In a row with such stories and stories as"Judas Iscariot", "Savva", "Son of Man", based on the theomachistic ideas of Leonid Andreev, you can put "The Life of Basil of Thebes." The summary of this work is a biography of a man who, from an early age, carried the burden of sorrows and sorrows, but, in spite of this, he did not lose his love and faith in God.
Main character
Mysterious and harsh fate accompanies lifeVasily of Theveys. The brief content of the ideas that the author has put into this work is the understanding of true faith. For the main character, God is love, justice and wisdom. An example of great humility was the life of Basil of Thebes. The summary of the story says that for its author the theme of true and false faith was extremely close.
Father Vasily is a priest, a man who from year to yearyear does not feel anything, except dislike and loneliness. He is unhappy in marriage. His first son was killed. The second was born sick, because he was conceived in insanity. It would be unbearable without the true superhuman humility of the life of Basil of Thebes. A summary of the chapters will give an idea of the hardships and trials of this literary character, which, it would seem, is impossible to endure to the common man.
Grief in the family of Father Basil
Happiness in his life was.But it was not very long. Only the first years of marriage were cloudless and bright. But Vasya's favorite son was killed, and the priest, who was at that time still young, also seemed to have died. She became scattered, as if she had not seen anything more around her: neither her husband, nor her daughter, nor any of the people. And to finally plunge into your world, where there was nothing more than a yearning for the dead child, she began to bitterly drink. The author says that after the first drops drunk by his priest, it became clear to Father Vasily that this would always be so. Realizing this, he was frightened, brought the medicine from the doctor from a serious illness and, having reconciled, began to simply live on.
Joy and light have forever left the life of BasilThebes. The brief content of the first chapter is the loss of one's son and grief, which the protagonist can no longer share with anyone. He pronounces the phrase: "I believe" - and as if trying to kill with these words doubts in the divine power and justice.
Disease of the priest
In just four years after the death of his son Vasily,Fiiveski's wife is much older. In the parish, no one loved the deacon without it. But when in the district it became known about the terrible drunks of the priesthood, Father Vasily was treated with complete disdain. It should be said that in life he was a man devoid of the ability to evoke sympathy. He did not rule the church service. He was completely unselfish, but his awkward and abrupt movements, with which he usually accepted offerings, caused an unpleasant impression in people. It seemed to the parishioners that he was extremely greedy. People do not like losers. Basil of Thebes is a striking example in literature, which confirms that contempt of others is a consequence of failures in life.
In the church, he constantly feels mockingand unkind looks. At home, a drunken boil awaits him, who in her madness believed that it was possible to resurrect the drowned Vasya with the help of the birth of a new son. She asks, demands, begs: “Give me Vasya, pop!” And at the end of the second chapter the main character, almost desperate, again seems to convince himself of his faith.
Master of sophisticated and bright literary stylewas Leonid Andreev. The life of Basil of Thebes, a brief content of which is a story about an unbearable fate of a person, is almost a poetic work. Various artistic means are used in it and the symbolic words of the main character are repeated with a refrain: “I believe!”
Vasya
The third chapter tells about short-lived happiness in the house.Basil of Thebes. Popadia got pregnant and, in anticipation of her son, led a regular and measured life. She stopped drinking, did not do hard work at home, did everything to ensure that the birth went well. At Epiphany, the burden was resolved. The child had a head too big and too thin limbs. Father Vasily and his wife spent several years in hopes and fear. And after three years, it became clear to parents that Vasya’s son was born an idiot.
Moron
In his work he used variouscharacters Andreev. The life of Basil of Thebes, a brief content of which is not limited to the tragic death of his son and his wife’s illness, is filled with symbols. The birth of the second Basil is another test that fell to the lot of the main character of the story. In the second chapter appears the image of an idiot who dominates the whole family. Inhabitants of the house suffer from bedbugs. Everywhere dirty and torn clothes. And the “half-child-half-animal” symbolizes undeserved grief and torment, from which the family of father Vasily suffers.
Nastya
In addition to his idiot son, Vasily of Thebes was alsodaughter Nastya. About her in the work is mentioned in the first chapters in passing as a girl with a sullen and evil look. Father Vasily was so absorbed in his own grief that he not only did not pay attention to his daughter, but even seemed to forget about the existence of other people on earth.
But once at a confession, talking with one old woman,He suddenly realized that in addition to his grief, each of the parishioners had their own sorrows. The priest, stunned by his own sufferings, did not think about them. And in the world, it turned out, so much of other people's grief. And after this realization, for the first time, he looked into his daughter's eyes - a sad, embittered and useless girl.
Summary of the Life of Basil of ThebesAndreeva recalls the parable of the righteous Job. However, the main character of this story, unlike the biblical character, more than once tries to rebel against fate. In conclusion, he is trying to change something. He wants to leave, he plans to surrender his son Vasya to an orphanage. But the wife dies in a fire. Father Vasily himself dies too. The last thing he sees is the sky engulfed in flames. Death of Thebesky - a symbol of the idea that Andreev expressed more than once in his work. According to the Russian classic, man does not make sense to resist the all-powerful rock. The meaning is only in faith and love.
