A brief retelling of the story in a bad society. In a bad society, a chapter-by-chapter summary

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"In a Bad Society" is a story by the Russian writer of Ukrainian origin Vladimir Korolenko, which first appeared in 1885 in the tenth issue of the "Mysl" magazine. Later the work was included in the collection "Essays and Stories". This work, small in volume, but significant in semantic load, can undoubtedly be considered one of the best in the creative heritage of the famous writer and human rights activist.

Plot

The story is written on behalf of a six-year-old boy Vasya, the son of a judge in the city of Knyazhye-Veno. The child's mother died early, leaving them with their younger sister Sonia, half orphans. After the loss, the father moved away from his son, concentrating all his love and affection on his little daughter. Such circumstances could not pass without leaving a trace in Vasya's soul: the boy seeks understanding and warmth, and unexpectedly finds them in a "bad society", making friends with the children of the tramp and thief Tyburtsia Draba Valik and Marusya.

Fate brought the children together completely unexpectedly, but Vasya's affection for Valik and Marusa turned out to be so strong that neither the unexpected news that his new friends were vagabonds and thieves, nor the acquaintance with their formidable father at first glance, did not prevent her. Six-year-old Vasya does not miss the opportunity to see his friends, and the love for his sister Sonia, with whom the nanny does not allow him to play, transfers to little Marusya.

Another shock that agitated the child was the news that little Marusya was seriously ill: some "gray stone" was taking away her strength. The reader understands what kind of gray stone it can be, and what a terrible disease often accompanies poverty, but for the mind of a six-year-old child, who takes everything literally, a gray stone appears in the image of a cave where children live, so he tries to pull them out as often as possible. air. Of course, it doesn't help much. The girl becomes weak before our eyes, and Vasya and Valik are trying to somehow bring a smile on her pale face.

The culmination of the story is the story of the doll, which Vasya asked his sister Sonya to please Marusya. A beautiful doll, which is a gift from a deceased mother, is not able to cure the baby, but it brings her short-term joy.

In the house, they notice the disappearance of the doll, the father does not let Vasya out of the house, demanding an explanation, but the boy does not break the word given to Valik and Tyburtsy, and does not tell anything about the vagrants. At the moment of the most tense conversation, Tyburtiy appears in the judge's house with a doll in his hands and the news that Marusya is dead. This tragic news softens Vasya's father, and shows him from a completely different side: as a sensitive and sympathetic person. He lets his son go to ask Marusya, and the nature of their communication after this story changes.

Even being the eldest, Vasya does not forget about his little friend, who lived only four years, or about Valik, who, after the death of Marusya, suddenly disappeared along with Tyburtsiy. She and her sister Sonya regularly visit the grave of a little blonde girl who loved to pick flowers.

Characteristics of the characters

Speaking about the heroes who appear before us on the pages of the story, first of all it is worth, of course, to focus on the image of the narrator, because all events are presented through the prism of his perception. Vasya is a six-year-old child, on whose shoulders a burden that is too heavy for this age has fallen: the death of his mother.

Those few fond memories of the boy's dearest person make it clear that the boy loved his mother very much and suffered the loss hard. Another test for him was the alienation of his father and the inability to play with his sister. The child gets lost, gets to know the vagabonds, but in this society he remains himself: every time he tries to bring Valik and Marusa something tasty, perceives Marusya as his own sister, and Valik as a brother. Neither is this very young boy devoid of fortitude and honor: he does not break under the pressure of his father and does not break his word. Another positive feature that complements the artistic portrait of our hero is that he did not secretly take the doll from Sonya, did not steal it, did not take it by force: Vasya told his sister about poor patient Marusa, and Sonya herself allowed him to take the doll.

Valik and Marusya in the story appear before us as real children of the dungeon (by the way, V. Korolenko himself did not like the shortened version of his story of the same name).

These children did not deserve the fate prepared for them by fate, and take everything with adult seriousness, and, at the same time, childish simplicity. That which in Vasya's understanding is designated as “bad” (the same theft), for Valik is a common everyday affair, which he has to go to so that his sister is not hungry.

The example of children shows us that for true sincere friendship, origin, material condition and other external factors are not important. It is important to remain human.

The fathers of the children are the opposite in the story.

Tyburtium - a beggar thief whose origins are legendary. A man who combines education and a peasant not aristocratic appearance. Despite this, he loves Valik and Marusya very much and allows Vasya to come to his children.

Vasya's father - a respected person in the city, known not only for the nature of his occupation, but also for his justice. At the same time, he closes himself off from his son, and often the thought flashes in Vasya's head that his father does not love him at all. The relationship between father and son changes after the death of Marusya.

It is also worth noting that the prototype of Vasya's father in the story was the father of Vladimir Korolenko: Galaktion Afanasyevich Korolenko was a closed and stern man, but at the same time incorruptible and fair. This is exactly what the hero of the story "In a Bad Society" is.

A separate place in the story is given to vagabonds, who are headed by Tyburtius.

