"Queen of Spades" analysis of the work - theme, idea, genre, plot, composition, characters, issues and other issues are discussed in this article.
The second Boldino autumn inspired Pushkin to create several prose works. Among them - "Queen of Spades". The story of the three cards became known to Alexander Sergeevich from the young Prince Golitsyn. In 1828, he told the poet about his grandmother, who in her youth shone in Parisian society and lost greatly. The famous alchemist and occultist Count Saint-Germain helped the princess by revealing to her the secret of the three cards. The woman took advantage of the forbidden information and was able to win back. This story served as the basis for the work written by Pushkin in October - November 1833.
“The Queen of Spades” is considered to be a story. But many literary critics, including Belinsky, insisted that due to the compactness of the narrative, one plot line, and the limited number of characters, this is a short story.
Difficult to determine and genre works. “The Queen of Spades” contains elements of fantasy, characteristic features of the Gothic style: mystery, an old house, a fatal coincidence, a funeral, mysterious steps, a ghost. At the same time, the mysticism here is subjective, if you look at the events from the point of view of Hermann's obsession, which leads him to madness. After all, all fantastic fragments are described exclusively through his perception: the look of a deceased woman in a coffin, the appearance of a dead countess, the wink of the Queen of Spades. If all the mystical episodes are “attributed” to the hero’s painful state, then “The Queen of Spades” will be a completely realistic story on the theme of “crime and punishment.”
The work consists of six parts and a brief conclusion. Each part is preceded by an epigraph, which helps the reader understand the author’s point of view and sets up a certain perception. Compositionally, the first part represents the beginning of the plot, in the third the climax occurs - the scene of the death of the Countess, in the sixth part there is a denouement.
In The Queen of Spades, Pushkin often uses unexpected, random turns of events that intrigue the reader and give the story a plot edge. By chance, Hermann ends up at the Countess's house and sees Lisa. Suddenly he hands the girl a letter. On the fateful night, Hermann goes not to Lisa, but to the countess’s chambers. The death of the old woman also comes as a surprise to the hero, as does her mystical night visit. Hermann does not expect “betrayal” from the cherished cards when a queen appears instead of an ace. A brief conclusion is unexpected for the reader: the hero’s madness, Tomsky’s marriage, Lisa’s marriage.
The main characters of “The Queen of Spades” belong to different generations and have their own status in society. The old Countess Anna Fedotovna is rich and lives in the past. She dresses in an old-fashioned way, goes to balls, where she calmly sits in the corner and greets the guests. Her daily entertainment is to pester her poor pupil Lisa with her whims. Anna Fedotovna is a cold, domineering and selfish lady. Hermann's pleas and persuasion do not make any impression on her. She revives only from fear or memories.
Pushkin subtly uses historical contrast in the story: the aristocratic 18th century, where the laws of honor rule, and the 19th century, in which money already rules. Hermann is a man of a new era. The desire to get rich at any cost leads him to a tragic ending. In a conversation with Lisa, Tomsky characterizes the main character with the following words: “he has the profile of Napoleon, and the soul of Mephistopheles”. Hermann himself values peace and independence most of all. For this he needs solid capital.
It is worth noting that Hermann is not poor at all, because he bets 47 thousand rubles. The hero calls calculation, moderation and hard work his own "with the right cards", which will certainly win and take him to the very top of the social ladder. Wanting to get rich, Hermann moves towards his goal with unbending perseverance. At heart he is a passionate gambler, but he picks up cards with great caution, terribly afraid of losing.
An unexpected opportunity to quickly achieve wealth captures the imagination of a young engineer. From that moment on, the desire to learn the secret of the three cards becomes an obsession for him. Hermann is even ready to become the lover of an eighty-year-old woman. A chance meeting with Lisa gives Hermann another, more faithful path. Playing with the girl’s feelings, the military engineer does not feel the slightest remorse. He goes to the old countess with a pistol, although killing the old woman is not part of his plans. Hermann is only going to scare Anna Fedotovna. Could he kill the old woman for wealth? Quite possible. Selfishness, thirst for profit, unscrupulousness in means, combined with a strong will and cold calculation made Hermann a dangerous person.
Lisa looks like a victim of tragedy, but the poor girl is not so innocent. For the sake of money, she tolerates the whims of the evil old woman, and views Hermann from the point of view of her own benefit. Lisa strives to get married successfully and dramatically improve her position in society. She is close to Hermann in spirit, but the sincerity of her feelings is doubtful. It is no coincidence that at the end of the story Pushkin reports that a poor pupil lives in Lisa’s house. Did not the prosperous Lizaveta become the same tormentor for another poor girl as the countess was for her? Pushkin is almost sure that evil begets evil.
“The Queen of Spades” was published in the magazine “Library for Reading” in 1834 and immediately gained enormous popularity. This is one of the first works of Russian literature that was a great success in Europe. “The Queen of Spades” has been translated many times into foreign languages by classics of European literature. For example, the author of the French translation was Prosper Merimee.
