Characteristic of san francisco. "Mr. from San Francisco" main characters

The protagonist of the work of I.A. Bunina, having earned a good fortune, decides to go on a cruise with her family on a motor ship with the symbolic name "Atlantis".

Image and characterization The gentleman from San Francisco serves as a reminder that in the pursuit of wealth and luxury, one should not forget how fleeting life is and that it sometimes ends suddenly at the most inopportune moment.

Age

An elderly American of fifty-eight years of age.

"... in spite of my fifty-eight years ..."

"... an old man from San Francisco, who was also going to go with them ..."

Appearance

The appearance of the protagonist cannot be called pretty. Short in stature, with a yellowish complexion. He looked like a Mongol. The figure is lean, improperly tailored, but sturdy for his 58 years. The emerging bald spot adorned the top of the head. Large teeth, framed by gold fillings, gleaming ominously with a smile.

"Dry, short, wrongly cut, but tightly sewn, cleaned to a gloss and moderately lively ..."

"There was something Mongolian in his yellowish face with a trimmed silver mustache, his large teeth glittered with gold fillings ..."

"... lowering a strong, bald head ..."

“… Fingers short, with gouty indurations on the joints. Large, protruding almond-colored nails ... "

clothing

He preferred light-colored clothes, believing that she was younger than him.

"..When he wore a frock coat and snow-white underwear, he looked very youthful ..."

A family

The gentleman was married. Raised his only daughter.

"... I went to the Old World for two whole years, with my wife and daughter ..."

Traits

All his life, the elderly American strove to provide himself with a dignified old age. For this he plowed from morning to night, largely denying himself. And only now, at the end of his years, he allowed himself to breathe freely, reaping the fruits of incessant labor.

Main character traits:

Hardworking. Purposeful. Having set a goal, he goes to the end. Having fully devoted himself to work, he was able to achieve significant results.

Lives in the future. For him, today is not important, the main thing is what the future will be. All days are planned in advance. Everything is strictly according to his plan. There is no room for coincidences.

Spender. He surrounded himself with expensive things. In restaurants, he presented the waiters with generous tips.

"... He was quite generous on the way and therefore fully believed in the solicitude of all those who fed and watered him ..."

Preferred elite alcoholic drinks. He could afford to leave a large amount in brothels, admiring the bodies of young corrupt beauties. I chose the best hotels to stay.

"Going to the car of the very hotel where the prince might have stayed."

Self-confident. Cynical. Considers his own opinion above others. The conversation is condescending. Does not hesitate to speak openly about his superiority.

The Lord's journey from San Francisco ended before it began. He could not fulfill his dream, to which he was going so much. Sudden death interrupted all plans. Together with his death, all pathos, authority and power, those things with which he so diligently surrounded himself, die.

"The gentleman from San Francisco" is one of the most famous stories of the Russian prose writer Ivan Alekseevich Bunin. It was published in 1915 and has long become a textbook; it is taught in schools and universities. The seeming simplicity of this work hides deep meanings and problems, which never loses its relevance.

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History of creation and plot of the story

According to Bunin himself, the inspiration for writing "Mister ..." was the story of Thomas Mann "Death in Venice". At that time, Ivan Alekseevich did not read the work of his German colleague, but only knew that an American was dying in it on the island of Capri. So "The Lord of San Francisco" and "Death in Venice" are not connected in any way, except perhaps by a good idea.

In the story, a gentleman from San Francisco, along with his wife and young daughter, set off on a long journey from the New World to the Old World. The gentleman worked all his life and amassed a solid fortune. Now, like all people of his status, he can afford a well-deserved rest. The family is sailing on a luxurious ship called Atlantis. The ship looks more like a luxury mobile hotel, where an eternal holiday lasts and everything works in order to bring pleasure to its obscenely rich passengers.

The first tourist point on the route of our travelers is Naples, which welcomes them unfavorably - the city has disgusting weather. Soon, the gentleman from San Francisco leaves the city to go to the shores of sunny Capri. However, there, in a cozy reading room of a fashionable hotel, he will die unexpectedly from an attack. The gentleman is hastily transferred to the cheapest room (so as not to spoil the hotel's reputation) and in a deaf box, in the hold of Atlantis, he is sent home to San Francisco.

