Who is a biryuk from Turgenev's story. "Biryuk": analysis of the story, main features
The story "Biryuk" by I. S. Turgenev was written in 1847 and entered the cycle of the writer's works about the life, traditions and way of life of the Russian people "Notes of a Hunter". The story belongs to the literary direction of realism. In Biryuk, the author described his memories of the life of peasants in the Oryol province.
Main characters
Biryuk (Foma Kuzmich)- a forester, a stern outwardly man.
Narrator- the master, from his face the story is told.
Other characters
man- a poor man who cut down trees in the forest and was caught by Biryuk.
Ulita- Biryuk's twelve-year-old daughter.
In the evening, the narrator rode alone from hunting, on treadmills. It was about eight miles from his house, but in the forest he was suddenly caught by a strong thunderstorm. The narrator decides to wait out the bad weather under a wide bush, and soon, with a flash of lightning, he sees a tall figure - as it turned out, it was the local forester. He took the narrator to his house - "a small hut in the middle of a vast yard, surrounded by wattle." The doors were opened for them by “a girl of about twelve, in a shirt, belted with a hem” - the daughter of the forester Julitta.
The forester's hut "consisted of one room", a torn sheepskin coat hung on the wall, a torch burned on the table, and a cradle hung "in the very middle" of the house.
The forester himself was "tall, broad-shouldered and well built", with a black curly beard, wide unibrows and brown eyes. His name was Foma, nicknamed Biryuk. The narrator was surprised to meet the forester, as he heard from acquaintances that "all the surrounding peasants were afraid of him like fire." He regularly guarded the forest goods, not allowing even bundles of brushwood to be taken out of the forest. It was impossible to bribe Biryuk.
Foma said that his wife ran away with a passerby tradesman, leaving the forester alone with two children. There was nothing to treat Biryuk to the guest - there was only bread in the house.
When the rain stopped, Biryuk said that he was seeing the narrator off. Coming out of the house, Foma heard the distant clatter of an axe. The forester was afraid that he would miss the thief, so the narrator agreed to walk to the place where they were cutting down the forest, although he did not hear anything. At the end of the journey, Biryuk asked to wait, while he himself went on. Through the noise of the wind, the narrator heard the cry of Thomas and the sounds of a struggle. The narrator rushed there and saw Biryuk by a fallen tree, who was tying a peasant with a sash.
The narrator asked to let the thief go, promising to pay for the tree, but Biryuk, without answering, took the peasant to his hut. It began to rain again, and they had to sit out the bad weather. The narrator decided "at all costs to free the poor man" - by the light of a lantern he could see "his drunken, wrinkled face, hanging yellow eyebrows, restless eyes, thin members".
The man began to ask Biryuk to release him. The forester sullenly objected that in their settlement everything was a “thief on a thief” and, not paying attention to the plaintive requests of the thief, ordered him to sit still. Suddenly the peasant straightened up, blushed and began to scold Foma, calling him "an Asian, a bloodsucker, a beast, a murderer." Biryuk grabbed the peasant by the shoulder. The narrator already wanted to protect the poor man, but Foma, to his amazement, “with one turn pulled the sash off the peasant’s elbows, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, pulled his hat over his eyes, opened the door and pushed him out,” shouting after him to get out to hell .
The narrator realizes that Biryuk is actually a "nice fellow". Half an hour later they said goodbye at the edge of the forest.
Conclusion
In the story "Biryuk" Turgenev portrayed an ambiguous character - the forester Foma Kuzmich, whose personality is fully revealed only towards the end of the work. It is with this hero that the main conflict of the story is connected - the conflict between public duty and humanity, which takes place inside Biryuk himself. Despite the external severity and adherence to principles of Foma Kuzmich, who closely guards the forest entrusted to him, in his soul he is a kind, sympathetic person - a “glorious fellow”.
A brief retelling of "Biryuk" will be useful for getting acquainted with the plot of the story, for a better understanding of the work, we recommend reading it in full.
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The childhood of I. S. Turgenev passed in the Oryol region. A nobleman by birth, who received an excellent secular upbringing and education, he early witnessed an unfair attitude towards the common people. Throughout his life, the writer was distinguished by an interest in the Russian way of life and sympathy for the peasants.