The plot of the work inspired Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to write an opera. “The Queen of Spades” was filmed eight times, including at foreign film studios. The famous literary critic of the early twentieth century, Mirsky, spoke about this story as follows: “In terms of the power of imagination, it surpasses everything that Pushkin wrote in prose.”
Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin is the greatest Russian classic, who gave the world such literary creations as “Eugene Onegin” and “Ruslan and Lyudmila”. There is also the famous story “The Queen of Spades”, which formed the basis for many film adaptations and has been translated into different languages of the world.
Let us consider below the main characters of the work, an analysis of “The Queen of Spades”, a summary of the chapters and more.
History of creation
Pushkin wrote “The Queen of Spades” based on the story of his friend Prince Golitsyn. His grandmother, a famous princess, suggested to him three cards, once prophesied to her by one person, which would bring a win in the game. Thus, the prince was able to regain his lost fortune.
Alexander Sergeevich wrote the book in 1833, and in 1834 it was already published. In terms of genre, “The Queen of Spades” is more likely to belong to realism with notes of mysticism.
Main characters
There are several main characters in the story.
Hermann is the main character of “The Queen of Spades”, around whom the plot of the work revolves. He is a military engineer and the son of a German. He has dark eyes and pale skin. As Hermann himself says, his most important qualities are prudence, moderation and hard work. He is also very frugal and secretive.
From the story it is known that the main character has a small inheritance and not much money. His main dream is to get rich. For this he is ready to do anything. Hermann uses Lisa and the Countess for his own purposes; he does not feel sorry for them at all.
The Countess (Anna Fedotovna Tomskaya) is an eighty-seven-year-old old woman. She has a selfish character, and, as in her youth, she still gives balls and organizes parties. Sticks to the fashions of old. Outwardly, she has already become very flabby and old. But she was once a maid of honor to the emperor. She was accustomed to secular society, which made her arrogant and spoiled. She has a pupil, Lisa, whom she tyranns in every possible way, and many servants who steal from her unnoticed.
According to legend, this old countess holds the secret of three cards, once revealed to her by Saint Germain. Once it helped her win back a big loss. She keeps this secret secret from everyone, even from her four sons. But one day she told only Chaplitsky, which brought him luck.
Lizaveta Ivanovna is the main character, a pupil of old Anna Fedotovna. She is a young and very cute girl with dark eyes and black hair. She is very modest and lonely by nature, she has no friends, and tolerates the Countess without complaint. Lisa falls in love with Hermann, while he decided to use her to get closer to the old woman who holds the secret of winning.
Also in the story are minor characters: Paul Tomsky (grandson of the countess), who told the legend of his grandmother, Chekalinsky and Narumov.
Now let’s look at the chapter-by-chapter summary below. There are only six of them in The Queen of Spades.
Chapter 1. At the ball
Once there was a social evening at Narumov’s. Some guests played cards for money, and Hermann watched what was happening. Everyone was surprised at his indifference, but the son of a Russified German explained this by saying that he did not want to sacrifice money in the hope of winning when there was a risk of losing all his small fortune.
Paul, the grandson of old Anna Fedotovna, wondered why his grandmother did not play. Once upon a time, 60 years ago, she lost a large fortune. But her husband refused to help her, and then she decided to borrow a small amount from Saint Germain. He did not give her money, but he revealed the secret that if three certain cards were played in succession, then good luck would await her. And indeed, Anna won then.
Few of those present believed this legend about the old countess. But not Hermann. He, with his characteristic ambition, decided to forget about all caution and use all his might to find out this secret, which she had not revealed to anyone, in order to win.
Chapter 2. Introduction
Here Liza, a poor and modest pupil of the selfish and old Anna Fedotovna, first appears on the pages of the story. The entire second chapter is devoted to the acquaintance of Hermann and this girl.
The engineer, who began to rave about the secret of the cards, appeared under the windows of the countess’s house a few days after the evening at Naumov’s. This went on for several nights. Hermann decided with all his might and by any means to get closer to Anna Fedotovna. But Lizaveta remained outwardly adamant and only smiled back a week later.
Chapter 3. Death of the Countess
Having not gotten any closer to the secrets of the three cards, Hermann decided to write a letter to Lisa with a declaration of love. She answered it. Hermann continued to be persistent and wrote her letters every day. Finally, he was able to get a secret meeting from her. Lisa wrote to him how he could sneak into the house while the old countess was at the ball.
And he actually went inside and hid in the closet in Anna Fedotovna’s room to wait for her return. But when she arrived, Hermann began to beg her for the secret of the three cards. She categorically refused to say anything. The young man began to threaten with a pistol, and the keeper of the secret suddenly died from fright.
Chapter 4. Betrayal
All this time, Lisa was waiting for her admirer in the room. He came and admitted that he was responsible for the death of the countess. And then the girl realized: Hermann was simply using her.