Main characters: characteristics of images

Mr. from San Francisco

We get to know the gentleman from San Francisco from the first pages of the story, because he is the central character of the work. Surprisingly, the author does not honor his hero with a name. Throughout the entire story, he remains “master” or “mister”. Why? The writer honestly admits this to his reader - this person is faceless "in his desire to buy the delights of real life with the available riches."

Before we put up labels, let's get to know this gentleman better. What if he's not that bad? So, our hero worked hard all his life (“the Chinese, whom he signed out to work in thousands, knew it well”). He turned 58 years old and now he has the full material and moral right to arrange for himself (and his family in combination) a great vacation.

"Until that time, he did not live, but only existed, it is true, very good, but still pinning all hopes on the future."

Describing the appearance of his nameless master, Bunin, who was distinguished by his ability to notice individual features in everyone, for some reason does not find anything special in this person. He casually paints his portrait - "dry, short, wrongly cut, but tightly sewn ... a yellowish face with a trimmed silver mustache ... large teeth ... a strong bald head." It seems that behind this rough "ammunition", which is issued complete with a solid state, it is difficult to consider the thoughts and feelings of a person, and, perhaps, everything sensual simply turns sour in such storage conditions.

On closer acquaintance with the gentleman, we still learn little about him. We know that he wears elegant expensive suits with suffocating collars, we know that at dinner at Antlantis he eats his fill, smokes red-hot cigars and drinks liquor, and this brings pleasure, but in fact we know nothing else.

It is amazing, but during the entire long journey on the ship and stay in Naples, not a single enthusiastic exclamation was heard from the gentleman's mouth, he does not admire anything, is not surprised at anything, does not reason about anything. The trip brings him a lot of inconvenience, but he cannot not go, because all people of his rank do this. So it should be - first Italy, then France, Spain, Greece, certainly Egypt and the British Isles, exotic Japan on the way back ...

Exhausted by seasickness, he sails to the island of Capri (a must-see point on the way of any self-respecting tourist). In the luxurious room of the best hotel on the island, the gentleman from San Francisco constantly says “Oh, this is terrible!”, Without even trying to understand what exactly is terrible. Injections of cufflinks, stuffiness of a starchy collar, disobedient gouty fingers ... I'd rather go to the reading room and drink local wine, all respected tourists will certainly drink it.

And having reached his "Mecca" in the hotel reading room, the gentleman from San Francisco dies, but we do not feel sorry for him. No, no, we do not want righteous reprisals, we simply do not care, as if a chair broke. We wouldn't cry over the chair.

In pursuit of wealth, this deeply limited man did not know how to manage money, and therefore bought what society imposed on him - uncomfortable clothes, unnecessary travel, even the daily routine according to which all travelers were obliged to rest. Early rise, first breakfast, a walk on the deck or “enjoying” the sights of the city, lunch, voluntary-forced sleep (everyone should be tired at this time!), Packing and a long-awaited dinner, hearty, hearty, drunk. This is how the imaginary "freedom" of a rich man from the New World looks like.

Master's wife

The wife of the gentleman from San Francisco, alas, also has no name. The author calls her "Mrs." and describes her as "a large, broad and calm woman." She, like a faceless shadow, follows her wealthy husband, walks along the deck, has breakfast, dines, “enjoys” the sights. The writer admits that she is not very impressionable, but, like all elderly American women, she is a passionate traveler ... At least she should be.

The only emotional outburst occurs after the death of a spouse. Mrs. is indignant that the manager of the hotel refuses to place the body of the deceased in expensive rooms and leaves him to “spend the night” in a squalid damp little room. And not a word about the loss of a spouse, they have lost respect, status - that's what the unfortunate woman occupies.

Master's daughter

This sweet miss does not evoke negative emotions. She is not capricious, not arrogant, not talkative; on the contrary, she is very restrained and shy.

"Tall, thin, with magnificent hair, perfectly tucked away, with breath aromatic from violet cakes and with the most delicate pink pimples near the lips and between the shoulder blades."

At first glance, the author is supportive of this lovely person, but he does not even give a name to his daughter, because again there is nothing individual about her. Remember the episode when she is in awe while talking aboard the Atlantis with the crown prince who was traveling incognito. Everyone, of course, knew that this was an oriental prince and knew how fabulously rich he was. The young miss went crazy with excitement when he paid attention to her, perhaps she even fell in love with him. Meanwhile, the eastern prince was not at all good-looking - small, like a boy, a thin face with taut swarthy skin, a rare mustache, an unattractive European outfit (after all, he travels incognito!). It is supposed to fall in love with princes, even if he is a real freak.

