Bunin's story "Sir from San Francisco": the problem of morality and morality

Money rules the world. Those who have them own everything. They can buy love, loyalty, loyalty and friendship. They have the right to enjoy the beauties of Italian nature, monuments of antiquity, to listen to the serenades of stray singers. They can do anything. So long believed in this is a certain gentleman from San Francisco, whose problem began in his youth, when the love of money so much took possession of his whole being, that his life was interrupted before he could begin. He never found out what naive error existed for fifty-eight years.

The impersonal lord

He has neither name nor appearance. The author does not endow him with any characteristic features in his behavior and does not put words into his mouth. The story "Sir from San Francisco" is a symbolic parable of the transience of life. The symbol is even the main character. This gentleman is nothing but the personification of greed and greed.

About him little is said. But it is known that he is rich. For many years he worked, earned and saved, to one day start living. All that is needed for entertainment, recreation and long travel, the gentleman from San Francisco owns. The only problem is that while he was striving for the heights of prosperity, he forgot how to rest and have fun.

The hero of the novel Bunin goes on a long voyage. He plans to visit Italian cities, all kinds of entertainment and services of corrupt women. He does not realize for what it's all he needs, but he knows exactly how to do it. A rich American will drink expensive wine, dance, eat delicacies, and then enjoy the beauty of the Capriana landscape. So do all the rich Americans. And the Germans, the French, the Italians. In short, everyone who has money.

"Atlantis"

On the famous comfortable steamer, a gentleman from San Francisco travels on a fabulous journey. The problem of Atlantis, and in honor of it the named steamer is named, is that it sank. This mythical state was absorbed by the sea in a matter of hours. And, going down into the ship's hold, the Bunin character seems to descend into the underworld. The name of the ship was chosen by the author not by chance. It symbolizes a near and sudden death.

Hired actors

Around hypocrisy and hypocrisy. A wealthy gentleman has lived in a world of lies for so long that he forgot what the truth looks like. He sincerely believes in the kindness favored by him from all those faceless characters who feed him, wear his many suitcases and try in every possible way to please him. The sight of a happy couple in love on the deck of the ship can not help admiring the gentleman from San Francisco. The problem with these people is that they are just hired actors who are trying their best to work out their money and create the proper mood. Hardly any of the passengers knows how long they have been floating on this ship, and how tired they are of playing this role. In the story "Sir from San Francisco," these characters are included as a symbol of feigned insincere joy, pretense, and props.

Capri Island

Emotions of the main character and his thoughts, Ivan Bunin puts on in such a dry and concise form that the reader's doubts arise as to whether this American gentleman is alive. His plans for the upcoming holiday are somehow detached and more like a clear scheme of action. Such a literary device writer conveys the poor spiritual world of the protagonist, for whom life has become something unknown, and simple human joys are unavailable. A completely different style describes the landscape. It is colorful and bright. The author does not regret comparisons and metaphors. After all, the landscape in Bunin's story is life in all its colors and diversity.

The system of artistic and philosophical symbols is a novel "Sir from San Francisco." Its content is the opposition of greed, love of money and the beauty of the world around, all that a person can see if he so wishes. But none of the characters are associated with the beautiful sides of human existence. This is evidenced by the events that follow after the death of the protagonist.

Death

She overtakes the hero suddenly. And everything that surrounded him during his lifetime - respect, honor, ingratiation - disappears. In return, there is irritation, annoyance and even rudeness.

Bunin's story "Sir from San Francisco" is a work of philosophical and symbolic prose. The idea that lies at its core was, is and always will be relevant.