Olga Semyonovna Plemyannikova, the daughter of a retired collegiate assessor, enjoys universal sympathy: those around her are attracted by the good nature and naivety radiated by the quiet, rosy-cheeked young lady. Many acquaintances call her nothing more than “ darling».
Olga Semyonovna feels a constant need to love someone. Her next attachment is Ivan Petrovich Kukin, entrepreneur and owner of the Tivoli pleasure garden. Due to constant rains, the public does not attend the performances, and Kukin suffers continuous losses, which evokes compassion in Olenka, and then love for Ivan Petrovich, despite the fact that he is short, skinny and speaks in a liquid tenor.
After the wedding, Olenka gets a job with her husband in the theater. She tells her friends that this is the only place where you can become educated and humane, but the ignorant public needs a booth.
During Lent, Kukin leaves for Moscow to recruit a troupe, and soon Olenka receives a telegram with the following content: “Ivan Petrovich died suddenly today, we are waiting for orders for the funeral on Tuesday.”
Olga Semyonovna is very worried about his death and is in deep mourning. Three months later, having passionately fallen in love with Vasily Andreevich Pustovalov, Olenka gets married again. Pustovalov manages the timber warehouse of the merchant Babakaev, and Olenka works in his office, writing invoices and distributing goods. It seems to her that the forest is the most important and necessary thing in life, and that she has been selling timber for a long time. Olenka shares all her husband’s thoughts and sits at home with him on holidays. When her friends advise her to go to the theater or the circus, she sedately replies that people who work have no time for trifles, and there is nothing good in theaters.
Olga Semyonovna lives very well with her husband; Every time Pustovalov leaves for the Mogilev province for the forest, she gets bored and cries, finding solace in conversations with the veterinarian Smirnin, her lodger. Smirnin separated from his wife, convicting her of treason, and sends forty rubles every month to support his son. Olenka feels sorry for Smirnin; she advises the veterinarian to make peace with his wife for the sake of the boy. After six years of a happy marriage, Pustovalov dies, and Olenka is left alone again. She only goes to church or to her husband’s grave. The seclusion lasts six months, and then Olenka meets with a veterinarian. In the mornings they drink tea together in the garden and Smirnin reads the newspaper aloud. And Olenka, having met a lady she knows at the post office, talks about the lack of proper veterinary supervision in the city.
The happiness does not last long: the regiment in which the veterinarian serves is transferred almost to Siberia, and Olenka is left completely alone.
Years go by. Olenka is getting old; her friends lose interest in her. She doesn't think about anything and she no longer has any opinions. Among Olenka’s thoughts and heart there is the same emptiness as in the yard. She dreams of love that would capture her entire being and give her thoughts.
Suddenly, veterinarian Smirnin returns to Olenka. He made peace with his wife, retired and decided to stay in the city, especially since the time had come to send his son Sasha to the gymnasium.
With the arrival of Smirnin's family, Olenka comes to life again. The veterinarian’s wife soon leaves to visit her sister in Kharkov, Smirnin himself is constantly away, and Olenka takes Sasha to her outhouse. Motherly feelings awaken in her, and the boy becomes Olenka’s new affection. She tells everyone she knows about the advantages of classical education over real education and how difficult it has become to study at the gymnasium.
Olenka blossomed again and became younger; acquaintances, meeting her on the street, experience, as before, pleasure and call Olga Semyonovna darling.
Life of A.P. Chekhov is similar to his works. It is very short and very intense. Over 25 years of creativity, he created more than 500 works, many of which became world classics. He himself, half jokingly and not without a bit of pride, said:
“It’s good for you, today’s writers. You are now praised for short stories. And I used to be scolded for this. Yes, how they scolded me! It used to be that if you want to be called a writer, then write a novel, otherwise they won’t even talk or listen to you, and they won’t let you into a good magazine. It was I who knocked all of you through the wall with my forehead for little stories.”
Let's try to figure out why exactly Chekhov managed to break the contemptuous attitude of literary society towards the small genre. As an example, the Many-wise Litrekon will consider the story “Darling” about a charming and enchanting, affectionate and kind girl, whose path in life is determined by her companion...
