Talk:The Shot (Pushkin)

Untitled

The Shot - Outline The Shot is a short story by Aleksandr Pushkin published in 1831. It is included in The Tales of the Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin, a series of five short stories. The Shot details events at a military station in a country outpost, and then several years later, on a country estate. Pushkin discusses themes of honor, revenge and death, and places them within the broader context of Russian soci-ety. The Shot tells the story of a soldier named Silvio who harbors a grudge for many years fol-lowing an argument in which he was embarrassed and disrespected in front of his peers. Told from the perspective of an unnamed narrator, the story concludes with Silvio returning to seek his revenge against the count.

This story remains popular for modern readers, and is one of Aleksandr Pushkin’s most popular short stories. It gives readers insight into Russian society, and the dramatic and tense situations throughout the story, as well as the air of mystery surrounding Silvio, serve to atract and retain readers.

1on Biographical background and publication- We will examine the context of so ciety at the time of release.

"Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Bri tannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2016. Web. 28 Jan. 2016

2 Explanation of Setting - Mid 19th century provincial Russia This story takes q place in provincial Russia. We intend to examine the context of these locations and analyse how this affects the story.

Pushkin, Aleksandr S, and Walter Arndt. Alexander Pushkin, Complete Prose Fic tion. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 1983. Print. 3 Autobiographical elements/ Background on Pushkin- We intend to examine Pushkin’s life and explore where he got the idea for this plot, and see if there were any autobiographical elements which contributed. 4 Plot Summary- We intend to provide a thorough summary of the events of the story. This will allow us to explain the themes of the story more clearly and effec tively later on in this article.

5 Style 5.1 Genres- “The Shot” falls in line with other works by Pushkin’s style of creating a Romantic tale. Centered around a dramatic action, the plot focuses on the nature of this action and how it shapes the lives of those affected by it.

Watƚaw Lednicki. “The Prose of Pushkin: Part I”. The Slavonic and East Eu ropean Review 28.70 (1949): 105–122. Web.

                  6

Characters 6.1 Silvio- Silvio is the main character of the story, and is somewhat of an anti-hero. He is intriguing and mysterious, and we find out that he has been motivated by his obsessive desire for revenge on the Count. This culminates in the final scene in which he returns to the Count to challenge him to another duel. 6.2 Narrator- The unnamed narrator is recounting this story of the events, and provides context and insight into the surrounding circumstances.

6.3 The Count- He is one of the characters that we are introduced to once we learn of Silvio’s past life. The Count goes through a transformation that strengthens many of the themes that Pushkin uses in this story. The antagonist to Silvio, the Count’s life takes a turn after his marriage and he understand the value of life, especially in his final encounter with Silvio. 6.4 The Countess- This is the wife of the Count. She plays a minor role in the plot, but arrives as Silvio and the Count are in the middle of their second duel. 6.5 Lieutenant that offends Silvio- This character also plays a minor role in the story. He offends Silvio in the beginning of the story as they play cards, and through this we learn in more depth about Silvio’s motivations and history.

7 Themes 7.1 Honor- We will examine the theme of honor and its importance in mid 19th cen tury Russian society. It is clearly an important aspect of the novel, and is present in much of Pushkin’s work.

7.2 Class- Along with the other themes that present itself in the story, class is one of the ones that determines the path the story takes. It provokes Silvio to view the Count in a negative light when the Count had never done anything wrong to hurt him. It shows a social divide in Russian society, and creates a schism in this story between the protagonist and antagonist. 7.3 Courage and compassion- These two themes are interwoven in the life of Silvio and are often confused by those viewing his actions. At times it is unclear if a character’s actions are motivated by both of these themes, by one, or none at all. They are important in understanding Silvio’s decisions, and play an essential role in the story. 7.4 Life in Rural Russia- The events of the story take place in rural Russia, first at a military base and then at a country estate. 7.5 Laws, written and unwritten- An important action in Russian society, dueling is an act taken by characters in this story and others to regain honor after having been insulted in some way. We learn of why Silvio refuses to duel the officer who insults him, and learn of the importance that dueling has had on his life.

8 Adaptations 8.1 film- - http://www.veoh.com/watch/v1989130259bttsYn We will examine if this clip is relevant to include in the article. 8.2 Play 9 Reception

10 See also 11 Notes 12 References 13 Bibliography 14 External links ConnorBoehm (talk) 02:13, 22 February 2016 (UTC)

The Shot References:

"Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2016. Web. 28 Jan. 2016 <http://www.britannica.com/biography/Aleksandr-Sergeyevich-Pushkin>.

Briggs, A D. P. Alexander Pushkin: A Critical Study. London: Croom Helm, 1983. Print

Cross, Samuel H, and Ernest J. Simmons. Centennial Essays for Pushkin. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1937. Print. Debreczeny, Paul. The Other Pushkin: A Study of Alexander Pushkin's Prose Fiction. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 1983. Print.

Evdokimova, Svetlana. Pushkin's Historical Imagination. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999. Print. Lavine, Ludmila Shleyfer. “Poetry, Prose, and Pushkin's Egyptian Nights”. The Slavic and East European Journal 42.3 (1998): 402–422. Lezhnev, A, and Roberta Reeder. Pushkin's Prose. Ann Arbor: Ardis, 1983. Print. Pushkin, Aleksandr S, and Carl R. Proffer. The Critical Prose of Alexander Pushkin: With Critical Essays by Four Russian Romantic Poets. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1969. Print. Pushkin, Aleksandr S, and Walter Arndt. Alexander Pushkin, Complete Prose Fiction. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 1983. Print. Mirsky, D. S.. “Pushkin”. The Slavonic Review 2.4 (1923): 71–84. Web. Watƚaw Lednicki. “The Prose of Pushkin: Part I”. The Slavonic and East European Review 28.70 (1949): 105–122. Web.ConnorBoehm (talk) 00:48, 29 January 2016 (UTC)

Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment

This article is or was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): ConnorBoehm, Edwardfrederickwagneriii.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 14:24, 18 January 2022 (UTC)