Professor, Lavrovsky, Turkevich - these characters are not the main ones, but they fulfill an important role for the decoration of the story: they give a picture of a vagrant society, into which Vasya falls. By the way, these characters evoke pity: the portrait of each of them shows that every person, broken by a life situation, can slide into vagrancy and theft. These characters do not cause negative feelings: the author wants the reader to sympathize with them.

Two places are vividly described in the story: the city of Knyazhye-Veno, the prototype of which was Rivne, and the old castle, which became a haven for the poor. The prototype of the castle was made by the palace of princes Lubomirsky in the city of Rivne, which in the days of Korolenko really served as a haven for beggars and vagabonds. The city with its inhabitants appears in the story as a gray and boring picture. The main architectural decoration of the city is the prison - and even this small detail gives a clear description of the place: there is nothing remarkable in the city.

Conclusion

“In a Bad Society” is a short story that presents us with just a few episodes from the lives of the heroes, just one tragedy of a broken life, but so vivid and vital that it touches the invisible strings of the soul of every reader. Without a doubt, this story by Vladimir Korolenko is worth reading and experiencing.

"In a Bad Society" - the well-known story of V.G. Korolenko, also known under another name - "Children of the Underground". The work was written on behalf of Vasya, a seven-year-old boy, who talks about his life, impressions and experiences received during communication with people from a "bad society" with whom he made friends and who sincerely fell in love.

Vasya was not a bad boy.

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His mother died early, and his father was so absorbed in grief that he stopped paying attention to his son. It even seemed to the boy that his father had completely ceased to love him. Therefore, Vasya wanted to run away from home,

Every morning he left the house a little light, so as not to meet with his father. Households have long been accustomed to the constant absence of the boy and began to call him a vagabond and a wretch. The father, too, got used to this idea and the other no longer imagined his son. And Vasya suffered from the fact that he was lonely, he loved his sister very much, but he was not allowed to see her. It seemed to Vasya that he would find salvation from loneliness on the street. And he went out there on the street. And this road was able to lead him to goodness and truth.

The boy met in the old chapel with two children - Valek and Marusya. This acquaintance had a great influence on the rest of the hero's life. Vasya was filled with love for these unfortunate children. He loved to talk to Valek, who resembled an adult with his solidity and respectful manner. Marusya was a sad, weak girl who, although she was the same age as his sister Sonya, was so different from her playful and plump sister. The boy brought gifts to Marusa, tried to please her. Vasya was sincerely sorry for the girl, from whom the gray stone was sucking the life. New friends helped Vasya to learn about those aspects of life that had been hidden from him before. When he found out that Valek and his father Tyburtsy had to steal in order to survive, not to die of hunger, he cried all night.

The children of the dungeon made Vasya take a different look at the world... He also looked at his father in a new way, having heard from Valek and Tyburtsiy that they consider his father the best man in the city, since he does not see the difference between rich and poor. Marusya taught Vasya patience and compassion. She quickly got tired of the boy's funny games and began to cry. And Vasya was painfully sorry for the girl. The Tyburtsia family became dear to our hero. He promised that he would not say a word to anyone about his friends. And he kept his word. When Marusya was sick, Vasya asked Sonia's sister for a doll, given to her by her mother, the only reminder of her. He took this doll to Marusa, for whom the toy became the last ray of joy in her short life... But the boy took the doll from the house without the permission of the adults, which made his father very angry. However, Vasya did not admit why he took the doll, even under the stern look of his father. The father learned the whole story from Tyburtius and realized that his son was a kind and sympathetic boy, and not at all a vagabond and a thief.

Vasya has come a long way to goodness and truth. Thanks to his friendship with people from the "bad society", he became a kind and generous person who knows how to deeply feel and compassion.

Updated: 2012-05-24

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"In a bad society" by chapters

Chapter 1. Ruins.
The first chapter tells the story of the ruins of an old castle and a chapel on an island near Knyazh-town where he lived the main character, a boy named Vasya. His mother died when the boy was only six years old. The grief-stricken father paid no attention to his son. He only occasionally caressed Vasya's younger sister, because she looked like a mother. And Vasya was left to himself. He spent most of his time on the street. The ruins of the old castle attracted him with their secret, as they told terrible stories about him.

This castle belonged to a wealthy Polish landowner. But the clan became impoverished, and the castle fell into desolation. Time destroyed him. It was said about the castle that it stands on the bones of the captured Turks who built it. An abandoned Uniate chapel was located not far from the castle. In it, the townspeople and residents of neighboring villages used to gather for prayer. Now the chapel was falling apart just like the castle. For a long time, the ruins of the castle served as a haven for poor people who came there in search of a roof over their heads, because it was possible to live here for free. The phrase "Lives in the castle!" denoted the extreme need of an impoverished person.

But the time came, and changes began in the castle. Janusz, who had served the old count, the owner of the castle, for a long time, managed in some way to procure a so-called so-called sovereign charter. He began to manage the ruins and made transformations there. That is, old men and women, Catholics remained in the castle, they expelled everyone who was not a “good Christian”. The screams and screams of the people chased away raced across the island. Vasya, who watched these changes, was struck to the depths of his soul by human cruelty. Since then, the ruins have lost their attraction for him. Once Janusz led him to the ruins by the hand. But Vasya broke free and, bursting into tears, ran away.

