Physicist and astronomer Stefan Feeney of University College London, one of the...
- The appearance of the colonel at the ball
- The behavior of the hero after the ball
- Who's guilty
Genre, composition, acting characters of the story
For his work "After the Ball" Leo Tolstoy deliberately chooses the genre short story. Its unusual circular composition allows the reader to believe in the reality of the events taking place, to better understand the nature of the acting characters. The plot is based on a life story told by an eyewitness. The characterization of the colonel from the story "After the Ball" by Tolstoy is carried out through the perception of him by Ivan Vasilyevich. We see Pyotr Anisimovich exactly as the narrator imagined him. Reception of antithesis helps readers to better understand the content, focuses on the main character traits of the hero. The evening and morning events in the plot of the story are opposed to each other and divide the story into two parts.
The appearance of the colonel at the ball
Colonel Pyotr Anisimovich, Varenka's father, is a complex and contradictory personality. After reading the story, you understand that the actions and appearance colonel at the ball and after the ball are very different from each other.
In the first half of the work, the author introduces us to Varenka's father during a festive event. The benevolent relations of the guests and the owners of the house, sweet smiles, the sounds of the mazurka and waltz cheer up, correspond to the atmosphere of the ball. The description of the colonel at the evening is in harmony with the atmosphere. Old man in the ceremonial officer's uniform "very handsome, stately, tall" with the bearing of an old campaigner inspires respect from Ivan Vasilyevich. He is gallant with ladies, courteous with others. The colonel's trusting close relationship with his daughter attracts everyone's attention. Communicating with her, he "gently, sweetly wrapped his arms around his daughter's ears and kissed her forehead." It's nice to watch an unusual couple during the dance. Separate words and gestures of Peter Anisimovich convince of the sincerity of feelings in relation to his child. He loves Varenka with all his heart and is proud of her. The colonel's uniform is impeccably neat, but out-of-fashion boots with "quadrangular" noses tell us a lot. Together with Ivan Vasilyevich, we understand that the old man limits himself in everything in order to dress beautifully and take out his adored daughter. At first glance, it seems that this venerable father of the family, wise by experience, is a positive hero, a man worthy of our respect. Actually it is not.
The behavior of the hero after the ball
In the second part of the story, the festive mood disappears. As dawn breaks, a new day begins. Colors and feelings change. Our hero also becomes different. In the story “After the Ball”, the characterization of the colonel is multifaceted. The writer skillfully shows the unsightly side of the colonel's personality. Having taken off his dress uniform and started his immediate duties, Vladislav Anisimovich is changing not only externally, but also internally. Not in his soul more space human feelings. He is incapable of compassion, to show mercy.
Through the eyes of the inexperienced in life young man we see how the colonel "walked with a firm, trembling gait" and led the beating of the guilty Tatar. It was the same man as at the ball "with his ruddy face and white mustache and sideburns." But the torment and pain of the unfortunate now do not touch the soul of the boss. Moreover, he is ready to deal cruelly with those who, having violated the order, do not lower the stick hard enough on the back of a fugitive soldier. “I will anoint you,” the narrator heard his angry voice. The colonel yells at his subordinates, humiliates and even spreads his arms in a fit of anger. The hero's face turns into an insensitive mask. Irritation, annoyance, anger are reflected on her at the sight of her daughter's fiancé. He, "frowning menacingly and viciously, hastily turned away." Before us is a completely different stranger. It is hard to imagine that a few hours ago he was enjoying life, tenderly hugging his daughter, joking and talking peacefully with friends.
Who's guilty
The sudden metamorphosis that occurred is incomprehensible to the reader. Ivan Timofeevich is also confused. What is the real face of this man? What made a good-natured loving father become a monster. In the story "After the Ball" the colonel is a victim of objective reality. Vladislav Anisimovich did not pretend. In the service, he fulfilled his duty, behaved as it was customary in a society like him. It is not an individual who is to blame, but the law that allows an officer to humiliate dignity and raise a hand against a subordinate. Corporal punishment, stick discipline in the army - the usual norm of life for people of that time, the era of the reign of Nicholas I. Often environment, public opinion shapes the character of a person, directs his actions. The colonel had no doubt that he was doing the right thing, he did not consider himself a bad person, because his contemporaries thought and acted like that. A cruel age and cruel customs cripple the souls of people, devalue moral laws and destroy moral principles.
For his work "After the Ball" Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy deliberately chooses the genre of a short story. Its unusual circular composition allows the reader to believe in the reality of the events taking place, to better understand the nature of the acting characters. The plot is based on a life story told by an eyewitness. The characterization of the colonel from the story "After the Ball" by Tolstoy is carried out through the perception of him by Ivan Vasilyevich. We see Pyotr Anisimovich exactly as the narrator imagined him. Reception of antithesis helps readers to better understand the content, focuses on the main character traits of the hero. The evening and morning events in the plot of the story are opposed to each other and divide the story into two parts.
