In 1883, a short story “Fat and thin” by A. Chekhov appeared in the journal “Fragments”. Short and capacious in content, it is filled with deep meaning. The author addresses in it the problem of servility and reverence, which has more than once become the object of criticism in Russian literature.
Composition and content (short)
Fat and thin, former classmates of the gymnasium, accidentally met at the station. The mention of the Nikolaev railway in the first sentence (this is a concise exposition) suggests that the heroes of the story are officials. A. Chekhov does not give a detailed description of them, but the precise artistic details immediately clarify what is happening. For example, the mention of the fact that the thick one smelled of “sherry and fleur-d'orange” is a sign of wealth, and of the thin one - “ham and coffee grounds” helps to determine at what level of the social ladder each of the heroes was. In addition, the latter was hung with boxes and suitcases - probably did not have extra money or spared money for a porter.
The first to notice the former friend was fat. His joyful exclamation, addressed to Porfiry, becomes the plot of action. They have not seen each other since childhood, and it is natural that a conversation begins between them. Short, but sufficient so that the reader can get a complete picture of the life position of each of the friends.
The climax is the moment when the subtle learns what heights in life his comrade has reached. Misha immediately turns into “Your Excellency”, and Porfiry himself without need becomes a servile and swan man, as analysis will show later.
Thick and thin during dialogue
Porfiry, having seen a childhood friend, was simply stunned. Former friends embraced and thrice kissed each other - the author intentionally uses sublime vocabulary here to give the whole scene a mocking character.
Thin was extremely talkative and began to boastfully talk about his life. He introduced his wife and son, while Nathanael thought at first and only then took off his hat. He said that over the years of service in the office he reached the college assessor. He also makes and sells cigars - an additional profit to the salary. However, his joy and delight from the meeting disappeared at the same moment when he found out that his friend was “probably already state?” - rose to the rank of Privy Advisor. The thin one first turned pale and seemed to be petrified, after which he depicted a wide smile on his face, which was probably best suited for a conversation with an important person. It immediately seemed to decrease, trying not to attract too much attention. The same thing happened with his family and numerous knots and cartons: they all suddenly cringed and wrinkled. Honoring, in any situation and before everyone who was even a little more significant, has become the norm for a petty official - Porfiry’s behavior and analysis leads to this result.
Fat and thin parted quite differently from how they met. The Privy Counselor, laconic and self-confident, but showing cordiality, wanted to protest, and then simply turned away, giving his hand goodbye. He was sick of such a change in comrade.
And the whole family froze in a "pleasant astonishment."
In childhood
The characters of the characters and the memories of Porfiry will allow us to evaluate the analysis. Tolstoy and Thin spent several years together in the gymnasium. Even then, the superiority of the first, nicknamed Herostratus, was obvious - in ancient times, a Greek with that name destroyed one of the wonders of the world with fire. Misha burned a treasury book with a cigarette - he clearly wanted to gain credibility with classmates.
The thin one was called Efialt, since he often oversawed. And this name - the traitor of the Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae - is preserved in history. Years passed, and one remained handsome, a "darling" and a dandy, lived sedately and in abundance. Another - “thanks to” the ability to please and many years of work, managed to rise to a low rank, which nevertheless gave the noble title. And now this difference between former friends was even more striking, and the constant fear of his superiors made Porfiry tremble before someone who was just a “childhood friend” just a few minutes ago.
Means of expressiveness and the role of detail
The main trick Chekhov uses in the story “Fat and Thin” is the antithesis. The opposition of heroes is found in everything, including the name: from the mention of what everyone dined to, to the manner of behavior and speech. Indicative in this regard is subtle. If at the beginning of the meeting we hear from him: “you”, “my dear”, “childhood friend”, then subsequently his tone changes to reverent and respectful. To the significant ones, “Your Excellency,” “such nobles, sir,” “pardon s,” “hee hee hee”, etc. pauses are added, as if it suddenly became difficult for him to speak.
In the second part of the story, an important role for revealing the image of the college assessor is played by metaphor (“petrified”), comparison (“it seemed ... sparks rained down from his face and eyes”), personification (boxes, nodes “cringed, wrinkled”). So in the story “Thick and thin” Chekhov ridicules the worship of cowardice, cowardice, and adaptability of the hero. Moreover, Thin does it unconsciously, out of habit, not paying attention to the words of his former comrade: "Well, full ... And what is this tone for?"
The moral value of the work
The sad content of the reader is the content of the story and its analysis. “Fat and thin” is an example of how self-abasement a person can reach in an effort to curry favor, to please. And the great writer and expert on the human soul, A.P. Chekhov, for the past century and a half, has been urging us to look at ourselves and others so that society can finally get rid of the vices that impede the establishment of healthy and sincere relations between people.