Chapter 2. Problematic natures.
For several nights after the expulsion of the beggars from the castle, the city was very restless. Homeless people wandered through the streets of the city in the rain. And when spring fully came into its own, these people disappeared somewhere. At night there was no more barking of dogs, and no more knocking on fences. Life got back on track. The inhabitants of the castle began to go from house to house again for alms, as the locals believed that someone should receive alms on Saturdays.

But the beggars expelled from the castle did not find sympathy from the townspeople. They stopped wandering around the city at night. In the evening, these dark figures disappeared from the ruins of the chapel, and in the morning they crawled out from the same side. It was said in the city that there were dungeons in the chapel. It was there that the exiles settled. Appearing in the city, they called local residents indignation and hostility, as they differed in their behavior from the inhabitants of the castle. They did not ask for alms, but preferred to take what they needed themselves. For this, they were subjected to severe persecution if they were weak, or they themselves forced the townspeople to suffer if they were strong. They treated the townsfolk with contempt and waryness.

Among these people were remarkable personalities. For example, "professor". He suffered from idiocy. He was nicknamed "The Professor" because he was said to be once a tutor. He was harmless and meek, walked the streets and muttered something constantly. The townsfolk used this habit of his for entertainment. Stopping the "professor" with some question, they amused themselves with the fact that he could talk for hours without interruption. An inhabitant could fall asleep under this muttering, wake up, and the "professor" stood over him. And the "professor", for an unknown reason, was terribly afraid of any piercing and cutting objects. When the man in the street got tired of muttering, he shouted: "Knives, scissors, needles, pins!" The "professor" grabbed his chest, scratched it and said that they had hooked a hook to the heart, to the very heart. And hurriedly left.

The beggars expelled from the castle always stood for each other. When the mockery of the "professor" began, Pan Turkevich or bayonet-cadet Zausailov flew into the crowd of ordinary people. The latter was huge in stature with a blue-purple nose and bulging eyes. Zausailov has long been openly at war with the townsfolk. If he found himself next to the persecuted "professor", then his cries could be heard in the streets for a long time, because he rushed around the town, destroying everything that came to hand. Especially the Jews got it. The bayonet-junker organized Jewish pogroms.

The townsfolk also often amused themselves over the drunken former official Lavrovsky. In memory, everyone still had the time when Lavrovsky was addressed as "Pan scribe". And now he was a rather miserable sight. The fall of Lavrovsky began after the escape with the dragoon officer of the innkeeper's daughter Anna, with whom the official was in love. Gradually he drank himself to death, and he could often be seen somewhere under a fence or in a puddle. He made himself comfortable, stretched out his legs and poured out his grief to the old fence or birch tree, that is, he talked about his youth, which was completely ruined.

Vasya and his comrades often witnessed the revelations of Lavrovsky, who accused himself of various crimes. He said that he killed his father, killed his mother and sisters and brothers. The children believed his words, and were surprised only that Lavrovsky had several fathers, since he pierced the heart of one with a sword, poisoned another with poison, and drowned the third in the abyss. Adults refuted these words, saying that the official's parents died of hunger and disease.

So, muttering, Lavrovsky fell asleep. Very often it was wet with rain, covered with dust. Several times he nearly froze to death under the snow. But he was always pulled out by the cheerful Pan Turkevich, who took care of the drunken official as best he could. Unlike the "professor" and Lavrovsky, Turkevich was not an unrequited victim of the townspeople. On the contrary, he called himself a general, and he forced everyone around him to call himself that. Therefore, he always walked importantly, his eyebrows were sternly frowned, and his fists were ready for a fight. The general was always drunk.

If there was no money for vodka, then Turkevich went to local officials. He went first of all to the house of the county court clerk and in front of a crowd of onlookers played a whole performance on some case known in the town, portraying both the plaintiff and the defendant. He knew the court proceedings very well, so soon the cook left the house and gave the general money. This happened at every house where Turkevich came with his retinue. He ended the trip at the house of the city governor Kots, whom he often called his father and benefactor. Here he was presented with a gift, or the name of the butar Mikita, who quickly controlled the general, carried him on his shoulder to the jail.

In addition to these people, many different dark personalities huddled in the chapel, engaged in petty theft. They were close-knit, and a certain Tyburtius Drab led them. Who he was and where he came from, no one knew. He was a tall man, stoop-shouldered, with large and expressive features. With a low forehead and a protruding lower jaw, he resembled a monkey. But Tyburtius's eyes were extraordinary: they sparkled from under overhanging eyebrows, shone with extraordinary intelligence and insight.

Everyone was amazed by the scholarship of Pan Tyburtia. He could read Cicero, Xenophon, Virgil by heart for hours. There were different rumors about the origin of Tyburtius and his education. But this remained a mystery. Another mystery was the appearance of Drab's children, a boy of seven and a girl of three. Valek (that was the name of the boy) sometimes wandered around the city idle, and the girl was seen only once, and no one knew where she was.

