- Who is Gerasim?
- Appearance of the hero;
- How did he get to the lady;
- His responsibilities;
- Housing;
- Relation to Mumu;
- Character of Gerasim;
- Why is he leaving his lady?
- My attitude towards Gerasim.
Gerasim is the main character of the story “Mumu” by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev. From birth he was deaf and mute, so he could not hear either human speech or the sounds of nature, and he himself could not utter a single word. Gerasim had no one. He lived alone in the village, in his small hut. Like many ordinary people of that time, he was an unfree, serf man and belonged to a certain Moscow feisty lady. He worked for her, meekly doing the hardest peasant work.
This village man was a real Russian hero. Nature generously endowed him with extraordinary physical strength. He was a very tall man - “12 vershoks” or almost two meters tall and of a very strong build. He had big working hands and huge palms. He had no equal in his work; everything came easy to him. He worked tirelessly for four people. And he mowed, and plowed, and threshed, deftly and skillfully. Everyone thought he was a very nice guy.
But fate wanted the lady to take the deaf-mute hero from the village to her home in Moscow. She probably liked his silent hard work. And he could not resist her, because she was his full-fledged mistress. At the Moscow estate, he was given new clothes and assigned to do new work. From a peasant, Gerasim unexpectedly turned into a janitor and watchman.
Working in the city in a new position was too easy for him. After all, he was used to hard field work, and working around the yard was not difficult for him. His range of tasks was very small: sweep the yard, deliver a barrel of water to the estate, provide the household with firewood, keep strangers out, and guard at night. Gerasim completed all the main work in half an hour. He worked very hard, as he was used to in the village. Everywhere and in everything he had exemplary order. But he did not like his new place of residence, he was homesick, his soul was yearning to return to his native village home. He felt like an animal that had been caught and imprisoned in a cage.
His dwelling was very modest and really looked like a cramped cage. He settled in a small room right above the kitchen. The atmosphere there was very simple. There was very little furniture, only the essentials: a bed, a table and a chair. But it was all very strong, made of oak, to withstand the weight of the village hero. Gerasim always locked his closet with a key - he was still unsociable and did not like strangers to come to him.
The courtyard people who lived with the lady were wary of Gerasim. They were afraid of the deaf-mute because his character was too strict and serious, and also because of his extraordinary strength and stern silence. “Who knows what’s wrong with him,” they probably thought. Behind his back, they called the janitor “goblin.”
Once it was the hero Gerasim who saved a little puppy, took him into his closet, warmed him, dried him and fed him. He cared for his pet as “no mother cares for her child.” It turned out that behind the stern appearance and powerful physique lies a very kind, gentle heart. Gerasim named the little dog Mumu, because he could not utter any other word except this moo. Mumu always responded with joy to this simple name. Gerasim cared for the dog with warmth and loved her deeply. He gave all his unspent affection to this little devoted creature. And Mumu followed on his heels, obeyed him unquestioningly and served him faithfully.
But they didn’t have to live happily together for long. Feeling his helplessness, out of hopelessness and despair, Gerasim drowned Mumu. For him it was an irreparable loss. He raised her as his own child, and with his own hands he had to kill her. His heart trembled, heavy tears rolled from his eyes, but at that moment he saw no other way out.
After the death of the dog, Gerasim could no longer endure his imprisonment in the city. He shows determination, which was previously unusual for him, and returns to his native village. Although he understands perfectly well, for such willfulness - escape - he faces severe punishment: hard labor or even death.
I feel sorry for Gerasim. Fate was harsh to him. Deprived of the gift of hearing and speech, he found himself deprived of everything that was dear to his heart and brought him joy and consolation. And yet I don’t quite understand the hero of the story: why he still decided to drown the poor animal. Surely some way out could have been found. For example, give it into good hands. What thoughts and experiences tormented Gerasim and why he committed his cruel act, unfortunately, we will no longer know.
Gerasim is the main character in the story “Mumu” by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev. This is a simple serf man who lived in a small hut and worked as a janitor for a local noblewoman.As you know, this man was deaf and mute by nature. And fate compensated for such a natural deficiency with a truly heroic build.
Gerasim in the story
Despite his serious disadvantage, Gerasim possessed truly enormous, literally heroic strength. Everyone and everyone in his home village knew about this. He was a draft man, capable of working alone for four ordinary men. The strength of the main character is conveyed by the author in many lines, for example: “On Peter’s Day, he used his scythe so devastatingly that he could even sweep away a young birch forest by the roots; near the kitchen he knocked out and shook out the barrel, turning it over in his hands like a child’s drum.” A large number of different phrases, comparisons and metaphors allow readers to feel the strength of the main character much better.
