Issues
Trifonov addresses the theme of confrontation between two families. Victor Dmitriev, having married Lena Lukyanova, could not convey to her the values of the Dmitriev family: emotional sensitivity, gentleness, tact, intelligence. But Dmitriev himself, in the words of his sister Laura, “got crazy,” that is, he became pragmatic, striving not so much for material wealth, but to be left alone.
Trifonov raises important social issues in the story. The modern reader does not understand the problem of the main character. The Soviet man, as if he had no property, did not have the right to live in a normal apartment with rooms for spouses and children. And it was completely wild that the mother’s room after death could not be inherited, but would go to the state. So Lena tried to save the property in the only possible way: by exchanging two rooms in a communal apartment for a two-room apartment. Another thing is that Ksenia Fedorovna immediately guessed about her fatal illness. It is in this, and not in the exchange itself, that the evil emanating from the insensitive Lena lies.
Problems of the story by Yu.V. Trifonov "Exchange"
Yuri Trifonov is a writer who created his works in the genre of “urban” prose. This trend became especially popular in the 50-80s of the last century. Personality and the problem of moral choice have become the center of the literature of this genre.
The story “Exchange” became the initial work in a series of “urban” stories. Yu.V. Trifonov paid special attention to family relationships and love in his works. The writer was deeply concerned about the clash of different characters, how people get along together, creating a unit of society. In the story by Yu.V. Trifonov, you can find such simple, but at the same time multifaceted problems that are familiar to everyone. At the center of the work was an ordinary, simple person. His life position, joys, sorrows, anxieties and doubts became the object of deep reflection by the author.
In the work “Exchange” by Yu.V. Trifonov considers a typical situation that can happen to anyone. The author is more interested not in why this ordinary life event happened, but in how the characters will emerge from it. When resolving the situation, extremely important moral problems are revealed.
The main characters of the story have complex, contradictory relationships. It’s as if a family drama is unfolding between the characters. Lena has a dislike for her mother-in-law. There has long been a relationship between women, which the author calls “minted in the form of ossified and lasting enmity.” Dmitriev is not averse to living with his elderly mother. But his wife was categorically against it. Over time, Dmitriev realized that Lena could not be convinced. Therefore, this topic was no longer raised in their family. When the spouses quarreled, in every scandal they mentioned Ksenia Fedorovna. Although the lonely woman was not at all the instigator of conflicts. Dmitriev believed that the mother’s name should be pronounced so that Lena would realize her selfishness and callousness of heart. The heroine spoke about Ksenia Fedorovna in order to “hit” her husband verbally.
Yu.V. Trifonov speaks caustically and truthfully about family relationships. The problem with the story “Exchange” is that close family relationships gradually become hostile. Mutual understanding, kindness, love, and patience should reign in the family. However, over time, family ties do not strengthen, but on the contrary, bright, sincere feelings are replaced by hostility and bitterness.
In the story, the author talks about the main conflict associated with the serious illness of Lena’s mother-in-law and Dmitriev’s mother. Ksenia Fedorovna’s diagnosis sounds disappointing. Doctors believe that we need to prepare for the worst. After this news, Lena decided to reconsider her views. The heroine intends to change tactics. Now Lena is going to move in with Ksenia Fedorovna as soon as possible and thus resolve the issue of the exchange. Why did such changes occur? Lena knows that her mother-in-law’s illness is insidious and fleeting. The approaching death of Ksenia Fedorovna will help the heroine in solving the housing problem. Dmitriev’s wife does not think at all about moral boundaries and ethics. She is only interested in profit. Dmitriev cannot believe his wife’s words. The character wants to look Lena in the eyes and find out the answers to her questions. He does not believe that he ever took such a callous woman as his wife. Dmitriev does not lose hope that his wife was mistaken and stumbled. He tries to notice doubts, awkwardness, embarrassment in her actions and even guilt. However, Lena's gaze is decisive and categorical. She won't change her mind. Yu.V. Trifonov notes that the heroine always achieved what she wanted. No arguments could stop her. She will not calm down until he carries out his plan.