Chapter 3. Me and my father.
This chapter discusses the relationship between father and son. Old Janush often told Vasya that he was in a bad society, since he could be seen either in the retinue of General Turkevich, or among Drab's listeners. Since Vasya's mother died, and his father stopped paying attention to him, the boy has hardly been at home. He avoided meeting with his father, because his face was always stern. Therefore, early in the morning he left for the city, getting out of the window, and returned late in the evening, again through the window. If little sister Sonya was still awake, the boy would sneak into her room and play with her.

Vasya left the city early in the morning. He loved to watch the awakening of nature, wandered in a country grove, near the city prison. When the sun rose, he went home, as hunger made itself felt. They called the boy a tramp, a worthless boy. The father believed in the same. He tried to raise his son, but all his attempts ended in failure. Seeing the stern face of his father with traces of great grief from loss, Vasya was shy, lowered his eyes and closed himself. If the father had fondled the boy, then everything would have been completely different. But the man looked at him with grief-fogged eyes.

Sometimes the father asked if Vasya remembered his mother. Yes, he remembered her. How he pressed against her hands at night, how she sat sick. And now he often woke up at night with a smile of happiness on his lips from love, which was crowded in a child's chest. He stretched out his arms to accept his mother's caresses, but recalled that she was no longer there, and cried bitterly from pain and grief. But the boy could not tell his father all this because of his constant gloom. And he only cringed even more.

The gap between father and son grew wider. The father decided that Vasya was completely spoiled and had a selfish heart. One day the boy saw his father in the garden. He walked along the alleys, and there was such anguish on his face that Vasya wanted to throw himself on his neck. But the father greeted his son sternly and coldly, asking only what he needed. From the age of six, Vasya learned the whole “horror of loneliness”. He loved his sister very much, and she responded in kind. But as soon as they started playing, the old nanny took Sonya and took her to her room. And Vasya began to play with his sister less often. He became a vagabond.

For days he wandered around the city, watching the life of the townspeople. Sometimes some pictures of life made him stop with painful fright. Impressions fell on his soul as bright spots. When there were no unexplored places in the city, and the ruins of the castle lost their attractiveness for Vasya after the beggars were expelled from there, he often began to walk around the chapel, trying to find a human presence there. The idea came to him to inspect the chapel from the inside.

Chapter 4. I am acquiring a new acquaintance.
This chapter tells how Vasya met the children of Tyburtsia Drab. Gathering a team of three tomboys, he went to the chapel. The sun was setting. There was no one around. Silence. The boys were scared. The chapel door was boarded up. Vasya hoped to climb with the help of his comrades through a window that was high above the ground. First, he looked inside, hanging on the window frame. It seemed to him that there was a deep hole in front of him. There was no sign of the human presence. The second boy, who was tired of standing below, also hung on the window frame and looked into the chapel. Vasya invited him to go down to the room on his belt. But he refused. Then Vasya himself went down there, tying together two belts and hooking them over the window frame.

He was terrified. When there was a roar of fallen plaster and the sound of the wings of an awakened owl, and in a dark corner an object disappeared under the throne, Vasya's friends fled headlong, leaving him alone. Vasya's feelings could not be described to him, it seemed that he had come to the next world. Until he heard a quiet conversation between two children: one very small and the other Vasya's age. Soon a figure appeared from under the throne.

It was a dark-haired boy of about nine, slender in a dirty shirt, with dark curly hair. Vasya cheered up at the sight of the boy. He felt even calmer when he saw a girl with blond hair and blue eyes, who was also trying to get out of the hatch in the floor of the chapel. The boys were ready to fight, but the girl, having got out, went up to the dark-haired one and clung to him. This solved it all. The children met. Vasya learned that the boy's name was Valek, and the girl's name was Marusya. They are brother and sister. Vasya pulled apples out of his pocket and treated his new acquaintances.

Valek helped Vasya to get out back through the window, and he and Marusya left with another move. They saw off the uninvited guest, and Marusya asked if he would come again. Vasya promised to come. Valek allowed him to come only when the adults were not in the chapel. He also took a promise from Vasya not to tell anyone about a new acquaintance.

Chapter 5. Acquaintance continues.
This chapter tells how Vasya became more and more attached to his new acquaintances, visiting them every day. He wandered the streets of the city with only one purpose - to see if the adults left the chapel. As soon as he saw them in the city, he immediately went to the mountain. Valek met the boy with restraint. But Marusya joyfully splashed her hands at the sight of the presents that Vasya brought for her. Maroussia was very pale, small not for her age. She walked badly, staggering like a blade of grass. Thin, thin, she sometimes looked very sad, not childish. Vasya Marusya resembled a mother in last days disease.

The boy compared Marusya with his sister Sonya. They were the same age. But Sonya was a plump, very lively girl, always dressed in beautiful dresses. And Marusya almost never frolicked, she also laughed very rarely and quietly, like a silver bell ringing. Her dress was dirty and old, and her hair was never braided. But the hair was more luxurious than Sonya's.

