Characteristics of all the heroes after the ball. Essay on the topic The image of the main character in the story L
- Meet the main character
- Handsome, young, rich
- Good fellow
- Life split in two
- Happiness at the ball
- Horror after the ball
- Difficult choice
- Lessons from the piece
The deep meaning of a small story
Getting acquainted with the events of just one day, you can give detailed description To Ivan Vasilyevich from the story “After the Ball” by Tolstoy. The talented writer managed to draw with a few strokes inner world person, to understand his condition. Within the framework of a small work, not only personal, but also social problems are solved. Do we need things from days gone by? L.N. Tolstoy convinces us that knowledge of history helps us live correctly, not make mistakes, and adequately assess reality. The past and present are closely connected.
L. N. Tolstoy's story “After the Ball” takes us back to the distant past, but remains in demand in our modern XI century. It raises eternal problems of existence that are relevant for any person. The issue of moral choice is one of the main ones in this work, small in volume but quite deep in content.
Meet the main character
Everyone at least once has to make decisions that affect their future fate.
The main character of L. N. Tolstoy’s story “After the Ball” also faces a choice.
Handsome, young, rich
Man telling cautionary tale- the central character of the work. A man recalls a story that radically changed his life. The description of Ivan Vasilyevich from the story “After the Ball” is put into the mouth of the hero himself. Many years ago he was a young man, studying, having fun, falling in love. Possessing an attractive appearance, a large fortune and a good disposition, Ivan Vasilyevich had many friends and enjoyed success with women. The young man could allow himself to have fun and not think about the future. His “pleasure was evenings and balls.” He was the same as his peers, he lived his life like everyone else. “We were just young, and we lived as is typical of youth: we studied and had fun,” explains the narrator.
Good fellow
In the story “After the Ball,” the author does not characterize Ivan Vasilyevich. But from the text it becomes clear that he was an ordinary young man. Kind by nature, he sincerely saw only the good in people. The provincial leader and his wife are sweet married couple, the colonel is a loving and caring father, Varenka is an angel who descended from heaven, with a “tender, always cheerful smile on her mouth.” We understand that the young man in love is naive and selfless. He lives in a happy present and dreams of the future.
Life split in two
Happiness at the ball
The cruel reality of one morning dispelled his dreams and presented Ivan Vasilyevich with a difficult task. The technique of antithesis used by the author helps to understand the state of the main character. His life seemed to be split in two. The description of the ball is filled with a feeling of happiness and love. Throughout the evening, the young man does not leave his beloved girl. The bride's white dress, the sounds of a waltz, kind smiles - these details help create a unique picture of the holiday.
Horror after the ball
The terrible picture of the execution of a fugitive soldier made the young man take a different look at modern reality. Unpleasant, sharp sounds, black uniforms, red back symbolize pain, misfortune and horror. Reality destroyed dreams and dreams. Ivan Vasilievich.
Difficult choice
“My whole life changed from one night or morning.” The hero must decide how to live further. He could pretend that nothing had happened and continue to communicate with the family of the colonel who led the terrible torture of the unfortunate Tatar. Propose to your girlfriend, get married, have children and live like everyone else around you. After all, cruel corporal punishment, the colonel’s duplicity, and the indifference of passers-by are the norm for most of his contemporaries. However, the young man chooses a different path. And this choice is a protest of the immorality and cruelty of the laws that reigned during the reign of Nicholas I. Main character is unable to communicate with Varenka, since she resembles her father, and he does not know how to pretend and lie. He “felt somehow awkward and unpleasant.” Changes plans for the future, abandons his career. “I couldn’t get into military service, as he wanted before, and not only did not serve in the military, but also did not serve anywhere and, as you can see, was no good.” Having lost a lot, he retains the main thing: honor and dignity. This morning changed later life Ivan Vasilyevich, made him look at the people around him differently. But nothing could make him change himself. In the story “After the Ball,” Ivan Vasilyevich is depicted as a man who is not afraid of public opinion and acts according to his conscience.
Lessons from the piece
It's not easy to choose the right way In my life. “To live honestly, you have to rush, get confused, fight, make mistakes, start and give up again, because peace is spiritual meanness,” said the great writer L. N. Tolstoy himself. It is important to make such decisions so that later you will not be ashamed of your actions. The main character of the story “After the Ball” is an example to follow. His actions teach honesty and nobility.