Chekhov is a writer who managed to transform quality into quantity without losing anywhere. In the period from 1985 to 1987, three hundred stories came from his pen (in his own words, he wrote a story in three days). It is surprising that with such a density of creativity, he kept the idea for “Darling” in his head for about ten years, as can be judged from his notebooks.
Initially, Chekhov wanted to create a character that radiated warmth, kindness and affection. This idea, presumably, was partly realized in “The Story of an Unknown Man” and the story “Three Years”. In 1893-1894, the plot of the story was formed, where the confectioner was thought to be Olenka’s second husband. However, the story was “objectified” only in December 1898.
Having come such a long way, “Darling” was published in the first issue of the magazine “Family” for 1899.
Genre, direction
Anton Chekhov did not leave behind a single novel. He adhered to the axiom he himself derived: “brevity is the sister of talent.” It would seem that, in terms of time span, “Darling” could well become a story or novel, because the heroine lived only in marriage with her second husband for six years. But this was the genius of the writer - to pack a story that lasted years into a few pages of a story, concentrating life itself in it.
We know Chekhov as a realist writer. “Darling” reflects many features of the late nineteenth century. The problem of Kukin, trying to lure the public to performances, also faced the real head of the Yalta theater, where Chekhov lived after 1898. Residents did not react to the posters, so the artists replaced serious dramatic performances with comedies, which were also ignored.
The veterinarian becomes Olenka's third lover. In Yalta in the 1890s, a trial was held about violations in slaughterhouses. Chekhov, as a doctor, attended meetings that analyzed the activities of local veterinarians.
These and other real-time details testified to Chekhov’s desire to combine fiction and the exact details of life at that time.
Meaning of the name
The main character is the embodiment of all-consuming warmth, soothing affection, and maternal kindness. She is sweet in appearance, and her actions are also sweet. It is difficult to find a more accurate word to describe her essence than “darling.” According to the Ozhegov dictionary, darling (darling) is a sweet, pleasant person (mainly about a woman or child, usually in circulation).
However, nothing more can be said about Olga. All her life she just adjusted to her next husband and accepted all his views and ideas. So she remained only a darling, whose personality is empty and subject to the influence of others. Therefore, the author named the story about her not by name (a name would mean individuality), but by what determined her nature.
The gist: what is the story about?
This story is about Olenka, the daughter of the retired collegiate assessor Plemyannikov. She was called Darling for her special charm, naive kindness and simplicity, as well as for her amazing ability to love everyone and everything, to love naively and sincerely, completely dissolving in the object of adoration.
Her life changes after meeting Kukin, the owner of a pleasure garden. She likes his craft, like himself. Soon after this they get married. Olenka very quickly masters the art of talking about the theater and forms opinions about many things. Of course, she “borrowed” these opinions from her husband. Now she couldn’t stand the ignorant public, she watched the actors at rehearsals, and cried when she read a disapproving review of the theater in the newspaper.
The time has come for Kukin to leave for Moscow to collect the corpse. He was not destined to return. The telegram to Olenka included the words “died suddenly.”
Three months passed, Darling met Vasily Andreich Pustovalov, manager of a timber warehouse. We had a wedding and lived well. Olenka changed her passion for theater to her passion for timber trading. She was sincerely surprised at the tariffs on timber and complained about the need to travel to another province for goods.
But there was no happy ending here either. Pustovalov fell ill and died. Olenka is widowed again.
Soon the heroine began to be seen with her veterinarian friend, Vladimir Platonich Smirnin. He lived in her outbuilding while Pustovalov was still alive. He had a wife with whom he was quarreling, and a child living with her. After the death of the latter, changes occurred in the relationship between Olenka and the veterinarian. Now the heroine complained about the lack of proper veterinary supervision in the city. However, Smirnin was very embarrassed and asked her not to interfere in his conversations with colleagues. Despite this, they were happy.
But not for long. The veterinarian went to Siberia with the regiment in which he served. Olenka has changed a lot. Attachment gave her vital energy, health, and strength. Now, left alone, she has aged, grown ugly, lost her former freshness, the charge of youth.
