Analysis of the story “Mr. from San Francisco” (I. Bunin)
Bunin's story "Mr. from San Francisco" tells the story of how everything is devalued before the fact of death. Human life is subject to decay, it is too short to be wasted in vain, and the main idea of this instructive story is to understand the essence of human existence. The meaning of life for the hero of this story lies in his confidence that he can buy everything with his existing wealth, but fate decided otherwise. We offer an analysis of the work “Mr. from San Francisco” according to plan; the material will be useful in preparing for the Unified State Exam in literature in 11th grade.
Brief Analysis
Year of writing– 1915
History of creation– In a store window, Bunin accidentally noticed the cover of Thomas Mann’s book “Death in Venice”, this was the impetus for writing the story.
Subject– The opposites that surround man everywhere are main theme works are life and death, wealth and poverty, power and insignificance. All this reflects the philosophy of the author himself.
Composition– The problems of “Mr. from San Francisco” contain both a philosophical and socio-political character. The author reflects on the frailty of existence, on man’s attitude to spiritual and material values, from the point of view of various strata of society. The plot of the story begins with the master's journey, the climax is his unexpected death, and in the denouement of the story the author reflects on the future of humanity.
Genre– A story that is a meaningful parable.
Direction– Realism. Bunin's story takes on a deep philosophical meaning.
History of creation
The history of the creation of Bunin's story dates back to 1915, when he saw the cover of a book by Thomas Mann. After that, he was visiting his sister, he remembered the cover, for some reason it evoked an association in him with the death of one of the American vacationers, which happened during a vacation in Capri. Immediately a sudden decision came to him to describe this incident, which he did in the shortest possible time - the story was written in just four days. With the exception of the deceased American, all other facts in the story are completely fictitious.
Subject
In “The Gentleman from San Francisco,” an analysis of the work allows us to highlight the main idea of the story, which consists of the author’s philosophical reflections on the meaning of life, on the essence of being.
Critics were enthusiastic about the work of the Russian writer, interpreting the essence of the philosophical story in their own way. Theme of the story- life and death, poverty and luxury, in the description of this hero, who lived his life in vain, reflects the worldview of the entire society, divided into classes. High society, possessing all material values, having the opportunity to buy everything that is on sale, does not have the most important thing - spiritual values.
On the ship, the dancing couple, depicting sincere happiness, is also fake. These are actors who were bought to play love. There is nothing real, everything is artificial and feigned, everything is purchased. And the people themselves are false and hypocritical, they are faceless, which is what meaning of the name this story.
And the master has no name, his life is aimless and empty, he does not bring any benefit, he only uses the benefits created by representatives of another, lower class. He dreamed of buying everything he could, but he didn’t have time; fate had its own way and took his life. When he dies, no one remembers him; he only causes inconvenience to those around him, including his family.
The point is that he died - and that’s it, he doesn’t need any wealth, luxury, power or honor. He doesn't care where he lies - in a luxurious inlaid coffin, or in a simple soda box. Life was in vain, he did not experience real, sincere human feelings, did not know love and happiness in the worship of the golden calf.
Composition
The narrative of the story is divided into two parts: how a gentleman sails on a ship to the coast of Italy, and the journey of the same gentleman back, on the same ship, only in a coffin.
In the first part, the hero enjoys all the possible benefits that money can buy, he has all the best: a hotel room, gourmet dishes, and all the other delights of life. The gentleman has so much money that he planned a trip for two years, together with his family, his wife and daughter, who also do not deny themselves anything.
But after the climax, when the hero suffers sudden death, everything changes dramatically. The hotel owner does not even allow the gentleman’s corpse to be placed in his room, having allocated the cheapest and most inconspicuous one for this purpose. There is not even a decent coffin in which to place the gentleman, and he is placed in an ordinary box, which is a container for some kind of food. On the ship, where the gentleman was blissfully on deck among high society, his place is only in the dark hold.
Main characters
Genre
“Mr. from San Francisco” can be briefly described as genre story ah, but this story is filled with deep philosophical content, and differs from other Bunin works. Usually, Bunin's stories contain descriptions of nature and natural phenomena that are striking in their liveliness and realism.
