Ivan Andreevich Krylov became for Russian people not only a bibliographic figure, but also an author of famous winged expressions, which, by the way, have long been spread outside Russia. The secret of the popularity of his works is that they surprisingly show the images of Russian people at various times in their lives. Many followers of the fabulist like the irony of presenting his stories, but literary critics seem too impudent to compare some types of people with animals ... Anyway, the rhymed stories of Ivan Andreevich have been responding to the hearts of each of us for a century, and on the example of Krylov’s fable “Cat and Cook” we will try to analyze the creative orientation of the famous fabulist.
Summary of the work
We will not literally study the text of Krylov’s fable “Cat and Cook”, but consider its contents with a brief retelling and try to assess the importance of the characters involved.
The story tells about how a certain cook left his workplace, and so that the rats would not be too intoxicated with the products left by him, he ordered the cat to protect the food. The man went to the tavern (to remember the dead godfather), and when he returned, he saw on the floor the remains of eaten supplies and a cat at the head of all this disgrace, which in the most unscrupulous way was eating up an unfortunate chicken.
The indignation of the hero of Krylov’s fable “Cat and Cook” knew no bounds, and he began to scold Vaska for urine, because until now the animal had not been seen dragging food from the master table, and he unquestioningly trusted him ... But what about the cat? Here it’s time to recall the famous phrase: “Vaska listens, but eats” ...
The moral of the fable “Cat and Cook”
As you know, fables are notable for the fact that in their last lines the main meaning of the work is usually concentrated. But at the end of the text of Krylov’s fable “The Cat and the Cook”, one can see quite the different morality that the author pushes us with his narrative. As it turned out, the meaning of the work does not lie on the surface at all. Judge for yourself: the whole text is literally saturated with the thought that even the closest person cannot be trusted one hundred percent, and especially important matters must be kept under strict control. And yet the main meaning of the work lies in another ...
Fable as a way of conveying political thought to the Russian people
So, what did the author of the fable “Cat and Cook” want to say? The moral at the end of the story says that sometimes it is necessary to use power in relation to some people ... Russian writers mean a political motive here: some officials must be kept in check, as they are constantly trying to encroach on the myriad wealth of our Homeland. Another interpretation of this work is the similarity of the cat Vaska with some representatives of the 18th century Russian beau monde, because historical facts tell us about the respectful attitude of Ivan Andreevich to the peasant class ... Whatever it was, the work of this author is a rich cultural heritage Russia, and this fact is difficult to challenge.