"The Gadfly" (E. L. Voinich) was a very famous work in the USSR. Khrushchev even issued a special prize to the author for reprinting the book multiple times. What attracts readers? For those who have not read "The Gadfly", a summary in parts will help to get an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe work.

The history of the novel in Russia and the USSR

The Gadfly (E. L. Voinich) was first published in the USA in 1897. The translation in Russia was published a little later - in 1898 as an appendix to the magazine, and 2 years later - as a separate book. The work was distributed by famous revolutionary figures, many people in the USSR said that the novel "The Gadfly" is their favorite work. In the Union, 3 film adaptations of the novel were filmed, a ballet and a rock musical based on the work were staged.

"Gadfly". Summary of the novel

The protagonist of the book is Arthur Burton, he is a student and member of the Young Italy secret organization. His secret is revealed by the confessor, and the young man is arrested, and with him his comrade. The organization considers Burton a traitor. It seems to Arthur that everyone has turned away from him, to top it all off, he quarrels with his girlfriend, and from a scandal with relatives he learns that his father is the rector of the Montanelli seminary. The young man fakes suicide and leaves for Buenos Aires.

After 13 years, Arthur returns to Italy and calls himself Rivares. He writes satirical pamphlets under the pseudonym "Gadfly". As a result of an armed clash, Burton ends up in prison, after the trial he is sentenced to death. Montanelli offers help in escaping, but Arthur does not agree and sets a condition: the cardinal must renounce his dignity and religion. As a result, the Gadfly is shot, and the priest dies after the sermon.

Arthur Burton is 19 years old, his mother died a year ago, and now he lives in Pisa with his brothers. The young man spends a lot of time with his mentor - the rector of the seminary and his confessor Lorenzo Montanelli. At one of the confessions, the young man confides his secret: he became a member of the Young Italy revolutionary group. Arthur wants to fight for the freedom of his native country. The mentor, anticipating trouble, opposes this venture, but he fails to dissuade Burton. In addition, Gemma Warren, with whom the young man is in love, is also a member of the organization.

After some time, Montanelli leaves for Rome, because he is offered a bishopric there. Instead of Lorenzo, a new rector is appointed. At confession, Arthur tells that he is jealous of Gemma for Bolle, a fellow party member. Soon the young man is taken to the police, but during interrogations he does not confess to anything and does not name the names of his comrades. Despite this, Bolla is also arrested, in "Young Italy" they think that it was Arthur who betrayed him.

Burton guesses that the priest has violated the secrecy of confession. Subsequently, he quarrels with Gemma, unable to explain himself. At home, during the scandal, the brother's wife tells Arthur that his real father is Montanelli. Then the young man decides to stage suicide, he writes and throws his hat into the river. He himself goes to Buenos Aires.

Part two

The action of the novel "The Gadfly", a summary of which is considered, continues after 13 years.

In Florence, the Gadfly meets Gemma Warren, now Ball's widow. She thinks that Rivares is Arthur Burton. At the same time, Montanelli, who became a cardinal, is in Florence.

Rivares falls ill, party members take care of him. He does not let Zita near him. During one of Gemma's shifts, she manages to talk to the Gadfly, who talks about the many difficulties of his life. She also shares her sorrows and says that a loved one died because of her. To test her guess, Gemma shows Rivarez a locket with Arthur's photo. But the Gadfly does not show that he is Burton. Rivares speaks very contemptuously about the boy in the photo.

After recovery, the Gadfly returns to revolutionary activities. Once he meets with Montanelli, during the conversation he wanted to open up to him, but did not dare.

Zita, offended, leaves with the camp and is going to marry a gypsy.

Part three

"The Gadfly", a summary of which is given here, ends tragically.

It turns out that a weapons supplier has been detained, the Gadfly is going to help him. In one of the shootouts, he is arrested and placed in jail. A priest comes to the prisoner - Montanelli. However, the Gadfly insults him.

