Story I.S. Turgenev's “First Love” begins with a conversation between three far from young men about their first love. Everyone had to tell their story, and when it comes to Vladimir Petrovich, he admits that his situation was truly extraordinary. The man, with the permission of his friends, outlined the whole story in writing. Two weeks later, when the company reassembled, he began to read the created recordings, plunging listeners and the reader during his youth. To understand all the subtleties of this book, pay attention to analysis of the work.
Chapter 1
The protagonist is sixteen, then Volodya was just living with his parents in a country house they hired near the Kaluga outpost. The young man was preparing to enter the University, but he did not work much for this. More and more often the young man read aloud verses, which he knew a lot by heart, and was in a sweet state of anticipation of the unknown.
His expectations were destined to come true, since soon the family of Princess Zasekina settled in a dilapidated outhouse next door.
Chapter 2
One evening, Volodya, habitually walking with a gun in the garden and a raven guard, accidentally wandered to the neighbor’s fence, where he saw her: a beautiful tall blond girl. She clapped gray flowers on the forehead of the men around her. There was so much affection and charm in her.
The hero seemed to give everything in the world, if only these thin feminine fingers touched his forehead. Volodya could admire her endlessly, but they interrupted him. He was spotted by one of the men. Not knowing where to go from shame, Volodya ran away under the sonorous laugh of a blond beauty.
Chapter 3
Volodya is looking for ways to meet his beautiful neighbor, and fate itself helps him in this. Suddenly, the mother, who had previously received an illiterate letter from Princess Zasekina asking for a petition, instructs Volodya to go to the neighbors to invite them to visit.
The young man was incredibly happy about this chance. Unprecedented excitement swept him, having put on a frock coat and tie, he goes to the treasured outhouse.
Chapter 4
Having crossed the threshold of the neighboring outbuilding, the young man immediately notes the wretchedness of the interior. The princess’s manners seemed too simple to him, but Princess Zinaida turned out to be amazingly charming (here is her description). She jokingly calls Volodya "Valdemar." She asks for help to unravel the wool - the young man implicitly agrees to everything.
The idyll is interrupted by the appearance of a hussar Belovzorov with a kitten, whom he brought for the princess.
Volodya needed to go home, because his mother was waiting for him. Zinaida manages to invite Volodya to come to them more often. And the hero himself for the first time feels that he is jealous of the princess to the hussar.
Chapter 5
The visit of the princess leaves an unpleasant impression on Volodya's mother. In a conversation with the father of the young man, she admitted that the princess seemed to her a very vulgar person.
On the same day, in the garden, Volodya and his father accidentally meet the princess walking along the territory with a book.
Chapter 6
The Zasekins' lunch visit only worsened Volodin’s mother’s opinion of them. And the young man was surprised by the coldness of Zinaida, who did not pay attention to him all evening, but only talked with Pyotr Vasilyevich (Volodya's father) in French.
However, before leaving, she manages to invite a young man to her evening. He is happy.
Chapter 7
At the evening, Volodya met with fans of Zinaida: Belovzorov, retired captain Nirmatsky, Count Malevsky, poet Maidanov and Dr. Lushin. The company had fun playing forfeits and Volodya joined them.
The young man gets a fantasy - a kiss. Kneeling, he kisses the princess’s pen, and his whole being is filled with happiness. Returning home, he was unable to fall asleep: the image of the girl did not go out of his thoughts, and the emotions from the evening spent overwhelmed.
Chapter 8
In the morning, after drinking tea, the father suggested that Volodya take a walk in the garden and there persuaded his son to tell him everything that he had seen at the Zasekins.
Pyotr Vasilievich was far from family life, he lived in accordance with his philosophy, which was to belong only to himself. Volodya decided to tell his father about Zinaida. After the conversation, Pyotr Vasilievich went to the Zasekin. In the evening of the same day Volodya discovered the next changes: the princess was pale and cold with him.
Chapter 9
Thoughts of love completely absorb Volodya. The princess admits in the conversation that she is only playing with her fans.
Volodya, seeing the strange mood of Zinaida, fulfills the princess’s request and reads her verses by heart. Then they go to the wing to listen to the works of Maidanov, there Volodya realizes that the princess fell in love with someone.
Chapter 10
Volodya was lost in conjecture, not understanding what was the reason for the strange behavior of Zinaida.
Dr. Lushin, on the other hand, gives the young man advice to stop visiting the Zasekins, since, in his opinion, the atmosphere of this house can further negatively affect the young man.