The situation was corrected by the returning veterinarian Smirnin. He reconciled with his wife and looked for housing, which he immediately received. They settled in the main house, Olenka moved to the outbuilding. Vladimir Platonich worked a lot and sometimes did not appear at home for several days. His wife went to Kharkov to visit her sister and did not return. It seemed to Darling that their son Sasha had been completely abandoned, and he was just about to start going to the gymnasium. Unreleased care, affection and attention rushed to the boy with triple force. Olenka began to seriously care about the problems of schoolchildren. At the market, she told how difficult it is to study in a gymnasium these days, how much they ask little children.
The story ends with Olenka receiving a telegram from Kharkov. Mom demands Sasha to come to Kharkov. She is desperate; it seems that there is no more unhappy person in the whole world than her. A moment later, the vet returns home from the club. Olenka feels better. She lies down and thinks about Sasha.
The main characters and their characteristics
The system of images in the story “Darling” is built around a loving and generous woman who attracted men to her. The many-wise Litrekone united all the heroes into a table:
| heroes of the story “Darling” | characteristic |
| Olenka | “She was a quiet, good-natured, compassionate young lady with a meek, soft look, very healthy. looking at her full pink cheeks, at her soft white neck with a dark mole, at the kind, naive smile that would appear on her face when she listened to something pleasant, the men thought: “yes, wow...” and also smiled, and the guests - the ladies could not resist suddenly, in the middle of a conversation, not grabbing her hand and saying in a fit of pleasure: “darling!” Olenka’s main property – dissolution in the partner’s personality – is very subtly expressed in the phrases “Vasichka and I”, “Vanichka and I”, since the “I” is lost. So, we have two options: “vasichka” or “vanechka” and “we”. one full-fledged element (husband) and an addition to it (olenyka), which does not have independence, ultimately form “we”. |
| kukin | “he was short, skinny, with a yellow face, with combed temples, he spoke in a liquid tenor, and when he spoke, he twisted his mouth; and despair was always written on his face...” this man considered himself an art connoisseur and condemned the uneducated public who did not want to attend the events he organized. In general, he often complained: about losses, about the weather; This is probably why he “turned yellow” and “coughed at night.” |
| empty | Already from the introduction of his name and patronymic into the narrative, it is felt that this is a much more serious person than Kukin. even compare the names: Kukin sounds comical, absurd, while Pustovalov sounds monumental and stately. in fact, if Kukin had the habit of complaining and talking about his problems, then Pustovalov paid attention to what was bothering Olga, sympathized, and tried to support. he spoke little and preferred to spend his free time at home. |
| Smirnin | Little is known about the veterinarian. he spent little time with his family even after reconciliation with his wife, and did not raise his son. loved to talk with colleagues and got irritated every time Olenka interfered in these conversations. |
Topics and issues
Speaking about the theme of the story “Darling”, we clearly see one dominant theme - love. But not the love we are used to reading about in novels. Its depth is not revealed here; emotional experiences are sparingly described. This does not mean that love is not strong and passes quickly. On the contrary, here it is a natural property of Olenka, who suffers from the inability to release this love.
The main problem of the story “Darling” is the absence of “I” in relationships. The four-part composition - four successive objects of Olenka's love - shows the repetition of the situation and the impossibility of change. The writer ironically completes the list of darling's affections with a boy. Firstly, it shows the essence of her love: not a biological craving for a man and not vulgarity, but a mother’s desire to warm, protect, and caress. Secondly, the darling’s ability to appropriate opinions to herself has been brought to the point of absurdity: now she retells at the market what she hears from a child - the emptiness of her inner world amazes the reader.
main idea
Chekhov's stories and stories are difficult to interpret straightforwardly and resist attempts to fit them into stereotyped schemes. Everyone must find the meaning of the story “Darling” for themselves.
What is the main idea, according to the Many-Wise Litrekon? It is possible that loneliness and suffering are the choice of the person himself, who does not want to look for other ways than to dissolve in other people. Darling is empty, and she always needs someone else to live, because she doesn’t have her own inner world, her own desires, interests, preferences. There is not even a single thought or sadness of your own. But, relying on someone else’s shoulder in everything, Olga mentally exhausts her loved one, so all her husbands either get sick, die, or run away from her.
