There was a conversation among friends that “for personal improvement it is necessary to first change the conditions among which people live.” Everyone respected Ivan Vasilyevich told a story that radically changed his life.

Then he was young and deeply in love with eighteen-year-old Varenka, a beautiful, tall and graceful girl. This was at a time when the narrator studied at a provincial university, and his main pleasure was balls and evenings.

On the last day of Maslenitsa, the provincial leader gave a ball. Ivan Vasilyevich “was drunk with love” and danced only with Varenka. Her father, Colonel Pyotr Vladislavich, “a handsome, stately and fresh old man,” was also there. After lunch, the hostess persuaded him to take one round of the mazurka together with his daughter. The whole hall was delighted with this couple, and Ivan Vasilyevich was imbued with an enthusiastic and tender feeling for Varenka’s father.

That night Ivan Vasilyevich could not sleep, and he went to wander around the city. His feet carried him to Varenka’s house. At the end of the field where her house stood, he saw some kind of crowd, but, coming closer, he saw that it was a Tatar deserter being driven through the gauntlet. Pyotr Vladislavich walked nearby and vigilantly ensured that the soldiers properly lowered the stick onto the red back of the person being punished, and when he saw Ivan Vasilyevich, he pretended that they did not know each other.

The narrator could not understand whether what he saw was good or bad: “If this was done with such confidence and was recognized by everyone as necessary, it means that they knew something that I did not know.” But without knowing this, he could not enter either the military or any other service.

Since then, every time he saw Varenka’s pretty face, he remembered that morning, and “the love just faded away.”

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1. Ivan Vasilievich- narrator. In the story, he is young and ambitious, in love with a charming girl Varenka. Honest and conscientious, ready to help even an ordinary peasant.
2. Varenka– a young girl, sweet and innocent.
3. Petr Vasilievich- Varenka’s father, an active colonel. He behaves nicely and politely with his daughter, in the service he shows cruelty and aggression, he is despotic and cruel.

Other heroes

1. Tatar soldier- all that is known is that he was a soldier in Pyotr Vasilyevich’s regiment. After an unsuccessful attempt to escape, he was caught and punished for his deed.

The story begins with a discussion between friends about whether the environment can influence a person’s self-improvement, whether it can change his life. Ivan Vasilyevich invites his friends to listen to a story that will definitely answer this question.

At the ball

In his youth, Ivan Vasilyevich was a very romantic person, and this feeling was fueled by his love for the charming Varenka. He was at the next ball, which was organized by the girl’s family, and everything seemed wonderful to him. The hosts surprised us with their kindness and hospitality, the house was large and luxurious, the music was cheerful, and the food was very tasty.

He does not take his eyes off Varenka’s father, Colonel Pyotr Vasilyevich. Everything about him seems so kind, sympathetic and noble. The man communicates with his daughter in a sweet manner, expressing tenderness and pride.

The main character also notices his homemade boots, and he comes to the conclusion that he is saving on himself so that his daughter does not need anything. The whole evening passes in a nice and good-natured atmosphere, and in this mood he goes home.

After the ball

The ball ends early in the morning, and main character walks towards his house. In the middle of the field, he notices a strange picture and peers into the fog for a very long time to understand what is happening there. When the images took shape, he was at the same time horrified by what he saw. A dozen soldiers gathered around the Tatar, who was being punished for trying to escape.

Each of the soldiers had a stick and each hit it once on the back of the fugitive soldier. The man muttered something inaudibly, and then began to beg: “Brothers, have mercy,” but no one let go of his stick. Having recovered a little from the shock, Ivan Vasilyevich saw something that turned his consciousness upside down, removed his naivety and love for all people, he saw who was at the head of this punishment. Pyotr Vasilyevich stood a little further away and beat one of the soldiers, who took pity on the fugitive and was ashamed to beat him.

The man who seemed kind, noble and honest to him appeared before him in the role of Satan. There was a fire in his eyes, cruelty and malice were visible in his actions. When Pyotr Vasilyevich noticed Ivan, he pretended that he did not know him, continuing the punishment. Then, the main character felt bad, fear and shame arose in his heart.

The rest of the way home he tried to find an excuse for what he had seen. But every time. When he remembered Varya’s father, the image of a despotic and cruel man with bloody hands arose before his eyes. All this did not leave him for a long time; the shock of what he saw did not go away the next day, or a week later.

Conclusion

That event radically changed my life young man. His love for Varenka disappeared in a few moments; he no longer sought meetings with her. Something broke in Ivan, that youthful naivety and love for people. He suddenly realized what cruel people are at the head of our state.

The changed worldview did not allow him to serve the state. That is why he did not become an officer and did not become an official, because he could not serve the state with unjust and cruel laws.

Test on the story After the ball

One of Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy’s short stories “After the Ball” leads to sad reflections. Let's touch a little on the history of creation. The work was written in 1903, however, it was published only in 1911. Based on real events (from historical archives it is known that the story happened to the author’s brother, Sergei Nikolaevich), this story will not leave readers indifferent, because what is described here shocked Leo Tolstoy himself.