In the same work there is main character, around which the conflict of this story is tied. Its content makes you think about the problems of society, about its degradation, which has turned into a soulless, mercantile being who worships only one idol - money, and has renounced everything spiritual.
The whole story is subordinated philosophical direction, and in plot-wise- This is an instructive parable that gives a lesson to the reader. The injustice of a class society, where the lower part of the population languishes in poverty, and the cream of high society waste their lives senselessly, all this, in the end, leads to a single ending, and in the face of death everyone is equal, both poor and rich, it cannot be bought off by any money.
Bunin's story "Mr. from San Francisco" is rightfully considered one of the most outstanding works in his work.
Work test
Rating analysis
Average rating: 4.6. Total ratings received: 755.
The story "Mr. from San Francisco", the meaning of the title of which is explained in this article, is one of the most famous works Ivan Bunin. This is a kind of parable that talks about the meaninglessness of wealth and fame before the inevitability of death. Key idea works - a person’s comprehension of the essence of his being, awareness of how fragile life is, how insignificant it is if it lacks beauty and authenticity.
Meaning of the name
The story "Mr. from San Francisco", the meaning of the title of which is revealed in this article, was first published in 1915.
The main feature of this work is that the author did not give a name to the main character. Even in the title he is simply referred to as the gentleman from San Francisco. This is the meaning of the title of the work.
This gentleman was a representative of the false, boring and monotonous so-called high society. The author despised similar people, the social circle to which they considered themselves, for callousness and belief in permissiveness at the expense of money, fake relationships, love of convenience. Because of all this, Bunin did not even give a name to his hero, emphasizing this in the title. This is the meaning of the title "Mr. from San Francisco."
Plot of the story
Without ever naming the main character by name in the story, the author emphasizes his attitude towards him, noting that no one remembered his name either in Capri or in Naples, where he stayed. Together with his family (wife and daughter), he goes to the Old World. Bunin in “Mr. from San Francisco” writes that the heroes only intended to have fun and move from place to place for two whole years. The gentleman has worked a lot over the past few years, and now he can afford such a vacation.
The family is sailing on huge ship- "Atlantis". It looks more like a luxury hotel, which has everything you need for a comfortable trip.
Life on the ship in Bunin's story "Mr. from San Francisco" flows very measuredly. Passengers drink chocolate in the morning, then go take baths, do gymnastics, and sedately walk along the decks filled with people equally happy with life. All this is to work up an appetite. Only after exercising in the fresh air do they go for their first breakfast.
After eating, they read the latest newspapers while waiting for the second breakfast. Then two hours are devoted to rest. For this purpose, comfortable reed chairs are installed on the decks, on which you can comfortably lounge, covered with a blanket. Here travelers spend time until lunch, admiring the cloudless sky.
In the afternoon, a small snack - tea with cookies. Dinner in the evening. For vacationers on Atlantis, this is, one might say, main goal existence.
An orchestra plays in the huge hall where the rich spend every evening. And at this time the ocean is roaring outside the walls. But these men in tuxedos and women in low-cut evening dresses don’t even remember him. Every evening after dinner, dancing begins in the hall.
Sedate men go to the bar, where they drink liqueurs and cocktails. They are served by blacks in the obligatory red camisoles.
Old Lady Europe
The ship's first major stop occurs in Naples. In this city, the family of a gentleman from San Francisco is accommodated in a fashionable hotel. But their daily routine remains virtually unchanged. Early in the morning breakfast, in the afternoon cultural program - visiting museums and temples. Then second breakfast, afternoon tea and then preparation for evening dinner. A hearty lunch is the icing on the cake of every day.
The only thing that spoils the impression is the weather in Naples. The characters from "Mr. from San Francisco" arrive in December. At this time of year there is constant bad weather - strong winds, sometimes torrential rain, mud underfoot. Therefore, the family decides to move to the island of Capri. Everyone around them assures them that they will feel like they are in heaven. The family will be surrounded only by sun, warmth and blooming lemons.
Americans in Capri
The heroes of "Mr. from San Francisco" move to the island. They are sailing on a small boat. On the way, they suffer from seasickness, as the ship sways violently in the waves.
