Vinnitsa, Ukraine. Here, for 20 years, the famous Russian surgeon Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov lived and worked here at Cherry Manor: a man who has performed many miracles in his life, the prototype of the “wonderful doctor”, which is described by Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin.
History of creation
December 25, 1897 in the newspaper "Kiev Word" the work of A.I. Kuprina “A wonderful doctor (true incident)”, which begins with the lines: “The following story is not the fruit of idle fiction. Everything that I described really happened in Kiev about thirty years ago ... ”, which immediately sets the reader in a serious mood: after all, we perceive real stories closer to our hearts and are more worried about heroes.
So, this story was told to Alexander Ivanovich by a familiar banker, who, by the way, is also one of the heroes of the book. The real basis of the story is no different from what the author portrayed.
“The Miraculous Doctor” is a work about amazing philanthropy, about the mercy of a famous doctor who did not seek fame, did not expect honors, but only disinterestedly helped those who needed it here and now.
The meaning of the name
Why did the author call the doctor miraculous? Firstly, the doctor’s good deed coincided with the eve of Christmas, so the Mertsalovs perceived his appearance as a real holiday miracle.
Secondly, no one except Pirogov wanted to lend a helping hand to needy people, passers-by replaced the bright and clean promise of Christmas with the pursuit of discounts, profitable goods and holiday dishes. In this atmosphere, the manifestation of virtue is a miracle that can only be hoped for.
Genre and direction
A “wonderful doctor” is a story, or more precisely, a sacred, or Christmas story. According to all the laws of the genre, the heroes of a work find themselves in a difficult life situation: troubles fall one after another, there is not enough money, which is why the characters even think about settling accounts with life. Only a miracle can help them. The miracle is a chance meeting with a doctor, who helps them overcome life's difficulties in one evening. The work “Wonderful Doctor” has a bright ending: good conquers evil, the state of spiritual decline gives way to hopes for a better life. However, this does not prevent us from attributing this work to a realistic direction, because everything that happened in it is pure truth.
The story takes place on holidays. Decorated Christmas trees peek out from the store windows, everywhere there is an abundance of delicious food, laughter is heard on the streets, and the ear picks up cheerful conversations of people. But somewhere, very close there is poverty, sorrow and despair. And all these human troubles on the bright holiday of the Nativity of Christ are illuminated by a miracle.
Composition
The whole work is built on contrasts. At the very beginning, two boys are standing in front of a bright shop window, a festive spirit is in the air. But when they go home, everything around them becomes darker: everywhere the old houses are falling apart, and their own home is in the basement. While people are preparing for the holiday in the city, the Mertsalovs do not know how to make ends meet just to survive. There is no question of a holiday in their family. This sharp contrast allows the reader to feel the desperate situation in which the family finds itself.
It is worth noting the contrast among the characters of the work. The head of the family turns out to be a weak person who is no longer able to solve problems, but is ready to run away from them: he thinks about suicide. Professor Pirogov is presented to us as an incredibly strong, vigorous and positive hero who, with his kindness, saves the Mertsalov family.
Essence
In the story "Wonderful Doctor" A.I. Kuprin tells how human kindness and indifference to one's neighbor can change life. The action takes place around the 60s of the 19th century in Kiev. The atmosphere of magic and the approaching holiday reigns in the city. The work begins with the fact that two boys, Grisha and Volodya Mertsalovs, stare joyfully at the shop window, joke and laugh. But it soon turns out that their family has big problems: they live in the basement, there is a catastrophic lack of money, their father was driven out of work, their sister died six months ago, and now the second, Mashutka, became very ill. Everyone was desperate and seemed ready for the worst.