Gerasim, as every person believes, was in love with a woman. His “patron” was Tatyana. She, like the main character of the story, was in the service of the same noblewoman and worked as a laundress. Gerasim regularly accompanied his beloved and tried to be closer to her. Nevertheless, all his attempts were in vain, since Tatyana was simply afraid of him. His truly enormous figure caused Tatyana utter horror; she was literally frozen by him. Actually, such a big nature of the main character was also the reason for a lot of ridicule. Gerasim was not a fool, he understood why people mocked him, but his key advantage in relation to everyone was that Gerasim controlled himself and was calm. Nevertheless, many respected him for his hard work, for the fact that he devoted himself to work without reserve. While living in the village, the main character works for the good, tirelessly, without stopping. Everything went smoothly for him, and the work was done, it would seem, easily and quickly.
The main character of the story is not a soulless person, as the author of the story also mentions. He has compassion not only for people, but also for animals. For example, Gerasim felt sorry for a puppy who found himself in the water and could not get out of it. As a result, the main character takes the puppy with him and nurses him. They become close to each other, as if Mumu is the only friend of our main character, in fact, that’s how it was. Indeed, he had no friends, and as for his personal life, it was also not ideal, because his beloved Tatyana always tries to avoid him. This is how a dog and a person become best friends. Despite the apparent happiness, everything turns out extremely unpleasantly. The noblewoman learned that Gerasim had found and sheltered the dog, and this turn of events did not suit her in any way. The main character has a difficult dilemma - to give Mumu to others to kill, or to end her himself. Of course, instead of giving the dog to someone else to be killed, the main character decides to do everything himself. The loss of a close friend, who became such in a very short period of time, did not pass without a trace for Gerasim. He experiences these events very painfully.
Image of Gerasim
Actually, the very image of the main character of the story is a symbol of the Russian people of that time. Talking about Gerasim, Turgenev emphasizes that the Russian people have heroic, enormous strength, they are hardworking, kind to loved ones, the Russian people are able to sympathize with the unfortunate and offended.The serfs did not have their own will at that time. They could be sold, repurchased, exchanged at any moment; in fact, they were a bargaining chip that brought certain benefits for a while. This is the main idea of the story - most people were forced, like the main character himself.
A real hero, born and raised in the village, endures his existence very hard after leaving for the city. This happened completely by accident - the noblewoman noticed how a huge man was working in the field and decided to take him into her possession. This is what happened. The author conveys the burden of change and the feelings that Gerasim experiences through detailed comparisons. Gerasim is compared to a tree that was torn out of its usual, traditional habitat. Also, he is compared to a wild beast or a bull that was chained overnight.
So Gerasim is deprived of what he loved most in his life and becomes completely forced. He was deprived of his homeland, the right and opportunity to love Tatyana. All this, of course, does not reflect in the most pleasant way on our main character.
One day he finds a dog, names it Mumu, and it becomes a replacement for everything that Gerasim loved before. Now Mumu is his best friend, the only best being, to whom he trusts a lot. She gives him the opportunity to feel happiness again, even though he remains the same forced person. An absurd accident, due to which everyone’s favorite becomes enemy number one for the capricious old lady, deprives Gerasim of his last opportunity to remain happy and changes his life, which has already become familiar.
A janitor who has lost everything suddenly crosses an invisible line that he didn’t even know about. After the death of a loved one, his sense of dependence and fear of the noblewoman is cut off. The janitor becomes truly free. It would seem, why? He is still the same serf, no one freed him, which means he is obliged to serve his mistress just as before, but no. He has nothing left to lose, and this is real freedom, which he achieved only after the severe loss of a loved one. Gerasim, having gone back to his native village, experiences “indestructible courage, desperate and joyful determination.” Nevertheless, it cannot be said that the main character remains happy after this. Unfortunately, he also spends his life in absolute solitude - he “stopped hanging out with women” and “doesn’t keep a single dog.”
The image of Gerasim in real life
It is safe to say that the entire story written by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev was taken from his own life observations.He was the son of the imperious and cruel serf-woman Varvara Petrovna, who, for her unfulfilled youth, decided to punish everyone and everything she saw around her. The children were very afraid of her, and the writer himself often recalled that almost every day they received what they deserved with rods. The prototype of the noblewoman in the story “Mumu” was Turgenev’s mother.