But here they are on the shore. The funicular takes them to a miniature town located at the top of the mountain. They check into a hotel where they are greeted by friendly staff. And they immediately begin to prepare for dinner.
The main character gets dressed before his loved ones and goes alone to a cozy hotel reading room, where he gets acquainted with the latest press. He begins to read, but suddenly the lines begin to jump in front of him. The gentleman, writhing with his whole body, slides to the floor. A guest nearby calls for help, everyone is worried. The hotel owner tries to reassure the guests, but all in vain. The evening is already ruined.
Death
The gentleman from San Francisco is put in the cheapest and smallest room. His wife and daughter stand nearby in horror. What they feared most happens - he dies.
The main character's wife wants to move the body to her apartment. But the owner is against it. He values these rooms too much and is afraid that guests will avoid staying with him if they find out that there was a corpse there. After all, Capri is a small island, and everyone will know about it right away. Getting the coffin is also problematic; we can only find a long box that used to contain bottles of soda water.
Way back
The family of the gentleman from San Francisco sets off on the return journey. On the same "Atlantis" on which they sailed here, they go home.
But now the dead are carried in a coffin, which is hidden from others in the hold. And on the decks at this time the usual measured life continues. Everyone is having breakfast, preparing for their evening dinner, and still admiring the ocean outside the window.
Story Analysis
The analysis of "Mr. from San Francisco" should begin with deciding on the intent of the story. It opens up when the family ends up in Capri. This is where Bunin’s philosophical plan becomes clear.
After the death of the main character, a paradoxical thing happens. He is taken to the dirtiest and most disgusting room in the hotel, and the body is sent on a ship in a bottle box so that as few guests as possible will know about the tragedy.
This is the main theme of "Mr. from San Francisco." After death, wealth, fame and honor become completely unimportant. So the author clearly demonstrates the essence of human existence. Money and respect, which were so important during life, become completely useless after death.
Bunin also uses symbolic contrast when describing representatives of the bourgeoisie and poor people. In the analysis of "Mr. from San Francisco" it is worth noting that the images ordinary people The author's images are lively, real and attractive. But he describes the rich with undisguised disdain.
The problem with “Mr. from San Francisco” is also that luxury and money do not in the least protect a person from real life. People who care only about their wallet, according to Bunin, are doomed to moral baseness.
The main short story writer in Russian literature is Ivan Bunin. The work “Mr. from San Francisco,” the meaning of which is analyzed by high school students in a literature lesson, is a brilliant example of short prose filled with symbols and allusions.
What is this story about? About an American who once died while traveling through the Old World. The philosophical meaning of the work "Mr. from San Francisco" is quite deep. With the next reading, more and more new details are discovered. The article presents the most complete analysis of the story of the great Russian classic.
When was the work created?
Bunin wrote the novella in 1915. This is very important to mention when artistic analysis. IN late XIX century or in the middle of the 20th century, the story would not have caused such a resonance. After all, the meaning of the work “Mr. from San Francisco” fully corresponds to the spirit of the times. That calm, peaceful Europe no longer exists. There is an atmosphere of impending disaster in the world.
You can feel the mood of the first years of the war by reading the work “The Gentleman from San Francisco.” The meaning of the work is contained somewhere between the lines. But the fact that Bunin wrote a story on a topical topic does not at all detract from its relevance.
From the history of writing
In the summer of 1915, Ivan Bunin saw Thomas Mann's book "Death in Venice" in a bookstore. He didn’t know what the German writer’s short story was about, but its title inspired him. Around the same time, Bunin learned from the newspapers about the sudden death of a wealthy American at the Kwisisana Hotel. Then the Russian writer had the idea to create a short but vivid story about a man who died during a trip to Europe. Bunin initially wanted to call this work “Death on Capri.” But he changed his mind only after writing the first three words - “Mr. from San Francisco.”
The meaning of Thomas Mann's work has nothing in common with the main philosophical idea Bunin's short stories. The story "Death in Venice" is about an elderly man who is an adherent of same-sex love. Bunin read Mann’s book only at the end of autumn and called it very unpleasant.