The appearance of the colonel at the ball
Colonel Pyotr Anisimovich, Varenka's father, is a complex and contradictory personality. After reading the story, you understand that the actions and appearance of the colonel at the ball and after the ball are very different from each other.
In the first half of the work, the author introduces us to Varenka's father during a festive event. The benevolent attitude of the guests and the owners of the house, sweet smiles, the sounds of the mazurka and waltz cheer up, correspond to the atmosphere of the ball. The description of the colonel at the evening is in harmony with the atmosphere. An elderly man in a ceremonial officer's uniform "very handsome, stately, tall" with the bearing of an old campaigner inspires respect from Ivan Vasilyevich. He is gallant with ladies, courteous with others. The colonel's trusting close relationship with his daughter attracts everyone's attention. Communicating with her, he "gently, sweetly wrapped his arms around his daughter's ears and kissed her forehead." It's nice to watch an unusual couple during the dance. Separate words and gestures of Peter Anisimovich convince of the sincerity of feelings in relation to his child. He loves Varenka with all his heart and is proud of her. The colonel's uniform is impeccably neat, but out-of-fashion boots with "quadrangular" noses tell us a lot. Together with Ivan Vasilyevich, we understand that the old man limits himself in everything in order to dress beautifully and take out his adored daughter. At first glance, it seems that this venerable father of the family, wise by experience, is a positive hero, a man worthy of our respect. Actually it is not.
The behavior of the hero after the ball
In the second part of the story, the festive mood disappears. As dawn breaks, a new day begins. Colors and feelings change. Our hero also becomes different. In the story “After the Ball”, the characterization of the colonel is multifaceted. The writer skillfully shows the unsightly side of the colonel's personality. Having taken off his dress uniform and started his immediate duties, Vladislav Anisimovich is changing not only externally, but also internally. In his soul there is no more room for human feelings. He is incapable of compassion, to show mercy. Through the eyes of a young man inexperienced in life, we see how the colonel "walked with a firm, trembling gait" and led the beating of the guilty Tatar. It was the same man as at the ball "with his ruddy face and white mustache and sideburns."
But the torment and pain of the unfortunate now do not touch the soul of the boss. Moreover, he is ready to deal cruelly with those who, having violated the order, do not lower the stick hard enough on the back of a fugitive soldier. “I will anoint you,” the narrator heard his angry voice. The colonel yells at his subordinates, humiliates and even spreads his arms in a fit of anger. The hero's face turns into an insensitive mask. Irritation, annoyance, anger are reflected on her at the sight of her daughter's fiancé. He, "frowning menacingly and viciously, hastily turned away." Before us is a completely different stranger. It is hard to imagine that a few hours ago he was enjoying life, tenderly hugging his daughter, joking and talking peacefully with friends.
Who's guilty
The sudden metamorphosis that occurred is incomprehensible to the reader. Ivan Timofeevich is also confused. What is the real face of this man? What made a good-natured loving father become a monster. In the story "After the Ball" the colonel is a victim of objective reality. Vladislav Anisimovich did not pretend. In the service, he fulfilled his duty, behaved as it was customary in a society like him. It is not an individual who is to blame, but the law that allows an officer to humiliate dignity and raise a hand against a subordinate. Corporal punishment, stick discipline in the army - the usual norm of life for people of that time, the era of the reign of Nicholas I. Often the environment, public opinion shapes the character of a person, guides his actions. The colonel had no doubt that he was doing the right thing, he did not consider himself a bad person, because his contemporaries thought and acted like that. A cruel age and cruel customs cripple the souls of people, devalue moral laws and destroy moral principles.
Among the most famous works of L.N. Tolstoy can also be called his story “After the Ball”. Written in 1903, it is imbued with a Christian spirit, as well as on the writer's own philosophy - Tolstoyism.
The focus of the story is Colonel B. This hero is shown in two, radically different, life situations. It is these contrasting situations that clarify his character.
For the first time, the narrator meets Colonel B. at the governor's ball in honor of the end of Shrovetide week. Pyotr Vladislavich is the father of Varenka, a young beauty with whom the narrator was madly in love. It is in the episode of the ball that a portrait of this hero is given: “Varenka’s father was a very handsome, stately, tall and fresh old man. His face was very ruddy, with white curled mustaches la Nicolas I, white sideburns brought up to the mustaches and with sideburns combed forward, and the same kind, joyful smile, like that of his daughter, was in his shining eyes and lips. He was beautifully built, with a broad, sparsely decorated chest, protruding in a military manner, with strong shoulders and long, slender legs.
