Story by I.A. Bunin's "Easy Breathing" belongs to the circle of works that require particularly careful reading. The conciseness of the text determines the semantic deepening of artistic detail.
The complex composition, the abundance of ellipses, and the figure of silence make you stop and think at moments of unexpected “bends” in the plot. The content of the story is so multifaceted that it could well become the basis of an entire novel. Indeed, each of us, reflecting on the next ellipsis, as if complements, “adds on” the text in accordance with our perception. Perhaps this is precisely where the mystery of Bunin’s story lies: the writer seems to call us to co-creation, and the reader unwittingly becomes a co-author.
It is customary to begin the analysis of this work by talking about the composition. What is unusual about the structure of the story? As a rule, students immediately note the features of the composition: a violation of the chronology of events. If you highlight the semantic parts of the text, you will find that each part breaks off at the moment of highest emotional stress. What idea is embodied in such a complex art form? To answer this question, we carefully read the content of each paragraph.
At the beginning of the work, it is worth noting the interweaving of contrasting motifs of life and death. The description of the city cemetery and the monotonous ringing of a porcelain wreath create a sad mood. Against this background, the portrait of a high school student with joyful, amazingly lively eyes is especially expressive (the author himself emphasizes this contrast with the phrase amazingly alive).
Why is the next sentence (This is Olya Meshcherskaya) highlighted in a separate paragraph? Perhaps in a larger work this sentence would precede detailed description the heroine, her portrait, character, habits. In Bunin's story, the name mentioned does not mean anything, but we are already involved in the action, intrigued. Many questions arise: “Who is this girl? What is the reason for her early death?..” The reader is already ready for the unfolding of the melodramatic plot, but the author deliberately hesitates to answer, maintaining the tension of perception.
What is unusual about the heroine’s portrait characteristics? There is something missing in the description of the schoolgirl Meshcherskaya: there is no detailed portrait, the image is barely outlined in individual strokes. Is this a coincidence? Definitely not. After all, everyone has their own idea of attractiveness, youth, beauty... Comparison with friends highlights the ideological basis of the image - simplicity and naturalness: How carefully some of her friends combed their hair, how clean they were, how they watched her restrained movements! And she wasn't afraid of anything<...>Without any worries or effort, and somehow imperceptibly, everything that distinguished her from the entire gymnasium in the last two years came to her - grace, elegance, dexterity, the clear sparkle of her eyes... Creating the complete appearance of the heroine is a matter of our imagination.
The mention that Olya is very careless, flighty, and almost drove high school student Shenshin to suicide sounds alarming... However, the ellipsis, a device of silence, breaks off the storyline, which would be enough for a separate story.
In the next paragraph, the words “last winter” again remind us of the tragic ending. There is something painful in Meshcherskaya’s irrepressible joyful excitement (she went completely crazy with joy). In addition, the author tells us that she only seemed to be the most carefree and happy (our detente - A.N., I.N.). So far this is a barely outlined internal dissonance, but soon the heroine, without losing her simplicity and calmness, will tell her irritated boss about her relationship with 56-year-old Malyutin: Sorry, madame, you are mistaken: I am a woman. And you know who is to blame for this? Dad's friend and neighbor, and your brother Alexey Mikhailovich Malyutin. This happened last summer in the village... We are perplexed: what is this - early depravity? cynicism?
There is hardly any contrast between appearance and state of mind the heroine comes to the surface, the author again interrupts the narrative, leaving the reader in thought, forcing him to go back in search of an answer to the question: “What kind of person is Olya Meshcherskaya? A carefree anemone or a deep, contradictory personality? The answer must be hidden somewhere in this paragraph. We re-read it and stop at the meaningful “seemed”, behind which, perhaps, lies the answer: maybe this carelessness and lightness is just an attempt by an integral nature to hide mental pain, personal tragedy?
What follows is a detached, “protocol” story about Olya’s death, avoiding false pathos. The Cossack officer who shot Meshcherskaya is depicted in a distinctly unattractive manner: ugly, plebeian in appearance, having absolutely nothing in common with the circle to which Olya Meshcherskaya belonged... Why did the heroine meet with this man? Who was he to her? Let's try to find the answer in the girl's diary.
