A brief retelling of Turgenev's first love, chapter by chapter. Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev

1. Volodya- a sixteen-year-old boy preparing to enter university.
2. Zinaida Alexandrovna- a twenty-one-year-old princess, beautiful, smart, changing throughout the story.
3. Peter Vasilevich- Volodya’s father, a man still young and handsome, but distant and cold, married for convenience.

Vladimir Petrovich invites his two comrades to tell the stories of their first love. They turn out to be very simple and uninteresting, and then Vladimir writes and reads his story out loud.

Chapter 1. Dacha opposite Neskuchny

In the summer of 1833, Volodya’s parents rented a dacha in Moscow. His mother was a jealous woman 10 years older than his father, Pyotr Vasilyevich was a confident, calm, handsome man.

They lived in a large manor house. Volodya felt the approach of his first feelings, the image of a woman constantly hovered around him. At this time, the family of Princess Zasekina settled in the neighboring outbuilding, small and very dilapidated.

Chapter 2. First meeting

One of Volodya's main entertainments was shooting crows. Every day the young man took a gun with him and walked around the garden. One day, through a crack in the fence, he saw a beautiful, graceful girl hitting the foreheads of the young people crowded around her with flowers.

Suddenly, unnoticed by the boy, one of them (Lushin) made a playful remark to him. The girl laughed, and Volodya ran home bashfully. For the rest of the day he was possessed by a strange excitement and joy.

Chapters 3-4. First visit to the Zasekins

While Volodya was thinking about ways to meet the princess, his mother received a letter from the princess. In a completely illiterate note, Zasekina asked for protection from a more influential neighbor. The young man was sent to convey the answer.

All the furnishings of the house were cheap, tasteless, and unkempt. After a short conversation with the hostess, Voldemar, as the princess nicknamed him, went to help her untangle the wool.

The young man quickly liked Zinaida. When she ran out to meet Hussar Belovzorov, who brought her a kitten, the young master felt awkward. He was tormented by jealousy.

Chapter 5. Meeting of Zina and father

Princess Zasekina visited Volodin's mother and was invited to dinner with her daughter. Pyotr Vasilyevich knew something about the late Zasekin and the whole family; he spoke of Zina as an intelligent and educated girl.

While walking in the garden, Volodya met the princess, but she did not pay attention to him. But, having bowed to her father, she looked after him for a long time and in amazement.

Chapter 6. Visit to the Zasekins

Marya Nikolaevna did not like either mother or daughter. At dinner, the princess behaved rather ill-mannered, constantly complaining about her problems.

Zinaida Alexandrovna, on the other hand, was cold and important; her dress and hairstyle gave her a special charm. She was entertained by Volodya's father; she was indifferent to the boy. However, when leaving, she invited him to visit in the evening.

Chapter 7. Forfeits

Having visited the Zasekins, Volodya found himself in the midst of a game of forfeits. A fine was imposed on Zinaida: the one who pulled out the lucky ticket kissed her hands. Among Zina's guests were the poet-novelist Maidanov, Doctor Lushin, Malevsky, a Polish count, Nirmatsky, a retired captain, and Belovzorov.

The ticket went to Voldemar. All evening the young people had fun, ate and played. Returning home, the young man saw in front of him for a long time a portrait of his beloved princess. He could not sleep; it was a sparrow's night outside the window. The storm raged so far away that no thunder could be heard.

Chapter 8. Conversation with Father

Father rarely attracted Volodya to himself; he had other vital interests. He asked his son to tell him everything he did with his neighbors. Involuntarily the young man began to praise Zinaida.

Lost in thought, his father said goodbye to him and headed to the outbuilding. He stayed there for no more than an hour, then Volodya came in. He undertook to rewrite the princess's request. Zina appeared from her room for a second. The girl was pale and thoughtful.

Chapter 9. Zinaida's Love

Zina's fans were very different, and she needed everyone. She knew that they were all in love with her, she felt her strength, and played with them. The princess treated Voldemar like a child. She told him that she could only love a person stronger than her, and the whole company was subservient to her.

One day, while wandering around the garden, the boy met a sad Zinaida. The girl called him over and asked him to read “The darkness of the night lies on the hills of Georgia.” Then we went to listen to Maidanov’s poems. On this day, Volodya realized that Zina fell in love with someone.

Chapter 10. Conversation with Luzhin

Zinaida's behavior changed; she loved to walk alone. The young man suffered more and more, became jealous, and suspected everyone. One day, sitting at the Zasekins’, he was talking with Luzhin. The doctor strongly recommended that Volodya take up his abandoned textbooks again and not go to this house.

Chapter 11. Comparisons

At the Zasekins’ house they read a poem written by Maidanov. Zinaida proposed her own plot, which the poet promised to use.

The girl started a comparison game. She went to the window and suggested that the clouds looked like the sails of Cleopatra’s ships, sailing to Mark Antony. She was interested in the commander’s age, and Luzhin said that he should have been over forty.

Chapter 12. Jumping from the Greenhouse

Going to Zina, Volodya found her crying. She began to twist his hair, saying that it hurt her too, and accidentally pulled out a strand. She promised to put it in her locket. A scandal was ending in the manor house: the mother was arguing with the father. Vladimir got it too.