Chapter 5. Meeting with a ghost
Three days later, the late countess was buried in the monastery, where the culprit of death himself appeared. Even near the coffin, it seemed to him that the old woman was looking at him with a grin.
Then mystical events happened: at night there was a knock on Hermann’s door. It was the countess in white robes. She came to tell the secret of the cards. To win, you must consistently bet three, seven and ace no more than once a day, but never play again in your life, and she also told him to marry Lizaveta.
Chapter 6. Losing
Wasting no time, Hermann decided to play with Chekalinsky, who had recently arrived in St. Petersburg, and was known for playing well. He completely forgot about the second condition - to marry Lisa.
First, he bet 47 thousand on a three, and a day later he also bet a large amount on a seven. And so, after another day, Hermann came across a queen of spades instead of an ace, and he noticed that she seemed to grin at him, like a dead countess. He lost everything.
After the incident, Hermann went crazy and ended up in a psychiatric hospital, and Lisa married a wealthy man.
Analysis
“The Queen of Spades” is a story that you can think about for a very long time. There are several main ideas here. Someone will think, reading this book, that evil begets evil, self-interest and ambition should be punished. And someone will see only mysticism without any philosophy.
Also, when analyzing “The Queen of Spades,” it is impossible to say exactly what genre the story belongs to. There is mysticism, philosophy, and even gothic here, as certain attributes are mentioned in the form of an old house, secrets, strange dreams. The presence of mysticism is also debatable, since nowhere does Alexander Pushkin directly mention ghosts, fate, or foresight. Who knows, maybe Hermann simply dreamed of the countess after her death, and the revealed secret of the cards was just a coincidence? The main character sees strange fantastic things in the form of the gaze of the dead countess and her appearance only through the prism of his subjective view.
But here the author accurately and completely revealed all the characters in such a small book format of only 6 chapters. Hermann creates a very ambiguous image in the story “The Queen of Spades”. He is the main character, but from his actions, from his descriptions, we easily understand what he is like: ambitious, firm, ready to use other people for his own benefit.
This man believed so strongly in the secret of the cards, was so determined to win a very large sum, that he forgot about the countess’s second punishment - to marry Lisa. We can say that Hermann turned out to be weak, because he thought only about money, and when everything did not go at all according to plan (so expected and desired, but, alas, unreliable), he simply went crazy.
The other heroes of “The Queen of Spades” are also very clearly developed. The Countess, who has a secret, is selfish, as can be seen in her attitude towards her pupil, but is not evil by nature. And Lisa herself is patient and modest.
It may well be that the author draws a parallel with people of that time, but of different generations. Hermann is a bright representative of young people who seek to enrich themselves the easy way and even take unjustified risks. Lisa is also not as innocent as she seems at first glance. Being the pupil of such a wayward countess, she tolerates her because of her convenience: a comfortable life in a big house, the absence of extreme needs, there is always food and warmth. And her main desire is to marry a rich man.
Alexander Pushkin reveals the theme of “The Queen of Spades” through numerous unexpected turns of events. Such as, for example, the sudden death of the Countess or the loss of Hermann.
Instead of a conclusion
Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin's story "The Queen of Spades" is one of the few Russian-language works of that time that was a great success throughout Europe. This popularity has not subsided to this day. The well-known composer Tchaikovsky created an opera based on the book, and there were also many film adaptations of The Queen of Spades, the analysis of which is also very interesting.
Dmitry Mirsky very accurately called the book a masterpiece of conciseness. This short story touches on a lot of topics and problems. The essence of “The Queen of Spades” is ambiguous, but the plot is simple. It is not for nothing that this has become a classic of Russian literature, which these days is thoroughly studied in literature lessons at school.
", "Secluded house on Vasilievsky" and the famous passage "Guests gathered at the dacha...". The story has been filmed several times.
Plot
The plot of the story plays on the theme of unpredictable fate, fortune, and fate, beloved by Pushkin (as well as other romantics). A young military engineer, German Hermann, leads a modest life and amasses a fortune; he does not even pick up cards and limits himself only to watching the game. His friend Tomsky tells a story about how his grandmother, the countess, while in Paris, lost a large sum at cards. She tried to borrow from the Count of Saint-Germain, but instead of money, he revealed to her the secret of three winning cards. The Countess, thanks to the secret, completely won back.
Hermann, having seduced her pupil, Lisa, enters the countess’s bedroom, trying to find out the cherished secret with pleas and threats. Seeing Hermann armed with a pistol (which, as it turned out later, turned out to be unloaded), the Countess dies of a heart attack. At the funeral, Hermann imagines that the late countess opens her eyes and glances at him. In the evening, her ghost appears to Hermann and says that three cards (“three, seven, ace”) will bring him a win, but he should not bet more than one card per day. The second condition is that he must marry Lisa. Hermann subsequently did not fulfill the last condition. Three cards become an obsession for Hermann:
...Seeing a young girl, he said: “How slim she is!.. A real three of hearts.” They asked him what time it was, he answered: “It’s five minutes to seven.” - Every pot-bellied man reminded him of an ace. Three, seven, ace - haunted him in a dream, taking on all possible forms: the three bloomed in front of him in the form of a lush grandiflora, the seven seemed like a Gothic gate, the ace like a huge spider. All his thoughts merged into one - to take advantage of the secret that cost him dearly...
