Ostrovsky, "Snow Maiden": a summary of the chapters

Folk tales occupy quite a serious place in the Russian ethnos. They express expectations, hopes, fears, and even simply unrealizable dreams of people. Most Russian fairy tales are permeated with kindness and faith in justice. Sometimes we are faced with the fact that the writer takes as a basis the plot of some folk tale and develops it in his own way. As an example, we can cite the work of such a writer as Nikolai Ostrovsky. "Snegurochka," a brief summary of which everyone knows from childhood, under the pen of the author received a new and instructive coil.

Love of Frost and Spring

Let's consider in more detail what N. Ostrovsky writes about. "Snow Maiden", which can be summarized in several sentences, is filled with a lot of instructive messages to readers. Imagine an ancient mythical country of the Berendeys. And one day an unprecedented event took place in it. On the Red Hill near Berendeeva posad (tsarist capital) comes Spring. Yes, not one, but with all its magnificent retinue. Her retinue is notable - cranes and swans. However, the country of the Berendeys greeted Spring vaguely (as it seems to them, the fault is their relationship with the old Frost). After all, the father of her daughter named Snegurochka is Frost.

Not only in the country the Berendeys are unhappy with this course of things. The sun also expresses discontent, threatens not to warm the earth any more. Therefore, Spring, to somehow help warm the animal, invites them to sing and dance. However, as soon as they begin to move, immediately the evil cold blizzard rises. Spring gathers all the birds and hides them in the bushes in the hope that the next day will bring the long-awaited warmth.

Father's warning

To everything else, from the forest there is an old Frost, reminding the Spring of the care of the common child. He proposes to cover the Snow Maiden in the depths of the forest, where a warm tower is located. Mother Spring also takes care of her own way: she wants her child to live among people, and rejoice with them in life. The meeting turns into a quarrel. Frost knows that the sun-god, the hot Yarilo, wants to ruin the Snow Maiden by making it so that when a fire of love lights up in her heart, it simply melts. He tells all this to Spring. But she does not believe the arguments of Frost.

From the very beginning, we see a difference in the subjects of the folk tale and the one that Ostrovsky wrote. "Snegurochka," a brief summary of which we consider, continues like this. After a long dispute, the parents decided to give the girl to be raised by a childless Bobyl. Say, there are no guys, which means that the Snow Maiden's heart will be safe. The girl herself admits that she has long dreamed of living with people, singing songs and driving funny dances. In addition, it turns out that the Snow Maiden is not completely indifferent to the young shepherd Lelyu. This particularly alarmed Frost. He warns the daughter with all paternal severity that she should stay away from the shepherd, communication with which can ruin her.

Adoptive parents

The brief content of the story "The Snow Maiden" (Ostrovsky describes splendidly the seeing off of Maslenitsa) will be continued by the fact that the Berendeys are happy with the coming of Spring, meeting her with songs and dances. Bobyl meets in the deaf often beautiful, richly dressed girl, who asks in the adoptive daughter. It is not easy to live with the Snow Maiden. The whole point is that, being excessively bashful, she, in the opinion of Bobyli, has dashed all potential suitors. But they were so anxious to get rich at the expense of the family in which they would take the girl in marriage.

Unexpectedly, the shepherd Lel comes to stay with the Bobyls. A handsome and charming guy no one wanted to take to his house, fearing that the master's daughter would not stand before him. And what to take from a poor shepherd? Very unprofitable party. Therefore, villagers collect money and give them to Lelyu, so that somewhere, but not with them, he would find a place for himself. After being seduced by money, the Bobylies let the young man into the house.

Unscienteness of the Snow Maiden

How accurately and deeply reveals his characters Ostrovsky! "Snow Maiden" - a play, the summary of which can not convey the entire palette of characters. We will understand the relationship of a handsome shepherd and innocent, modest Snow Maiden. Despite the fact that Lel's songs, and the guy himself, she likes, the girl's innate shyness obviously prevents young people from getting closer.

And the shepherd was not entirely disinterested. It's just that he does not want to sing for the pleasure of hearing. He asks for more material gifts. For example, kissing. But the Snow Maiden does not understand Lel's aspirations. She gave the young man a flower for the song she had performed with all her heart. The shepherd, tired of explaining the obvious, threw it out and retired to other girls who, in his opinion, could better appreciate the talent and beauty.

Beauty - the subject of envy and resentment

What else does Ostrovsky emphasize? "Snegurochka" (the short contents of the tale can not be left without some details) was written long ago, but today we find a lot of instructive moments. So, the Snow Maiden, despite her popularity among young people, can not find girlfriends. After all, all the guys look at it, and the girls do not want to communicate with the daughter of Spring.

