Anton Pavlovich Chekhov is a famous Russian writer. His works today are published in more than 100 languages. His immortal plays are staged in many theaters in the world. The writer is better known to our public for his short humorous stories. “Horse surname”, “Lady with a dog”, “Kashtanka” and many other works that are familiar to us from childhood, wrote A.P. Chekhov. "Vanka" (a summary is given in the article) is a story by a famous author, known to us from the school bench. It was written more than a hundred years ago and is included in the compulsory program for the study of literature in primary grades in all secondary schools.
Vanka yearns for his grandfather
Vanka Zhukov, a nine-year-old boy, was sent to Moscow to study as a shoemaker Alakhin. He is an orphan, from his relatives only grandfather Konstantin Makarych. Since Vanka left the village, three long months have passed. The boy is very homesick for his grandfather, remembering every moment spent with him. Vanka loves to imagine what his grandfather is doing in the village now. Here is Konstantin Makarych, a small nimble old man with an eternally drunken face and cheerful eyes, chatting with cooks in a human room. He loves tobacco, sniffs it, sneezes. But in the evening he bypasses the manor house with a clapper - guards it. He is always accompanied by two dogs: black Loach and old Kashtanka. With the description of Konstantin Makarych, the only native person of the protagonist, Chekhov began his story. “Vanka” (read the summary below) - a story that arouses sympathy from the first lines of readers for a simple village boy.
Vanka’s complaints in a letter
Vanka writes a letter to his grandfather, in which he describes all the hardships of his life with strangers. His share is indeed unenviable. Apprentices make fun of him, make them steal from the owners and send for vodka to the tavern. The shoemaker's family in which he lives is not merciful to him. They give little: in the morning - bread, in the afternoon - cereal, in the evening - also bread. And for every fault the owner severely punishes the boy. So, recently he dragged Vanka by the hair into the yard and beat him there with a scandal. And the hostess for the fact that the boy began to clean herring incorrectly poked fish in his face. But most of all, Vanka does not like to babysit their child. When the baby cries at night, the boy is forced to swing him. I really want to sleep with the kid. And if he happens to fall asleep, shaking the cradle, he is also punished for this. He described all this in his letter to his grandfather. “Vanka” by A.P. Chekhov is a story about the difficult share of peasant children who are defenseless against the will of the masters.
Vanka's memories of a happy time in the village
And Vanka likes to remember the time when he lived in the village with his grandfather. His mother Pelagia served as a maid with the gentlemen, and often the boy was with her. The young lady, Olga Ignatievna, was very supportive of the child, treated him to lollipops, and from nothing to do taught her to write, read, and even dance the quadrille. But most of all Vanka was remembered by the gentlemen. Before the holiday, Konstantin Makarych went to the forest for a Christmas tree and took his grandson with him. It was terribly cold, the frost cracked. But Vanka was nothing at all. After all, he was next to his grandfather! This describes the happy life of a boy in the village of Chekhov. "Vanka" (the summary does not convey the emotions that remain after reading the work in the original) - a story that causes readers a keen sense of pity and a desire to help a naive child.
Satisfied Vanka sends a letter
Having finished his letter, the boy signs it: "To the village of grandfather." And on reflection, he adds: “To Konstantin Makarych.” How to send a message, Vanka knows. After all, on the eve, he questioned the merchants from the butcher shop about this. They told him that letters should be left in the mailbox. Then they are taken out and transported around the world on triples with bells. Having reached the first box, a contented boy throws a letter at him. Having done this, he walks merrily home. An hour later, Vanka is already sleeping sweetly. He dreams that his grandfather Konstantin Makarych sits on a warm stove, legs dangling, and reads a letter from his grandson to cooks. A.P. Chekhov ends his story with this episode. “Vanka” (the main characters of the story are positive people and even somewhat naive) is a work that evokes a sympathetic smile among readers.
The theme of childhood is often heard in the stories of the writer. About the innocent and kind peasant boy, Chekhov wrote his work. "Vanka" (you learned the summary from the article) - the story is small, but very interesting. We advise you to read it in full.