Who is the main character of the Mumu story. The main characters of "Mumu": a brief description

The tragedy and hopelessness of the protagonist I.S. Turgenev is revealed already in the first lines of the notorious story "Mumu". The whole idea of ​​the story is that a simple man, dumb by birth, turned out to be more eloquent, being incommensurably strong and having a threatening appearance, he managed to show the beauty of his soul against the background of cowardice and injustice.

Gerasim, whom the reader recognizes at the beginning of the story, is endowed with an extraordinary appearance, he is huge - "... twelve inches tall ...", exorbitantly strong, which is emphasized. This is a prominent and powerful person, however, biased by nature, because he does not have the opportunity to hear and speak. Nevertheless, he possesses one of the main human qualities - generosity.

Within the limits of the city courtyard, where he is hired as a janitor by an old lady, Gerasim yearns for his native dilapidated house, for his village habitual work in the field, but does not show his emotions and emotional experiences. Due to his heroic appearance, the main character quickly gains the authority of a bouncer among the yard servants. What is there servants - even roosters are afraid of him, not daring to fight in front of him. The janitor sweeps away his sorrows with labors, as the author notes - he worked for four. He regularly performed his duties in a short time, the yard was always perfectly clean, the house was reliably guarded. The new work seemed to him a joke, compared with the hard peasant work.

Describing the grandeur and simplicity of his hero, Turgenev emphasizes: "The constant silence gave solemn importance to his indefatigable work." There was sternness and seriousness in his face. The slovenliness behind him was not noticed, on the contrary, his priority was order in everything. The author, as it were, inconspicuously hints at his taste - he equips the closet allotted to him in his personal possessions according to his own comfort, sets up a heroic bed there, the same table and stool. He does not let anyone into his “corner”, keeping the door locked, always having the key with him, on his belt. His neatness was in his clothes, but despite all this, the butler called him a goblin, and the rest of the serfs were afraid of his formidable and gloomy appearance, while some rightly "received" from his wide palm.

(Nina Grebeshkova and Afanasy Kochetkov, movie "Mumu", 1959)

The essence of Gerasim, behind his external mask, tough and unshakable, concealed a sensitive soul from the crafty and cowardly inhabitants of the house. Chelyadintsev was surprised by his sympathy for a certain Tatyana - a modest and timid, inconspicuous washerwoman. For these "little people" it was unnatural that a hefty big man could have the most tender feelings for both a woman and a small animal. The apogee of his entire short service with a capricious old lady was the death of a dog, to which he selflessly became attached and which, under the yoke of a slow-witted butler, had to be destroyed with his own hands. Before, it was a betrayal of the people he trusted. Those that could not break his natural strength took mental exhaustion. Gerasim returned to his native village, good for haymaking.