In 1846, Turgenev spent several summer and autumn months in his native estate Spasskoe-Lutovinovo. He often went hunting, and on long trips around the neighborhood, fate brought him together with people of different classes and wealth. The results of observations of the life of the local population were stories that appeared in 1847-1851 in the journal Sovremennik. A year later, the author combined them into one book, called "Notes of a Hunter." Among them was a story written in 1848 with the unusual title "Biryuk".
The narration is conducted on behalf of Pyotr Petrovich, a hunter who unites all the stories of the cycle. At first glance, the plot is quite simple. The narrator, returning somehow from a hunt, gets caught in the rain. He meets a forester who offers to wait out the bad weather in his hut. So Petr Petrovich becomes a witness to the difficult life of a new acquaintance and his children. Foma Kuzmich leads a secluded life. The peasants living in the district do not like and are even afraid of the formidable forester, and for his unsociableness they gave him the nickname Biryuk.
The summary of the story can be continued with an unexpected incident for the hunter. When the rain subsided a little, the sound of an ax was heard in the forest. Biryuk and the narrator go to the sound, where they find a peasant who has decided to steal, even in such bad weather, obviously not from a good life. He tries to pity the forester with persuasion, talks about a hard life and hopelessness, but he remains adamant. Their conversation continues in the hut, where the desperate peasant suddenly raises his voice and begins to accuse the owner of all the peasant troubles. In the end, the latter does not stand up and releases the offender. Gradually, in the course of the unfolding scene, Biryuk reveals himself to the narrator and reader.
Appearance and behavior of the forester
Biryuk was well built, tall and broad-shouldered. His black-bearded face looked both stern and manly; brown eyes peered boldly out from under broad brows.
All actions and behavior expressed determination and impregnability. His nickname was not accidental either. This word in the southern regions of Russia is called a lone wolf, which Turgenev knew well. Biryuk in the story is an unsociable, stern person. That is how he was perceived by the peasants, on whom he always inspired fear. Biryuk himself explained his steadfastness by a conscientious attitude to work: “you don’t have to eat the master’s bread for free.” He was in the same difficult situation as most of the people, but he was not used to complaining and hoping for someone.
Hut and family of Foma Kuzmich
A painful impression is made by acquaintance with his housing. It was one room, low, empty and smoky. She did not feel a woman's hand: the hostess ran away with the tradesman, leaving her husband two children. A tattered sheepskin coat hung on the wall, and a pile of rags lay on the floor. The hut smelled of cooled smoke, making it difficult to breathe. Even the torch burned sadly and then went out, then flared up again. The only thing the host could offer the guest was bread, he had nothing else. So sadly and in a beggarly way lived the fearful Biryuk.
The story continues with a description of his children, which completes the gloomy picture. In the middle of the hut hung a cradle with a baby, it was rocked by a girl of about twelve with timid movements and a sad face - her mother left them in the care of her father. The narrator's "heart ached" from what he saw: it is not easy to enter a peasant's hut!
The heroes of the story "Biryuk" in the scene of the theft of the forest
Thomas reveals himself in a new way during a conversation with a desperate peasant. The appearance of the latter eloquently speaks of the hopelessness and complete poverty in which he lived: he is dressed in rags, his beard is disheveled, his face is drunk, and his whole body is incredibly thin. The intruder cut down the tree carefully, apparently hoping that in bad weather the probability of being caught was not so great.
Caught stealing the master's forest, he first begs the forester to let him go, calls him Foma Kuzmich. However, the more the hope that he will be released melts away, the more angry and sharper the words begin to sound. The peasant sees before him a murderer and a beast deliberately humiliating the peasant.
I. Turgenev introduces a completely unpredictable denouement into the story. Biryuk suddenly grabs the intruder by the sash and pushes him out the door. We can assume what was happening in his soul during the entire scene: compassion and pity come into conflict with a sense of duty and responsibility for the task assigned. The situation was aggravated by the fact that Foma knew from his own experience how hard the life of a peasant is. To Pyotr Petrovich's surprise, he only waves his hand.
Description of nature in the story
Turgenev has always been famous as a master of landscape sketches. They are also present in the work "Biryuk".
The story begins with a description of an ever-increasing and expanding thunderstorm. And then, completely unexpectedly for Pyotr Petrovich, Foma Kuzmich appears from the forest, dark and wet, who feels at home here. He easily pulls the frightened horse from its place and, keeping calm, leads it to the hut. Turgenev's landscape is a reflection of the essence of the protagonist: Biryuk leads life as gloomy and gloomy as this forest in bad weather.
