The shortest content after the ball. A very brief retelling for the reader's diary After the Ball (Lev N. Tolstoy). Explaining difficult words from the text
About the story. This work shows the life and customs of the noble society of that time.
What was the beginning of the story of Ivan Vasilyevich
The girl was beautiful and slim. Tall, stately. She felt like a breed. He couldn't help but notice her. All women and men admired her. She soared around the hall in a white and pink dress. Brown eyes looked with tenderness. When she smiled, dimples appeared on her ruddy cheeks.
It was love, but not physical. He did not dream of possessing her as a woman. Varenka was inaccessible, like a goddess. As a sign of sympathy, the girl gave him a feather from a fan, which she fanned herself with all evening.
Daughter and father dance
The next dance Varenka danced with her father. It was an elderly man. Colonel. Handsome, stately. The face of the military was decorated with a chic mustache. The couple circled the hall, attracting everyone's attention. Ivan drew attention to the colonel's boots: old, worn to holes. He realized that his father spent all his money on his only daughter, forgetting about himself. Ivan soared in the clouds. He was happy. All thoughts were about the beloved. Returning home, the guy could not sleep for a long time, turning over the events of the past day in his head.
Reprisal against a soldier or the true face of Varenka's father
Insomnia completely exhausted Ivan. He decided to take a walk around the city at night. Feet themselves led to Varenka's house. Music was playing in the courtyard. Flute sounds intertwined with drumming. A loud, unpleasant melody that irritated the ear. The guy sees how a Tatar is driven through the ranks of soldiers, beating him with sticks. The parade was commanded by a colonel, Varenka's father. He was terrible in anger. The face is contorted with hatred. Noticing Ivan, the colonel pretended not to know him and turned away.
Epilogue
Ivan could not move away from what he saw. The scene of the beating was before my eyes. He didn't understand why everyone was silent. Is it really right to torture a person half to death. So Ivan could not find an excuse for the colonel's cruelty. Now the guy knew one thing clearly, he didn’t have a foot in military service. Love for Varenka, along with this episode, began to wane. This is how a person's life turned upside down overnight, changing plans and directing them along a different path.
L.N. Tolstoy
Name: After the ball
Genre: Story
Duration: 10min 54sec
Annotation:
Ivan Vasilyevich tells his friends a story. The story begins with Ivan Vasilievich falling in love with the beautiful Varenka B., the daughter of Colonel B. Ivan tells his friends about the events that happened at the evening ball, during which he danced with Varenka and witnessed the colonel dance with her. He notices how much he fell in love with Varenka and imbued with respect for her father, the colonel.
Later, at night after the ball, Ivan Vasilyevich cannot sleep because of his infatuation with Varenka, so he leaves the house to take a walk. As he wanders along the street near Varenka's house, he witnesses the flight of a Tartar soldier who has deserted from the army. Colonel B. is watching the flogging of a Tatar. Recognizing the face of Father Varenka, Ivan Vasilievich was shocked. The colonel pretends not to notice Ivan. Ivan is appalled at the soldiers' unwavering adherence to military rules and struggles to understand the brutality he has witnessed. But he is unable to understand this, and his love for Varenka dissipates. Ultimately, as a result of what he saw, Ivan Vasilievich refuses to marry or enter the civil or military service.
L.N. Tolstoy - After the ball. Listen to short audio content online.
The main characters of the story:
Ivan Vasilievich- the narrator who shared the story of his most powerful love and what caused it to suddenly fade away. A person who is not indifferent to beauty, who wants to see good features in his neighbor, but who cannot tolerate violence against a person. He is disgusted by the oppression of poor, unfortunate people. Pity for the crippled soldier, albeit a guilty one, who continues to be inhumanly mocked, despite pleas, without showing any mercy, introduces the hero into a state of despair, even to the point that he decides to get drunk with a friend to unconsciousness. The young man is especially struck by the fact that the colonel, the father of his beloved Varenka, is in charge of the execution process. After that, he decides never to be a military man, although at first he wanted to.
Varenka- the daughter of Colonel Peter Vladislavovich, the bride of Ivan Vasilyevich, the object of his great love. A very beautiful, graceful girl with an affectionate look.
Varenka's father, Colonel Pyotr Vladislavovich- at first he made a good impression on Ivan Vasilyevich, such that he even experienced an "enthusiastic tender" feeling towards him.
