Is it good to be an idealist? This question was posed by Saltykov-Shchedrin in his fairy tale “The Karas the idealist” from a practical standpoint. Philosophical idealism is not even considered by the Russian classic. So, without delaying the matter, let us move on to the work “The Karas the idealist,” a summary of which is presented in the article. Saltykov-Shchedrin wrote it in 1824.
Plot features
The "Crucian idealist" has no plot as such. It is built on a dialogue between a crucian and a ruff. The crucian is well-read, clever by book wisdom, but does not know life at all, but this does not prevent him from being intoxicated by socialist ideas. He dreams that everyone will live in equality and brotherhood. Pikes will no longer eat crucians, and monks will not eat fish.
Ruff listens to all this, only smirks and scolds his vis-a-vis in every possible way. But at the same time, their conversations happen again and again. Ruff admits that even crucian carp and booby, but with anyone in the river, except him, you can’t talk about such lofty topics. Therefore, the fish meet again and argue again. The crucian gazes at everything through the glasses of pink optimism, and the ruff criticizes the views of the crucian from the standpoint of common sense. And so, page by page, they pull the dispute rope back and forth. Thus, it is clear that the specificity of the fairy tale “Karas the idealist” is that there is no dynamics. All movement and tension are hidden in the dialogs of ruff and crucian carp.
And here comes the crucial moment: now the carp must be convinced of the validity of their views pike. Direct fodder (crucian carp) tries to convince its consumer (pike) that it needs to change its habits and switch to a different diet for the ideas of equality and brotherhood. It is easy to guess that everything ends with the eating of a crucian pike. This happens as if by chance during a conversation, and everyone present immediately inquires from a pike whether crucian carp tasted good.
"Crucian idealist": a summary. Reasoning about Social Justice
During the conversation, crucian carp and ruff touch upon many painful topics both for Russia and for the whole world. For example, the question of social justice. Which of us did not dream of a society of equal opportunities, crucian carp also dreams, and the ruff pulls him and says that, it’s all good, but pikes will never do this, because there will always be a hierarchy in the river. And while the oppressed will “sleep in the mud”, the elite will enjoy life. Karas, on the other hand, is trying to convince the ruff that pikes, as soon as they hear about the idea of social justice, will immediately turn into its faithful adherents. Ruff only mocks (and not in vain). Saltykov-Shchedrin in the fairy tale “Karas the idealist”, the brief content of which we are considering, described the problems of social inequality . The thoughts expressed by Mikhail Evgrafovich 5 years before his death remain relevant for 21st century Russia.
On the isolation of idealists from life
An indicative point is that crucian does not know what he is talking about. Here, under the fire of criticism of the author, apparently, dreamers familiar to him who want to rebuild life in Russia fall. For crucian carp, the pike was a mythical character, until he met her. He did not know anything about what the monks do with the caught crucians. The idealist fish did not know how tasty her brothers in sour cream were.
What is allowed to the youth does not suit an adult. All people in their youth are idealists and dreamers, but when life takes its whip in its hands, then human beliefs are tested, and only those that are most consistent with common sense survive. Such is the general morality endowed with the tale of Saltykov-Shchedrin “Karas the idealist”.
Socio-political interpretation
The dialogue between the heroes is built in a very peculiar way: the crucian poor fellow is torn, trying to prove something to the pike, and only he stutters about virtue, immediately the pike “accidentally” swallows it. In other words, you can talk with the authorities only if you are on your knees in a pleading pose, it is fraught to communicate with her on equal terms.
Perhaps Saltykov-Shchedrin was very impressed with the fate of P.Ya. Chaadaeva. Recall that Peter Yakovlevich allowed himself an attempt to criticize the social structure of Russia of the 19th century, and he was declared insane and ordered to undergo a medical examination.
True, with all this, crucian carp is still an absurd figure, but the text of the work “The Crucian-Idealist” (a brief summary does not provide an opportunity to highlight all such moments in detail) voluntarily or involuntarily encounters such parallels.
Is it good to be an idealist?
The question is complex and controversial. If you put an equal sign between optimism, daydreaming and idealism, then faith in good and bright is necessary in order to grow up as a normal person. But as one grows up, a person must abandon those aspirations and values that are morally obsolete and pull him down. At the same time, one should not think that moral adaptation follows from such a position. Basic moral values should somehow regulate human behavior. True, if we were to ask the author of the tale, then Saltykov-Shchedrin himself (Karas the idealist confirms this idea) would tell the reader that he does not approve of either idealism or stupid optimism divorced from life's realities.
Who is the fairy tale of the Russian classic written for?
The work will not be clear to students, it is already written for adults. In general, it seems that when Saltykov-Shchedrin (Karas the idealist) created his work, then his convictions and views on Russian contemporary reality were already crystallized to him as much as possible. The classic generously added these “crystals” to his later works, and they acquired a unique parable-philosophical flavor.
Such is the analysis of the fairy tale “Karas the idealist” by Saltykov-Shchedrin. Perhaps it is incomplete, maybe something else could be learned from this multidimensional and bottomless work of Russian writer, but, as N.V. Gogol, “Our man should be respected at least for his attempt.”