As you can see, initially the colonel makes an excellent impression: kind, friendly, affectionate. In addition, it was evident how madly he loves his daughter, with what tenderness and trepidation he treats her. The mazurka, which the colonel danced with Varenka, delighted everyone. Everyone followed the movement of this beautiful couple and admired her. And at the end, when Pyotr Vladislavich fell to his knees in front of his daughter, the guests could not resist and applauded. As a sign of the end of the dance, the colonel gently kissed his daughter on the forehead.
If everyone looked at Colonel B. with admiration, then the narrator felt "enthusiastic tenderness" for him. The old style of the hero's boots looked especially touching. The narrator saw in this detail a confirmation of the colonel's love for his Varenka: “In order to take out and dress his beloved daughter, he does not buy fashion boots but wears homemade ones.
On this, the presence of the hero in the first episode of the story ends. At the ball, the colonel made the best impression on all the guests, the narrator and, I think, the readers. An old military man, apparently well-educated and well-mannered, kind, handsome, adoring his daughter. But already here “disturbing” details slip through, which will be developed in the second part of the story. The author emphasizes several times that Colonel B. was brought up by the era of Nicholas I: "He was a military commander like an old campaigner of the Nikolaev bearing." Even the colonel wore sideburns in the fashion of that time to emphasize his commitment to the Nikolaev regime. Going to dance with his daughter, Pyotr Vladislavich, according to the old fashion, puts on right hand glove, saying that "everything is necessary according to the law." This detail speaks of the pedantry of the hero, and also that he is used to mindlessly following orders, without thinking about their expediency. If the commander gave an order, then it should be carried out, and not asked questions.
The second part of the story is completely opposite to the first. Here we see the colonel no longer on vacation, but in the performance of his duties. The next morning, at the very beginning of Lent, Colonel B. presides over the punishment of a Tatar for escaping from the army. Nothing has changed in him appearance, not a single line faltered in his ruddy face at the sight of the terrible torment of the fugitive Tatar. Here the narrator describes Pyotr Vladislavich as follows: “The colonel walked beside him, and, looking first at his feet, then at the punished one, drew in the air, puffing out his cheeks, and slowly let it out through his protruding lip.” One gets the feeling that the colonel completely turned off all his emotions and thoughts. He, like a machine, diligently and diligently follows the instructions so that "everything is according to the law."
Only when he sees a violation in the execution of the order, Pyotr Vladislavich shows his feelings. He punishes a weak soldier, who physically cannot hit a Tatar hard: “I will anoint you,” I heard his angry voice. - Will you smear? Will you? And I saw how he strong hand in a suede glove, he beat a frightened short, weak soldier in the face because he did not put his stick on the red back of the Tatar enough.
But one should not think that the colonel is a soulless monster who does not understand the horror of everything that is happening. It seems to me that he knows that the event he is leading is not a pleasant one. Therefore, meeting the eyes of the narrator, Pyotr Vladislavich pretended not to know him.
I think that in his heart the colonel feels awkward and maybe even ashamed. But this hero is accustomed in his life to put at the forefront an order from a higher authority, to adjust his thoughts, feelings, spiritual impulses to the Instruction. The external for this hero is more important than the internal, the opinion of people is more important than the opinion of the soul.
Tolstoy writes about this with bitterness and regret. After all, without violating human law, Colonel B. violated the law of God. Therefore, with all responsibility, this hero can be called a criminal, first of all, in front of himself. Colonel B. turned out to be a slave of the order, having ruined his soul, adding to the torment of other people. Even great post couldn't stop this man.
So, throughout the story, the image of Colonel B. receives grandiose development. It deepens and opens up psychologically, revealing to us the guilt and misfortune of this person.
Reading the story of A. N. Tolstoy "After the Ball", I could not help but think about the image of one of the main characters of the work - Pyotr Vladislavovich B., the father of the girl with whom the hero-narrator Ivan Vasilyevich is in love.
At their first meeting, the narrator describes him as follows: “Varenka’s father was a very handsome, stately, tall and fresh old man.
His face was very ruddy, with white, a la Nicolas I, with curled mustaches, and the same kind, joyful smile, like that of his daughter, was in his shining eyes and lips. He was a military leader of the type of an old campaigner, of the Nikolaev bearing. The colonel at the ball appears to us as a kind, constantly smiling man who dances the mazurka with his daughter with pleasure. He evokes an enthusiastic tender feeling in the narrator, and his image merges with the image of Varenka, creating something beautiful.
The hero-narrator experiences absolutely different emotions when he sees the colonel the next morning. He does not immediately recognize him, awareness comes gradually: “a military man whose figure seemed familiar to me”, “a tall military man walked with a firm gait”, “it was her father ...”.