It is possible that the author wanted to show the antithesis of Olenka - Smirnin’s wife. The first one loves everything and cannot live without love, the second one is self-sufficient and strong, which is why she did not look after the child for a long time. Probably, by introducing two diametrically opposed characters, Chekhov wanted to provoke the reader to search for an “average” ideal to strive for.
What does it teach?
The moral in the story “Darling” is definitely worth trying to look for in fables and children's fairy tales. However, it is not present in every work. The writer's task is to record life on paper, but in no case to teach the reader, at least intentionally. Anyone who picks up a book must determine his role in relation to the author: he can be a student, a critic or an outside observer.
We can talk about morality if we have chosen the position of a student.
So, what conclusion can be drawn after reading “Darling”?
Thus, we can conclude that the main message was told by A.P. Chekhov - don’t get attached to people, they are not eternal. Become attached to something that, regardless of the circumstances, will never leave you.
The story “Darling,” written in 1899, belongs to the last period of A.P. Chekhov’s work.
A special feature of the story is the ambiguity of the image of the main character, which makes it possible to diversify the understanding and interpretation of this work. That is why one of Chekhov’s best stories, the story of “life in love,” has caused and continues to cause conflicting opinions and assessments today.
Subject of the work
The main theme of the work is love, which Chekhov contrasts with the value vacuum of society. At the same time, the essence of love, as understood by the main character, lies in the ability to give love, and not to receive.
Possessing the gift of seeing the complex in the simple, Chekhov finds and shows in the everyday life of an ordinary person what constitutes the essence of this person, for which he lives.
Plot and compositional structure of the story
In “Darling” two storylines are clearly visible. “Chain of Hobbies” by Darling paints the image of a frivolous lady who quickly changes her heart’s affections and dissolves in her chosen ones. “Chain of Losses and Bereavements” depicts Olga Semyonovna’s feelings upon the loss of her loved ones.
The four-part composition of the story corresponds to the change of Darling's four affections. To construct the narrative, Chekhov uses the technique of repetition: in each of the four parts the situation develops according to the same scenario. Darling understands someone else’s situation, is imbued with sympathy, then love, becoming an “echo” and “shadow” of her lover, then the end of the situation comes. This monotony of actions and the predictability of further developments create a comic effect.
The writer organizes time in the story by alternating repeating scenes and one-time events. The narrative in three parts concerns the heroine’s past, only in the fourth part are verbs of the present tense used.
Chekhov left the ending of the story open: will the situation of loss repeat itself for Darling again? Will she really lose what fills her life and gives it meaning?
System of story images
The main characters of the work are Olga Semyonovna Plemyannikova (Dushechka), Kukin, Pustovalov, a veterinarian, and his son Sasha. Kukin's image has a comic orientation. The images of other characters are not drawn out so brightly.
The greatest attention is paid to the image of the main character. The image of Darling is complex and contradictory. The gift of selfless love that the heroine is endowed with is surprisingly intertwined with a complete lack of spiritual interests and an inability to think independently (“she had no opinions”).
In the first three parts, the image of Darling has two projections: Chekhov shows the touching and sweet in this woman and at the same time makes fun of the funny and limited in her. Using the technique of reduction, the writer first gives the opportunity to feel the feelings of the heroine, but at the same time shows the limitations and relativity of these feelings, and this limitation cannot but make the reader smile. Olga completely dissolves in the world of her chosen one, while losing her own individuality. It is no coincidence that the heroine is deprived of her own speech characteristics, but repeats, like an echo, the words of her husbands. With the help of speech details, Chekhov shows the change in Dushechka’s vocabulary - conversations on theatrical topics under Kukin are replaced by the use of forestry terms under Pustovalov, and then by conversations about horse diseases under the veterinarian Smirnin.
In the fourth part of the story, the irony disappears. Darling appears before the reader in a new light - the light of maternal love. With the appearance of high school student Sasha in her life, deprived of parental love, maternal love awakens in Olga. “Oh, how she loves him!” All previous feelings seem insignificant, unreal in comparison with this last love. Darling realizes her main gift, which so distinguishes her from the world of ordinary people - the ability for selfless love. A woman finds herself in this feeling. Darling grows from a narrow-minded bourgeois into a truly Chekhovian heroine, evoking understanding and sympathy.
