The psychological subtleties of Ivan Bunin's work are still of interest to the reader, although the realities he wrote about have sunk into oblivion. The problem of the petty nobility is no longer relevant, but the theme of growing up of a person, which is the semantic center of the story "Numbers", is still indestructible.
Already in the second half of the 19th century, Russian literature developed a tradition of addressing the theme of childhood. Leo Tolstoy, Sergei Aksakov, Maxim Gorky and others wrote about this wonderful time of life. To look at the world through the eyes of a child, to understand what he feels and experiences, what this small and not yet fully developed, but already quite original personality dreams of - all this interested and continues to interest writers. The story of Ivan Alekseevich Bunin "Numbers" is devoted to the problem of childhood.
This work was written in 1906 and is a confession of an adult, an uncle, to his nephew. Before the reader is a first-person story in three parts about one case, rather even an incident, from those times when the little boy Zhenya was just learning to read, count and write, and his biggest dream was to learn numbers as soon as possible.
The meaning of the name
Why was Bunin's story called "The Numbers"? The dream of learning numbers completely captured the main character. She is the author in the title of the story. However, this is something more than just a whim of young Zhenya.
The name "numbers" is a symbol of a child's dream, and at the same time it can be interpreted as a bone of contention, an object that puts an adult and a child on opposite sides of the conflict, in which it is very difficult to find the right one.
essence
In the center of the plot of the work is the conflict between the uncle and his nephew, the boy Zhenya. The child, full of energy to learn, asks him to show him the numbers, but the adult is too lazy to go to the city to get pencils, and he refuses, putting off the lesson all the time.
Zhenya, so fired up with a craving for knowledge, cannot stand it and begins to behave too actively, which irritates his uncle. As a result, a major quarrel occurs, during which neither one nor the other wants to admit they are wrong - and, meanwhile, it is characteristic of both of them - only the grandmother makes attempts to reconcile the "men". In the end, she succeeds, and, having gone through this conflict, both the child and the adult, having learned a life lesson from it, sit down at the table and do the counting.
Genre, direction, composition
The story consists of seven parts, in each of which the narrator is the uncle himself. He begins his story by turning to Zhenya with words about some quarrel that occurred between them in the past. Thus, the author immediately determines the subject that will be discussed. With the help of the "look into the past" technique, the writer forms a special perception of this story - instructive, instructive. At the same time, the narrator himself evaluates his actions and draws a moral conclusion from them.
Moreover, his speech is not just a presentation of events, it is a living memory; the author's language is light, dynamic and emotional, thanks to which we sincerely empathize with the characters and try to find an excuse for them in this quarrel.
Main characters and their characteristics
The central images are, of course, the narrator and his nephew. Their relationship drives the action and becomes the basis of the work's conflict. Despite the fact that we see everything that happens from the side of the uncle, his words are quite objective and contain an analysis component.
A very touching and at the same time accurate description of Zhenya is given in the first part:
…You are a big rascal. When something captivates you, you don't know how to keep it. you often with early morning until late at night you do not give peace to the whole house with your screaming and running around. On the other hand, I don’t know anything more touching than you, when, having enjoyed your riot, you quiet down, wander around the rooms and, finally, come up and orphanly cling to my shoulder!
Zhenya's characteristic is active, curious and very loving child, despite the fact that sometimes he is overwhelmed by whims. Uncle, however, loves him very much, every time when strictness and inflexibility were required of him, as from an adult, he was insanely sorry for the child. However, in the quarrel between the two of them there is a considerable share of his fault, because he could not show condescension and tenderness in time; pride and stubbornness took over him. This is a characteristic of an uncle - an emotional and quick-tempered person, but sincerely attached to his nephew.
Also in the story are Zhenya's mother and grandmother, who are also divided in opinion: the mother is on the uncle's side, and the grandmother is Zhenya. However, she does not scold those who quarreled, but tries to reconcile them. Grandmother, as a model of wisdom and balance, as an experienced person in life, understands the stupidity of this contention, and in the finale, only she manages to establish peace between the main characters.
Topics
The theme of the story is the relationship between children and adults. For a child, everything around is an unknown reality, it is curious and alluring, but for an adult this reality is no longer of such interest. The result is a misunderstanding that leads to conflict.
The author demonstrates the child's perception of the world to an adult reader in order to fill the gap of misunderstanding between members of the same family. Childhood is fleeting, it is easily forgotten, so it is very difficult for adults to realize and feel what a child is going through.
However, the early time of life is the most crucial time when the foundation of the personality is laid. Whether parents can understand their heir depends on his fate. An uncle must encourage his nephew's curiosity with all his might, only in this way will he grow up an educated person. However, at the same time, one should not indulge his whims, otherwise the entire educational effect of enlightenment will come to naught.
Problems
In his work, the author raises the problem of education, relations between adults and children, the difference in their perception of the world around them. Also important are the issues of children's curiosity and dreams, the desire to learn and develop, which is inherent in every child, the issues of human nature, which sometimes interferes with a reasonable solution of the problem by stubbornness and laziness.