At first, Vasya tried to stir up Marusya, started noisy games, involving Valek and Marusya in them. But the girl was afraid of such games and was ready to burst into tears. Her favorite pastime was to sit on the grass and sort out the flowers that Vasya and Valek picked for her. When Vasya asked why Marusya was like that, Valek replied that it was from a gray stone sucking life out of her. Tyburtius told them so. Vasya did not understand anything, but, looking at Marusya, he realized that Tyburtsy was right.

He began to behave more quietly around the children, and they could lie on the grass for hours and talk. Vasya learned from Valek that Tyburtius was their father and that he loved them. Talking with Valek, he began to look at his father differently, because he learned that everyone in the city respected him for his crystal honesty and justice. Filial pride awoke in the boy's soul, and at the same time bitterness from the knowledge that his father would never love him the way Tyburtius loves his children.

Chapter 6. Among the "gray stones".
In this chapter, Vasya learns that Valek and Marusya belong to a "bad society", they are beggars. For several days he could not go to the mountain, because he did not see any of the adult inhabitants of the chapel in the city. He wandered around the city, looking out for them and bored. One day he met Valek. He asked why he no longer comes. Vasya said the reason. The boy was delighted, because he decided that he was already bored with the new society. he invited Vasya to his place, and he himself lagged behind a little.

Valek caught up with Vasya only on the mountain. In his hand he held a loaf. He led the guest through the passage used by the inhabitants of the chapel, into the dungeon where these strange people lived. Vasya saw the "professor" and Marusya. The girl in the light reflected from the old tombs almost merged with the gray walls. Vasya remembered Valek's words about the stone sucking life out of Marusya. He gave the apples to Marusa, and Valek broke off a piece of bread for her. Vasya was uncomfortable in the dungeon, and he suggested Valek to take Marusya out of there.

When the children went upstairs, a conversation took place between the boys, which greatly shocked Vasya. The boy found out that Valek did not buy a roll, as he thought, but stole it, because he had no money to buy it. Vasya said that stealing is bad. But Valek objected that there were no adults, and Marusya was hungry. Vasya, who never knew what hunger was, looked at his friends in a new way. He said that Valek could tell him and he would bring a roll from home. But Valek objected that there was no food for all the beggars. Struck to the depths of his soul, Vasya left his friends, because he could not play with them that day. The realization that his friends were beggars caused a regret in the boy's soul that reached the level of heartache. He cried a lot at night.

Chapter 7 Pan Tyburtius appears on the stage.
This chapter tells how Vasya meets Pan Tyburtsiy. When the next day he came to the ruins, Valek said that he did not even hope to see him again. But Vasya resolutely replied that he would always come to them. The boys began making a sparrow trap. The thread was given to Marusa. She jerked it when, attracted by the grain, a sparrow flew into the trap. But soon the sky darkened, rain gathered, and the children went into the dungeon.

Here they started playing blind man's buff. Vasya was blindfolded, and he pretended that he could not catch Marusya until he bumped into someone's wet figure. It was Tyburtsiy, who lifted Vasya by the leg above his head and frightened him, terribly rotating his pupils. The boy tried to break free and demanded to let him go. Tyburtsiy asked Valek sternly what it was. But that had nothing to say. Finally, the man recognized the boy as the judge's son. He began to ask him how he got into the dungeon, how long he had come here, and to whom he had already told about them.

Vasya said that he had been visiting them for six days and had not told anyone about the dungeon and its inhabitants. Tyburtsiy praised him for this and allowed him to continue to come to his children. Then father and son began to cook dinner from the products Tyburtsi brought. At the same time, Vasya drew attention to the fact that Pan Drab was very tired. This became another of the revelations of life, which the boy learned a lot, communicating with the children of the underground.

During dinner, Vasya noticed that Valek and Marusya were greedily eating a meat dish. The girl even licked her greasy fingers. Apparently they didn't see such luxury very often. From the conversation between Tyburtsiy and the "professor" Vasya understood that the products were obtained dishonestly, that is, stolen. But hunger pushed these people to steal. Marusia confirmed her father's words that she was hungry, and meat is good.

Returning home, Vasya reflected on what he had learned about life. His friends are beggars, thieves who have no home. And these words are always associated with the contemptuous attitude of others. But at the same time, he was very sorry for Valek and Marusya. Therefore, his attachment to these poor children only intensified as a result of the "mental process." But the consciousness that it is not good to steal also remained.

In the garden, Vasya came across his father, whom he had always feared, and now, when he had a secret, he was even more afraid. When his father asked where he was, the boy lied for the first time in his life, saying that he was out for a walk. Vasya was frightened by the thought that his father would find out about his connection with "bad society" and forbid meeting with friends.

Chapter 8. Autumn.
This chapter says that with the approach of autumn, Marusya's disease worsened. Vasya could now freely come to the dungeon, without waiting for the adult inhabitants to leave. He soon became his own man among them. All the inhabitants of the dungeon occupied one larger room, and Tyburtius and his children took another smaller one. But this room had more sun and less dampness.