Characteristics of Ivan Vasilyevich from the story “After the Ball” - a description of the main character of the work |
At the core storyline story by L.N. Tolstoy's "After the Ball" is a real-life story that happened to an eyewitness to the events. The image and characterization of the Colonel at the ball and after the ball will reveal the duplicity of the main character, revealing his true essence. The characterization of Colonel B occurs through the prism of Ivan Vasilyevich’s perception of him. He focuses on how strikingly different appearance and the colonel’s actions at the ball and after it.
Colonel B - Pyotr Vladislavovich B. The central character of the story. Varenka's father.
Family
His family is his wife and daughter Varenka. They lived in a provincial town, in a good-quality house. The colonel doted on his daughter. All the money went to her. Balls and expensive clothes required considerable financial investments. Denying himself everything, he tried to ensure that his daughter did not need anything. An exemplary father and family man. He seemed like a role model, causing involuntary envy.Appearance
A tall, stately aged man. A ruddy face with a curled mustache. Neat sideburns. There was always a gentle smile on his face. The gaze of the shining eyes is open. The gait is firm and confident. He endeared himself to himself, causing involuntary respect and veneration.Cloth
Pyotr Vladislavovich always wore a uniform. Seeing him in civilian clothes is very rare. The colonel's uniform is impeccable. The boots are good, but have long gone out of fashion. Knocked down, without heels. With pointed, square toes. Black suede gloves on hands.At the ball
At the next ball, where the colonel brought his daughter, he, as always, was gallant and courteous. It was clear what a trusting relationship he and his daughter had. He seemed sincere, showing love for Varenka with all his behavior and appearance. As they circled the hall, they couldn't take their eyes off them. This couple was a pleasure to watch.The Colonel loved to dance. Despite his advanced age, he tried not to miss such events. Ivan Vasilyevich, the narrator, at the first meeting with the brave military man, was fascinated by him, like the others. Everything changed when he had to see the colonel during his service. This meeting took place after the ball.
After the ball
The holiday is over. The guests left. After the ball there was no sleep. Ivan Vasilyevich was overwhelmed with emotions. He headed to Varenka’s house and unwittingly witnessed an unsightly spectacle, where the main role was assigned to the colonel. This time, already without a ceremonial uniform, he carried out his immediate duties.The changes were dramatic. He changed not only externally, but also internally. There was nothing human left in him. A soldier who tried to escape was punished. The colonel remained deaf and dumb to his pleas for mercy. It seemed to him that he was not punished enough. His anger turned to his subordinates. He yelled at them, humiliated them, forcing them to inflict even more pain on the offending soldier.
Seeing Ivan Vasilyevich, the colonel pretended that he did not recognize him. He turned away and continued his dirty work. It’s hard to imagine that just recently he chatted tenderly with his daughter, was gallant with the ladies, joked and laughed, enjoying life. Taking off the mask from his face, he took on his true appearance, which he carefully concealed.
Who is to blame for what happened
What kind of person is the Colonel really? Sadist or victim of current circumstances? Pyotr Vladislavovich did not consider himself guilty. He was doing his job. At that time, cane discipline was the norm for the army. This was the way it was accepted. The character of this man was shaped by the society around him. The cruel age with its morals crippled the souls of people, turning them into moral invalids.Readers became acquainted with the story “After the Ball,” created in 1903, only in 1911, after the death of Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy. The plot is based on the events that happened to the writer’s brother. The realism of the depiction of reality and the unusual ring composition helped the author draw a parallel between the past and the present. A succinct and concise story forces us to focus on one main event in the life of the main character. Through the eyes of Ivan Vasilyevich we see the cruel century of the reign of Nicholas I, crippling the soul and morality of his contemporary.
Main characters
Ivan Vasilievich- a person who acts as a narrator. He remembers the time when he was a “cheerful, lively fellow and also rich” and was a young and in love student. The young man is trusting, honest and conscientious.
Other characters
Peter Vladislavich- Varenka’s father, Colonel. A two-faced man: a kind, loving father at the ball and an insensitive officer supervising the punishment of a soldier after the ball.
Varenka- an eighteen-year-old girl with whom the hero is madly in love. She is charming, sweet and naive.