The summary of the work needs to be supplemented with one more point. When the sky begins to clear up a little, there is hope that the rain will end soon. Like this scene, the reader suddenly discovers that the impregnable Biryuk is capable of good deeds and simple human sympathy. However, this “slightly” remains - an unbearable life has made the hero the way the local peasants see him. And this cannot be changed overnight and at the request of a few people. Both the narrator and the readers come to such unhappy thoughts.
Meaning of the story
The cycle "Notes of a Hunter" includes works that reveal the image of ordinary peasants in different ways. In some stories, the author draws attention to their spiritual breadth and wealth, in others he shows how talented they can be, in the third he describes their meager life ... Thus, different sides of the character of a peasant are revealed.
Lawlessness and the miserable existence of the Russian people in the era of serfdom - this is the main theme of the story "Biryuk". And this is the main merit of Turgenev the writer - to draw public attention to the tragic situation of the main breadwinner of the entire Russian land.
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Literature lesson in grade 6 The main character of the story "Biryuk" by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev
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The purpose of the lesson:
help to understand the theme and idea of the cycle of stories by I.S. Turgenev “Notes of a Hunter”, analyze the story “Biryuk”, help students understand the character of the protagonist through the landscape, interior and portrait, identify the level of students' knowledge of the text of the work
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According to his father, Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev belonged to an old noble family, his mother, nee Lutovinova, was a wealthy landowner. In her estate, Spasskoe-Lutovinovo (Mtsensk district, Oryol province), the childhood years of the future writer, who early learned to subtly feel nature and hate serfdom, passed.
The origin of the writer
It is difficult to imagine more dissimilar people than the parents of the future writer.
Sergey Nikolaevich
Varvara Petrovna
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"Hunter's Notes"
Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev spent almost his entire life in Europe, only briefly coming to Russia. However, he devoted his best works to the Russian people and Russian nature. In the 40-50s of the 19th century, the writer created several works, combined into one collection, Notes of a Hunter. The themes of the stories in the collection are diverse: here are descriptions of landowners oppressing serfs, and bright images of ordinary peasants who managed to save
kindness and sincerity in inhuman conditions, and beliefs, fairy tales of the Russian people, and, of course, beautiful pictures of the nature of central Russia. In all the stories there is one and the same hero - Pyotr Petrovich, a nobleman from the village of Spasskoye. He talks about incidents that happened to him during the hunt. Turgenev endowed his narrator with subtle observation, a special sense of beauty, which helps to convey various situations to the reader more accurately and more colorfully. The collection brought the author wide popularity.
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"Khor and Kalinich" "Yermolai and the Miller's Woman" "Raspberry Water" "County Physician" "My Neighbor Radilov" "Ovsyannikov's Odnodvorets" "Lgov" "Bezhin Meadow" "Kasian with a Beautiful Sword" "Burmistr" "Office" "Biruk" Two landowners "Lebedyan" "Death" "Singers" "Pyotr Petrovich Karataev" "Date"
"Tatyana Borisovna and her nephew" "Hamlet of the Shchigrovsky district" "Chertop-hanov and Nedopyuskin" "The end of Chekrtop-hanov" "Living relics" "Knocking" "Forest and steppe"
"Hunter's Notes"
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The main theme and idea of "Notes of a hunter"
Theme: image of the common Russian people, serfs, assessment of their high spiritual and moral qualities, showing the moral impoverishment of the Russian nobility Idea: protest against serfdom
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The story "Biryuk"
The story "Biryuk" was written in 1847. Creating this work, Turgenev relied on his own impressions of the life of peasants in the Oryol province. The forester Biryuk lived on his mother's estate, whom his own peasants once killed in the forest. The writer put this story into the mouth of his narrator Pyotr Petrovich.
How do you understand the meaning of the word BIRYUK?
Biryuk is a gloomy, gloomy, unsociable, lonely person with a gloomy, gloomy appearance. (Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language by D.N. Ushakov)
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Story conflict
Why was the forester Foma Kuzmich nicknamed Biryuk? What was the fame about him in the surrounding villages and villages? What are the reasons for the isolation and gloom of Biryuk? Was Biryuk really a misanthrope? Is Biryuk glad of his loneliness? What character traits attract in the main character?
Biryuk - the main character of the story, the forester, who was so nicknamed by the locals for his gloominess and unsociableness - turned out to be, contrary to his nickname, a merciful and kind person.
