Among the most famous literary laws, the so-called Chekhov rifle rule takes first place in terms of prevalence. It is not necessary to be a professional writer to know about this law; they talk about it at school. Anton Pavlovich Chekhov rightfully enjoys authority as a classic of Russian literature, his plays and stories are of great importance for world culture. Why did his dramatic gift become a kind of standard?
Literary Reception
Chekhov's works are the opposite of the action so beloved by all. It seems that nothing special is happening, life and routine, his characters do not wring their hands every minute, do not defeat dragons. The inexorable appeal of his plays and stories resembles the flow of a calm river, but something happens in the depths that globally affects the fate of the characters.
What is the law of the Chekhov rifle? In a private correspondence, Chekhov repeatedly mentions unnecessary details that do not affect the development of the plot of the work, and insists on their elimination from the plot. A shotgun is just a metaphor, not a literal double-barreled shotgun, from which someone will certainly shoot. This is a capacious image, implying anything from a monologue to an emphasis on the subject of interior.
Piano in the bushes
Classic Chekhov rifles must shoot, otherwise their existence makes no sense. This technique avoids an unexpectedly materialized item or a magically awakened skill. For example, at the beginning of the story, we learn that the hero was a scout and knows how to make fire without matches, and closer to the ending, these skills help him defeat in difficult circumstances. Without mentioning these talents, unexpectedly erupted skills look fake, a classic “piano in the bushes,” which happened to be where they expected to find him. The reader rightly feels cheated, and the impression of the story is spoiled.
Fake gun example
Literary techniques are so diverse that it would be a mistake to apply only one. We can assume that this is a typical Chekhov rifle, the author from time to time focuses on him, and we expect that he is about to shoot. But suddenly it turns out that this is a classic "smoked herring." In English, it sounds like red herring.
The essence of the reception is to divert attention from a real gun. The reader exclaims: “This is a turn!” - no one expected that this modest and barely noticed moment would be decisive. Why herring? It is believed that this is from the methods of dog hunting, when dogs are knocked off the track with a strong smelling bait.
Types of Chekhov rifles
In some cases, the term omen is united under this term, and classic mccaffin is also included here. Here, literary scholars can argue about the admissibility of such a combination of meanings, but from the point of view of the ordinary reader or viewer it really is very similar. Chekhov’s law on the gun on the wall suggests that a certain object or event should affect the fate of the characters. An omen works in much the same way, but as a warning, the reader feels that the atmosphere is thickening. A classic example is an ominous sign that heroes in a horror movie must meet just before they have yet to open a mysterious book or turn down a dark road covered in fog.
McGuffin can only be an item. One way or another, it becomes the central pivot on which the plot is wound. Classic McGuffin is a mysterious luminous object in a briefcase from the movie Pulp Fiction. The viewer was never explained what it is, why it is needed and why this item is so important. This does not matter, only the attitude of the characters to this subject is significant.
Blue Curtain Syndrome
What does the Chekhov law on the gun mean and what is the result of the manic desire to follow it? The fact is that literature cannot rely on only one artistic device; this impoverishes the work. The best option would be to use a combination of techniques, so the right combination of ingredients as a result turns into a delicious complex dish. If you make a “gun” an icon, then the so-called blue curtain syndrome or SPGS inevitably triggers - a syndrome of searching for deep meaning.
According to this phenomenon, the author cannot indicate in his work details in which some mysterious essence would not be invested. The properties of the Chekhov rifle are attributed to any subject and phenomenon. Why does the heroine have blue curtains in the room? This surely symbolizes the tragedy of her life, deep anguish, creeping up depression, or at worst she will be strangled with these curtains at the end of the story. Otherwise, the author simply does not have the right to mention the curtains themselves, and their colors. Of course, this is not so. It’s just about curtains, it’s another artistic device - visualization assistance, and it does not contradict the values ​​of the Chekhov rule about a gun.