The story was written by Turgenev as an autobiographical plot. Zinaida was in his destiny. It was his father who became interested in the young lady. Therefore, Turgenev was able to publish his work only after the death of his mother in 1860. Criticism did not accept Turgenev's Zinochka unfriendly. DI. Pisarev wrote that he did not understand her character, but for Dobrolyubov she was Pechorin and Nozdryov rolled into one. “No one has ever met such a woman, or would like to meet one,” the critic concluded.
The main characters of Turgenev’s story “First Love”:
Vladimir Petrovich - bachelor. The main development of the plot occurs when Vladimir Petrovich was 16 years old. Then he first fell in love with his neighbor, Princess Zina Zasekina. He felt bliss when he was next to her, was insanely jealous of other men, and was sad when she was not around. Young Vladimir abandoned his classes, walks around the neighborhood, and stopped horseback riding.
Marya Nikolaevna, mother– I didn’t pay any attention to my son, despite the fact that he was my only son. She was jealous, constantly worried or angry.
Peter Vasilievich, father- a person who is exquisitely calm, self-confident and autocratic. He treated his son with indifference and kindness. He was 10 years younger than his wife and married her for convenience. He treated his son distantly and was almost not involved in his upbringing.
Princess Zasekina– 50-year-old woman. Judging by her manners, she was not born into a princely family. In the second half of the 19th century, marriages between wealthy merchants and industrialists and impoverished nobles were accepted. The noble class degraded. Princess Zasekina was not distinguished by secular manners, and was even an unpleasant woman
Zinochka, daughter of Zasekina- young lady 21 years old. Flirty. Her face was subtle, smart and sweet. Unlike mother, she was distinguished by her secular manners and tact. She was not without princely arrogance. She spoke French perfectly and read. Zinochka liked men, and she knew it very well, and took advantage of it. She quickly noticed that 16-year-old Vladimir was in love with her, flirted with him, teased him, spoiled him, and made fun of him.
“In her entire being, tenacious and beautiful, there was some particularly charming mixture of cunning and carelessness, artificiality and simplicity, silence and playfulness; over everything she did and said, over her every movement there was a subtle, light charm, a peculiar, playful force was felt in everything. And her face was constantly changing, playing too: it expressed, almost at the same time, mockery, thoughtfulness and passion. The most varied feelings, light and quick, like the shadows of clouds on a sunny, windy day, ran over her eyes and lips every now and then.”
Zinaida was dominated by an incorrect upbringing, she was surrounded by strange people; poverty and disorder in the house. She felt superior to people and enjoyed boundless freedom. All this, taken together, developed in her a certain carelessness towards everything and undemandingness. “Caprice and independence,” is how Lushin described Zinochka.
Zinochka made fun of the poet Maidanov, sympathized with him, and at the same time forced him to read Pushkin.
But of all the men surrounding Zinochka, she fell in love with Pyotr Vasilyevich, Volodya’s father. She fell in love so much that she was able to take a blow from him with a whip. This struck young Vladimir most of all.
Count Malevsky spoke with a slight Polish accent. He was a handsome and smartly dressed brunette with a mustache, expressive brown eyes, a thin nose and a small mouth. He was smart and handsome, but there was a falseness, something dubious about him. He earned himself a reputation as a hoaxer; he masterfully fooled people at masquerades. He had the cunning of a fox and an unconscious deceit that was absorbed into his entire existence.
Doctor Lushin was distinguished by truthfulness and straightforwardness. Vladimir Petrovich respected him for this trait. He knew Zinaida better than others, and probably loved her more than others. In words he was a cynical and mocking person.
Poet Maidanov - a tall young man with a thin face, blind eyes and long black hair. A cold man, like all writers, who lived in his own imaginary world. He assured Zinochka, and perhaps to a greater extent himself, that he adored her, sang her praises in his poems.
Retired Captain Nirmatsky, a forty-year-old man, incredibly pockmarked, curly-haired like a blackamoor, stooped, bow-legged.
Belovzorov, hussar, - the handsome hussar with bulging eyes and blond curls had a stately and even heroic build. As a military man, he always wore a uniform. He asked Zinaida to marry him. Zinochka called the hussar “my beast.” Belovzorov was incredibly jealous of Zinochka for everyone
The novel ends with the fact that 4 years after the events described, Zinochka dies during childbirth. Vladimir graduated from the University, and Zinochka married a certain wealthy Mr. Dolsky.
