Why Gerasim drowned the dog. Why did Gerasim Mumu drown? The life of serfs in Russia

Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev's story "Mumu", written in 1852, tells the story of the life of the deaf-mute janitor Gerasim, who is in the service of the old lady and was obliged to obey her unquestioningly, to carry out all orders. Serfdom humiliated the peasants, impunity for the landlords reigned. Why couldn't he disobey? Gerasim only at the very end realized how dependent his attachment makes him.

The lady gradually took away everything that was dear to Gerasim. She took away his beloved village, and he is a peasant, a real peasant. She did not leave him his usual and favorite work. Gerasim's beloved woman, Tatiana, was married off to the drunkard Kapiton. Tatiana always agreed with the lady, the humble woman. And even his joy, the dog Mumu, whom Gerasim once rescued, did not let her drown, she ordered to drown.

Only her peace was important to the lady, she thought only of herself. All his life Gerasim did not even imagine the possibility of contradicting the lady, and this time he was not going to. However, the unexpected happened: having drowned his only native creature, Gerasim seemed to have lost all social ties, freed himself from the obedience with which he had lived for so many years.

The death of Mumu gave him the strength to leave the city, in which nothing else held him, and return to the village. This means that he drowned Mumu in order to free himself from psychological dependence and gain inner freedom.

There is a scientific point of view that Turgenev wrote the whole story for this one scene. The way the dumb hero with deep tenderness drowns the only creature to whom he is attached in the river is such a powerful sight that, having depicted him, the writer no longer cared about psychological or everyday details.

He achieved his goal: he struck the imagination of the reader and forced him to come up with explanations for Gerasim's actions.

Tears fill the eyes of younger students every year. In schools, gymnasiums and lyceums, they read Turgenev's "Mumu". And ever since this story was published in the Sovremennik magazine in 1854, “all progressive mankind” has condemned the cruel-hearted Gerasim.
Moreover, he condemns absolutely in vain. No, unlike Pasternak's "Doctor Zhivago," Turgenev's "creatiffcheg" was read. But they read, firstly, with brainwashed in advance, and secondly - extremely inattentively. Thirdly, illustrators of children's literature have been freeing for almost 160 years.

Typical "tear" pattern.

Actually, Gerasim did not drown Mumu ... He just parted with her humanly. Don't believe me? We open the official publication of I.S. Turgenev and read carefully together, from time to time interrupting for reasoning.

I will cite the author's text from the Collected Works in ten volumes, Goslitizdat, Moscow, 1961 OCR Konnik M.V.
To begin with, let's decide what size Mumu was?
Helpful illustrators eagerly offer their drawings.

Drawing by V. Kozhevnikova.

In 1949 the film strip "Mumu" was published. Remember such a rare entertainment from childhood? Wikipedia helpfully suggests that filmstrips were widely used in the USSR "for educational, artistic, entertaining (children's fairy tales and footage from cartoons), lectures and propaganda goals. "I will leave a lot on the conscience of the propagandists. But not" Mumu. "

After being impressed by the "mimic and canny" dog, let's carefully read the end of the second line of text on the frame of the filmstrip. Let's look at the picture. Do you feel cognitive dissonance?

I.S. Turgenev: " ... turned into a very nice dog spanish breed, with long ears, a fluffy tail in the form of a pipe and large expressive eyes."And now, squinting my eyes mockingly, I ask: So what kind of breed was Mumu? Spanish? And now what is this breed called? What is" Spanish "in English? Spanish. And in German? Spanisch. You yourself will say the modern name of the breed or tell me what it is spaniel?
While Mumu grows in size from a "big, little" doggy into a dog 40-60 centimeters high at the withers, weighing up to 30-35 kilograms (French and German spaniels), illustrators hiccup in chorus, and we will note that one child's delusion has become less ...

We read on.
Having promised to "destroy Mumu" (by the way, is it possible to take the deaf-mute "at his word" ?!), Gerasim, according to witness Eroshka, left the yard " entered the inn with the dog". He is there " asked myself cabbage soup with meat". "They brought cabbage soup to Gerasim. He crumbled the bread there, chopped the meat into small pieces, and set the plate on the floor.” general grooming of the dog: " The wool on her was so shiny ..."Have you ever seen a dog with a sleek coat half-starving? I am not.

We continue to read carefully.
"Mumu ate half the plate and walked away, licking her lips."It seems to me that the only authentic synonym - Mumu ate to the bone. That is, the dog was full and did not want to eat any more. For better assimilation of food, the deaf-mute janitor, again driven by innate sharpness, walked the dog:" Gerasim walked without haste and did not lower Mumu from the rope."During a walk" On the way, he went into the courtyard of the house, to which the outbuilding was attached, and brought out two bricks under his arm."
Let's digress from the actions of Gerasim and slightly plunge into the history of architecture. When determining the time of brickwork, scientists, along with other evidence, use the dimensions of the bricks. For each era, these sizes are different. Before the absence of a single standard, bricks were made "by hand" so that it was convenient for a bricklayer to take a brick. The Bureau of Standardization at the Supreme Council of the National Economy in 1925 recorded the "normal" size of the brick: 250x120x65 mm. The weight of such a product cannot exceed 4.3 kg. Today this standard is enshrined in GOST 530-2007. Take modern brick in your hand. Is it big? Inconvenient? Have you seen the original uniforms of that era? Most of them are sewn for thin people with a height of 160-170 centimeters. Do you think their hands were larger than they are now? Or did people make bricks for themselves that are not convenient to work with?
Still don't believe it? Try to take two bricks under the arm of one hand and walk 300 meters with them. Why, unlike you, did Gerasim succeed? Yes because the bricks were smaller !