Artistic originality of the story
The story is written in an artistic style. The artistic construction of the text is based on the alternation of lyrical and comic tonality of the narrative. The originality of the story is manifested in the repetition of diminutive suffixes, the use of repetition throughout the story, and attention to verbal details.
- Analysis of the story by A.P. Chekhov's "Ionych"
The main feature of Chekhov’s nature is a keen instinct for the pain of others, the innate wisdom of a high and kind soul. To understand his views and thoughts, you need to peer into the depths of his works, listen to the sounding voices of the heroes of his work. The writer is interested in ordinary people, in whom he tries to find what makes them filled with high spirituality.
In the eighties of the nineteenth century, Chekhov began to publish in the influential newspaper “Novoe Vremya”, owned by A.S. Suvorin. It becomes possible to sign stories with your real name. Since 1887, almost all of the writer’s works have been published by Suvorin. From these books Russia recognized Chekhov.
Speaking about the prototype of Darling, we can say with confidence that this is a generalized symbol, a certain general character property - the ancestral origin.
I received L.N.’s story with delight. Tolstoy.
Genre, direction
Chekhov continues the best traditions of classical realism, which is intertwined with the techniques of high naturalism.
The writer also comes into contact with symbolism, looking for modern forms of depicting reality in it.
“Darling” is a short story, the musicality of its sound allows us to speak of its intimacy. The narration is accompanied by a slight irony that hides a mocking smile.
The essence
The focus is on the ordinary life of Olga Semyonovna Plemyannikova. There is no plot intrigue.
The story highlights two plot lines, both connected with Olenka’s story: on the one hand, “the chain of the heroine’s hobbies,” on the other, “the chain of losses and bereavements.” Darling loves all three husbands selflessly. She does not demand anything in return for her love. One simply cannot live without passion. Take this feeling away from her, and life will lose all meaning.
All husbands leave this earth. She sincerely mourns them.
True love comes to Darling only when the boy Sasha appears in her destiny.
The main characters and their characteristics
The characters and souls of Chekhov's heroes are not immediately revealed. The author teaches us not to rush into making definitive assessments of his characters.
- Olga Semyonovna Plemyannikova- “a quiet, good-natured, compassionate young lady.” Everything about her appearance was “soft”: both her eyes and her white neck. But the calling card was a “kind, naive smile.” A loving person, in whose fate three heartfelt attachments appear one after another: entrepreneur Ivan Kukin, timber warehouse manager Vasily Andreich Pustovalov, veterinarian Vladimir Platonich Smirnin. Olenka becomes their “shadow”, “woman-echo”. Deprived of her own opinion, she always repeats what her husbands say. Loving without looking back, Darling cannot imagine her life alone. Vanechka, Vasechka, then Volodechka. She called everyone “darling.” Left completely alone, she is lost, not a single thought is born in her mind. Emptiness and the unknown of the future become constant companions of life. And only the appearance in her life of a ten-year-old boy Sasha, Smirnin’s son, “gives” Olga Semyonovna love that captures her whole soul. The general character trait can be defined by the general word “femininity”; it expresses the entire image of Darling.
- Ivan Kukin. The characterization of the hero is based on an antithesis: he runs the Tivoli pleasure garden, but constantly complains about life. His appearance is nondescript: skinny, he speaks with a twisted mouth. A yellow complexion is a sign of physical ill health and a grumpy character. Unhappy man. Constantly falling rain is a symbol of a hostage in a situation despairing of his fate.
- Vasily Andreich Pustovalov- Plemyannikova's neighbor. “Sedate voice”, “dark beard”. A completely forgettable personality. He doesn't like any entertainment. The life together with Olenka is visible through the details: “they both smelled good,” “they returned side by side.”
- Vladimir Platonich Smirnin- young man, veterinarian. He separated from his wife because he hated her, but he regularly sent money to support his son.
- The fate of a woman in society always worried Anton Pavlovich. He dedicated unforgettable pages of his work to her, creating the image of a “Chekhov woman”,
- The main theme of the story is love. Love for relatives, love for a man and motherly love. The theme of love is the main one in Darling’s life. Her feelings are quiet, sad. The story is about the Russian woman’s ability to selflessness in order to continue and preserve life.
