Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov - one ofmost interesting writers of the twentieth century. A lot of controversy and ambiguous judgments caused and causes his work. Therefore, it is fascinating enough to analyze Nabokov. “Masha” is not just a novel, but the first novel of the writer, which makes it even more significant and valuable.
Creativity Nabokov
Vladimir Nabokov is an unsolvedmystery and inexplicable riddle of the literature of the twentieth century. Some consider him a genius, others do not recognize him as a talented writer. He was born in the 19th century in St. Petersburg and died at the end of the last century in Switzerland. Most of his life was lived abroad, but Russian childhood was not forgotten. Nabokov wrote both in his native language and in English, translated his novels, read lectures in philology.
Many of his texts anticipated the era of modernism, andthe style of his works is so distinctive that it has no analogues in either Russian or foreign literature. The ambiguity and heterogeneity of his creations make it impossible to complete the analysis of Nabokov. "Masha" is taken by us to study, not only because it is the first novel of Vladimir Vladimirovich, but also because it is the first work written by him in exile.
History of creation
So, let's start the analysis of Nabokov (“Masha” - inour focus). The novel was written in 1926 in Berlin. He has many biographical motives, primarily related to longing for the Motherland, the intolerable sadness of the emigrant for a lost home.
In the magazine "Niva" immediately after the release of the novel wasA review of it was published: “Nabokov embroiders his fate along the outline of his works ... the fate of a whole human type — the Russian intellectual-emigrant — is reflected.” Life abroad was, as for many people who left their native country, difficult. The only thing Nabokov could find consolation was memories of the past, where there was joy, love, and home. It was these bright thoughts that formed the basis of the novel.
Summary: beginning
Before proceeding with the analysis, we turn toretelling the plot of the novel "Masha". Summary should begin to describe in the spring of 1934 in Berlin. The main character, Ganin Lev Glebovich, lives in a boarding house for Russians, where, besides him, they live:
- Alferov Alexey Ivanovich (mathematician);
- Podtyagin Anton Sergeevich (old poet),
- “Cozy lady” Clara, in love with Ganina and working as a typist;
- couple in love - dancers ballet Colin and Gornoktove.
Ganin arrived in Berlin a year ago, during which time hechanged several jobs: orderly, worker, waiter. He managed to save enough money to leave, but first he had to part with Lyudmila, with whom they had been tied up for three months, which the hero had terribly tired of. But Ganin cannot find a pretext for breaking. The windows of his room, unfortunately, overlook the railway, and the desire to leave becomes irresistible. In an outburst of overwhelming feelings, Lev Glebovich announces to the hostess that he is leaving on Saturday.
First love
A lot of feelings and experiences of Nabokov himself are reflected in the work "Masha". The summary of the novel (especially Ganin’s memories of the past) also proves it.
Lev Glebovich learns from Alferov that on Saturdayhis wife will arrive - Masha. In the photo of the mathematician's wife, Ganin recognizes the girl he fell in love with for the first time. He is captured by memories of the past, he even feels younger by ten years. And the next day, he tells Lyudmila that he is in love with another. Ganin feels free and completely surrenders to memories.
He is sixteen years old, he is in summermanor, where recovering from typhoid. Out of boredom, the young man creates in his mind the image of an ideal lover, whom he meets exactly one month later. It was Masha - a girl with a chestnut scythe in a black bow, glowing eyes, a dark face and a mobile, burry voice. She was always fun, very fond of sweets. Once Ganin met her with her friends, and they agreed to go boating, but the next day Masha came without friends. Since that time, young people began to meet next to an empty manor.
When on the eve of departure to St. Petersburg theyThey met each other for the last time. Ganin noticed that the shutters at one window were ajar and a face was guessed in the glass. It turned out that the watchman's son was spying on them. Ganin was so angry that he severely beat him.
The next morning, the main character left.Masha also moved to St. Petersburg only in November. Now it has become more difficult for young people to meet - it’s freezing outside. The only joy was the telephone - in the evenings they could talk for hours with each other. And shortly before the New Year, Masha's family moved to Moscow. To his surprise, Ganin felt relieved.