Out of frustration, he climbed onto his favorite destroyed greenhouse. Suddenly the princess passed below. She joked that if the young man loved her, he should jump down. Volodya lost consciousness for a moment from a strong blow.

He felt Zinaida kissing his face and lips. When she realized that everything was fine with the boy, she began to scold him and sent him home.

Chapters 13-14. Horseback riding

Volodya sat with Zinaida and did not dare to talk about what had happened. Belovzorov entered, promising to find a fast horse for the girl. He failed to find out who Zina was going for a ride with, and she promised to take him with her.

The next day the young man went for a walk. His father and Zina rode past him on horseback. Pyotr Vasilyevich leaned over to the girl and said something. She was pale. A hussar rode at a distance from them.

Chapter 15. Page

Zina was sick for several days. Fans still visited her, but they were not happy. She avoided Vladimir. One day he saw her in the window. Zinaida looked with a stern gaze and seemed to have decided on something.

She herself called the boy and offered to be friends. Moreover, she made him one of her pages. The young man saw dramatic changes in Zinaida’s entire appearance and fell in love even more.

Chapter 16. Zinaida's story

The whole company gathered at the Zasekins'. They played forfeits, but without any fun or violence. Zina offered to come up with stories and told her own. The queen gave a ball, and every guest was in love with her. All of them were ready to fulfill any of her wishes, but the queen herself loved only one, who stood under the window by the fountain.

The girl suggested what each of those gathered would do if he were a guest at this ball. Only for Volodya there was no definition. The boy could not sleep that night. He, thinking about the story, went out into the garden. Suddenly it seemed to him that he was not alone. No one answered his call.

Chapter 17. Night revenge

Malevsky came to visit Volodya’s family. Having met the boy, he venomously hinted to him that the page should watch the queen even at night, in the garden by the fountain. Jealousy boiled up in the young man, and he decided to take revenge.

Taking his English knife, at dusk he went on guard. After waiting for several hours, he calmed down and walked around the garden. Suddenly he saw a man sneaking. Volodya managed to hide. It was his father. The curtain was falling in Zina’s bedroom window. The young man was struck by a new guess.

Chapter 18. Child

The boy decided to go to Zinaida, but she immediately gave him the care of her cadet brother. Next to him, Volodya felt like a perfect child. Zina was kind and unwittingly did whatever she wanted with him.

Chapter 19. Revealing the secret

Returning home, Volodya found a strange picture: his father had left, his mother was sick. The barman told him that thanks to an anonymous letter (the addressee of which was Malevsky), Marya Nikolaevna learned about the relationship between her husband and the neighbor’s girl.

Chapter 20. Moving

Everything was settled without a scandal, but the mother insisted on returning home. Volodya came to say goodbye, and Zina kissed him goodbye. In the city he met Luzhin. He said that Voldemar managed to get off lightly. Belovzorov left for the Caucasus.

Chapter 21. Sudden meeting

One day, Vladimir's father took him horseback riding. Suddenly he dismounted, gave the reins of his horse to his son and ordered him to wait. He was gone for a long time, and Volodya went after him. A picture appeared before his eyes: Pyotr Vasilyevich was talking to Zinaida, looking out of the window.

He asked for something, she refused. He took out a whip and hit the girl’s hand, she kissed the scar. Soon after the family moved to St. Petersburg, the father died. His mother sent money to Moscow, Volodya entered the university.

Chapter 22. The End

After 4 years, Vladimir learned that Zinaida had married a wealthy man and was going abroad. He wanted to visit her, but at the hotel he was told that Mrs. Dolskaya had died from childbirth.

The story “First Love” by Turgenev was written in 1860, and in many ways became a reflection of the author’s personal experiences. This is a story about the first, half-childhood love, which had to face adult love, full of drama and sacrifice.

On our website you can read online a summary of “First Love” chapter by chapter, and then take a test to test your knowledge. A brief retelling of the work will be useful for the reading diary and preparation for a literature lesson.

Main characters

Vladimir- a sixteen-year-old boy who had to endure all the joys and troubles of his first love.

Zinaida- A 21-year-old impoverished princess, spoiled by male attention, with whom Vladimir was in love.

Petr Vasilievich- Vladimir’s father, an intelligent, freedom-loving middle-aged man who started an affair with Zinaida.

Other characters

Princess Zasekina- Zinaida’s mother, an unkempt, uneducated woman with bad manners.

Vladimir's mother- a reserved, delicate woman who was much older than her husband.

Malevsky, Lushin, Maidanov, Nirmatsky and Belovzorov- fans of Zinaida.

Chapter 1

Sixteen-year-old Volodya was preparing to enter university at his parents’ dacha. He lived in anticipation of something extraordinary and this “was destined to come true soon.” Soon the family of Princess Zasekina moved into the small outbuilding.

Chapter 2

During one of his walks, Volodya saw an unusually attractive blond girl in a company of young people. The stranger struck the young man in the heart and he, feeling “unprecedented excitement,” ran home.

