Literary direction and genre
In some editions, “In a Beautiful and Furious World” is published with the subtitle “A Fantastic Story.” Indeed, double blinding by lightning and double restoration of vision have no scientific evidence. And it is completely unknown how lightning and the electromagnetic wave preceding it affect the vision of individual people. It doesn’t even matter to the reader whether this electromagnetic wave exists at all.
All these physical and biological explanations for the blinding of driver Maltsev and his miraculous healing are truly fantastic, but on the whole the story is realistic. The main thing in it is not the fantastic elements, but the characters of the narrator and the driver Maltsev, shown in development.
Analysis of the work In the Beautiful and Furious World of Platonov
The story “In a Beautiful and Furious World” was written in 1938.
The author is Russian Soviet writer and publicist Andrei Platonov. The time when the story was written is reflected in the essay - historical realities take the reader into a turbulent period of repression, general suspicion and a speedy trial. These events occurring in the life of one of the main characters become full participants in the story. In terms of genre, the work of art in question is more of a fantasy - the described events of loss of vision from electrical discharges and its restoration against the backdrop of elation have never been recorded in practice.
The story is the narrative of one of the main characters - a young and inexperienced specialist, Kostya, who finds himself in the same team with the best locomotive driver, Alexander Vasilyevich Maltsev, the main character of the work.
The story describes events in the life of driver Maltsev, who, on one of his flights, temporarily loses his sight from lightning that struck the cabin, and almost becomes the culprit of an accident with the train in front. Due to the fact that the hero fails to prove his innocence, he is suspended from work, convicted and placed in prison. At the same time, his assistant, a witness to the whole event, insists on conducting an experiment that can prove the driver’s words about temporary loss of vision. However, an accident confuses all the cards and the convicted person again, but completely, loses his sight. Due to the evidence of the impact of lightning on the driver, he is acquitted. But life in freedom does not inspire him; without his work, a person withers. At the end of the work, his former assistant, apparently feeling this, takes pity on him and takes him on the train. There, becoming a participant in the process, Maltsev joins the process so enthusiastically that his vision returns to him.
At the beginning of the essay, Maltsev is given a rather enthusiastic assessment - he is a virtuoso of his craft, a person literally breathing with work, completely devoted to the process he controls. All the words of the assistant, and the author speaks on his behalf, are used in a laudatory tone, showing that the narrator not only admires the master, but also tries to imitate him.
At the same time, driver Maltsev is a self-confident and distrustful person, accustomed to relying only on himself in everything. This is manifested in his independent and additional checks of the car before work and during the trip. Distrust of others ultimately results in distrust of the world as a whole; having lost his sight, the driver refuses to believe it, and tries to continue to remain the leader of the situation. This almost caused a large-scale train collision disaster.
Seeing such a character in front of him, it is all the more interesting to watch his transformation at the end of the story - the blind, helpless and drooping Maltsev not only trusts his assistant Kostya, but also receives such delight that his vision is restored.
This is one of the conflicts of the work - curbing pride, gaining trust in one's neighbor and, as a result, insight. And remembering in what period the story was written, it is easy to imagine that this is the historical call of the author, skillfully veiled in the fabric of the fantastic nature of the narrative.
Plot and composition
The short story consists of 5 parts. The narrative is dynamic and spans two years. The narrator becomes an assistant to driver Maltsev on the new locomotive and works with him for about a year. The second chapter is dedicated to that very trip, during which the driver went blind and almost drove into the tail of a freight train. The third chapter describes the trial of Maltsev and his accusation.
The fourth part tells about events taking place six months later, in winter. The narrator finds a way to prove Maltsev's innocence, but artificial lightning causes irreversible blindness to the prisoner. The narrator is looking for ways to help the blind man.
The fifth part tells about the events that happened six months later, in the summer. The narrator himself becomes a driver and takes a blind driver with him on the road. The narrator controls the car by placing his hands on the hands of the blind driver. At some point, the blind man was able to see the yellow signal, and then became sighted.
Each part of the story records an episode from the story of Maltsev: an ordinary trip - a fateful trip - a trial - an experiment with lightning and liberation - healing.