For Lena, the most difficult thing was to admit her intentions to her husband. She took this step. She also clearly thought through her further actions. Methodical and consistent steps gradually brought her closer to her goal. She acted like an experienced psychologist. Her weak-willed husband could not resist her. Dmitriev understands everything well, he is only frightened by the thought of Lena’s plan for the exchange. But he cannot prevent his wife. The horror of what was happening froze in his eyes. The exchange price is beyond my comprehension. But once the character failed to improve the relationship between his mother and wife. Now he also does not have the strength to correct the situation. The heroine managed to cleverly pull off her plan. She even convinced her husband to inform Ksenia Fedorovna about the impending exchange. Dmitriev remembered this terrible conversation for the rest of his life.
Yu.V. Trofimov in the story “Exchange” shows the true essence of people who are driven by the thirst for profit. Selfish Lena. Weak character Dmitriev. The heroes created a family in which happiness and joy never appeared. Readers are struck by Lena’s inhumanity, lack of moral principles and moral education. It is bitter and painful that such people are present in our society. Sometimes they achieve their results with directness and confidence. But there are also those who do it in disguise. The word “exchange” is not about housing. This is an exchange of moral values, dubious life ideals. The exchange took place. Just at what cost?
Plot and composition
The main action takes place on an October day and the morning of the next day. But the reader gets acquainted not only with the whole life of the main character, but also learns about the Lukyanov and Dmitriev families. Trifonov achieves this with the help of retrospection. The main character reflects on the events happening to him and his own actions, remembering the past.
The hero faces a difficult task: to inform his terminally ill mother, who does not know the seriousness of her illness, and his sister that his wife Lena is planning an exchange. In addition, the hero needs to get money for treatment for his sister Laura, with whom her mother now lives. The hero solves both problems brilliantly, so his ex-lover offers him money, and by having his mother move in with him, he allegedly helps his sister go on a long business trip.
The last page of the story contains the events of six months: a move occurs, the mother dies, the hero feels unhappy. The narrator adds on his own behalf that Dmitriev’s childhood home was demolished, where he was never able to pass on family values. So the Lukyanovs defeated the Dmitrievs in a symbolic sense.
The meaning of the story “Exchange” - Yuri Trifonov
Yuri Trifonov is a Russian writer who became famous for his works “Impatience”, “The Old Man”, “Time and Place”, “The House on the Embankment”.
He always touched upon the problem of the relationship between man and the society in which he had to live and coexist. The writer shows all the pros and cons of such mutual existence, emphasizing the importance of respecting the personal boundaries of each individual and the moral code of society as a whole. The story “Exchange” was published back in 1969 in Moscow and was published on the pages of the magazine “New World”. It dealt with the above problem in general, but there are also many other problems worthy of consideration. The plot of the story also deserves attention.
Dmitriev is accustomed to taking the love of his mother, mistress, wife for granted; for him this love is a matter of course. He values peace and constancy very much, and does not like to stick his head out. He sees defects in the character and behavior of his wife and directly points this out to her. But his wife cares very much not only about herself, but also about her family, and that is why she is so insistent on exchanging the apartment. But such impulses were not appreciated - Dmitriev still considers his wife selfish and callous.
Meanwhile, the main character cannot bring himself to write a dissertation, although Lena (his wife) is ready to help him with this. His mistress Tanya feels very sorry for him, and that is why Dmitriev’s mother likes her so much. Ksenia Fedorovna did not have a good relationship with Lena, and therefore they do not have close contact. Laura, the main character's sister, also does not perceive Lena. Lena cannot accept her husband's parents. This family cannot accept each other in it and treat each other condescendingly, taking into account feelings and family ties.
