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- Analysis of Shmelev's novel Summer of the Lord
Shmelev's story “The Summer of the Lord” was written in 1948. The main theme of this work is the memory of people about what happened to them several years ago and what awaits them in the future. After all, without the past it is impossible to build the future, which is why the future of every person is formed from the past. Every day people do this or that work, and gradually it becomes their usual thing, which they do every day.
And when there is time to rest, bright moments in your memory appear and emerge that happened to you a long time ago. There are bright and happy memories that bring only positive emotions. And there are also memories that you don’t really want to remember, but they pop up in your head and you can’t forget about them. Gradually, life passes and nothing can be returned, but you can remember those moments and be glad that it happened to you and that your closest and dearest people were nearby at those moments.
If you carefully read the work, you can understand that Shmelev wrote it for two people who met in his life. First he met the philosopher Ilyin, and then his wife Natalya. And until his death, he corresponded with them and talked about his life. If you count how many letters the author wrote to them, it came out to about four hundred.
Many people look for a certain meaning in this, but there is absolutely no meaning here and cannot be. There are forty-two chapters presented here in total. And each of these chapters is a separate work and with its own twisted plot. The main character of this work is a little boy named Vanya. He has a father whom he constantly imitates and he really wants to become the same person. Father always wants to help other people in everything, and if they have trouble, he will never pass by. And he brings this up in his son.
This is not just a work. Here every person observes all holidays, including church holidays. At this time, people were simply happy because they were having fun, and together with other people they could worry and even cry.
As soon as you turn the first page, you immediately find yourself in a completely different world, where there is no evil and deceit. It tells all the thoughts that the author had and the entire environment in which he lived at that time.
The book is designed for every reader and therefore anyone can find at least a few minutes to immerse themselves in this world and only then will not be able to tear themselves away. It can be read not only by teenagers, but also by adults. And the book will open differently for everyone.
Characters
In the book “The Summer of the Lord” by Shmelev, the central character is Vanya. It is from his perspective that the story is told. He is not even seven years old, he is a cheerful, kind and active boy. You can also find other main characters in the novel.
Sergei Ivanovich - Vanya’s father, a contractor, runs the farm the old fashioned way. He did many good things:
- organized dinners for the poor;
- took care of the temple;
- helped open the monument to Pushkin.
Everyone loved him. Sergei Ivanovich is an example of a good entrepreneur. There is another hero in the novel - Mikhail Pankratovich Gorkin. He worked as a carpenter and was Vanya's spiritual mentor. It is Mikhail who represents an ordinary believer who knows folk rituals and traditions well. He managed to educate Vanya without judgment and rudeness and explain to him the spiritual meaning of faith.
Shmelev, through Gorkin, showed his understanding of Orthodoxy. He believed that in this religion the main thing is holidays, while asceticism causes rejection.
A summary of Shmelev’s “Summer of the Lord” allows you to get acquainted with the main events of the plot. In the reader's diary you can add characteristics of the main characters and personal impressions of what you read.
Title, epigraph and dedication
The phrase “summer of the Lord” was taken by Shmelev from verse 2 of chapter 61 of the book of the prophet Isaiah: “...to preach the acceptable summer of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn.” According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus Christ read this passage before the worshipers when he came to the Nazareth synagogue.
The work is preceded by an epigraph - a quatrain from a poem by Pushkin, which was presumably written in the first half of October 1830 and was not published during the poet’s lifetime:
Two feelings are wonderfully close to us - In them the heart finds food - Love for the native ashes, Love for the tombs of our fathers.
By “native ashes” here we must understand the Fatherland, by “father’s coffins” - the graves of our ancestors. Already in the epigraph, Shmelev states the key theme of the novel “The Summer of the Lord” - the theme of historical memory.
The book is dedicated to two people - the philosopher Ivan Aleksandrovich Ilyin and his wife Natalya Nikolaevna. Shmelev became friends with Ilyin while in exile. Their correspondence began in 1927. It continued until the death of Ivan Sergeevich. As a result, Shmelev wrote about 400 letters, Ilyin - a little less than 250.
Beginning of the work
The novel begins with a description of the beginning of Lent . On Clean Monday, everyone in the house is washed and tidied up. Vanya recalls how the day before Gorkin told him about preparations for Lent. An old carpenter helps a student understand the meaning of religious holidays.
