Easter Day by Aleksandr Kuprin

Name: Easter Day
Author: Aleksandr Kuprin

The story revolves around a young woman who has been wronged by society and seeks revenge on Easter Day. She is driven by a desire for justice and retribution, but her actions are also motivated by a sense of despair and hopelessness. The narrative explores themes of morality, redemption, and the complexities of human nature.

By Aleksandr Kuprin · First published 1909 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Romance, Psychological Fiction · 4,970 words

First lines

On his way from Petersburg to the Crimea Colonel Voznitsin purposely broke his journey at Moscow, where his childhood and youth had been spent, and stayed there two days. It is said that some animals when they feel that they are about to die go round to all their favourite and familiar haunts, taking leave of them, as it were. Voznitsin was not threatened by the near approach of death; at forty years of age he was still strong and well-preserved. But in his tastes and feelings and in his relations with the world he had reached the point from which life slips almost imperceptibly into old age. He had begun to narrow the circle of his enjoyments and pleasures; a habit of retrospection and of sceptical suspicion was manifest in his behaviour; his dumb, unconscious, animal love of Nature had become less and was giving place to a more refined appreciation of the shades of beauty; he was no longer agitated and disturbed by the adorable loveliness of women, but chiefly -- and this was the first sign of spiritual blight -- he began to think about his own death. Formerly he had thought about it in a careless and transient fashion -- sooner or later death would come, not to him personally, but to some other, someone of the name of Voznitsin. But now he thought of it with a grievous, sharp, cruel, unwavering, merciless clearness, so that at nights his heart beat in terror and his blood ran cold. It was this feeling which had impelled him to visit once more those places familiar to his youth, to live over again in memory those dear, painfully sweet recollections of his childhood, overshadowed with a poetical sadness, to wound his soul once more with the sweet grief of recalling that which was forever past -- the irrevocable purity and clearness of his first impressions of life.

What this Textopian page supports

Easter Day is listed on Textopian as a short story by Aleksandr Kuprin, dated 1909 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Short story
Author: Aleksandr Kuprin
Date: 1909 CE
Language: English
Genres: Literary Fiction, Romance, Psychological Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming-of-Age
Length: 4,970 words
Structure: 1 section, 69 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

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Discussion starters

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Similar titles

Genres

Literary Fiction — The work explores deep themes of nostalgia, memory, and the passage of time, focusing on character development and emotional depth.
Romance — The narrative includes elements of romantic longing and past relationships, particularly the protagonist's feelings for a childhood friend.
Psychological Fiction — The story delves into the protagonist's internal struggles, reflections on life, and existential thoughts about aging and love.
Historical Fiction — Set against a backdrop of early 20th-century Russia, the work reflects societal norms and personal histories of that era.