Kuprin's work “Elephant” is written in the form of a children's fairy tale, which, nevertheless, conceals the problems of adult life and the wise thoughts of an experienced author, who himself was the father of several daughters.
History of creation
The story was written in 1907, between the two revolutions, when Kuprin published a series of essays, short stories and short stories. Since 1907, the writer's prose has become more prominent in Russian literature, he achieved recognition among colleagues and the attention of the public. "Elephant" entered the collected works in 6 volumes. Volume 4.
It is noteworthy that in those revolutionary days, people were specifically tuned. They took this story as an allegory. The girl is a symbol of the Russian people, tired of anxieties and joyless course of life. The elephant is the embodiment of his dream of decent conditions, high social status, justice and freedom. And, according to the author, for happiness, people do not need much: at least for one day to touch the dream, having found the lost hope and faith in its fulfillment. Of course, such an interpretation is too free an interpretation, but it very well shows how the readers, and, possibly, the author himself, were attuned.
Genre, direction
- The direction is realism;
- The genre is a story.
Kuprin worked at a time when realism flowed from a large prosaic form of a novel or epic into small genres: stories, short stories, novels. He successfully tested all these forms, putting wise thoughts into them, but without stretching the contents into volumes and chapters. The audience fully appreciated this, because by that time she was already tired of volumetric and heavy reading.
The main characters and their characteristics
The main characters of the story are the girl Nadia and the elephant Tommy.
- Nadya - a little sick girl, rapidly losing weight. The character of the heroine is revealed mostly in descriptive moments rather than in dialogs. Absolutely atypical for her age behavior is caused by indifference to life, loss of interest and lack of desire for anything. As the author describes, in appearance this is an ordinary sad girl, losing strength against the background of her illness. By the appearance of the heroine, you can understand how much the child was disappointed in life, as if a heavy burden of life experience lay on her soul. Most likely, this behavior is due to the disease. A girl at her age needs to run, move and play, and a mysterious ailment tied her to bed. But what is this disease? Most likely, the child invented it himself in order to attract the attention of adults and get rid of loneliness. Most likely, Nadia lacked affection and care in the family, and she found a way to get them at the subconscious level. She does not consciously pretend, it comes out automatically for her.
- Elephant tommy - a large friendly animal that could help the main character in recovery. The elephant is very calm, obedient and, like all animals, loves to eat. He immediately finds a common language with Nadia: his small eyes narrow as if laughing, he gently shakes her hand with his strong finger, nods in gratitude.
- Girls father - minor character. This is a kind and responsive man who, judging by the wealth, works a lot. Maybe the girl’s condition is caused precisely by the fact that he is not nearby. Trying to create all conditions for the baby, he most likely forgets about the main thing - that children at her age need a lot of communication, but a bunch of gifts can harm them, making their characters moody.
Themes and Issues
- Throughout the story, the mainrelationship between parents and children. The author shows how useful it is to listen to your children, to be able to say the right words in support. But you can not overdo it with care, otherwise the child will grow up too spoiled. You must be able to find this line between indifference and excessive guardianship, as did the girl’s father. It is noteworthy that in this he was helped not by money, but by the ability to negotiate with people. In this example, he himself learned a lot, because a child needs not so much toys as attention.
- Total problems of the work - parenting. Everyone knows how hard this work is and the process of education itself, which lasts almost throughout the life of parents. Nadia’s behavior may be the result of a family mistake: surrounded by toys and luxurious conditions, the girl remains lonely, because all her dolls are not living. Lack of attention and communication with parents led to the development of apathy to life. The child’s interest in the outside world decreases, he does not understand the relationship of mom and dad to his personality and simply goes into his world, closing himself. As a rule, problems in a person, negative qualities of character are always the cause of improper upbringing and poor example on the part of the family.
- Also rises topic of human relations with nature on a living example of Nadi and Tommy. Their friendship and the girl’s recovery after meeting the elephant is an example of the inextricability of the connection between man and the world. The author reminds us how important the reciprocity is between mother nature and what she created. Each of us should treat the animal with respect, as if to his fellow man. And then it can thank us by removing the nervous tension and giving positive emotions.
Meaning
The main idea of the work is that, regardless of age and gender, a person needs communication, understanding, support, then he will see the meaning in life. This is especially important for children. The story prioritizes the need for spiritual kinship. In live communication, and not in possession of countless dolls, the girl found a motivation for recovery.
This work can be understood in different ways, but the main idea remains unchanged: you do not need to surround yourself with things, fencing off from the world, and to impose this fortress on a child. It is necessary to give him the opportunity to reveal himself in live communication. Only in this way will he discover an interesting world.
What does it teach?
The story "Elephant" teaches that in the family it is necessary to show understanding and sensitivity. It is always necessary to have close people close by who will always help to return to the true path, if you lost it. We must be able to appreciate those who are near us and constantly provide support.
Each person himself must be ready to fulfill any whim, just to see again the smile on the face of loved ones.