Friends help organize an escape, but it fails. The gadfly is again shackled in chains. He asks Montanelli to visit him. The priest arrives and Rivares confesses that Arthur is him. The Cardinal realizes that his son is alive and offers to help. But the Gadfly agrees only on the condition that Montanelli renounces dignity and religion in general, which he cannot do.

The cardinal agrees to a military court, Arthur is shot.

At the sermon, the cardinal imagines that there is blood everywhere.

Gemma receives a posthumous letter from Rivares, where he reveals that he is Arthur. A woman laments that she has lost her beloved again.

Montanelli dies of a heart attack.

Voynich E.L., Gadfly.
Burton Arthur - a student of Anglo-Italian origin, a member of the Italian national liberation movement "Young Italy". Betrayed by a confessor who violated the secrecy of confession, he turns out to be the unwitting culprit in the arrest of his colleague in business and at the same time a rival in love. Having lost the love of the girl Gemma, who considers him a traitor, having become disillusioned with religion, and to top it all off, having learned that his real father is the elder friend and patron of the canon (later Cardinal) Montanelli, A., having faked his death, goes to South America. Returning 13 years later to Italy as a stern and outwardly disfigured Rivares, a revolutionary and pamphleteer, writing his anti-church articles under the pseudonym "Gadfly", he eventually ends up in prison after an armed incident. He agrees to accept help in escaping from the cardinal, who recognized him as his son, only at the cost of the latter's renunciation of dignity and religion, which he is unable to do. The gadfly is shot, and Montanelli dies after a passionate and half-mad sermon, in which, depicting the suffering of God the Father, who gave Christ to be crucified, he mourns himself and his own son. The hero V. repeats the path of many young people from the novels of the 19th century, who disappeared from life after a tragic incident, seemingly forever, but returned unrecognized and under a different name in order to restore justice and pay tribute to the enemies. The most striking example of this kind is Edmond Dantes - Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo. But similar characters can be found in Dickens. Characterized by a spectacular contrast of the image of the hero in the past and during his second appearance (often, as in Dickens, the identity of both is revealed only at the end). A. at the beginning of the novel is an exalted romantic youth, immersed in the elements of Catholicism and experiencing a crisis of faith, the Gadfly of his main part is also a romantic hero, but already a disappointed lonely cynic and atheist, who has only one of his revolutionary deeds left in his life and is cherished in depth soul old love. The "disillusioned" motif, very characteristic of the nineteenth-century "young man's story," is also present here. Gadfly A. made primarily disappointment in the values ​​of religion. The worldview revolution in Voynich's novel is based on specific private facts concerning specific ministers of the church, one of whom violated the secrecy of confession, and the other - the vow of celibacy. The last of these facts is associated with a characteristic melodramatic device rooted in folklore - the disclosure of the secret of kinship, which occurs twice: in the first part, A. , in the third part of his son, A. recognizes Montanelli in the Gadfly.

Burton Arthur - a student of Anglo-Italian origin, a member of the Italian national liberation movement "Young Italy". Betrayed by a confessor who violated the secrecy of confession, he turns out to be the unwitting culprit in the arrest of his colleague in business and at the same time a rival in love. Having lost the love of the girl Gemma, who considers him a traitor, having become disillusioned with religion, and to top it all off, having learned that his real father is the elder friend and patron of the canon (later Cardinal) Montanelli, A., having faked his death, goes to South America. Returning 13 years later to Italy as a stern and outwardly disfigured Rivares, a revolutionary and pamphleteer, writing his anti-church articles under the pseudonym "Gadfly", he eventually ends up in prison after an armed incident. He agrees to accept help in escaping from the cardinal, who recognized him as his son, only at the cost of the latter's renunciation of dignity and religion, which he is unable to do. The gadfly is shot, and Montanelli dies after a passionate and half-mad sermon, in which, depicting the suffering of God the Father, who gave Christ to be crucified, he mourns himself and his own son. The hero V. repeats the path of many young people from the novels of the 19th century, who disappeared from life after a tragic incident, seemingly forever, but returned unrecognized and under a different name in order to restore justice and pay tribute to the enemies. The most striking example of this kind is Edmond Dantes - Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo. But similar characters can be found in Dickens. Characterized by a spectacular contrast of the image of the hero in the past and during his second appearance (often, as in Dickens, the identity of both is revealed only at the end). A. at the beginning of the novel is an exalted romantic youth, immersed in the elements of Catholicism and experiencing a crisis of faith, the Gadfly of his main part is also a romantic hero, but already a disappointed lonely cynic and atheist, who has only one of his revolutionary deeds left in his life and is cherished in depth soul old love. The 'disillusioned' motif, very characteristic of the 'story of a young man' of the 19th century, is also present here. Gadfly A. made primarily disappointment in the values ​​of religion. The worldview revolution in Voynich's novel is based on specific private facts concerning specific ministers of the church, one of whom violated the secrecy of confession, and the other - the vow of celibacy. The last of these facts is associated with a characteristic melodramatic device rooted in folklore - the disclosure of the secret of kinship, which occurs twice: in the first part, A. , in the third part of his son, A. recognizes Montanelli in the Gadfly.

