The story "Biryuk", which we will analyze, begins with a description of a thunderstorm that caught the hunter in the evening in the forest. Details specifying the place and time of the action create an unsettling atmosphere. So far, it's barely felt. But the gloomy colors (“purple cloud”, “gray clouds”) and the movement that began in nature (“a thunderstorm was approaching”, “the trees raged”, “drops ... rattled”, “lightning flashed”) strengthen it.
A person appears "at the flash of lightning." His "figure seemed to have grown out of the earth." And this is not just a common expression - it speaks of the fusion of a given person with nature.
With the appearance of a person, anxiety does not go away. Moreover, it is also fed, but not by nature, but by man himself. We perceive people, events and nature through the eyes of a hunter-storyteller, that is, from a distance.
The image of Biryuk in the story
The hunter from the work "Biryuk" by Turgenev saw both the forester himself and his house. This is a "small hut" in which "a light shone dimly." In the "smoky" hut there was not a single bright spot - a "torn sheepskin coat", a "pile of rags" and a torch that could not dispel the darkness. It seems that only traces of a past life remain here, and she herself has gone somewhere. Even the presence of children does not remove this feeling.
The appearance of the owner in the hut for some time brightens the atmosphere. The narrator saw a man of "tall stature", who had "mighty muscles", "a courageous face", "small brown eyes looked boldly". A completely recognizable image. Where is he from? In Turgenev's story "Biryuk" there is a hint: "I have rarely seen such a fine fellow." "Well done" is an epic-fairy-tale hero. But then why is he here, in this miserable hut with unfortunate children? A clear discrepancy between the appearance of the hero and the way of his life. It caused the narrator not only surprise, but also interest: "I ... asked his name."
Information about the forester we learn gradually. First people talk about it. Their opinion is known from the forester himself: "My name is Foma ... and nicknamed Biryuk." The narrator also heard something about Biryuk from people. He was "feared like fire", considered incorruptible and more than once "were going to die from the world."
Is this characterization of Biryuk fair? The narrator will have to check it. And what? From a mean conversation, he realized that he saw a right person, honestly fulfilling his duty. “I am doing my job,” Biryuk says about himself. He is also lonely - his wife "ran away with a passer-by tradesman", leaving children to him. In the characterization of the hero, his loneliness is a very significant component. Lonely means deprived of the support of relatives and friends and, most likely, an unhappy person. An ordinary story, but Biryuk himself is not quite ordinary, which will soon be confirmed.
Biryuk and the man
Late in the evening a thief appeared in the forest. The direct duty of the forester is to catch him, which he does.
The man is wet, "in rags", he has "a drunken, wrinkled face ... restless eyes." His portrait is straight - the opposite of the portrait of Biryuk. The forester causes admiration, they want to admire, and the peasant - only pity.
In the images of Biryuk and the peasant, not only physical strength and weakness collided, but also two opposite life positions. Biryuk "does his duty", honors the law, and the peasant, stealing, violates the law. And that's not all - he also justifies his actions - "hungry", "ruined", "children ..." Both the clerk and Biryuk, who is a "beast", "bloodsucker" are to blame for him. Only he himself is not to blame for anything. And what he drinks is like this - “is it not on your money, murderer ...”
Biryuk’s situation is no better: he is “also a bonded man,” he also has children, and there is nothing to eat “apart from bread ...”, he doesn’t even drink tea, but he doesn’t steal either.
So, the conflict revealed the inner essence of the two men. Being socially equal, they are morally absolute antipodes. Therefore, one should not count on the objectivity of the assessment that Biryuk received from the fellow villagers of the thief.
The situation unfolds unexpectedly - Biryuk, contrary to his own convictions and professional duty, releases the thief, once again confirming the ambiguity of his personality. But is the conflict settled by his decision to let the thief go? Of course not. This guy isn't the only one breaking the law. “I know you ... a thief on a thief,” says Biryuk. Therefore, his collisions with them are inevitable: “We’ll get to you, wait a minute,” the thief threatens.
