The work “Mumu” was written by Turgenev in 1852. According to the testimony of the writer’s contemporaries, it was based on real events that took place in the house of Varvara Turgeneva, the mother of the writer himself. This incident made an indelible impression on the author. And after that he created a small work that critics found very sweet, sad and touching. But for Turgenev himself this story was truly terrible.
general characteristics
The description of Gerasim from the story “Mumu” can begin with getting to know the main character. The main character of the work is a deaf-mute janitor named Gerasim, who serves an elderly lady. Almost from the first lines of his work, the writer distinguishes Gerasim from the rest of the servants. Describing his character, Turgenev emphasizes such qualities as hard work and strength. He does all the work around the house, in the yard, and also in the stable, and at night he does guard duty. Gerasim is an ordinary village man. He is a serf peasant.
Despite the natural disadvantage of a man, he has great physical strength, which must be mentioned in the description of Gerasim from the story “Mumu”. He is usually withdrawn and gloomy. Even from his face it is difficult to determine what he is going through. And his severity, apparently, was as innate as his deafness. Also, the main character did not understand the jokes of those around him. The description of Gerasim from the story “Mumu” in this regard can be supplemented with a quote from the work. “Not everyone dared to mock him: he didn’t like jokes.” Even the servants were afraid of the janitor. The main character loved order in everything. And even the roosters did not dare to get into a fight under Gerasim. He lives in a small closet located above the kitchen. He arranges everything in this closet to his own taste.
Appearance
The description of Gerasim’s appearance from the story “Mumu” should contain the information that the writer gives in his work. Turgenev describes the main character as a sedate and important hero. His height is 12 inches (or 195.5 cm). Turgenev describes Gerasim’s gait using the following definitions: “firm”, “heavy-footed”, “wrong”. His face can be “joyful”, or “lifeless”, “petrified”. Gerasim is dressed in a caftan, sheepskin coat, and boots.
Description of Gerasim from the story “Mumu”: character traits
Throughout the entire story, the reader has the opportunity to observe that in every situation the main character retains his best qualities - honesty, love of work, the ability to sincerely love. Gerasim always keeps his word to the last. He is also endowed with a deep sense of self-worth. This is his moral and spiritual superiority over the other inhabitants of the court.
To whom was Gerasim's soul attached?
A brief description of Gerasim from the story “Mumu” should also contain a short essay about his spiritual affections, because this testifies to the ability to love inherent in the main character. Of all the inhabitants of the yard, Gerasim likes Tatyana the most - a woman with a kind and gentle character, whose age is about 28 years. Gerasim treats her kindly, showing signs of attention and not letting anyone offend her. After the evil lady ordered that Tatyana be married to a drunkard, Gerasim became completely sad. He finds a puppy with an interesting color - a white dog covered with black spots. Only with this puppy does Gerasim feel happy. He names the dog Mumu. Gerasim takes care of her as if he were his own child.
Brief description of Gerasim's closet from the story "Mumu"
A lot can be said about the main character based on the description of his closet. Turgenev writes that Gerasim built a bed for himself from oak boards. The writer calls her “truly heroic.” There is a table in the corner, and near the table there is a sturdy “three-legged chair.” The chair is so solidly made that Gerasim himself sometimes picks it up, drops it on purpose and grins. There is a heavy chest under the bed. The serf's closet is locked.
The main character's actions
Typically, the time when schoolchildren are assigned to prepare a description of Gerasim from the story “Mumu” at home is 5th grade. At this age, students can already understand those difficult events from the life of a Russian peasant, which Turgenev’s work tells about. A serf works for four. Despite such work, the lady is not even satisfied with this. She wants to have complete control over the lives of her serfs.
First, she marries her maid named Tatyana to a shoemaker who abuses alcohol. And then he demands that Gerasim’s beloved dog Mumu be removed. However, the main character, although deaf and mute, shows his intractability. He drowns his beloved dog and then leaves the master's house without even asking the master's permission. Until the end of his days, Gerasim lives as a bob in his village.
Character's moral superiority
Despite the fact that Turgenev made his main character mute, in fact all the other inhabitants of the court can be called mute. After all, they had no personal desires. They also had no sense of self-worth; they were more like slaves. Despite this, Gerasim is on good terms with his servants.