The moral problems of the work directly point to the eternal vices of people of all ages: categoricalness, selfishness, optionality, etc. An adult over the years only exacerbates childhood shortcomings and competes with a child, succumbing to nervous excitement. Showing how willingly the venerable gentlemen fall into childhood, the author draws attention to the fact that maturity is determined by the ability to manage oneself, and not by age.
Meaning
The main idea of the story is that in dealing with children it is necessary to behave like an adult. The numbers in determining age mean nothing, because over the years a person may not change. Uncle easily loses his temper, showing a bad example to a capricious pupil. He may wean him from being capricious, but he will instill in the nascent personality even more negative traits like stubbornness, temper and categorical.
The idea is that the uncle, under the influence of worldly wisdom from the lips of his grandmother, chooses the right path: he goes back and corrects his mistake, realizing a promise he made a long time ago. Zhenya and his tutor calmly take up the study of numbers.
What does it teach?
The author makes us think about the need to remember and take into account this difference in experience, in relation to the world, because a child is a completely different being, unlike adults, and requires a special approach. The conclusion is simple: you need to take a responsible approach to educating the younger generation, without setting a negative example.
Moreover, in a conflict it is impossible to single out the right side unequivocally, because in any conflict everyone has their own truth, but everyone is wrong to some extent, so you always need to be able to compromise and find it. This is the moral meaning of the story.
Interesting? Save it on your wall!Title of the work: Numbers
Year of writing: 1906
Genre: story
Main characters: boy Zhenya, his uncle, mother and grandmother
After reading summary story "Numbers" reader's diary you will definitely refer to the full text of the story about the complex relationship between adults and children.
Plot
Zhenya lives with her mother and grandmother, and her uncle comes to visit them and brings gifts. Zhenya is a big naughty person, he rarely receives refusals in his desires, but at the same time he is a cheerful, healthy, very active child at an age when you want to explore the world and splash out your joy on others. Uncle promised to show him how to write numbers and teach him how to write. In a fit of happiness, the boy began to make noise and play pranks, for which he was punished and put in a dark, quiet room. The quarrel between the child and adults continued until the evening, because he did not want to apologize for his pampering. And only the grandmother, already at dusk, was able to persuade the boy to make peace with his uncle. And the next morning, the boy and the man were doing an interesting thing together: writing numbers with colored pencils.
Conclusion (my opinion)
The story is told in the first person, the author recalls a real incident, his quarrel with his nephew and reminds him of it, who has already matured. This story is useful for both children and adults, because the author tells in great detail about the change of feelings and experiences during an ugly quarrel. I think that both children and their parents will find something useful for themselves in this work.
At the lesson of literature, we got acquainted with another story by Bunin Numbers for grade 7. It is read easily and with pleasure, and raises the topical issue of the relationship between adults and children. Having become acquainted with the work, we can now briefly write down information for the reader's diary and his work Numbers, having done.
Bunin's story Figures
Analyzing Bunin's story, I would like to say, this work dedicated to the indomitable thirst for knowledge by a person who is only growing up and wants to know everything at once. It's just that adults don't get it. It seems to them that these are just the intrigues of children, which is why conflict situations arise. But how can you express yourself without hysteria, reach out to adults and draw attention to yourself? This is exactly what the hero does, who is denied such a simple thing as learning numbers.
The story itself is a description of one day. It consists of seven chapters, where we get acquainted with the heroes of the work.
Features of the genre and narrative
If we talk about the genre, then this work is a psychological novel, which the author built on the presentation of individual moments of a quarrel. A story about the unwillingness of an adult to meet a child, and all because of laziness.
If we dwell in more detail on the features of the narrative, then this is a story that is conducted in the first person. On behalf of an adult hero, the same uncle who refused his nephew to study numbers with him. This situation gave the hero an opportunity to look at himself from the outside and evaluate his act. The uncle is still tormented by his conscience, he is worried, so he tries, under any pretext, to look into the room to the offended and punished child. But then again, he does this with a serious face, not admitting his mistake. His pride did not allow reconciliation, while the child turned out to be morally wiser. He was the first to ask forgiveness for his behavior, after which, nevertheless, the uncle showed the child how to write and what the numbers are called. The child has long forgotten this story, but the uncle still remembers the case where he could not correctly assess the situation.
Heroes of the story
The heroes of Bunin's story are the boy Zhenya and his uncle. Minor Heroes- mother and grandmother.
Zhenya is an inquisitive child who is interested in everything. He wanted to study the numbers, but due to the laziness of adults, he was refused. He cannot understand why it is impossible to work out with him, so he throws a tantrum. As a result, the child managed to forget the offense and apologize. The uncle nevertheless paid attention to the child, because he himself admitted his guilt and the wrongness of actions, his cruelty towards his nephew.
Uncle - strict, restrained. Taking the sincere desire of the child to study the numbers as a whim, he refused him, forgetting his desires in childhood. And when he realized his mistake, he could not step over his pride, and therefore does not take the first step towards reconciliation. But after the child's apology, I grabbed the first opportunity and began to study numbers with him with pleasure.