However, the charm was dispelled when the narrator saw the colonel directing the process of beating the guilty Tatar fugitive, whom, on the orders of Peter Vladislavovich, each soldier in the ranks beat with sticks. No pity, no compassion, only cruelty and malice - this is how Varenka's father really turned out to be.
Beginning of the story: Ivan Vasilyevich expresses his opinion
In one house there was a leisurely conversation, the essence of which was that a person's behavior in most cases is influenced by the external environment. Ivan Vasilievich categorically disagreed with this, and, deciding to prove his case, he began to tell a story that happened to him once.
Love for Varenka
“I was deeply in love” - this is how Ivan Vasilyevich begins a sad story about an episode in his life. The object of his sigh was Varenka, the daughter of the colonel, Pyotr Vladislavovich, a very beautiful girl - at her eighteen years old, graceful and even majestic. An affectionate smile did not leave her face, and this captivated Ivan Vasilyevich even more. He himself characterizes himself as a rich young man, fond of balls and enjoying life. And then one day, on the last day of Shrovetide, he had a chance to get to the ball to the governor's marshal.
At the ball…
That day everything was wonderful: the narrator danced only with Varenka. “I was not only cheerful and contented, I was happy, blissful, I was kind, I was not me, but some kind of unearthly creature that knows no evil and is capable of only good ...” - this is how Ivan Vasilyevich describes his condition. Love for the colonel's daughter grew more and more in his soul. After dinner, the hostess persuaded Pyotr Vladislavovich to go through one round of the mazurka with her daughter, and everyone was delighted with this couple.
The hero was happy, and was afraid of only one thing: so that something would not overshadow the bright joy that reigned in his soul. Unfortunately, his fears soon came true. 
“My whole life changed from one night…”
Arriving home after the ball, Ivan Vasilievich was so excited that he could not fall asleep. He did not know then that in a few minutes he would make a decision that would turn out to be fateful. And it seems to be nothing special - driven by insomnia, the young man in love decided to walk around the city in the early morning. If he knew what this innocent walk would result in. The soul of the young man was filled with beautiful music, to which he danced at the ball, but suddenly completely different sounds were heard: hard, bad.
Approaching, he saw a terrible picture: “a man, bare to the waist, tied to the guns of two soldiers who were leading him,” was walking towards him.
It was a captured deserter who was led through the line, and each soldier was obliged to hit the fugitive. Sometimes human cruelty knows no bounds, and the author tried to convey this in bright colors.
Disappointment in Varenka's father
The terrible spectacle was forever imprinted in the mind of Ivan Vasilyevich, who a few hours ago considered the colonel a rather nice person. Now he was cruel, merciless, terrible. “Will you smear, will you?!” - Pyotr Vladislavovich shouted at the soldier who did not hit the deserter hard enough ... Nobody listened to the quiet request of the poor sufferer, who whispered inaudibly: "Brothers, have mercy." And Ivan's pleasant feelings towards Varenka's father disappeared in an instant, leaving room for bitter surprise, disappointment, even shock. No wonder the young man got drunk that morning with a friend.
"Love has faded..."
From that time on, Ivan Vasilievich could no longer relate to Varya, as before. Meeting her, each time he remembered the colonel in the square. And love gradually melted away.
“So this is why a person’s fate can change,” the narrator concluded. Alas, to the greatest regret, it happens.
The author's intention when creating the story "After the Ball"
Inhuman treatment of people, unfortunately, was the norm in those days. And this was clearly understood by Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy, who, although he was a count, sympathized with the suffering people with all his heart.
Throughout the story, the author gives the reader a reason to reflect on the question: so what makes a person cruel or, conversely, kind? Where does he live? Or is it still something else? But can there be an unambiguous answer to such a complex question? And what is the opinion of the author himself?
Position of Leo Tolstoy: on the side of moral principles
Throughout his life, Leo Tolstoy was tormented by the fact that a person lives as an atheist, and this cannot but affect his behavior and views. The oppression of the poor by the rich, the obvious vices of the nobility and those who managed to occupy some position in society - all led the writer into confusion. Having an amazing gift for putting thoughts into words, Lev Nikolaevich became the author of novels, stories, stories that reflect the essence of his experiences. He was convinced that in man, despite all the evil, some “higher rationality” is stored, laid down by the Creator. But is it? Trying to fulfill the Christian commandments, Leo Tolstoy did not realize the main thing: the whole world lies in evil, and vice cannot be overcome by one's own efforts. This simply requires the power of God.