That evening, the father of the family goes to beg, but all attempts are futile. He goes into the park, where he talks about the difficult life of his family, and thoughts of suicide begin to visit him. But fate is favorable, and in this very park Mertsalov meets a man who is destined to change his life. They drive home to an impoverished family, where the doctor examines Mashutka, prescribes the necessary medicines for her, and even leaves a large sum of money. He does not give a name, considering his deed his duty. And only by signing the prescription does the family know that this doctor is the famous professor Pirogov.
The main characters and their characteristics
The story involves a small number of actors. In this work for A.I. Kuprina is important the wonderful doctor himself, Alexander Ivanovich Pirogov.
- Pirogov - famous professor, surgeon. He knows the approach to any person: he looks at the father of the family with such attentiveness and interest that almost immediately inspires confidence in him, and he talks about all his troubles. Pirogov does not need to think about whether to help or not. He goes home to the Mertsalovs, where he does everything possible to save desperate souls. One of Mertsalov’s sons, already a grown man, recalls him and calls him a saint: “... that great, powerful and holy that lived and burned in a wonderful doctor during his lifetime, faded irreversibly”.
- Mertsalov - a man, broken by adversity, who gnaws at his own powerlessness. Seeing the death of his daughter, the despair of his wife, the deprivation of the remaining children, he is ashamed of his inability to help them. The doctor stops him on the path to a cowardly and fatal act, saving, first of all, his soul, which was ready to sin.
Topics
The main themes of the work are mercy, compassion and kindness. The Mertsalov family is doing everything possible to cope with the collapsed misfortunes. And at the moment of despair, fate sends them a present: Dr. Pirogov turns out to be a real magician who, with his indifference and sympathy, heals their crippled souls.
He does not stay in the park when Mertsalov is losing his temper: being a man of incredible kindness, he listens to him and immediately does everything possible to help. We do not know how many such acts Professor Pirogov committed in his life. But you can be sure that in his heart there was a huge love for people, indifference, which turned out to be a saving straw for an unhappy family, which he held out at the right time.
Problems
A.I. Kuprin in this short story raises such universal problems as humanism and loss of hope.
Professor Pirogov personifies humanity, humanism. He is not alien to the problems of strangers, but he takes help to his neighbor for granted. He does not need thanks for what he has done, he does not need glory: it is only important that people around fight and do not lose faith in the best. This becomes his main wish to the Mertsalov family: "... and most importantly - never lose heart." However, the environment of the heroes, their friends and colleagues, neighbors and just passers-by, all turned out to be indifferent witnesses of other people's grief. They didn’t even think that someone’s disaster was affecting them, they didn’t want to show humanity, thinking that they were not authorized to correct social injustice. This is the problem: no one cares about what is happening around, except for one person.
Despair is also described in detail by the author. It poisons Mertsalov, deprives him of his will and strength to move on. Under the influence of sorrowful thoughts, he sinks into a cowardly hope of death, while his family dies of hunger. A sense of hopelessness dulls all other feelings and enslaves a person who is able to spare only himself.
Meaning
What is the main idea of A. Kuprin? The answer to this question lies precisely in the phrase that Pirogov says, moving away from the Mertsalovs: never lose heart.
Even in the darkest times, one must hope, seek, and if there is no strength left, wait for a miracle. And after all it happens. With the most ordinary people, on one frosty, say, winter day: the hungry become full, the frozen become warmed, the sick recover. And these miracles are performed by people themselves with the kindness of their hearts - this is the main idea of a writer who saw salvation from social cataclysms in simple mutual assistance.
What does it teach?
This small work makes you think about how important it is to be partial to the people around us. In the bustle of days, we often forget that somewhere nearby neighbors, acquaintances, compatriots suffer, somewhere poverty reigns and despair prevails. Entire families do not know how to earn a living, and barely survive to pay. Therefore, it is so important not to pass by and be able to support: with a kind word or deed.
Helping one person, the world, of course, will not change, but will change one part of it, the most important for what gives, but does not accept, help. The donor is enriched much more than the supplicant, because he receives spiritual satisfaction from what he has done.
Hackers and artists