Other characters

As a contrast to our cold trinity, the author gives interspersed descriptions of characters from the people. This is the boatman Lorenzo ("carefree reveler and handsome"), and two mountaineers with bagpipes at the ready, and a simple Italian meeting the boat from the shore. All of them are inhabitants of a joyful, cheerful, beautiful country, they are its masters, its sweat and blood. They do not have myriad fortunes, tight collars and secular duties, but in their poverty they are richer than all the gentlemen from San Francisco put together, their cold wives and gentle daughters.

The gentleman from San Francisco understands this on some subconscious, intuitive level ... and he hates all these “garlic-smelling people”, because he cannot just go and run barefoot along the shore - he has lunch on a schedule.

Analysis of the work

The story can be roughly divided into two unequal parts - before and after the death of the gentleman from San Francisco. We are witnessing a vivid metamorphosis that has occurred literally in everything. How the money and the status of this person, this self-proclaimed ruler of life, suddenly depreciated. The manager of the hotel, who a few hours ago broke into a sweet smile in front of a wealthy guest, now allows himself to be openly familiar with Mrs, Miss and the deceased gentleman. Now this is not a guest of honor who will leave a substantial amount at the box office, but just a corpse, which risks casting a shadow on a high-society hotel.

With expressive strokes, Bunin paints the chilling indifference of everyone around to the death of a person, starting with the guests, whose evening is now darkened, and ending with his wife and daughter, whose journey is hopelessly ruined. Fierce selfishness and coldness - everyone thinks only of himself.

The ship Atlantis becomes a generalized allegory of this thoroughly false bourgeois society. It is also divided into classes by its decks. In the luxurious halls, the rich have fun and drink with their companions and families, and in the holds until the seventh sweat work those whom the representatives of the high society do not even consider for people. But the world of money and lack of spirituality is doomed, which is why the author calls his ship-allegory in honor of the sunken continent “Atlantis”.

Problems of the work

In the story "The gentleman from San Francisco" Ivan Bunin raises the following questions:

• What is the true meaning of money in life?
• Can you buy joy and happiness?
• Is it worth it to endure constant hardship for the sake of a ghostly reward?
• Who is freer: the rich or the poor?
• What is the purpose of man in this world?

The last question is especially interesting for reasoning. It is certainly not new - many writers wondered what the meaning of human existence is. Bunin does not go into a complex philosophy, his conclusion is simple - a person must live in such a way as to leave a trace behind him. Whether these are works of art, reforms in the lives of millions, or a bright memory in the hearts of loved ones, it does not matter. The gentleman from San Francisco did not leave anything, no one will sincerely grieve about him, not even his wife and daughter.

Place in literature: Literature of the twentieth century → Russian literature of the twentieth century → Works of Ivan Bunin → Story "The gentleman from San Francisco" (1915).

I. Bunin is one of the few figures of Russian culture appreciated abroad. In 1933 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "For the strict skill with which he develops the traditions of Russian classical prose." One can relate differently to the personality and views of this writer, but his mastery in the field of fine literature is indisputable, therefore his works are, at least, worthy of our attention. One of them, namely "Mr. from San Francisco", received such a high praise from the jury, which awarded the most prestigious prize in the world.

An important quality for a writer is observation, because from the most fleeting episodes and impressions, you can create a whole work. Bunin accidentally saw the cover of Thomas Mann's book "Death in Venice" in the store, and a few months later, when he came to visit his cousin, he remembered this name and connected it with an even older memory: the death of an American on the island of Capri, where the author himself was vacationing. This is how one of Bunin's best stories came about, and not just a story, but a whole philosophical parable.

This literary work was enthusiastically received by critics, and the outstanding talent of the writer was compared with the gift of L.N. Tolstoy and A.P. Chekhov. After that, Bunin stood with the venerable connoisseurs of the word and the human soul in the same row. His work is so symbolic and eternal that it will never lose its philosophical focus and relevance. And in the age of the power of money and market relations, it is doubly useful to remember what a life inspired only by hoarding leads to.

What a story?