Reviews about the story "After the Ball"
After reading the story "After the Ball" I was a little shocked by the events that took place there. Poor soldier who was subjected to such a cruel execution! What happened to him next? Had he been beaten to death like that? Why does the human heart not know how to sympathize, condescend, regret? Some of these questions I find answered in the Bible: "The heart of man is evil at all times." Unfortunately, Lev Nikolaevich did not reconcile himself to such a conclusion of the Holy Scriptures, but looked for his own ways of solving the problem, in particular, through self-improvement. Alas, it was the wrong position.
“You can talk a lot about the theme of cruelty, evil, oppression of the weak, which was raised in the story of Leo Tolstoy “After the Ball”. However, one thing is clear: not a single author could offer a clear solution to the problem, because a person who does not place his hope in the Creator, who does not accept His laws, cannot change only by fulfilling the moral code or the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus Christ. Here is what the very famous evangelical preacher Ivan Stepanovich Prokhanov wrote about this, who came to Yasnaya Polyana with his believing friends to personally meet with Lev Nikolaevich and talk with him: “Of course, we could not convince Tolstoy to change his mind. Nor could he change our convictions and our faith.
After talking with Tolstoy, I became even more convinced that the salvation of the world lies in the simple gospel. Not in part of the Gospel, not even in most of the Gospel, but in a clearer interpretation of the whole Gospel…” Only in this is the real truth!
Leo Tolstoy is a writer of world significance. For example, the works of the writer have repeatedly become the occasion for cinematic adaptations. Tolstoy's literary heritage was inspired by the Italian directors Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, who in 1990 made the film And the Light Shines in the Darkness, and in 2001 - Resurrection. Both films are an attempt to comprehend the images and plots of Tolstoy's works through the form of cinema.
"After the Ball" is a story that the writer wrote in 1903. However, the work reached readers only in 1911. Tolstoy was inspired by real events, so the basis of the story was a case from the life of his brother Lev Nikolayevich. The author's brother fell in love with the daughter of one of the military commanders. The passion for the girl was strong, and the man intended to offer his hand and heart to the chosen one. However, he did not do this, because one day he saw how cruelly the girl's father behaved towards the soldier. Therefore, it would be fair to say that Tolstoy writes a story at the intersection of two planes - philosophy (namely ethics) and literature, which here demonstrates the ability to reflect the moral principles of the author. "After the Ball" makes you think about the universal issues of life.
From the history of writing a story
This work is special not only because the story was published posthumously - in 1911 (the writer died in 1910). Also, the specificity of the text is in literal realism. Tolstoy wrote "After the Ball", so to speak, in hot pursuit. The plot is based on a situation from the life of Sergei Tolstoy (1826–1904), the author's brother. By the way, Sergei was characterized as a witty, talented person who easily succeeded.
Dear readers! We offer you to get acquainted with the image of Platon Karataev in Leo Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace", which in the context of the epic embodies the totality of features associated with a Russian peasant, a simple peasant who has his own philosophy.
It is noteworthy that the situation referred to in the story occurred in the early years of Sergei. Then he shared his story with his brother. Varya - a charming, sweet girl - attracted the attention of Sergei.
Varya's father served as a military mayor. Tolstoy was seriously carried away by the girl, and was even going to make Varya his bride. But the plans of the young man did not come true.
The fact is that one day Sergei saw how brutally, with extraordinary cruelty Father Varya treats a runaway soldier, a delinquent person, much lower in rank.
The mayor angrily dealt with the soldier. This act made Sergei change his mind about joining family ties with the girl's father. The message of the story is that humanity is a universal dimension of human life, regardless of status and position.
Leo Tolstoy was struck by the story of Sergei, but the writer managed to put what he heard into a literary form many years later, in fact - a year before his brother's death. In addition, the title of the story was in question. Tolstoy chose between several options, thinking of calling the work "Father and Daughter", "The Story of the Ball and Through the Line", or "And you say ...". As a result, the writer settled on the option "After the Ball".