In the large room there was a workbench on which the inhabitants made various crafts. There were shavings and scraps on the floor. There was mud and disorder everywhere. Tyburtius sometimes forced the inhabitants to clean everything. Vasya did not often go into this room, since there was musty air and the gloomy Lavrovsky lived there. Once the boy watched as a drunken Lavrovsky was brought into the dungeon. His head dangled, his feet pounded on the steps, and tears ran down his cheeks. If on the street Vasya would have been amused by such a sight, then here, “behind the scenes,” the life of beggars without embellishment oppressed the boy.

In the fall, it became more difficult for Vasya to break out of the house. Coming to his friends, he noticed that Marusa was getting worse and worse. She lay more in bed. The girl became dear to Vasya, like her sister Sonya. Moreover, here no one grumbled at him, did not reproach him for depravity, and Marusya was still happy about the appearance of the boy. Valek hugged him like a brother, even Tyburtsy sometimes looked at all three with strange eyes, in which a tear shone.

When the weather was good again for several days, Vasya and Valek took Marusya upstairs every day. Here she seemed to come to life. But this did not last long. Clouds were gathering over Vasya too. Once he saw old Janusz talking about something with his father. From what he heard, Vasya understood that this concerns his friends from the dungeon, and maybe himself. Tyburtsiy, to whom the boy told about what he had heard, said that the judge is a very good man, he acts according to the law. Vasya, after the words of Pan Drab, saw his father as a formidable and strong hero. But this feeling was again mixed with bitterness from the knowledge that his father did not love him.

Chapter 9. Doll.
This chapter tells how Vasya brought his sister's doll to Marusa. The last fine days are over. Marusa felt worse. She no longer got out of bed, was indifferent. Vasya first brought her his toys. But they did not entertain her for long. Then he decided to ask Sonia's sister for help. She had a doll, a gift from her mother, with beautiful hair. The boy told Sonya about the sick girl and asked for a doll for a while for her. Sonya agreed.

The doll really had an amazing effect on Marusya. She seemed to come to life, hugging Vasya, laughing and talking to the doll. She got out of bed and took her little daughter around the room, sometimes she even ran. But the doll gave Vasya a lot of worries. When he was carrying her up the mountain, he met old Janusz. Then the missing of the doll was discovered by Sonya's nanny. The girl tried to calm her nanny, said that the doll had gone for a walk and would be back soon. Vasya expected that his act would soon be revealed, and then his father would find out everything. He already suspected something. Janusz came to see him again. Father forbade Vasya to leave the house.

On the fifth day, the boy managed to slip away even before his father woke up. He came to the dungeon and found out that Marusa got worse. She didn't recognize anyone. Vasya told Valek about his fears and the boys decided to take the doll from Marusya and return it to Sonya. But as soon as the doll was taken from under the sick girl's hand, she began to cry very softly, and an expression of such grief appeared on her face that Vasya immediately put the doll back in its place. He realized that he wanted to deprive his little friend of the only joy in life.

At home Vasya was met by his father, an angry nanny and a tear-stained Sonya. The father again forbade the boy to leave the house. For four days he languished in anticipation of imminent reckoning. And that day has come. He was summoned to his father's office. He was sitting in front of a portrait of his wife. Then he turned to his son and asked if he took the doll from his sister. Vasya admitted that he took her, that Sonya had given permission to do it. Then the father demanded to say where he took the doll. But the boy flatly refused to do it.

It is not known how all this would have ended, but then Tyburtius appeared in the office. He brought a doll, then asked the judge to come out with him to tell everything about the incident. the father was very surprised, but obeyed. They left, and Vasya was left alone in the office. When my father returned to the study, his face was confused. He put his hand on his son's shoulder. But now it was not the heavy hand that had gripped the boy's shoulder with force a few minutes ago. The father stroked his son on the head.

Tyburtsy put Vasya on his lap and told him to come to the dungeon, that his father would allow this, because Marusya died. Pan Drab left, and Vasya was surprised to see the changes that had taken place with his father. his gaze expressed love and kindness. Vasya realized that now his father would always look at him with such eyes. Then he asked his father to let him go up the mountain to say goodbye to Marusya. The father immediately agreed. And he also gave Vasya money for Tyburtsia, but not from the judge, but on behalf of him, Vasya.

Conclusion
After the funeral of Marusya, Tyburtsiy and Valek disappeared somewhere. The old chapel collapsed even more over time. And only one grave was still green every spring. This was the grave of Marusya. Vasya, his father and Sonya often visited her. Vasya and Sonya read there together, thought, shared their thoughts. Here they, leaving their hometown, made their vows.