The meaning of the work "Mr. from San Francisco" is accessible to a teenager. No wonder the story is included in school curriculum. Upon careful reading, you will notice that it is filled with forebodings of a tragedy on a European scale. The work was created a year after the outbreak of the First World War and two years before February Revolution in Russia - an event that influenced the course of world history.
Nameless Hero
What is the meaning of the title of the work "Mr. from San Francisco"? The main character is an American whose name no one remembers either in Capri or Naples. And this, perhaps, is the entire characterization of the character that Bunin gives. No one is interested in the billionaire from San Francisco. No one remembered his name, because this man was unremarkable. Only his money and position in society are of interest. But these categories are illusory. As soon as an American dies, he is immediately forgotten.
Simplicity and clarity - these are the characteristic features of the story. And perhaps this is why the philosophical meaning of the work “The Gentleman from San Francisco” has aroused interest among readers for a century. The story evoked admiring reviews from the writer's contemporaries. It is still read today. The essence of the work “Mr. from San Francisco” was also interpreted by Soviet critics in their own way. After all, who is the main character of the story? An American capitalist who spent his entire life saving, robbing and exploiting the Chinese. For which he was punished with a sudden, absurd death.
Lies and pretense
The main character worked hard and finally saved up for a trip to Europe. He is traveling on a luxury liner with his wife and daughter, intended for people of high society. This liner is easily recognizable as the Titanic. Everything on the ship breathes pretense. It is worth recalling, for example, two characters to whom few readers pay attention. A beautiful couple is dancing on the deck. There is sincere happiness in their eyes. Nobody knows that these are just hired actors playing love for big money. They have been sailing on one or another liner for a long time.
"Titanic"
Analyzing the philosophical meaning of Bunin's "Mr. from San Francisco", it is worth remembering tragic fate the famous Titanic. You should also pay attention to the name of the ship on which the main character is sailing. Atlantis is an island-state that has sunk under water. Titans are mythical creatures who dared to oppose themselves to the gods. Zeus severely punished them for their insolence and self-confidence.
For Alexander Blok, the liner that sank in 1914 symbolized global vulgarity. In his diary, the poet mentions the disaster even with some gloating. Bunin's work is filled with forebodings and tells the story of the tragedy not only of an individual, but of all of Europe. However, there is no schadenfreude in the story. Rather, it is pity for both the main character and the secondary characters.
The main symbol in the story
The steamboat in the work of Ivan Bunin is a symbol of the naive and stupid self-confidence of a man of civilization. The main character, being a wealthy man, is convinced that further events in his life depend only on him. The creators of the huge liner - an example of a high technical achievement of the early 20th century - are confident that the giant machine is capable of withstanding ocean storms.
The gentleman from San Francisco does not have time to realize his mistake. The creators of the Titanic realized it, but too late. Western civilization at the beginning of the 20th century was on the brink of an abyss - this, perhaps, is the meaning of the story of the Russian writer. More than a hundred years have passed since the work was published, but little has changed. “The Mister from San Francisco” is still relevant today.
Death on Capri
Against the backdrop of the stormy ocean, the shine of the liner is pitiful, the ticket for which costs a fortune. The ship, heavily overcome by storms and storms, finally arrives in Europe. There, in Italy, a nameless American, before whom all the servants slavishly bowed, suddenly dies.
After death, an American turns from a respected rich man into a burdensome body. He is taken to the farthest and cheapest room as quickly as possible. As for the daughter and wife, they now cause irritation and contempt among those around them - not at all pity and sympathy. The hotel guests paid a lot of money for rest and entertainment, and the sudden death annoyed them.
Meanwhile, on the ship, life continues, full of falsehood. The author, it would seem, should have felt only hostility towards his hero. Bunin despised wealth and could not feel sorry for the powerful capitalist. But the people surrounding the gentleman from San Francisco were much more unpleasant to him. Are they better than him? They were and remain slaves, groveling before wealth - and this is the most terrible thing. Bunin feels pity for the American, whose only fault is that he suddenly died. The writer feels sorry for the liner, doomed to destruction.