The title of the story contains deep meaning. Life is ambiguous and contradictory. On the one hand, people live in palaces, dance in luxurious halls, dress in magnificent and rich outfits. Here hypocrisy rules the show, manners turn into vulgarity, and people lose their humanity. On the other hand, there is the other side of life - outward grandeur and luxury hide unjustifiably cruel deeds and brutal treatment of inferior people, the petrification of the human heart and the lack of compassion and sympathy. The writer wants to show that not all people are able to accept the fact of such ambivalence of life.
Problems of Leo Tolstoy's story
"After the Ball" is filled with philosophical meaning. Tolstoy brought to the fore ethical problems, the situation prevailing in the moral plane. In the work, the writer asks questions about honor, morality, dignity, decency and justice. Moreover, this issue is typical not only for the society of imperial Russia, but also for the whole world.
The morally ambiguous image of the colonel
In the center is a moral conflict, which is revealed through an appeal to the ambivalence of the colonel's figure. The appearance of the hero, of course, is beautiful. The colonel is depicted as a stately, attractive man, mature, however, at the same time, surprisingly youthful.
The colonel has a pleasant appearance and the strict bearing of a military servant. Aristocratic features and impeccable manners are complemented by a voice that you want to listen to and a beautifully delivered speech. Tolstoy presents the colonel during the ball: the hero's manner of bewitching himself is mesmerizing, it seems that this person is able to win the favor of any guest.
After the ball, after the night comes the morning. In the morning, the colonel shows a completely different side of his personality. During the performance of official duties, the hero shows cruelty and menacing character. Punishing a runaway soldier, the colonel knows no mercy. The transformation, the duality of the colonel's nature struck the young man who was about to be engaged to the daughter of this formidable man. The young man watches the execution of the fugitive: this leads to irrevocable changes in the worldview of the young hero. In the eyes of the young man, the evil that lives inside the colonel will come into contact with him if he marries Vara. Although the girl is sweet, and does not show signs of an equally cruel character, all the same, personal happiness and evil turn out to be disproportionate for a young man. These things cannot exist side by side.
The situation described by Tolstoy hides a philosophical meaning: society demonstrates external complacency, which, however, is accompanied by an unpleasant “lining” of falsehood, hypocrisy, loss of human qualities, inability to sympathize and sympathize. The author does not take a naive position: Lev Nikolaevich concludes that these unspoken rules that prevail in society, this situation cannot be changed. But even if transformations are impossible, then the duty of a person (as a conscious person) is to make a moral choice between good and evil.
Compositional and stylistic features of the story
The specificity of the composition “After the Ball” is the presence of antithesis, that is, the opposition of the ball and the subsequent morning execution of a soldier. The genre affiliation of Tolstoy's work was determined by us above - this is a story. The direction in which the text is written is characterized as realism. In fact, there are not so many works in literature whose narrative unfolds over the course of just one day. Among the first texts that come to mind are Ulysses by James Joyce and An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde.
"After the Ball" also describes the events that take place on the eve of the execution of the soldier - during the dance evening, and what happened in the morning. Literary critics say that Tolstoy seemed to put "a story within a story", included a story that the reader learns as if from the lips of a young man, and general description bala. Therefore, the composition of the story includes, respectively, the exposition (presented in the form of a dialogue-leader to the main events of the work), the plot (ball), the climax (the execution of the fugitive), and the denouement (in the form of a philosophical, ethical conclusion made by a young man). “A story within a story” allowed Tolstoy to describe two historical periods at once: the youth of the character, the prototype of which was Sergei (1840s), and the end of the 19th century.
Dear lovers of the classics! We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the description of the second - final - part of the epilogue in the novel by L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace" chapter by chapter.
Antithesis, the central artistic device of Tolstoy, is presented here in two variations. The reader sees the first instance of such a contrast when confronted with a description of the circumstances - the ball in the evening and the execution in the morning. The second is in the personality of the colonel himself, who shows totally different features at the ball and during the performance of official duties.
The specificity of the work of the Russian classic Leo Tolstoy is the constant search for morality. He questioned the purpose of man. In Tolstoy's stories, the theme of relationships between people runs like a red thread. The philosophical orientation of his works touches on these issues and reveals their essence. This is most acutely felt in the works created after the spiritual crisis. The story "After the Ball" deserves special attention. The plan for the future story was created as a draft diary entry. The final version was approved by the writer at the end of August 1903.