On Efimon, Vanya went to church for the first time for service. He was a little scared, but Mikhail supported him. Later, the boy falls asleep at home, listening to March's drops. The feeling of approaching spring inspired him. In the morning, Vanya and Mikhail Pankratovich went to the Lenten market. They passed by the Kremlin, and Gorkin told everything he knew about this place.
The second part of the novel tells about the Annunciation. The day before, Vanya remembers the holiday and hears a lark singing in her father’s office. Before this, the bird was silent for almost a year. On the day of the Annunciation, the merchant brings cages with birds and invites everyone to release them. The boy happily takes part in the fun. This fills him with joy.
The next holiday is Easter . Vanya perceives Holy Week with special trepidation. Together with Gorkin they go to the temple, and from there they head to the religious procession. During the break, everyone sits at one table - owners and workers.
Vanya saw the preparations for the meeting of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God. The yard was cleaned, the house was cleaned. When they brought the icon, everyone prayed to it, and then it was solemnly carried through all the buildings. Then Vanya gets acquainted with the summer holidays Trinity and Apple Savior. Gorkin patiently explains different traditions to the pupil.
Then the boy gets acquainted with Christmas, after which comes Christmastide. Vanya sees how the poor came to dinner, warmed themselves by the stove and ate. Then he was supposed to go to the theater, but because of a sore throat he was left at home. Gorkin showed him how to tell fortunes using the circle of Solomon.
After this, the boy describes Epiphany and watches people dive into the ice hole.
Shmelev's artistic style
From the first phrases, Ivan Shmelev’s language attracted my attention: it is a simple, pure folk style, I have never seen this in other books. This is what either the Russian mass of people spoke, or the intelligentsia who emerged from the people, sometimes with small or large irregularities and “distortions” that are completely untranslatable into another language, but which in Russian are so smoothly rounded, so juicy, so “desirable” in popular pronunciation . The writer plays with letters like a puzzle, putting them together into completely impossible shapes that amazingly emit light and reveal the secrets of the Russian soul.
Brief history of creation
In 1922, Ivan Sergeevich Shmelev left Russia forever. He first arrived in Berlin, then settled in Paris, where he lived until his death in 1950. While in exile, the writer created an autobiographical trilogy. It included “Politics,” “Summer of the Lord,” and the collection “Native.” In this trilogy, the novel “The Summer of the Lord,” which is often called an encyclopedia of Orthodox life, occupies a central place. Shmelev worked on it for about fifteen years.
The work is based on the writer’s oral story about Russian Christmas to his seven-year-old godson. This story was told in December 1927. The entire novel was published in 1948. It was published by the famous Parisian publishing house YMCA-Press, which specialized in Russian literature. The first complete edition of the novel “The Summer of the Lord” in Russia dates back to 1988.
Who is the book intended for? Is it worth reading?
If you asked me who should recommend this book to, I would say without hesitation that everyone. Now I will argue. The book is designed for any age; it will be interesting to read both for adults, for whom it will be a delight to their hearts, and for children, to whom it will teach life lessons in an unobtrusive manner and teach them what modern cartoons cannot teach. The book will also be of interest to people of different faiths; there is no imposition of Christianity in it, no persecution of other faiths, and, as many fear, it does not contain complex vocabulary and monotonous lectures. But, it seems to me, you need to grow up to this book, you need to come to it, because it does not belong to the category of books for entertainment, books, after reading which you can boast to your friends about your knowledge in the field of literature. This novel is for the soul; it can heal wounds, change your view of the world, and make you rejoice at the most ordinary things. I have read a lot of books, quite a lot to say that this novel sheds light on the soul of the one who reads it; I have not yet met another creation that acts in a similar way!
Sources:
https://sochinimka.ru/sochinenie/po-literature/drugie/analiz-proizvedeniya-leto-gospodne-shmeleva https://goldlit.ru/shmelyov/1328-leto-gospodne-analiz https://literaguru.ru/ leto-gospodne-shmelyova-analiz/
Joy
Father sends Vanya and Mikhail Pankratovich to the icebreaker. It is necessary to restore order there, since Vasilich went on a drinking binge. However, the fake workers did an excellent job without their leader, although they also celebrated Deniskin’s birthday.
Peter's fast has arrived. It is the lightest of all four, and also summer. The surrounding area is full of greenery, fruits and berries. Gorkin tells Vanya that the first apostles, whose names were Peter and Paul, suffered martyrdom. Therefore, out of great respect for them, the people fast.
Then Mikhail Pankratovich, Vanya, the maid Masha and the seamstress Glasha go to the river to rinse the clothes. Denis, who lives at the portomoy, fell in love with Masha. He asks Gorkin to help in his relationship with the girl.
