Antigone (Ivan Bunin)
Antigone ( Russian Антигона , Antigona) is a short story by the Russian Nobel Prize winner for literature Iwan Bunin , which was completed on October 2, 1940 and was published in 1943 in the anthology Dunkle Alleen in New York .
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The story takes place in Russia after the Russo-Japanese War . Every summer, the student Pawlik visits his wealthy relatives for a decent visit; so also this June. The greeting from my aunt is warm as always. Pawlik feigns joy. The potential heir will lie like this for another three days and then leave. Then the young man's uncle, a stout general, rolls gently towards him. Your Excellency has lost both legs. The teenage nurse Katerina Nikolaevna pushes the wheelchair. Pawlik is completely absorbed by the radiantly clean, robust beauty. The good-humored general calls the nurse his Antigone .
For Pawlik there is initially no opportunity for a first conversation with Katerina. It is located on the first floor of the spacious manor house. On the first night, he voyeuristically notes on the connecting door: The next room is occupied by a female person. It can hardly be the maid. That 'll sleep in the servants' area of the house. And Marja Ilyinischna, the ancient servant, spends the night - on duty around the clock - on the ground floor right next to her aunt.
The next day, Pawlik does not want to go riding because of the bad weather and passes the time in the divan room on the book shelves. Katerina, who wants to get a book, is questioned by Pawlik. It turns out that the two rooms actually collide. The flexible Katerina does not offer any resistance to the physical approaches of the student. When he wants to get down to business and urges Katerina to sit on a divan , the practically inclined nurse replies, "We can't see or hear anything when lying down," stops and opens her thighs. Pawlik not only immediately achieves the goal of his wishes, but is also allowed to spend the following night in Katerina's bed. In the morning, the lovers are disturbed by knocking on the locked door. Excellence is indisposed and needs Katerina's services, the annoying Ilyinishna can be heard urgently outside. Pawlik escapes quickly through the connecting door.
The romance is ended immediately by the resolute aunt. Pawlik had fled on bare feet. Katerina had unlocked. Marja Ilyinischna had not overlooked the men's slippers in front of the nurse's bed and had put the mistress in the picture.
Katerina has to leave the property on the same day. A new nurse is wanted.
German-language editions
- Used edition
- Antigone. German by Erich Ahrndt . P. 354–364 in: Karlheinz Kasper (Ed.): Iwan Bunin: Dunkle Alleen. Stories 1920–1953 . 580 pages. Aufbau-Verlag, Berlin 1985
Web links
- The text
- Fourth text in part 2: online at Lib.ru (Russian)
- online at bunin.niv.ru (Russian)
- online in the Komarow library (Russian)
- Reference to first appearance in the Laboratory of Fantastics (Russian)
annotation
- ↑ Greek mythology : Oedipus kills Laios and begets Antigone with Iokaste . In the late realization of parricide and incest, Oedipus stabs his eyes out. Antigone is the father's guide to the blind on the way to exile in Kolonos .