Almost every famous Russian classic in his work turned to such a literary genre as a story, its main characteristics are the average volume between a novel and a story, one detailed plot line, a small number of characters. The famous prose writer of the 19th century, Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev, more than once throughout his literary activity turned to this genre.

One of his most famous works, written in the genre of love lyrics, is the story "Asya", which is also often referred to as an elegiac genre of literature. Here readers find not only beautiful landscape sketches and a subtle, poetic description of feelings, but also some lyrical motifs that smoothly turn into plot ones. Even during the life of the writer, the story was translated and published in many European countries and enjoyed a great polarity of readers both in Russia and abroad.

History of writing

The story "Asya" Turgenev began to write in July 1857 in Germany, in the city of Sinzeg am Rhein, where the events described in the book take place. Having finished the book in November of the same year (writing the story was a little delayed due to the author’s illness and overwork), Turgenev sent the work to the editors of the Russian journal Sovremennik, in which it had long been expected and published in early 1858.

According to Turgenev himself, he was inspired to write the story by a fleeting picture he saw in Germany: an elderly woman looks out of the window of the house on the first floor, and the silhouette of a young girl is seen in the window of the second floor. The writer, thinking about what he saw, comes up with a possible fate for these people and thus creates the story "Asya".

According to many literary critics, this story was personal for the author, since it was based on some events that took place in real life Turgenev, and the images of the main characters have a clear connection, both with the author himself and with his inner circle (the prototype for Asya could be the fate of his illegitimate daughter Polina Brewer or his half-sister V.N. Zhitova, also born out of wedlock, Mr. N .N., on behalf of whom the story is told in Asa, has character traits and a similar fate with the author himself).

Analysis of the work

Plot development

The description of the events that took place in the story is conducted on behalf of a certain N.N., whose name the author leaves unknown. The narrator recalls his youth and his stay in Germany, where on the banks of the Rhine he meets his compatriot from Russia Gagin and his sister Anna, whom he takes care of and calls Asya. A young girl with her eccentricity of actions, constantly changing disposition and amazing attractive appearance makes N.N. great impression, and he wants to know as much as possible about her.

Gagin tells him the difficult fate of Asya: she is his illegitimate half-sister, born from his father's relationship with the maid. After the death of her mother, her father took the thirteen-year-old Asya to him and raised her as a young lady from a good society should. Gagin, after the death of his father, becomes her guardian, first he sends her to a boarding house, then they leave to live abroad. Now N.N., knowing the unclear social status of the girl who was born to a serf mother and a landowner father, understands what caused Asya's nervous tension and her slightly eccentric behavior. He becomes deeply sorry for the unfortunate Asya, and he begins to have tender feelings for the girl.

Asya, like Pushkinskaya Tatyana, writes a letter to Mr. N.N. asking for a date, he, unsure of his feelings, hesitates and promises Gagin not to accept his sister's love, because he is afraid to marry her. The meeting between Asya and the narrator is chaotic, Mr. N.N. reproaches her that she confessed her feelings for his brother and now they cannot be together. Asya runs away in confusion, N.N. realizes that he really loves the girl and wants her back, but does not find it. The next day, having come to the Gagins' house with the firm intention of asking for the girl's hand, he learns that Gagin and Asya left the city, he tries to find them, but all his efforts are in vain. Never again in his life N.N. does not meet Asya and her brother, and at the end of his life, he realizes that although he had other hobbies, he truly loved only Asya and he still keeps the dried flower that she once gave him.

main characters

The main character of the story is Anna, whom her brother calls Asya, a young girl with an unusually attractive appearance (a thin boyish figure, short curly hair, wide-open eyes bordered by long and fluffy eyelashes), a direct and noble character, distinguished by an ardent temperament and difficult, tragic fate. Born from an extramarital affair between a maid and a landowner, and raised by her mother in strictness and obedience, after her death, she cannot get used to her new role as a mistress for a long time. She perfectly understands her false position, therefore she does not know how to behave in society, she is shy and shy of everyone, and at the same time proudly wants no one to pay attention to her origin. Left early alone without parental attention and left to herself, Asya, beyond her years, thinks early about the life contradictions surrounding her.

The main character of the story, like other female images in Turgenev's works, is distinguished by an amazing purity of soul, morality, sincerity and openness of feelings, a craving for strong feelings and experiences, a desire to perform feats and great deeds for the benefit of people. It is on the pages of this story that such a common concept for all the heroines of the Turgenev young lady and the Turgenev feeling of love appears, which for the author is akin to a revolution invading the lives of the heroes, testing their feelings for stamina and ability to survive in difficult living conditions.

Mr. N.N.