Chapter 3

The next morning, all Volodya’s thoughts were occupied only with how to get to know the object of his passion. The young man was rescued by his mother, who ordered him to “go to the princess and verbally explain to her” so that she would come to visit her.

Chapter 4

Finding himself in the Zasekins’ chambers, Volodya was unpleasantly surprised by the excessive simplicity and untidiness of the decoration and the princess herself. Her daughter Zinochka turned out to be the complete opposite - gentle, graceful, with excellent manners. She admitted that she was five years older than Volodya and asked him to “always tell the truth.” At that moment the young man felt as good as a fish in water. But soon his joy faded when a young hussar appeared at the Zasekin family and presented Zinaida with a kitten - Volodya was jealous for the first time in his life.

Chapters 5-7

Volodya's mother found the princess “a very vulgar woman,” obsessive and selfish. It turned out that she was the daughter of a rich clerk, and married a bankrupt prince, who soon squandered her dowry.

At the reception with Volodya’s parents, Princess Zasekina “didn’t show herself off at all,” while Zinaida “behaved herself very strictly, almost arrogantly, like a real princess.” Saying goodbye, she invited Volodya to come to them in the evening.

Arriving at the appointed hour to the Zasekins, Volodya saw Zinaida surrounded by young people. Among her fans were “Count Malevsky, Doctor Lushin, the poet Maidanov, retired captain Nirmatsky and Belovzorov.” The guests had a lot of fun: they played forfeits, “sang and danced, and represented a gypsy camp.”

Chapter 8

His mother was against Volodya’s communication with his neighbors, whom she considered ill-mannered. She reminded her son that he should “prepare for the exam and study.”

Volodya shared his impressions of Zinaida with his father, an intelligent, interesting man who valued freedom above all else. After a conversation with Volodya, he “ordered to saddle his horse” and went to the Zasekins. In the evening the young man found Zinaida pale and thoughtful.

Chapter 9

Volodya was languishing in love with Zinaida, who by that time was carried away by playing with her fans - “she kept them all on a leash, at her feet.”

One day Volodya found his chosen one in a strange mood. When looking at his face, she noted that he “has the same eyes,” and then admitted that she was disgusted with everything. Volodya realized that Zinaida was in love.

Chapters 10-12

Volodya kept trying to understand who was the lucky guy with whom Zinaida fell in love. Doctor Lushin tried to warn him against frequent visits from the Zasekin family - the choice of house was “painfully unfortunate”, and its atmosphere was destructive for a pure, ardent young man.

Meanwhile, “Zinaida became more and more strange, more and more incomprehensible.” She began to allow herself strange antics, and one day she passionately kissed Volodya.

Chapters 13-15

The young man felt indescribable bliss for a long time after kissing his beloved. One day he noticed how, during a horseback ride, his father enthusiastically whispered something in Zinaida’s ear. For the next week, the girl did not show herself to anyone, saying she was sick. After a while, she told Volodya that “now everything has passed,” asked for forgiveness for her previous coldness and offered friendship.

Chapter 16

One day the young princess invited the guests to tell their dreams. When it was her turn, she described her dream. In it she was in the image of a queen, surrounded by fans. Each of them is ready to die for her, but the queen’s heart is given to the only one who is waiting for her near the fountain. “No one knows him,” but the queen is ready to come at his first call and “both stay with him and get lost with him.”

Chapters 17-19

The next day, Malevsky, looking “contemptuously and playfully” at Volodya, hinted that he needed to be constantly close to his “queen,” especially at night. The young man realized that Zinaida was leading a double life.

At night in the garden, Volodya noticed his father sneaking around, but did not attach any importance to it. Soon everything fell into place - “a terrible scene occurred between father and mother.” The mother “reproached the father for infidelity, for dating a neighboring young lady,” and in response he lost his temper and left. This “sudden revelation” completely crushed Volodya.

Chapter 20

It was decided to return to Moscow. Volodya came to say goodbye to Zinaida and tell her that he would “love and adore” her until the end of his days. The touched girl hugged Volodya to her and “kissed” him deeply and passionately.

In Moscow, a young man who experienced a love drama did not soon “get rid of the past, and did not soon get to work.” His mental wound was healing very slowly, but he did not feel anger towards his father. During a frank conversation, Pyotr Vasilyevich gave advice to his son “to live normally and not give in to hobbies.”

Chapter 21

One day Volodya went horseback riding with his father. After a long walk, Pyotr Vasilyevich asked his son to wait a little and disappeared somewhere in an alley. Tired of the long wait, Volodya began to look for his father, and soon found him near a wooden house, in the window of which Zinaida could be seen. A tense conversation took place between them, during which Pyotr Vasilyevich hit Zinaida’s naked hand with a whip, and she only “kissed the red scar on it.” The father immediately “threw the whip aside” and ran into the house to his beloved.

Volodya was shocked by what he saw - he understood what true, “adult” love was, which had nothing to do with his enthusiastic youthful feeling. Six months later, his father died of a stroke, having previously received “a letter from Moscow, which excited him extremely.” Before his death, he warned Volodya against female love.