Conclusion
Ivan Bunin spoke about an event that occurred at the height of the First World War. But people at all times, regardless of nationality, have something in common. The story discussed in today's article describes a certain type of people. This is a kind of mini-novel about those who seem to have access to all the blessings and joys of the world. However, the life of a society that enjoys all the benefits of civilization, according to the writer, is full of the unreal and artificial. There is no place in it for manifestations of individuality, since each representative of this false world lives according to a scheme, strives to correspond to his position.
The hero of Ivan Bunin’s story never had time to enjoy the beauty of Italian landscapes in his 58 years. Money destroyed his ability to see beauty. “Do not accumulate wealth on Earth,” this quote from the Bible is the main philosophical idea of the work.
Symbolism and existential meaning of the story
"Mr. from San Francisco"
In the last lesson, we got acquainted with the work of Ivan Alekseevich Bunin and began to analyze one of his stories “Mr. from San Francisco.” We talked about the composition of the story, discussed the system of images, and talked about the poetics of Bunin's word. Today in the lesson we will have to determine the role of details in the story, note the images and symbols, formulate the theme and idea of the work and come to Bunin’s understanding of human existence.
· Let's talk about the details in the story. What details did you see; Which of them seemed symbolic to you?
· First, let’s remember the concept of “detail”.
Detail – particularly significant highlighted element artistic image, an expressive detail in a work that carries a semantic and ideological and emotional load.
1. Already in the first phrase there is a certain irony towards Mr.: “no one remembered his name either in Naples or Capri,” thereby the author emphasizes that Mr. is just a person.
2. The gentleman from S-F is himself a symbol - he is a collective image of all the bourgeois of that time.
3. The absence of a name is a symbol of facelessness, the inner lack of spirituality of the hero.
4. The image of the steamship “Atlantis” is a symbol of society with its hierarchy: the idle aristocracy of which is contrasted with the people who control the movement of the ship, working hard at the “gigantic” firebox, which the author calls the ninth circle of hell.
5. The images of ordinary residents of Capri are alive and real, and thereby the writer emphasizes that the external well-being of the rich strata of society means nothing in the ocean of our life, that their wealth and luxury are not protection from the flow of real, real life, that such people are doomed from the very beginning to moral baseness and dead life.
6. The very image of the ship is a shell of an idle life, and the ocean is the rest of the world, raging, changing, but in no way touching our hero.
7. The name of the ship - “Atlantis” (What is associated with the word “Atlantis”? - lost civilization) contains a premonition of a disappearing civilization.
8. Does the description of the ship evoke any other associations for you? The description is similar to the Titanic, which reinforces the idea that a mechanized society is doomed to a sad outcome.
9. Still, there is a bright beginning in the story. The beauty of the sky and mountains, which seems to merge with the images of the peasants, nevertheless affirms that there is something true, real in life, which is not subject to money.
10. Siren and music are also a symbol skillfully used by the writer; in this case, the siren is world chaos, and music is harmony and peace.
11. The image of the ship captain, whom the author compares with a pagan god at the beginning and end of the story, is symbolic. By appearance this man really looks like an idol: red-haired, monstrously large and heavy, in a naval uniform with wide gold stripes. He, as befits God, lives in the captain's cabin - highest point ship, where passengers are prohibited from entering, he is rarely shown in public, but the passengers unconditionally believe in his power and knowledge. And the captain himself, being after all a man, feels very insecure in the raging ocean and relies on the telegraph apparatus standing in the next cabin-radio room.
12. The writer ends the story with a symbolic picture. The steamer, in the hold of which a former millionaire lies in a coffin, sails through the darkness and blizzard in the ocean, and the Devil, “as huge as a cliff,” watches him from the rocks of Gibraltar. It was he who got the soul of the gentleman from San Francisco, it is he who owns the souls of the rich (pp. 368-369).
13. gold fillings of the gentleman from San Francisco
14. his daughter - with “the most delicate pink pimples near the lips and between the shoulder blades”, dressed with innocent frankness
15. Negro servants “with whites like flaky hard-boiled eggs”
16. color details: Mr. was smoking until his face was crimson red, the stokers were crimson from the flames, the red jackets of the musicians and the black crowd of lackeys.