The story "Numbers" describes two main characters, an uncle and his nephew. Bunin shows in it not a simple relationship between adults and children, but adults do not always understand that children also have self-esteem, have their own desires and dreams. Many adults hurt them with their actions and words, not realizing that they are still gentle, sensitive souls.
Or maybe sometimes they should also remember themselves in childhood, their joys and sorrows, and then it will become much easier to understand their children. Do not offend children by showing them your superiority over them. Children will grow up and, of course, they will forgive everything, but sometimes their wishes can be fulfilled.
It is precisely in this story that it is shown that the desires of a child should not always be perceived as a whim. You should not shout and use force, as it happened in the story with the little boy. After all, he did not ask for something expensive or impossible, it was just that adults were too lazy to waste their time on him. And sometimes attention is more valuable than any gifts.
This story is not written for moralizing children, but for adults to look at themselves from the outside. Due to his age, the child cannot understand such a refusal, and due to his age, he still does not have experience. Therefore, often children arrange a riot. And adults do not always admit that in some cases it is their fault.
However, in this story the boy resigned himself, he was the first to ask for forgiveness, but for what? At the cost of children's openness and purity, they will overcome the conflict. The numbers were the boy's dream, and his uncle knew them ...
Uncle will reproach himself for laziness later, he will be ashamed. And the child's heart does not remember evil for a long time, he, of course, will forget everything, and will continue to live with love for his relatives and friends around him.
With this story, Bunin makes it clear how important it is to appreciate and understand each other in life without offending, because it is quite easy to offend, and it can be difficult to be the first to reconcile. Sometimes you don't need to follow the rules, but you need to listen to your heart.
"Numbers"
According to K. G. Paustovsky, in the field of the Russian language, I. A. Bunin was an unsurpassed master ... From the vast number of Russian words, he unmistakably chose the most picturesque, most powerful words for each of his stories, connected by some kind of invisible and almost mysterious connection with the narrative and are necessary for this narrative alone.
In I. A. Bunin's story "Numbers" there are two main characters - an uncle and a boy. Judging by their warm relationship, they have been friends for a long time. One can feel the uncle's love for his nephew, but he keeps his nephew at a distance, as he is sure that "it is harmful to spoil children." And in his soul he understands that he must immediately respond to the boy's request, but he hesitates to answer for the same reason.
“You see, I am a very, very smart uncle ...” The main feeling of this phrase is irony. The uncle is ironic at himself, but he has forgotten the most important thing - what he himself was like in childhood.
Life is shown in the perception of an adult who is experienced, smart, knows how to control his feelings, knows how to punish a child. He does not want to understand the boy's great desire not to spoil him.
A child cannot understand this! After all, he doesn't have life experience, he cannot control his feelings, and his actions become unpredictable, uncontrollable. The boy does not understand why he is refused: “After all, can you show numbers on the royal day?” His reasoning comes from a great desire to experience the joy of knowledge, and he is refused not for any serious reason, but simply his uncle does not want to do this now.
evaluating the behavior of an adult and conveying the attitude towards the boy: “jumped up in a rage”, “barked at the top of his lungs”, “what the hell doused me”, “tub of anger”, “tugged at the hand”, “slapped with pleasure”, “pushed me out of the room ".
We understand that this story was not written to moralize children, not to tell children how to behave, but also so that adults can look at themselves from the outside.
Adults worry during a conflict: “Grandma’s lips and eyebrows suddenly trembled, and, turning to the window, she began to quickly, quickly beat the table with a teaspoon.” “Terrible spoiled child,” said mother, frowning and trying to be impartial. Although she understands that this is not so.
“I really didn’t want to go to the city”, “my heart told me that I was committing a great sin”, “I was already ashamed, I lit a cigarette without raising my eyes to my grandmother” He regrets his act: “I wanted to get up open the door to the nursery and immediately, with some hot word, stop your suffering.
The boy forgot everything that happened that winter evening, but the adult remembers. He forgot, because his conscience does not torment him, because he did not want to harm anyone, but simply lived and enjoyed life. A child's heart is quick-witted, it cannot remember evil for a long time, it cannot feed itself with hatred, it longs for love and happiness...
Neither the sobs of the child, nor his tear-stained face touched the heart of an adult, but tormented him with boxes, empty matchboxes, which the boy moved while sitting on the floor. These boxes are a symbol of the child's helplessness, insecurity, ineptitude. And adults should be ashamed to offend children, showing them their strength and superiority.
This incident helped my uncle take a critical look at himself and analyze his life.
And Zhenya had to retreat in front of an obstacle: “Ego was broken. You were defeated"; "And you relented." He had to accept, admit his guilt, although he was not guilty of anything.
“How hard you have been! How afraid you were to anger me, how submissive, delicate, careful you tried to be in your every movement! The child tries to replace a beautiful dream with something small: he plays with empty matchboxes. A sincere impulse of the soul was replaced by a fake. On the one hand, he learns to be restrained, but on the other, he loses himself. And it's too expensive