Chapter 22

After four years, Volodya successfully graduated from the university. He found out that Zinaida got married, but at first it was not easy for her to find a match for herself after her relationship with Pyotr Vasilyevich. Volodya put off meeting his first love until he learned that she “died almost suddenly from childbirth.”

Conclusion

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In 1860, Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev wrote the story “First Love.” It is interesting that the author treated this work with particular trepidation, because many of the moments described in the story were taken from the biography of Ivan Sergeevich and his own father. What is it about?

Here he describes his impressions of his first deep feeling and reveals the details of the family drama. How his own first love was reflected in the story, a summary, characters and the main idea is the topic of our article.

The images of the main characters of the work “First Love” are copied from real people:

• Volodya. This hero is the embodiment of the author himself in his youth. The experiences and feelings of Vladimir Petrovich can tell us what Ivan Sergeevich himself once experienced.
• Princess Zinaida Alexandrovna. This heroine also had a real prototype. This is Ekaterina Shakhovskaya, a poetess with whom the writer was in love.
• Pyotr Vasilyevich is the father of the main character. The prototype is the father of Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev - Sergei Nikolaevich, who did not love his wife, entered into marriage because of the promise of material gain.
  His wife, Varvara Petrovna, was much older. During his lifetime, Sergei Nikolaevich had success with women, and a stormy romance with Shakhovskaya continued for a long time.

Interesting! The story was filmed four times, not only by Russian directors, but also by foreign ones. For example, a French film adaptation of the book was released in 2013.

Turgenev said that it was important for him to describe everything reliably. There was no resentment left against either the former beloved or the father. The author tried to understand their actions.

The beginning of the story

The action of Turgenev's story "First Love" takes place in 1833. The main character of the book, Vladimir Petrovich, is 16 years old.

The young man lives with his father and mother at a dacha in Moscow, preparing to become a university student.

Unexpectedly, an event occurs in the life of the main character that has a profound impact on him and the life of his entire family.

Next to the dacha of Volodya and his parents there was a poor outbuilding in which Princess Zasekina and her daughter settled.

Volodya accidentally encounters the young princess Zinaida, and he likes the girl. He dreams of getting to know her better.

This was helped by chance. The princess's mother wrote a letter to Volodya's mother. The message was not very literate and contained a request for help. Zasekina asked for patronage.

The young man’s mother was not indifferent to other people’s troubles and ordered the young man to go to the Zasekins’ house and invite him to dinner.

During this visit, Volodya met Princess Zinaida. It turned out that she was twenty-one years old. The princess initially flirts with the hero of the story, but soon stops doing so.

During dinner, it becomes clear that Princess Zasekina is not very strong in manners: she sniffs tobacco loudly, cannot sit quietly in a chair, and constantly complains about her difficult financial situation.

The daughter seems to be the complete opposite - she behaves with restraint, proudly. Zinaida Aleksandrovna communicates in French with Volodin’s father and at the same time looks at him incredulously. She shows no interest in Vladimir himself at dinner. And, nevertheless, before leaving, in a whisper she invites him to visit him in the evening.

The birth of first love

Arriving at the princess, the young man discovers that the girl has many admirers:

• poet by the name of Maidanov,
• Dr. Lushin,
• retired captain Nirmatsky,
• hussar named Belovzorov.

In this company the evening was very fun and noisy. The young man even manages to kiss Zasekina’s hand. The girl does not let Vladimir Petrovich leave her even one step. The young man decides that he is also not indifferent to her.

The next day, Volodin’s father asks about the princess and family, and then he himself went to the Zasekins’ wing.

After dinner, the young man also goes to visit the princess, but she doesn’t even come out. From that moment on, the girl seems to ignore him, and because of this, the hero suffers.

When Zinaida reappears, she feels happy.

So the young man becomes dependent on the presence of his beloved and experiences a feeling of jealousy towards the girl’s admirers. She soon guesses about the hero’s feelings.

Zinaida Aleksandrovna appears very rarely in the house of Volodin’s parents. The young man's mother does not like the princess, and the father sometimes communicates with the girl - little and restrainedly, in some language that the two of them understand.

Important! Wikipedia, in its article on the story, provides users with not only a summary, but also a lot of interesting facts about the creation of the work.

The Mystery of Zinaida

Suddenly the princess changes dramatically - from a coquette she turns into a thoughtful girl. He walks alone for a long time and often refuses to go out when guests come.

Vladimir suddenly understands that the princess is seriously in love. But at the same time, the hero has no idea who kindled this feeling in the princess.

One day the young man was sitting in the garden, on the wall of a dilapidated greenhouse, and suddenly saw Zinaida.

The girl also noticed Vladimir and ordered him to immediately jump onto the road to prove her feelings. The young man complied with this request, but falling to the ground, he lost consciousness for a moment.

Because of what happened, the girl is very scared and, in a fit of emotion, even kisses the young man, but when he comes to his senses, he leaves and does not allow him to go with her. The young man feels inspired. True, the next day, when they meet, the princess acts distantly.

Later, Volodya and Zinaida meet again in the garden. The young man wants to leave, but the princess does not allow him to do so. The girl behaves kindly and sweetly, says that she is ready to be a friend and jokes that Vladimir can become her page.