Bad weather of human relations
The whole story takes place against the backdrop of rain. It begins with it - even with a thunderstorm, and ends with it. “Rain, you can’t wait it out ...,” Biryuk says to the hunter and escorts him on the road.
The rain, now intensifying, now subsiding, creates in the story a mood of some kind of inexplicable sadness that pervades the whole story of Biryuk. But the words "rain", "thunderstorm" are used in the story not only in a literal sense, but also in a symbolic sense. Continuous rain is a bad weather in human relations. The sun has gone out of them for a long time, if not forever.
The story is named after the protagonist. It accurately indicates his character and place among people. But it turns out that Biryuk has no place. He is alone everywhere. "Their" men call him a "beast" and promise to deal with him. At the master he is "bonded". The loneliness of Biryuk is emphasized by the details: his hut is alone in the middle of the forest, and in the hut he is alone (without his wife) with children. The drama of Biryuk is that, being strong and handsome, courageous and honest, being correct, he would have to live well, as he deserves, but he lives badly. And there is no light in his life.
The main features of the story "Biryuk":
- genre - story;
- narration on behalf of the narrator;
- main character: a forester;
- plot: one episode from the life of the hero;
- image of nature;
- reflection of the life of a Russian forced man.
Simply, poetically and with love, Russia is shown in I. S. Turgenev's Notes of a Hunter. The author admires the simple folk characters, fields, forests, meadows of Russia. No matter how one treats stories, this is primarily poetry, not politics. With great love and observation, the shortest story in the Biryuk cycle was written. The depth of content is combined with the perfection of form, which speaks of the writer's ability to subordinate all components of the work, all his artistic techniques to a single creative task.
Biryuk in the Oryol province was called a gloomy and lonely person. The forester Foma lived alone in a smoky and low hut with two young children, his wife left him, family grief and a hard life made him even more gloomy and unsociable.
The main and only event of the story is the capture by the forester of a poor peasant who cut down a tree in the manor's forest. The conflict of the work consists in the collision of the forester with the peasant.
The image of Biryuk is complex and contradictory, and in order to understand it, let's pay attention to the artistic means used by the author.
The description of the situation speaks of how poor the hero is. This dwelling was a sad sight: “I looked around - my heart ached in me: it’s not fun to enter a peasant’s hut at night.”
The psychological portrait of the forester testifies to the exceptional strength of Biryuk, it becomes clear why all the surrounding peasants were afraid of him. “He was tall, broad-shouldered and well-built. ... A black curly beard half covered his stern and courageous face; small brown eyes peered boldly from under wide unibrows. In appearance, this man is rude and formidable, but in fact he is good and kind. And the narrator clearly admires his hero.
The key to understanding the character of Thomas is the nickname given to him by the peasants. From them we get an indirect description of the forester: "a master of his craft"; “knitted brushwood will not be dragged away”; “strong... and dexterous as a demon... And nothing can take him: neither wine, nor money; does not take any bait."
The plot, consisting of two episodes (the forester met the hunter during a thunderstorm and helped him; he also caught the peasant at the scene of the crime, and then set him free), reveals the best features of the character of the hero. It is difficult for Foma to make a choice: to act at the behest of duty or to take pity on the peasant. The despair of the captured peasant awakens the best feelings in the forester.
Nature in the story is not just a background, it is an integral part of the content, helping to reveal the character of Biryuk. Combinations of words depicting the rapid onset of bad weather, dull pictures of nature emphasize the drama of the situation of the peasants: “a thunderstorm was approaching”, “a cloud was slowly rising”, “clouds were rushing”.
Turgenev helped not only to see the life of the peasants, to sympathize with their troubles and needs, he turned us to the spiritual world of the Russian peasant, noticed many unique, interesting individuals. “After all, my Russia is dearer to me than anything in the world ...,” I. S. Turgenev would write later. "Notes of a Hunter" is a tribute to the writer of Russia, a kind of monument to the Russian peasantry.