The main character, who does not have a name (he is simply the Master from San Francisco), spent his whole life increasing his wealth, and at the age of 58 he decided to devote time to rest (and at the same time to his family). They set off on the steamer Atlantis on their recreational voyage. All passengers are immersed in idleness, but the attendants work tirelessly to provide all these breakfasts, lunches, dinners, teas, card games, dances, liqueurs and cognacs. The stay of tourists in Naples is also monotonous, only museums and cathedrals are added to their program. However, the weather does not favor tourists: Naples' December turned out to be rainy. Therefore, the Lord and his family are in a hurry to the island of Capri, which pleases with warmth, where they settle in the same hotel and are already preparing for routine "entertaining" activities: eating, sleeping, chatting, looking for a groom for their daughter. But suddenly the death of the protagonist bursts into this "idyll". He died suddenly while reading a newspaper.

And it is here that the main idea of ​​the story is revealed to the reader that in the face of death, everyone is equal: neither wealth nor power will save one from it. This gentleman, who only recently wasted money, spoke contemptuously with the servants and accepted their respectful obeisances, lies in a cramped and cheap room, respect has disappeared somewhere, the family is expelled from the hotel, because his wife and daughter will leave "trifles" at the checkout. And now his body is being taken back to America in a soda box, because not even a coffin can be found in Capri. But he goes already in the hold, hidden from high-ranking passengers. And no one grieves much, because no one can use the dead man's money anymore.

The meaning of the name

At first Bunin wanted to name his story “Death on Capri” by analogy with the title “Death in Venice” that inspired him (the writer read this book later and assessed it as “unpleasant”). But after writing the first line, he crossed out this title and named the work by the "name" of the hero.

From the first page, the attitude of the writer to the Lord is clear, for him he is faceless, colorless and soulless, therefore he did not even receive a name. He is the master, the top of the social hierarchy. But all this power is fleeting and unsteady, the author recalls. A hero useless for society, who has not done a single good deed in 58 years and thinks only of himself, remains after death only an unknown gentleman, about whom they only know that he is a rich American.

Characteristics of heroes

There are few characters in the story: the gentleman from San Francisco as a symbol of eternal hectic hoarding, his wife, depicting gray respectability, and their daughter, symbolizing the desire for this respectability.

1. The gentleman “worked tirelessly” all his life, but these were the hands of the Chinese, who were hired by the thousands and died just as abundantly in difficult service. Other people mean little to him at all, the main thing is profit, wealth, power, savings. It was they who gave him the opportunity to travel, live at the highest level and disregard others who were less fortunate in life. However, nothing saved the hero from death, you can't take money for the next world. Yes, and respect, bought and sold, quickly turns to dust: after his death, nothing changed, the celebration of life, money and idleness continued, even about the last tribute to the dead there is no one to worry about. The body travels through the authorities, it is nothing, just one more item of baggage that is thrown into the hold, hiding from "decent society".
2. The hero's wife lived monotonously, in a philistine way, but with style: without any special problems and difficulties, no worries, just a lazy string of idle days. Nothing impressed her, she was completely calm always, probably forgotten how to think in the routine of idleness. She is worried only about the future of her daughter: she needs to find a respectable and profitable party for her, so that she can also comfortably float with the flow all her life.
3. The daughter with all her might portrayed innocence and at the same time frankness, attracting suitors. This was what interested her most of all. The meeting with an ugly, strange and uninteresting person, but a prince, plunged the girl into excitement. Perhaps this was one of the last strong feelings in her life, and then her mother's future awaited her. However, some emotions still remained in the girl: she alone had a presentiment of trouble (“her heart was suddenly gripped by longing, a feeling of terrible loneliness on this strange, dark island”) and cried about her father.

Main themes

Life and death, routine and exclusivity, wealth and poverty, beauty and ugliness - these are the main themes of the story. They immediately reflect the philosophical orientation of the author's intention. He encourages readers to think about themselves: are we not chasing after something frivolously small, are we sinking into the routine, missing out on true beauty? After all, a life in which there is no time to think about yourself, your place in the Universe, in which there is no time to look at the surrounding nature, people and notice something good in them, has been lived in vain. And you can't fix a life you have lived in vain, and you can't buy a new one for any money. Death will come anyway, you cannot hide from it and pay off, so you need to have time to do something really worthwhile, something to be remembered with a kind word, and not indifferently thrown into the hold. Therefore, it is worth thinking about everyday life, which makes thoughts banal, and feelings - faded and weak, about wealth that is not worth the effort, about beauty, in the venality of which ugliness lies.