Let's continue reading. "Gerasim straightened up, hastily , with some painful bitterness on his face, wrapped in rope he took the bricks, attached a loop, ..."Those who want to make sure that under the influence of gravity, the bricks wrapped in (not tied, but wrapped in a rope!) Will fall to the ground, take care of your feet. Or even better, take a literature textbook and a reader, wrap them with a rope, and take the rope by the free end The force of gravity cannot be fooled, the load, without being attached to the rope, will fall, and the rope will simply remain in your hand. ”Turgenev, in turn, nowhere notes that Mumu or Gerasim could control gravity.

I still haven't convinced you? In case the force of gravity has been canceled and the bricks will not fall, remember the Archimedes law. Around 250 BC. in the treatise "On floating bodies" the authoritative Greek wrote: " Bodies heavier than liquid immersed in this liquid will sink until they reach the very bottom, and in the liquid will become easier by the weight of the liquid in a volume equal to the volume of the submerged body". Let us again recall the real dimensions of Mumu and the bricks of that era. And just as spaniels, being hunting dogs, are found in the reeds and brought to hunters, often by swimming, shot game. How much does an uncut goose weigh?

Still in doubt? Especially for you IS Turgenev wrote 160 years ago: " ... and when he opened his eyes again, small waves were still hurrying along the river, as if chasing each other, they still splashed against the sides of the boat, and just far back and to the shore some wide circles scattered. “That is, Mumu swam out and went ashore, so the circles were near the shore.

I hope I have whitewashed the image of Gerasim in your eyes? Because of his wordlessness, he suffered hard times during his lifetime. Let us remember how the washerwoman Tatyana left him with the marriage. Yes, there is also a lady got mad at Mumu. That is why, leaving into complete obscurity, not wanting the dog to suffer with him, he let her go, faking her death for the courtyard spying on him.

Knowledge is known to be power. Having given you strength, I ask you to be more careful with it. My daughter, armed with this knowledge, drove her literature teacher into a stupor for a long time. Have pity on the teachers.

The deaf-and-dumb janitor Gerasim, serving the old lady, had a beloved - the washerwoman Tatyana, a piece of bread and a roof over his head. Once Gerasim rescues a drowning dog from the water and decides to keep it for himself, giving the rescued the nickname "Mumu". Over time, the janitor becomes firmly attached to the animal and takes care of it as if it were his own child. Especially his feelings towards Mum are strengthened after he passes off his beloved Tatyana for Kapiton, without asking her consent to this marriage.

In those days, the landowners were known for their complete impunity and bad attitude towards serfs.

Once the lady heard Mumu barking and ordered Gerasim to drown, which annoyed her. The lady did not feel pity for the animals, since the dogs were considered exclusively the guards of the yard, and if they could not protect it from robbers, there was no use from them. Gerasim, as a simple serf without the right to vote, could not disobey the mistress, so he had to get into a boat and drown the only creature dear to him. Why didn't Gerasim just let Mumu go free?

Psychological explanation

Everything was gradually taken away from Gerasim - his village, peasant work, his beloved woman and, finally, a dog, to which he became attached with all his heart. He killed Mumu, because he realized that attachment to her made him dependent on feelings - and since Gerasim constantly suffered from losses, he decided that this loss would be the last in his life. Not the least role in this tragedy was played by the psychology of the serf, who knew from an early age that the landlords should not be disobeyed, as this is fraught with punishment.

In the old days, the Orthodox Church denied the presence of a soul in all animals, so they got rid of them with ease and indifference.

At the end of Turgenev's story, it is said that Gerasim never approached the dogs again and did not take anyone as his wife. From a psychological point of view, he realized that it was love and affection that made him dependent and vulnerable. After the death of Mum, Gerasim had nothing to lose, so he did not give a damn about serfdom and returned to the village, thus protesting against the tyrant mistress. Gerasim could have left Mumu alive - however, he was tormented by the fear that the lady would come up with a more terrible punishment for her, which would have made Gerasim tormented even more, so he preferred to take her life from her with his own, not someone else's hands.

Turgenev's most difficult story "Mumu" is given in grade 5. But none of the children can answer the question "Why did Gerasim drown Mumu?" What he could not take with him to the village, he ran away? Guys, it's very simple in fact. What does Mumu mean for Turgenev, what does Mumu mean for Gerasim? - This is the only word that he can say, this is all the best that is in his soul, all the good, all the happiness that he puts there. So, if you do not kill your "Mumu" you cannot become a free man. The first act of liberation is to kill everything human in yourself, it is to kill everything that you love, and if you killed it, then you are free. As long as Gerasim has Mumu, he cannot leave his lady, there is something that draws him to life ... The most complicated Turgenev thought, which you cannot explain to any child at school, and the high school students hardly understand, and in general I am not completely ready for this thought. But to kill Mumu means to become free, this is the only way to become free, there is no other option !!!