Main characters

The characters of the "Gadfly" caused a lot of controversy among researchers. This was especially true for the main character. Polish literary critics believed that the leader of the social revolutionary Polish party was his prototype. Russian readers and literary figures immediately saw in him the features of Russian revolutionaries.

The writer E.L. Voynich later said that only one character from the novel had a prototype. This is Gemma, whose image was written off from a close friend of the writer.

Gadfly or Arthur - the main character, a revolutionary.

Lorenzo Montanelli is a priest, Arthur's real father.

Gemma is the beloved of the protagonist.

Giovanni Bolla - Arthur's friend, his rival. Deceased husband of Gemma.

Zita Reni - Gadfly's mistress, a gypsy.

Arthur's family secret

The young man confesses to Lorenzo Montanelli that he is a member of the Young Italy society. Arthur tells him that he will fight for justice, freedom. Lorenzo tries to dissuade him from participating in revolutionary plans, but in vain.

Together with the young man in "Young Italy" is his friend from childhood, Gemma Warren. Montanelli goes to Rome for a while. While he was gone, the young man in confession confesses to the new spiritual person his love for Cem and that he is jealous of her friend Bolla.

Arthur is arrested, in prison the young man prays fervently. During interrogations, the young man does not disclose the names of party members. He is released, Jem tells him that he is considered guilty of the fact that Bollu was arrested. Arthur guesses that the new priest has violated the secrecy of confession. Thus, he accidentally confirms the assumptions of party members. The girl gives him a slap in the face, Arthur does not have time to explain to her.

The brother's wife is outraged by what happened. And in a fit of anger reveals to Arthur the secret of his birth. His real father is Lorenzo Montanelli. The young man is horrified by this confession. He writes a suicide note, throws his hat into the river, and secretly leaves Italy.

After 13 years

For the first time, a meeting with the Gadfly takes place at an evening hosted by Grassini, Gemma Bolla, the widow of Giovanni Bolla. Rivares gives the impression of a daring person who is not accustomed to reckon with decency. His face is disfigured by a scar on his left cheek, when he spoke, he began to stutter a little. The gadfly shocked everyone by appearing at this evening in the company of his mistress Zita Reni.

Meanwhile, Montanelli appears in Florence. Gemma had only seen him once since Arthur's death. Lorenzo was crushed with grief that day. He told the girl that it was because of him that the young man died, because he hid the truth from him. Gemma wanted to meet him again. Therefore, she, along with Martini, goes to where the cardinal will pass.

Gadfly is Arthur?

The gadfly begins to recover. He tells Gemma about himself. In turn, she tells Rivarez about her grief: she believes that because of her, the person she loved died, and who was dearer to her than anyone in the world. Signor Ball is tormented by doubts: she thinks that the Gadfly is Arthur. But Rivares does not give himself away.