Diary entries - important point in revealing character. For the first time, Olya and I are left alone, we become witnesses to a real confession: I don’t understand how this could happen, I’m crazy, I never thought I was like this! Now I have only one way out... After these words, the tragic scene of Meshcherskaya’s death is filled with new meaning. The heroine of the story, who seemed attractive to us, but too frivolous, turns out to be a mentally broken person who has experienced deep disappointment. By mentioning Faust and Margarita, Bunin draws an analogy between the unfortunate fate of Gretchen and the trampled life of Olya.
So, it’s all due to a deep mental wound. Maybe Olya herself provoked the murder by laughing angrily at the officer and committing suicide with someone else’s hands?..
The closed composition takes us back to the beginning of the story. The intense emotional tone of the confession is replaced by a picture of the city, cemetery peace. Now our attention is focused on the image of a classy lady, to which, at first glance, the author pays unreasonably much attention. This woman is the cool lady Olya Meshcherskaya, a middle-aged girl who has long lived in some kind of fiction that replaces her real life. At first, her brother, a poor and unremarkable ensign, was such an invention - she united her whole soul with him, with his future, which for some reason seemed brilliant to her. When he was killed near Mukden, she convinced herself that she was an ideological worker... The character is certainly unattractive. What is his role? Maybe he should highlight all the best in the appearance of the main character?
Comparing the images of Meshcherskaya and her classy lady, we come to the conclusion that these are two “semantic poles” of the story. Comparison shows not only differences, but also certain similarities. Olya, a young woman, plunged headlong into life, flashed and went out like a bright flash; a cool lady, a middle-aged girl, hiding from life, smoldering like a burning torch. The main thing is that none of the heroines could find themselves, both - each in their own way - squandered all the best that was given to them initially, with which they came into this world.
The ending of the work returns us to the title. It is no coincidence that the story is called not “Olya Meshcherskaya”, but “Easy Breathing”. What is this - light breathing? The image is complex, multifaceted and undoubtedly symbolic. The heroine herself gives a literal interpretation of it: Easy breathing! But I have it - listen to how I sigh... But each of us understands this image in our own way. Probably, it combines naturalness, purity of soul, faith in the bright beginning of existence, thirst for life, without which Man is unthinkable. All this was in Olya Meshcherskaya, and now this light breath has again dissipated in the world, in this cloudy sky, in this cold spring wind (our detente - A.N., I.N.). The highlighted word emphasizes the cyclical nature of what is happening: “light breathing” again and again takes on earthly forms. Maybe it is now embodied in one of us? As we see, in the finale the narrative acquires worldwide, pan-human significance.
Re-reading the story, we again and again admire the skill of Bunin, who imperceptibly guides the reader’s perception, directs thought to the underlying reasons for what is happening, deliberately not allowing him to get carried away by the entertaining intrigue. By recreating the appearance of the heroes, restoring the omitted links of the plot, each of us becomes a creator, as if writing his own story about the meaning human life, about love and disappointment, about the eternal questions of human existence.
Narushevich A.G., Narushevich I.S.
Interpretation of the story by I.A. Bunin "Easy Breathing //" Russian Literature. - 2002. - No. 4. - P. 25-27.
About the story “Easy Breathing” it must be said that the actions take place in a cemetery. It's April, the weather is terrible and cold. Olya Meshcherskaya is the main character of the story. On the cross that stands near one of the graves, you can see a portrait of a girl, apparently she is a high school student. Bunin creates a dual atmosphere, interweaves life with death, describes April, bare trees. This shows that life is always inseparable from death.
The whole story is built on opposition, even a description of the life of the main character, which was short-lived but bright. Olechka was brave beautiful girl, she was popular, she was cute, and she was a good skater.
But in the last winter, something changed, Olya behaved strangely, constantly having fun and dressing provocatively. She treated Shenshin poorly, first swore her love, and then simply “played,” which led to his attempt to kill himself.
Alexey Mikhailovich Malyutin also falls under her spell; he is much older than Olya, but this does not stop her from flirting with him.
The Cossack officer, who did not resemble the people around her, was also in a relationship with Olya, she swore to him of her love, that she would marry him later. But at the station, her words hurt the officer; she deceived him. Olya talks about the connection with Alexei Malyutin, so the officer kills her with a pistol.
