What are Gerasim's friends and enemies? (based on Turgenev’s story “Mumu”). Essay: “Friends and Enemies of Gerasim” in the story by I.S. Turgenev "Mumu" The story of friends and enemies of Gerasim

What were Gerasim's friends and enemies?

Answers:

Reading the story “Mumu”, we get acquainted with many people - the heroes of the events described. This is the “nice guy” Gerasim, and the timid washerwoman Tatyana, and the quick-witted butler Gavrila, and the degraded shoemaker Kapiton Klimov, and many others. Gerasim's lonely heart was capable of tremulous and tender feelings. The courtship of this hard-working giant for the timid washerwoman Tatyana and his simple gifts to her are touching. He also steadfastly endures the understanding of the impossibility of marrying the girl he loves, because the wayward lady is marrying her off to a bitter drunkard. He finds the love, loyalty, and devotion that Gerasim needs so much only in the dog he saved from certain death - Mumu. How glad Gerasim is that a sincere and devoted friend lives next to him! He gives all his tenderness and affection to the dog, who pays him for good attitude joy and love. But another blow befalls the unfortunate janitor: the lady orders him to get rid of the dog. True to his duty, Gerasim himself undertakes to fulfill the persistent command of the lady, but after the death of Mumu, nothing can keep him in the master’s house. Without asking anyone, Gerasim returns to his native place, to the fields, haymaking, and simple peasant life.

From the story of I.S. Turgenev was deprived of nature from childhood. His blindness and deafness were the reason for the specific attitude of those around him. Gerasim was respected for his heroic strength and kind but strict character. However, he had no friends among his servants.

I.S. Turgenev notices that the lady treated her janitor well. But he was valuable to her only as a labor force. The woman knew that the village hero could cope with any hard work. In addition, he was an excellent watchman; strangers were afraid of him and did not even dare to poke their noses into the yard. However, it was the lady who became the cause of Gerasim’s misfortunes. First, she gave his beloved Tatyana in marriage to a drunkard shoemaker, and then she forced him to kill his best friend, the dog Mumu.

Can Gerasim be considered an enemy? I think not. When performing these actions, she did not at all think of harming her janitor. The woman had no idea that she would hurt him. The old landowner was not interested in the life of her servants, so she did not know about Gerasim’s feelings. The butler was afraid to talk about it. The old woman killed Mumu not out of malice towards the man, but because of her selfishness.

The butler Gavrilo did not really like Gerasim, since he saw that the lady was favorable to the mute. With the hands of Gavril, the lady did “dirty deeds”: he arranged a wedding, took out the dog, tried to “snatch” Mumu from the hands of the janitor. But it is impossible to say that the butler was blinded by anger; he was simply afraid of the mistress and could not ignore her orders. Other Chelyadin residents treated Gerasim neutrally.

The man's first friend can be called the washerwoman Tatyana, with whom he was in love. Their relationship cannot be called a strong friendship. Gerasim defended the woman, and she was afraid of him for some time, and then came to terms with such concern. Friendly feelings easily collapsed under the pressure of the lady’s decision to marry Tatiana and the shoemaker. The washerwoman did not even try to refuse and go against the will of the old woman.

The dog became a real friend of Gerasim. She loved him with all her tiny heart. The dog was faithful to its owner. She was waiting for him near the lady’s house, and did not leave a single step from the janitor. When she was sold to another person, Mumu broke away and returned to her owner. The dog was able to recognize the light that its owner was emitting. This is an example of selfless friendship that is not subject to the intrigues of other people.

Gerasim also recognized a true comrade in the dog. He was finally sure that this friend would not betray or hurt him. The janitor responded in kind. Raised to be affectionate, his dog grew up to be surprisingly smart and affectionate. Gerasim could not allow his friend to suffer. He understood that the dog would not be able to defend itself, so he drowned it. It can be assumed that after such a blow the man was unlikely to look for comrades among people. How can you trust them after this?

Thus, Gerasim from the story of I.S. Turgenev "Mumu" had no friends among people. But, thanks to his kind heart, he did not make any enemies. The man suffered from human selfishness and stupidity. The dog Mumu became his real friend.

In the work "Mumu", there are many characters - participants in the events narrated. These are the serf peasant Gerasim and the laundress Tanya, the butler and others. But the serf peasant Gerasim is shown most clearly here.

