Mr. from San Francisco summary. "Mr. from San Francisco

Mister from San Francisco— his name is not mentioned in the story. It is known that he has a wife and daughter, and he himself is an elderly American. He devoted his entire life to making his fortune.

Meet the gentleman from San Francisco

The story is about an elderly American who goes on a trip with his wife and daughter from San Francisco. They decide to travel for two years around the Old World. This gentleman worked a lot and decided that he deserved a rest.

The name of this gentleman is not mentioned in the story. As the narrator explains, in none of the cities that the American visited, no one remembered his name. An American family sets sail at the end of November on the luxurious Atlantis.

Description of life on a ship

Atlantis resembled a luxury hotel. Life proceeded in a measured rhythm. All passengers wake up early, drink coffee drinks, take baths and do gymnastics. After all this, people stroll around the deck to work up an appetite.

Then everyone goes to the first breakfast, after which they look through the newspapers in anticipation of the second breakfast. Then two hours before tea are devoted to relaxation: you can lie in long reed chairs and look at the beautiful sky. After a certain period of time after tea with treats, the main purpose of the passengers’ stay on the ship comes - lunch.

During the voyage, an orchestra plays, which tirelessly delights the assembled company. The orchestral music is supplemented by the sounds of the ocean, which, however, are of no interest to men in tuxedos and women in elegant dresses.

After dinner, the passengers dance, the men go to the bar to drink liquor and smoke a cigar, and are served by blacks dressed in red uniforms. This is how the days of all the people who were on Atlantis passed.

Arrival in Capri

The family of a wealthy American arrives in Naples. They stay at an expensive hotel, where they follow a similar steamship routine. Early in the morning they have breakfast, after which they visit the sights, then they go to second breakfast and tea, then prepare for lunch and in the evening - lunch.

But they arrived in Naples at the wrong time of year. The weather in December was windy and rainy, and the city streets were dirty. Therefore, the gentleman from San Francisco decides to go with his family to Capri, where, according to other people, the weather is sunny and warm and lemons bloom.

They get to Capri on a small boat, but the entire family of a rich American begins to get seasick. They take a cable car to a small town that was located at the top of the mountain. They stay at a hotel where all the employees communicate with them friendly, and begin to prepare for lunch. By this time, the family and the gentleman himself were experiencing bouts of seasickness.

The gentleman from San Francisco got ready faster than his wife and daughter and went to a cozy reading room to read the newspaper. But suddenly he feels bad, his pince-nez falls, and the gentleman himself falls to the floor. Another guest saw this attack and comes to the dining room with terrible news. The hotel owner tries to calm those gathered, but in vain: the dinner was ruined.

Death of a gentleman from San Francisco

The man's body is transferred to the smallest room. His wife, daughter and servants gathered around him. What they feared most happened - he died. His wife and daughter request that his body be moved to their room, but the owner refuses their request. Because, the news of this tragedy would spread in society and tourists would avoid this hotel.

It also turns out to be very difficult to get the coffin. The only thing they can offer is a soda box. At dawn, they are taken by a cab driver to a small steamer, which ferries them across the Bay of Naples. They sail back on the same ship that took them to Naples - the Atlantis.

Now the gentleman from San Francisco, who had been transported to the Old World with such pomp, was being transported back in a simple soda box in the hold, so as not to scare away the passengers. And on deck, life went on as usual: people also ate and drank, danced, and the ocean raged overboard.

Test on the story Mr. from San Francisco

Summary of the story “Mr. from San Francisco” by I.A. Bunin for preparation for the final essay, for the reader's diary.

Nobody in Naples or Capri remembered the name of the gentleman from San Francisco. He was traveling with his wife and daughter to the Old World for two years to have fun. At fifty-eight years old, he was firmly convinced that he was just starting to live, that wealth gave him the right to rest and pleasure, to a great trip. Previously, he did not live, but existed, hoping for the future. He worked tirelessly and finally saw that he had achieved the model he was striving for. I decided to take a break. People in his circle usually traveled to Europe, India and Egypt. He decided not to deviate from the model here either. First of all, this trip was a reward for his labors, but the gentleman was also happy for his wife and daughter. His wife is not an impressionable person, but all older American women, he thinks, love traveling. The daughter, a sickly girl of marriageable age, will improve her health and find herself a billionaire husband. The gentleman developed an extensive route: winter - in Southern Italy, carnival - in Nice, in Monte Carlo, in March - Florence, for the Passion of the Lord - in Rome. Then - Venice, Paris, bullfighting in Seville, swimming in the English islands, Athens, Constantinople, Palestine, Egypt, on the way back - Japan.