The wealth of the "masters of life" is contrasted with the poverty of people who live just as routinely, but endure poverty and humiliation. Servants who secretly mimic their masters, but grovel in front of them. Lords who treat servants as inferior creatures, but reptiles in front of even richer and more noble persons. A couple hired on a steamer to play passionate love. The Master's Daughter, depicting passion and trepidation to lure the prince. All this dirty, low pretense, although presented in a luxurious wrapper, is contrasted with the eternal and pure beauty of nature.

The main problems

The main problem of this story is the search for the meaning of life. How should you spend your short earthly vigil for a reason, how do you leave behind something important and valuable for those around you? Everyone sees their destiny in their own way, but no one should forget that a person's spiritual luggage is more important than material. Although at all times they said that all eternal values ​​have been lost in modern times, this is not true every time. Both Bunin and other writers remind us, the readers, that life without harmony and inner beauty is not life, but a miserable existence.

The problem of the transience of life is also raised by the author. After all, the gentleman from San Francisco wasted his spiritual strength, making money, saving some simple joys, real emotions for later, but this "later" did not start. This happens to many people who are mired in everyday life, routine, problems, affairs. Sometimes you just need to stop, pay attention to loved ones, nature, friends, feel the beauty in the environment. After all, tomorrow may not come.

The meaning of the story

It is not for nothing that the story is called a parable: it has a very instructive message and is intended to give a lesson to the reader. The main idea of ​​the story is the injustice of class society. Most of it is interrupted from bread to water, and the elite thoughtlessly wastes their lives. The writer states the moral squalor of the existing order, because the majority of the “masters of life” reached their wealth by dishonest means. Such people bring only evil, as the Master of San Francisco pays for and ensures the death of Chinese workers. The death of the protagonist emphasizes the thoughts of the author. No one is interested in this recently so influential person, because his money no longer gives him power, and he has not performed any worthy of respect and outstanding deeds.

The idleness of these rich people, their effeminacy, perversity, insensitivity to something alive and beautiful prove the accident and injustice of their high position. This fact is hidden behind the description of the tourists' leisure on the ship, their entertainment (the main of which is lunch), costumes, relationships with each other (the origin of the prince, whom the daughter of the protagonist met, makes her fall in love).

Composition and genre

"The Lord of San Francisco" can be seen as a parable story. What is a story (a short work of prose, containing a plot, conflict and having one main plot line) is known to most, but how can you characterize a parable? A parable is a small allegorical text that guides the reader on the right path. Therefore, the work in the plot plan and in form is a story, and in a philosophical, meaningful way, it is a parable.

Compositionally, the story is divided into two large parts: the journey of the Lord from San Francisco from the New World and the stay of the body in the hold on the way back. The culmination of the work is the death of the hero. Prior to this, when describing the steamer Atlantis and tourist destinations, the author gives the story a suspenseful mood of anticipation. In this part, a sharply negative attitude towards the Lord is striking. But death deprived him of all privileges and equated his remains with luggage, so Bunin softens and even sympathizes with him. It also describes the island of Capri, its nature and local people, these lines are filled with beauty and understanding of the beauty of nature.

Symbols

The work is replete with symbols that confirm Bunin's thoughts. The first of them is the steamer Atlantis, on which an endless celebration of luxurious life reigns, but overboard there is a storm, a storm, even the ship itself is trembling. So at the beginning of the twentieth century, the whole society was seething, experiencing a social crisis, only indifferent bourgeois continued to feast during the plague.

The island of Capri symbolizes real beauty (therefore, the description of its nature and inhabitants is covered with warm colors): "joyful, beautiful, sunny" country, filled with "fabulous blue", majestic mountains, the beauty of which cannot be conveyed in human language. The existence of our American family and people like them is a pitiful parody of life.

Features of the work

Figurative language, vivid landscapes are inherent in the creative manner of Bunin, the mastery of the artist of the word is reflected in this story. At first, he creates a disturbing mood, the reader expects that, despite the splendor of the rich environment around the Lord, something irreparable will soon happen. Later, the tension is erased by natural sketches, painted with soft strokes, reflecting love and admiration for beauty.