What is the meaning of this story? It lies on the surface: it is important to cultivate in yourself a person who loves loved ones and is ready to come to the aid of people dear to his heart. It is important not to lose this passion throughout our lives - no matter what people we meet along our life path. It is also important not to succumb to the influence of other people - this is what Dmitriev did, succumbing to the influence of his wife and accepting her values, which did not quite coincide with the values of the main character. But Dmitriev did not like changes in life; he preferred to go with the flow and not radically change anything in life.
There is no real love and understanding between Dmitriev and his wife - this is evidenced by the crumpled pillow on only one side of the bed. Over so many years of family life together, Lena has changed for the worse, and Dmitriev peacefully accepted this, without trying to fuel the love spark in their relationship. It is important to maintain ardor in your relationship with your wife or husband, so that over the course of many years the joy of being together does not turn into a heavy, unbearable burden.
When striving for material values, wanting to improve your material status, you should not forget about the most valuable things - friendship, family, loved ones. When chasing money and real estate, it is very easy to lose it all, and then it is very difficult to get it back. A person is able to live with dignity, without stooping to the level of a consumer who does not think about spirituality and moral values. It is important to instill in his childhood this desire to live simply and not wait for all the blessings of life to come to him on their own. A person works, sacrificing some aspects of his life, but one should not forget about humanity, life wisdom and understanding of ordinary life things.
Source
Heroes of the story
The main character of the story is 37-year-old Dmitriev. He is middle-aged, overweight, with a perpetual smell of tobacco on his breath. The hero is proud, he takes the love of his mother, wife, and mistress for granted. Dmitriev’s life credo is “I got used to it and calmed down.” He comes to terms with the fact that his wife and mother who love him do not get along.
Dmitriev defends his mother, whom Lena calls a hypocrite. The sister believes that Dmitriev became foolish, that is, he betrayed his high spirit and selflessness for the sake of material things.
Dmitriev considers peace to be the most valuable thing in life and protects it with all his might. Another value of Dmitriev and his consolation is that with him “everything is like everyone else.”
Dmitriev is weak-willed. He cannot write his dissertation, although Lena agrees to help with everything. Particularly indicative is the story of Levka Bubrik, whose father-in-law, at Lena’s request, found a good place in GINEGA, where Dmitriev himself eventually went to work. Moreover, Lena took all the blame upon herself. Everything was revealed when Lena told Ksenia Fedorovna at Ksenia Fedorovna’s birthday that it was Dmitriev’s decision.
At the end of the story, Dmitriev’s mother explains the subtext of the exchange made by the hero: having exchanged true values for momentary gain, he has lost his spiritual sensitivity.
Dmitriev's wife Lena is smart. She is a technical translation specialist. Dmitriev considers Lena selfish and callous. According to Dmitriev, Lena is marked by some spiritual inaccuracy. He throws the accusation into his wife’s face that she has a mental defect, underdeveloped feelings, something subhuman.
Lena knows how to get her way. Wanting to exchange an apartment, she cares not about herself, but about her family.
Dmitriev's father-in-law, Ivan Vasilyevich, was a tanner by profession, but moved along the trade union line. Through his efforts, a telephone was installed at the dacha six months later. He was always on guard and didn't trust anyone. The father-in-law's speech was full of bureaucratic language, which is why Dmitriev's mother considered him unintelligent.
Tanya is Dmitriev’s former lover, with whom he got together 3 years ago for one summer. She is 34 years old, she looks sickly: thin, pale. Her eyes are big and kind. Tanya is afraid for Dmitriev. After her relationship with him, she remained with her son Alik: her husband quit his job and left Moscow because Tanya could no longer live with him. Her husband really loved her. Dmitriev thinks that Tanya would be his best wife, but leaves everything as it is.
Tatyana and Ksenia Fedorovna like each other. Tatyana feels sorry for Dmitriev and loves him, while Dmitriev feels sorry for her only for a moment. Dmitriev thinks that this love is forever. Tatyana knows a lot of poems and reads them by heart in a whisper, especially when there is nothing to talk about.