Describing the character of his hero, the writer emphasizes his moral superiority over others. In the essay “Description of Gerasim from the story “Mumu,” a student can indicate: Turgenev compares the main character with a young bull, a sedate and proud gander. In order to describe the appearance of his hero even more clearly, Turgenev uses the technique of hyperbole. For example, Gerasim mows down so devastatingly that he could “at least sweep away a young birch forest from its roots...”. And if the writer compares his main character with a powerful hero, then the rest of the servants are called “little people” by Turgenev. All the inhabitants of the courtyard tried to please the lady in everything. They thoughtlessly followed any of her orders, even if these actions humiliated them or those around them.
The genre of this work is short story. The beginning. The deaf and mute Gerasim was brought to Moscow from the village. He became the lady's janitor. Development of action. The mistress's tyranny breaks Gerasim's fate. First, the peasant is torn from the land, brought to the city, forced to do work alien to him. Then, at the whim of the lady, Tatyana, who fell in love with Gerasim, is married off to the drunkard Kapiton. In the end, Gerasim is deprived of his only dear creature - Mumu. Climax. The lady ordered the dog to be removed from the yard. Denouement. Gerasim carried out the lady’s order, drowned Mumu in the river and went back to the village.
Before coming to the city, Gerasim lived in the village, doing hard peasant labor. This work not only fed him, but also gave him pleasure. He, “as if by himself, without the help of a horse,” easily plowed the stubborn soil and generally resembled a hero. The lifestyle change is not encouraging. Turgenev, with the help of images of nature, explains how difficult his new position is for Gerasim. Either the hero of the story looks like a bull, which is being taken to an unknown destination, and with all his power and strength he is unable to change his life, then he lies for hours in the courtyard of the manor's house face down, like a captured animal. The description of the interior of his closet also helps to understand Gerasim’s character: a “truly heroic bed” on four blocks, a small but very durable table, a three-legged chair - everything was made by him himself. Gerasim smiles, seeing that the chair does not lose its stability even after hitting the ground.
The hero of the story is a serf peasant, the property of a lady. This fact is very important for its characteristics. He is obliged to bring benefit to his mistress and not bother her with any of his desires. His attention to Tatyana, a laundress from a large household, is not at all interesting to his mistress.
Gerasim distinguishes Tatyana from everyone around him because with his heart he knows how to guess those who may need his help and protection.
Gerasim's love for the unfortunate rescued puppy, found on the day of separation from Tatyana, arises immediately and for a long time. Having arranged his find, Gerasim fell asleep in some very light, happy sleep. Mumu responds to Gerasim with attention and love.
Why does Gerasim still carry out the will of the quarrelsome lady? He is a forced man and, like any serf, must unquestioningly carry out the master’s orders. He cannot even marry according to his choice. Having carried out the order to kill Mumu, he lost the last thing that was dear to him. Gerasim rebels, leaves the city, leaves his lady, and returns to his native village. This is a strong-willed act of a brave and determined person. The image of Gerasim embodies the idea that self-esteem is inherent in a person, regardless of his origin, this image is imbued with the author’s sympathy.
The lady is a quarrelsome, headstrong, domineering woman. Whims, mood swings, and tyranny guide her actions. For the sake of entertainment, she decides to start a wedding between Tatiana and Kapiton, and when she sees that nothing came of this idea, she sends them out of sight. Interest in Mumu gives way to anger and a desire to get rid of her. The lady considers herself to have the right to
control other people's destinies. Any single life means nothing to her. Fortunately for Gerasim, she regarded his departure only as ingratitude and did not search for the fugitive and initiate justice.
Observing the fate of the heroes of the story, one can imagine the life of serfs in Russia at that time. Turgenev shows that serfdom disfigures not only peasants and servants, but also the masters themselves. Gerasim's deaf-muteness is not only his own flaw. This is a sign of the inability to express oneself, to be heard.