The story of I.S. Turgenev "Mumu" was written in 1852. This is a small work in which the author, through a description of the life of the protagonist, managed to show the breadth of the soul of a Russian person, his ability to love and be devoted.
Turgenev's work lay for a long time awaiting publication. Publishing houses did not want to take him, perhaps due to the disgrace in which the author was at that time, and perhaps because of a critical attitude to the story. Many saw in the work only a good depiction of a small banal love story between a janitor and a laundress and a tender attachment to a stray dog. However, there were critics who believed that I.S. Turgenev thus showed all the ugliness of serfdom existing at that time and the breadth of the Russian soul, full of love and meekness.
Gerasim is the main character of the story. This is a man of a heroic physique, hardworking, hardy and at the same time very kind, capable of manifesting the most tender feelings. Gerasim came to the capricious old lady by chance. She noticed him when he was working in the field. She was impressed by his heroic become and diligence. The mistress took the peasant to Moscow, dressed him in a uniform specially made for him and made him a janitor. Gerasim was used to submitting and took the new life for granted. True, the work was too easy for him, it was difficult to call it work for such a hero. Those around him loved him, but did not particularly get close - they were slightly frightened by his dumbness. A congenital ailment gave Gerasim a special mystery and the impression of even greater strength.
The author shows the close connection of the protagonist with nature. Comparing it with a young bull, with a giant tree grown on fertile soil, he emphasizes its rural origin. Gerasim lacks contact with nature, it is difficult for him to get used to city life, here he is unhappy. Throughout the entire work, Turgenev shows how hard it is for a poor peasant to be among people. Perhaps his congenital ailment, to some extent, protects him from unnecessary rumors and conversations. He cannot become happy by falling in love with Tatyana - the fate of young people is again decided by the old lady. And they do not resist her decision - they simply accept life the way their owners give them.
Gerasim sincerely, wholeheartedly loves the girl. He gives her all sorts of signs of attention, protects her. It is now that he begins to realize the severity of his illness. He is not able to express feelings in words, although the soul really asks for this. Gerasim can only do something tangible - give her nice gifts, admire her every time she passes through the yard. But the girl is afraid of Gerasim, or rather, his some kind of "animal" adoration. She is ready to marry a drunkard, if only not to succumb to a sudden feeling. Decisiveness and courage in this story is manifested only in the behavior of Gerasim. He tries to defend his feelings and removes the shoemaker Kapiton from Tatyana. And only guessing that Tatyana herself is trying to move away from him, Gerasim goes aside. He understood the trick with the pretended drunk washerwoman and was disappointed in the girl.
Again, wanting to emphasize Gerasim's craving for everything natural and living, Turgenev adds a new friend to his life - a small dog. This cute creature becomes a real miracle for the janitor. All the tenderness and breadth of his soul is manifested in relation to Mumu - this is how the yard dogs called the dog. Gerasim is happy, he doesn't need anything else. But it is precisely at this moment of joyful, bright days that the old lady again invades. She does not want to see a dog in her yard and orders to get rid of it. Again Gerasim suffers. But this time it's much stronger. After all, the dog, just like he cannot speak, she expresses her feelings for him with her behavior and a devoted look. The understanding that he himself must deprive this creature of life makes Gerasim endure incredible torment. He cries, but nevertheless drowns an innocent animal. The question becomes: "Why?". After all, he could calmly go with Mumu to his village, which he did after the death of the animal. But this is exactly what the author wanted to emphasize - the unquestioning submission of the serf to his master. He suffers, but his being is not able to resist the will of the mistress, this is how his ancestors lived, this is how he lives.
Gerasim returns to his native land again. But now, taught by life, he saves himself from communication with people. He doesn't have dogs in the house. This is also a kind of protest - he cannot resist the will of the owner, so he will not even allow a situation where their will can hurt him again. The pain in his soul will remain until the end of his days, but Gerasim drowns it out with physical labor and learns to live anew.
I.S. Turgenev, in his short story, managed to convey to the reader all the ugliness of serf relations, the despair and hopelessness of ordinary people in the face of the tyranny and harshness of the owner.

When retelling any work, you should give a brief description, name who its main characters are. "Mumu" is a story by the famous Russian writer I. Turgenev, which was written by him in 1852 and published two years later in the then popular magazine Sovremennik. An interesting fact is that this one of the most famous works of the author was created during his arrest. He had difficulty getting the story published and included in his own collected works.

Gerasim

The success of the work largely depends on how successfully the main characters turned out to be vitally, truthfully. "Mumu" is a story based on a real incident in the writer's family, or rather, in his mother's house. Gerasim had his own prototype - the servant Andrei, nicknamed the Mute. The same story happened to him as to his literary incarnation. This hero is a closed, unsociable person, who, however, is distinguished by diligence and efficiency. On the estate, he is considered the best worker, his labor skills are appreciated by everyone, including the old lady herself. This outwardly unsociable person had one weakness - he felt sympathy for the maid Tatyana, whom he even wanted to marry.

dog history

In many ways, the course of development of the plot of the work determines how the main characters behave in various situations. "Mumu" is a work, the meaning of which depends on the characters of the characters. Gerasim suffered his first loss when, on the orders of the mistress, Tatiana was married to the drunken shoemaker Kapiton. After a while, he found some solace in the fact that he rescued and brought out a small puppy, whom he named Mumu. It was a very smart and devoted dog that everyone loved, but she was especially attached to her master, who in her was the stronger the blow for him when the old lady ordered to get rid of the dog because she once ruined her mood without obeying her. Gerasim complied with the order and drowned the dog, but after that he left the Moscow house of his mistress for his native village.