The title of the story is associated with the last words of the narrator, who wants to protect Maltsev from the hostile forces of the beautiful and furious world.
Essays
Platonov is a Soviet writer. His stories are interesting, they are captivating because they very often describe events from life. They are autobiographical, telling us about the fate of the writer himself. In his works, the author tries to understand man, to find his place in this simultaneously beautiful and furious world. Such a story by Platonov is the story of the same name In a Beautiful and Furious World. We have to do an analysis on this work.
Platonov: In a beautiful and furious world
Platonov wrote his story in 1937, in it he used a lot of information taken from life, because in the story the author describes the events that happened on the railway with a train driver. The writer knew this profession well, since he himself had been on a locomotive and worked as an assistant.
So, Platonov in the story In a Beautiful and Furious World tells about Maltsev, a driver from God, since he did not just drive the train, he felt it and was the best. Maltsev was completely dedicated to his work, always drove the car confidently and aroused admiration for this. He studied all the railway tracks so well that even during the emergency he did not stop. This happened during a rainstorm with a thunderstorm. Lightning blinded Maltsev, and he continued to drive the car, not understanding that he could not see, because all the pictures of the world around him appeared in his head. But they were only in his head, so he did not see the warning lights. This almost led to an accident, but the assistant was able to react in time, saving hundreds of people.
Alexander Maltsev was tried and arrested, but Kostya managed to achieve an experiment that proved Alexander’s innocence. Only during the experiment the hero of the work becomes completely blind. This became a tragedy for him, because for him work was the meaning of life. And only a year later, when the assistant passed the exams and began driving the train himself, he managed to bring Maltsev back to life. Kostya invites Maltsev to go together and even promises to give up the driver’s position to blind Alexander. And at that very moment, when Maltsev found himself in the same place, his vision returned to him again.
After the flight, Kostya volunteered to take the former driver home, wanting to protect the hero of the story from the hostile forces of such an unpredictable, violent and such a beautiful world.
The main characters of the work
Getting acquainted with Platonov's work In a Beautiful and Furious World, one can highlight such heroes as Alexander Maltsev and his assistant Kostya.
Alexander Maltsev is a master of his craft, a talented train driver who knew these machines better than anyone. This is a person who was not afraid to trust various trains, including a new locomotive, because Maltsev, like no one else, could cope with everything, even with such a powerful machine of a new type. Alexander not only drives the car, he feels its heartbeat. Maltsev is devoted to his work, sees his meaning in it and is so immersed in it that he does not see the surrounding reality. In my opinion, this should not be the case. Although a person must love work, work fully and be responsible at work, he must also be able to see other angles. In addition to work, we must see the beauty of the world, be able to take the best from fate and get carried away by something else, so that in case of unforeseen circumstances we can switch to something else, because life goes on. Maltsev was unable to make the switch; with the loss of his job, he grew old, and life became unpleasant.
Another hero is Kostya, who was first an assistant and then became a driver. He also loved work, tried to fulfill all the functions assigned to him, but at the same time he was sympathetic, kind and noticed other people. Moreover, he also comes to their aid, as in the case of Maltsev. It was Kostya who achieved a review of the case, after which Alexander was rehabilitated. Later, he will bring back to life a person for whom work has become the meaning of life. He will take Maltsev on a flight, during which his sight will return. And even after this, Kostya does not leave his friend and walks him to the door of the house.
Based on this, we can conclude that work is good, but besides work there are other hobbies, there are people who need your attention, or even help. And you shouldn’t forget about this, even if you love your job very much.
Plan
1. The best driver Maltsev 2. New assistant Kostya 3. An incident during the trip. The thunderstorm that blinded Maltsev. 4. Maltsev is arrested 5. Assistant Kostya seeks recognition of Alexander’s innocence 6. Maltsev’s life loses meaning with the loss of his job 8. Kostya takes Maltsev on the road. Maltsev leads the team. 9. Alexander's epiphany.
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Heroes and images
The image of a beautiful world hostile to man is the main one in the story. The story has two main characters: the driver Alexander Vasilyevich Maltsev and the narrator, whom Maltsev calls Kostya. The narrator and Maltsev are not particularly friendly. The story is the story of their relationship, rapprochement, finding a friend in trouble.