Lady in the story “Mumu” - the landowner, the culprit of all the troubles and suffering of the protagonist. He interferes in Gerasim’s life three times, ruining it according to his absurd whim. The behavior of the lady is portrayed as a typical example of serfdom, which was noticed by officials of the censorship department, who suspected Turgenev of trying to restore readers against “the attitude of serfs to their owners that exists in our fatherland” (i.e., against serfdom). The heroine’s behavior is motivated by her psychological characteristics: Turgenev takes into account old age, loneliness, melancholy and boredom of a creature that no one needs. But, explaining the capriciousness and irritability of the lady with all this, Turgenev does not justify her - the consequences of her actions are so terrible that the reader is completely deprived of the emotional opportunity to come to terms with them.
Gerasim- the main character of the story “Mumu” by Turgenev. His initial characterization is based on associations that bring Gerasim closer to the epic heroes: he, like them, is unusually strong and is also connected with the land that he cultivates and loves. The impression is complicated by the fact that the hero is deaf and mute from birth. This is perceived as a misfortune that dooms him to complete loneliness. But another semantic connotation immediately appears: the hero’s deafness and muteness impart to his behavior a kind of unfussiness and even greatness (“Constant silence gave solemn importance to his tireless work”).
At the whim of the lady, Gerasim is torn away from peasant work and thrown into the city world, where his existence is meaningless and absurd. But the hero’s patience overcomes this disaster: Gerasim got used to his new fate and even reconciled with it, because he fell in love. He loves the meekest and most unrequited of the courtyard girls, finding the meaning of life in protecting and surrounding with care a human being, like him, deprived of happiness. And again a lordly whim ruins his life: a bored landowner, on an absurd whim, passes off Tatyana as a drunkard servant. Gerasim painfully experiences the loss, but then again finds solace in love for a weak and helpless creature. He becomes attached to the dog he rescued, and this attachment gives his existence meaning. But here, for the third time, the master’s arbitrariness intervenes in his life: the lady orders him to get rid of the dog.
In desperation, Gerasim decides to drown his pet himself and then carries out his decision. However, this time the hero’s grief is so great that his usual humility comes to an end. A rebellion occurs, but an unusual revolt, alien to any kind of aggression. The hero simply ceases to recognize the power of the lady and returns to his village world, from which he was forcibly expelled. Before the force of this silent protest, the lady retreats, not daring to demand Gerasim back. The story “Mumu” was written at the height of the government reaction, but the ending of Gerasim’s story is permeated with a premonition of the liberation of the Russian peasantry from serfdom.
Tatiana- a yard girl whom Gerasim loves. An unhappy, downtrodden and frightened creature. Her whole life passes in labor, hardship and suffering. Gerasim turns out to be the first person who becomes mentally attached to her and protects her from bullying. Forced marriage and exile with her drunkard husband to a distant village completely ruin her life. And only at this moment is some not entirely clear feeling revealed that connected her with the hero of the story (“Tatyana, who had endured all the vicissitudes of her life with great indifference until that moment, here, however, could not stand it, shed tears and, getting into the cart, -Christianly kissed Gerasim three times").
- Who is Gerasim?
- Appearance of the hero;
- How did he get to the lady;
- His responsibilities;
- Housing;
- Relation to Mumu;
- Character of Gerasim;
- Why is he leaving his lady?
- My attitude towards Gerasim.
Gerasim is the main character of the story “Mumu” by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev. From birth he was deaf and mute, so he could not hear either human speech or the sounds of nature, and he himself could not utter a single word. Gerasim had no one. He lived alone in the village, in his small hut. Like many ordinary people of that time, he was an unfree, serf man and belonged to a certain Moscow feisty lady. He worked for her, meekly doing the hardest peasant work.
This village man was a real Russian hero. Nature generously endowed him with extraordinary physical strength. He was a very tall man - “12 vershoks” or almost two meters tall and of a very strong build. He had big working hands and huge palms. He had no equal in his work; everything came easy to him. He worked tirelessly for four people. And he mowed, and plowed, and threshed, deftly and skillfully. Everyone thought he was a very nice guy.
But fate wanted the lady to take the deaf-mute hero from the village to her place in Moscow. She probably liked his silent hard work. And he could not resist her, because she was his full-fledged mistress. At the Moscow estate, he was given new clothes and assigned to do new work. From a peasant, Gerasim unexpectedly turned into a janitor and watchman.