At first everything goes great. At the end of November, we had to sail to Gibraltar in icy darkness and a snowstorm, but safely. On the famous steamship Atlantis, a huge hotel with all amenities, life flowed smoothly. All day the travelers ate, drank and had fun; by evening the gentleman from San Francisco dressed in a tuxedo and starched underwear, which made him look very young. In the evenings, many servants worked on the ship. There was a terrible ocean around, but they didn’t think about it, relying on the ship’s commander. The gentleman's family dined, then the dancing began, everyone again had fun, drank and smoked. The steamer trembled all over, overcoming the blizzard ocean, the siren howled, and the womb of the steamer was like the ninth circle of hell. There the furnaces roared and sweaty people, red from the flames, worked, while above everything shone and spun in a waltz. Among the crowd there was one rich man, a writer, a beauty, a couple in love who delighted everyone, and only the captain knew that these were hired actors playing love for good money on different ships. The sun has appeared in Gibraltar, and a new passenger has appeared on board - the crown prince of an Asian state. The daughter of a gentleman from San Francisco was introduced to him, the gentleman himself is looking at his beautiful fellow traveler. He is generous on the road and takes the care of servants for granted. The ship arrived in Naples. Life there also flows as usual, with lunches and excursions. In December the weather was bad, the gentleman began to quarrel with his wife in the morning, his daughter was pale and had a headache. Everyone assured that Capri was warmer, the family decided to go there. There was terrible seas on the small ship, the family suffered, the gentleman felt like an old man. Upon arrival in Italy, the gentleman avoids everyone, he is immediately singled out, helped out, he feels that he has done everyone a favor with his arrival. The owner of the hotel seems to him to have already seen once, he tells the family about it, and his daughter becomes sad and lonely on the island. The family is provided with the apartments of a high-ranking person who has just departed, and the most skilled servants are assigned. The gentleman dresses as usual for the evening, the floor still shakes under him after the rocking. He goes to wait for his wife and daughter in the reading room, sits down in a chair, and suddenly he has an attack of suffocation. He is taken to a bad, damp and cold room; his wife and daughter come running, almost dressed for dinner. The evening at the hotel is irreparably ruined for the owner. The gentleman dies on an iron bed under rough blankets. His wife, now a widow, asks permission to move his body to the room, but the owner says that this is impossible: after this, tourists will avoid his hotel. He says that the body must be removed at dawn, not in a coffin, but in a soda box. At dawn, when everyone is still sleeping, the cab driver takes the box with the body to the ship, and the car drops off his wife and daughter. The master's body returns home on the same ship, but in a black hold. In the halls above, as usual, there is a crowded ball. The ocean roars like a funeral mass. The hellish furnaces of Atlantis are bubbling, the halls are fragrant with flowers, and the sound of an orchestra is playing. Again the hired couple pretends to love, but no one knows either that she is already tired of pretending, or what kind of cargo they are carrying in the hold.

Mister from San Francisco, who is never named by name in the story, since, the author notes, no one remembered his name either in Naples or Capri, goes with his wife and daughter to the Old World for two whole years in order to have fun and travel. He worked hard and is now rich enough to afford such a vacation.

At the end of November, the famous Atlantis, which looks like a huge hotel with all the amenities, sets sail. Life on the ship goes smoothly: they get up early, drink coffee, cocoa, chocolate, take baths, do gymnastics, walk along the decks to whet their appetite; then they go to the first breakfast; after breakfast they read newspapers and calmly wait for second breakfast; the next two hours are devoted to relaxation - all decks are lined with long reed chairs, on which travelers lie, covered with blankets, looking at the cloudy sky; then - tea with cookies, and in the evening - what constitutes the main goal of this entire existence - dinner.