The man grew up in the village. Tall and of large build, Gerasim was deaf and mute from birth. But nature endowed him with a powerful physique and strength. This man could work tirelessly. He did any work easily and skillfully. The hostess decided to bring Gerasim to the Moscow house. They put shoes on him, dressed him and made him a janitor.

Torn out of his usual rural environment into the city, the man could not understand what to do here; he was bored without work in the field and the village, although he conscientiously performed his duties in Moscow. His yard was clean.

The man was on short terms with all the other servants, considering them like family. But this man had a strict and serious disposition, and was well versed in his rights. They were afraid of him. And after the incident when Gerasim prevented a robbery at night by catching the robbers, everyone respected him. Even the roosters, if Gerasim was nearby, did not fight. He looked after the geese and gave them food. According to the author, he himself looked like a sedate goose.

Gerasim's home was a closet above the kitchen. There everything was arranged for them according to the owner's taste. The man did not like to receive guests there.

Gerasim is kind-hearted, capable of tenderness, but lonely. This giant touchingly looked after Tatyana, who worked as a laundress for a landowner, gave her gifts, and dreamed of marrying her. He steadfastly endured the message about the impossibility of seeing his beloved girl, because the lady gave Tatyana in marriage at her discretion to a shoemaker who loved to drink, regardless of the feelings of the serfs.

The Deaf-Mute man found love and devotion in the dog he saved from death. The janitor pulled her out of the mud as he walked along the bank of the river. Gerasim brought the small puppy home and warmed it up. He named the dog Mumu. Gerasim spoiled his pet like a child. Mumu also became attached to her strange owner, happily wagging her tail as soon as she saw Gerasim. She was a smart dog, affectionate, but she recognized only the janitor as her own. The deaf giant was glad to have such a devoted friend. The unfortunate janitor gave all his unspent tenderness to this dog, which reciprocated with devotion and love. And then a cruel test befell Gerasim: the lady saw the dog and ordered him to bring it to her. Only the dog got scared of the lady and began to growl.

The landowner did not like Mumu's behavior and decided to get rid of her. First, Mumu was sold, secretly from Gerasim. However, the little dog returned to its owner, and then the lady ordered Mumu to be drowned. Gerasim obeyed the landowner and carried out the orders of the cruel mistress. But after that, nothing kept him in the master’s house. And without asking anyone’s permission, Gerasim then rushed to his room, packed his things and left for his native village, no longer able to serve his mistress.

The fate of this man is not fictional. The plot of the story is based on the story of the janitor A. Nemoy, who belonged to Varvara Petrovna, the “mother” of Ivan Turgenev, and the debate about why Gerasim carried out the lady’s order still continues. His action towards his favorite dog and his protest against the lady are incomprehensible.

Gerasim was a strong and strong man, they respected and feared him, despite the fact that he was mute. Gerasim could not offend anyone with his words, but still had enemies. And his main enemy, who poisoned his life, was the lady for whom he worked. Because of her, he committed betrayal and murder of his true friend, the dog Mumu. Although she was the only one who truly loved him alone and served him faithfully.

Another enemy of Gerasim, who was much more harmless than the lady, was the drunkard Kapiton. It was the laundress Tatyana, for whom Gerasim felt sympathy, who married him at the behest of the lady. And this sympathy was mutual.

The lady is the embodiment of evil. This is enemy number one not only for Gerasim, but also for the rest of the heroes of this story. She hurts everyone, depriving them of their own will. Tatyana is unhappy with the shoemaker Kapiton. Their life together does not make Kapiton any better - he begins to drink even more.

But the most evil and heartless order of the lady is the order to kill Gerasim’s faithful dog, Mumu.

I don’t understand how this could even come to mind. And I don’t understand Gerasim, who was able to kill his friend, who loved him more than life itself, with his own hands. It's horrible.

I believe that Gerasim is his own enemy. He could take Mumu and go with her to his native land, which he missed. There, among the fields and hayfields, he would be happy with Mumu. She would be alive and running around out there in the open. And this evil lady with her cruel orders would not have been there. But Gerasim, despite his physical strength turned out to be weak in spirit. Lack of will. He did not dare to disobey the lady. How can he now live with such a burden on his heart? I think that Gerasim will never be happy again. He became his own enemy.