- But are the characters in the story completely free in their behavior and judgment? The hardest thing is the question of real human freedom, about overcoming your dependence on loving people.
- The problem of happiness. Can a person who lives only for the good and happiness of his family and friends be called happy? Is it really necessary to provide them with “happiness” according to some kind of norm? The author tries to answer these questions with his usual delicacy.
- The philosophical problem of the value of life. A person has obligations to it and to its preservation. There is no need to destroy it.
- The conflict between everyday meaningless life and personality, which must “kill the slave within” and begin to live consciously. The heroine will have to throw off the sleepy numbness of passivity and take responsibility for someone else's fate.
Topics and issues
Meaning
The writer usually does not give consoling answers. Not everything in life is clear to him. But there are values in prose that the master is confident in. What is love? First of all, it is a feeling that allows a person to reveal the potential of his soul. Loving does not mean copying your other half, blindly repeating her thoughts, completely depriving yourself of freedom of choice. Love gives a person invisible energy, which allows him to share with his beloved all the hardships of life and overcome the difficulties encountered along the way. Where there is no true love, life is not completely real - this is the main idea of the writer.
A woman is not only a loving and caring wife. She is the mother who gives the world a child, the continuer of the human race. Chekhov's love is a deeply Christian feeling, hence his idea - to give Darling feelings that elevate her, and not enslave her in routine.
True love is possible only in the family world. Mother's love allows you to go through the path of learning life again with your child.
What does it teach?
Chekhov confronts the reader with the need to choose the answer to the question himself. The main idea is contained in the scene of the “geography lesson”: “An island is a part of the land,” repeats Olenka. “Islands” are human destinies, “land” is our vast world, which consists of family “islands.” After all, only there can you experience the highest fullness of life and find yourself.
The writer teaches that every professed truth is limited. Life in the diversity of its manifestations turns out to be “wiser”. The writer wanted a person not to close himself off from her, but to be able to live every moment she gave.
Interesting? Save it on your wall!Chekhov wrote the story “Darling” in the 90s of the late 19th century. During this period, he had the opportunity to publish under his own name in the newspaper “Novoye Vremya”, which made him a famous author.
Story genre- classical realism with elements of naturalism - a description of a simple everyday story. It is permeated with light irony, characteristic of many of the writer’s works.
In the spotlight works - the ordinary life of Olga Plemyannikova. On the one hand, it is filled with selfless passion, and on the other, with the loss of these same hobbies. Olga loves all her husbands and does not demand anything in return. Moreover, she completely merges with them, and therefore has no personal opinion or desires. She lives only in the thoughts of her loved ones.
The main characters of the story- Darling, her husbands and the boy Sasha. The heroine herself is a quiet and good-natured, soft and loving young lady. She looks like a naive and innocent pure soul. Darling repeats everything word for word after her husbands, neglecting her personal opinion. Due to her gentle nature, she calls them childishly: Vanechka, Vasechka, Volodechka. All husbands are not very memorable, boring and somewhat unhappy men, which does not bother the heroine. She lives their gray everyday life. They all leave her over time, causing her pain and anguish. After all, she cannot live by her own thoughts. Without them, her life becomes empty and boring. Until the boy Sasha appears. She gives him love and care and, as she is used to, lives in his thoughts. They, of course, are not suitable for her age, but this does not bother her.
Themes
The story raises several themes. The first one is the fate of a woman in society. In this case, a weak-willed young lady is described who is not used to living independently, but only to please others.
Second topic - Love. The feeling of maternal love, love for family and friends. For Darling, this is the basis of life. Her love is considered self-sacrifice for the happiness of loved ones and loved ones.
The third topic is the theme of happiness. Darling is happy only depending on others. How correct is this? How fair is it to sacrifice your happiness for the sake of others? The author tried to answer these questions.
The fourth topic - conflict between everyday life and personality. Darling is a “slave” of other people’s opinions and requests and sacrifices her own. She cannot be called a conscious person; she needed to take responsibility for her life. But she continues to get whistled by others.
Basic meaning The work is to understand what true love is, and when it is an illusion and thereby limits a person. Despite the great bright feeling, Darling does not experience real love, only its semblance.