Working in the city in a new position was too easy for him. After all, he was used to hard field work, and working around the yard was not difficult for him. His range of tasks was very small: sweep the yard, deliver a barrel of water to the estate, provide the household with firewood, keep strangers out, and guard at night. Gerasim completed all the main work in half an hour. He worked very hard, as he was used to in the village. Everywhere and in everything he had exemplary order. But he did not like his new place of residence, he was homesick, his soul was yearning to return to his native village home. He felt like an animal that had been caught and imprisoned in a cage.
His dwelling was very modest and really looked like a cramped cage. He settled in a small room right above the kitchen. The atmosphere there was very simple. There was very little furniture, only the essentials: a bed, a table and a chair. But it was all very strong, made of oak, to withstand the weight of the village hero. Gerasim always locked his closet with a key - he was still unsociable and did not like strangers to come to him.
The courtyard people who lived with the lady were wary of Gerasim. They were afraid of the deaf-mute because his character was too strict and serious, and also because of his extraordinary strength and stern silence. “Who knows what’s wrong with him,” they probably thought. Behind his back, they called the janitor “goblin.”
Once it was the hero Gerasim who saved a little puppy, took him into his closet, warmed him, dried him and fed him. He cared for his pet as “no mother cares for her child.” It turned out that behind the stern appearance and powerful physique lies a very kind, gentle heart. Gerasim named the little dog Mumu, because he could not utter any other word other than this moo. Mumu always responded with joy to this simple name. Gerasim cared for the dog with warmth and loved her deeply. He gave all his unspent affection to this little devoted creature. And Mumu followed on his heels, obeyed him unquestioningly and served him faithfully.
But they didn’t have to live happily together for long. Feeling his helplessness, out of hopelessness and despair, Gerasim drowned Mumu. For him it was an irreparable loss. He raised her as his own child, and with his own hands he had to kill her. His heart trembled, heavy tears rolled from his eyes, but at that moment he saw no other way out.
After the death of the dog, Gerasim could no longer endure his imprisonment in the city. He shows determination, which was previously unusual for him, and returns to his native village. Although he understands perfectly well, for such willfulness - escape - he faces severe punishment: hard labor or even death.
I feel sorry for Gerasim. Fate was harsh to him. Deprived of the gift of hearing and speech, he found himself deprived of everything that was dear to his heart and brought him joy and consolation. And yet I don’t quite understand the hero of the story: why he still decided to drown the poor animal. Surely some way out could have been found. For example, give it into good hands. What thoughts and experiences tormented Gerasim and why he committed his cruel act, unfortunately, we will no longer know.
“Mumu” is a classic work of world literature. This is a touching story about the difficult fate of serfs, their simple values and harsh decisions that the callous heart of those who have gained power is capable of. A cartoon of the same name was filmed based on the story.
History of creation
The writer's biography played an important role in his work. Born into the family of a landowner who showed cruelty towards the peasants, the boy observed terrible reprisals against those who could not respond to her hatred with action. Understanding the full force of social injustice, Turgenev opposed serfdom. The story “Mumu” reflects the events that took place on his family estate.
Work on the essay continued while the author was in prison. Death was not easy for him. Being close to the writer, he was terribly worried about his death, writing an obituary. There was not a word in the press about Gogol's death. The obituary published by Moskovskie Vedomosti was the reason why Turgenev was arrested. He was released a month later.
While in captivity, Turgenev lived on Sezhaya, next to the execution room where serfs were flogged. Constantly listening to the screams and moans of people whose fate was not favorable, the writer recalled the cruel torture that took place in his mother’s house. Recalling the emotions he had experienced, he wrote the story “Mumu”, the characters of which were characters who resembled his mother and the local janitor Andrei. The description of the building stated that the action takes place in house number 37, located on Ostozhenka Street. This house in Moscow can still be seen today.
Turgenev's work "Mumu" The plot of the work is similar to the story that Turgenev observed as a boy. The janitor Andrei was a serf brought by his mother from the village. The man’s appearance said that he was a real Russian hero. The trouble was that he was deaf and dumb. The janitor had positive character traits with which he attracted the landowner. The hostess liked his flexible disposition and diligence, and all of Moscow spoke about his enormous strength.
