The story of Nikolai Gogol "Taras Bulba": analysis. "Taras Bulba": summary, main characters

In this article one of the most famous stories of Gogol will be considered. We will analyze it. "Taras Bulba" is a work familiar to everyone from school years. Not surprisingly, it still enjoys great popularity - the story touches on many important issues that remain relevant at any time. Rereading the chapters of "Taras Bulba", every time we discover something new. We will talk about the basic ideas of this work. Characteristics of the main characters are also included in our analysis.

"Taras Bulba": the history of the creation of the work

Nikolai Vasilievich, having finished his work on "Evening on a Farm near Dikanka", started the cycle of stories called "Mirgorod", consisting of two parts. "Taras Bulba" and "Old-world landowners" - the works included in the first part of this book. Both parts were first published in early 1835.

Genre features

In its genre, "Taras Bulba" is a historical story. It is noteworthy for its multifacetedness, in that it contains many actors. Despite the large number of heroes, the fate of Taras Bulba, the Cossack colonel, and also his two sons still lie in the center of the narrative. The characteristics of each of them are included in our analysis.

"Taras Bulba" - a story that is interesting not only from the point of view of the heroes, but also from the point of view of the plot. Briefly describe what is at stake in the work.

The plot of the work

The arrival of the former bursakov in the parental home is a tie of the story. Taras on the run checks the combat training of his sons. For him it is important that they were real warriors and good Cossacks. For the mother, the most important thing is for her children to be happy and healthy. Immediately after arrival, Taras decides to go to Zaporozhye with his sons. He wants them to gather here reason. In his opinion, Zaporizhzhya Sich is the true school for the Cossack. While here, the sons of Taras Bulba are engaged in military affairs, but their lives are mostly spent in feasts and gulbas.

The culmination of the story is the scene of the siege of the city of Dubno. It is in this episode that the value world of the protagonists of the work is tested. Brave battle Taras Bulba, Ostap and Andriy. Both sons of the Cossack behave boldly. However, Ostap is cold-blooded, and his brother enjoys the music of bullets. In addition, Andrius agrees to help his beloved Polish girl, which is a betrayal. The siege of Dubno ends with the defeat of the Cossacks. Taras is doing away with his youngest son, who committed treason. What, then, completes Gogol's story? Taras Bulba, the protagonist of the work, is deprived of a successful Cossacks. He is dying. This is the denouement of the story.

Patriotic pathos of the work

Of course, the great patriotic pathos marked the work "Taras Bulba". This theme goes through the whole narrative. A positive healthy beginning, integrity and talent, a wide scope of nature - all this is seen by the author among the people, all this manifested itself in his heroic past. "Taras Bulba" is a story in which Gogol tells us how the Ukrainian people fought against the Polish gentry. The patriotic pathos of the work we are interested in is determined by a broad depiction of this struggle. The author showed the bonds of friendship that bind the Ukrainian and Russian peoples in historical destiny. It is no accident that Gogol mentions the "Russian power" of the Cossacks. It is for him - it comes from various Russian principalities, these are the slaves who fled from the masters, who united to fight for independence.

The image of Taras Bulba

Taras Bulba is the protagonist of the work. This is by no means a conditionally-heroic image. This hero has specific historical features. Nikolai Vasilyevich truthfully depicts the image of a Cossack of those harsh years. Only in rare intervals of calm can he return to a peaceful life, to his family. The rest of the time, Taras Bulba is a warrior who dedicates his life to the service of his fatherland.

This character is not characterized by fluctuations. Taras always sees a goal before him. He believes that his duty is an impeccable service to his fatherland. It is from here the sources of his courage and fearlessness. Taras Bulba is characterized by a "gross straightforwardness of character", which is contrasted in the product of the effeminacy of the Polish gentry, as well as the Cossacks adopting her habits.

The main feature in the image of Taras

The main feature in the image of Taras Bulba is selfless patriotism. All his physical and mental strengths are supported by this feeling. After a long separation from his sons, in the first minutes of the meeting he meets them not with embraces, but with a test of fighting qualities.

The harsh time in which Taras lived, dictated his own rules. Men had to become fearless fighters. And Taras Bulba is not impatient to boast of his sons in the Sich. Therefore, he sends them to a military camp, not giving a little home at home.

The last moments of Taras's life

Describing Taras Bulba, Nikolai Vasilievich notes that only in difficult times such a selfless and stubborn warrior could arise. The last moments of Taras Bulba's life are full of true love for his people and heroism. He does not think that he will soon die an excruciating death, he does not feel pain in his burning legs. This Cossack seeks to help his comrades-in-arms who are in trouble. Taras helps them to escape, because he hopes that they will continue the work for which he gave his life.

The sons of Taras Bulba

Love for the motherland, loyalty to her for Taras is much higher than personal affection and blood relationship. Because of this, the tragedy that affected his family becomes even worse. The colonel had two sons. The oldest of them was Ostap, and the younger one was Andriy. The elder son Gogol endows the hero with the features of other Cossacks. But Andrii in the story appears a thin man who sees beauty in life and knows how to appreciate it. The youngest son of Taras was deceived by the Polish pannochka, as a result of which he moved to the side of the enemy. Thus, Andrius betrayed his father, his motherland, and his comrades. Bulba himself executes his son, who betrayed the people.

The image of Ostap

In Ostap, the author portrayed the continuer of his father's work. This son of Taras is rightfully proud. For him, as for many other Cossacks, the fatherland is the most precious thing in life. For her, the hero of the story "Taras Bulba" Ostap is ready to endure the most terrible torments and even accept death. Subjected to cruel torture, he does not lose courage in the execution scene. He realizes that he is not dying in vain.

Hard work is the most important occupation for Ostap. On the spiritual level, this hero is somewhat primitive, since he is not interested in anything but military disciplines. However, Ostap's patriotism, loyalty to his comrades and swearing, make the reader admire him.

Characteristic of Andrija

Struggling on the path of betrayal, Andrii did not become a defender of the Motherland. Together with his enemies, he began to kill his former friends and comrades. A dreamy, sublime and romantic hero is alien to the reality surrounding him, the gross mores and life of the Zaporozhye Sich. Andrii sees well-fed and carefree sleeping Cossacks and people dying of hunger. And the picture of the world in his mind is changing. The hero can not understand his own experiences. For him, the highest value is love. It is for her sake that he decides on the betrayal of his comrades.

What is the author's attitude toward this hero? He regrets the death of Andriy, who knew how to feel deeply and subtly, and also to fight bravely. Gogol exclaims: "And the Cossack died ...". Despite the fact that Nikolai Vasilyevich draws heroes of Sich with admiration, we do not feel the direct condemnation of Andriy. We can say that the position of the author is ambiguous.

Ostap and Andriy - two ways

In the story "Taras Bulba", these characters personify two possible ways in which a person can go. The first way is immortality in the name of the happiness of our people, the second is an inglorious death, betrayal and a defamed name, which descendants, if they remember, then with disgrace and hatred.

Picture of nature

Undoubtedly, from the point of view of the characters, the story "Taras Bulba" is very interesting. The characters depicted in it were a success to the author. However, in his work Gogol tells not only about brave and strong warriors. In the story are presented detailed pictures of the lush nature of Little Russia. In the boundless steppe expanses, such selfless and freedom-loving fighters grow up. And this beautiful world, they are growing up, protect.

This concludes our analysis. "Taras Bulba," according to Belinsky, is an epic that is written by a broad and bold brush. AP Chekhov called Nikolai Vasilyevich "the king of the steppe." This can not be disagreed.