Kupava, the daughter of a rich peasant, was the only kindness that showed to the Snow Maiden. She is so frank with the girl that she shares her happiness - a rich merchant Mizgir from the tsar's landed place got her to her. Soon to be a wedding. After a while, the groom appears. He comes with a lot of gifts, which he wants to bestow on Kupava's relatives and close people in honor of his marriage.

Kupava introduces the Snow Maiden to her lover and calls her to a hen-party, arranged on the occasion of an early marriage. But Mizgir falls in love with the Snow Maiden at first sight, completely forgetting about Kupava. He officially declares to the girl about the dissolution of the engagement, arguing this with his unexpected love for the Snow Maiden. Kupava is so shocked that she decides to end her life, drowning in the river, but the shepherd Lel manages to save her. Of course, and Kupava, like all other girls in the village, harbored resentment.

The disfavor of the god Jarila

We continue to study the summary. Tale "Snow Maiden" (Ostrovsky built it on the basis of ancient folk beliefs) takes us back to those times when people worshiped natural, natural gods. So, it seems to King Berendey that in recent times the god Yarilo disliked his kingdom. Heats a little, does not allow ripening of the crop, and rarely appears at all.

He tells about this to his approximate Bermyata. The king is sure that Yarilo is angry with his people for the absence of warm love in their hearts. As a light and warm deity, it is unpleasant for him.

Berendey's plan: a summary

Ostrovsky N., whose "Snow Maiden" denudes all human passions, leads the angry Kupava to the tsar's wards . She asks to punish the traitor. Justifying himself, Mizgir explained to the king that he no longer considered Kupava his bride, and did not want to marry without sincere love. After listening to the merchant, Bermyata, who had been silent before, offered the tsar to force him to marry Kupava. However, the girl opposed herself, saying that such a traitor is not necessary to her. Mizgir answered that he now considers Snegurochka to be his bride.

All this interferes with Berendey's plan, according to which his subjects must conclude the maximum number of marriages. And the sooner, the better. This should appease Yarila. Bermyat was skeptical of the tsar's plans, citing the fact that in recent years more and more slobodskih girls have quarreled with their boys. Those are captivated by the beauty of the Snow Maiden.

Acquaintance of the Tsar with the Snow Maiden

Angry Berendey sentenced the merchant to exile from the country. Mizgir agrees with the punishment, but suggests the king himself to look at the beauty, because of which so many conversations. Soon, Bobyli and his adopted daughter appeared before the tsar.

Berendey was amazed at the beauty and chastity of the Snow Maiden, immediately figuring that if she were to marry her, Jarilo would be perfectly satisfied. However, here again the question arose about the suitors. The Snow Maiden's heart is cold, and she does not want to marry. Perplexed Berendey asks for advice from his wife - Elena the Beautiful. The queen, having understood the situation, explained to her husband that the girl's heart can melt only the shepherd Lel.

The Magic Gift of Spring

It would seem that the denouement is not far off. But the passions are only heated. This is how Ostrovsky conceived. The Snow Maiden (a short summary of the actions of this tale accurately conveys the libretto to the opera by Rimsky-Korsakov) does not interest Lelya. He is very keen on Kupava, and so much that he wants to sing his songs only for her. Inviting the Snow Maiden to a night festival, the shepherd is not going to give her his heart, hinting that the girl has not once appreciated his aspirations. She does not understand carnal feelings, and Lel rejects the girl.

Mizgir also does not lose time and seeks to win his beloved. But the Snow Maiden is not interested in the merchant's wealth either. Enraged Mizgir tries to take the girl by force, but the magical inhabitants of the forest protect the daughter of old Frost. As Ostrovsky wrote, Snegurochka (very short content does not allow full disclosure of all the nuances of the plot) is always under the care of the Goblin.

In despair, she asks Spring to teach her human love. Mother on the last day of her reign (after all, morning comes Jarilo) can not refuse to daughter. But she still recalled that these feelings of "death are similar." Snow Maiden agree to everything, just to know love. Spring puts on the girl's head a magic wreath: the first man whom the daughter will meet will become her chosen one.

Destructive rays of the sun

The Snow Maiden meets Mizgir, to whom he gives his love. The merchant is happy and does not believe in Snegurochka's fears about the first rays of the Sun. He solemnly leads the girl to Yarilina mountain, where all the Berendei gathered, and the king blesses all the couples who are going to get married.

Unfortunately, tragically ends the tale Ostrovsky. Snow Maiden (the summary does not contain all the experiences of the girl) dies with the first rays of the sun. The merchant is so shocked that he rushes straight from the mountain into the pool, where he drowns. However, their death did not impress King Berendey. He believes that Yarilo received a great sacrifice, and now life in their kingdom will be adjusted.