A wonderful orchestra plays exquisitely and tirelessly in a huge hall, behind the walls of which the waves of the terrible ocean roar, but low-cut ladies and men in tails and tuxedos do not think about it. After dinner, dancing begins in the ballroom, men in the bar smoke cigars, drink liqueurs, and are served by blacks in red camisoles.

Finally, the ship arrives in Naples, the family of the gentleman from San Francisco stays in an expensive hotel, and here their life also flows according to a routine: early in the morning - breakfast, after - visiting museums and cathedrals, second breakfast, tea, then preparing for dinner and in the evening - a hearty lunch. However, December in Naples this year turned out to be stormy: wind, rain, mud on the streets. And the family of the gentleman from San Francisco decides to go to the island of Capri, where, as everyone assures them, it is warm, sunny and lemons bloom.

A small steamboat, swaying from side to side on the waves, transports a gentleman from San Francisco with his family, seriously suffering from seasickness, to Capri. The funicular takes them to a small stone town at the top of the mountain, they settle into a hotel, where everyone warmly welcomes them, and prepare for dinner, having already fully recovered from seasickness. Having dressed before his wife and daughter, a gentleman from San Francisco heads to a cozy, quiet hotel reading room, opens a newspaper - and suddenly the lines flash before his eyes, his pince-nez flies off his nose, and his body, writhing, slides to the floor. Another hotel guest who was present runs into the dining room screaming, everyone jumps up from their seats, the owner tries to calm the guests, but the evening is already irreparably ruined.

The gentleman from San Francisco is transferred to the smallest and worst room; his wife, daughter, servants stand and look at him, and now what they were waiting for and fearing happened - he dies. The wife of a gentleman from San Francisco asks the owner for permission to move the body to their apartment, but the owner refuses: he values these rooms too much, and tourists would begin to avoid them, since the whole of Capri would immediately know about what happened. You can't get a coffin here either - the owner can offer you a long box of soda water bottles.

At dawn, a cab driver carries the body of a gentleman from San Francisco to the pier, a steamboat transports him across the Bay of Naples, and the same Atlantis, on which he arrived with honor in the Old World, now carries him, dead, in a tarred coffin, hidden from the living deep below, in the black hold. Meanwhile, on the decks the same life continues as before, everyone has breakfast and lunch in the same way, and the ocean wavering behind the windows is still just as scary.

Reading time

Full version 30 minutes (≈11 A4 pages), summary 3 minutes.

Main characters

San Francisco Mister, Mister's Wife, Mister's Daughter

Minor characters

Prince of an Asian state, hotel owner, graceful couple in love

A gentleman from San Francisco was heading with his wife and daughter to the Old World. He planned to spend two years there to have fun and travel. His name is not mentioned in the story because no one could remember it. The gentleman worked hard and has now become very rich. Therefore, he could provide himself with this rest.

At the end of autumn, the steamer Atlantis, which looked like a very large hotel with all kinds of amenities, set sail. Life on Atlantis flowed smoothly. Here they woke up early, drank coffee, chocolate or cocoa, took a bath, did physical exercise, and walked on the deck to whet their appetite. Then we went to our first breakfast. Afterwards we read the newspaper and waited for second breakfast. Then we rested for two hours. For this purpose, chairs made of reeds were placed on the deck. Travelers lay on them, covered with blankets, looking at the cloudy sky. Then came tea. In the evening there was dinner, which was the most basic purpose of this existence.

The magnificent orchestra played beautifully and non-stop in the large hall. Outside, the waves of the menacing ocean roared noisily. However, ladies with low necklines and gentlemen dressed in tailcoats and tuxedos did not think about him. Dancing began in the ballroom after dinner was over. In the bar, men smoked cigarettes and drank liqueurs. They were served by blacks dressed in red camisoles.

The ship ended up in Naples. A gentleman from San Francisco stayed with his family at the hotel. Here, too, everything happened at a measured pace. Early in the morning there was breakfast. Afterwards we visited museums and cathedrals. This was followed by a second breakfast and tea. Afterwards we got ready for lunch. In the evening we had a hearty dinner. December this year in Naples was rainy and windy. Therefore, the gentleman decided to go with his family to the island of Capri. They were assured that it was warm there, the sun was shining and lemons were blooming.

