In the tale “The Bear in the Voivodeship”, a summary of which is given below, M. Saltykov-Shchedrin writes about the rampant obscurantism of officials of various ranks. In their desire to curry favor with the power that Leo personifies in the work - a manifestation of strength, and the Donkey - a symbol of stupidity, they do not stop at anything. The oppression of the people, the fight against enlightenment, atrocities - this is the result of such a government.
Introduction: Summary
The Bear in the Voivodeship of Saltykov-Shchedrin begins with the author’s discussion of the atrocities and their role in society. Large or shiny are stored in the tablets of History. And the small ones are called shameful and do not receive any praise.
Story about Toptygin I
This was an experienced servant who certainly wanted to get into the tablets of History. Therefore, when Leo put him in majors and appointed him governor to some kind of slum, Toptygin I decided to immediately arrange for bloodshed in her. Forest residents, accustomed to free life, heard about the arrival of the ruler, and prepared for innovations. But in reality a completely different story came out. Here is a summary of it.
The bear in the voivodship - Saltykov-Shchedrin calls each of the three heroes Toptygin - did not start at all as planned. Arriving at the place, he decided to celebrate name day. After drinking too much, he fell asleep in a clearing, since his lair had not yet been. And at that time the Chizhik, famous for the mind, flew by. Leo himself dreamed that he sang in his claws. He sees a bird: something lies in a clearing. I decided that it was a block of wood, sat on it and sang. But the bear felt someone jumping on it, and, without understanding it, swallowed Chizhik. On this, his career ended, as a bad hearing spread through the woods instantly.
“The governor-fool, instead of arranging bloodshed, ate Chizhik,” the forest residents shouted. And it was impossible to wash away this stain. Toptygin suffered for a long time, hearing at first indignation, and then ridicule. Finally, the news reached Leo. The bear wrote a report, gave a bribe to the Donkey, who advised some kind of bloodshed to be done. Toptygin immediately cut the rams, and frightened the woman, and smashed the printing house, and turned the whole forest. However, it was too late. Leo did not believe in his courage and ordered to expel. So he remained in the rank of major because of a stupid story, as its brief content makes clear, the Bear in the province of Saltykov-Shchedrin.
Story about Toptygin II
But sometimes brilliant crime ends badly. So it was with another bear, whom Leo also appointed governor. Unlike Toptygin I, he thought up a plan of his future activities in advance. But there was neither a printing house nor an academy that could be destroyed. And since you can’t destroy the soul of the inhabitants, you need to take on the skin. Having decided so, the governor went at night to the peasant. But for this Toptygin rule ended quickly and badly. Having cut all living creatures, he climbed to the roof, wishing to roll the hut on logs. He failed and screamed so that the men ran away from all around. They planted the beast on a slingshot and skinned. Soon there was no trace of him. Thus ended his reign as the second, seemingly not stupid, as the beginning of administrative activity and its brief outline shows, the Bear in the Voivodeship. Saltykov-Shchedrin, in connection with this, was interested in the amendment that appeared in History that even brilliant atrocities could have disastrous consequences.
Story about Toptygin III
But for the third bear, it all ended happily. Learning about the fate of his predecessors, he thought: “How to rule? Resolutions are not correct in this regard. You never know how much, how much, but the result is one. ” And I really wanted to abandon the post, but I remembered the big money that they relied on.
Arriving in his slums, the governor climbed into the den, and so there he spent the entire term of government. The men at the appointed time brought tribute, and Toptygin was chosen only to eat. In the forest with his arrival, nothing has changed. And the bear himself, reasoning from idleness about well-being, came to the thought expressed by Donkey to him. The main thing in the administrative case is to allow everything and not disturb anyone. Then the necessary atrocities will themselves become. The ruler can only sit and wait. This behavior turned out to be the most reasonable, and the third Toptygin eventually received the rank of general. So ends the fairy tale (you read its summary) “The Bear in the Voivodeship” by Saltykov-Shchedrin.