Great L.N. Tolstoy wrote his famous story “After the Ball” in 1903, but it was published much later, in 1911, after the death of the writer. The story of the creation of “After the Ball” by Tolstoy suggests that this work is based on real events that occurred with the writer's brother, Sergei Nikolayevich. Leo Tolstoy, being a university student, lived in Kazan with his brothers Nikolai, Sergey, Dmitry and sister Maria. There, his brother Sergei fell head over heels in love with Varenka, the daughter of the military mayor Koreshi A.P., whose estate was in the neighborhood.
The story of the creation of “After the Ball” (L. N. Tolstoy)
Sergei Nikolaevich very often came to visit them and more than once attended their social receptions and balls. But it will happen that once and for all will turn him away from the planned grandiose plans, extinguish his love and desire to marry his dear beloved.
One night after the ball, Sergei Nikolaevich became an involuntary witness to how a fugitive soldier was punished, and this terrible execution was led by Father Varenka himself.
The story of the creation of “After the Ball” is quite intriguing, and therefore it is still better to familiarize yourself with the full content of the work itself in order to understand all the subtleties and essence of the event. This incident shocked the writer himself, who later, many years later, nevertheless decided to describe it in his work After the Ball.
The history of the creation of "After the Ball": a brief summary
L.N. Tolstoy did not know for a long time what name to come up with for him. At first there were several options: “Daughter and father” or “The story of the ball and through the ranks”, but in the end it turned out “After the ball”.
Here the author is concerned about the problem of what affects human behavior, environment or circumstances? And can he control himself, or is he still led by something else. The story of the creation “After the Ball” speaks for itself, but try to plunge even deeper into the analysis of this work.
Genre and creative method
So, “After the Ball” Leo Tolstoy presented as a prose work written in the genre of a short story . It describes one episode from the life of the protagonist, from whom he received a huge shock, which played a big role in his future fate.
The story “After the Ball” depicts the era of the reign of Nicholas I. And the author hints that after many years, in real life, nothing has changed in Russia. Leo Tolstoy was an idealist, he always opposed oppression and violence against the people. His story and almost all the work of this great artist of the word is connected with Russian realism in literature.
The story of the creation of “After the Ball” describes his serious suffering and torment in this regard, up to the renunciation of the Christian faith, which he served for a long time. Tolstoy could not come to terms with reality. He did not want to make the world cruel and unjust.
Main topic
In the work “After the Ball”, the reckless side of the tsar’s soldier and his twenty-five-year service in the Russian army are revealed, where there was complete lawlessness, constant drill and unbearable punishment in case of failure to comply with any order of the chief. But the main problem nevertheless became the issues of moral education of a person and what under the influence of which it is formed. Does all this just affect the case or some social conditions? The story of the creation of “After the Ball” describes an example of how one event turns the whole life of the protagonist, who immediately rejected all then class prejudices. A young man who, like everyone at this age, is very enthusiastic, impressive, suddenly, because of a flood of injustice that has flowed over him, he dramatically changes his fate.
Idea
Image systems and composition help to reveal the idea of the story “After the Ball”. The main characters here are the narrator Ivan Vasilyevich himself, the old colonel and his daughter Varia.
The story of the creation of “After the Ball” by Tolstoy suggests that in the image of Colonel Tolstoy decided to denounce social conditions that distort the true nature of a person who is instilled with the wrong concept of duty.
The ideological content of the work is revealed through the main character, the internal evolution of his feelings, perception of the world. He thinks about the problems of responsibility for the entire world around him. The narrator Ivan Vasilievich is distinguished by the fact that he partially assumes this responsibility for the life of society.
In the story, all the images and actions are described in very contrast: a magnificent ball and a scene of terrible punishment, the graceful figure of a slender Varenka and the body of a soldier resembling a bloodied mess. Or father Varenka, who at first looked like a sweet and charming old man, and then turned into an evil despot, demanding the worthy fulfillment of his order.
Conflict
At the heart of the conflict, on the one hand, lies the duplicity of the mayor, Pyotr Vladislavovich, and on the other, the disappointment of the narrator Ivan Vasilyevich. First, in his story, he sends the most striking compliments to the mayor, describing him as a handsome, handsome, sweet, amiable and fresh old man who disposed each of the guests to him. But after the ball, the picture was depressing, the colonel's face was seized with a cruel grimace, Ivan Vasilievich saw with his glove he hit the face of a small soldier who was trying to soften his blow to the back of an already tormented emaciated runaway Tatar.
The history of the creation of the work “After the Ball” suggests that in the image of Ivan Vasilyevich a person appears who cannot love only one person, he wants to love the whole world and accept it completely. Therefore, love for Varenka due to the act of her father immediately turns to ashes. Because of cruelty and injustice, there is no harmony, and as a result, everything collapses. Of course, the young man is not able to change anything, but he can only agree or disagree with the conditions of the evil in which he will have to participate in the future. That's what the logic of young Ivan Vasilyevich was based on, so he refused his love.