One day Andrei found a puppy and brought it to the yard. The lady ordered to get rid of the animal. The janitor did not dare to disobey. He didn't kill the puppy, but he never came back to the house. Turgenev changed the ending of the story, adding dramatic intensity to it. The characteristics of the fictional hero turned out to be deeper than his prototype.
It is no coincidence that the main character’s name is Gerasim, which means “venerable.” This again emphasizes the degree of admiration of the hero for the power of the mistress. After Turgenev's work became available to the general public, the name Gerasim often began to be used as a common noun. They are often called deaf and dumb.
"Mu Mu"
The main character of the story was the deaf-mute serf peasant Gerasim. The illness accompanied the man from birth, but it was partly compensated for by physical strength. Any business that the peasant took on went well. Life in the village and in the city was very different for a man. Stone pavements and houses evoked in him an endless longing for the countryside and nature. He, like a wild animal locked in a cage, was sad.
Illustration for Turgenev's work "Mumu" Gerasim had less work in the city, so he had free time. He did not communicate with courtyard servants, as his appearance frightened those around him. Over time, he began to feel affection for the washerwoman Tatyana, who had a gentle disposition. He made awkward steps and actions towards the woman, but their happiness was prevented by the landowner’s decision. Tatiana was married to Kapiton. Gerasim took this confluence of circumstances hard. He would probably marry his chosen one. Their failed union became a great experience for the hero.
He was often seen gloomy and gloomy, because his only attachment was destroyed. A randomly seen little dog became an outlet in Gerasim’s life. He caught her in the river. Probably someone wanted to drown the puppy, but the janitor helped him escape. The deaf-mute left the pet, cherishing it like a little child. He gave the dog all the tenderness and affection that had accumulated in his soul. Unable to pronounce words, he named the dog Mumu. The friends were inseparable, and the dog faithfully accompanied the owner for a year and a half, until the lady noticed her.
The dog growled angrily at the owner and displeased the woman. The butler was tasked with getting rid of the pet. Mumu was sold secretly, out of fear of Gerasim. The grieving owner stopped noticing those around him, he was beside himself. He could not say anything to those who had deprived him of his friend. A miracle happened: the dog broke free from its new owner’s leash and found a home where it was fed. Gerasim hid Mumu in a little room, carefully swept the yard and redid all the work, worrying about the pet. Sometimes he visited the dog, and at night he decided to take it for a walk.
A barking dog gave Gerasim away. The lady found out that the janitor had disobeyed her order. In anger, she ordered the dog to be destroyed. Gerasim had to take this heavy burden upon himself. Having put on a festive suit, fed the dog in the tavern, he said goodbye to his pet. The janitor took two bricks and a rope, got into the boat with the dog and set sail from the shore. He had to make a strong-willed decision and keep his word. Gerasim drowned the dog.
This event radically changed his life. The hero could not tolerate living in the city and reproached himself for not saving Mumu. Gerasim collected his belongings and, against the will of his mistress, left the house. He rebelled against reckless decisions and demonstrated grit and determination. What happened forever remained a painful memory in Gerasim’s soul. At the end of the story, Turgenev says that Gerasim never touched a single dog in his life and did not have relationships with women.
Quotes
The fate of special people during the era of serfdom was difficult and unpredictable. To be born deaf and mute meant to bear the heavy cross of existence among people who did not understand how to communicate with a deaf person, how to get an answer from someone who cannot speak. Gerasim's characteristics were superhuman strength and physique, which protected him from the attacks of serfs. The lord's will ruined the character's life.
Despite his outward inaccessibility and rudeness, Gerasim was a gentle, sentimental person, which became obvious from his care for the dog:
“No mother cares for her child as much as Gerasim looked after his pet.”
They say that pets are like their owners. Smart Mumu, like Gerasim, was cheerful up to a certain point. She loved her owner dearly and felt his care, paying him with devotion.
“Gerasim himself loved her madly... and it was unpleasant for him when others stroked her: whether he was afraid or something for her, whether he was jealous of her - God knows!”
What happened to Mumu became a tragedy in Gerasim’s life. He suffered many hardships related to the perception of others. Having barely found happiness, he was always forced to say goodbye to it. He was also deprived of such a little thing as the love of a pet.
“And Gerasim still lives as a bob in his lonely hut, healthy and powerful as before.”
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