Tatiana

Half of the success of the work is provided by the main characters. "Mumu" is a story that presents all types of characters that were observed in a typical Russian estate in the middle of the nineteenth century. The image of the young woman Tatyana is no exception in this respect. She is a poor downtrodden maid who constantly endures humiliation and mockery, from which only the protection of Gerasim saves her. In the lady's house she works as a laundress. The poor woman is so downtrodden that she unquestioningly follows the order of the butler and pretends to be drunk in front of Gerasim so that he himself will refuse her. The trick was successful, but the janitor still retains sympathy for her and, when she leaves for the village, gives her a red scarf.

Gavrila

In the work of the author, the main characters represent a striking contrast between themselves. "Mumu" by Turgenev is a story that is interesting in that it presents a complete gallery of characters. Butler Gavrila is a simple roguish man who is ready for any trick in order to achieve his goal. He is not an evil person in himself, but at the same time, in order to maintain peace in the house and please his mistress, he is ready for any tricks. So, it was he who came up with a trick, thanks to which he was able to separate Gerasim from Tatyana. He orders the janitor to drown the poor dog. These acts make him in the eyes of readers

Kapiton

It was a shoemaker on the old lady's estate. He turned out to be as colorful and vital as all the other main characters. Mumu by Turgenev is a story in which each character is remembered by the reader thanks to carefully written characters. Kapiton is a smart person in his own way, once he was even considered an educated person, but over the years he drank himself and turned into a bitter drunkard. The lady tried to somehow remedy the situation by marrying him to Tatyana, but this does not save the situation. Kapiton finally becomes an inveterate drunkard, and he and his wife are sent to the village.

Lady

The main characters play an important role in this work. Turgenev's "Mumu" (the characterization of the story must necessarily include psychological portraits of the characters) is an essay based on the gradual disclosure of the characters' inner world. In this regard, the old lady causes the most criticism, since her whims caused the tragedy that happened. According to the author, she was capricious, quick-tempered, in addition, she had frequent mood swings. At the same time, she cannot be denied some housekeeping and diligence. So, she distinguished Gerasim as a capable and hardworking worker, tried to somehow correct Kapiton, but her despotic manners did not lead to the desired result, since she was too stubborn and wayward.

So, the main characters of Turgenev's "Mumu" turned out to be very truthful and vital. The peasant has always been at the center of his work, and this work is the most convincing proof of this.

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, which seemed to critics very sweet, sad and touching. But for Turgenev himself, this story was really terrible.

general characteristics

The description of Gerasim from the story "Mumu" can be started by getting to know the main character. The main character of the work is a deaf-mute janitor named Gerasim, who serves with 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 diligence and strength. He does all the work around the house, in the yard, as well as in the stable, and at night he is on guard. Gerasim is an ordinary village man. He is a serf.

Despite the natural lack of a man, he has great physical strength, which must be mentioned in the description of Gerasim from the story "Mumu". He is usually reserved and sullen. It's hard to tell from his face what he's going through. And his severity, apparently, was as innate as his deafness. Also, the main character did not understand the jokes of others. 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 did not like jokes. Even the courtyards were afraid of the janitor. In everything, the main character loved order. And even the roosters did not dare to fight under Gerasim. He lives in a small closet above the kitchen. He arranges everything in this closet according to his own taste.

Appearance

The description of the appearance of Gerasim 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). Gerasim Turgenev describes the gait with the help of such definitions: “hard”, “heavy-footed”, “incorrect”. His face is “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 story, the reader has the opportunity to observe that in every situation the main character retains his best qualities - honesty, love for 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 rest of the inhabitants of the yard.

To whom Gerasim was attached by soul

A brief description of Gerasim from the story "Mumu" should also contain a short essay about his emotional attachments, because this indicates the ability to love, which is characteristic of the main character. Of all the inhabitants of the courtyard, Gerasim likes Tatyana the most - a woman with a kind and meek character, whose age is about 28 years old. 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 Gerasim feels happy. He names the dog Mumu. Gerasim takes care of her like her own child.