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What is CONFLICT in a literary work?
At the heart of any literary work is the conflict, which is subject to the development of the plot.
What is the CONFLICT of the story "Biryuk"?
The conflict of the story "Biryuk" is inside the main character himself. His sense of duty conflicts with the sympathy and plight of the "thief". Ultimately, the feeling of pity and compassion wins.
CONFLICT in a literary work is a confrontation, a contradiction between the acting forces: the characters of several heroes or different sides of the character of one hero.
Story conflict
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The landscape in the story "Biryuk" begins with a description of the forest and an impending thunderstorm.
Landscape in a story
What is LANDSCAPE? What role does he play in the work? How does the landscape begin in the story "Biryuk"?
How many moments of the transition of a stuffy evening into a thunderous night did the author capture?
1. The storm was coming. Ahead, a huge purple cloud slowly rose from behind the forest; above me and toward me rushed long gray clouds; the willows stirred and babbled anxiously.
2. Stuffy heat suddenly changed to damp cold; the shadows were rapidly thickening.
3. A strong wind suddenly roared above, the trees raged, large drops of rain pounded sharply, splashed on the leaves, lightning flashed, and a thunderstorm broke out. The rain poured down in streams.
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Landscape in a story
THUNDER
The storm was coming. Ahead, a huge purple cloud slowly rose from behind the forest; above me and toward me rushed long gray clouds; the willows stirred and babbled anxiously.
The stuffy heat suddenly gave way to a damp chill; the shadows were rapidly thickening.
A strong wind suddenly roared from above, the trees raged, large drops of rain pounded sharply, splashed on the leaves, lightning flashed, and a thunderstorm broke out. The rain poured down in streams.
A THUNDER CONTROLS THE ENVIRONMENT
THE KINGDOM OF STORMS. A THUNDER IN THE STORY IS AN IMAGE, A SYMBOL, THIS IS NOT JUST A NATURAL PHENOMENON: BIRYUK IS A THUNDER OF THIVES. A THUNDER IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE OF A MAN, HIS FEAR, DESPAIR, TURNED INTO ANGER
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Interior in a story
What is INTERIOR? What role does he play in the work? Find a description of the interior in the story "Biryuk"?
The forester's hut consisted of one room, smoky, low and empty, without beds and partitions. A tattered sheepskin coat hung on the wall. A single-barreled gun lay on the bench, a pile of rags lay in the corner; two large pots stood near the stove. The torch burned on the table, sadly flashing and dying out. In the very middle of the hut hung a cradle, tied to the end of a long pole.
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Interior in a story
The description of the dwelling adds a lot to the portrait of the hero. The atmosphere of Biryuk's hut, "smoky, low, empty," speaks of his poverty, wretchedness and, at the same time, honesty. In the midst of this poverty, the life of two small children of a forester glimmers. The depiction of children sets the reader on compassion and pity for the forester, whose life is tragic and ruthless.
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He was tall, broad-shouldered and well built. His mighty muscles protruded from under his wet zamashka shirt. A black curly beard half covered his stern and courageous face; small brown eyes peered boldly from under wide brows that had grown together.
Portrait in a story
What is a PORTRAIT? What role does he play in the work? Find the portrait of the forester in the story "Biryuk"?
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Before us is a portrait of an unsociable and reserved person, who was made so by the position of a forester, the hatred of peasants, the departure of his wife, who left him two small children, and loneliness. However, Turgenev believes that a person who loves nature and is close to it cannot become angry at life. It is the fusion with nature and the inner beauty of his hero that the author emphasizes.
Portrait in a story
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Writer's skill
I.S. Turgenev believed that beauty is the only immortal thing, it is spilled everywhere, extends its influence even over death, but nowhere shines so brightly as in the human soul. The writer also endowed nature with a soul. The beauty and harmony of nature in the story is opposed by an ominous and dead force, hostile to man - serfdom. But this force is not capable of destroying the soul and humanity.