“First Love” is a touching story of the first love of a sixteen-year-old teenager, which left an indelible mark on his soul for the rest of his life.
Summary of “First Love” for a reader’s diary
Time and place of the plot
The story takes place in 1833. At first, the events take place in the suburbs of Moscow, where the main characters were relaxing at the dacha, then in Moscow itself, and then in St. Petersburg.
Main characters
Vladimir is a sixteen-year-old young man, ardent, in love, deeply decent.
Zinaida is a beautiful young princess, intelligent and educated, passionate in nature.
Pyotr Vasilyevich is Vladimir’s father, an intelligent, freedom-loving man of forty years old.
Vladimir's mother is a calm, wise woman who was older than her husband.
Princess Zasekina- mother of Zinaida, who, despite the title, was a poorly educated, unkempt woman with bad manners.
Plot
Being a forty-year-old respectable man, Vladimir Petrovich V. shared the story of his first love with close friends.
Sixteen-year-old Vladimir lived with his parents at the dacha, where he diligently prepared for the upcoming entrance exams to the university. Soon new guests moved into the neighboring wing - Princess Zasekina and her daughter. When Vladimir saw the princess, the twenty-one-year-old beauty Zinaida, he immediately fell madly in love with her. He dreamed of meeting her, and soon he had the opportunity to do so.
One day, Volodya’s mother sent him to the Zasekins with an offer to pay a visit. The young man was unpleasantly surprised by the behavior and manners of the princess, while Zinaida behaved impeccably. She talked with Vladimir’s father almost the entire evening, not paying any attention to the young man, and only before leaving asked to pay her a visit. Vladimir began to visit the Zasekins almost every evening. He fell head over heels in love with Zinaida, but the girl saw him only as a child and did not show any interest in him.
Beautiful, smart, well-educated Zinaida was a great success with men and was always surrounded by fans. Unexpectedly for herself, she fell in love with Vladimir’s father, Pyotr Vasilyevich, who was twenty years older than her. Zinaida's feelings were so strong that she was not afraid to sacrifice her own reputation for the sake of love.
One day, Vladimir became an involuntary witness to a meeting between his father and Zinaida. Their connection shocked the young man to the depths of his soul, but he did not dare to condemn the lovers. When Vladimir’s mother, and then the entire local society, became aware of the relationship between Pyotr Vasilyevich and Zinaida, a serious scandal broke out, and the Zasekins had to return to Moscow. Before their departure, Vladimir managed to confess his love to Zinaida.
After some time, Vladimir again witnessed a meeting between his father and Zinaida. The girl tried to convince Pyotr Vasilyevich of something, but he responded by hitting her on the hand with a whip. Vladimir was shocked by the reaction of his beloved - she raised her hand to her lips and kissed the mark from the blow.
Vladimir's family settled in St. Petersburg, where the young man entered the university. Six months later, Pyotr Vasilyevich died of a heart attack, having previously received a mysterious letter from Moscow.
After graduating from university, Vladimir learned that Zinaida got married. He wanted to visit her, but kept putting off the meeting. When Vladimir arrived at the address, he found out that his first love died a few days ago during childbirth.
Conclusion and your opinion
First love strikes on the spot - having neither experience nor understanding of this feeling, young people find themselves defenseless in front of it. This feeling leaves a big mark on the soul, shapes the personality, and establishes an attitude towards the opposite sex. The author shows how difficult it was for the hero to find his first love, but he endured this difficult test with great dignity.
the main idea
First love is rarely happy, but it is the one that leaves the most powerful memories, painful and at the same time sweet.
Author's aphorisms
“...I didn’t have a first love,” he finally said, “I just started with the second...”
“...Take what you can yourself, but don’t let it get into your hands; to belong to yourself - that’s the whole point of life...”
“...it is sweet to sacrifice oneself for others. ..."
“...It was all over. All my flowers were torn out at once and lay around me, scattered and trampled..."
Interpretation of unclear words
Say a word- say, pronounce.
Drag- to court the woman you like.
procrastinate- hesitate.
Governor- a children's teacher living in someone else's house.
Young lady- a respectful address to a girl.
New words
Outbuilding– additional extension to a residential building.
Sealing wax- a colored fusible mixture that is used to seal various containers.
Patronage– protection, intercession, and assistance provided to someone of a lower position.