In a bad society
Summary of the story
The hero's childhood took place in the small town of Knyazhye-Veno in the Southwestern Territory. Vasya - that was the name of the boy - was the son of a city judge. The child grew up “like a wild tree in a field”: the mother died when the son was only six years old, and the father, absorbed in his grief, paid little attention to the boy. Vasya wandered around the city all day, and the pictures of city life left a deep imprint on his soul.
The city was surrounded by ponds. In the middle of one of them on the island there was an ancient castle that belonged to

Once upon a time to the count's family. There were legends that the island was filled with captive Turks, and the castle stands "on the bones of men." The owners left this gloomy dwelling long ago, and it gradually collapsed. Its inhabitants were urban beggars who had no other refuge. But there was a split among the poor. Old Janusz, one of the former count's servants, received a certain right to decide who can live in the castle and who cannot. He left there only "aristocrats": Catholics and the former count's servants. The exiles found refuge in a dungeon under an old crypt near an abandoned Uniate chapel that stood on the mountain. However, nobody knew their whereabouts.
Old Janush, meeting Vasya, invites him to enter the castle, for there is now a “decent society” there. But the boy prefers the “bad society” of the exiles from the castle: Vasya pity them.
Many members of the “bad society” are well known in the city. This is a half-mad elderly “professor” who always mutters something quietly and sadly; the fierce and pugnacious bayonet-cadet Zausailov; drunken retired official Lavrovsky, telling everyone incredible tragic stories about his life. And Turkevich, who calls himself General, is famous for the fact that he “denounces” the respectable townspeople (the police chief, the secretary of the district court and others) right under their windows. He does this in order to get vodka, and he achieves his goal: the “exposed” hurry to buy off him.
The leader of the entire community of "dark personalities" is Tyburtsiy Drab. Its origin and past are unknown to anyone. Some suppose in him an aristocrat, but his appearance is common. He is known for his extraordinary learning. At the fairs, Tyburtius entertains the public with lengthy speeches from ancient authors. He is considered a sorcerer.
Once Vasya with three friends comes to the old chapel: he wants to look there. Friends help Vasya to get inside through a high window. But when they saw that there was someone else in the chapel, the friends flee in horror, leaving Vasya to fend for themselves. It turns out that Tyburtsia's children are there: nine-year-old Valek and four-year-old Marusya. Vasya often starts coming up the mountain to his new friends, bringing them apples from his garden. But he walks only when Tyburtius cannot find him. Vasya does not tell anyone about this acquaintance. He tells his cowardly friends that he has seen devils.
Vasya has a sister, four-year-old Sonya. She, like her brother, is a cheerful and playful child. Brother and sister love each other very much, but Sonya's nanny prevents their noisy games: she considers Vasya a bad, spoiled boy. The father adheres to the same view. He does not find a place in his soul for love for the boy. Father loves Sonya more, because she looks like her deceased mother.
Once in a conversation Valek and Marusya tell Vasya that Tyburtiy loves them very much. Vasya speaks of his father with resentment. But suddenly he learns from Valek that the judge is a very fair and honest person. Valek is a very serious and intelligent boy. Maroussia is not at all like the playful Sonya, she is weak, brooding, “sad”. Valek says that "the gray stone sucked the life out of her."
Vasya learns that Valek is stealing food for his hungry sister. This discovery makes a heavy impression on Vasya, but still he does not judge his friend.
Valek shows Vasya the dungeon where all the members of the “bad society” live. In the absence of adults, Vasya comes there, plays with his friends. During the game of blind man's buff, Tyburtiy unexpectedly appears. Children are frightened - after all, they are friends without the knowledge of the formidable head of the “bad society”. But Tyburtsiy allows Vasya to come, taking from him a promise not to tell anyone where they all live. Tyburtsiy brings food, prepares dinner - according to him, Vasya understands that the food is stolen. This, of course, confuses the boy, but he sees that Marusya is so happy with the food ... Now Vasya freely comes to the mountain, and the adult members of the “bad society” also get used to the boy, love him.
Autumn comes and Marusya falls ill. In order to somehow entertain the sick girl, Vasya decides to ask Sonya for a while for a large beautiful doll, a gift from his deceased mother. Sonya agrees. Marusia is delighted with the doll, and she even gets better.
Old Janusz comes to the judge several times with denunciations of members of the “bad society”. He says that Vasya communicates with them. The nanny notices the doll's absence. Vasya is not allowed out of the house, and after a few days he runs away secretly.
Marusa is getting worse. The inhabitants of the dungeon decide that the doll needs to be returned, and the girl will not notice it. But seeing that they want to take the doll away, Marusya cries bitterly ... Vasya leaves the doll for her.
And again Vasya is not allowed out of the house. The father is trying to get his son to confess where he went and where the doll went. Vasya admits that he took the doll, but no longer says anything. Father is angry ... And at the most critical moment Tyburtius appears. He is carrying a doll.
Tyburtsiy tells the judge about Vasya's friendship with his children. He is amazed. The father feels guilty towards Vasya. It was as if a wall had collapsed, separating father and son for a long time, and they felt like close people. Tyburtsiy says that Marusya is dead. Father lets Vasya say goodbye to her, while he passes through Vasya money for Tyburtsiy and a warning: the head of the “bad society” is better off hiding from the city.
Soon, almost all "dark personalities" disappear somewhere. Only the old “professor” and Turkevich remain, to whom the judge sometimes gives a job. Marusia was buried in the old cemetery near the collapsed chapel. Vasya and his sister are looking after her grave. Sometimes they come to the cemetery with their father. When the time comes for Vasya and Sonya to leave their hometown, they say their vows over this grave.