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Theme of the work: a) the life of Biryuk; b) the relationship between father and daughter; c) the hard life of Russian serfs. 2. Genre of the work: a) legend; b) story; c) story. 3. The climax scene of the work is: a) a description of the forester's hut; b) the story of the captured peasant about his life; c) the unexpected anger of the peasant. 4. The harsh and unsociable nature of Biryuk is explained by: a) the attitude of those around him towards him; b) cheating on his wife; c) understanding the true motives that make men steal. 5. The author's attitude towards Biryuk shows: a) sympathy; b) condemnation; c) indifference. 6. When describing a thunderstorm (“... willows stirred and babbled anxiously”, “clouds rushed”) the author uses: a) comparison; b) antithesis; c) personification. 7. Landscape in Turgenev's stories: a) only the background against which the action takes place; b) correlates with the state of mind of the author and characters; c) is opposed to this state.
check yourself
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check yourself
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
c b c c a c a
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CD-ROM "Virtual School Literature Lessons of Cyril and Methodius" Chertov VF Literature Lessons in Grade 6. Lesson plans. - M.: Exam, 2007. Korshunova I.N. , Lipina E.Yu. Tests in Russian literature. - M.: Bustard, 2000 Portrait of the writer: http://www.pushkinmuseum.ru/pict/foto_vystavok/turgenev/turgenev.jpg Spasskoe-Lutovinovo: http://blog.zvab.com/wp-content/spasskoje2 .jpg Writer's parents: http://im2-tub.yandex.net/i?id=245410689-42-72 http://im2-tub.yandex.net/i?id=193862540-05-72 Book cover: http://www.libex.ru/dimg/1ef26.jpg Illustration. Types from the “Notes of a Hunter” by I.S. Turgeneva (Böhm (Endaurova) Elizaveta Merkuryevna): http://gallerix.ru/album/Endaurova/pic/glrx-949188232 Lebedev K.V. Illustrations for "Notes of a Hunter": http://www.turgenev.org.ru/art-gallery/zhizn-iskusstvo-vremya/153-2.jpg Zhlabovich A.G. Illustrations for the "Notes of a Hunter": http://artnow.ru/img/612000/612770.jpg Frame from the farm "Biryuk": http://www.kino-teatr.ru/movie/kadr/543/83886 .jpg Thunderstorm (animation): http://logif.ru/publ/priroda/groza_molnii_i_dozhd/14-1-0-79
The story of I.S. Turgenev "Biryuk" is included in the collection of short stories "Notes of a Hunter". It is generally accepted that the time of its creation is approximate - 1848-50s, since the writer began work on the stories in the 1840s, and published a complete collection in 1852.
The collection is united by the presence of one "off-screen" protagonist-narrator. This is a certain Pyotr Petrovich, a nobleman, who in some stories is a silent witness to events, in others he is a full-fledged participant. Biryuk is one of those stories where events take place around Pyotr Petrovich and with his participation.
Story analysis
plot, composition
Unlike most writers of that time, who depict peasants as a faceless gray mass, the author in each essay notes some special feature of peasant life, therefore all the works combined in the collection gave a vivid and multifaceted picture of the peasant world.
A genre work stands on the border of a story and an essay (the title “note” emphasizes the essay character of the work). The plot is another episode from the life of Pyotr Petrovich. The events described in Biryuk are described by Pyotr Petrovich in the form of a monologue. An avid hunter, he once got lost in the forest, in the evening twilight fell into a downpour. The forester he met, a figure known in the village for his gloominess and unsociableness, invites Pyotr Petrovich home to wait out the bad weather. The rain subsided, and in the silence the forester heard the sound of an ax - someone was stealing the forest he was guarding. Pyotr Petrovich wanted to go with the forester "for detention", to see how he works. Together they caught the "thief", who turned out to be a beggar little man, disheveled, in rags. It was evident that the peasant began to steal the forest not from a good life, and the narrator began to ask Biryuk to let the thief go. For a long time Pyotr Petrovich had to persuade the principled forester, intervening in a scuffle between Biryuk and the detainee. Unexpectedly, the forester released the caught, taking pity on him.
Heroes and problems of the story
The protagonist of the work is Biryuk, a serf forester who zealously and fundamentally guards the manor's forest. His name is Foma Kuzmich, but people in the village are hostile to him, for his harsh unsociable character they give him a nickname.
It is no coincidence that the nature of the forester is drawn from the words of a nobleman witness - Pyotr Petrovich still understands Biryuk better than the villagers, for him his character is quite understandable and understandable. It is also understandable why the villagers are hostile towards Biryuk, and why no one is to blame for this enmity. The forester mercilessly catches the "thieves", claiming that in the village there is a "thief on the thief", and they all climb into the forest from hopelessness, from incredible poverty. The villagers still attribute to Biryuk some kind of imaginary "power" and threaten to take it away, completely forgetting that he is just an honest performer of work, and "does not eat the master's bread for nothing."