This joke is picked up by Count Malevsky, who says that the young man is now obliged to know every little thing about his “queen” and be constantly nearby.

Vladimir attaches great importance to these words and goes to the garden at night to guard the girl, taking with him an English knife.

Suddenly he meets his father, gets scared, drops his weapon on the ground and runs away.

The next day the young man wants to discuss with his beloved what happened. But Zinaida cannot communicate face to face. Her twelve-year-old brother from the cadet school comes to the girl, and she asks the young man to entertain the boy.

In the evening, the princess finds Volodya in the garden and asks what happened and why he is so sad. He replies that he is dissatisfied with the fact that his beloved does not take him seriously. The girl asks for forgiveness. Volodya cannot hold a grudge against his beloved, so after a quarter of an hour he is already running around the garden with all his might with the girl and her brother and enjoying life.

Resolution of the story

The hero tries to communicate with his beloved as if nothing had happened, tries not to keep bad thoughts in his head and not to suspect the girl of anything. But a week later, returning home, he witnesses a scandal between his parents.

The mother says that her husband has a relationship with Princess Zasekina: an anonymous letter has arrived with information about this. The young man cannot believe it.

The next day, the mother announces that she is moving to another city and taking her son with her.

Volodya wants to say goodbye to his beloved before leaving, confesses his love to Zinaida, and says that he cannot love anyone else.

After some time, the young man meets Zinaida again by chance. Vladimir goes horseback riding with his father. Suddenly, his father gives him the reins and disappears.

The young man goes after him and discovers that he is communicating with the princess through the window, persistently says something to the girl, and Zinaida suddenly extends her hand. The father suddenly raises his whip and strikes. The girl is scared, but silently brings her bruised hand to her lips. Volodya is very alarmed by what he sees and runs away in fright.

Some more time passes. The hero of the story moves to St. Petersburg with his parents and becomes a university student.

Six months later, his father suddenly passes away unexpectedly: he receives a letter from Moscow and then dies of a heart attack.

Afterwards, Volodya’s mother sends a substantial sum of money to Moscow.

Four years pass. Suddenly, Vladimir runs into an old acquaintance, Maidanov, in the theater.

He told him that Zinaida now also lives in the northern capital. She is married and wants to move abroad.

After the loud story with Volodya’s father, it was difficult for Zinaida to find a good groom. But since the girl was smart, she was able to do it.

Important! Maidanov even tells the young man where exactly Zinaida lives. Volodya comes to the princess some time later and receives sad news on the spot. His beloved died in childbirth four days ago.

Like Turgenev’s other works, this story can be read online for free on many resources.

What is the story about?

The story “First Love” almost completely reflects the difficult situation that occurred in the author’s life. It describes the details of a family drama. The work is written in an easy, simple language, and thanks to this, the reader can feel the experiences of the characters and better understand the essence of the work.

It is impossible not to believe in the sincerity of Vladimir Petrovich’s feelings and to experience with him the stages of his growing up - from passionate and enthusiastic first love to sympathy.

The work clearly shows how the relationship between Volodya and Zinaida changes, as well as how his attitude towards his own father changes.

The story also well reveals the image of Princess Zinaida Alexandrovna. We see how she transforms from a frivolous flirtatious young lady into a devoted and loving woman. In addition, here Turgenev reflects the deep feeling of Volodya's father.

He didn't love his wife, he married her for money. And he sincerely fell in love with Zinaida, but he had to suppress this feeling within himself.

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Let's sum it up

Despite what the main character had to endure, he did not hate either Zinaida or his father. On the contrary, he fell in love with his father even more.

Tale by I.S. Turgenev's “First Love” begins with a conversation between three no longer young men about their first love. Everyone had to tell their own story, and when it was Vladimir Petrovich’s turn, he admitted that his situation was truly extraordinary. The man, with the permission of his friends, put the whole story in writing. Two weeks later, when the company reconvened, he began to read the created recordings, immersing listeners and readers in the times of his youth. To understand all the intricacies of this book, pay attention to

The main character is sixteen years old, then just Volodya, who lived with his parents at the dacha they rented near the Kaluga outpost. The young man was preparing to enter the University, but worked little for this. The young man increasingly read aloud poems, which he knew quite a few by heart, and was in a sweet state of anticipation of the unknown.

His expectations were destined to come true, since soon the family of Princess Zasekina settled in the dilapidated outbuilding next door.

Chapter 2

One evening, Volodya, habitually walking with a gun through the garden and guarding the crows, accidentally wandered to the neighbor’s fence, where he saw her: a beautiful tall blond girl. She smacked the gray flowers on the foreheads of the men around her. She had so much affection and charm.

The hero, it seemed, would give everything in the world if only those thin feminine fingers would touch his forehead. Volodya could admire her endlessly, but he was prevented. He was spotted by one of the men. Not knowing where to go from shame, Volodya ran away to the ringing laughter of the blond beauty.

Chapter 3

Volodya is looking for ways to meet his beautiful neighbor, and fate itself helps him in this. Unexpectedly, the mother, who had previously received an illiterate letter from Princess Zasekina asking for a petition, instructs Volodya to go to the neighbors to invite them to visit.