The famous millionaire gambler Chekalinsky comes to St. Petersburg. Hermann bets his entire capital (47 thousand rubles) on three, wins and doubles it. The next day he bets all his money (94 thousand rubles) on seven, wins and again doubles his capital. On the third day, Hermann bets money (188 thousand rubles) on the ace. An ace comes up. Hermann thinks he has won, but Chekalinsky says that Hermann's lady lost. In some incredible way, Hermann turned around and bet money instead of an ace on a queen. Hermann sees on the map a grinning and winking Queen of Spades, who reminds him of the Countess. The ruined Hermann ends up in a mental hospital, where he does not react to anything and constantly “mutters unusually quickly: “Three, seven, ace!” Three, seven, queen!..”
Working on the story
The plot of “The Queen of Spades” was suggested to Pushkin by the young Prince Golitsyn, who, having lost, regained what he had lost by betting, on the advice of his grandmother, on three cards that had once been suggested to her by Saint Germain. This grandmother is the “mustachioed princess” known in Moscow society N.P. Golitsyn, nee Chernysheva, mother of Moscow governor D.V. Golitsyn.
- In handwritten drafts the hero is called Herman; perhaps the second "n" was added by publishers under the influence of German spelling.
- The phrase “his name is Hermann” includes the construction “call + creation.” case”, which in the Russian language of that time was used only with a name; in other works Pushkin also follows this rule.
- Kuchelbecker, who was fluent in German, in his diary calls the hero of the story Hermann, that is, the presence of the double “n” did not play a decisive role for him.
Opinions and ratings
- Vladislav Khodasevich brought “The Queen of Spades” closer to other Pushkin works about “the contact of the human personality with dark forces”:
Before the conversation with the Countess, Hermann himself walked towards the black force. When the countess died, he thought that his plan was crumbling, that everything was over and that life would henceforth go on as before, with the same capital and untouched interest. But then the roles shifted: from an attacker he turned into an object of attack. A dead old woman appeared to him. “I came to you against my will,” she said in a firm voice, “but I was ordered to fulfill your request,” etc. However, those by whose will she came to fulfill Hermann’s will laughed at him: otherwise they named him two faithful cards and one, last, most important - incorrect, or at the last, decisive moment they pushed his hand and forced him to lose everything. Be that as it may, they erected it almost to the maximum height - and pushed it down. And in the end, Hermann’s fate is literally the same as the fate of Pavel and Eugene: he goes crazy.
- D. Mirsky singled out “The Queen of Spades” from Pushkin’s works as “his best and most characteristic work in prose”:
It is impossible to summarize it briefly: it is a masterpiece of conciseness. Like Belkin's Tale, this is a work of pure art, entertaining only as a whole. In terms of the power of imagination, it surpasses everything that Pushkin wrote in prose: in terms of tension, it is like a compressed spring. In its frantic romanticism, it is close to the “Hymn to the Plague” and the poem “God forbid I go crazy.” But the fantastic romantic plot is poured into an impeccable classical form, so economical and compressed in its noble nakedness that even Prosper Mérimée, the most sophisticated and economical of French writers, did not dare to translate it accurately and attached all sorts of decorations and explanations to his French translation, thinking, it probably builds up meat on a dry skeleton.
“Ma bonne amie, [My good friend,”] said the little princess on the morning of March 19th after breakfast, and her sponge with mustache rose according to an old habit; but just as in all not only smiles, but the sounds of speeches, even the gaits in this house since the day the terrible news was received, there was sadness, so now the smile of the little princess, who succumbed to the general mood, although she did not know its reason, was such that she reminded me even more of general sadness.
- Ma bonne amie, je crains que le fruschtique (comme dit Foka - the cook) de ce matin ne m "aie pas fait du mal. [My friend, I'm afraid that the current frishtik (as the cook Foka calls it) will make me feel bad. ]
– What’s wrong with you, my soul? You're pale. “Oh, you are very pale,” said Princess Marya in fear, running up to her daughter-in-law with her heavy, soft steps.
- Your Excellency, should I send for Marya Bogdanovna? - said one of the maids who was here. (Marya Bogdanovna was a midwife from a district town who had been living in Bald Mountains for another week.)
“And indeed,” Princess Marya picked up, “perhaps for sure.” I will go. Courage, mon ange! [Don't be afraid, my angel.] She kissed Lisa and wanted to leave the room.
- Oh, no, no! - And besides the pallor, the little princess’s face expressed a childish fear of inevitable physical suffering.