When reading the story, the question arises, why did Olya Meshcherskaya behave this way? And the answer is simple - she didn’t understand what she was doing. She did not understand and did not take into account the feelings of other people.
Blok describes Olya as a capable girl, but carefree and at the same time frivolous. It is compared to a storm that can destroy everything in its path.
But besides this, the image of Olya is contrasted with the image of the lady who ran the gymnasium, she was not young, she scolded Olga for her bad behavior. She was Malyutin’s sister, so she tried to protect him from making mistakes.
Despite everything, the lady comes to the cemetery - and it is at this moment that the reader sees the antithesis. The lady sits next to the grave and recalls Olya’s conversation about the book, which stated that the girl should be bright, with sparkling eyes. This is how the understanding comes that after Olga there was nothing left, only emptiness.
Option 2
No one wrote about love as heartfelt, bright and full as Bunin did. He was an undoubted master of describing all the shades and nuances of this feeling. First love, consuming passion, suffering from unrequited feelings, reckless falling in love - his pen knew no equal in this.
The story “Easy Breathing” is no exception. He describes a short but vivid story of a young girl who, contrary to all the rules and foundations of society, led a thoughtless life full of pleasures and followed her passions.
The whole story is built on contrasts. It begins with a description of the grave of the main character, Olga Meshcherskaya. A gloomy cemetery, a dim day, bare tree branches, and a fresh mound further emphasize the bleakness of this place. Therefore, the portrait of Olenka on the cross evokes conflicting feelings. It shows a carefree girl, with cheerful eyes full of life.
Olya Meshcherskaya blossomed early; already at the age of 14 she turned from an ordinary girl into a real beauty. This could not but arouse interest among the opposite sex, and displeasure among the headmistress and teachers of the gymnasium where Olya studied. There were many fans, the girl did not resist temptations. Her carefree, windy life becomes almost dissolute, but the author does not condemn the heroine for this. He likes Olechka’s thirst for life, the courage with which she challenges the routine and dullness of ordinary people. In a conversation with the head of the gymnasium, Olya Meshcherskaya, she does not hide the fact that she leads an immoral lifestyle. And Alexey Malyutin, the boss’s brother, is to blame for this. It was he who seduced Olya and became her first man. But the headmistress wanted to give Meshcherskaya a lecture on modesty, but the lecture was unsuccessful.
Very soon it turns out that Olya had love relationship with a person not of her circle. The Cossack officer planned to marry the girl, but Olga told him that her feelings were superficial. And as evidence, he gives me a page from the diary to read, where the connection with Malyutin is described. It becomes clear that this is true; the offended officer kills Olga with one shot.
Not only the story, Olechka’s entire life consisted of contradictions. Beautiful, but spoiled. Not stupid, but frivolous. Sincere, but not caring about others' feelings. She fluttered like a butterfly, not thinking about the future and consequences. But even this short life, according to the author, is more attractive than the dull and joyless life of a classy lady who goes to Olya’s grave. She does not have the audacity and thirst for life that her pupil had. It was there, at the grave, that the cool lady recalled Olya’s conversation with her friend. In it, the girl confesses her secret. U real woman there should be easy breathing. She read this in one of the books in her father's library. And she decided that it should be the same for her.
Olechka Meshcherskaya’s breathing was not only easy. She took life itself with ease. The charm and fragility of beauty, the simplicity of perception of the world, thoughtlessness and frivolity - a high price was paid for all this. But Bunin does not put in the story global problems. It just makes you think about why and how a person lives in this world.
Analysis No. 3
After reading the title of the story, the question immediately arises as to what it is about. Somehow it’s not clear. “Easy breathing” is an expression that is immediately associated with medicine. And Bunin associates it with the heroine Olechka Meshcherskaya. Why? Women have always been mysterious and incomprehensible natures. Many men tried to comprehend the female soul. Bunin also tried to do this.
Olya was a rich and happy girl. She immediately caught the eye among the other students of the gymnasium in these dull brown dresses - graceful, elegant, dexterous, with a clear sparkle in her eyes.
She tries to find only good things in the people and surroundings around her. The boss, despite her gray hair, retained her youthful appearance. And the office is kept clean and tidy, warmth emanates from the Dutch oven and smells of lilies of the valley. Well, how can they scold in such an office? In her father's friend Malyutin, she notices taste in clothes, beautiful black eyes, and a silver beard.