The main male character and narrator of the story, Mr. N.N., has the features of a new literary type, which Turgenev replaced the type of "superfluous people". This hero completely lacks the typical “extra person” conflict with the outside world. He is an absolutely calm and prosperous person with a balanced and harmonious self-organization, easily gives in to vivid impressions and feelings, all his experiences are simple and natural, without falsehood and pretense. In love experiences, this hero strives for peace of mind, which would be intertwined with their aesthetic completeness.

After meeting Asya, his love becomes more tense and contradictory; at the last moment, the hero cannot fully surrender to feelings, because they are overshadowed by the disclosure of the secret of feelings. Later, he cannot immediately tell Asya's brother that he is ready to marry her, because he does not want to disturb the feeling of happiness that overwhelms him, and also fearing future changes and the responsibility that he will have to take on someone else's life. All this leads to a tragic denouement, after his betrayal, he loses Asya forever and it is too late to correct the mistakes he made. He has lost his love, rejected the future and the very life that he could have, and is paying for it throughout his life devoid of joy and love.

Features of compositional construction

The genre of this work belongs to an elegiac story, the basis of which is a description of love experiences and melancholic discussions about the meaning of life, regret about unfulfilled dreams and sadness about the future. The work is based on beautiful story love that ended in tragic separation. The composition of the story is built according to the classical model: the beginning of the plot is a meeting with the Gagin family, the development of the plot is the rapprochement of the main characters, the emergence of love, the culmination is a conversation between Gagin and N.N. about Asya's feelings, the denouement is a date with Asya, an explanation of the main characters, the Gagin family leaves Germany, an epilogue - Mr. N.N. reflects on the past, regrets unfulfilled love. The highlight of this work is Turgenev's use of the old literary technique of plot framing, when a narrator is introduced into the narrative and the motivation for his actions is given. Thus, the reader receives a "story within a story" designed to reinforce the meaning of the story being told.

In his critical article “A Russian Man at a Rendezvous,” Chernyshevsky sharply condemns the indecisiveness and petty, timid selfishness of Mr. N.N., whose image is slightly softened by the author in the epilogue of the work. Chernyshevsky, on the contrary, without choosing expressions, sharply condemns the act of Mr. N.N. and pronounces his sentence in the same way as he did. The story "Asya", due to the depth of its content, has become a real gem in the literary heritage of the great Russian writer Ivan Turgenev. The great writer, like no one else, managed to convey his philosophical reflections and thoughts about the fate of people, about that time in the life of every person when his actions and words can forever change it for better or worse.

Why the future of the hero did not work out

All the works of I. S. Turgenev, one way or another, are connected with the theme of love. Unhappy love often occurs in the works of this outstanding Russian classic. So, for example, in the story "Asya" the happiness of the main characters was so possible, but at the last moment slipped out of their hands. The protagonist, known to us as Mr. N.N., as a result remains alone, with broken hopes and a vain dream of happiness.

In his life, he only once met a girl like Asya - he didn’t love anyone like that anymore. However, his indecision, prejudice and weakness of character led to the fact that he and Asya parted forever. And now, in his declining years, he remembers that everything could have been different if he had said at least one word at the right time. He kept all the notes written by Asya for him, the long withered geranium flower, once given to him by Asya. What is the reason for this ending?

In the story, N. N. finds himself in a small German town on the banks of the Rhine River. There, at a student party, he meets two Russians who become his close friends. One of them is the artist Gagin, and the second is his sister Asya. Subsequently, from Gagin, he learns that Asya is his sister only by her father - a man of noble origin, and her mother was an ordinary maid. Asya was shy of her dual origin and therefore behaved sometimes awkwardly.

At first, she also avoided Mr. N.N., but then she became more open and cheerful with him. By nature, Asya was a rather brave and straightforward person. Feeling a feeling of falling in love with N.N., she immediately decided to tell her brother about it and confess to their mutual friend. She was ready for any answer, but she wanted to know honestly how he felt about her. On their first and only date, Asya found herself in the arms of N.N., and he got scared and retreated. He reproached the girl for being too open and for telling her brother about their relationship.

After this conversation, he never saw Asya again. Is he to blame for their separation and the fact that his future did not work out either? I think yes. His main enemies were cowardice, insecurity and doubt. Asya left N.N. a note in parting, in which she said that his one word could stop her and make her happy forever. He searched for Gagin and Asya for a long time in this provincial German city and in other places where they could stay, but he never found it.

While he was young, he still did not realize the extent of his loss. He doubted that he could be happy with such an impulsive girl as Asya. And only after many years he realized that she was the love of his life. For this reason, you need to appreciate and cherish your loved ones, understanding and forgiving their little whims or shortcomings. After all, each person has his own shortcomings, and if we do not accept them as they are, the dream of personal happiness will remain a dream.