He asks Gemma to help him with the delivery of weapons to the Papal States. She gives him her consent. Zita says he knows who he loves the most - Cardinal Montanelli. Rivarez does not deny this. He manages to talk to Lorenzo in the form of a beggar. He realizes that the cardinal is still suffering. The gadfly wanted to tell him everything, but then he remembers everything that he had to endure. Returning home, Rivares learns that his mistress has left with the camp and is going to marry a gypsy.

Tragedy of Rivares

In the "Gadfly" Voynich in the third part, the identity of the main character is revealed and the main storyline culminates. Take under arrest a man involved in the transport of weapons. Rivares goes to Brisigella to help him. Gemma again fails to prove that the Gadfly is Arthur.

Gadfly is arrested: a man lost control of himself when he sees a cardinal during a shootout. You need permission from the cardinal to hold a court martial. During a meeting with Rivarez, he insults Montanelli.

The revolutionaries help him escape, but during the escape, the Gadfly loses consciousness. He is shackled, despite his condition. He asks to see the cardinal. During their meeting, the Gadfly tells Montanelli that he is Arthur. A man puts his father before a choice: either he or religion. The cardinal leaves him.

Lorenzo agrees to a military court. Rivares is sentenced to be shot. The soldiers developed warm feelings for him and fired past him. But Arthur still dies. His last words were addressed to the cardinal, who came to be shot.

Friends learned about the death of the Gadfly. Gemma is brought a note telling her that Rivarez tells her that she was not wrong and that he is Arthur. Martini informs her that Cardinal Montanelli has died of a heart attack.

"The Gadfly" Voynich touches not only on the theme of the revolution, but also on the difficulties in human relationships. Therefore, it should be considered more than just a revolutionary work.

Popularity of the novel

The work was very popular in England. In Russia, it was first published in 1896, when the first congress of the Democratic Party was held. Later, "Gadfly" became widely known in the USSR and the USA. The struggle for democracy impressed the revolutionaries of these countries.

Screen versions of "The Gadfly"

Three films were made based on the work. In 1985, a rock musical was staged. Also based on the novel, ballet performances were made in 1982 and 1987, which confirm the popularity of the book.

It was a brief analysis of the work "The Gadfly". This novel is not only about the ideals of the revolution, but also about how difficult it is for a person to make a choice. This work is also about how the priority of human values ​​can change throughout life.

Ethel Lilian Voynich

"Gadfly"

Part one

Nineteen-year-old Arthur Burton spends a lot of time with his confessor Lorenzo Montanelli, rector of the seminary. Arthur idolizes padre (as he calls a Catholic priest). A year ago, the young man's mother, Gladys, died. Now Arthur lives in Pisa with his stepbrothers.

The young man is very handsome: “Everything in him was too elegant, as if carved: long eyebrows, thin lips, small arms, legs. When he sat quietly, he could be mistaken for a pretty girl dressed in a man's dress; but with flexible movements it resembled a tamed panther - however, without claws.

Arthur trusts his mentor with his secret: he became part of the "Young Italy" and will fight for the freedom of this country with his comrades. Montanelli feels trouble, but cannot dissuade the young man from this idea.

The organization also includes Arthur's childhood friend Gemma Warren, Jim, as Burton calls her.

Montanelli is offered a bishopric and leaves for Rome for a few months. In his absence, the young man at the confession of the new rector talks about his love for the girl and jealousy for his fellow party member Bolle.

Arthur is soon arrested. He spends his time in the cell with fervent prayers. During interrogations, he does not betray his comrades. Arthur is released, but he learns from Jim that the organization considers him guilty of Bolla's arrest. Realizing that the priest has violated the secrecy of confession, Arthur unconsciously confirms the betrayal. Jim rewards him with a slap in the face, and the young man does not have time to explain himself to her.

At home, the brother's wife makes a scandal and tells Arthur that his own father is Montanelli. The young man breaks the crucifix and writes a suicide note. He throws his hat into the river and swims illegally to Buenos Aires.

Part two. Thirteen years later

1846 In Florence, members of Mazzini's party are discussing ways to fight power. Dr. Riccardo offers to ask for help from the Gadfly - Felice Rivares, a political satirist. The sharp word of Rivares in the pamphlets is what you need.