Biryuk himself is as poor as the peasants he catches - his dwelling is miserable and dull, filled with desolation and disorder. Instead of a bed - a bunch of rags, the dim light of a torch, the absence of food, except for bread. There is no hostess - she ran away with a visiting tradesman, leaving her husband and two children (one of them is quite a baby and, apparently, sick - he breathes “noisily and soon” in his cradle, a girl of 12 years old is taking care of her baby).
Biryuk himself is a real Russian hero, with powerful muscles and a hat of dark curls. He is a correct, principled, honest and lonely person - this is repeatedly emphasized by his nickname. Loneliness in life, loneliness in one's convictions, loneliness on duty and being forced to live in the forest, loneliness among people - Biryuk causes sympathy and respect.
A man caught by a thief causes exceptional pity, because, in contrast to Biryuk, he is petty, miserable, justifying his theft with hunger, the need to feed a large family. The men are ready to blame anyone for their poverty - from the master to the same Biryuk. The forester, in a fit of evil sincerity, calls him a murderer, a bloodsucker and a beast, and rushes at him.
It would seem that two socially equal people - both poor, both serfs, both with the duties of a family man - to feed the children, but the peasant goes to theft, and the forester does not, and therefore one can not believe in the description given by fellow villagers to the forester. "Beast", "murderer", "bloodsucker" he can be called only by the one to whom he did not allow to steal.
The title of the story contains the nickname of the protagonist, which indicates not at all the nature of the forester, but the circumstances in which he lives hopelessly; to his place, which was assigned to him by people. Serfs do not live richly, and honest serfs in the service of the master are also forced to be alone, because they are not understood by their own brethren.
Biryuk releases the peasant out of compassion - feeling has taken precedence over reason and principles. Pyotr Petrovich offers to reimburse the cost of the tree felled by the peasant, since the foresters, who did not keep track of the theft, had to pay for the damage from their own pockets. Despite the fine that threatens him, Biryuk performs a human act and it is clear that he feels relieved.
Biryuk, like the rest of the stories in the Hunter's Notes, is a collection of images of peasants, each of whom is famous for some side of his character, his deeds or talents. The horrific plight of these talented and strong people, which prevents them from opening up, taking care of at least something other than finding food and pushing them to crime - this is the main problem of the story, voiced by the author.
In 1847-1852, Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev created several stories that were combined into a collection called Notes of a Hunter.Writers of the previous era rarely wrote about the peasants, and if they did, they portrayed them as a common gray mass. Despite this, Turgenev undertook to note the features of peasant life, thanks to which the collection "Notes of a Hunter" presented a vivid and multifaceted composition of the life of peasants. The stories immediately attracted readers and allowed them to win special fame.
Features of the stories "Notes of a hunter"
Each story features one main character, whose name is Peter Petrovich. He is a nobleman from the village of Spassky and is actively engaged in hunting and hiking. Ivan Turgenev tells about various stories that happened during hunting trips. The protagonist acquired such valuable character traits as observation and attention, thanks to which the narrator better understands various life situations and successfully conveys them to the reader.
"Biryuk" is a story included in the collection "Notes of a Hunter". The work was written in 1848 and corresponds to the general literary composition. The main character again finds himself in an interesting story, about which he narrates in the form of a monologue.
The plot of the story "Biryuk"
One evening, Pyotr Petrovich was returning from a hunt and got caught in a downpour. Further trip was impossible: bad weather had to wait out. Fortunately, Peter saw the forester, who invited the master to his house. An important conversation took place in Biryuk's hut. As it turned out, the forester was nicknamed Biryuk because he has a gloomy and unsociable character. Despite such harsh character traits, Biryuk decided to tell many interesting facts about his life.
Biryuk as a person
Biryuk is an interesting and whole person, but, unfortunately, tragic. The main tragedy lies in the presence of special views on life, which sometimes have to be sacrificed. The story noted that many peasants in the middle of the 19th century considered stealing a common thing. This was precisely the main tragedy of Biryuk.
It is important to note that the outlook of the peasants was explained by serious social problems:
Insecurity of the peasant people;
Lack of good education;
Immorality of behavior due to insufficient education.
The forester Biryuk was different from ordinary peasants. He is ready to live as a beggar even if such a situation turns out to be difficult. Any life circumstances could not induce to theft.