Brief description of Gerasim's closet from the story "Mumu"

Much 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 planks. The writer calls her "truly heroic." There is a table in the corner, and near the table there is a strong “three-legged chair”. The chair is so solidly made that Gerasim himself sometimes picks it up, deliberately drops it and grins. There is a heavy chest under the bed. The serf's closet is locked.

The actions of the protagonist

Usually, the time when schoolchildren are asked to prepare a description of Gerasim from the story "Mumu" at home is grade 5. At this age, students can already understand those difficult events in the life of a Russian peasant, which Turgenev's work tells about. The serf works for four. Despite such work, even this does not suit the lady. She wants to completely manage the life of her serfs.

First, she marries her maid, Tatiana, to an alcoholic shoemaker. And then he demands that Gerasim's beloved dog Mumu be removed. However, the main character, although he is deaf and mute, shows his intractability. He drowns his beloved dog and then leaves the manor house without even asking the master's permission. Until the end of his days, Gerasim lives as a bean 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 dumb. After all, they had no personal desires. They were also ignorant of their own dignity, they were more like slaves. Despite this, Gerasim is on good terms with the servants.

Describing the character of his hero, the writer emphasizes his moral superiority over the rest. In the essay “Description of Gerasim from the story“ Mumu ”, the 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 vividly, Turgenev uses the technique of hyperbole. For example, Gerasim mows so crushingly that he could “at least brush a young birch forest from the 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 court sought to please the mistress in everything. They thoughtlessly followed any of her orders, even if these actions humiliated them or those around them.

The main character of the work of Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev "Mumu" was a serf peasant Gerasim. He was of extraordinary strength, industrious, sympathetic, kind, but, unfortunately, he was deaf and could not hear. His communication with people was very small, as he could only utter some sounds that no one understood. Gerasim communicated more with nature, the world around him.
Turgenev, creating the image of Gerasim, wanted to put into him the features of a strong and patient Russian people. He wanted to show the Russian serf from the best side, because earlier serfs were not considered equal people and were treated like things. They were forcibly married, taken away from their homes, and everything that was most precious to them was taken away from them.
In the story "Mumu" Gerasim, a serf who lived in the village. Because of his kindness, which he showed to the mistress, he fell into her eyes, which became a very great tragedy for him. The lady, seeing such a healthy hardworking peasant, decided to reward him with her "mercy". She ordered him to move to the city, to her estate and gave him a closet. And I would have forgotten about him if Gerasim had not fallen in love with Tatyana. Tatyana was also a serf and belonged to a mistress. Gerasim's love frightened her, because the people who lived with the lady at court did not really love Gerasim. They did not understand and were afraid of him.
The lady decided everything very simply, without thinking about either Gerasim or Tatyana. She quickly played Tatyana's wedding with one of her courtyards. And she sent them away, because Tatyana's husband liked to drink. Gerasim was very sad. But another love appeared in his life. He once, passing by the river, saved a little puppy. He brought him home, went out, fed him. He named him Mumu. They became the best of friends. Mumu always ran after him, and in the evening she guarded his closet. But the happiness of Gerasim and Mumu did not last long. The capricious lady ordered to get rid of Mumu, because Mumu barked at night and prevented her from sleeping. It is very difficult to describe how Gerasim grieved. He himself volunteered to kill Mumu. He was with her until the very last minute, kind and affectionate. He could not disobey the order of the mistress and did what he promised. But the strength of his soul and self-esteem were very great. Having done everything that he was told, he never returned to the mistress. He went back to the village. To their fields and forests. To nature, which was very close to him and which he loved very much. Soon the lady died and the estate forgot about him.
Many readers, having read this work, see in it a simple sad story about great love between Gerasim and Mumu. In fact, Turgenev, when he wrote this work, wanted to tell people how great and powerful, how patient and meek the Russian people are. And he also wanted to show what a big and deep soul a Russian person has. How can he love and be devoted, and how, in such terrible conditions, can he remain a real person with great pride and respect for his feelings.