Test on the story
Reader's diary rating
Average rating: 4.3. Total ratings received: 135.
D. z.: on the trail. lesson (March 26) - checking homework. Please complete the task for everyone, since absence from class is not the reason for unfinished homework. All homework grades will be posted in the journal.
March 26, (if N.V. doesn’t come out) - we’ll finish “First Love” and start A. N. Ostrovsky (the play “Poverty is not a vice”)
Episodes
In a work of art, as in life, the episode plays a big role. After all, in our lives, characters are revealed precisely in small situations. Do you want to understand someone better? Watch how he behaves in minute situations.
Writers actively use this. Therefore, let us turn to any episode of the story.
Take one of the episodes
(for example, “Game of forfeits” (Chapter VII);
“Thunderstorm” (chapter VII);
“Jump from the Wall” (chap. XII);
“Zinaida’s explanation with her father” (Chapter XXI), but you can take absolutely any episode for analysis) and please characterize it according to the proposed plan.
ANALYSIS PLAN
1. Episode location In the development of the plot and composition of the work. Its conventional name.
2. Speech structure of the episode: dialogue (speech characteristics of the characters, features of the author’s remarks), narration (depiction of events), description (portrait, landscape, psychological state of the characters), author’s reasoning (lyrical digressions).
3. What events are happening in the episode, who participates in them, what aspects of the characters’ character are revealed? (Or: What is being described and how? What details of the descriptions can be considered key? What thesis is being proven in the author’s argument? What is the pathos of the author’s narrative?)
4. How and for what purpose does the author use the details of visual representation? (Or: What arguments does the author give to prove his theses?)
5. What figurative and expressive means of artistic speech does the writer use, for what purpose?
6. What is the emotional tone of the episode. How is it created?
7. Determine the theme and problem of the work. What development did they get in this episode? What is the significance of the episode for revealing the main idea of the work, expressing the author’s position?
Characteristics of the heroes of the story
Of course, we will focus our main attention on the characters of the “love triangle”: Zinaida, Voldemar and father
A plan that will help you understand the hero of the story
- Portrait (based on quotes only)
- Landscape and its role in revealing character characteristics
- Speech
- Actions (key episodes)
- Conclusions.
The story “First Love” is a work about the complexity of human relationships, about how tragic relationships between people can be if they are not based on love.
This is the tragedy of a father bound by marital ties, a family in which there is no love. This is the tragedy of Zinaida, who fell in love with the man of her dreams, but due to circumstances did not have the opportunity to unite with him. This is the tragedy of the boy Voldemar, whose first love turned out to be so dramatic.
But still, the most important thing is Love as a wonderful feeling, as an eternal human value. Even tragic, unrequited love is beautiful if only because it awakens in a person the best strings of his soul.
The story “First Love” by Turgenev was written in 1860, and in many ways became a reflection of the author’s personal experiences. This is a story about the first, half-childhood love, which had to face adult love, full of drama and sacrifice.
Main characters
On our website you can read online a summary of “First Love” chapter by chapter, and then take a test to test your knowledge. A brief retelling of the work will be useful for the reading diary and preparation for a literature lesson. Vladimir
- a sixteen-year-old boy who had to endure all the joys and troubles of his first love. Zinaida
- A 21-year-old impoverished princess, spoiled by male attention, with whom Vladimir was in love. Petr Vasilievich
- Vladimir’s father, an intelligent, freedom-loving middle-aged man who started an affair with Zinaida.
Other characters Princess Zasekina
- Zinaida’s mother, an unkempt, uneducated woman with bad manners. Vladimir's mother
- a reserved, delicate woman who was much older than her husband. Malevsky, Lushin, Maidanov, Nirmatsky and Belovzorov
- fans of Zinaida.
Chapter 1
Sixteen-year-old Volodya was preparing to enter university at his parents’ dacha. He lived in anticipation of something extraordinary and this “was destined to come true soon.” Soon the family of Princess Zasekina moved into the small outbuilding.
During one of his walks, Volodya saw an unusually attractive blond girl in a company of young people. The stranger struck the young man in the heart and he, feeling “unprecedented excitement,” ran home.
Chapter 3
The next morning, all Volodya’s thoughts were occupied only with how to get to know the object of his passion. The young man was rescued by his mother, who ordered him to “go to the princess and verbally explain to her” so that she would come to visit her.
