Elena peculiarity of national character in hunter's stories by Evgeny Opochinin

Evgeny Nikolaevich Opochinin (1858-1928) is an archaeographer, historian, journalist, specialist in drama study, collector, author of memoirs about F. M. Dostoevsky, Ya. P. Polonsky, A. N. Maykov, etc. He is not well known as a writer. Most of his life the writer spent in Yaroslavl region, in the estate in the environs of Rybinsk. Hunter's stories by E. N. Opochinin resemble documentary, philosophical and psychological prose. The author tries to achieve accuracy in description of nature and life, to juxtapose the image of a biographic author and that one of a story-teller. At the same time, according to the author, hunting symbolizes search for truth that goes back to the philosophy of Platon. In E. N. Opochinin's stories, the situation during hunting becomes an ordeal for the hero wherethrough his individual and intrinsic principles manifest themselves. The author often uses the method of paradox, an unexpected twist in the plot. Sometimes his metaphors and comparisons look like symbols. As E. N. Opochinin puts it, hunting reveals such traits of Russian national character as compassion, sense of justice, humility, aspiration for strenuous activity, and for perception of God's will. Simultaneously, by the example of hunting E. N. Opochinin demonstrates a spontaneous, destructive aspect of Russian character if he is motivated by greed for gain and envy. The writer creates different types of hunters: wildlife lovers, conventionalists, “imitators” and predators-consumers.