17. The crown prince is all wood
18. The beauty has a tiny, bent, shabby dog
19. a pair of dancing “lovers” – a handsome man who looks like a huge leech
20. Luigi's respect is brought to the point of idiocy
21. The gong in the hotel on Capri sounds “loudly, as if in a pagan temple”
22. The old woman in the corridor, “stooped, but low-cut,” hurried forward “like a chicken.”
23. Mr. was lying on a cheap iron bed, a soda box became his coffin
24. From the very beginning of his journey, he is surrounded by a lot of details that foreshadow or remind him of death. First, he is going to go to Rome to listen to the Catholic prayer of repentance there (which is read before death), then the ship Atlantis, which is a dual symbol in the story: on the one hand, the ship symbolizes a new civilization, where power is determined by wealth and pride, therefore in the end, a ship, especially one with such a name, must sink. On the other hand, “Atlantis” is the personification of hell and heaven.
· What role do numerous details play in the story?
· How does Bunin paint a portrait of his hero? What feeling does the reader have and why?
(“Dry, short, poorly cut, but tightly sewn... There was something Mongolian in his yellowish face with a trimmed silver mustache, his large teeth glittered with gold fillings, his strong bald head was like old bone...” This is portrait description lifeless; it evokes a feeling of disgust, since we have before us some kind of physiological description. The tragedy has not yet arrived, but it is already felt in these lines).
Ironic, Bunin ridicules all the vices of the bourgeois image life through the collective image of the gentleman, numerous details - the emotional characteristics of the characters.
· You may have noticed that the work emphasizes time and space. Why do you think the plot develops during the journey?
The road is a symbol of the path of life.
· How does the hero relate to time? How did the gentleman plan his trip?
when describing the world around us from the point of view of the gentleman from San Francisco, time is indicated precisely and clearly; in a word, the time is specific. The days on the ship and in the Neapolitan hotel are planned by the hour.
· In which fragments of the text does the action develop rapidly, and in which plot time seems to stop?
The count of time goes unnoticed when the author talks about a real, full life: a panorama of the Bay of Naples, a sketch of a street market, colorful images of the boatman Lorenzo, two Abruzzese highlanders and - most importantly - a description of a “joyful, beautiful, sunny” country. And time seems to stop when the story begins about the measured, planned life of a gentleman from San Francisco.
· When is the first time a writer calls a hero something other than master?
(On the way to the island of Capri. When nature defeats him, he feels old man: “And the gentleman from San Francisco, feeling as he should have - a very old man - was already thinking with melancholy and anger about all these greedy, garlic-smelling little people called Italians...” It was now that feelings awakened in him: “melancholy and anger", "despair". And again the detail arises - “enjoyment of life”!)
· What do they mean New World and the Old World (why not America and Europe)?
The phrase “Old World” appears already in the first paragraph, when the purpose of the gentleman’s trip from San Francisco is described: “solely for fun.” And, emphasizing the circular composition of the story, it also appears at the end - in combination with the “New World”. The New World, which gave birth to the type of people who consume culture “solely for the sake of entertainment”, the “Old World” is living people (Lorenzo, highlanders, etc.). The New World and the Old World are two facets of humanity, where there is a difference between isolation from historical roots and a living sense of history, between civilization and culture.
· Why do the events take place in December (Christmas Eve)?
this is the relationship between birth and death, moreover, the birth of the Savior of the old world and the death of one of the representatives of the artificial new world, and the coexistence of two time lines - mechanical and genuine.
· Why did the man from San Francisco die in Capri, Italy?
All people, regardless of their financial situation, are equal in the face of death. A rich man who decides to get all the pleasures at once “just starting to live” at 58 years old (!), suddenly dies.
· How does the death of an old man make others feel? How do others behave towards the master’s wife and daughter?
His death does not cause sympathy, but a terrible commotion. The hotel owner apologizes and promises to sort everything out quickly. Society is outraged that someone dared to ruin their vacation and remind them of death. They feel disgust and disgust towards their recent companion and his wife. The corpse in a rough box is quickly sent into the hold of the steamer. A rich man who considered himself important and significant, having turned into a dead body, is not needed by anyone.