Characteristics of the hero
Biryuk is a whole person, but tragic. His tragedy lies in the fact that he has his own views on life, but sometimes he has to give them up. The work shows that most peasants of the middle of the 19th century treated theft as something ordinary: “Knitted brushwood will not be dragged out of the forest,” the peasant said, as if he had every right to steal brushwood from the forest. Of course, some social problems played a major role in the formation of such a worldview: the insecurity of the peasants, lack of education and immorality. Biryuk is not like them. He himself lives in deep poverty: “Biryuk’s hut consisted of one room, smoky, low and empty, without shelves and partitions,” but he does not steal (if he stole the forest, he could afford a white hut) and tries to wean him from this others: "But you still don't go to steal." He is clearly aware that if everyone steals, it will only get worse. Confident in his rightness, he firmly strides towards his own goal.
However, his confidence is sometimes undermined. For example, in the case described in the essay, when human feelings of pity and compassion compete in it with life principles. After all, if a person really needs and he has no other way, he often goes to theft out of hopelessness. Foma Kuzmich (the forester) had the hardest lot of fluctuating between feelings and principles all his life.
The essay "Biryuk" has many artistic merit. These are picturesque pictures of nature, and an inimitable style of narration, and the originality of heroes, and much, much more. Ivan Sergeevich's contribution to Russian literature is invaluable. His collection "Notes of a Hunter" is among the masterpieces of Russian literature. And the problems raised in the work are relevant to this day.
Writers of the previous era rarely wrote about the peasants, and if they did, they portrayed them as a common gray mass. Despite this, Turgenev undertook to note the features of peasant life, thanks to which the collection “Notes of a Hunter” presented a vivid and multifaceted composition of the life of peasants. The stories immediately attracted readers and allowed them to win special fame.
Features of the stories "Notes of a hunter"
Each story features one main character, whose name is Peter Petrovich. He is a nobleman from the village of Spassky and is actively engaged in hunting and hiking. Ivan Turgenev tells about various stories that happened during hunting trips. The protagonist acquired such valuable character traits as observation and attention, thanks to which the narrator better understands various life situations and successfully conveys them to the reader.
"Biryuk" is a story included in the collection "Notes of a Hunter". The work was written in 1848 and corresponds to the general literary composition. The main character again finds himself in an interesting story, about which he narrates in the form of a monologue.
The plot of the story "Biryuk"
One evening, Pyotr Petrovich was returning from a hunt and got caught in a downpour. Further trip was impossible: bad weather had to wait out. Fortunately, Peter saw the forester, who invited the master to his house. An important conversation took place in Biryuk's hut. As it turned out, the forester was nicknamed Biryuk because he has a gloomy and unsociable character. Despite such harsh character traits, Biryuk decided to tell many interesting facts about his life.
After the downpour ended, the hospitable owner of the forest hut heard the sound of an ax and decided to catch the intruder. Petr Petrovich supported the idea, so the two of them went in search of the intruder. The thief turned out to be a beggar man, dressed in rags and with a disheveled beard. Most likely, the violation was due to a difficult life situation. Pyotr Petrovich took pity on the beggar and asked Biryuk for an important favor, or rather, to let the poor peasant go. However, the forester did not agree and led the peasant into his hut. The violator was released only after repeated requests for mercy from the master.
Biryuk as a person
Biryuk is an interesting and whole person, but, unfortunately, tragic. The main tragedy lies in the presence of special views on life, which sometimes have to be sacrificed. The story noted that many peasants in the middle of the 19th century considered stealing a common thing. This was precisely the main tragedy of Biryuk.
It is important to note that the outlook of the peasants was explained by serious social problems:
Insecurity of the peasant people;
Lack of good education;
Immorality of behavior due to insufficient education.
The forester Biryuk was different from ordinary peasants. He is ready to live as a beggar even if such a situation turns out to be difficult. Any life circumstances could not induce to theft.
It is important to note that Biryuk's impoverished position was confirmed by the description of his house in the forest:
One room;
Smoky;
Low and empty hut;
Lack of decks and partitions.