Asya is one of the simplest and at the same time mysterious names that a girl can be called.

The character and fate of Asya will depend on what family, in what country and even at what time of the year she will be born. The fact is that behind a simple set of sounds lies real magic.

The meaning and origin of the name Asya

Few people know what the name Asya means. It just seems that there is nothing complicated in it. In fact, the origin and history of the name Asya is rather vague: too many versions are intertwined here.

There are three main versions of the origin of the name:

Scandinavian;

Greek;

Turkic.

According to the Scandinavian version, Asya is a derivative of Asta - Astrid. Translated into Russian, this name means “divinely beautiful”, “passionate”. What does the name Asya mean according to the Greek version? "Reborn". This is a short version of the beautiful name Anastasia. Finally, the third version of the origin and history of the name Asya relates it to female names Asiya and Asiyat, which are very common among the Tatars. It turns out a short "home" version of these beautiful Turkic names. By the way, the meaning of the name Asya is often raised to the geographical concept of "Asia".

Moreover, Asami is called the owner of many other female names. So they can call Anisya, Anna, Agnes, Aksinya, Vasilisa, Arsenia. For Bulgarians, this is an affectionate appeal to a girl by name. Asena, for Armenians - to Hasmik, for Kazakhs - to Aysel.

What character is Asya endowed with

The girl Asya grows up quiet, but resolute and courageous. She knows what she wants, but is not always ready to talk about her desires. Asya is kind-hearted, dependent on the psychological atmosphere prevailing in the house. Any violation of the usual way of life can bring her out of balance. Ace needs time to accept change. It is important for parents, understanding this feature, to teach the girl to accept changes more calmly.

The meaning of the name Asya in the Scandinavian tradition is quite accurate. Girls with such names grow up beautiful and very passionate. Creativity and inspiration are their element, they are interested in questions of spirituality and personal development.

Growing up, Asya turns into a climber. She always wants to help someone, she sincerely experiences the failures of her friends and tries not only to sympathize, but to do something effective, to really help. She is reliable, responsible, but not punctual.

A girl named Asya very energetic. She is able to instantly resolve a problem that has suddenly arisen, and she will act quickly, decisively and correctly. But the planned things do not cause boredom. She will pull to the last, postponing things for later, if they do not arouse her affection.

Asya believe in a loved one with full dedication. This can bring her down if it is an unworthy person. Asya experiences disappointment in people hard. Possessing an easy character, Asya rarely goes into direct conflict, but does not betray her interests. With age, she learns to respond to offenders and not get hung up on problems. It is very pleasant to communicate with a girl with this name.

Asya's female fate

In love Asya romantic and sentimental. She falls in love easily, and she can choose a person who is completely unsuitable for her. Often idealizes a man, forgiving him a lot. Strives to be a good housewife, loves children. Disappointed often and a lot. Her femininity attracts men: a rare woman can so harmoniously combine gentleness, understanding, the desire to please her beloved with practicality and low personal needs. However, having decided to part with a person, he does it decisively, although he suffers in his soul.

The character and fate of Asya are closely connected with loved ones. Exactly family values ​​are the main thing for her. Asya puts her family above all else - this is her safe haven, reliable protection, Lifebuoy. She knows how to create a pleasant atmosphere in which both households and guests will feel at ease. However, she does not strive to be a housewife - she needs new faces and her own business.

Asya extremely frugal. She leads household masterfully, managing not only to feed the family deliciously, but also to save money for a rainy day. It is difficult to suspect her of wanting to spend more on herself. She can very easily refuse an expensive thing, but she will be glad of some pleasant little thing.

Asa likes to take care of her body. She goes to the fitness center with pleasure, trains at home, loves long walks that are good for her figure and soul, visits the sauna and solarium.

Asi's profession

Asya is very emotional. The atmosphere reigning in the house and in the workplace is important for her. She can achieve high results in professions related to creativity, sociology, psychology, counseling. Asya can work as a teacher and social worker, secretary and accountant, be a politician and consultant. Many Asi know how to feel the body subtly, therefore choose professions related to medicine.

Famous people with this name:

• Asya Gorskaya - Russian poetess;
• Asya Zvereva - a famous Russian sound engineer;
• Asya Veksler - Soviet illustrator;
• Asya Kozina - contemporary Ukrainian artist;
• Asya Nemchenok - Russian artist;
• Asya Shneiderman - Soviet poetess;
• Asya Noris - Italian actress;
• Asya Saavedra - American singer;
• Asya Simonyan - Armenian gymnast;
• Asya Abubakarova is a Chechen singer.