The second feature is philosophical and topical content. Bunin castigates the senselessness of the existence of the top of society, their spoiledness, disrespect for the rest of the people. It is because of this bourgeoisie, cut off from the life of the people, having fun at their expense, two years later a bloody revolution broke out in the writer's homeland. Everyone felt that something needed to be changed, but no one did anything, that's why so much blood was shed, so many tragedies happened in those difficult times. And the topic of finding the meaning of life does not lose its relevance, which is why the story is still of interest to the reader 100 years later.

Interesting? Keep it on your wall!

In his work I.A. Bunin tells about a trip to Europe of a certain gentleman from San Francisco with his wife and daughter. The family is sailing on a steamer with the symbolic name "Atlantis". Everything is planned out, there is no place for accidents. At first glance, it may seem that the plot is based on the journey of the main characters, but this is not so. The main idea of ​​the story, which the author wanted to convey to the reader, is the role of a person in society and the real meaning of wealth, power, in such a fragile and not eternal life of every person.

The protagonist of the work is a gentleman from San Francisco, a fifty-eight-year-old man, a wealthy man. He has no name because the character personifies all representatives of the stratum of society to which he belongs. People striving to buy happiness for money, they deceive themselves by surrounding themselves with luxury goods. One example of such deception in a piece is a pair of actors hired to portray true love. Lies are what reigns supreme on the ship.

In the image of the gentleman from San Francisco, we can see not only negative features. Our hero is a stubborn person, he understands the importance of work and does not refuse it. He devoted himself to work and achieved significant results. I believe that striving for a better life cannot be condemned, so what the gentleman from San Francisco did is commendable. All his life he worked, for himself, for his family and deserved a break.

But despite all the positive human qualities, the character embodies the features of the society to which he belongs. He is selfish, greedy for power, arrogant, cynical. Considering his opinion truly correct, he is not shy and openly, declares his superiority. The hero puts himself above others, and this applies not only to people not equal to him in position, but also to other nations. Enjoying life, the main character forgets about its transience. And a sudden, illogical death, which is emphasized by the adverb "suddenly", overtakes a gentleman from San Francisco. He dies and all that feigned importance, power and authority die with him.

Sailing into the Old World, a venerable and respected gentleman, he returns to the New World in a dark, damp hold, forgotten and abandoned by everyone. Only his family shed tears for him, but I think that they were also fake to some extent. Perhaps they were crying at the realization that without the master from San Francisco, the society of the rich and noble people would reject them. By his example, the main character showed what all wealth and power after death mean. Nothing. After the death of the main character of the work, the writer does not stop the narration, he continues to write. This is what makes the reader understand that the gentleman from San Francisco is only a fraction of the ever-moving stream of life. And his death becomes so insignificant for the entire outside world and for all the people around him.

To summarize, I want to say that after death, everyone is equal. Therefore, one cannot destroy a person in oneself and succumb to base temptations. Life is short, which means you need to value every moment and not put material wealth in the first place.

Essay on the Lord of San Francisco

Bunin described the representative of the world of money. The gentleman made a big fortune thanks to the hired labor of the Chinese and decided to take a rest on a round-the-world cruise along a detailed route. On the steamer Atlantis, which he chose for comfortable travel, enjoyment and relaxation, the elite public on the upper deck diligently work up their appetite every day, take baths and other procedures after abundant meals, fighting digestive problems from overeating, and then walk again to restore their appetite.

Passengers carefully prepare for the evening entertainment with exquisite dishes and expensive drinks. Every day follows a strictly established order. Life for First Class passengers is light-hearted and easy. They are surrounded by luxury. And the master spends his time just like the people of his circle. Only one can feel something fake in this "harmony", as in love, which a dancing couple portrays for money.

The appearance of a respectable gentleman from San Francisco corresponds to his essence: gold fillings in his teeth, a mustache like silver, ivory skin, remnants of pearl hair. Outwardly, he shows his cost and viability. Only the face is like a mask, because there is no description of the eyes. The character has no name, because he is impersonal, like people from his environment, whose life is soulless and primitive. These individuals determine the values ​​of life exclusively in monetary terms. But nature does not give in to the power of money and spoils the vacation bought for a lot of money.