In the summer they have the opportunity to meetagain. The only problem is that this year Masha’s father rented a cottage fifty miles from the Ganin’s estate. The young man went to his beloved, but got already dark. She met him with the words: "I am yours, do whatever you want with me." But there were too many rustles around, it seemed to Ganin that someone was walking, so he quickly left.
The last time they met a year later was on the train and have not seen each other since. Only exchanged a few letters during the war.
Completion of the novel
As you can see, Nabokov, in his novel, draws a realistic and very life story.
Summary is coming to an end. On the eve of the return of Masha, Ganin will water Alferov at a festival arranged by Kolin and Gornetsvetov. He plans to meet the woman himself and scream with her.
In the morning Ganin says goodbye to the boarders andsent to the station. There is an hour until the arrival of the train. Gradually, the thought that their romance with Masha ended a long time ago is beginning to creep into Ganin’s head. Without waiting for the arrival of a woman, he goes to another station and leaves.
Theme and idea
With the definition of the topic and ideas should start analyzingnovel "Masha" Nabokov. It seems that the theme of love in the work comes first and is leading, but it is not. In fact, the novel is dedicated exclusively to the lost homeland - Russia. All other subtopics and motifs are grouped around this image.
In the work of Nabokov, and with it the mainhero, trying to regain lost happiness, to regain paradise. But the outcome turns out to be disappointing - not to return the lost, everything is over, only wandering remains, there is no turning back.
Conflict in the novel
Very interesting and specific conflict, whichcreated in the novel Nabokov. “Masha” (analysis of the work) allows us to conclude that the main contradiction is based on contrasts: the genuine - fake, everyday - the unusual. Dreams of Russia are becoming more real than life in emigration, and Berlin's routine is replaced by the exclusivity and unusualness of the expanses of his native country.
Plot and plot
If you conduct a thorough analysis of the novel"Masha" Nabokov, it turns out that as such there is no plot in it. The content of the work more closely resembles the stream of consciousness: Ganin's constant internal monologues, character dialogues, descriptions of the places where an event occurs.
Of course, you can not call the novel built onlyOn this. Here there is a side view - the narration is conducted from a third person, a certain objectivity is inherent in the description of space, the reader hears not only the voice of the hero, but also the speeches of other characters. However, the whole plot of the novel can be reduced to several events: Ganin is going to leave, learns about the arrival of an old lover, recalls feelings experienced in his youth, is going to revive them, but at the last moment refuses it and leaves. It is in this paucity of action that the originality and singularity of Nabokov’s creative work is expressed, what makes him different from either Russian or foreign writers.
Image of Ganin
The image of the main character is largely written offVladimir Nabokov. “Masha” (analysis of the feelings and experiences of Ganin as an emigrant) confirms this once again. In Berlin, nobody needs him, and he, too, does not care about anyone. Lev Glebovich is lonely and miserable, depressed, his soul was overwhelmed by a hopeless longing. He has no desire to fight or change something.
Revive the hero only memories of Masha.Thoughts about the past revive his soul and body, ghostly happiness warms, pushes for action, gives hope for the future. But this euphoria does not last long. Sitting at the station, waiting for Masha, he suddenly realizes that it is impossible to return the past, you can only dream of a lost paradise (Motherland), but it will never work again.
Masha's image
It is impossible, making the analysis of the story "Masha"(Nabokov), not to pay attention to the image of the main character, even if she appears only in Ganin's dreams. Only the brightest and happiest memories are associated with Masha in the piece. The image of the girl becomes the personification of the lost happiness forever, Russia before the war and revolution.
The fact that Masha, merging with the image of the Motherland, does not appear in the novel, says about the unattainability of paradise (Russia). It appears only in memories and dreams, more is not available for immigrants.
The peculiarity of the end of the novel
Very often in this piece plays a hoaxVladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov’s reader’s expectations: Masha (an analysis of her image is presented above) does not appear, the supposed love triangle, to which the arrangement of the main characters pushes, turns into zilch, and the final does not correspond to traditional literary techniques.
The end of the novel is more philosophical than psychological. Nabokov does not allow the heroes to meet, not because of deep emotional experiences, but because there is no return to the past.
Conclusion
Thus, the originality and somethe enigma of the work is confirmed by Nabokov’s analysis. “Masha” in this context is not only the author's first novel, but also a statement about his unusual talent, which only developed in later works.