The idea can be traced in the details, in the plot and composition, in the antithesis of false and true human existence (fake rich people are contrasted - a couple on a steamboat, the strongest image-symbol of the world of consumption, love plays, these are hired lovers - and the real inhabitants of Capri, mostly poor).
The idea is that human life is fragile, everyone is equal in the face of death. Expresses through a description the attitude of others towards the living Mr. and towards him after death. The gentleman thought that money gave him an advantage. "He was sure that he had every right for rest, for pleasure, for a journey that was excellent in all respects... firstly, he was rich, and secondly, he had just started life.”
· Did our hero live a full life before this journey? What did he devote his whole life to?
Until that moment, Mr. had not lived, but existed, i.e., his entire conscious life was devoted to “comparing himself with those whom Mr. took as a model.” All the gentleman’s beliefs turned out to be wrong.
· Pay attention to the ending: it is the hired couple that is highlighted here - why?
After the death of the master, nothing has changed, all the rich also continue to live their mechanized lives, and the “couple in love” also continues to play love for money.
· Can we call the story a parable? What is a parable?
Parable – a short edifying story in an allegorical form, containing a moral lesson.
· So, can we call the story a parable?
We can, because it tells about the insignificance of wealth and power in the face of death and the triumph of nature, love, sincerity (images of Lorenzo, Abruzzese highlanders).
· Can man resist nature? Can he plan everything like the gentleman from S-F?
Man is mortal (“suddenly mortal” - Woland), therefore man cannot resist nature. All technological advances do not save people from death. This is it perennial philosophy and the tragedy of life: a person is born to die.
· What does the parable story teach us?
“Mr. from...” teaches us to enjoy life, and not to be internally unspiritual, not to succumb to a mechanized society.
Bunin's story has an existential meaning. (Existential - associated with being, human existence.) The center of the story is questions of life and death.
· What can resist non-existence?
Genuine human existence, which is shown by the writer in the image of Lorenzo and the Abruzzese highlanders (fragment from the words “Only the market traded in a small square...367-368”).
· What conclusions can we draw from this episode? What 2 sides of the coin does the author show us?
Lorenzo is poor, the Abruzzese mountaineers are poor, singing the glory of the greatest poor in the history of mankind - Our Lady and Savior, who was born “in poor shepherd's shelter." “Atlantis”, a civilization of the rich, which is trying to overcome the darkness, the ocean, the blizzard, is an existential delusion of humanity, a diabolical delusion.
After finishing reading Budin’s story about the gentleman from San Francisco, for some time I was perplexed by the feelings and emotions that overwhelmed me.
In his story, the author, in the subtext, between the lines, puts forward one question: “What is the meaning of life?” Using the example of one man who worked all his life and accumulated his capital, Bunin shows us his life, but does it make sense?
When he earned the necessary and sufficient amount of money, he decided to relax, unwind and visit glorious and famous places in the world. He turned into a rich man, and with this transformation his human qualities began to disappear.
Bunin shows us two worlds. One is filled with rich people, the same moneybags as the main character. They travel, spend money on luxury, and allow themselves everything they want.
There is also a second world in which servants and lackeys live. They create comfort and coziness for the rich, they serve them, serve them and carry out all their orders.
According to the main character, these are not people at all, these are luxury goods. The gentleman from San Francisco lives in the best hotel, in the best room. He is rich and knows no difficulties. And then suddenly something happens that no one expected. While reading the newspaper as usual, the rich man dies. Instantly, he turns from a high-ranking person into an ordinary dead man. This is where his luxury ends. Now, he is being delivered back to hometown no longer in the best room. It is secretly transported in boxes and kept on the liner in the hold of the ship. This is the end of such a glorious, rich life.
What was the point of it? The pursuit of money and wealth, fussiness and the search for entertainment - that was the main thing in the life of the Master from San Francisco. No wealth, no amount of money will save us from death. We are all mortal. Therefore, after reading the story, everyone should think about their meaning in life and make it worthy.