It is important to note that Biryuk's impoverished position was confirmed by the description of his house in the forest:
One room;
Smoky;
Low and empty hut;
Lack of decks and partitions.
One can understand how difficult Biryuk's life is. It can be assumed that if the poor would sacrifice his principles, he, being in the forest lands, could build a beautiful hut for himself.
Biryuk understands that if every peasant steals, the general situation will only worsen. The forester is confident that he is right, so it is difficult for him to deviate from the existing principles. Despite such character traits and the desire to walk firmly through life, sometimes you have to face trials. The situation described in the story clearly demonstrates the struggle of a feeling of pity and compassion with clear principles, a desire to improve the world. The essay shows how difficult it is to vacillate between feelings and existing principles, not knowing what to choose.
"Biryuk" is a fascinating story that reveals the characters of each participant in the story. Ivan Turgenev understood the peculiarities of peasant life in the 19th century, therefore he successfully reflected them in his works. The logic of life is a worthy foundation, without which it is impossible to change the realities.
"Biryuk" is a story that reflected the unfair situation of many serfs. Each reader has the right to independently place accents on the feelings that arise when comparing heroes from the same peasant environment, but differing in life principles and traits of their characters.
The plot of the story is based on a direct conflict between the forester Biryuk, who is considered lonely and gloomy, and a poor peasant. Biryuk honestly fulfills his duties and tries to protect the forest. The peasant got into a difficult life situation, so he steals firewood. The hunter-master, Pyotr Petrovich, stopped in a forest hut due to a sudden downpour, so he becomes an accidental witness to a conflict situation. He sees how, during bad weather, Biryuk decides to go into the forest and tries to catch the unfortunate thief.
Biryuk lives in poverty and raises children by himself. His wife went to a passing tradesman, leaving her family behind. Despite such life circumstances, theft still remains the last thing, so Biryuk tries to identify violators and punish them ... But you need to understand how fair this behavior is. Growing children are starving and eating bad bread... Biryuk shows distrust and sullenness, speaks little and behaves insincerely. Biryuk, of course, invites the hunter to his place and is ready to take him home, but still shows a merciless judicial attitude towards the beggar.
Biryuk is ready to justify his actions with the following moment: he is a forced laborer, so he can be charged ... At the same time, during the plaintive explanations of the poor peasant, the forester is silent. Such moments reflect a serious internal struggle. The forester wants to justify the unfortunate thief, realizing that in bad weather he steals wood from the master to fire the stove and cook food for a hungry family, but still leaves the offender locked up. The attitude changes only after the unfortunate man at the very end of the story calls Biryuk a "beast", "a cursed murderer." The violator is ready to accept any punishment, because even death does not frighten him. However, accusing the forester of inhumanity immediately leads to another effect, because Biryuk lets him go. Unexpectedly, a serious internal conflict was resolved:
Cruelty and duty of service;
Clear life principles;
Sincere sympathy and understanding of the misfortune of an outsider.
At the same time, the master, Pyotr Petrovich, contributed to the successful solution of the current situation, as he immediately imbued with the explanations of the unfortunate thief. The situation is better revealed thanks to the detailed descriptions of the landscape. Throughout the story, a thunderstorm rages, personifying Biryuk's state of mind. In addition, many serfs consider the forester to be a manifestation of a thunderstorm. But still, Biryuk is freed from a sense of duty, as he performs a human act and goes towards an unfortunate person. According to the law that was in force at that sinister time, the forester. who did not catch the thief had to repay the entire cost of illegally felled trees. If this could not be done, there was a risk of a lawsuit with a further exile to Siberia, but the fear of punishment loses ... Biryuk still releases the thief and gives him his horse.
The meaning of the story "Biryuk"
Biryuk is a special hero in the story of Ivan Turgenev, because he has unique life principles and is sometimes ready to give them up. Mental struggle allows you to understand how difficult it is sometimes to make the right decision. A detailed description of bad weather and thunderstorms contributes to a better understanding of the life principles and feelings, emotions of the forester. It is important to understand that a person who is in need and cannot find the right path is forced to venture into hopelessness. The wavering between feelings and principles is the best reflection of humanity.
The story has numerous artistic merits, which are confirmed by critics:
Real and picturesque descriptions of nature;
Special style of narration;
Unusual heroes.
"Biryuk" is a worthy representative of the legendary collection "Notes of a Hunter", which made it possible to strengthen the position of Ivan Turgenev in Russian literature.