- Non, c"est l"estomac... dites que c"est l"estomac, dites, Marie, dites..., [No, this is the stomach... tell me, Masha, that this is the stomach...] - and the princess began to cry childishly, painfully, capriciously and even somewhat feignedly, wringing his little hands. The princess ran out of the room after Marya Bogdanovna.
- Mon Dieu! Mon Dieu! [My God! Oh my God!] Oh! – she heard behind her.
Rubbing her plump, small, white hands, the midwife was already walking towards her, with a significantly calm face.
- Marya Bogdanovna! It seems it has begun,” said Princess Marya, looking at her grandmother with frightened, open eyes.
“Well, thank God, princess,” said Marya Bogdanovna without increasing her pace. “You girls shouldn’t know about this.”
- But how come the doctor hasn’t arrived from Moscow yet? - said the princess. (At the request of Lisa and Prince Andrey, an obstetrician was sent to Moscow on time, and he was expected every minute.)
“It’s okay, princess, don’t worry,” said Marya Bogdanovna, “and without the doctor everything will be fine.”
Five minutes later, the princess heard from her room that they were carrying something heavy. She looked out - the waiters were carrying a leather sofa that was in Prince Andrei's office into the bedroom for some reason. There was something solemn and quiet on the faces of the people carrying them.
Princess Marya sat alone in her room, listening to the sounds of the house, occasionally opening the door when they passed by, and looking closely at what was happening in the corridor. Several women walked in and out with quiet steps, looked at the princess and turned away from her. She did not dare to ask, she closed the door, returned to her room, and then sat down in her chair, then took up her prayer book, then knelt down in front of the icon case. Unfortunately and to her surprise, she felt that prayer did not calm her anxiety. Suddenly the door of her room quietly opened and her old nanny Praskovya Savishna, tied with a scarf, appeared on the threshold; almost never, due to the prince’s prohibition, did not enter her room.
“I came to sit with you, Mashenka,” said the nanny, “but I brought the prince’s wedding candles to light in front of the saint, my angel,” she said with a sigh.
- Oh, I'm so glad, nanny.
- God is merciful, my dear. - The nanny lit candles entwined with gold in front of the icon case and sat down with the stocking by the door. Princess Marya took the book and began to read. Only when steps or voices were heard, the princess looked at each other in fear, questioningly, and the nanny. In all parts of the house the same feeling that Princess Marya experienced while sitting in her room was poured out and possessed everyone. According to the belief that the fewer people know about the suffering of a woman in labor, the less she suffers, everyone tried to pretend not to know; no one spoke about this, but in all the people, in addition to the usual sedateness and respect for good manners that reigned in the prince’s house, one could see one common concern, a softness of heart and an awareness of something great, incomprehensible, taking place at that moment.
No laughter could be heard in the big maid's room. In the waitress all the people sat and were silent, ready to do something. The servants burned torches and candles and did not sleep. The old prince, stepping on his heel, walked around the office and sent Tikhon to Marya Bogdanovna to ask: what? - Just tell me: the prince ordered me to ask what? and come tell me what she says.
“Report to the prince that labor has begun,” said Marya Bogdanovna, looking significantly at the messenger. Tikhon went and reported to the prince.
“Okay,” said the prince, closing the door behind him, and Tikhon no longer heard the slightest sound in the office. A little later, Tikhon entered the office, as if to adjust the candles. Seeing that the prince was lying on the sofa, Tikhon looked at the prince, at his upset face, shook his head, silently approached him and, kissing him on the shoulder, left without adjusting the candles or saying why he had come. The most solemn sacrament in the world continued to be performed. Evening passed, night came. And the feeling of expectation and softening of the heart in the face of the incomprehensible did not fall, but rose. Nobody was sleeping.It was one of those March nights when winter seems to want to take its toll and pours out its last snows and storms with desperate anger. To meet the German doctor from Moscow, who was expected every minute and for whom a support was sent to the main road, to the turn to the country road, horsemen with lanterns were sent to guide him through the potholes and jams.
Princess Marya had left the book long ago: she sat silently, fixing her radiant eyes on the wrinkled face of the nanny, familiar to the smallest detail: on a strand of gray hair that had escaped from under a scarf, on the hanging pouch of skin under her chin.
Nanny Savishna, with a stocking in her hands, in a quiet voice told, without hearing or understanding her own words, what had been told hundreds of times about how the late princess in Chisinau gave birth to Princess Marya, with a Moldavian peasant woman instead of her grandmother.
“God have mercy, you never need a doctor,” she said. Suddenly a gust of wind hit one of the exposed frames of the room (by the will of the prince, one frame was always displayed with larks in each room) and, knocking off the poorly closed bolt, fluttered the damask curtain, and, smelling cold and snow, blew out the candle. Princess Marya shuddered; The nanny, having put down the stocking, went to the window and leaned out and began to catch the folded frame. The cold wind ruffled the ends of her scarf and the gray, stray strands of hair.“The Queen of Spades” is one of the most intriguing and adventurous works in the spirit of romanticism. Alexander Pushkin not only beautifully described a story already known to everyone, as was the case in some of his works, but also put into it all the ingenuity of his literary genius. In addition, hidden in the intricacies of masterfully written prose is a message that is still relevant today: happiness does not come from money, or even from luck. A detailed analysis of “The Queen of Spades” will help you better understand the work.