The sea is stormy, tormented by seasickness. The gentleman is disappointed with the trip. Such an expensive vacation does not bring pleasure. He is annoyed by seemingly monotonous sights and museums, because he is unable to appreciate the beautiful. Awareness of the horror of his existence comes to him only a moment before his sudden death. But he only in his 58 years decided to live in pleasure.

Fate interrupted his plans. And the body of the dead old man returns home not the first class, he is bashfully hidden in the hold in a box from under the water, so as not to overshadow the rest of the rest. Everyone forgets about him, as if he never existed. At the end of the story, the lights on the rocks of Gibraltar resemble the eyes of the Devil, which follow the sailing ship with the name of a lost civilization. This is symbolic, because the world of capital, devoid of spirituality, leads people along the path of self-destruction.

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I. A. Bunin is known as a master of creating short stories, which are distinguished by the piercing narrative and the accuracy of describing the characters. Below will be presented the characteristics of the heroes of "Mr. from San Francisco". This is a story about how important it is to be able to live in the present. And that work and capital accumulation should not be the main goal in life.

Main character

We should start with the characteristics of the main character "The Lord of San Francisco". A distinctive feature of his description is that the author does not call his character by name. Thus, he wanted to show that his hero does not stand out from other people of the same rank as him.

His appearance was also unremarkable. The only thing that caught my eye was his large yellow teeth and his always starched suit. The master was 58 years old, and throughout his life he worked tirelessly. Therefore, he earned the right to rest.

This man was purposeful, hardworking. His goal was to make a fortune so that he would not need anything in the future. The gentleman and his entire family were respected, they were served by the best footmen and maids. They could afford to travel in comfort, as befits people of their position.

The gentleman always ate and drank as much as he wanted, smoked expensive cigars, but at the same time not a word was said about the fact that he read books or attended any other cultural events. But the journey that he has undertaken does not bring the master any pleasure. During their entire trip, he never once admired the magnificent view or the beautiful weather.

The gentleman did not do what he himself wanted. He visited the places that were accepted. He lived according to the daily routine that all rich people adhered to. And he bought suits, shirts, which were worn by people of his circle. When he was gone, everyone immediately forgot about him. And no more respect was shown to his family. No one really loved the master, and they valued him not for his spiritual qualities, but only because of his wealth.

In pursuit of material wealth and in an effort to earn as much as possible, he ceased to be a person and individuality. He became like all the other rich gentlemen. He no longer had his own opinion. Using this character as an example, the writer showed the life of a typical rich man from the New World.

The protagonist's wife

The characterization of the heroes from "The Lord from San Francisco" should be continued by the description of the wife of the main character. Bunin also does not mention her name, thereby showing that she is the same unremarkable person as her husband. The woman does not stand out in any way against his background and everywhere follows him, unquestioningly accepting his decisions and not expressing her opinion.

She follows the same daily routine for all rich people. It's physique, calm. She was not very impressionable, but, like most elderly American women, she loved to travel. Her only expression of emotion occurs after the death of her spouse. The woman begins to resent that they refuse to transfer her husband's body to expensive rooms. What worried her most was that they were no longer respected and respected.

The daughter of the main character

The next characterization of the hero from "The Lord of San Francisco" is the description of his daughter. The writer also does not mention her name, which is an indicator that she, too, does not stand out among the other heroes of the story. But this is still a pretty pretty person, modest, restrained.

This girl has a rather attractive appearance: she is tall, slender with beautiful hair. However, although she was not proud of her position, she could not resist one Arab prince. The girl was very worried when he turned his attention to her. The prince was not at all handsome, but his huge fortune added to his attractiveness. But the girl liked him, because all young ladies are supposed to fall in love with princes.

Minor characters

The characterization of the heroes from "The Lord from San Francisco", who accidentally meet on the path of the main character, emphasizes his inconspicuous personality. Their descriptions and actions are the opposite of the measured and calm behavior of the master. All of them are cheerful, carefree people. Even if they did not have such a state as the main character, they knew how to enjoy life.

After reading the characterization of the heroes of the story "Mister from San Francisco", the reader understands that the main idea of ​​the work is that money will not make a person happy. The main wealth is his loved ones and his inner world, you need to strive to develop spiritually. It is important to be able to appreciate life and enjoy every day. This was a brief description of the heroes from "The Lord from San Francisco" Bunin.