In the work of the Russian classic Ivan Bunin there is a work in which the name of the protagonist has never been named. The action takes place in Naples and Capri. The hero of Bunin goes with his family to the Old World in order to have fun and travel enough. But he does not succeed. A summary of Mr. Bunin's “Mr. from San Francisco” is outlined in this article.
Who is he, this mysterious gentleman from San Francisco?
Summary of Bunin's story - the story of a man who worked extremely hard, became rich, but died before he could realize the goal of his life. He has enough money to arrange an almost heavenly holiday for himself after many years of overwork. But his misfortune is that he forgot how to enjoy life.
Summary of “Mr. San Francisco” Bunin can be divided into three parts. The first is to briefly outline the period of the hero’s stay on a comfortable boat.
In the sea
Late in the fall, Atlantis, resembling a giant hotel, set sail. Life on the ship was measured. Passengers got up early, drank coffee, took wellness baths and walked around the deck. Then they went to breakfast, and then read the press in anticipation of the next meal. After lunch, hours of bliss followed. Travelers settled in reed chairs, hiding in rugs, and looked into the cloudy sky. And again - tea, coffee, hot chocolate, walks ... The most significant event in the daily routine was lunch.
The hero of this story is constantly pleased. They brought him food and fine drinks, dragged his numerous suitcases, and were interested in well-being. And he naively believed that this relationship is a sincere display of respect for his person.
A wonderful backdrop for such a relaxing pastime was created by the orchestra, which relentlessly played in a spacious hall. And invariably, every evening, you could see a beautiful couple on the deck. It was a man and a woman who seemed to comprehend the meaning of true happiness. They danced, drank champagne, laughed, talked. In general, they took everything from this life.
Naples
The summary of “Mr. from San Francisco” by Bunin gives the impression that there are no special events in the story. The deep content of this work can be felt only by reading it in the original. But still, continuing the retelling, it is worth moving on to the second part, in which the action takes place in Naples.
Finally, the ship arrived in Italy. The family of a rich American stayed in a luxury hotel. You can’t describe life in this Italian city, because it flowed according to the established procedure, which it can afford, but only one who has impressive bank accounts.
The only thing that upset travelers was the weather. The first month of winter was unsuccessful that year: rains, winds and other dirt. And the family of the protagonist decided to go to Capri, where, as everyone claimed, it was sunny, warm, and even lemons bloomed.
Capri Island
Summary of “Mr. from San Francisco” Bunin, we conditionally divided into three parts. And the latter will tell about the stay of the hero on a picturesque island and his unexpected death.
On a small steamboat, the American family reached a marvelous picturesque island. On the way, seasickness tormented everyone. But after the unpleasant path was overcome, the nameless gentleman headed for the hotel’s comfortable reading room. There he opened the newspaper, but, alas, could not read anything. Lines flashed before his eyes, and he fell dead. His death irreparably spoiled not only the evening, but also the rest of other travelers ...
After death
Summary of "The Master of San Francisco" Bunin can be completed by the death of the hero. However, the meaning of the novel is not that the rich American could not indulge in a vacation in Venice and other beautiful cities of the world.
His body was moved to the smallest number. The wife demanded that the owner of the hotel more comfortable conditions for the deceased, but he categorically refused. After all, the act of a man from San Francisco already dealt a severe blow to the reputation of the hotel. What will the other guests say when they find out about this ridiculous death?
At dawn the cabman hastily delivered the body to the pier. Then the dead master was quickly transferred to the ship. He lay cold, in a small cabin, and the same life continued on deck. And there, a pathologically happy couple was still having fun. And only one person on the ship knew that these man and woman were just actors hired to create the proper atmosphere. And no one in the world knew how devilishly they were tired of this mediocre game.
In 1915, Ivan Bunin wrote "The Master from San Francisco." The summary, of course, does not reveal the unique talent of the Russian writer. Bunin was inspired to write this work by one of Thomas Mann’s short stories, in which he talked about the death of an aging gentleman during a trip to Venice. The German writer was an unsurpassed master of creating symbolic images. Bunin adopted some of his tricks. “Mr. from San Francisco,” a summary of which is presented above, is still a unique work of Russian classical literature.
In this story, the author depicted the fate of a man who valued material wealth above all else. Over the years during which he worked tirelessly, he forgot how to rejoice, to enjoy what nature gave to man. The summary of the book “Mr. from San Francisco” does not allow us to analyze the author’s unique figurative language, but gives an idea of the depth of the philosophical idea of his work.