The plot of the work is borrowed from reality. The real story of “The Queen of Spades” is this: Pushkin’s acquaintance, Prince Golitsin, an avid card player, managed to win back thanks to the advice of his grandmother, Natalya Petrovna Golitsina, who ordered him to bet everything on three cards. She is the prototype of the Queen of Spades, because at one time she met the magician and magician Saint Germain. According to her, he was not indifferent to her, so he told her a cherished secret. The writer himself also often experienced fortune, this can be guessed based on his good understanding of card terms and the intricacies of the game.
In the process of creating “The Queen of Spades,” the author was in Boldin (1833); it was his most “fruitful” autumn. He worked passionately, so the book is replete with extraordinary plot twists and dramatic conflicts. Of course, the love conflict and the moral fall of the hero are fictional, but it is they who convince us of the danger of playing with fate. He published the work after his exile, in 1834, in the journal “Library for Reading”.
Genre and direction
“The Queen of Spades” is usually defined as a story. This genre implies an average volume, one main storyline and the participation of secondary characters in it. Literary scholars consider this book to be Pushkin’s first work, opening a cycle of further reflections on human vices and the punishments that follow them.
In the analysis, it is important to take into account the realities of the cultural era when the creation was written. The direction of “The Queen of Spades” is romanticism, known to posterity as a period of mystical yearning for an ideal, when fictional worlds penetrated into the real one, and even the most insightful reader could not determine whether magic really happened? Or did the writer simply depict the hero’s dream? So in Pushkin’s book it is not clear who drove Hermann to madness: the magic of cards or an unfortunate loss? Be that as it may, the hero’s desire to get rich at any cost is ridiculed and punished, and the superiority of spiritual wealth over material wealth is glorified and exalted.
What is the work about?
The story tells how one day, during a card game at the Horse Guards Narumov's, the grandson of the old princess Tomsky tells an anecdote about three cards, known only to his grandmother, which certainly win. The story makes a great impression on the young officer Hermann, who, by all means, decides to find out this card combination. He begins to often appear at the countess’s house, pondering his further actions, and one day he notices her pupil, Elizaveta Ivanovna, at the window. Hermann begins to show her signs of attention, and after some time he makes an appointment for her at night in her room.
Having entered the princess's house, he tries to get a secret combination of three cards from the hostess, intimidates her with a pistol, but she dies right before his eyes without revealing her secret. Having attended the princess's funeral, the killer sees her winking at him from the coffin, and at night, either in a dream or in reality, she appears and tells him the combination - three, seven, ace. She sets conditions for him - to bet no more than a card a day and to marry Elizaveta Ivanovna. The hero does not fulfill the second request. Having won two times by betting three and seven, the third time, instead of an ace, the Queen of Spades appears on the table, winking at him. Hermann loses money and goes crazy. The dual essence of the story “The Queen of Spades” is that the reader himself chooses the meaning of the ending:
- Firstly, the princess could really have magical powers and take revenge on the young man for disobedience.
- Secondly, the character could go crazy even at the stage of the obsession with finding out the secret, that is, further events - the consequences of his mental or mental disorder.
The main characters and their characteristics
- Hermann- a young man of pleasant appearance, with “the profile of Napoleon, and the soul of Mephistotle”, a romantic by nature. I haven’t picked up cards since I was a child, but I love watching other people play. He didn’t see the point in “sacrificing what was necessary in the hope of acquiring what was superfluous,” he was only a gambler at heart, but the secret of three cards radically changed his worldview. If earlier he was pedantic, restrained and thrifty, then in the end he becomes a greedy, treacherous and cruel person. Money reveals the hidden depravity of his soul, which absorbs all the good that was in the hero’s heart.
- Anna Fedotovna- an old, decrepit countess, spoiled by social life, living out her last years. Although she keeps her pupil strict, she nevertheless thinks about her future. The image of the Queen of Spades, which Hermann fancied, differs from the heroine during life. She is vengeful, mysterious and categorical. A deal with her is a kind of deal with the devil, because Hermann pays for the secret with his soul, and the lady knows this. It is no coincidence that she demands that the young man make amends to his pupil and marry her. She knows that he will not do this, because a soulless hero is incapable of honesty and nobility. This reveals in her the deceit and hypocrisy inherent in otherworldly forces. The Queen of Spades is also a symbol of easy material success that makes people dizzy. He destroys humanity and virtue in them, leaving in their place a field scorched by vices.
- Elizabeth- a modest and shy young girl, a pupil of Anna Fedotovna, tormented by the constant reproaches, whims and inconstancy of the countess. She is naive and kind, looking for understanding and love in the world, but finds only deception and cruelty. Lisa is also a romantic heroine, but her illusions fail, because reality does not show favor to everyone.