At a party at the party of Grassini, Gemma Bolla, the widow of Giovanni Bolla, sees Gadfly for the first time. “He was swarthy, like a mulatto, and, despite his lameness, agile like a cat. With all his appearance, he resembled a black jaguar. His forehead and left cheek were disfigured by a long crooked scar - apparently from a saber strike ... when he began to stutter, a nervous spasm twitched on the left side of his face. The gadfly is impudent and does not consider decency: he appeared at Grassini with his mistress, the dancer Zita Reni.

Cardinal Montanelli arrives in Florence. Gemma saw him for the last time just after Arthur's death. Then, as if petrified, the dignitary said to the girl: “Calm down, my child, it was not you who killed Arthur, but I. I lied to him and he found out about it." That day the padre fell in the street in a fit. Signora Bolla wants to see Montanelli again and goes with Martini to the bridge where the cardinal will ride.

On this walk they meet the Gadfly. Gemma recoils in horror from Rivares: she saw Arthur in him.

Rivares becomes very ill. He is tormented by severe pain, party members take turns on duty at his bedside. During his illness, he does not let Zita near him. Leaving him after duty, Martini runs into a dancer. Suddenly, she bursts into reproaches: “I hate you all! .. He allows you to sit by him all night and give him medicines, and I don’t even dare to look at him through the crack in the door!” Martini is dumbfounded: "This woman loves him in earnest!"

The gadfly is on the mend. During Gemma's duty, he tells her how in South America he was beaten with a poker by a drunken sailor, about working in a circus as a freak, how he ran away from home in his youth. Senora Bolla reveals her grief to him: through her fault, the man "whom she loved more than anyone in the world" died.

Gemma is tormented by doubts: what if the Gadfly is Arthur? So many coincidences… “And those blue eyes and those nervous fingers?” She tries to find out the truth by showing a portrait of ten-year-old Arthur Gadfly, but he does not give himself away.

Rivares asks Signora Ball to use her connections to smuggle weapons into the Papal States. She agrees.

Zita showers Rivares with reproaches: he never loved her. The person whom Felice loves more than anything in the world is Cardinal Montanelli: “Do you think I didn’t notice how you looked after his stroller?” And the Gadfly confirms this.

In Brisigella, he, disguised as a beggar, receives the necessary note from accomplices. There, Rivarez manages to talk to Montanelli. Seeing that the wound of the padre has not healed, he is ready to open himself to him, but, remembering his pain, he stops. “Oh, if only he could forgive! If only he could erase the past from his memory - a drunken sailor, a sugar plantation, a traveling circus! What suffering can you compare to this?

Returning, the Gadfly learns that Zita has left with the camp and is going to marry a gypsy.

Part three

The man involved in the transport of weapons was arrested. The gadfly decides to go to rectify the situation. Before he leaves, Gemma tries once again to get recognition from him, but at that moment Martini enters.

In Brisigella, Rivares is arrested: in a shootout, the Gadfly lost his temper when he saw Montanelli. The colonel asks the cardinal for consent to a military court, but he wants to see the prisoner. At the meeting, the Gadfly insults the cardinal in every possible way.

Friends organize an escape for the Gadfly. But a new attack of illness happens to him, and already being in the courtyard of the fortress, he loses consciousness. He is shackled and fastened with belts. Despite the persuasion of the doctor, the colonel refuses Rivarez opium.

Gadfly asks for a meeting with Montanelli. He visits the prison. Knowing about the serious illness of the prisoner, the cardinal is horrified by the cruel treatment of him. The gadfly does not stand up and the padre opens. The dignitary realizes that his carino did not drown. Arthur confronts Montanelli with a choice: either he or God. The cardinal leaves the cell. The gadfly shouts after him: “I can’t stand this! Radre, come back! Come back!"

The cardinal agrees to a military court. The soldiers, who managed to fall in love with the Gadfly, shoot past. Finally Rivares falls. At this moment, Montanelli appears in the courtyard. Arthur's last words to the cardinal are: "Radre... is your god... satisfied?"