The young man was incredibly happy about this chance. Unprecedented excitement gripped him, putting on a frock coat and tie, he headed to the treasured outbuilding.

Chapter 4

Having crossed the threshold of the neighbor's outbuilding, the young man immediately notices the wretchedness of the interior decoration. The princess's manners seemed too simple to him, but Princess Zinaida turned out to be amazingly charming (here is her). She jokingly calls Volodya “Valdemar.” She asks to help her untangle the wool - the young man unquestioningly agrees to everything.

The idyll is interrupted by the appearance of Hussar Belovzorov with a kitten, which he brought for the princess.

Volodya needed to go home, because his mother was waiting for him. Zinaida manages to invite Volodya to visit them more often. And for the first time the hero himself feels that he is jealous of the princess for the hussar.

Chapter 5

The princess's visit leaves an unpleasant impression on Volodya's mother. In a conversation with the young man’s father, she admitted that the princess seemed to her a very vulgar person.

On the same day, in the garden, Volodya and his father accidentally meet the princess walking around the territory with a book.

Chapter 6

The Zasekins’ lunchtime visit only worsened Volodya’s mother’s opinion of them. And the young man was surprised by the coldness of Zinaida, who did not pay attention to him all evening, but only talked with Pyotr Vasilyevich (Volodya’s father) in French.

However, before leaving, she manages to invite the young man to her evening. He is happy.

Chapter 7

At the evening, Volodya meets Zinaida’s admirers: Belovzorov, retired captain Nirmatsky, Count Malevsky, poet Maidanov and Doctor Lushin. The company was having fun playing forfeits and Volodya joined them.

The young man gets a phantom kiss. Kneeling down, he kisses the princess’s hand, and his whole being is filled with happiness. Returning home, he could not sleep: the image of the girl did not leave his thoughts, and the emotions from the evening were overwhelming.

Chapter 8

In the morning, after drinking tea, the father invited Volodya to take a walk in the garden and there he persuaded his son to tell him everything that he had seen at the Zasekins.

Pyotr Vasilyevich was far from family life; he lived in accordance with his philosophy, which was to belong only to himself. Volodya decided to tell his father about Zinaida. After the conversation, Pyotr Vasilyevich went to the Zasekins. In the evening of the same day, Volodya discovered another change: the princess was pale and cold towards him.

Chapter 9

Thoughts about love completely absorb Volodya. The princess admits in conversation that she is only playing with her fans.

Volodya, seeing Zinaida’s strange mood, fulfills the princess’s request and reads poetry to her by heart. Then they go to the outbuilding to listen to Maidanov’s works, where Volodya realizes that the princess has fallen in love with someone.

Chapter 10

Volodya was at a loss, not understanding the reason for Zinaida’s strange behavior.

Doctor Lushin gives the young man advice to stop visiting the Zasekins, since, in his opinion, the atmosphere of this house may negatively affect the young man in the future.

Chapter 11

Everyone gathered again at the Zasekins’, including Volodya. They talked about Maidanov's poem, and then Zinaida suggested playing comparisons. Comparing the clouds with the purple sails on Cleopatra’s ship, on which she was hurrying to meet her beloved Anthony, Zinaida involuntarily reveals her feelings.

Volodya sadly understands that she fell in love, but the question is “WHO?”

Chapter 12

Zinaida becomes even stranger. One day Volodya finds the princess in tears, she calls him to her, then suddenly grabbing the young man by the hair, asks: “It hurts! Doesn’t it hurt me?” Having pulled out a clump of hair, she comes to her senses and, in order to somehow make amends for her guilt, promises to keep this strand in her locket.

Some time later, Zinaida asks Volodya to jump from a high wall as a sign of his love, he, without hesitation, jumps and loses consciousness for a moment, meanwhile she kisses him.

Chapter 13

All the young man’s thoughts were again occupied by Zinaida, he was sweetly occupied by the memories of kisses, but the princess’s behavior made it clear to him that in her eyes he was only a child.

Zinaida asks Belovzorov to definitely find a quiet riding horse for her.

Chapter 14

In the morning Volodya went to the outpost. He wandered for a long time and indulged in dreams of how heroically he saved the princess.

On the way to the city, the young man unexpectedly meets Zinaida and his father on horseback, with a flushed Belovzorov racing behind.

Chapter 15

For the next week, Zinaida was reputed to be ill and avoided Volodya’s company.

However, later the princess herself volunteered to talk with the young man. She asked for forgiveness for her behavior and offered Volodya friendship, and also announced that from that day on he was her faithful page.

Chapter 16

At the next reception, Zinaida invited the guests to take turns telling fictional stories.

When the forfeit fell to the princess, she told the following story: the beautiful young queen is giving a ball, surrounded by a crowd of worthy fans who are ready to do anything for her, and a sea of ​​flattering speeches, but she strives to the garden, to the fountain, where her lover is waiting. Volodya, like everyone present, realizes that this story is a metaphorical reflection of the princess’s real life.

Chapter 17

Volodya one day accidentally meets Count Malevsky on the street, who hints at the young man, as Zinaida’s page, to keep track of what his mistress is doing at night.