Chapter 4
Finding himself in the Zasekins’ chambers, Volodya was unpleasantly surprised by the excessive simplicity and untidiness of the decoration and the princess herself. Her daughter Zinochka turned out to be the complete opposite - gentle, graceful, with excellent manners. She admitted that she was five years older than Volodya and asked him to “always tell the truth.” At that moment the young man felt as good as a fish in water. But soon his joy faded when a young hussar appeared at the Zasekin family and presented Zinaida with a kitten - Volodya was jealous for the first time in his life.
Chapters 5-7
Volodya's mother found the princess “a very vulgar woman,” obsessive and selfish. It turned out that she was the daughter of a rich clerk, and married a bankrupt prince, who soon squandered her dowry.
At the reception with Volodya’s parents, Princess Zasekina “didn’t show herself off at all,” while Zinaida “behaved herself very strictly, almost arrogantly, like a real princess.” Saying goodbye, she invited Volodya to come to them in the evening.
Arriving at the appointed hour to the Zasekins, Volodya saw Zinaida surrounded by young people. Among her fans were “Count Malevsky, Doctor Lushin, the poet Maidanov, retired captain Nirmatsky and Belovzorov.” The guests had a lot of fun: they played forfeits, “sang and danced, and represented a gypsy camp.”
Chapter 8
His mother was against Volodya’s communication with his neighbors, whom she considered ill-mannered. She reminded her son that he should “prepare for the exam and study.”
Volodya shared his impressions of Zinaida with his father, an intelligent, interesting man who valued freedom above all else. After a conversation with Volodya, he “ordered to saddle his horse” and went to the Zasekins. In the evening the young man found Zinaida pale and thoughtful.
Chapter 9
Volodya was languishing in love with Zinaida, who by that time was carried away by playing with her fans - “she kept them all on a leash, at her feet.”
One day Volodya found his chosen one in a strange mood. When looking at his face, she noted that he “has the same eyes,” and then admitted that she was disgusted with everything. Volodya realized that Zinaida was in love.
Chapters 10-12
Volodya kept trying to understand who was the lucky guy with whom Zinaida fell in love. Doctor Lushin tried to warn him against frequent visits from the Zasekin family - the choice of house was “painfully unfortunate”, and its atmosphere was destructive for a pure, ardent young man.
Meanwhile, “Zinaida became more and more strange, more and more incomprehensible.” She began to allow herself strange antics, and one day she passionately kissed Volodya.
Chapters 13-15
The young man felt indescribable bliss for a long time after kissing his beloved. One day he noticed how, during a horseback ride, his father enthusiastically whispered something in Zinaida’s ear. For the next week, the girl did not show herself to anyone, saying she was sick. After a while, she told Volodya that “now everything is over,” asked for forgiveness for her previous coldness and offered friendship.
Chapter 16
One day the young princess invited the guests to tell their dreams. When it was her turn, she described her dream. In it she was in the image of a queen, surrounded by fans. Each of them is ready to die for her, but the queen’s heart is given to the only one who is waiting for her near the fountain. “No one knows him,” but the queen is ready to come at his first call and “both stay with him and get lost with him.”
Chapters 17-19
The next day, Malevsky, looking “contemptuously and playfully” at Volodya, hinted that he needed to be constantly nurturing his “queen,” especially at night. The young man realized that Zinaida was leading a double life.
At night in the garden, Volodya noticed his father sneaking around, but did not attach any importance to it. Soon everything fell into place - “a terrible scene occurred between father and mother.” The mother “reproached the father for infidelity, for dating a neighboring young lady,” and in response he lost his temper and left. This “sudden revelation” completely crushed Volodya.
Chapter 20
It was decided to return to Moscow. Volodya came to say goodbye to Zinaida and tell her that he would “love and adore” her until the end of his days. The touched girl hugged Volodya to her and “kissed” him deeply and passionately.
In Moscow, a young man who experienced a love drama did not soon “get rid of the past, and did not soon get to work.” His mental wound was healing very slowly, but he did not feel anger towards his father. During a frank conversation, Pyotr Vasilyevich gave advice to his son “to live normally and not give in to hobbies.”
Chapter 21
One day Volodya went horseback riding with his father. After a long walk, Pyotr Vasilyevich asked his son to wait a little and disappeared somewhere in an alley. Tired of the long wait, Volodya began to look for his father, and soon found him near a wooden house, in the window of which Zinaida could be seen. A tense conversation took place between them, during which Pyotr Vasilyevich hit Zinaida’s naked hand with a whip, and she only “kissed the red scar on it.” The father immediately “threw the whip aside” and ran into the house to his beloved.