Gadfly's friends learn about his execution.

During the festive service, Montanelli sees blood in everything: the rays of the sun, roses, red carpets. In his speech, he accuses the parishioners of the death of his son, who was sacrificed by the cardinal for their sake, as the Lord sacrificed Christ.

Gemma receives a letter from the Gadfly, written before the execution. It confirms that Felice Rivares is Arthur. “She lost him. Lost again! Martini brings news of Montanelli's death from a heart attack.

І

The novel "The Gadfly" begins with a description of the life of Arthur Burton - an attractive young man of 19 years old. He communicates a lot with his confessor and friend Lorenzo Montanelli. Arthur calls the priest Padre and idolizes him.

In the next conversation, Arthur tells his mentor that he joined the Young Guard and is going to fight for the freedom of Italy together with his childhood friend Gemma Warren. The priest anticipates trouble, but cannot convince the young man.

Montanelli receives an offer to become a bishop and leaves for Rome for several months. At this time, Arthur confesses to the new rector of the seminary, talking about his feelings for the girl and how he is jealous of her party comrade Bolle.

Very soon, Arthur is imprisoned. The young man does not betray fellow party members during interrogations. However, after his release, he learns from Gemma that members of the Young Guard blame him for Bolla's arrest. The young man understands that his confessor has violated the secrecy of confession, and unconsciously confirms his betrayal, for which he receives a slap in the face from his girlfriend. He still can't explain to her what really happened.

At home, during a scandal arranged by his brother's wife, Arthur learns that Montanelli is his real father. He breaks the crucifix, fakes suicide and escapes to Buenos Aires.

II

Events develop 13 years later in Florence. When members of the Mazzini party are discussing ways to fight power, Dr. Riccardo makes a proposal to enlist the help of the political satirist Felice Rivares, known to the public as the Gadfly.

Gemma Bolla, at that time already the widow of Giovanni Bolla, first sees the Gadfly at an evening at Grassini's. The man is swarthy, his face is disfigured by a terrible scar, he limps. But, despite this, he is extremely impudent and spits on decency, which confirms his appearance with his mistress Zita.

Cardinal Montanelli arrives in the city. The last time Gemma met him was after Arthur's death. The woman wants to see the cardinal again and, together with Martini, goes to the bridge over which Montanelli must pass. There they meet Rivares, and Gemma recognizes him as Arthur.

The gadfly becomes very ill, and the party members look after him. Gemma is also on duty at Rivares. He tells her about his life, she - that she once became the culprit of the death of a man "whom she loved more than anyone else in the world." The woman is trying to find out if she mistakenly thinks that the Gadfly is Arthur. But he doesn't give himself away.

Rivares persuades Signora Ball to help with the transportation of weapons to the Papal States. Zita accuses Gadfly of not loving her, and the only person he appreciates is Cardinal Montanelli. Rivarez does not refute her words.

He manages to meet the padre in Brisigella. Seeing that the priest is still suffering because of Arthur, he almost reveals his identity to him, but stops, remembering the pain he had to experience.

Upon his return, Rivares is informed that Zita is going to marry a gypsy and has left with the camp.

III

The man who carried the weapon was arrested. To correct the situation, the Gadfly goes to him. Before leaving, Gemma again tries to get the truth from him, but the arrival of Martini prevented her.

After a shootout in Brisighella, Gadfly is arrested. Friends tried to rescue Rivares, but during the escape he had an attack of the disease, and he lost consciousness. The man is shackled and refuses to give painkillers.

Rivarez requests a meeting with Montanelli. It opens with Padre. The cardinal wants to help his carino, but Arthur agrees to accept his help, if only he renounces religion and dignity. Montanelli is unable to do so and agrees to a court martial.

The gadfly is shot. His last words are: "Padre... is your god... satisfied?"

Gemma receives a letter from Gadfly, which he wrote before his execution, confirming that he is Arthur. "Lost again!"

Montanelli dies of a heart attack after a semi-mad and impassioned sermon in which she mourns for herself and her son.