A religious procession is planned for the Feast of the Don Icon, for which they are carefully and solemnly preparing. Gorkin and Vasil-Vasilich have to carry banners, so they cleanse their bodies in the bathhouse.
During the procession, Mikhail Pankratovich carries a golden banner, which symbolizes the Holy Resurrection of Christ. Vasil-Vasilich comes with a banner that looks like a star. She is a symbol of the Nativity of Christ.
While waiting for the Intercession, Vasilich notes that this is a very important day. The earth will be covered with snow. Pickling cucumbers, cabbage, and apples is in full swing in the house. After all, winter is just around the corner. On this day, Vanya’s sister Ksyusha is born, and Masha and Denis get married.
Another important event is Sergei Ivanovich’s name day. The owner accepts many congratulations, pies are brought to him from all over Moscow, and the workers make a huge pretzel in honor of the birthday boy, on which is written: “To the good owner.” Even the bishop himself arrives at the house to congratulate Sergei Ivanovich.
After the Intercession, hired workers go home, since there is practically no work left in the house.
Mikhail Pankratovich celebrates his name day on Michaelmas Day. Vanya is very upset that he did not have time to prepare a gift for his beloved mentor. The boy is helped out by his father, who puts money from himself and his son into a morocco wallet. In addition, Sergei Ivanovich generously gifts Gorkin with expensive things for his kindness and devotion.
A lot of snow fell on Filippovka and frost hit. The rivers were frozen, and the roads hardened and became comfortable for driving.
Christmas is approaching. A characteristic feature of this holiday is that livestock from all over Russia is brought to Horse Square. Vanya and Gorkin make purchases for the holiday, and in the house they clean sofas, armchairs, carpets with snow, and put up lamps.
On Christmas Eve, the house is perfectly clean, but there is no time to have a hearty dinner yet. You can only indulge in seagulls with poppy horseshoes. After the service in the church, we decided to go to Gorkin and broke our fast there.
In the Zoological Garden, Vanya’s father decided to build an “ice house”, for which he began to bring Christmas trees, lanterns and many other things there. No one really knows how to build an “ice house,” so they build it according to their own understanding. But the house came out great, as if from a beautiful fairy tale. In the evening its walls glow in different colors. Muscovites thank Sergei Ivanovich for this miracle.
During the Week of the Cross, cookies in the shape of a cross are baked in the house. The raspberries in it resemble carnations. This happened in Sergei Ivanovich’s family from his great-grandmother Ustinya. Maryushka is in charge of preparing the cookies, and she does the work with a prayer on her lips.
Many bad omens occur during this time. Sergei Ivanovich and Gorkin are having bad dreams, and a snake flower has begun to bloom, which is capable of this only once every twenty to thirty years. Mother considers this a very bad omen. Soon, my father's aunt Pelageya Ivanovna dies.
During Lent, Vanya fasts for the first time; instead of sweets, he eats only dry bread. Mikhail Pankratovich takes the boy to the bathhouse, and then to the church for repentance. Vanya, with tears in his eyes, tells Father Victor about his childhood sins. After repentance and the priest’s instruction, the child’s soul becomes very light.
On Palm Sunday, everyone in the house waits for the old coal miner to finally bring the willow. Gorkin is especially sad about this, because he cannot imagine how one can celebrate a holiday without a willow tree in the house.
One worker is sent to search for the coal miner. It turns out that the shaft of the sleigh broke, and the old man ended up in a ravine. The coal miner is freed, and the beautiful willow is safely delivered to the house.
Mikhail Pankratovich says that on this day God raised Lazarus. This means that everyone will have eternal life, we must rejoice.
On Easter people rejoice and the bells ring. The janitor Grishka, who missed work, is doused with cold water. However, he is not offended, he only grins in response. Easter is late this year, so the first swallows have already arrived from warm countries.
The bad omens begin again. Bushui howls all night, and Repolov suddenly begins to sing.
Mikhail Pankratovich explains to Vanya why the week when the dead are remembered is called Radunitsa. It’s just that at this time all people go to the graves of their relatives and friends. They say to the departed: “Rejoice, we will all rise again soon.”
On the way from the cemetery, Mikhail Pankratovich and Vanya stop at a tavern to drink tea. Here they hear the terrible news that Sergei Ivanovich was killed by a horse. However, at home it turns out that Vanya’s father is alive, only in a very serious condition. He lies with a broken head and is delirious.