Chapter 11
All gathered again at the Zasekins, including Volodya. They talked about Maidanov’s poem, and then Zinaida suggested playing in comparison. Comparing the clouds with the purple sails on the ship at Cleopatra, in which she hurried to meet her lover Anthony, Zinaida involuntarily betrays her feelings.
Volodya regrets that she is in love, but the question is “WHO?”
Chapter 12
Zinaida is getting weirder. Once Volodya finds the princess in tears, she calls him to her, then suddenly grabbing the young man by the hair, he asks: “It hurts! Does it hurt me? ” Tearing a tuft of hair, she regains consciousness and, in order to at least somehow make amends for her guilt, promises to keep this lock in her locket.
Some time later, Zinaida asks Volodya to jump from a high wall as a sign of his love, he, without hesitation, jumps and faints for a moment, meanwhile she kisses him.
Chapter 13
All the thoughts of the young man were again occupied by Zinaida, he sweetly gave himself to the memories of kisses, but the princess's behavior made it clear to him that he was only a child in her eyes.
Zinaida asks Belovzorov to definitely find a quiet horse for her.
Chapter 14
In the morning Volodya went to the outpost. He wandered for a long time and indulged in dreams about how heroically saving the princess.
On the way to the city, a young man unexpectedly meets Zinaida and his father on horseback, all the reddened Belovzorov rushed behind.
Chapter 15
The next week, Zinaida was reputed to be ill and avoided Volodya's company.
However, later the princess herself volunteered to speak with the young man. She asked for forgiveness for her behavior and offered Volodya friendship, and also announced that from that day he was her faithful page.
Chapter 16
At the next reception, Zinaida invited the guests to alternately tell fabricated stories.
When the princess fell the fantasy, she told the following story: a beautiful young queen gives a ball around a crowd of worthy and ready for her fans for all, and a sea of flattering speeches, but she aspires to the garden, to the fountain, where her lover is waiting. Volodya, like everyone present, realizes that this story is a metaphorical reflection of the princess’s real life.
Chapter 17
Volodya somehow accidentally meets Count Malevsky on the street, who hints at advising the young man, like Zinaida’s page, to trace what his mistress does at night.
He longs to find out the truth, and, armed with an English knife, in order to be able to punish the unknown "rival", he leaves at night in the garden, where he meets his father. The man, wrapped in a raincoat, was in a hurry to leave the neighbor's wing.
Chapter 18
The next morning, Zinaida instructs her cadet brother Volodya, hoping that the boys will make friends. Volodya spends all day in secret thoughts, and by evening already weeps in Zinaida’s arms, accusing her of playing with him. The princess admits her guilt, but assures that she loves the young man in her own way.
After a quarter of an hour, the cadet, Volodya and Zinaida, having forgotten about everything, fled. Here Volodya understands that he is completely in the power of the princess, and even to this he is incredibly glad.
Chapter 19
Volodya tried not to make any conclusions as to what he saw at night. His “burned” in the presence of Zinaida and he was in joy to burn for her.
Ignorance could not last forever. Volodya from the barman Philip learns that his mother reproached her father for treason, and here the young man becomes clear.
Chapter 20
After the announcement of the mother about moving to the city, Volodya decides to meet Zinaida for the last time.
At the meeting, Volodya confesses to the princess that she will always love her, regardless of her actions. The girl gives the boy a farewell kiss. Volodya and his family are moving to the city.
Chapter 21
Once Volodya persuaded his father to take him with him to ride on horseback. By the end of the walk, Pyotr Vasilyevich told his son to wait for him, and he left. A lot of time has passed, but he still was not. Volodya decided to go in search of his father. The young man found him standing near the window of the house in which Zinaida was visible.
The girl held out her hand, and father unexpectedly hit her with a whip. The princess kissed the place of impact, and Pyotr Vasilyevich, throwing a whip, ran into the house. Then it dawned on Volodya that this is true love.
Soon the father died of a blow, but before his death he left a letter asking him to beware of the love of women.
Chapter 22
Several years pass by, Volodya accidentally meets already married Maydanov, who informs him of the marriage of Zinaida, now Madame Dolskaya.
Volodya is going to visit her, but because of the abundance of important matters, he constantly had to postpone the visit. When he does arrive at the indicated address, it turns out that Ms. Dolskaya died four days ago during childbirth.