Brief description of the heroes of "After the Ball"
main characters
Ivan Vasilievich |
In the story “After the Ball”, the hero Ivan Vasilyevich has the ability to empathize, knows how to imagine himself in the place of another person. The misfortunes of a person for him were not an ordinary picture of the day. Ivan Vasilievich's conscience is not silent. From what he sees, the hero loses everything that is bright and quivering that is alive in him at this time. Neglects what is important to you. He accepts the tragedy and physical pain of a stranger to him as his own. A message and a look at the things of the author himself are embedded in his mouth and thoughts. |
Colonel Pyotr Vladislavovich |
The image of a caring parent and a wonderful family man. He positions himself as a true Christian who pleases God in every possible way, but also serves the state and the sovereign. He is most accurately characterized by an absolute indifference to the moral postulate of Christianity, according to which one must treat others as they would like to be treated. An example of the spiritual blindness of a warrior is his immense love for his daughter and bestial hatred for ordinary soldiers. |
Varenka |
The image of the girl in the story plays a rather secondary role. Varenka is a young girl with whom Ivan Vasilyevich is in love. She is the only child in the family. Varenka has a good education, enjoys reading, and is fluent in French. At the ball, the love of the girl and the main character is born. But after the ball, he lost his love for this person. Varenka marries another, and retains her attractiveness until her old age. |
Minor characters
The portraits of the characters together reflect the view of the author himself. Illustrate his irreconcilable position regarding human bitterness. The colonel supervises the execution and vigilantly monitors the execution of the punishment. His whole appearance demonstrates cruelty towards subordinates. He takes out his anger not only on the offender, but also on the soldiers who stand in line and carry out the punishment.
The author describes the events on behalf of the main character, who tells two cases from his own life that happened to him during his student days. The main idea here is that the decisive moment in the fate of any person is not the environment, but the circumstances.
Character characteristics
- Ivan Vasilievich- an honest, fair and open guy dries and takes care of the officer's daughter - Varenka. From the situation he saw late in the evening, the guy loses faith in love for the girl and remembers what is happening for the rest of his life.
- Varenka- the subject of sighing of Ivan Vasilyevich, the daughter of Peter Vladislavovich. Naive, but charming and smart.
- Petr Vladislavovich- Colonel, Varenka's father. The reader will remember him as a cruel, righteous officer who gives criminal orders and beats his subordinates.
- Tatar is a runaway soldier.They decided to lynch him right on the street, in front of ordinary citizens and the main character.
Summary of Leo Tolstoy's story "After the Ball"
The action takes place after the ball and directly at the ball itself. At the very beginning, the author shows us friends standing around who are actively talking about personal improvement and growth. The protagonist story - a respected man, whose name is Ivan Vasilyevich.He tells the guys a story that fundamentally changed his life. The hero talks about the old days when he was still at the university and the main events in his life were balls. He was in love with a young and very beautiful girl, her name was Varenka.
Important! The main character really liked the way her father danced, and described the performance as “amazing and enthusiastic.” He was also struck by his father's shoes: "In order to take out and dress his beloved daughter, he does not buy fashionable boots, but wears homemade ones."Ivan Vasilyevich slept badly and decided to take a walk. On the way, he saw a crowd of people gathered, in which a Tatar was seen. The soldiers beat him with sticks, mercilessly punishing him for desertion. The Tatar asked for mercy, but the soldiers did not stop. This process was led by Varenka's father, Colonel Pyotr Vladislavovich. He even hit one soldier because he wanted to pardon the sufferer. The punishment did not last long. Leaving, Ivan heard not even screams, but passionate sobs from the convict. One could hear how much pain the officer had inflicted on him, turning his back into something inanimate and terrible. Ivan Vasilievich walked home and could not believe his eyes. Just now he admired this man, but after what he saw, he simply hated him. When he got home, he could not sleep for a long time. Jumping up, the guy ran to a friend and got drunk there. The hero fell asleep in the late afternoon, when he crawled drunk to his mansion.
- What about love? - the guys ask.
- And the love from that moment disappeared flatly. As soon as I saw Varenka's widest, most beautiful smile, I immediately remembered her father's furious face and those unfortunate events that beat off all desire to love.