Compositionally, the content of the work can be divided into two parts: events at the ball and after the ball.
The first lines of the story are a discussion between experienced friends about whether environment influence a person's destiny. One of them, Ivan Vasilyevich, believing that “it’s all a matter of chance,” offers to listen to a story from his life.
His story begins with a description of a ball in the house of the provincial leader. Happy Ivan Vasilyevich enjoys communicating with his beloved girl. Everything seems wonderful to him: wonderful, kind hosts, beautiful outfits, a dazzling hall, cheerful music. Throughout the evening, the hero does not take his eyes off his beloved. He watches with delight the dancing colonel and his daughter. He is touched by his homemade boots, thinking that for the sake of Varenka, his father saves on himself and makes sacrifices. The young man is ready to love the whole world. “I was not only cheerful and contented, I was happy, blissful, I was kind, I was not me, but some unearthly creature, knowing no evil and capable of only good,” the narrator recalls.
Inspired by his impressions, the narrator, returning home, remains in a state of bliss. He goes outside. Early morning, the city is waking up, rare passers-by. The surroundings seemed “nice and significant.” This part of the story is imbued with a feeling of goodness and light. Brilliant eyes, joyful smiles, white and pink colors surround the young lover.
The mood changes dramatically in the next part of the story. In the clearing morning fog, Ivan Vasilyevich saw a picture that struck his imagination. The Tatar was driven away between the soldiers with sticks in their hands. His colleagues beat him severely on orders from his superiors, punishing him for running away. His back turned into something “motley, wet, red, unnatural.” The words of the poor fellow reached the young man. He did not speak, but sobbed: “Brothers, have mercy. Brothers, have mercy." But the punishment continued. In the man leading the torture, Ivan Vasilyevich unexpectedly recognized the father of his beloved Varenka. The officer, without taking off his gloves, beat one of the soldiers who decided to take pity on the unfortunate man. Noticing Ivan Vasilyevich, Pyotr Vladislavich pretended that they did not know each other and continued to control the execution. The main character felt horror and shame. On the way home, he tried to find an excuse for the colonel’s actions, but a terrible picture appeared before him again and again, and unpleasant, harsh music sounded in his ears. He was terrified, scared and sad.
The event that occurred radically changed the young man’s life. He stopped dating Varenka, “love began to wane.” For a long time I tried to make sense of what I saw. I thought that I didn’t understand something important in this life. But “no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find out.” Therefore, I did not want to be an officer, and did not become an official. His worldview and moral principles did not allow him to serve a state with such cruel and unjust laws.
Conclusion
L.N. Tolstoy's story was created more than a century ago, but has not lost its relevance. How to choose yours correctly life path, not to give in to circumstances? These questions still concern every young person today. The work helps to understand the historical past of our country and warns against mistakes. From the example of the main character, we learn kindness, honesty and mercy. Therefore, you should not limit yourself to getting to know a brief retelling story "After the Ball". You should read the text of the great classic in full.
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The storyline of the story is based on L.N. Tolstoy's "After the Ball" is a real-life story that happened to an eyewitness to the events. The image and characterization of the Colonel at the ball and after the ball will reveal the duplicity of the main character, revealing his true essence. The characterization of Colonel B occurs through the prism of Ivan Vasilyevich’s perception of him. He focuses on how strikingly different the colonel's appearance and actions are at the ball and after it.
Colonel B - Pyotr Vladislavovich B. The central character of the story. Varenka's father.
Family
His family is his wife and daughter Varenka. They lived in a provincial town, in a good-quality house. The colonel doted on his daughter. All the money went to her. Balls and expensive clothes required considerable financial investments. Denying himself everything, he tried to ensure that his daughter did not need anything. An exemplary father and family man. He seemed like a role model, causing involuntary envy.Appearance
A tall, stately aged man. A ruddy face with a curled mustache. Neat sideburns. There was always a gentle smile on his face. The gaze of the shining eyes is open. The gait is firm and confident. He endeared himself to himself, causing involuntary respect and veneration.Cloth
Pyotr Vladislavovich always wore a uniform. Seeing him in civilian clothes is very rare. The colonel's uniform is impeccable. The boots are good, but have long gone out of fashion. Knocked down, without heels. With pointed, square toes. Black suede gloves on hands.At the ball
At the next ball, where the colonel brought his daughter, he, as always, was gallant and courteous. It was clear what a trusting relationship he and his daughter had. He seemed sincere, showing love for Varenka with all his behavior and appearance. As they circled the hall, they couldn't take their eyes off them. This couple was a pleasure to watch.The Colonel loved to dance. Despite his advanced age, he tried not to miss such events. Ivan Vasilyevich, the narrator, at the first meeting with the brave military man, was fascinated by him, like the others. Everything changed when he had to see the colonel during his service. This meeting took place after the ball.
