Several satirical plays were written by Vladimir Mayakovsky. The “bathhouse,” which we will briefly review, is one of them. Like many works of the poet, the play has a social orientation. It makes fun of the most acute vices of modern Mayakovsky society.
About the play
Created a play from 1928 to 1930, Mayakovsky. The Bathhouse (summarized below) is a satirical piece aimed at exposing such an ugly phenomenon as careerism. In addition, the author does not forget about other social vices - bureaucracy, opportunism, idle talk, “communist swagger”.
Mayakovsky paid tribute to the abbreviations characteristic of the Soviet era. So, the author calls the post of the protagonist "Glavnachpups."
Mayakovsky, "Bath": a summary
The play takes place in 1930, when an inventor named Chudakov created a time machine. Now he is going to turn on the unit. Then Comrade Bicyclebikin comes to him, to whom Chudakov talks about the importance of his invention. The most important thing in the car is the ability to stop the most beautiful moment in life and enjoy it as much as you like, and reduce unhappy time to a few seconds. Bicyclekin is imbued with the importance of discovery and suggests using the unit in order to shorten long reports and accelerate the growth of chickens in incubators. Hearing such suggestions, Chudakov begins to get annoyed: such practicality is unacceptable to his wonderful invention.
Pont kich
Mayakovsky also introduces foreigners into his play (The Bathhouse). The summary describes how an Englishman named Pont Kich begins to become interested in the invention of Chudakov. He comes to the inventor, taking with him Mezalyansova, translator. Chudakov talks about the device of his car. Pont Kich writes something in his notebook, and then offers financial assistance to the inventor. Bicyclebinkin intervenes in the conversation and says that they already have money.
Bicyclekin escorts a foreign guest and quietly pulls out the notebook with notes from his pocket. Chudakov indignantly and indignantly asks Bicyclebikin about why he kicked out the guest and said that they had enough money. To this, a friend replies that now, of course, there is no money, but he will get them necessarily. It turns out that Bicyclebikin decided that the Englishman was a spy, and therefore stole the records.
Message
May miss the opportunity to describe the bureaucratic delays and other obvious shortcomings of Soviet society Mayakovsky ("Bath"). Analysis of the next episode of the play can confirm this idea.
Eccentrics turns on the unit, and then an explosion is heard. A letter appears that is written 50 years after this event. The message states that a messenger from the future will arrive tomorrow.
Bicyclekin and Chudakov go to Pobedonosikov, who holds the position of chief coordinator of the coordination. It is he who wants to get the money Bicycle. However, Optimistenko’s secretary doesn’t miss friends to the boss. She has already prepared a resolution - refuse. It turns out that everything in the institution is decided only by Optimistenko.
Concerns of Pobedonosikov
Mayakovsky (“The Bathhouse”) is also subject to serious criticism in his work. An analysis of the important affairs of Pobedonosikov perfectly characterizes not only the hero himself, but the whole type of such leaders.
Pobedonosikov is busy in dictating an illiterate speech on the opening day of the tram line. In it, the hero calls Alexander Semenovich Pushkin, and calls Tolstoy "the feather-bear." Pobedonosikov responds to the typist’s amendments with the threat of her dismissal.
Belvedonsky comes to Pobedonosikov, an artist. He should help pick up the furniture. Pobedonosikov opts for Louis XIV style. But he asks to straighten the legs, remove the gilding and make many Soviet emblems.
Their conversation ends with the fact that Belvedon begins to paint a portrait of the chief on horseback. Pobedonosikov poses without leaving his desk.
Nochkin and Fields
The play “Bathhouse” (Mayakovsky) tells a lot about state-owned institutions. Accountant Nochkin, who works in the same institution as Pobedonosikov, pretends to have lost official money in cards. But in fact, Nochkin gave them all to the wife of Pobedonosikov Field. The woman promised to give them to finalize Chudakov’s car. Only thanks to the efforts of Nochkin and Paul, the invention can be finalized.
Due to the loss of money, a quarrel occurs between Nochkin and Pobedonosikov.
It is time to rest. Pobedonosikov is going to take Mezalyansova as a stenographer. The wife will remain at home. Fields understands why her husband does not want to take her with him, and asks for a divorce. Pobedonosikov refuses her.
Guest
Mayakovsky’s work “Bath” is approaching its climax. Chudakov brings a time machine to the site in Pobedonosikov’s house. Here, the unit sparkles, explodes, and in its place appears the Phosphoric woman, a delegate from 2030. The guest was sent by the Institute for the History of the Birth of Communism in order to select and transfer the best people to the communist era.
A woman flies around the country and admires everyone. Everyone can go with her to the future, because the main thing is for a person to show at least one of the following features: ingenuity, efficiency, desire to share and give.
Pobedonosikov speaks with the Phosphoric woman and says that he agrees to go to the future only on one condition: he will be given a position that will be comparable to the current one. And in general, except him, no one is worthy to go with her. Chudakov is drinking, but Bicyclekin, for example, smokes, his wife is a bourgeois. The guest objects that they all work.
Return to the future
Preparations for shipping to the future begin. Pobedonosikov begins to resent the fact that he, like everyone else, will have to stand. It also turns out that he and Mezalyansova have too many things.
Then Pobedonosikov begins to talk about how, under his strict guidance, this wonderful machine was invented. But Chudakov drowns out his voice.
The car starts to work, an explosion is heard, and everyone disappears. Only Optimistenko, Pobedonosikov, Mezalyansova, Belvedonsky and Pont Kich remain.
The satirical plays of Mayakovsky are not only distinguished by their topicality, but also by their fantastic nature. The motive of time travel has generally become one of the writer's favorites. It is used not only in this play, but also in the famous comedy "Bedbug".