To answer the question: "Why Gerasim drowned Mumu, and did not take her with him to the village", one must first understand the mentality of the people of that time, and consider the life of the hero himself. It is difficult for a modern person to understand what unquestioning obedience is. Most often, modern society, dissatisfied with something, violently protests. No one has obedience: neither the children to their parents, nor the students to the teachers.

Why is serfdom better than slavery

Events unfolded during the time of serfdom. At that time, serfs not only did not have their own opinion, they were deprived of all rights, but they were perceived as a thing. These things could be sold. Of course, the serfs had more rights on the papers, but what could an illiterate people who worked in corvee work from dawn to night know? What was required of the landowners was, when acquiring a serf, to provide him with a small plot of land and tools for cultivating it. Although in the legislation of that time, the landowners were prohibited from violence against the peasants, but this was practically never taken into account. And serfs were treated no better than livestock. There are many such examples in history. The lady Saltychikha is very striking, she tortured more than 100 souls of her serfs.
Also in the story "Mumu" is a vivid example of a despotic and inhuman woman. She took pleasure in the suffering of others. What could amuse her, life was boring? But the feeling of superiority over the "wretched little people", the ability to decide their fate, that's what brought true pleasure.

What life was like for Gerasim

Reading the story, we understand that Gerasim was alone all his life. This huge fellow, although he was unloved, never hated other people. Taking Gerasim to the city, he was deprived of the usual joys of rural life:

• enjoy the awakening of nature in spring;
• hear the sonorous singing of birds in the early morning;
• feel the aroma of freshly cut grass in late summer.

But in the city he was disappointed. First, his beloved was married. Maybe he understood that he and Tatyana were not destined to be, everyone was afraid of him, and this was noticeable. But there was still hope for family happiness until it was destroyed by a wedding with the drunkard Kapiton.
With the death of his only friend, whom he had to drown himself, Gerasim lost all hope of happiness. And after that, he became indifferent to what would happen in the future: whether the mistress would leave him alone or punish him for disobedience. His pain from the loss was so strong that it drove him away from places that reminded Gerasim of his beloved and only friend. And as every person in difficult moments seeks solace in his own home, so Gerasim went to where he was at least a little bit happy.

Turgenev's story "Mumu" amazed the entire audience who read it. No one could understand why Gerasim drowned Mumu. To this day, this picture brings all readers to tears. 155 years have passed since the story was written, but as soon as I mention it, this terrible scene pops up in my head. It was noticed that the population, who read Turgenev's story, really worried about the question: "Why did Gerasim drown Mumu?" Indeed, why? After all, Gerasim loved Mumu, she was his irreplaceable and loyal friend! There are a lot of answers and assumptions, let's consider some of them.

The main thing is the plot. The story is read in one breath, everything goes easily and naturally. The reader has a feeling of compassion for Gerasim, who is deprived of fate. But the deaf-mute janitor of the capricious and arrogant lady had a big and sympathetic heart. And so main character meets a dog, which he begins to love with all his soul. The dog becomes the only real companion to Gerasim. What happens next? Why did Gerasim drown Mumu? According to the story, the lady ordered her servant to get rid of the dog. First, Mumu is kidnapped, but she gnaws at the ropes and returns to the owner, and the second time she is ordered to be killed. And none other than Gerasim himself undertakes this assignment. After Gerasim drowned Mumu in the river, he leaves the lady for the village.

Actually, the question arises: "Why did Gerasim drown Mumu?" He could easily have gone with her to the village. Some suspect that this is a life attitude brought up by the serfdom - in the sense that you do not need to rebel, you should follow the order and move on. Others say that Turgenev went through life with the phrase of Oscar Wilde "We always kill those we love." Still others believe that Turgenev himself was an honest, decent person, and if he were ordered to do something like that, he would have done it without hesitation.

There is a version that Turgenev wrote a story, between the lines of which a biblical story was embodied about Abraham and Isaac. This is the story of how God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham is already in old age, realizes that he will not have more children and overly loves his son Isaac. Despite all this, Abraham and his son go to the mountain to be sacrificed by his father. The story with Gerasim and Mumu is very similar. Gerasim plays the role of Abraham, and Mumu plays the role of Isaac; the lady is represented in the role of God. One way or another, there are similarities, and you can think about it.

Why Gerasim drowned Mumu, today both great philologists and all of Turgenev's readers cannot understand. This work is rather cruel and unfair. Not every adult can withstand such prose, and children even more so. Indeed, in the center of the plot are two friends, and one of them kills the other. Mumu believed Gerasim, she ran away from the thieves to him. The dog would have given its life for its owner, but he decided to get rid of it in this way. It is interesting that Gerasim did not care whether he would be punished or not if he disobeyed. The main thing was to carry out the order! He did it without even thinking. The deep philosophy of this work will excite more than one generation of readers.