He longs to find out the truth, and, armed with an English knife in order to be able to punish an unknown “rival,” he goes to the garden at night, where he meets his father. The man, wrapped in a cloak, was in a hurry to leave the neighbor's outbuilding.

Chapter 18

The next morning, Zinaida entrusts her cadet brother Volodya, hoping that the boys will become friends. Volodya spends the whole day in secret thoughts, and by the evening he is already sobbing in Zinaida’s arms, accusing her of playing with him. The princess admits her guilt, but assures that she loves the young man in her own way.

A quarter of an hour later, the cadet, Volodya and Zinaida, having forgotten about everything, ran into each other. Here Volodya realizes that he is completely in the power of the princess, and even this he is incredibly happy about.

Chapter 19

Volodya tried not to draw any conclusions regarding what he saw at night. He “burned” in the presence of Zinaida and it was a joy for him to burn for her.

Ignorance could not last forever. Volodya learns from the bartender Philip that his mother reproached his father for treason, and then everything becomes clear to the young man.

Chapter 20

After his mother’s announcement about moving to the city, Volodya decides to meet Zinaida for the last time.

At the meeting, Volodya confesses to the princess that he will always love her, regardless of her actions. The girl gives the boy a farewell kiss. Volodya and his family move to the city.

Chapter 21

One day Volodya persuaded his father to take him horseback riding. Towards the end of the walk, Pyotr Vasilyevich told his son to wait for him, and he himself left. A lot of time has passed, and he still hasn’t arrived. Volodya decided to go in search of his father. The young man found him standing near the window of the house in which Zinaida could be seen.

The girl extended her hand, and the father suddenly hit her with a whip. The princess kissed the place of the blow, and Pyotr Vasilyevich, throwing the whip, ran into the house. Then it dawned on Volodya that this was true love.

Soon the father died from a blow, but before his death he left a letter in which he asks his son to beware of the love of women.

Chapter 22

Several years pass, Volodya accidentally meets the already married Maidanov, who informs him about the marriage of Zinaida, now Mrs. Dolskaya.

Volodya is going to visit her, but due to the abundance of important matters, he constantly had to postpone the visit. When he finally arrives at the indicated address, it turns out that Mrs. Dolskaya died four days ago during childbirth.

I.S. Turgenev had a huge influence not only on literature, but also on the perception of the world among his readers; it is not for nothing that the term “Turgenev girl” became firmly established in the speech of educated people and became a common name for the canonical female image in national culture. This author has created many diverse works, but they are united by deep poetry in every word. His “First Love” is also imbued with it.

In 1844 I.S. Turgenev met the French singer Pauline Viardot and fell in love. As it turned out, forever. They quarreled, made up, the writer followed his beloved everywhere. But this love was doomed, and at the same time selfless. It was this feeling that gave rise to a number of lyrical and philosophical stories with a tragic love plot, including “First Love,” published in 1860. In these works, feeling is a disease that affects a person and deprives him of his will and reason.

The book was written in January-March 1860. The plot collision was based on the real story of the writer's family: a love triangle between the young writer, his father and Princess Ekaterina Shakhovskaya. The author noted that he had nothing to hide, and as for the condemnation of Turgenev’s frankness by his acquaintances, he did not care.

Genre: short story or story?

A story is a short prose work that has a single plot line, one conflict and reflects a separate episode in the lives of the characters. A story is an epic genre, standing in volume between a novel and a short story, has a more complex and branched plot, and the conflict is a chain of episodes.

“First Love” can be called a story, since there are several main characters (usually one or two in a story). The work does not depict a single episode, but a chain of events connected by the development of a love conflict. Another genre feature of the story is that it is a story within a story. The narrator, who is also the main character, recalls episodes of his youth, so the introduction talks about the situation that led the narrator to memories: he and his friends were talking about the topic of first love, and his story turned out to be the most entertaining.

What is the work about?

In the company of friends, the narrator recalls his youth, his first love. As a 16-year-old boy, Vladimir was fascinated by his dacha neighbor, 21-year-old Zinaida. The girl enjoyed the attention of young people, but did not take anyone seriously, but spent evenings with them in fun and games. The heroine laughed at all her admirers, including Vladimir, and did not take life seriously at all. But once…

The main character noticed a change in his beloved, and soon it dawned on him: she fell in love! But who is he, the opponent? The truth turned out to be terrible, this is the father of the main character, Pyotr Vasilyevich, who married his mother for convenience, treats both her and his son with disdain. Pyotr Vasilyevich is not interested in the scandal, so love ends quickly. Soon he dies of a stroke, Zinaida gets married and also dies in childbirth.

The main characters and their characteristics

The description of the characters in the story “First Love” is dramatic and in itself gives rise to a conflict of interest. In a family where there is no harmony, love was perceived by men as a means to forget themselves or to feel needed. However, in pursuit of personal happiness, they did not delve into the hidden depths of Zinaida’s personality, and did not discern her essence. She poured out all the heat of her heart into an ice vessel and destroyed herself. Thus, the main characters of the work became victims of their own blindness, inspired by passion.