The main characters of the story:

Ivan Vasilievich– a storyteller sharing a story about himself strong love and what was the cause of its sudden extinction. A person who is not indifferent to beauty, who wants to see good traits in his neighbor, but who cannot tolerate violence against the individual. He is disgusted by the oppression of poor, unfortunate people. Pity for the mutilated soldier, albeit a guilty one, who continues to be inhumanly mocked, despite pleas, without showing any mercy, leads the hero into a state of despair, even to the point that he decides to get drunk with a friend until he passes out. The young man is especially struck by the fact that the execution process is led by a colonel, the father of his beloved Varenka. After this, he decides never to be a military man, although at first he wanted it.

Varenka- daughter of Colonel Pyotr Vladislavovich, bride of Ivan Vasilyevich, the object of his great love. A very beautiful, graceful girl with a gentle look.

Varenka's father, Colonel Pyotr Vladislavovich- at first he made a good impression on Ivan Vasilyevich, such that he even experienced an “enthusiastic and tender” feeling towards him. However, the charm dissipated when the narrator saw the colonel leading the process of beating the guilty Tatar fugitive, whom, on the orders of Pyotr Vladislavovich, every soldier in the ranks beat with sticks. No pity, no compassion, only cruelty and anger - this is how Varenka’s father actually turned out.

Beginning of the story: Ivan Vasilyevich expresses his opinion

In one house there was a leisurely conversation, the essence of which was that human behavior in most cases is influenced by the external environment. Ivan Vasilyevich categorically disagreed with this, and, deciding to prove he was right, he began to tell a story that happened to him one day.

Love for Varenka

“I was very much in love” - this is how Ivan Vasilyevich begins a sad story about an episode of his life. The object of his affection turned out to be Varenka, the daughter of Colonel Pyotr Vladislavovich, a very beautiful girl- at eighteen years old, graceful and even majestic. A gentle smile never left her face, and this captivated Ivan Vasilyevich even more. He himself characterizes himself as a rich young man, fond of balls and enjoying life. And then one day, on the last day of Maslenitsa, he had the opportunity to go to a ball with the governor’s leader.

At the ball…

Everything was wonderful that day: the narrator danced only with Varenka. “I was not only cheerful and contented, I was happy, blissful, I was kind, I was not me, but some unearthly creature who knows no evil and is capable of only good...” - this is how Ivan Vasilyevich describes his state. Love for the colonel's daughter grew more and more in his soul. After dinner, the hostess persuaded Pyotr Vladislavovich to go through one round of the mazurka with her daughter, and everyone was delighted with this couple.
The hero was happy, and was afraid of only one thing: that something would darken the bright joy that reigned in his soul. Unfortunately, very soon his fears came true.

“My whole life changed from one night...”

Arriving home after the ball, Ivan Vasilyevich was so excited that he could not fall asleep. Little did he know then that in a few minutes he would make a decision that would turn out to be fateful. And it seemed like nothing special - driven by insomnia, the young man in love decided to walk around the city early in the morning. If only he knew what this innocent walk would lead to. The young man's soul was filled with beautiful music, to which he danced at the ball, but suddenly completely different sounds were heard: harsh, bad.

As he approached, he saw a terrible picture: walking towards him was “a man naked to the waist, tied to the guns of two soldiers who were leading him.”

It was a captured deserter who was led through the line, and each soldier was obliged to hit the fugitive. Sometimes human cruelty knows no bounds, and the author tried to convey this in bright colors.

Disappointment in Varenka's father

The terrible sight was forever imprinted in the consciousness of Ivan Vasilyevich, who just a few hours ago considered the colonel to be a rather nice person. Now he was cruel, merciless, terrible. “Will you smear it, will you?!” - Pyotr Vladislavovich shouted at the soldier who did not hit the deserter hard enough... No one listened to the quiet request of the poor sufferer, who barely whispered: “Brothers, have mercy.” And Ivan’s pleasant feelings towards Varenka’s father instantly disappeared, leaving room for bitter surprise, disappointment, even shock. It’s no wonder that the young man got drunk that morning with a friend.

"Love has come to naught..."

From then on, Ivan Vasilyevich could no longer relate to Varya as before. Every time he met her, he remembered the colonel in the square. And love gradually melted away.
“So this is why a person’s fate can change,” the narrator concluded. Alas, to our greatest regret, this also happens.

The author’s intention when creating the story “After the Ball”

Inhumane treatment of people, unfortunately, was the norm in those days. And this was clearly understood by Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, who, although he was a count, sympathized with the suffering people with all his soul.

Throughout the story, the author gives the reader a reason to reflect on the question: what makes a person cruel or, conversely, kind? The environment where he lives? Or is it something else? But can there be a clear answer to such a complex question? And what is the opinion of the author himself?

The position of Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy: on the side of moral principles

Throughout his life, Leo Tolstoy experienced torment from the fact that a person lives like an atheist, and this cannot but affect his behavior and views. The oppression of the poor by the rich, the obvious vices of the nobility and those who managed to occupy some position in society - everything led the writer into a confusion of feelings. Having an amazing gift for putting thoughts into words, Lev Nikolaevich became the author of novels, novellas, and short stories that reflect the essence of his experiences. He was convinced that man, despite all the evil, retains some “higher intelligence” endowed by the Creator. But is it? Trying to fulfill the Christian commandments, Leo Tolstoy did not realize the main thing: the whole world lies in evil, and vice cannot be defeated by one’s own efforts. This simply requires the power of God.