A little person like Olya is incapable of committing a vile act. She judged other people by her standards. Yes, she was a completely naive child. The world was interesting to her, he attracted her with his diversity. She could never imagine that scoundrels lived in it and could take advantage of her childish naivety and young beauty.
In every society there are certain rules behavior. And what she did did not always coincide with these rules. She raced with the first-graders, rejoicing from the emotions that overwhelmed her, but she had to walk sedately and primly along the corridors of the gymnasium. Olya was like a light breath of the spring breeze. Like a ray of light breaking through a cloudy window glass.
She had to blend in with the faceless brown mass of high school students and not stand out from the crowd, but she wore combs in her hair and high feminine hairstyles. And on her feet were expensive, elegant women's shoes. She wanted so much to be a grown woman. Having learned my first cruel lesson adult life, this half-woman, half-child hated not only her seducer Malyutin, but also herself.
After Olya’s death, a cool lady came to her grave, sat there for a long time and looked at her photo in a mourning frame. Why? Maybe she mentally compared her imaginary life with Olina. I envied the ease with which she lived life. I envied her courage with which she challenged society.
She herself did not know how to live like this, but in her heart, she probably wanted to. I wanted to shed my years, my position, and sincerely enjoy both the snow and the sun. But her essence was only enough to knit desk like an old lady. An old lady at heart became an old lady on the outside. And gray hairs have appeared.
This story allows us to conclude that it belongs to the short story genre. The author managed to convey in a short form the life story of high school student Olya Meshcherskaya, but not only her. According to the definition of the genre, a short story in a unique, small, specific event must recreate the entire life of the hero, and through it, the life of society. Ivan Alekseevich, through modernism, creates a unique image of a girl who is still only dreaming of true love.
Not only Bunin wrote about this feeling (“Easy Breathing”). The analysis of love was carried out, perhaps, by all the great poets and writers, very different in character and worldview, therefore, many shades of this feeling are presented in Russian literature. When we open a work by another author, we always find something new. Bunin also has his own. In his works there are often tragic endings, ending with the death of one of the heroes, but it is more light than deeply tragic. We encounter a similar ending after finishing reading “Easy Breathing.”
First impression
At first glance, the events seem messy. The girl plays at love with an ugly officer, far from the circle to which the heroine belonged. In the story, the author uses the so-called “proof by return” technique, since even with such vulgar external events, love remains something untouched and bright, does not touch everyday dirt. Arriving at Olya’s grave, the class teacher asks herself how to combine all this with a pure look at “that terrible thing” that is now associated with the name of the schoolgirl. This question does not require an answer, which is present in the entire text of the work. They permeate Bunin's story "Easy Breathing".
The character of the main character
Olya Meshcherskaya seems to be the embodiment of youth, thirsty for love, a lively and dreamy heroine. Her image, contrary to the laws of public morality, captivates almost everyone, even the lower grades. And even the guardian of morals, teacher Olya, who condemned her for growing up early, after the death of the heroine, comes to the cemetery to her grave every week, constantly thinks about her and at the same time even feels, “like all people devoted to a dream,” happy.
The peculiarity of the character of the main character of the story is that she longs for happiness and can find it even in such an ugly reality in which she had to find herself. Bunin uses “light breathing” as a metaphor for naturalness and vital energy. the so-called “ease of breathing” is invariably present in Olya, surrounding her with a special halo. People feel this and therefore are drawn to the girl, without even being able to explain why. She infects everyone with her joy.
Contrasts
Bunin's work "Easy Breathing" is built on contrasts. From the very first lines, a double feeling arises: a deserted, sad cemetery, a cold wind, a gray April day. And against this background - a portrait of a high school student with lively, joyful eyes - a photograph on the cross. Olya's whole life is also built on contrast. Cloudless childhood is contrasted with the tragic events that occurred in Last year life of the heroine of the story "Easy Breathing". Ivan Bunin often emphasizes the contrast, the gap between the real and the apparent, internal state and the outside world.
