Next to the offender was a tall military man, whose figure seemed familiar to the young man. It was Varenka's father. The Tatar was beaten very hard with sticks, and he kept repeating some of the same words. This man did not speak, but sobbed: “Brothers, have mercy. Brothers, have mercy." But the soldiers continued to beat him, hitting him hard on the back with sticks. Coming closer, Ivan Vasilyevich caught a glimpse of the back of the punished. It was something so mottled, wet, red, unnatural that he couldn't believe it was a human body.
Suddenly the colonel stopped and rushed to one of the soldiers. “I will help you. Will you smear? Will you?” Ivan Vasilyevich heard his angry voice. And the young man saw how the colonel with his strong hand hit the frightened soldier in the face because he did not hit the Tatar hard. Ivan Vasilyevich was so ashamed that he lowered his eyes and hurried to go home. All the way, a drum was beating in his ears and a flute was whistling, and also the words were heard: “Brothers, have mercy”; then the colonel's angry voice: “Are you going to smear? Will you?”
After this incident, the life of Ivan Vasilyevich changed a lot. He could not enter the military service, as he had previously wanted, and not only did he not become a military man, but he did not serve anywhere at all. And the love for Vara from that day began to wane and eventually came to naught.
“So why didn’t the main character enter the
service?” - you ask. I think because he did not want to serve cruel, inhuman laws. He developed a sense of responsibility for his neighbor, love for him.
Tolstoy shows us a man whose conscience has woken up, and only such people, according to the writer, can become advanced, the best representatives of their era.
The story “After the Ball” L.N. Tolstoy wrote at the end of his life, in 1903. The work was based on a real case that happened to the brother of Lev Nikolaevich Sergey Nikolaevich.
The story is told on behalf of Ivan Vasilievich, a respected person. Ivan Vasilyevich talks about his youth and his first true love for Varenka B., the daughter of a colonel.
The morning, which radically changed the life of the then student Ivan Vasilyevich, was the most ordinary - March. Ivan Vasilyevich left the house very early, as soon as it began to get light.
Two hours ago, he was still at the ball at the provincial marshal of the nobility. There he danced almost all the time with his beloved girl Varenka. Time flew by imperceptibly. He was not only cheerful and contented, he was happy, blissful, he was kind, he was not him, but some kind of being who knows no evil and is capable of nothing but good.
And therefore, having come home, Ivan Vasilyevich could not fall asleep. He went out into the street and went to Varenka's house. But at the end of the field where her house was, he saw something big and black and heard the ominous sounds of a flute and a drum.
"What it is?" thought Ivan Vasilyevich.
After walking a little more, he began to distinguish a lot of black people. “Probably the soldiers for training,” he decided. But after a few minutes, I realized my mistake.
It was not a lesson, but a cruel punishment with gauntlets - an execution. Here they punished a young Tatar soldier who tried to escape from the unbearable soldier's service. The bound Tatar was led by two soldiers, and all those standing in the ranks took turns beating their bare back with sticks with all their might. Behind the Tatar was an officer.
And suddenly, to his surprise, Ivan Vasilyevich recognized in this officer a colonel with a white mustache, Varenka's father. Now this colonel, whose aristocratic manners were admired by everyone at the ball, beat one of the soldiers with his strong hand in a white suede glove. Why did he beat the soldier? For the fact that the young short soldier did not hit hard enough, according to the colonel, with a stick on the mangled back of the Tatar.
The terrible, savage reprisal shocked Ivan Vasilyevich so much that his joyful feeling was replaced by disgust. It seemed to him that he was about to vomit with all the horror that entered him from this whole spectacle.
But perhaps the colonel was not cruel at all? Indeed, in Nikolaev times, this punishment was legalized. Maybe he was just doing his duty?
No! And again no! The Colonel was a very cruel man. Otherwise, he might not have taken fresh gauntlets for punishment, he might not have watched so vigilantly for the soldiers to beat the Tatar with all their might. He might not have hit the young soldier for a weak blow.
And not only Colonel B. was so inhuman to the soldiers. In his memoirs of a meeting with a 95-year-old soldier, Tolstoy writes about how cruelly the soldiers were treated in the Nikolaev army. The soldiers nicknamed Nicholas I - Nikolai Palkin.
An old soldier told Lev Nikolaevich that under Tsar Alexander I, out of 100 people, 20 were beaten to death. Nicholas was good then, if Alexander was considered merciful compared to him!
And what happened to Ivan Vasilyevich next? did he still want to link his fate with the army? No! After the incident that had hit him so hard that March morning, he could no longer think about serving in the army. Yes, and his ardent love for Varenka gradually faded away, because he could not go to a house whose owner was such a person. And now it was already unpleasant for him to meet Varenka.
But Ivan Vasilievich did not disappear without an army, he became a writer, a respected person by all. Thanks to his work, many have become real people.