Volodya was shocked by what he saw - he understood what true, “adult” love was, which had nothing to do with his enthusiastic youthful feeling. Six months later, his father died of a stroke, having previously received “a letter from Moscow, which excited him extremely.” Before his death, he warned Volodya against female love.
Chapter 22
After four years, Volodya successfully graduated from the university. He found out that Zinaida got married, but at first it was not easy for her to find a match for herself after her relationship with Pyotr Vasilyevich. Volodya put off meeting his first love until he learned that she “died almost suddenly from childbirth.”
Conclusion
After reading the short retelling of “First Love,” we recommend reading the story in its full version.
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The image of Zinaida in the novel “First Love”
I. S. Turgenev’s story “First Love” appeared in 1860. The author especially valued this work, probably because this story is largely autobiographical. It is very closely connected with the life of the writer himself, with the fate of his parents, as well as with beautiful and vivid memories of his first love.
The plot of the story "First Love" has much in common with "Asya". Both here and there the elderly man talks about his first feeling. Reading “Asya,” we can only guess who Mr. N.’s listeners were. In the introduction of “First Love,” both the characters and the situation are concretized. In his work, Turgenev clearly traces the emergence and development of the protagonist’s love. Love is an amazing feeling; it gives a person a whole palette of emotions - from hopeless grief and tragedy to amazing, uplifting joy.
The narrative, in addition to the prologue, includes twenty-two small chapters. Their content does not exceed two or three pages - events and impressions change so quickly, the main character, Volodya, grows so quickly.
After describing the portrait of the young man, the author draws a portrait of the main character. Zinaida appears as a vision, all the more beautiful because before this the young hero indulged in a not very poetic hobby. He went out to shoot crows, and suddenly “he saw a girl in a pink dress and headscarf behind the fence.” Volodya observed her from the side and therefore the heroine appears to us for the first time as a sketch in profile: “... A slender figure, and slightly disheveled blond hair under a white scarf, and this half-closed smart eye, and these eyelashes, and a tender cheek under them.” Volodya found his neighbor more than one, and also engaged in a strange activity: “Four young men crowded around her, and she took turns slapping them on the forehead<…>gray flowers." A game that portrays childhood in the form of a heroine. And at the same time, one of the main features is revealed: youthful coquetry, the desire to captivate and conquer - “young people so willingly offered their foreheads - and in the movements of the girl<...>there was something so charming, commanding, mocking and sweet.” Volodya will instantly fall into the circle of young men, fascinated by her beauty.
Turgenev focuses not on the beauty of her features, but on their mobility, liveliness, variability, on “cute”, “charming” movements. Therefore, in the description of the portrait there are many verbs: “trembled”, “laughed”, “sparkled”, “rose”. The princess is very lively, relaxed, spontaneous, this is her charm, this is what makes her irresistible and desirable. Together with the girl, we find ourselves in some bright and joyful world, where everything blossoms and enjoys life; it is no coincidence that summer nature becomes the background of the portrait.
The image of Zinaida is the same as her portrait: the girl is always different, she is never the same, everything about her is constantly changing. At dinner with Volodya’s mother (chapter 6) she is cold and prim, it’s difficult to recognize her as yesterday’s anemone; in playful games with her fans (chapter 7) Zinaida seems completely frivolous, but suddenly in chapter 9 we see her suffering, deeply sad , thinking with bitterness about her difficult fate. The absolute freedom of self-expression, of course, delights, but this only confirms that the girl’s character is entirely woven from deep contradictions that torment her; there are many mysteries in it.
The description of Zinaida testifies to her romance and youth; Vladimir sees a girl among the greenery, in the garden - this reveals Zina’s connection with nature, the harmony of her image. Everything about her is good, and Vladimir is ready to give everything so that “those fingers will slap him on the forehead.” Fans are crowding around the girl, who is not yet familiar to the main character - it is clear that Turgenev seems to see her as a mystery, and he, perhaps, would submit to her will. Some time after meeting, Vladimir falls in love with Zinaida. The young man’s feeling is obvious: he is trying to stand out from the mass of fans in front of her, fulfilling many of her desires, which Zinaida unconsciously expresses; in the end, this is only his first love, and “what’s in the soul is on the face.”
