The art of writing is comparable to the art of cutting. It is easy to guess that the author of these words is the master of a short story A.P. Chekhov. Smelling (a brief summary follows) is one of his small masterpieces, which was written in 1889. This period in the writer's work is marked by a transition from short humorous stories to “the field is serious”. Indeed, the usual conversation between the protagonist, on behalf of whom the story is being narrated, and the governess of his children, like a curtain in a theater, opens up a whole series of questions of understanding the concepts of “spirituality” and “morality”.
Summary of Chekhov’s short story “Smasher”
The plot of the story is simple and unpretentious. The main character, and he is also a storyteller, invites the governess, Yulia Vasilyevna, to be reckoned. From this moment, you can start a brief summary (Chekhov, “Smasher”) For two months of work, a fee is due, but the girl, thin, delicate, or, as the author calls her, “ceremonial,” the first one will never ask. The young governess sits down and a difficult conversation begins.
The agreement was about thirty rubles a month. Yulia Vasilyevna shyly objects - no, it was about forty ... Now, about the timeline. She worked for two months. And again, the "cutback", because in fact she worked for two months and five days. Nine Sundays should be subtracted from them, because instead of classes there were walks ... Then for three days my teeth hurt, and it was allowed to study before lunch. Three days of the holiday. Yes, an expensive cup and saucer was also broken, and Kohl’s son, through her oversight, tore the coat.
The salary was melting before our eyes. Instead of eighty rubles, sixty came out, then minus twelve, then down with another seven, ten, five, three .... For all the timid objections of Yulia Mikhailovna, there was only one steel argument that, they say, everything was written down and there was nothing to argue about. She was silent, blushed, her eyes were filled with tears, her chin was trembling. But in the end she accepted the conditions of the storyteller, took the miserable balance due - eleven rubles, and whispered: “Merci”.
Disturbance
We continue the summary (Chekhov, “Razmaznya”). Resignation, miserable, according to the protagonist, humility and humility cause him a storm of indignation. He jumps up, and practically pounces on her. Is it really possible to obediently endure bullying, because he impudently robbed her, stole the honestly earned money from her. Why was she silent? Why didn’t she defend herself? "How can you be such a mess!" You can - says the expression on her face. In other places, they might not have given her at all.
He gives her a pre-prepared envelope with eighty rubles. She thanks him again and leaves quickly. Contentment with himself, that joke, that cruel lesson that he taught the young girl, and which, perhaps, will help her to continue to be “toothy,” quickly passes, and is replaced by another question: is it easy to be bold in life?
Summary. Chekhov, “Squabble”: conclusion
The final phrase, the rhetorical question that the main character asks himself, and at the same time to all readers, leads to deeper thoughts. Of course, it is necessary to be brave, decisive, strong and self-sufficient person. Be able to assert their rights and values. But do these qualities exist in their pure form or are they possible due to some external factors and circumstances? Summary (Chekhov, “The Smudge”), of course, cannot convey the entire subtlety and depth of the plot, so reading the original is highly recommended.