Once in a far away city...
The action in the story of Valentin Rasputin "French Lessons" is set in the Russian provinces, only started to recover from the effects of the war with the Nazis. The main character is a boy of eleven years, which the efforts of his mother, is sent to learn from his remote village to the district center.
It is in the school and around the unfolding events of the story.
Separated from his mother and forced to live in another family, the boy all the time feels uncomfortable. He has found no friends, the hero is almost always alone, distrustful of people and is always hungry. Someone drags the bread and potatoes of his meager reserves collected for the son of a selfless mother. Health slim boy is such that he every day you have to drink at least one glass of milk, money which he does not.
The main concern of the hero of the story is studying. He was good in all subjects except French language: it does not work to put the pronunciation. In vain fought hard to eliminate this drawback, a young teacher Lydia. French speech and would not yield, in spite of the tenacity and honesty of the boy.
Once the hero has become a witness not a child's game for money, which with enthusiasm were playing older boys gathered in a remote and deserted place. After trying their hand in this wisdom, the boy gradually began to win. Meager cents that he procured this trade, with more than enough milk. Health began to recover.
The success of the kid in-game money became the reason of discontent of the elder guys. All ended in failure – after another of his prize he licked, forbidden to come in the future. From beatings, injustice and resentment breath for a long time and wept uncontrollably, reliving the incident.
The lesson of humanity
The next day the boy appeared before a French teacher in all its glory. Broken lip and bruises on her face spoke eloquently about the fact that the guy has serious problems. Finding out what happened worried Lydia to my horror found out that to play for money he started because I didn't had the opportunity to eat well.
Driven by the noble desire to help the boy, the teacher insisted that he came to her home to engage in further French. Between conversations about life and the lessons she tried to feed the kid. And when he flatly refused to accept such gifts from her hands, Lydia went to the trick. She once casually suggested the next home after classes to play for money in a fantasy it game.
On reflection, the hero found a way to earn money completely fair and gradually became interested in throwing coins.
It is because of this exciting and bustling activity, and found the teacher with the student, the school Director. Without trying to understand the motives of the act of the teacher, the Director in anger fired her for immoral behavior, which, in his opinion, was egregious case of sexual abuse of a trusting child. Lydia, not wanting to make excuses, was forced to leave school, but never reproached for what happened boy.
That is a summary of this story, the amazing power of influence. French lessons turned to the boy in an experience of a lifetime. The noble act of a teacher allowed him to learn what real charity and compassion.