Zinaida occupies an intermediate position between childhood and adulthood. She is 21. This is evidenced by her actions, which reek of childishness and thoughtlessness (playing forfeits or ordering Voldemar to jump from the wall). The love of her fans amuses her. She also treats Voldemar as just another admirer, at first not realizing that he has never fallen in love before, that his life experience is even less than her own.
Of course, the twenty-year-old girl looked down on the sixteen-year-old admirer. In a moment of affectionate frankness, Zinaida says: “Listen, I<…>could be your aunt, really; Well, not an aunt, an older sister.” No wonder she “entrusted me with her brother, a twelve-year-old cadet who came on vacation.” The coincidence of names - the boy who arrived was also called Volodya - speaks of Zinaida’s sisterly, protective feelings for both. Trying to analyze his feelings at that time, Vladimir Petrovich also repeats several times: “I was still a child.” In many episodes, Volodya actually shows childishness. Following the cadet, he happily “whistled” into a homemade pipe. To prove his love for the girl, he is ready, at her request, to jump onto the road from a height of “two fathoms.” Touched by his timid worship, Zinaida, partly playfully, partly seriously, “favors” him as her page. This recognition and the gift of a rose takes you back to chivalrous times, the times of knights and beautiful ladies. In Zinaida’s attitude towards her “page” there is a lot that is unsaid, contradictory, and sometimes cruel. To the fair reproach through tears, “...Why did you play with me?...What did you need my love for?” Zinaida responds with a confession: “I’m guilty before you, Volodya... Oh, I’m very guilty...” “She did whatever she wanted with me,” the hero sums up.
Zinaida sees this love; she is torn between Vladimir and his father, who is also infatuated with her. Turgenev emphasizes Zina’s ability to understand other people’s experiences, her prudence. She carefully weighs the situation before coming to a decision: to become the mistress of a married man, destroying his family, or to love his son, still a boy? Turgenev also conveys the torment before the choice, emphasizing her humanity and sincerity. “Everything disgusts me,” she whispered, “I would go to the ends of the world, I can’t bear it, I can’t cope.... And what awaits me ahead! .. Oh, it’s hard for me.... my God, how hard it is! ”
Zinaida, despite seeming more frivolous, is capable of suffering and serious feelings. She suffers from the “illegitimacy” of her feelings, this pushes her to unpredictable actions. This is the type of “Turgenev girl” - childishness, childish habits with the power of love and the feeling of an adult girl.
In the second plot scene, a cross-cutting and very important motif of light in solving the image of Zinaida will appear. Light shines through Zinaidina’s “sly smile on slightly parted lips,” and the light illuminates the princess’s quick glance at Vladimir. And “when her eyes, mostly half-squinted, opened to their full size,” the light seemed to spill over the girl’s entire face.
The feeling of emanating light from Zinaida’s gaze and face belongs to a young knight in love, deifying his ideal, who saw a woman-angel in front of him. But at the same time, the light is a sign of special purity, speaking about the inner purity of Zinaida, the purity of her soul, despite all the contradictory behavior of the princess.
The motif of light reaches its culmination in the portrait description of Zinaida sitting against the background of a window. “She sat with her back to the window, curtained with a white curtain; a ray of sunlight, breaking through this curtain, bathed her fluffy golden hair, her innocent neck, sloping shoulders and tender, calm chest with a soft light.” Enveloped in the window light, emitting light herself, she seemed to be in a cocoon of light, through which “her face seemed even more charming: everything in it was so subtle, smart and sweet.” “The eyelids quietly rose,” and the girl’s tenderly shining eyes seemed to reflect her soul.
With difficulty and tears, Zinaida enters the world of adults. It is in her character to love a strong person, “who would break me himself.” She is waiting for exactly this kind of love, she wants to submit to her chosen one. She is no longer satisfied with flirting with fans, she is “sick of everything,” and she is ready for a big, strong feeling. Voldemar is the first to understand that she truly fell in love.
In this sense, not only the image of the heroine and her fate are characteristic, but also the image and fate of Volodya’s father, Pyotr Vasilyevich. He, like Zinaida, is far from an ordinary person. In an effort to emphasize the significance of his personality, the writer even surrounds it with an aura of some mystery. He draws attention to Pyotr Vasilyevich’s characteristic lust for power, his despotic egoism. But Pyotr Vasilyevich, this strong and unusual person in his own way, also does not find his happiness, wasting his strength and abilities in vain.