1. Vladimir- A 16-year-old nobleman, still under family care, but striving for independence and adulthood. He is overwhelmed by dreams of love, happiness, harmony, he idealizes all feelings, especially love. However, for the main character himself, love became a tragedy. Vladimir forgot about everything, was ready to constantly be at Zinaida’s feet, was absorbed only in her. And after the dramatic denouement, he mentally aged, all his dreams of a brilliant future were shattered, and only the ghost of unfulfilled love remained.
2. Zinaida– 21-year-old impoverished princess. She was in a hurry and longed to live, as if sensing that there would not be much time left. The main character of the story “First Love” could not calm down all her inner passion; despite the large selection of men, there was no loved one around. And she chose the most unsuitable one, for the sake of whom she disdained all prohibitions and decency, and for him she was just another entertainment. She got married in a hurry to hide the shame, died giving birth to a child from an unloved... So a life ended, full of only one, also unfulfilled love.
3. Petr Vasilievich- the father of the main character. He married a woman who was 10 years older for money, ruled and pushed her around. He showered his son with cold contempt. The family was completely unnecessary in his life; it still did not give him satisfaction. But the young neighbor, having loved him with all her heart, briefly gave him a taste for life. However, he could not leave his wife, it would be unprofitable, and there would be a scandal too. That's why the hero simply abandoned his mistress to the mercy of fate.

Subject

• The main theme of the story is Love. It's different here. And the self-humiliating feeling of Vladimir’s mother towards her husband: the woman is ready to do anything just not to lose her husband, she is afraid of him, afraid to admit to herself that he does not love her. And Vladimir’s hopeless, sacrificial love: he agrees to any role in order to be close to Zinaida, even a page, even a jester. And Zinaida herself has a passionate obsession: for the sake of Pyotr Vasilyevich, she becomes the same slave as his son before her. And love by chance for the protagonist’s father: women liked him, the neighbor was a new hobby, an easy affair.
• The result of love becomes the following theme - loneliness. And Vladimir, and Zinaida, and Pyotr Vasilyevich are broken by this love triangle. After the tragic ending, no one remained the same, they all found themselves alone forever, they died morally, and then the failed lovers died physically.
• Family theme. Of particular importance in the work is the unfavorable climate in the home of the protagonist. It was he who made him beg for love. The complexes received from the cold rejection of his father were expressed in his attitude towards Zinaida. This slavish worship destroyed his chances of success.

Issues

Moral problems are revealed in the work in several aspects. Firstly, does Zinaida’s life, the crowd of fans around her, with whom she plays like pawns, deserve understanding? Secondly, can forbidden love, which violates all moral standards, be happy? The plot development of events answers these questions negatively: the main character is punished for her disdain for her admirers by the disregard of her loved one, and their relationship inevitably leads to a break. And indirectly led to the death of both. However, the reader sympathizes with Zinaida, she is full of thirst for life, and this evokes involuntary sympathy. In addition, she is capable of deep feelings that evoke respect.

The problem of power in love is most fully expressed in the relationship between Zinaida and Pyotr Vasilyevich. The girl dominated her past gentlemen and felt very cheerful. But true love came, and with it suffering. And even suffering from a loved one is sweet. And no power is needed. Pyotr Vasilyevich hit her with a whip, and she gently brought the reddened place to her lips, because this is a mark from him.

Idea

The main idea of ​​the story is the all-consuming power of love. Whatever it is, happy or tragic, it is like a fever that suddenly seizes and does not let go, and if it goes away, it leaves devastation. Love is powerful and sometimes destructive, but this feeling is wonderful, you cannot live without it. You can only exist. The main character remembered his youthful emotions forever; his first love revealed to him the meaning and beauty of existence, even if distorted by suffering.

And the writer himself was unhappy in love, and his hero too, but even the most tragic passion is the best discovery in human life, because for the sake of those minutes when you are in seventh heaven, it is worth enduring the bitterness of loss. In suffering, people purify themselves and reveal new facets of their soul. Taking into account the autobiographical nature of the story, we can say that the author, without his fatal and sad muse, as well as the pain caused by her, would not have been able to penetrate so deeply into the essence of romantic relationships. The main idea of ​​“First Love” would be far from it, and it must be suffered and learned from one’s own experience, since only those who experienced it will write convincingly about the tragedy of love.

What does the story teach?

The moral lessons in Turgenev's story consist of several points:

• Conclusion: First Love inspires us to be brave in expressing our emotions. There is no need to be afraid of love, because the most unrequited affection is the most beautiful memory. It is better to experience happiness for a moment than to be unhappy all your life because you chose peace over mental anguish.
• Moral: everyone gets what they deserve. Zinaida played with men - and now she is a pawn in the hands of Pyotr Vasilyevich. He himself married for convenience, rejected his neighbor - died of a stroke, “burnt out.” But Vladimir, despite the tragedy, received the brightest memory in his life, and at the same time his conscience is calm, because he did not injure anyone and sincerely gave all of himself to tender affection.

“First Love” is over 150 years old. However, this work does not lose its relevance. How many people have had their hearts broken by their first feelings forever! But, nevertheless, everyone carefully stores these emotions in their souls. And the beauty with which this book is written makes you re-read it many times.

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