The story of Ivan Turgenev tells readers about many different qualities that people have forgotten a long time ago, and now they are completely covered with a layer of dust. The only thing that can probably be said is that the love for animals remains the same, which, of course, is good. Flattery is a great sin, which, unfortunately, has been and remains inherent in many people. Gerasim, on the other hand, was different from those. He was not afraid of his superiors, did not flatter, was not a sycophant, and the very soul of the protagonist was simple and open. Nevertheless, the writer leaves hope that every Russian person, and the Russian people as a whole, are capable and may well eradicate all bad qualities in themselves. The only thing they need is to free themselves, but freedom looks different for everyone and only when this freedom is found will a person be happy.
Composition
Gerasim hoped that they would forget about Mumu and he would again be able to take care of his pet. It is at this stage that it is time to think about how we will lead readers to resolve the question: why did Gerasim obey the lady? What made Gerasim make a decision? Try to guess how Gerasim might have reasoned. At what point did Gerasim make his decision? Let us turn to an episode that often passes our attention: “Gerasim stood motionless on the threshold. A crowd gathered at the foot of the stairs. Gerasim looked at all these little people in German caftans from above, his hands lightly resting on his hips; in his red peasant shirt, he seemed like some kind of giant in front of them.” These “little people” are all the lady’s servants! - “she rolled head over heels down the stairs” as soon as Gerasim opened the door. The contrast between the hero and his environment in this scene is emphasized by the author. Readers see that Gerasim understood: the lady ordered Mumu to be taken away from him and destroyed. He is obliged to obey her order - there is no choice. But he could have saved Mumu from unnecessary suffering.
We carefully observe the behavior of the hero. We ask the students questions along the way: why did he go with Mumu to the tavern and feed the dog? Why did you row against the current for so long? Why does the author in the episode “Gerasim Throws Mumu into the Water” remember his muteness? Questions force us to think about details that are usually missed when reading on our own. Everyone is once again convinced of how endlessly unhappy Gerasim is.
Our observations and answers need both additions and clarifications, since ten-year-old readers interpret these details in their own way: for example, they claim that Gerasim wore a festive caftan because he needed to go to the tavern in smart clothes; I rowed for a long time because I tried to get away from the lady...
Until what moment is Gerasim completely subordinate to the will of the lady? When Gerasim, closing his eyes, threw Mumu into the water, he did not dare to resist the master's whim. But we know that he went to the village without permission and joyfully.
When did he think of doing this? Where is the moment when Gerasim decided to openly protest? The reader will lead us to the conclusion that the protest was born in the soul of the mute only after Mumu died. To make it easier for them to find the right answer, we recommend that they read Stepan’s story about how Gerasim left the manor’s house, and the author’s description of how Gerasim walked to his native village.
After this, it is advisable to invite the children to answer the following questions: what did Stepan see? How is Gerasim's road to his home described? Readers' observations are interesting when they are preparing to read a passage about Gerasim's return to his homeland. They analyze the hero’s feelings, note Gerasim’s cheerfulness and elation. However, Readers do not delve into the question on their own: why did Gerasim change so much? The reader will help them understand the process of Gerasim’s rebirth. In terms of providing such assistance, students can be asked to prepare answers to the following questions: why does Gerasim feel a sense of cheerfulness? Why does he rejoice after the death of Mumu? Do you judge him for this? (The adult reader understands that Gerasim from being a slave becomes a man, that Mumu’s death was a mental shock that changed his usual views and caused a rebellion against his mistress. However, Readers also understand that “Gerasim could not stand it any longer.”)
The central place in which the most tragic pages of the story are heard again is the description of Gerasim’s path home, to his homeland. It is here that, having seen him as a winner, one should start a conversation about how everyone imagines Gerasim, and return to the list of comparisons that the author began in the first chapter. It is unlikely that Readers will be able to understand in detail the essence of the change that has happened to the hero, but nevertheless their memory will record a lot.
In the first chapter, everyone finds the following comparisons: “He grew up dumb and powerful, like a tree growing on fertile ground”; “...I was bored and perplexed, like a young, healthy bull that has just been taken from the field is perplexed...”; “...he himself looked like a sedate gander...”; “...for whole hours he lay motionless on his chest, like a captured animal...” And from the seventh chapter they choose a comparison: “...like a lion acted strongly and cheerfully...” Readers know that the word “how” connects the compared phenomena. They note that Gerasim is compared “to a tree,” “to a bull,” “to a caught beast,” “to a lion.”