At first one can guess about Pyotr Vasilyevich’s deep feelings only from these indirect evidence, but they are more eloquent than words of love. Why has he looked younger, why is his gait so light, why is he drawn to talk to a girl, bending low towards her? Why do the princess’s eyes rise so slowly? There is only one answer: they love and hide their criminal love, but the internal state of the heroes, their emotional experiences are revealed by an external gesture, movement that makes a lot clear. This is a feature of Turgenev’s psychologism. (Psychologism is a depiction of the inner, hidden life of the human soul).
Of course, I remember the scene of the heroes’ spied meeting in a house by the river, in which the always calm and ironic Pyotr Vasilyevich loses his composure and hits Zinaida’s hand with a whip (chapter 21). The blow with the whip is an external manifestation of the internal state of Volodya's father. The writer does not tell us anything about the hero’s feelings that boil in the depths of his soul, but through this gesture we guess about them: a blow to the hand is something more than an expression of anger at Zinaida, who does not want to obey his decision. This is the hero’s protest against the circumstances of his life, which mercilessly separate him from the only one he loves; there is despair and pain in him.
The girl’s reaction is striking: “Zinaida shuddered, silently looked at her father and, slowly raising her hand to her lips, kissed the red scar on it.” A gesture filled with selflessness awakens repentance in the soul of the old egoist: “The father threw the whip aside and, hastily running up the steps of the porch, burst into the house...” Most likely, this day became a turning point in the life of Pyotr Vasilich and in his attitude towards people: “ He thought and lowered his head<…>. And then I saw for the first and almost the last time how much tenderness and regret his stern features could express.”
Before us is a new Zinaida, “with an indescribable imprint of devotion, sadness, love and some kind of despair.” This face, the dark, sad dress speaks of how difficult the life of a girl who sacrificed everything for her first love is.
At the end of the story, Turgenev again touches on the theme of time, again recalling how irreparably terrible it is to delay in love. Mr. N. could not catch up with Asya. Vladimir Petrovich was lucky enough to hear about Zinaida “about four years” later. The princess managed to arrange her life, despite secular gossip. This is how one can understand Maidanov’s polite omissions, from whose lips Vladimir learned about the further fate of Zinaida, now Mrs. Dolskaya. They can meet and meet the past. Moreover, she “has become even prettier” and, according to a friend, “will be glad” to see her former admirer.
“Old memories stirred up in me,” says Vladimir Petrovich, “I promised myself the next day to visit my former “passion.” The frivolous word “passion”, which Vladimir Petrovich used when speaking about his first love, instills anxiety in the reader. And indeed, the hero is not in a hurry: “But some things came up; a week passed, then another..." But fate does not want to wait: "...When I finally went to the Demuth hotel and asked Mrs. Dolskaya, I found out that she died almost suddenly four days ago<…>" “It was as if something pushed me into my heart,” says the hero. “The thought that I could have seen her and did not see her and will never see her - this bitter thought sank into me with all the force of an irresistible reproach.
It is also interesting why Turgenev called his heroine the name “Zinaida,” which was so unusual in those days. Having considered its meaning, it becomes clear that this name characterizes a girl like no other.
Zinaida (Greek) - born of Zeus (in Greek mythology, Zeus is the supreme deity); from the family of Zeus.
The name Zinaida means divine; belonging to Zeus, i.e. God's; from the family of Zeus; born of Zeus. A bright, light, cheerful and strong name. It sounds internal strength and concentration, demandingness and serious penetration. This name gives the impression of being armed and invulnerable, like knightly armor.
By mental make-up, Zinaida is a leader. But, when necessary, she will submit to a man. This woman with a constant desire for primacy, as they say, has character. A restless and always dissatisfied soul.
Zinaida is the “empress” in the company. In the sea of life - like a fish in water. She is determined and even reckless. She will not compromise her interests, but she is not capable of vile acts. And if he makes a scandal, it’s over trifles and quickly cools down. She knows everyone's responsibility to society, to themselves.
Zinaida is somewhat cold, but men always pay attention to her. It fools their minds.
“Of all my female types,” Turgenev once said, “I am most pleased with Zinaida in “First Love.” In her I was able to present a real, living person: a coquette by nature, but a really attractive coquette.”