One can understand how difficult Biryuk's life is. It can be assumed that if the poor would sacrifice his principles, he, being in the forest lands, could build a beautiful hut for himself.
Biryuk understands that if every peasant steals, the general situation will only worsen. The forester is confident that he is right, so it is difficult for him to deviate from the existing principles. Despite such character traits and the desire to walk firmly through life, sometimes you have to face trials. The situation described in the story clearly demonstrates the struggle of a feeling of pity and compassion with clear principles, a desire to improve the world. The essay shows how difficult it is to vacillate between feelings and existing principles, not knowing what to choose.
"Biryuk" is a fascinating story that reveals the characters of each participant in the story. Ivan Turgenev understood the peculiarities of peasant life in the 19th century, therefore he successfully reflected them in his works. The logic of life is a worthy foundation, without which it is impossible to change the realities.
"Biryuk" is a story that reflected the unfair situation of many serfs. Each reader has the right to independently place accents on the feelings that arise when comparing heroes from the same peasant environment, but differing in life principles and traits of their characters.
The plot of the story is based on a direct conflict between the forester Biryuk, who is considered lonely and gloomy, and a poor peasant. Biryuk honestly fulfills his duties and tries to protect the forest. The peasant got into a difficult life situation, so he steals firewood. The hunter-master, Pyotr Petrovich, stopped in a forest hut due to a sudden downpour, so he becomes an accidental witness to a conflict situation. He sees how, during bad weather, Biryuk decides to go into the forest and tries to catch the unfortunate thief.
Biryuk lives in poverty and raises children by himself. His wife went to a passing tradesman, leaving her family behind. Despite such life circumstances, theft still remains the last thing, so Biryuk tries to identify violators and punish them ... But you need to understand how fair such behavior is. Growing children are starving and eating bad bread... Biryuk shows distrust and sullenness, speaks little and behaves insincerely. Biryuk, of course, invites the hunter to his place and is ready to take him home, but still shows a merciless judicial attitude towards the beggar.
Biryuk is ready to justify his actions with the following moment: he is a forced laborer, so he can be charged ... At the same time, during the plaintive explanations of the poor peasant, the forester is silent. Such moments reflect a serious internal struggle. The forester wants to justify the unfortunate thief, realizing that in bad weather he steals wood from the master to fire the stove and cook food for a hungry family, but still leaves the offender locked up. The attitude changes only after the unfortunate man at the very end of the story calls Biryuk a "beast", "a cursed murderer." The violator is ready to accept any punishment, because even death does not frighten him. However, accusing the forester of inhumanity immediately leads to another effect, because Biryuk lets him go. Unexpectedly, a serious internal conflict was resolved:
Cruelty and duty of service;
Clear life principles;
Sincere sympathy and understanding of the misfortune of an outsider.
At the same time, the master, Pyotr Petrovich, contributed to the successful solution of the current situation, as he immediately imbued with the explanations of the unfortunate thief. The situation is better revealed thanks to the detailed descriptions of the landscape. Throughout the story, a thunderstorm rages, personifying Biryuk's state of mind. In addition, many serfs consider the forester to be a manifestation of a thunderstorm. But still, Biryuk is freed from a sense of duty, as he performs a human act and goes towards an unfortunate person. According to the law that was in force at that sinister time, the forester. who did not catch the thief had to repay the entire cost of illegally felled trees. If this could not be done, there was a risk of a lawsuit with a further exile to Siberia, but the fear of punishment loses ... Biryuk still releases the thief and gives him his horse.
The meaning of the story "Biryuk"
Biryuk is a special hero in the story of Ivan Turgenev, because he has unique life principles and is sometimes ready to give them up. Mental struggle allows you to understand how difficult it is sometimes to make the right decision. A detailed description of bad weather and thunderstorms contributes to a better understanding of the life principles and feelings, emotions of the forester. It is important to understand that a person who is in need and cannot find the right path is forced to venture into hopelessness. The wavering between feelings and principles is the best reflection of humanity.