Story plot
The plot of the work is quite simple. The happy young schoolgirl Olya Meshcherskaya first becomes the prey of her father's friend, an elderly sensualist, and then a living target for the aforementioned officer. Her death prompts a cool lady - a lonely woman - to “serve” her memory. However, the apparent simplicity of this plot is violated by a bright contrast: a heavy cross and lively, joyful eyes, which involuntarily makes the reader’s heart clench. The simplicity of the plot turned out to be deceptive, since the story “Easy Breathing” (Ivan Bunin) is not only about the fate of a girl, but also about the unfortunate lot of a classy lady who is used to living someone else’s life. Olya’s relationship with the officer is also interesting.
Relationship with the officer
In the plot of the story, the already mentioned officer kills Olya Meshcherskaya, involuntarily misled by her game. He did this because he was close to her, believed that she loved him, and could not survive the destruction of this illusion. Not every person can arouse such strong passion in another. This speaks of Olya’s bright personality, says Bunin (“Easy Breathing”). The act of the main character was cruel, but she, as you might guess, having a special character, stupefied the officer unintentionally. Olya Meshcherskaya was looking for a dream in her relationship with him, but she failed to find it.
Is Olya to blame?
Ivan Alekseevich believed that birth is not the beginning, and therefore death is not the end of the existence of the soul, the symbol of which is the definition used by Bunin - “light breathing.” Analysis of it in the text of the work allows us to conclude that this concept is souls. It does not disappear without a trace after death, but returns to its source. The work “Easy Breathing” is about this, and not just about Olya’s fate.
It is no coincidence that Ivan Bunin delays explaining the reasons for the heroine’s death. The question arises: “Maybe she is to blame for what happened?” After all, she is frivolous, flirts either with the high school student Shenshin, or, albeit unconsciously, with her father’s friend Alexei Mikhailovich Malyutin, who seduced her, then for some reason promises the officer to marry him. Why did she need all this? Bunin (“Easy Breathing”) analyzes the motives of the heroine’s actions. It gradually becomes clear that Olya is as beautiful as the elements. And just as immoral. She strives in everything to reach the depth, to the limit, to the innermost essence, and the opinion of others does not interest the heroine of the work “Easy Breathing”. Ivan Bunin wanted to tell us that in the actions of the schoolgirl there is no feeling of revenge, no meaningful vice, no firmness of decision, no pain of repentance. It turns out that the feeling of fullness of life can be destructive. Even the unconscious longing for her is tragic (like that of a classy lady). Therefore, every step, every detail of Olya’s life threatens with disaster: pranks and curiosity can lead to serious consequences, to violence, and frivolous play with the feelings of other people can lead to murder. Bunin leads us to such a philosophical thought.
"Easy breath" of life
The essence of the heroine is that she lives, and not just plays a role in a play. This is also her fault. To be alive without following the rules of the game means to be doomed. The environment in which Meshcherskaya exists is completely devoid of a holistic, organic sense of beauty. Life here is subject to strict rules, violation of which leads to inevitable retribution. Therefore, Olya’s fate turns out to be tragic. Her death is natural, Bunin believes. “Light Breath,” however, did not die with the heroine, but dissolved in the air, filling it with itself. In the finale, the idea of the immortality of the soul sounds like this.
Analysis of the story “Easy Breathing”
The theme of love occupies one of the leading places in the writer’s work. In mature prose, there are noticeable tendencies to comprehend the eternal categories of existence - death, love, happiness, nature. He often describes “moments of love” that have a fatal nature and a tragic overtones. Much attention he pays female characters, mysterious and incomprehensible.
The beginning of the novel “Easy Breathing” creates a feeling of sadness and sadness. The author prepares the reader in advance for the fact that the tragedy of human life will unfold in the following pages.
The main character of the novel, Olga Meshcherskaya, a high school student, stands out very much among her classmates with her cheerful disposition and obvious love of life, she is not at all afraid of other people's opinions, and openly challenges society.
During the last winter, many changes occurred in the girl’s life. At this time, Olga Meshcherskaya was in the full bloom of her beauty. There were rumors about her that she could not live without fans, but at the same time she treated them very cruelly. In her last winter, Olya completely surrendered to the joys of life, she attended balls and went to the skating rink every evening.