Read at once: Summary In a bad society - Korolenko Vladimir Galaktionovich

The story "Children of the Underground" by Korolenko (another name - "In a Bad Society") was written in 1885. The work was included in the first book of the writer "Essays and Stories". In the story "Children of the Underground" Korolenko touches upon the issues of compassion, empathy, nobility, reveals the themes of fathers and children, friendship, poverty, growing up and the formation of a personality that are significant for Russian literature.

main characters

Vasya - the judge's son, a six-year-old boy who has lost his mother. The narration is carried out on his behalf.

Outrigger - a homeless boy of about seven or nine years old, the son of Tyburtsia, the brother of Marusya.

Marusya - a homeless girl of three or four years old, daughter of Tyburtsia, sister of Valek.

Other heroes

Tyburtsiy Drab - the leader of the beggars, father of Valek and Marusya; an educated man, very fond of his children.

Vasya's father - Pan judge, father of two children; the loss of his wife was a great tragedy for him.

Sonya - the judge's daughter, a four-year-old girl, Vasya's sister.

1. Ruins.

The main character's mother, Vasya, died when he was 6 years old. The boy's grief-stricken father "seemed to have completely forgotten" about the existence of his son and only occasionally took care of his daughter - little Sonya.

Vasya's family lived in the city of Knyazhye-Veno. Beggars lived in a castle outside the city, but the manager drove out all the "unknown persons" from there. People had to move to a chapel surrounded by an abandoned cemetery. Tyburtsiy Drab became the main beggar.

2. Me and my father

After the death of his mother, Vasya appeared at home less and less often, avoiding meeting with his father. Sometimes in the evenings he played with his little sister Sonya, who loved her brother very much.

Vasya was called "a tramp, a worthless boy," but he paid no attention to it. One day, having gathered a "squad of three tomboy" boy decides to go to the chapel.

3. I am acquiring a new acquaintance

The chapel doors were locked. The boys helped Vasya get inside. Suddenly something dark stirred in the corner and Vasya's comrades fled in fright. It turned out that there were a boy and a girl inside the chapel. Vasya almost got into a fight with a stranger, but they got into a conversation. The boy's name was Valek, his sister was Marusya. Vasya treated the children to apples and invited them to visit. But Valek said that Tyburtsiy would not let them go.

4. The acquaintance continues

Vasya began to often come to the children, bringing them treats. He constantly compared Marusya to His sister. Marusia did not walk well and very rarely laughed. Valek explained: the girl is so sad because "the gray stone sucked the life out of her."

Valek said that Tyburtsiy took care of him and Marus. Vasya answered with chagrin that his father did not love him at all. Valek did not believe him, claiming that, according to Tyburtsiy, “the judge is the most best person in the city ”, since he was able to sue even the count. Valek's words made Vasya look at his father in a different way.

5. Among the "gray stones"

Valek brought Vasya to the dungeon, where he lived with Marusya. Looking at the girl surrounded by gray stone walls, Vasya remembered Valek's words about the “gray stone” that “sucked her fun out of Marusya”. Valek brought a loaf to Marusa. Learning that the boy had stolen her out of despair, Vasya could no longer play with his friends as serenely.

6. Pan Tyburtsiy appears on the stage

The next day Tyburtius returned. At first, the man got angry when he saw Vasya. However, upon learning that he became friends with the guys and did not tell anyone about their refuge, he calmed down.

Tyburtius brought with him food stolen from the priest (priest). Observing the beggars, Vasya understood that "a meat dish was an unprecedented luxury for them." Vasya felt contempt for the poor awaken inside him, but he defended his affection for friends with all his might.

7. Autumn

Autumn was approaching. Vasya could come to the chapel no longer fearing "bad society". Marusya started to get sick, she kept losing weight and turning pale. Soon, the girl completely stopped leaving the dungeon.

8. Doll

To cheer the sick Marusya, Vasya begged Sonya for a while for a large doll, a gift from his mother. Seeing the doll, Marusya "seemed to suddenly come to life again." However, the girl soon became even worse. The guys tried to take the doll away, but Marusya did not give the toy away.

The disappearance of the doll did not go unnoticed. Outraged by the disappearance of the toy, his father forbade Vasya to leave the house. A few days later, he called the boy to him. Vasya admitted that it was he who took the doll, but refused to answer to whom he gave it. Tyburtius appeared unexpectedly and brought a toy. He explained to Vasya's father what had happened and said that Marusya had died.

The father asked his son for forgiveness. He let Vasya go to the chapel, handing over the money to Tyburtsy.

9. Conclusion

Soon the beggars "scattered in different directions." Tyburtsiy and Valek suddenly disappeared somewhere.

Vasya and Sonya, and sometimes even with his father, constantly visited the grave of Marusya. When it came time to leave their hometown, they "pronounced their vows over the little grave."

findings

Using the example of the main character, the boy Vasya, the author showed the reader the difficult path of growing up. Having endured the death of his mother and the cold from his father, the boy learns real friendship. Acquaintance with Valek and Marusya reveals to him another side of the world - the one where there are homeless children and poverty. Gradually, the main character learns a lot about life, learns to defend what is important to him, and to appreciate loved ones.

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Average rating: 4.2. Total ratings received: 1373.