In this article we will introduce you to Chekhov's Gooseberry. Anton Pavlovich, as you probably already know, is a Russian writer, playwright. The years of his life - 1860-1904. We will describe a brief summary of this story, conducted its analysis. "Gooseberry" Chekhov wrote in 1898, that is, in the late period of his work.
Summary: the beginning of the story
Burkin and Ivan Ivanovich Chimsha-Himalayan pace the field. The village of Mironositsky is visible in the distance. Suddenly it starts to rain, and so they decide to go to Pavel Konstantinich Alekhine, a friend of the landowner, whose estate is located in the village of Sofino, nearby. Alekhine is described as a tall man of about 40 years old, full, looking more like an artist or professor than a landowner, with long hair. He meets travelers at the barn. This person's face is black with dust, his clothes are dirty. He is glad to unexpected guests, invites those to go to the bathhouse. Having changed clothes and washed, Burkin, Ivan Ivanovich Chimsha-Himalayan and Alekhin go to the house where Ivan Ivanich tells the story of Nikolai Ivanovich, his brother, over tea and jam.
Ivan Ivanovich begins his story
The brothers spent their childhood in the estate of their father, in the wild. Their parent himself was from the Cantonists, but left the hereditary nobility to the children, having served as an officer. The estate after his death was sued by the family for debts. From the age of nineteen, Nikolai sat behind the papers in the state chamber, but he missed him terribly and dreamed of acquiring a small manor. Ivan Ivanitch, however, never sympathized with the desire of his relative to lock himself in the estate for life. And Nikolai could not think of anything else, all the time imagining a large estate, where gooseberries were bound to grow.
Nikolai Ivanovich makes his dream a reality
Ivan Ivanovitch’s brother was saving up money, he was malnourished, and in the end he married not for love to a rich, ugly widow. He kept his wife starving, and put her money in his name in the bank. The spouse could not endure this life and died soon, and Nikolai, not repenting at all, acquired the desired estate, planted 20 gooseberry bushes and healed for his pleasure as a landowner.
Ivan Ivanovich visits his brother
We continue to describe the story that Chekhov created - "Gooseberry". A summary of further events is as follows. When Ivan Ivanich came to visit Nicholas, he was amazed at how much he sank, his flabbiness, and his brother grew old. Barin turned into a real tyrant, ate a lot, constantly sued the factories and spoke in the tone of a minister. Nikolay was treated with Ivan the gooseberry, and it was evident from it that he was pleased with his fate as well as with himself.
Ivan Ivanovitch reflects on the happiness and meaning of life
The following further events are conveyed to us by the story Gooseberry (Chekhov). Brother Nicholas, at the sight of his relative, was overcome by a feeling of despair. He thought, having spent the night in the estate, about how many people in the world go crazy, suffer, drink, how many children die from malnutrition. And others, meanwhile, live happily, sleep at night, eat during the day, talk nonsense. It was thought to Ivan Ivanovich that behind the door of a happy man there must certainly be someone "with a hammer" and a knock to remind him that there are unfortunate people on earth, that someday a disaster will happen to him and that no one will hear or see him, just as Now he does not hear and does not notice others.
Concluding the story, Ivan Ivanovich says that there is no happiness, and if there is meaning in life, then it is not in it, but in doing good on earth.
How did Alekhine and Burkin take the story?
Neither Alekhine nor Burkin are satisfied with this story. Alekhine does not delve into whether Ivan Ivanovich’s words are true, since it was not about hay, not about cereals, but about something that was not directly related to his life. However, he is very pleased with the guests and wants them to continue the conversation. But the time is already late, the guests and the owner go to bed.
"Gooseberry" in the works of Chekhov
To a large extent, the work of Anton Pavlovich is devoted to "little people" and case life. The story that Chekhov created, "Gooseberry" about love does not tell. In it, as in many other works of this author, people and society are convicted of philistinism, soullessness and vulgarity.
In 1898, the story "Gooseberry" by Chekhov was born. It should be noted that the time when the work was created is the reign of Nicholas II, who continued the policy of his father, not wanting to carry out the liberal reforms necessary at that time.
Characteristics of Nikolai Ivanovich
Chekhov describes to us the Chimsh-Himalayan - an official who serves in the same chamber and dreams of having his own estate. The cherished desire of this person is to become a landowner.
Chekhov emphasizes how far behind this character this character is, because at the time described, people did not pursue a meaningless title, many nobles dreamed of becoming capitalists, it was considered fashionable and progressive.
The hero of Anton Pavlovich marries favorably, after which he takes the money he needs from his wife and finally acquires the desired estate. The hero fulfills another dream, planting gooseberries in the estate. And his wife, meanwhile, is dying of hunger ...
Chekhov's “gooseberry” was built using the “story in a story” - a special literary device. We learn the history of the described landowner from the lips of his brother. However, the eyes of Ivan Ivanovich are the eyes of the author himself, he thus shows the reader his attitude towards people like the Chimsh-Himalayan.
Attitude to the brother of Ivan Ivanovich
The brother of the main character of Chekhov's Gooseberry story is amazed at the spiritual scarcity of Nikolai Ivanovich, his idleness and satiety of his relative are terrifying, and his dream and its fulfillment seem to this peak of laziness and selfishness.
During the time spent in the estate, Nikolai Ivanovich becomes dizzy and aging, he is proud of his belonging to the nobles, not realizing that this estate is already dying off, and a more just and free life form is being replaced, the social patterns are gradually changing.
However, most of all the storyteller is struck by the moment when Nikolai Ivanovich is served the first harvest of gooseberries. Immediately he forgets about the fashionable things of the time and the importance of the nobility. This landowner, in the sweets of gooseberries, acquires the illusion of happiness, he finds reason to admire and rejoice, and this circumstance amazes Ivan Ivanovich, who thinks that people prefer to deceive themselves in order to believe in their well-being. At the same time, he criticizes himself, finding such shortcomings as the desire to teach and complacency.
Ivan Ivanovich thinks about the moral and moral crisis of the individual and society, and he is concerned about the moral state of contemporary society.
The thought of Chekhov
Ivan Ivanovich talks about how he is tormented by a trap that people create for themselves, and asks to do good in the future and try to eradicate evil. But in fact, Chekhov himself speaks through his character. A person (“Gooseberry” is addressed to each of us!) Must understand that the goal in life is good deeds, and not a feeling of happiness. According to the author, each successful person should have a “man with a hammer” behind the door, reminding him that it is necessary to do good - to help orphans, widows, and the destitute. After all, one day misfortune can happen even with the wealthiest person.