Leo Tolstoy wrote After the Ball in 1903, but it was first published in 1911, after the death of the great Russian writer. The story is based on true story, which happened to the writer’s older brother, Sergei. While still a student, Lev Nikolaevich lived with his brothers in Kazan. His brother Sergei Nikolaevich was in love with Varvara, the daughter of the military mayor Andrei Petrovich Koreysha, and often came to visit them. But one day Sergei Nikolaevich saw how, under the leadership of Varya’s father, they beat a fugitive soldier. The whole picture shocked him so much that the young man’s desire to get married immediately disappeared. And now, in fact, you can take on the summary of “After the Ball.” So, several people are having small talk and thinking about everything.

"After the ball". Summary

Dear Ivan Vasilyevich was a great expert at all sorts of stories. And so, one day, being among his friends, he started a conversation about how a person cannot always understand what is good and what is bad, since in order to improve it is necessary to change his environment, they say, it eats a person. And he immediately added that in his situation, which he will talk about later, chance, not environment, played a big role in fate.

Ivan Vasilyevich describes two paintings. In the first one, everything is beautiful, happy and dressed up guests are dancing at a ball, having come to pay tribute to the provincial leader, whom the author describes as a very sweet and good-natured person who constantly took care of his daughter Varenka. The old man really treats her very carefully and even saved on himself for her sake. Summary“After the Ball” notes that the Mazurka dance of father and daughter evokes deep emotion and admiration among the entire audience present at the ball. The festive atmosphere is complemented just before Lent by the last day of Maslenitsa.

Love

The summary of “After the Ball” further tells that the then very young Ivan was head over heels in love with the beautiful Varenka. He couldn't be without her for even a minute. Then, after the ball, he could not fall asleep for a long time and kept fiddling with the feather from the fan she had given him. However, the situation changes when he decides to take a walk in the fresh air. Varenka’s house was visible in the distance, and some strange music and noise could be heard from there. Ivan decided to come closer and saw a cruel picture there. Under the leadership of Varenka’s father, a bloody massacre of soldiers with sticks takes place over a fugitive Tatar soldier, who was groaning and writhing in pain, and was already looking like something red, wet and unnatural.

Analysis of the work

A summary of Tolstoy’s “After the Ball” indicates that the writer in this work conveys his state before parting with formal faith, because he was anathematized because of his religious beliefs. The writer emphasizes that the execution takes place on Forgiveness Sunday. By this he emphasizes the completely unmerciful and unchristian character of society, since a Muslim is beaten. In this case, the Christian faith is taught in the form of violence to those of other faiths. Tolstoy wanted to see an ideal in many ways, and this is why he suffered all his life with his thoughts and desires. Humility and repentance were not a top priority for him in his Christian life, and he decided to choose his own path.

After the ball
Summary of the story
The respected Ivan Vasilyevich unexpectedly changes the topic of conversation: he is convinced that the environment does not affect a person’s way of thinking, but it’s all a matter of chance. He tells the story of his youthful love for the beautiful Varenka B. Like other young officers, Ivan Vasilyevich spent his evenings at balls, caroused with his comrades, and did not attend university circles, etc. At the ball of the provincial leader, he constantly dances with Varenka, dressed in a pink and white dress, feels that his love is mutual. Ivan Vasilyevich has an exclusively platonic feeling for the object of his love. Varenka’s father appears, “a very handsome, stately, tall and fresh old man” with a ruddy face and a luxurious mustache (like Nicholas I), a colonel. The owners persuade him to dance a mazurka with their daughter. While dancing, the couple attracts everyone's attention. Ivan Vasilyevich is touched by the fact that the colonels wear unfashionable calf boots, that is, he denies himself a lot in order to dress and take his beloved daughter out into the world. After the mazurka, the father takes Varenka to Ivan Vasilyevich, and the young people spend the rest of the evening together. Ivan Vasilyevich returns home in the morning, but cannot sleep and goes to wander around the city in the direction of Varenka’s house. From afar, he hears the sounds of a flute and a drum, which endlessly repeat the same shrill melody. On the field in front of B.'s house, he sees how some Tatar soldiers are being driven through the line for escaping. The execution is commanded by Varenka’s father, a handsome, stately Colonel B. Tatarin begs the soldiers to “have mercy,” but the colonel strictly makes sure that the soldiers do not give him the slightest indulgence. One of the soldiers “smears.” B. hits him in the face. Ivan Vasilyevich sees the Tatar’s red, motley, blood-wet back and is horrified. Noticing Ivan Vasilyevich, B. pretends that he does not know him and turns away. Ivan Vasilyevich thinks that the colonel is probably right, since everyone admits that he is acting normally. However, he cannot understand the reasons that forced B. to brutally beat a person, and not understanding, he decides not to enroll. military service. His love is waning. So one incident changed his life and views.

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