- Tomsk- Prince, relative of Anna Fedotovna. He plays the role of a reasoner; it is thanks to his story that the action begins: Hermann turns onto a crooked path and follows his desires.
Themes
- Fate and fate. A fatal coincidence of circumstances dooms the main character to madness. Herman was destined to pay for the fact that he did not fulfill all the conditions of the old countess, namely, did not marry Elizaveta Ivanovna. Even if we put aside the mysticism, the unprincipled, greedy pursuit of wealth could not end differently. The author calls not to deceive fate, because it is impossible to compete with it.
- Mystic. At the decisive moment of the game, instead of an ace, the Queen of Spades appears among Hermann's cards. Perhaps he himself mixed up the map while under stress, but the possibility of influence from otherworldly forces and revenge on the part of the Countess cannot be ruled out. The playing card itself with the image of the Queen of Spades in many fortune telling foretells misfortune and failure. Or, as it is said in the epigraph to the first chapter of the story, “The Queen of Spades means secret malevolence.”
- Love. The heroine is sincerely disposed towards Hermann, but he does not value real wealth in the form of this favor. He takes advantage of the girl's love to find out the secret, and she blindly believes his hypocrisy. Here the theme of indifference to the people around him is manifested: the main character is ready to go over his head in order to achieve his goal.
- Goals and means. Hermann goes to a positive goal in vile ways, so his business is doomed to failure. By deceiving a girl, intimidating an old woman, deceiving the whole world, he gains success, but loses himself.
Problems
- Greed. Having an insidious plan to profit from the secret, Hermann does not bother to fulfill her posthumous request, and neglects the fact that she came to him not of her own free will, but by decree given from above. He does not spare the feelings of Elizaveta Ivanovna, who managed to trust him and be imbued with tender love messages. The main problem of the work “The Queen of Spades” is the main character’s prudence, which has a negative impact on his life.
- Hypocrisy. With his help, Hermann manages to deceive not only the gullible girl, but also the whole world, which takes his success at face value. Everyone around envy the player's luck, wish him defeat, but maintain an appearance of respect and goodwill. This lie permeates the entire high world.
- Addiction people from material wealth. The hero fiercely seeks wealth for the sake of recognition from those around him, because in the world of salons and balls only money is valued. The problem is not in one person, but in a system where everything has its monetary equivalent.
the main idea
The story of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin makes you think: is dubious luck worth unjustified risk? After all, having once felt like a favorite of fortune, a person begins to get involved in the game, it becomes difficult for him to overcome the dependence on the constant feeling of excitement. But this is only one facet of the work. The idea that Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin pursued is an ironic embodiment of a typical romantic hero, who is not for nothing that he is German. Romanticism originated from Germany, and the author was critical of it. For example, he ironized about his canons, which were far from real life, even in “Ruslan and Lyudmila.” The poet condemns the isolation of this trend from reality and the indispensable desire to present it in a bad light. First of all, he criticizes the romantic hero. Accordingly, Hermann, despite his mystical bent and belief in the magic of three cards, remains an ordinary tradesman with a banal set of values. His sublimely ostentatious nature does not change for the better from magic, because he uses it for greedy purposes. That is, the main idea of “The Queen of Spades” is that no external romantic attributes such as mysticism, excitement and extraordinary character will help the character get rid of the vanity and abomination of the material world, but will only justify his immorality, make crime possible, because the essence of a romantic hero is confrontation with society. It can easily take this form, and this is the danger of the German cult of individualism - the belief in the superiority of the individual over society. Therefore, the ending of the book proves the opposite: society is superior to Hermann, who violated its laws. The point of “The Queen of Spades” is to show the inevitability of punishment for a crime committed. Having learned three treasured cards, thanks to which it was possible to increase his fortune several times, the player could not control himself and lost his mind.
What does it teach?
After reading “The Queen of Spades,” the reader involuntarily thinks about the negative impact of the desire for constant profit. Huge sums of money attract people to return to the card table again and again. Based on Hermann’s negative example, we can conclude that you should not chase easy money, thereby tempting fate. The path to the goal, even if this goal is well-being, must be honest and worthy.
In addition, the nobility of a person is measured not by the fullness of the wallet, but by the wealth of the soul. Only those who cultivate true virtue in themselves are worthy of respect and happiness. Love, sincerity and friendship cannot be bought with a card win, no matter what it is.
Criticism
The story found positive responses among poets and literary critics, and also gained great popularity in European countries. Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky spoke of the work as “perfect fantastic prose.” Russian literary scholar and literary critic Dmitry Petrovich Svyatopolk-Mirsky called “The Queen of Spades” “Pushkin’s best and most characteristic work in prose.”