Even more overwhelming emotional condition the hero’s small unpleasant details: “with a trembling gait”, “he drew in air, puffing out his cheeks, and let it out through his protruding lip”, “self-confident, angry voice”. All this adds up to one disgusting image, the opposite of the image at the ball. Now the colonel evokes in the hero-narrator a feeling of deep disappointment and even disgust: “almost physical, nauseating melancholy, “I’m about to vomit with all that horror.” After what he saw, much in the life of Ivan Vasilyevich changed: “he could not enter the military service, and not only did not serve in the military, but he did not serve anywhere and was no good.”
Despite the fact that what he saw so changed the life of the hero-narrator, I do not believe that the colonel was a two-faced person and a hypocrite. At the ball he was himself, kind and honest man, but in the service as required by the service. He only performed his duty with unquestioning obedience.
When people talk about Leo Tolstoy, they immediately recall the wonderful epic works of the Russian classic, such as War and Peace or Anna Karenina. But Lev Nikolaevich is also good in small forms. When he takes on a story or story, his talent does not change him at all. The focus is on "After the Ball". This article will consider the characteristics of the heroes of "After the Ball".
Plot
The reason for the story is an old story, an age-old question: the environment makes a person or a person creates his environment. There is a conversation between familiar people, and it concerns personal improvement.
The protagonist Ivan Vasilievich, a man respected by everyone in the circle where the conversation is being conducted, tells a story from his life that refutes the fact that a person is shaped by the environment.
It was a long time ago, one of the main provincial officials held a ball in honor of last day Shrovetide. The entire provincial beau monde came to the ball.
Ivan Vasilievich was then a university student from the same city. There was nothing to do, and the main entertainment was visiting such events. At this ball, he saw a girl - Varenka B. and fell in love with her without memory. I only danced with her. Varenka was the daughter of Colonel Pyotr Vladislavovich, who, together with his wife, honored all those gathered with their presence at the celebration.
Father had to go home. And in parting, he danced with his daughter, and so famously that everyone was absolutely delighted. Seeing this, young Ivan Vasilyevich was imbued with warm feelings for the old man. The colonel left, but the young people (Varenka and Vanya) were still dancing. In the morning everyone left. Here the events of the work “After the Ball” subside. The heroes of the story cannot yet be suspected of something bad.
The hero could not sleep, and he went to stagger around the city. Unintentionally, unconsciously, he came to the house of his sweetheart. On the field adjacent to the house, there was a formation of soldiers. To the beat of drums and the sounds of a flute, they let a fugitive Tatar through the ranks. He was beaten with sticks all over his back. His back had already turned into a bloody mess, and he himself only repeated: “Lord, brothers, have mercy.” He said it quietly, because he no longer had the strength to scream.
The torture was supervised by the "dear colonel", who recently danced with his daughter at the ball. After this event, Ivan Vasilyevich's love for Varya passed. Every time he looked at her face, he saw the Tartar and his back.
Perhaps the reader is tired of the excessive detailing of the plot, but its consideration is absolutely necessary in order to understand which characterization of the characters in "After the Ball" best suits them.
Ivan Vasilievich - a man whose conscience woke up
What then happened to Ivan Vasilyevich? Then, after the ball, his conscience woke up, and he himself woke up from sleep. Yes, so much so that it seems like he was whipped with a whip, so sudden was the realization of the baseness of the general, the “light”, which is no different from darkness in the moral, moral sense. So, we can already say that the first characterization of the heroes of "After the Ball" is ready: the main character can be defined as a person who has a conscience.
Colonel
Here everything is already a little more complicated. It cannot be said that the colonel and his daughter are unscrupulous people. For them, just the hierarchy that existed in Russia in the 19th century is normal. It is also normal that after the holiday they can warm up or calm the excited nerves by torturing a person. There is nothing out of the ordinary in this.
The reader can rightly say that if you really think about what the characteristics of the heroes of "After the Ball" are (meaning specifically the colonel), then only the old soldier should be blamed for everything. Oh no, that won't do. The colonel's women are to blame for his fanaticism no less than he himself. After all, they did not prevent him from doing them.
Varenka
Nothing bad can be said about the daughter of a fanatic, but nothing good can be said about her. She is a faceless character in the story. Only one memory will remain of her: she was stunningly beautiful, but it is difficult to determine her content if we are talking about the disclosure of the topic “Characteristics of the heroes “After the ball””.
Moral questions raised in the work
So, here in the center of the work is an eternal dispute about the confrontation between the individual and society. The author also focuses his attention (and the attention of the reader) on the abomination of human duplicity and duplicity.
L. N. Tolstoy in this story even indirectly gives an answer to the question of why, in fact, the Russian revolution happened: because the “tops” allowed themselves such treatment of the “lower classes”, and the “lower classes” took revenge. Such is the brief moral content of "After the Ball." In fact, this story may open up with a fan of other moral problems, but that's a completely different story.