A small steamer rolled over the waves from one side to the other. He brought the gentleman and his family, who were very seasick, to the island. The lift took them to a small town at the top of the mountain. The family settled in the hotel. There they were greeted very hospitably. The family prepared for dinner, practically free of seasickness. The gentleman dressed faster than his household and went to the reading room. There he took the newspaper. But then the lines flashed in his eyes, his pince-nez fell, and he slid to the floor. Another guest who saw this screamed and ran into the dining room. In the dining room everyone jumped up from their seats, the hotel owner tried to calm the guests. However, the evening was completely ruined.

The gentleman was moved to the smallest and cheapest room. The household and servants stood and looked at him. They were waiting for the inevitable. And it happened. The gentleman has passed away. His wife asked permission from the hotel owner to move the deceased to their room. However, he refused. He really appreciated these numbers. and the guests would avoid them if they learned about what had happened. It was also impossible to purchase a coffin here. The owner offered only a long box that used to store soda bottles.

When dawn broke, the cab driver took the body of the deceased to the pier. The body was transported by steamer across the Bay of Naples. And on Atlantis, which honorably delivered him to the Old World, they carried him, dead, placed in a tarred coffin. The coffin was placed deep in the black hold. Despite this, life on deck continued as before.

Bunin's short prose is not very large, but it is very difficult to understand. The author skillfully uses images, symbols and artistic details in the text, which cannot always be easily remembered in class, especially in a nervous environment. Therefore, each student will need our summary of “The Gentleman from San Francisco” for his reading diary. And to write an interesting review, the Literaguru team also wrote a kind of hint - a legendary story by Bunin. Happy reading!

(435 words) A fifty-eight-year-old wealthy gentleman from San Francisco, whose name no one remembered, decided to go on a two-year cruise to the Old World. He went with his apathetic wife, who had never been very impressionable, and his sickly daughter.

The plans that the “master” made included a wide range of countries he visited: Southern Italy, Nice, Monte Carlo, Rome, Venice, Paris, Egypt and even Japan. Life on a cruise ship was more like a large hotel, where every day they drank coffee, took baths, savored hot chocolate, relaxed, read and simply enjoyed “their position.” The special feature of Atlantis was its rich night program.

In the evening, people seemed to come to life, an orchestra was playing, the ladies were in elegant dresses, and the gentlemen were in suits. The gentleman from San Francisco was awkwardly built, dry and short, but the tuxedo, which fit him perfectly, made him look very young. The wife, too, was not distinguished by a fair amount of “beauty”: she was plump and broad, while the daughter was a real beauty, tall and stately. The dinner lasted about an hour, after which dancing was announced, while men who looked like “masters” sat at the table and smoked cigars, which were brought to them by blacks in red camisoles.

On the second day of their journey, the picture of the horizon changed, and Naples appeared. Meanwhile, the “master’s” daughter stood on the deck with the prince, whom she had been introduced to by a happy accident. He was not good-looking, with a flat face and dark skin, but she found him charming. The “master” himself looked at the beautiful blonde with the dog, while the daughter did her best to pretend that she did not notice him.

After a while, "Atlantis" entered the harbor, and the "master" left the liner, realizing that he could go to any hotel, even the one that the prince wanted to choose. Having settled in a new place, the family leads the usual daily routine, consisting of breakfast, excursions to new places, lunch and tea. However, the weather lets them down: instead of a sunny city, slush and dirt await them, so they decide to go to the island of Capri, where, according to the locals, it is always warm and lemons grow.

Their method of transportation was a small steamer, which took them to their place, despite the seasickness that the entire “master’s” family went through. They find themselves at a hotel, where they are asked to go change for dinner. A gentleman from San Francisco goes to his reading room, sits down on a chair and takes a newspaper, but then something unexpected happens: the words blur, the newspaper falls, and the “gentleman” himself dies. The guests are horrified, but the owner understands that he needs to get out of the terrible situation.

The gentleman is moved to the most miserable room so that hotel guests are not afraid to continue living in it. The widow asks for a coffin, to which the owner replies that he can only provide a long box of soda bottles.

On the deck of the same "Atlantis" life is in full swing, while deep below - in the hold of the liner - lies a dead rich gentleman from San Francisco in a cheap box.

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