The key facts

  • Kun.uz's '5 Minutes' column was devoted to Turgenev's work 'Mumu'
  • Gerasim is a strong but deaf-mute character who is brought to serve the lady in Moscow
  • The lady disrupts his relationship with Tatyana and later demands that Gerasim get rid of his dog Mumu

The topic of the next installment of the column — a classic work

In the next installment of its '5 Minutes' column, Kun.uz turned to a rare classic work — Ivan Turgenev's story 'Mumu'. The text focuses on the fate of the main character — Gerasim.

Gerasim and a new life in Moscow

Gerasim was so powerful that his work was usually done by several people, yet he was deaf and mute — he could neither speak nor hear. He lived in the village, tilled the land and earned his living by his own labor. Later he was brought to Moscow and made a servant in the courtyard of a wealthy lady. Gerasim tried to adapt to his new life; although communicating with those around him was difficult, he did his work well. His silence stemmed not from weakness, but from the nature of his abilities.

Tatyana and the lady's interference

The other people under the lady's command could not decide their own fates either. Gerasim falls in love with Tatyana, a hardworking woman, but the lady decides that Tatyana must marry another man and orders her to be married off to a drunkard. Neither Tatyana nor Gerasim could change this decision. The author of the text emphasizes that this episode reveals the central problem of the work: the lady considered interference in the lives of those around her her natural right and regarded the wishes of others as secondary.

The appearance of Mumu

One day Gerasim rescues a puppy that had fallen into the water, takes it home and cares for it. The puppy grows up and is named Mumu. Gerasim gives it affection, and Mumu becomes deeply attached to her owner. A special world opens up for Gerasim: he could not talk with people, but with Mumu there was no need for words. Mumu waited for him, did not care for his voice, but recognized his footsteps. Gerasim felt that he mattered to someone and that someone needed his love.

The lady's demand

But the lady does not like Mumu; the dog's barking infuriates her. First she tries to make Mumu disappear from the courtyard; Gerasim hides her, but the lady finds out. Her demand does not change: Mumu must not remain here. The Kun.uz text ends at this point.