Machinist Maltsev is a true master of his craft. Already at the age of 30, he was qualified as a first-class driver, and it was he who was appointed driver of the new powerful IS machine. The narrator admires the work of his driver, who drives the locomotive “with the confidence of a great master, with the concentration of an inspired artist.” The main feature that the narrator notices in Maltsev is indifference to the people working with him, a certain aloofness. One of Maltsev’s features upsets the narrator: the driver double-checks all the work of his assistant, as if he does not trust him. While working, Maltsev does not speak, but only knocks on the boiler with a key, giving silent instructions.
Over time, the narrator realized that the reason for Maltsev’s behavior was a sense of superiority: the driver believed that he understood the locomotive better and loved it more. This pride, a mortal sin, may have been the cause of his trials. Although no one really could understand Maltsev’s talent, how to surpass him in skill.
Maltsev did not see the lightning, but, having gone blind, he did not understand it. His skill was so great that he drove the car blindly, seeing with his inner vision, imagining the entire familiar path, but, of course, not being able to see the red signal, which seemed green to him.
After leaving prison, blind Maltsev cannot get used to his new situation, although he does not live in poverty, receiving a pension. He humbles himself before the narrator, who offers him a ride on his locomotive. Perhaps it was this humility that marked the beginning of Maltsev’s recovery, who managed to trust the narrator. His inner world opened up, he cried and saw “the whole world.” Not only the material world, but also the world of other people.
The narrator is a man who loves his job, just like Maltsev. Even the contemplation of a good car evokes inspiration in him, a joy comparable to reading Pushkin’s poems in childhood.
A good attitude is important for a storyteller. He is an attentive and diligent person. It contains an amazing and rare ability to sympathize and protect. This trait of the narrator, like his profession, is autobiographical.
For example, the narrator imagines that the locomotive is rushing to protect distant lands. Likewise, concern for Maltsev prompts the narrator to seek justice in court, to meet with the investigator in order to acquit the innocent Maltsev.
The narrator is a straightforward and truthful person. He does not hide the fact that he is offended by Maltsev, he directly tells him that prison cannot be avoided. Still, the narrator decides to help Maltsev “in order to protect him from the grief of fate”, from “fatal forces that accidentally and indifferently destroy a person.”
The narrator does not consider himself to blame for Maltsev’s secondary blindness; he is friendly, despite the fact that Maltsev does not want to forgive him or talk with him. After Maltsev’s miraculous healing, the narrator wants to protect him like his own son.
Another hero of the story is a fair investigator who conducted an experiment with artificial lightning and is tormented by remorse because he proved “the innocence of a person through his misfortune.”
Option 2
This story, “In a Beautiful and Furious World,” was published in 1938. The author of this work is the writer Platonov. In the work, the author reflected the difficulty of life during repression, during suspicion and a quick trial of a person. All this happens in the story and all this will have to be experienced by the main character of the story. The work is fiction, but due to many events it can be classified as fantasy. For example, a person became blind due to electrical discharges. But, soon his vision returns to normal, and all because there is peace and stability in the person’s soul. This has never been recorded anywhere in the world.
In this story, the main character of the work, Kostya, tells how he ended up in the brigade of the best locomotive driver, Alexander Maltsev, who is the central character.
The reader gets acquainted with the life of the drivers, and specifically with the driver Maltsev, who is the best, but one day he went blind due to lightning that struck the cabin, in addition, at that moment an accident almost happened and he is naturally blamed for this. Maltsev was unable to convince the court of his innocence and accordingly becomes convicted and imprisoned. Fortunately, there was a witness to everything that was happening, this was Maltsev’s assistant. He, in turn, insisted that the driver was not guilty and that an experiment should be conducted. The experiment helped to obtain an acquittal, but Maltsev had now completely lost his sight and no one gave hope for recovery. The driver is free, but how can you live without the work of your whole life, a person simply dies mentally. The work ends with Maltsev’s assistant seeing the condition of the former driver and, out of pity, decides to take him with him on the flight. Maltsev was so elated that his sight returned.