After the ball
The holiday is over. The guests left. After the ball there was no sleep. Ivan Vasilyevich was overwhelmed with emotions. He headed to Varenka’s house and unwittingly witnessed an unsightly spectacle, where the main role was assigned to the colonel. This time, already without a ceremonial uniform, he carried out his immediate duties.The changes were dramatic. He changed not only externally, but also internally. There was nothing human left in him. A soldier who tried to escape was punished. The colonel remained deaf and dumb to his pleas for mercy. It seemed to him that he was not punished enough. His anger turned to his subordinates. He yelled at them, humiliated them, forcing them to inflict even more pain on the offending soldier.
Seeing Ivan Vasilyevich, the colonel pretended that he did not recognize him. He turned away and continued his dirty work. It’s hard to imagine that just recently he chatted tenderly with his daughter, was gallant with the ladies, joked and laughed, enjoying life. Taking off the mask from his face, he took on his true appearance, which he carefully concealed.
Who is to blame for what happened
What kind of person is the Colonel really? Sadist or victim of current circumstances? Pyotr Vladislavovich did not consider himself guilty. He was doing his job. At that time, cane discipline was the norm for the army. This was the way it was accepted. The character of this man was shaped by the society around him. The cruel age with its morals crippled the souls of people, turning them into moral invalids.Varenka: She was a wonderful beauty even at fifty years old. But in her youth, eighteen years old, she was lovely: tall, slender, graceful and majestic, just majestic. She always held herself unusually straight, as if she could not do otherwise, throwing her head back a little, and this gave her, with her beauty and tall, despite her thinness, even bonyness, some kind of regal appearance that would frighten away from her, if not for the affectionate, always cheerful smile of her mouth, and her lovely, sparkling eyes, and her entire sweet, young being. She, without embarrassment, walked straight across the hall to Ivan. The graceful figure of Varenka floated next to her Father, imperceptibly, shortening or lengthening the steps of her small white satin legs in time.
Varenka's father: He was a very handsome, stately, tall and fresh old man. His face was very ruddy, with a white à la Nicolas I (like Nicholas 1) curled mustache, white sideburns drawn up to the mustache and with temples combed forward, and the same affectionate, joyful smile, like his daughter’s, was in his sparkling eyes and lips. He was beautifully built, with a wide chest, sparsely decorated with orders, protruding in a military manner, with strong shoulders and long slender legs. He was a military commander, like an old campaigner of Nikolaev bearing.
When we approached the door, the colonel refused, saying that he had forgotten how to dance, but still, smiling, throwing left side hand, took the sword out of the belt, gave it to the helpful young man and, pulling a suede glove over right hand, “Everything must be done according to the law,” he said, smiling, took his daughter’s hand and turned it a quarter turn, waiting for the beat.
Having waited for the start of the mazurka motif, he smartly stamped one foot, kicked out the other, and his tall, heavy figure, sometimes quietly and smoothly, sometimes noisily and violently, with the clatter of soles and feet against feet, moved around the hall.
A tall military man walked with a firm, trembling gait. It was her father, with his ruddy face and white mustache and sideburns.
Ivan Vasilievich: at that time he was a student at a provincial university. He was a very cheerful and lively fellow, and also rich. He had a dashing pacer, rode down the mountains with young ladies (skates were not yet in fashion), and caroused with his comrades. His main pleasure was evenings and balls. He danced well and was not ugly.
All the way in his ears he heard the drumming and the whistling of a flute, then he heard the words: “Brothers, have mercy,” then he heard the self-confident, angry voice of the colonel shouting: “Are you going to smear? Will you? Meanwhile, there was an almost physical melancholy in my heart, reaching the point of nausea, such that I stopped several times, and it seemed to me that I was about to vomit with all the horror that entered me from this sight.