Olya always tried to look good, she wore expensive shoes, expensive combs, perhaps she would have dressed according to latest fashion, if all the schoolgirls didn’t wear uniforms. The headmistress of the gymnasium made a remark to Olga about appearance that such jewelry and shoes should be worn adult woman, and not a simple student. To which Meshcherskaya openly stated that she has the right to dress like a woman, because she is one, and none other than the brother of the headmistress herself, Alexei Mikhailovich Malyutin, is to blame for this. Olga's answer can be fully regarded as a challenge to the society of that time. A young girl, without a shadow of modesty, puts on things that are inappropriate for her age, behaves like a mature woman and at the same time openly argues for her behavior with rather intimate things.
Olga's transformation into a woman took place in the summer at the dacha. When my parents were not at home, Alexey Mikhailovich Malyutin, a friend of their family, came to visit them at their dacha. Despite the fact that he did not find Olya’s father, Malyutin still stayed as a guest, explaining that he wanted it to dry out properly after the rain. In relation to Olya, Alexey Mikhailovich behaved like a gentleman, although the difference in their ages was huge, he was 56, she was 15. Malyutin confessed his love to Olya and said all kinds of compliments. During the tea party, Olga felt bad and lay down on the ottoman, Alexey Mikhailovich began to kiss her hands, talk about how he was in love, and then kissed her on the lips. Well, then what happened happened. We can say that on Olga’s part it was nothing more than an interest in the secret, a desire to become an adult.
After this there was a tragedy. Malyutin shot Olga at the station and explained this by saying that he was in a state of passion, because she showed him her diary, which described everything that happened, and then Olgino’s attitude to the situation. She wrote that she was disgusted with her boyfriend.
Malyutin acted so cruelly because his pride was hurt. He was no longer a young officer, and also single; he naturally was pleased to console himself with the fact that the young girl expressed her sympathy for him. But when he found out that she felt nothing but disgust for him, it was like a bolt from the blue. He himself usually pushed women away, but here they pushed him away. Society was on Malyutin’s side; he justified himself by saying that Olga allegedly seduced him, promised to become his wife, and then left him. Since Olya had a reputation as a heartbreaker, no one doubted his words.
The story ends with the fact that Olga Meshcherskaya’s classy lady, a dreamy lady living in her imaginary ideal world, comes to Olya’s grave every holiday and silently watches her for several hours. For lady Olya, the ideal of femininity and beauty.
Here “light breathing” means an easy attitude to life, sensuality and impulsiveness, which were inherent in Olya Meshcherskaya.
After studying the analysis of the story “Easy Breathing,” you will undoubtedly be interested in other works related to Ivan Alekseevich Bunin:
- “Sunstroke”, analysis of Bunin’s story
- “Cuckoo”, a summary of Bunin’s work
- “Evening”, analysis of Bunin’s poem
Analysis of I. Bunin's story "Easy Breathing"
Man is the reason for the explosion.
(Why do volcanoes explode?).
Sometimes volcanoes explode with treasure.
Letting it explode is more than getting it.
M. Tsvetaeva.
Starting to write this essay, I set myself the goal of understanding why extraordinary, unusual people, people “exploding with treasures,” remain unrecognized and rejected by society. Olya Meshcherskaya is one of these people. Radiating undying light, good spirits, cheerfulness, lightness, she aroused envy in some, hostility in others. Although all these people, it seems to me, deep down in their souls admired her carelessness, courage, admired her fate, behavior, her unbridled happiness. Undoubtedly, the personality of Olya Meshcherskaya, her character and way of life are ambiguous. On the one hand, this strong personality lives without fear of being misunderstood. But on the other hand, Olya is unable to resist society, she cannot withstand this cruel struggle with prejudices, “moral principles” that are created by the crowd, a gray and faceless mass of people who have no individuality, no life of their own, who condemn even attempts to live like that , as you like.
“She was not afraid of anything - not an ink stain on her fingers, not a flushed face, not disheveled hair, not a knee that got exposed when she fell while running” - that’s something worth admiring! This is something worth envying! Rarely will a person be able to behave so fearlessly, without thinking about the consequences, doing everything sincerely and easily. All her words, actions (that is, deeds) - all this came from a pure heart. She lived for today, without fear of the future, truly enjoying life. To be honest, I'm jealous! I probably wouldn’t be able to live like that, behave so carelessly, and few people could. This is the uniqueness of Olya, her individuality, such fate as a gift, one should be proud of her.