Readers understand that it is not the appearance that is being compared, but the actions of the hero. At the same time, it is important that they note how close Gerasim is to the natural world. It is clear to adult readers that the above comparisons also capture the process of change in the hero: “caught beast” and “lion.” These comparisons are very contrasting. Everyone intuitively feels this difference. The reader will help them understand that at first Gerasim behaved like an animal in captivity, and in the end - like a lion. This is especially evident when we read the definitions from the text of the seventh chapter: “a good fellow who was at his best,” filled with “indestructible courage,” “desperate and at the same time joyful determination.” Our attention is fixed on how Gerasim is delighted by the smell of ripening rye, the gentle blows of the wind in his face, and the rays of the rising sun.
Sometimes the Reader does not detain our attention to the very process of change in the character and behavior of Gerasim, thereby giving an enthusiastic description of Gerasim - the mute hero. But there is an inevitable tension in such a static figure. Readers are able, if they are helped, to see how the hero has changed, they can become attentive witnesses to this process. Everyone is attracted by Gerasim’s hard work and kindness; everyone is sympathetic to the fact that he is alienated from people due to muteness. But only at the end of the story are traits that evoke admiration revealed in the hero - he becomes internally independent. The whole rebirth of Gerasim is called simply: “he became brave.”
Experienced readers also see how an inner uplift evokes in Gerasim those feelings that were previously impossible to suspect: he subtly and deeply feels nature, its beauty. The description of this happy and short time is very interesting for students: they strive for more expressive reading if we draw their attention to repetitions that slow down and organize the flow of the author’s speech. You can write a fragment of text on the board and, together with the class, highlight those words that, when repeated, are especially memorable: they help convey the fast and non-stop movement, compassion and sympathy experienced by the author for the hero. “Gerasim could not hear them, nor could he hear the sensitive night whispering of the trees, past which his strong legs carried him, but he felt the familiar smell of ripening rye, which was wafting from the dark fields, he felt the wind flying towards him , - the wind from his homeland - gently hit his face, played in his hair and beard; I saw a white road in front of me - the road home, straight as an arrow; I saw countless stars in the sky.”
You can invite students to write down repeating words: “he couldn’t hear them,” “he couldn’t hear,” “but he felt... the smell... of rye,” “felt like the wind... - the wind from his homeland - gently hit his face,” “saw ... the way home,” “saw... countless stars...”.
Other works on this work
Why did Gerasim drown Mumu? (based on the story by I.S. Turgenev)Turgenev calls Gerasim “the most delightful person” among all the servants. Gerasim was a tall man of heroic build and deaf and dumb from birth. The creator writes: “Gifted with extraordinary strength, he worked for four - the work was going on in his hands, and it was funny to look at him when he was plowing and, leaning his large palms on the plow, it seemed that alone, without the help of a horse, he was tearing into the elastic chest of the earth , or about Peter's day he acted so crushingly with his scythe that he could even sweep away a young birch forest from its roots, or he deftly and non-stop threshed with a three-yard flail, and like a lever the elongated and hard muscles of his shoulders lowered and raised. The constant silence gave a solemn significance to his tireless work. He was a nice man and, if it weren’t for his misfortune, every girl would willingly marry him...”
From this description one can judge the creator’s attitude towards his own hero: Turgenev seems to admire Gerasim, his strength and stinginess towards work. Turgenev speaks of the solemnity of Gerasim’s tireless work, in other words, of his tirelessness and hard work.
Peasant work is very arduous, and the duties of a janitor in the town seemed comical to Gerasim, easy after the village labors. He's used to doing more.
Gerasim took a long time to get used to his new life. He could not fully talk with people because of his own muteness, and communication with nature replaced human warmth for him. Gerasim was bored and perplexed, just as perplexed is a young, healthy bull who was just grazing in a field where lush grass grew, but he was put in a railroad car. Everything around is roaring, squealing, and the train is rushing to God knows where.
Gerasim dealt with the new obligations of a janitor jokingly, in half an hour, later he stood for a long time and looked at everyone passing, waiting for an answer to his unspoken questions, or he threw a broom and a shovel and went somewhere in a corner, threw himself face down on the ground and lay on it for hours at a time. chest like a captured animal. Gerasim gradually got used to city life.
Gerasim's kennel was small and located above the kitchen. “...he arranged it for himself, according to his own taste: he built a bed in it from oak boards on 4 logs, a truly heroic bed; 100 poods could have been put on it - it would not have bent; under the bed there was a hefty chest; in the corner there was a table of the same strong characteristics, and near the table there was a chair on 3 legs, so strong and stocky that Gerasim himself used to pick it up, drop it and grin. The kennel was closed with a lock that resembled a kalach, only dark; Gerasim always carried the key to this lock with him on his belt. He didn’t like people to visit him.”
Turgenev describes Gerasim's kennel so carefully that, with the help of this description, he can show in more detail the character of the hero: unsociable, taciturn, strong.