Name Compatibility

Amorous, delicate Asya can get along with almost any person. She can create a successful marriage with Artem, Dmitry, Makar, Alexei, George, Igor, Vadim, Peter, Sergei, Gleb, Nikita, Eugene, Ruslan.

She will have good, even relations with Yaroslav, Arseny, Ivan, Alexander, Andrey, Oleg, Leo, Yuri, Danil, Mikhail, Vyacheslav, Vasily.

A accommodating character is one of the most valuable qualities of a girl named Asya. Friendly, sociable, intelligent, she attracts and charms.

The writing

The story of I. A. Turgenev "Asya" is one of the best works Russian literature dedicated to love. In general, love, to a greater or lesser extent, is present in all the works of Turgenev. According to the writer, this is a fundamental feeling in human life.

All the writer's characters are tested by love. It is this test that turns out to be the most important and most difficult. But it is precisely this that determines the moral basis, the essence of man.

So, in the story "Asya" love is born between the main character, Mr. N.N. and girl Asya. Having met in a provincial town in Germany and began to communicate on friendly terms, these heroes realize that they fell in love with each other. Emotional and bold in her feelings, Asya sees no barriers to her happiness with Mr. N.N. The hero becomes a victim of her own weakness, fear, and prejudices.

During the events described, the twenty-five-year-old hero travels around Europe, studies the life of people, enjoys his youth, freedom, and wealth. In almost every town he has a lady of the heart, but he himself is well aware that all these hobbies are not serious. But unexpectedly, in a German town, Mr. N.N. meets his love. It turns out to be a strange girl Asya. Born from a noble father and a maid mother, she stood out among her surroundings with her wild, original disposition, intelligence, emotionality, impetuosity: “Asya was extremely intelligent, studied well, best of all; but she didn’t want to come under the general level, she was stubborn, looked like a beech ... ”.

The author emphasizes the eccentricity of the girl. And indeed, Mr. N.N. immediately noticed this: her artistry, plasticity, impetuosity, great emotionality, the desire to live a bright and memorable life. Such a heroine could not help but attract the attention of the hero. Having met Asya, he feels love in his heart for a beautiful widow who rejected him. But we understand that these feelings are largely simulated. And the hero himself admits this. Only Asya managed to evoke a sincere feeling in him. Turgenev draws us the birth of love, its formation and separation of heroes.

The separation, in my opinion, was the fault of Mr. N. Although he loved Asya very much, he was afraid of responsibility. We remember that Gagin came to Mr. N. with a story about Asya's love. He gave the hero an ultimatum: either he will marry Asa, or they will leave. A little later, the hero meets Asya herself. She confesses her feelings to Mr. N., but the hero betrays both the girl and his love. Prejudices and fear of the opinion of society and the opinion of Gagin force him to push away Asya, who was ready to follow Mr. N. to the ends of the world. Later, the hero regrets his betrayal and wants to fix everything, but he missed his chance. Asya will tell him about this in a farewell note.

Knowing Mr. N. well enough, Gagin and his sister decided to leave without waiting for an answer. They understood that Mr. N. was not yet ripe for such an important decision, and as time passed, he would regret it. And so it happened. In a fit of feeling, the hero rushed to catch up with Asya, but fate decreed that he would not find them. As Mr. N. himself later admitted, this was the best denouement for him: “However, I must confess that I did not grieve for her for too long; I even found that fate was well disposed not to connect me with Asya; I consoled myself with the thought that I probably would not be happy with such a wife.

From the last chapter of the story, we learn that the hero never met his love, he lives as a lonely bean and still keeps the memory of Asa. Among the numerous series of women that he had, only this girl left a deep mark on his soul. Perhaps this was his only love, and having lost it through his own fault, he remained lonely and unhappy until the end of his life. Or maybe the hero had more chances to fall in love and become happy, but he passed by. Because by his nature he has not grown up to love, he is afraid of strong emotions and cardinal changes in life.

Thus, in my opinion, Mr. N. did not pass the test of love. He lost Asya's love only through his own fault. We understand this when we read the scene of Mr. N.'s meeting with Asya. Here the hero appears before us not yet matured to deep and serious Love. Unlike Asya, Mr. N. is afraid of difficulties, so he takes the easiest path, which, however, does not bring him happiness. The hero refuses new strong, lofty feelings, from intense spiritual experiences. The way of life of a secular loafer taught Mr. N. to fleeting hobbies, to superficial experiences, to a frivolous attitude towards life and feelings. Therefore, at the first serious test, when the hero is required to choose, he retreats.

Mr. N. appears before us incapable of independent decisions and life changes. This indecision and weakness is especially clearly seen against the background of Asya, one of the ideal “Turgenev girls”. She is ready for the highest manifestation of love - self-sacrifice.

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