I.A. Bunin, "Sukhodol": a summary of chapters, analysis and characteristics

The story "Sukhodol" by Bunin, shortwhich is given in this article, refers to the genre of so-called "village prose." The work was written in 1912. It is worth noting that the prose writer has repeatedly addressed this topic. Problems of the village are also devoted to his stories "Antonov's apples", "Village."

Summary of the story

The summary of Bunin's "Sukhodol" allowsto get acquainted with the plot of this work. In the center of the narrative is the dairy sister of the father of the narrator named Natalya. She has been living in the estate Lunevo for many years already. Though she was born a serf, everyone treats her like her own.

The narrator was always struck by her affection for her small homeland, the estate of Sukhodol, where she grew up an ordinary household. Having brought up children, she returns there.

The narrator and his sister all grew up on stories about Sukhodol. For them it was a mysterious and legendary place.

The fate of Natalia

Natalia was an early orphan. The father went into the soldiers, and the mother died of fear, as the author writes. So she was afraid of the anger of her owners, when all the turkeys were beaten by hail. It turned out that her parents were killed by their grandfather and grandmother's storyteller.

Over time, he learns a lot about the gloomy house in Sukhodol. The Khrushchev nobles, who owned the estate, always sat down to lunch with whips in their hands in case of a quarrel.

But all who lived in Sukhodol, for anything they did not wantfrom there to leave. Although they lived often in terrible poverty. Everyone was drawn to Sukhodol, but since the childhood of the narrator, a big quarrel occurred between the landlords, because of which any relations were terminated.

Heroes come to Suhodol

The summary of the "Sukhodol" Bunin describes,as the younger of Khrushchev still came to this mysterious estate for them. They were met by Aunt Tonya, later the narrator met the widow of his uncle Peter Petrovich.

The narrator and his sister, having barely arrived, feltthe charm with which the manor was permeated. The young Khrushchevs wandered around the garden, recognizing the places Natalia told them about when they brought them up. Returning late at night, they often found her before the image of Mercury.

History of Sukhodol

In the brief content of the book "Sukhodol" by IvanBunin gives the history of this estate. There is a tradition according to which the great-grandfather's great-grandfather moved there from Kursk. At that time the estate was surrounded by a dense forest. Gradually the area around was cut down.

Great-grandfather Pyotr Kirillovich went mad and died at the age of 45. His grandson claimed that the cause of the insanity was a whole lumber of apples that fell upon him while he was sleeping under a tree in the courtyard. The servants believed that he was moved by the mind because of depression after the death of his beloved wife.

The father of the narrator recalled that at that time,was friendly with the courtyard Gevrasska. It was believed that he was the illegitimate son of Pyotr Kirillovich. Behind the house tried to look at the old nurse, but gradually he lost his residential appearance. IA Bunin's summary of Sukhodol describes how the district was emptied.

The second life of the estate

Peter Petrovich breathed new life in the estate when he retired. He brought his friend Vojtkovich. Life went on a lordly mood.

Vojtkovich liked Tone, and Natalia fell in love withPetr Petrovich. Once she found among his things a mirror of silver. She was fascinated by the beauty of this thing. She secretly stole it and hid it in an abandoned bathhouse. Several times a day she ran into the bathhouse to admire her forbidden treasure. She dreamed that the master would pay her attention and fall in love.

But it all ended shamefully. Petr Petrovich revealed her crime. He considered him a banal theft, ordered her to cut her hair and send her to a remote village.

The estate in the hands of Peter Petrovich

In the summary of Bunin's "Sukhodol," emphasis is placed on the fact that Petr Petrovich gradually tidied the estate to his hands. His brother Arkady was inferior to him, often not at home.

Relations with Gevrasska were not easy,who at any opportunity humiliated grandfather. The old man complained to the servant, but he always forgave him. One night, old Khrushchev went into the drawing-room and began to move heavy furniture. He often did so at night. Gevrasska shouted at him, he, fearful, struggled to protest, but in response received a strong blow to the chest. The old man hit the temple with a temple on the table and died.

Gevraska took off the corpse ring (golden image) and disappeared.

Meanwhile, Natalya returned to Sukhodol. Peter Petrovich by that time got married and went to the Crimean War, where he was wounded.

Appearance of Yushka

In the summary of Bunin's "Sukhodol" in chaptersattention is paid to the fact that the estate began to appear fools, which Tonya generously fed. Once declared Yushka. He was a lazy peasant, he became a monk in the Kiev Lavra, but from there he was driven away.

He pretended to be a stranger, but it turned out to be unprofitable. Then he began to vilify the laurel. He drank and smoked a lot, was extremely lustful. He liked the young lady and became his man in Sukhodol.

Soon Yushka put an eye on Natalia, but she was disgusted. One night he began to pester her. Everyone in the district knew that he spent nights in the bedroom ladies.

Many nights Natalia gave herself to Yushka, losing consciousness from disgust and horror to herself. When he got bored, he just disappeared from the estate. A few weeks later Natalia realized that she was pregnant.

In autumn the gentlemen returned from the war. And prophetic dream came true Natalia - the house in Sukhodol caught fire from lightning. That night, out of fear, she lost her child. After that she grew old and faded. She was taken to the relics, but this did not help.

In the summary of Ivan Bunin's "Sukhodol"it is mentioned that because of the Crimean War the farm was exhausted. The brothers planted the estate, buying from the gypsies of plots. She expected to fatten them for the winter and sell them. But all the horses died. Petr Petrovich died shortly thereafter. He rode in winter from a neighboring farmstead from his mistress, a drunk fell from the sledge, a horse running behind him crushed his head in his hoof.

Since then, whenever young masterscame to Sukhodol, Natalia told them about her lost life. And the house was dilapidated. Petr Petrovich's son sold land for plowing, traveled from Sukhodol and became a conductor on the railway.

Khrushchev new generation forgot about the historytheir ancient family, they could no longer find the graves of their immediate ancestors. All the stories that the narrator and his sister heard from Natalia seemed to them remote and almost impossible.

Analysis of the work

Reviews of "Sukhodole Bunin" (summaryaccording to the chapters given in this article) were positive from both critics and readers. In this work, Bunin is not the first time taking up images of the picture of degeneration and impoverishment of the noble family.

In this case it is a family estateThe Khrushchevs. Describing this novel, many researchers compare it to the great American novel Gone With the Wind, in which the heroes could not really adapt to the changed conditions of their life. At the same time, they were wholly owned by the past, and their future was seen as very fuzzy.

With genuine bitterness Bunin writes about the pathetic andunsuccessful attempts by the Khrushchev brothers to restore the former welfare of the family. But none of them has neither the necessary knowledge, nor the business acumen. The savvy and practical mind that their ancestors had, they do not. Their scam with horses fails.

All their attempts to escape look miserable and doomed. It seems that their future is already predetermined.