Indeed, the book caused a whole wave of unexpected reactions in the society of that time. For example, players, influenced by what they read, began to bet on three, seven and ace, and the ladies of the court busied themselves with searching for the prototype of the mysterious Queen of Spades. Pushkin only ironized in his diary about the fashion trend his creation gave rise to. It was not for nothing that the critic Annenkov recalled the furore created this way: “When it appeared, the story created a general buzz and was reread, from magnificent palaces to modest dwellings, with equal pleasure.”
The famous reviewer of Russian classics Belinsky also did not ignore the book and spoke flatteringly for the author:
“The Queen of Spades” is not actually a story, but a masterful story. It surprisingly correctly outlines the old countess, her pupil, their relationship and the strong, but demonically selfish character of Hermann. Actually, this is not a story, but an anecdote: for a story, the content of “The Queen of Spades” is too exclusive and random. But the story, we repeat, is the height of skill.
In “The Queen of Spades” the hero of the story is a truly original creation, the fruit of deep observation and knowledge of the human heart; it is furnished with persons observed in society itself; The story is simple, distinguished by elegance...
Interesting? Save it on your wall!
The second Boldino autumn inspired Pushkin to create several prose works. Among them - "Queen of Spades". The story of the three cards became known to Alexander Sergeevich from the young Prince Golitsyn. In 1828, he told the poet about his grandmother, who in her youth shone in Parisian society and lost greatly. The famous alchemist and occultist Count Saint-Germain helped the princess by revealing to her the secret of the three cards. The woman took advantage of the forbidden information and was able to win back. This story served as the basis for the work written by Pushkin in October - November 1833.
Difficult to determine and genre works. “The Queen of Spades” contains elements of fantasy, characteristic features of the Gothic style: mystery, an old house, a fatal coincidence, a funeral, mysterious steps, a ghost. At the same time, the mysticism here is subjective, if you look at the events from the point of view of Hermann's obsession, which leads him to madness. After all, all fantastic fragments are described exclusively through his perception: the look of a deceased woman in a coffin, the appearance of a dead countess, the wink of the Queen of Spades. If all the mystical episodes are “attributed” to the hero’s painful state, then “The Queen of Spades” will be a completely realistic story on the theme of “crime and punishment.”
The work consists of six parts and a brief conclusion. Each part is preceded by an epigraph, which helps the reader understand the author’s point of view and sets up a certain perception. Compositionally, the first part represents the beginning of the plot, in the third there comes the climax - the scene of the death of the Countess, in the sixth part there is a denouement.
In The Queen of Spades, Pushkin often uses unexpected, random turns of events that intrigue the reader and give the story a plot edge. By chance, Hermann ends up at the Countess's house and sees Lisa. Suddenly he hands the girl a letter. On the fateful night, Hermann goes not to Lisa, but to the countess’s chambers. The death of the old woman also comes as a surprise to the hero, as does her mystical night visit. Hermann does not expect “betrayal” from the cherished cards when a queen appears instead of an ace. A brief conclusion is unexpected for the reader: the hero’s madness, Tomsky’s marriage, Lisa’s marriage.
The main characters of “The Queen of Spades” belong to different generations and have their own status in society. The old Countess Anna Fedotovna is rich and lives in the past. She dresses in an old-fashioned way, goes to balls, where she calmly sits in the corner and greets the guests. Her daily entertainment is to pester her poor pupil Lisa with her whims. Anna Fedotovna is a cold, domineering and selfish lady. Hermann's pleas and persuasion do not make any impression on her. She revives only from fear or memories.
Pushkin subtly uses historical contrast in the story: the aristocratic 18th century, where the laws of honor rule, and the 19th century, in which money already rules. Hermann is a man of a new era. The desire to get rich at any cost leads him to a tragic ending. In a conversation with Lisa, Tomsky characterizes the main character with these words: “he has the profile of Napoleon, and the soul of Mephistopheles.” Hermann himself values peace and independence most of all. For this he needs solid capital.
It is worth noting that Hermann is not poor at all, because he bets 47 thousand rubles. The hero calls calculation, moderation and hard work his “sure cards,” which will certainly win and take him to the very top of the social ladder. Wanting to get rich, Hermann moves towards his goal with unbending perseverance. At heart he is a passionate gambler, but he picks up cards with great caution, terribly afraid of losing.
Lisa looks like a victim of tragedy, but the poor girl is not so innocent. For the sake of money, she tolerates the whims of the evil old woman, and views Hermann from the point of view of her own benefit. Lisa strives to get married successfully and dramatically improve her position in society. She is close to Hermann in spirit, but the sincerity of her feelings is doubtful. It is no coincidence that at the end of the story Pushkin reports that a poor pupil lives in Lisa’s house. Did not the prosperous Lizaveta become the same tormentor for another poor girl as the countess was for her? Pushkin is almost sure that evil begets evil.
“The Queen of Spades” was published in the magazine “Library for Reading” in 1834 and immediately gained enormous popularity. This is one of the first works of Russian literature that was a great success in Europe. “The Queen of Spades” has been translated many times into foreign languages by classics of European literature. For example, the author of the French translation was Prosper Merimee.