The Novice: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Novice" presents a poignant narrative centered around a young novice monk who was captured and taken to a monastery near the Caucasus mountains in Georgia, Russia, at a tender age. Brought there as a prisoner of war, he grapples with his longing for his homeland while enduring a life of confinement and solitude. The story unfolds his deep emotional struggle and inner conflict, portraying his stubbornness and pride inherited from his father. His relationship with his father-confessor, an old and silent monk, is particularly significant, as the novice trusts him deeply, seeking solace and guidance in his presence.
A critical turning point occurs when the novice attempts to escape during a storm, leading him into the countryside where he experiences a brief communion with nature. His encounter with a panther serves as a metaphor for his own struggles, culminating in a violent confrontation that reflects his inner turmoil and connection to his lost family. However, his bid for freedom ultimately leads him back to the monastery, reinforcing the harsh reality of his situation. The narrative also introduces a Georgian maid, who, while never spoken to, embodies the beauty and longing for the life he left behind, symbolizing the richness of his culture and heritage. Overall, "The Novice" explores themes of identity, freedom, and the unyielding human spirit in the face of despair.
The Novice: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Mikhail Lermontov
First published: 1840
Genre: Poetry
Locale: The Caucasus mountains, Georgia, Russia
Plot: Narrative
Time: 1840
The novice, a novice monk in a monastery near the Caucasus mountains, Georgia, Russia. He was brought there as a prisoner of war at the age of six, after being captured in his native mountain village by the occupying Russian forces. On the journey to the Russian town of Tiflis, the boy, who was of a delicate constitution, fell ill. He was taken to the monastery and placed in the care of the monks. Having inherited his father's proud and free disposition, he never complained. He stubbornly refused food and drink but was saved from death by the ministrations of one monk, his father-confessor, who tended and healed him. The boy did not indulge in childish play; instead, he stayed aloof and alone, pining for his native mountains. In time, he was baptized (he would have been born a Muslim) and became a novice monk. In effect, he was still a prisoner of war in the monastery, living in a bare, dark cell. He cherishes one desire in his heart: to see his homeland, and the people who live there, once more. The poem tells of the novice's attempt to accomplish this. One day, during a storm, he escapes and flees into the surrounding countryside. There, his romantic soul enables him to commune with nature, as he observes and delights in every aspect of the landscape. He encounters danger in the form of a hungry panther. During a prolonged and bloody battle with the panther, the novice feels that he takes on the spirit of the panther; within him is born the forlorn call of the wounded beast. The novice kills the panther, aligning himself with the heroic deeds of his lost family. Wounded and exhausted, he sees his bid for freedom end in despair as he realizes that he has come full circle and has reached the monastery again. He now knows that he will never achieve his lifelong desire to see his birthplace again. He remains resolute and defiant to the end, confessing to the father that he would give up eternity itself in return for a mere hour among the rocks where he played as a child.
The novice's father-confessor, an old man who does not speak in the poem. He hears of the recaptured novice's adventures in freedom, in the form of a final confession before the novice's death. The novice evidently loves and trusts him more than anyone else in the monastery.
A Georgian maid, who attracts the novice's attention when he hears her singing a song. He watches her collect water from a stream. He never speaks to her. She remains a symbol of the beauty, mystery, playfulness, and sensuality of his lost people.