A prison without walls: everyone there was deaf and mute | 5 minutes
The walls of some prisons are built of brick. Those of others, however, are erected on the basis of someone's desire, order, and fear. Turgenev's work "Mumu" tells the story of such a prison. A physically strong, hardworking man lived in it. He was deaf and mute, but that was not his biggest problem. Instead of him, others decided whom he should love and how he should live.
A prison without walls: everyone there was deaf and mute | 5 minutes
The central character of the work, Gerasim, was physically so strong that his work was usually performed by several people. But he was deaf and mute. He could neither speak nor hear. In addition, his ability to make independent decisions about his own life was also limited.
Gerasim lived in the countryside, plowed the land, and made a living through his labor. However, he is brought to Moscow and put to work as a servant in the courtyard of a wealthy lady. He tries to adapt to his new life. Even though it is difficult to communicate with those around him, he performs his duties faithfully. His silence was not out of weakness, of course, but stemmed from his nature and capacities. But that miserable society thought that silence could be crushed as much as it pleased.
Other people under the lady's authority also could not decide their own fate. For example, Gerasim falls in love with a washerwoman named Tatyana. But the lady considers that Tatyana should marry another man and orders her to be given in marriage to another, a drunkard. Neither Tatyana nor Gerasim can change this decision.
This very episode reveals the main problem of the work. The lady took interfering in the lives of those around her as her natural right. In her eyes, the desires and feelings of others were secondary.
Another event occurs in Gerasim's life. He saves a puppy that had fallen into the water. He brings it to his home and takes care of it. The puppy grows up and is named Mumu. Gerasim grows fond of it, and Mumu also becomes strongly attached to its owner.
Starting from this point, a unique world appears in Gerasim's life. He cannot talk to people and share his pain, but words were not necessary to speak with Mumu. Mumu waits for him, and although it does not recognize his voice, it knows him by his footsteps and does not leave his side. Gerasim also feels that he is needed by someone, that someone needs his affection.
Sometimes we demand too much for happiness. In reality, the presence of a soul that waits for you, a heart that accepts your affection, resolves everything. For Gerasim, Mumu was just such a companion.
However, the lady takes a dislike to Mumu. The dog's barking annoys her. At first, she tries to get rid of Mumu from the courtyard. After Gerasim hides it, she searches for and finds it. But the lady's wish does not change: Mumu must not stay here.