The writer confronts the reader with a choice: to determine for himself what is a full life and true love, and what is an illusion. Moreover, it shows that any self-idea can be very limited. It is important to see the many options in life and not give up on it.
Option 2
Written in 1898 and published in the magazine “Family,” A. P. Chekhov’s story “Darling” was included in the 9th volume of the writer’s collected works. The main character, Olga Semyonovna Plemyannikova, lives in her parents’ house not far from the Tivoli garden in Tsyganskaya Slobodka. This sweetest, friendly girl. For her meek disposition and easy-going character, her neighbors nicknamed her “darling.” Chekhov reveals the image of the girl, talks about her fate, sometimes with irony, sometimes with tragic notes.
Olenka Plemyannikova appears before us as a person for whom the meaning of life lies in love for other people. She lives with problems and the worries of her family. Her love is sincere, without pretense. While still a young girl, she loves her dad, her aunt who lives in Bryansk, and her French teacher. Then he falls in love with the theater impresario Kukin, who lives next door in the outbuilding. An unattractive man: short in stature, thin in build, with combed temples and a yellowish face. This eternally dissatisfied, grumbling person. He constantly complains about the rainy weather, about the fact that people don’t go to his theater.
Without even noticing, Olenka literally disappears into his problems. She becomes infected by her husband’s contemptuous attitude towards theater visitors and constantly repeats his words verbatim. Attends rehearsals and makes comments if scenes are too frivolous. The actors take advantage of her kindness, borrow money, but are in no hurry to give it back. Between themselves they call her “Vanya and I.” This phrase constantly sounds in the conversations of the girl herself. Having learned about the death of her husband, Darling loses the meaning of life, its inner content.
The emptiness that has formed in the soul needs to be filled, and Olenka finds solace in a new reckless love for the timber merchant Pustovalov. She is literally consumed by his problems. Now her concerns became the sale of timber and its prices. But life with Pustovalov does not last long; he dies. And Darling again loses the meaning of life.
This love is replaced by love for the veterinarian Smirnin, who quarreled with his wife. Now her problem is poor veterinary supervision in the city. But this relationship does not last long; the doctor is transferred to another city. Olga Semyonovna's life again loses its meaning, she withers and grows old. However, Smirnin comes to the city again with his son Sasha. They move into the outbuildings next to Olenka’s house. The boy enters the gymnasium. Darling immerses herself in Sasha’s school problems, lives with his joys and sorrows, and complains to her neighbors about the difficulties of learning. Her speech contains the words “Sasha and I,” and she constantly quotes excerpts from textbooks. Her dreams are aimed at Sasha's future. Olga sees him as an engineer or a doctor, in a big house, married with children. There is only one thing that worries the woman: she is very afraid that the boy’s parents might take him away.
“Darling” is a story about a person who is able to love passionately, with all his heart. Olenka is touching in her expression of her concerns, but at the same time funny. For her, to love is not to receive, but to give oneself completely, to live by the interests and problems of others.
Several interesting essays
- The main characters of the comedy The Inspector General by Gogol (8th grade)
The famous comedy by N.V. Gogol was created by him at the beginning of the 19th century. Readers were surprised and shocked by the characteristics of the heroes of the comedy “The Inspector General”. Gogol described all the negative traits that he observed among officials at that time
- Essay based on Popov's painting The First Snow from 1st person in the form of a diary entry, grade 7
It was another frosty morning, every day I woke up and ran to the window to see if the snow had fallen. It was the same this time, and what was my surprise when, instead of gray streets, I saw what I was waiting for most. It was the first snow.
- Truth and lies in Gorky's play At the Bottom essay
For many years, humanity has always been concerned with the problem of what truth means and what lies are. Colliding, these concepts always stand together and occupy almost the main place in the works of Russian writers
- The image and characteristics of Minka in the story by Yolka Zoshchenko essay
In the story "Christmas Tree". Zoshchenko describes the events that happened forty years ago, at one of the New Year holidays. Minka is five years old, he is already a big boy, and he knows that the Christmas tree is a fun holiday
Now that cinema has reached almost the highest stage of development, many new films are appearing. They are all different and each of them has its own meaning.