A. S. Pushkin, "The Stationmaster": a brief retelling

In 1830 he finished the series of short stories "The Tale of the late Ivan Petrovich Belkin" by Pushkin. "The stationmaster" (the main idea of which is to make the reader think about the image and timeliness of warm relations with close people by the example of a loving father and "prodigal" daughter) is one of five works of the famous collection. At the very beginning, the author discusses the unfortunate share of the "little" person - the stationmaster. "Existing martyrs of the fourteenth grade" - as Pushkin calls them. To scold and offend them aspire to all travelers who are dissatisfied with the road and the weather.

AS Pushkin, "Stationmaster." Introduction

It happened in 1816. At that time the narrator was passing through a certain well-known province. On the way, the traveler overtook the rain, and he decided to wait for him at the station. There he changed clothes and got drunk hot tea. A girl of about fourteen was on the table. Her name was Dunya. It was the daughter of the superintendent Samson. The hut was clean and cozy. The narrator invited the owner and daughter to share his meal with him. So they met. Soon the horses were served, and the traveler again set out on the road.

AS Pushkin, "Stationmaster." Developments

Several years have passed since that time. It happened to the storyteller again to pass through the same station. When he entered the hut, he was struck by the fact that little was left of the old situation: everywhere there was "oldness and disdain". Dunya's girls were nowhere to be found. The traveler met an aged guardian. He was uncommunicative. Only when the traveler offered him a glass of punch, the owner agreed to tell him his story, how it happened that he remained completely alone.

It happened three years ago. Then the young captain Minsky was passing through the station. He was angry and shouted to feed the horses faster. And when he saw Dunya, he relented and decided to stay for dinner. In the evening it turned out that the guest was ill. He was called to a doctor who prescribed a bed rest for the sick person. Three days later the captain became better, and he got ready to go, offering Dunya to take her to the church. Her father allowed her to go there with a guest. He did not feel anything wrong. The dinner was over, but Dunya did not return. Then the old man Samson ran to the church and found out there that his daughter was not there. And in the evening a coachman returned to the station, who was carrying a young officer. He informed the inspector that his daughter had left with him. Learning about this, the old man has fallen. And as soon as he recovered, he went to Petersburg to return his Dunya.

AS Pushkin, "Stationmaster." Ending

Arriving in the city, the inspector found the house of Minsk and came to him. But the young officer did not listen to the old man. He shoved some of the crumpled bank notes to him and led him out into the street. Poor father really wanted to see his beloved daughter Dunya again, but he did not know how to do it. The case was helped by the watchman.

One day a fluttering droshky flew past him, in which he recognized the kidnapper of his daughter. They stopped near a three-story house. Minsk quickly ran on the steps. The old man went up to the house and asked if Evdokia Samsonovna was living here. He was told that he was here. Then he asked to let him in to her, hinting that he had news for the young lady.

Entering the house, Samson, through the slightly opened door, saw the following picture: Minsky was sitting in an armchair, lost in thought. Beside him was Dunya in a luxurious toilet. She looked at the young hussar with tenderness. The old man had never seen his daughter so beautiful. He involuntarily admired her. And Dunya, raising her head and seeing her father, screamed and fell on the carpet without feeling. An angry officer drove the old man out into the street.

Many years have passed since that time. It happened to the narrator again to pass through these places. He learned that the station was no more, the caretaker drank and died. And in his house there lives a brewer with his wife. After visiting his grave, the narrator found out that a beautiful lady with three small barchats had passed here a few years ago. Hearing that the caretaker had died, she wept bitterly. And then Dunya (it was she) lay for a long time on the grave of her father, wrapping her arms around her. This episode finished his story Pushkin.

"Stationmaster" is one of the brightest works of the great master from the cycle of short stories "The Tale of Belkin". Finale of the story and mournful, but at the same time happy: the hard share and death of the old superintendent, on the one hand, and the happy life and fate of his daughter, on the other. Its moral is this: parents need to be loved and caring while they are alive.

Pushkin's story "Stationmaster" was several times screened, most recently in 1972.