Dmitrieva’s mother, Ksenia Fedorovna, is an intelligent, respected woman. She worked as a senior bibliographer in one of the academic libraries. The mother is so simple-minded that she does not understand the danger of her illness. She came to terms with Lena. Ksenia Fedorovna is “friendly, compliant, ready to help and takes part.” Only Lena does not appreciate this. Ksenia Fedorovna is not inclined to lose heart; she communicates in a humorous manner.
Mother loves to selflessly help distant friends and relatives. But Dmitriev understands that his mother is doing this in order to be considered a good person. For this, Lena called Dmitriev’s mother a hypocrite.
Dmitriev’s grandfather is the custodian of family values. Lena called him a well-preserved monster. My grandfather was a lawyer who graduated from St. Petersburg University, in his youth he was imprisoned in a fortress, was in exile and fled abroad. Grandfather was small and withered, his skin was tanned, and his hands were clumsy and disfigured by hard work.
Unlike his daughter, the grandfather does not despise people if they belong to a different circle, and does not condemn anyone. He lives not in the past, but in his short future. It was the grandfather who gave an apt description of Victor: “You are not a bad person. But not surprising either.”
Laura, Dmitriev’s sister, is middle-aged, with gray-black hair and a tanned forehead. She spends 5 months every year in Central Asia. Laura is cunning and perspicacious. She did not come to terms with Lena's attitude towards her mother. Laura is uncompromising: “Her thoughts never bend. They always stick out and prick.”
Analysis of Trifonov’s story “Exchange”
In Trifonov’s work “Exchange” we are talking about a simple life situation in which any person could find himself. The hero of the story is Viktor Dmitriev
, finds himself faced with a difficult choice on which the fate of himself, as well as his family members, will depend. Agree with your wife and move to a new apartment, but live with your mother, or leave everything as it is.
It should be noted that the relationship between his wife and Ksenia Fedorovna had long been hostile. So if the outcome of events begins to develop according to the “scenario” that Lena came up with, then the question arises, what does she want to achieve with this exchange?
To understand this, you need to know at least a little about the character of Lena Ivanova
, and she is not at all simple. If a girl wanted something from life, then she definitely achieved it. There were no boundaries for her, and she could easily go beyond the “framework” of decency or morality.
Therefore, the conversation that began confused the man. After all, before Ksenia Dmitrieva was given a fatal diagnosis, her wife did not even want to hear about living together with her. But now she herself raises this topic.
But what outraged the man most of all was his wife’s tactlessness. While his mother was lying on the operating table, his wife was running around to brokers and looking for exchange options? She did not experience feelings of empathy, much less compassion for her mother-in-law’s illness. Quite the contrary, the woman resolutely wanted to get the living space she occupied.
Victor did not have to be offended by his wife for long. She said that the answer must be given soon and insisted on an immediate “family council”, at which the topic of exchange would be raised. The man gave up. No, he was not afraid of his wife, but really believed that it would be better for both parties. He will be able to look after his mother, their daughter Natasha will be under supervision, and he and Lena will leave the communal apartment forever.
So the man himself did not notice how he turned from a compassionate son into a calculating and selfish “outsider.”
And Ksenia Fedorovna
, and to his sister Laura, these changes became immediately visible. Dmitriev was told that the “exchange” took place many years ago, because the man was at the mercy of his wife.
Of course, the disinterested and generous Dmitrieva, after thinking about it, agreed and moved to a new apartment, although she was tormented by an incomprehensible feeling until the very end. But when the woman found out about her “true” state of health, she understood why such changes had occurred in Lena’s consciousness. And in this situation, Ivanova’s “soul defect” manifested itself. But the saddest thing for the woman was that her own son allowed his wife to treat her illness with obvious blasphemy.
After Dmitrieva passed away, Victor fell into depression. He was not happy with his new home, family, or position. He understood that life was passing, but there was no change for the better, and most likely there never would be.
Laura very much condemned her brother for the “exchange” that drove their mother to the grave. The parents' dacha was sold, because after the death of the mother nothing should unite the brother and sister. Everyone followed the path they had chosen, and most likely these roads will never intersect again.