The idea of the story is in the contradiction of two worlds: a gray, boring, faceless society and a light, bright one inner world Olya Meshcherskaya. Here there is an interpersonal conflict: “... rumors began to spread that she (Olya) is flighty, cannot live without fans...” Society did not accept Olya’s behavior because it went beyond its boundaries, Olya, in turn, perhaps even too much took it easy increased attention those around you. Every time underestimating the enemy, a person is doomed to defeat in the fight.
Here, in “Easy Breathing,” the conflict of two worlds is reflected in the landscape: on the one hand, “...April, gray days; the cold wind rings like a wreath at the foot of the cross,” and on the other, a medallion in which “a photographic portrait of a schoolgirl with joyful, amazingly lively eyes." And this lightness, joy, liveliness is everywhere. Reading the story, you become infected with that boiling, seething energy of Olya, you seem to be pierced by the biocurrents sent by the high school student Meshcherskaya: “grace, elegance, dexterity, clear sparkle of eyes,” “Olya Meshcherskaya seemed the most carefree, the happiest,” “shining eyes, she ran upstairs.” , “... looking at her clearly and vividly,” “... as easily and gracefully as only she could,” “... Meshcherskaya answered simply, almost cheerfully.”
Olya's carelessness and desire to know everything led her to a dead end. This is the main contradiction: while living her destiny, Olya discovered for herself new world, but at the same time, wanting everything at once, without thinking about the meaning of her life, she hopelessly lost her childhood, adolescence, youth. Too early she learned the vulgar side of love, without ever unraveling the secret of romantic feelings. Only later, realizing this, or rather, feeling fear, disappointment and shame, perhaps for the first time in her life, Olya got scared: “I don’t understand how this could happen, I’m crazy, I never thought I was like this.” ! Now I have only one way out... I feel such disgust for him that I can’t get over it!..”
Only now it becomes clear how weak Olya is. She is unable to fight. Having descended from heaven to earth, she was afraid. And the only possible way out of this situation for her is death. Olya understood this well. I believe death was the natural result of her reckless behavior.
Many questions arise when you re-read the text again and again. Malyutin and this Cossack officer who killed Olya - are they the same person or not? And the woman we see at Meshcherskaya’s grave at the end of the story, and the boss? It is difficult to answer unequivocally. One thing is clear: in principle, it doesn’t matter, because these people represent a crowd, and it is not at all necessary to know who they are, because they are all, in essence, the same. The only bright image in the story is Olya Meshcherskaya, and Bunin draws her to us in every detail, because there are only a few people like her. “Now Olya Meshcherskaya is the subject of her persistent thoughts and feelings,” we are talking about the worship of the classy lady Olya as an ideal. Thanks to such people, the world exists: they give those around them that energy, that lightness that the world of mere mortals lacks. Although these people are weak and unable to resist both their passions and the contempt of others, people like Olya live the time allotted to them with dignity and pleasure. And even one such human destiny, I believe, is capable of turning the whole world upside down, which a faceless crowd can never do. High school student Olya, a young girl who was just beginning to live, left a deep imprint on the soul of everyone who knew her story. In a short period of her life, she was able to do what many fail to do in their entire lives: she stood out from the crowd.
“...But the main thing, you know what? Easy breathing! But I have it,” listen to how I sigh, “I really have it?” Of course, she had this lightness that she gave to everyone. “Is it possible that under it (under the porcelain wreath) is the one whose eyes shine so immortally from this convex porcelain medallion on the cross..?” Of course not, only her body is buried in the ground, but Olya’s life, her smile, pure look, lightness will forever remain in the hearts of people: “Now this light breath has again dissipated in the world, in this cloudy sky, in this cold spring wind.” Such people are immortal, because they give life to others, a full, real, genuine life.
So why was Olya rejected by society? There is only one answer: envy. All these faceless creatures envied her with “black envy.” Realizing that they would never become LIKE Meshcherskaya, people made her an outcast. The stubborn crowd did not want to accept anything that did not fit into its framework.
But this is not the main problem for people like Olya. They simply, living their lives, completely forget about the cruel reality, which costs nothing to break all their dreams, joys, their whole life. But nevertheless, I admire Olya Meshcherskaya, her talent to live beautifully, wrongly, but interestingly, little, but brightly and easily!!!
…It’s a pity that light breathing is rare.