The story has numerous artistic merits, which are confirmed by critics:
Real and picturesque descriptions of nature;
Special style of narration;
Unusual heroes.
"Biryuk" is a worthy representative of the legendary collection "Notes of a Hunter", which made it possible to strengthen the position of Ivan Turgenev in Russian literature.
The main character of the work, included in the collection of short stories "Notes of a Hunter", is the serf forester Foma Kuzmich, popularly nicknamed Biryuk.
The writer presents Biryuk in the image of a tall, broad-shouldered man with a thick beard, lush eyebrows and small brown eyes, reminiscent of a Russian fairy-tale hero who lives in a poor forest lodge with two children left to be raised with his father by an unlucky mother.
By nature, Foma Kuzmich is distinguished by strength, honesty, dexterity, severity, justice, but he has a tough and unsociable character, for which he received the nickname of the biryuk among the locals.
Biryuk sacredly observes his own principles of good and evil, which are subject to a clear service to official duties, careful attitude to other people's property, although in his own family he has complete poverty, lack of elementary home furniture and utensils, poor food and children left without maternal affection and care .
Indicative of this is the example of a peasant caught by Biryuk in the forest, who decided on a stormy night to cut firewood without proper permission in order to feed his large family. The forester's sense of duty prevails, he is very tough on theft, not allowing himself to commit unseemly acts even out of hopelessness, but at the same time, compassion, pity and generosity for a poor, wretched little man who decided on a bad deed because of hungry children wins in the soul of Biryuk, the need to properly carry out official duties.
Narrating the episode that happened on a rainy night with Biryuk, the writer reveals the character of Foma Kuzmich as a whole and strong nature, adhering to firm principles in life, but forced to deviate from them in order to manifest true human qualities.
The entire cycle of stories "Notes of a Hunter", including the work in question, is devoted by the writer to describing the difficult life of Russian serfs, each of which is a strong, powerful characteristic image that carries the manifestation of true human qualities, such as love, patriotism, justice, mutual assistance, kindness and sincerity.
Composition about Biryuk
Turgenev is one of those poets for whom love for Russia is almost in the first place. This can be seen in the path of all his work. Very prominent among the works of Turgenev is the work "Biryuk". This work was not a manifestation of love for the native land and not political issues, but exclusively moral values.
The main character is Biryuk, he is also a forester. Turgenev in the story tries to show that his life is not sweet and there are enough problems for his soul. The main character broke up with his wife, or rather, she left him, and two children remained to live with their father. If you imagine Biryuk, then one gets the impression of a person eternally sad, gloomy. But how can you rejoice when family life is over. In addition, the place of residence was an old hut. When the author describes the state of the dwelling, it becomes gloomy, poverty is all around. Even when a guest came to him at night, he didn’t particularly want to be in such a terrible hut.
The people who met Thomas were afraid of him, and this is understandable. He is a tall and strong man, his face is stern, even angry. A beard grew on his face. But, as you know, external signs are only the first impression of a person, because, in fact, he is a kind and sympathetic person. Fellow villagers said about Biryuk that he was an honest man and did not like deceit. He was an incorruptible forester, he did not need benefits, he just went about his business and lived honestly.
Once Thomas caught a thief at night and the question arose before him, what to do with him? The first thing that was on the mind of the forester was the punishment for the thief. Biryuk took the ropes and tied the criminal, then led him into the hut. The thief was a little dumbfounded by the living conditions of the forester. But you can't deceive your heart and soul. Although Thomas looked stern, kindness won out in this situation. The forester decides that the criminal needs to be released, although doubts about this do not let him go. It was difficult for Biryuk to understand that theft is not such a terrible crime. In his mind, every crime must be punished.
Turgenev throughout the story tries to present Foma as a simple peasant from Russia. He is honest and just lives and does what he is supposed to do. He is not looking for illegal ways to earn money. Turgenev describes Foma in such a way that you really understand that life can throw trouble. He is burdened by his existence in poverty and not joy. Nevertheless, the hero accepts what is and continues to live proudly and fight with problems.
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