Such a literary genre as a fable originated 4000 years ago. The witty allegorical narrative certainly contains the main idea - morality. This genre was brought to Russian literature and revived by Ivan Andreevich Krylov. If the first fabulists - the ancient Greek author Aesop, the German writer and playwright of the 19th century Lessing - preferred a prosaic form, then with Krylov all the fables are written exclusively in poetic form. âThe Wolf at the Kennelâ is a fable of high patriotic content, written during the years of the Great Patriotic War of 1812 , at the time of the invasion of Napoleonic troops and their inglorious escape from the battlefield.
It is characteristic that at school the study of this work is not always accompanied by a reference to a parallel with the historical plot, in which there are two main characters: The Hunter - the commander Mikhail Ivanovich Kutuzov, the Wolf - Napoleon. Meanwhile, it is in this context that one should perceive the "morality of this fable." The analysis of the fable âThe Wolf at the Kennelâ is often done superficially, the work is presented as a tale of the unlucky wolf, who, âthinking of getting into the shepherdâs house, fell into the kennelâ. An unimaginable noise came up, the dogs rush into battle, and the Wolf sits in fear, "huddled in a corner backwards," begins to speak in flattering speeches about good neighborliness. But you canât fool him: he knows the nature of the wolves well, but he will go to the worldâs world, âonly having removed the skin from them down.â
The artistic means used by I. A. Krylov vividly reproduce the atmosphere of military battles, the mental state of the Wolf trapped in the trap, as well as the anger of the kennelâs inhabitants, where an uninvited guest appeared. Is it possible to more vividly describe the confrontation between the defenders of the Motherland and the aggressor, who, at the first danger, backtracked and even tried to make peace - than not a wolf in a kennel? A fable is a miniature work that can be compared in importance to an action-packed novel or a historical story.
What is the âWolf in the Kennelâ about? The fable describes a real historical fact of the times of World War II with Napoleon. Realizing that he could not defeat the Russians, the emperor decided to go on a world war with Kutuzov. However, these negotiations did not take place, and any attempts to make peace would be doomed to failure. The enemyâs troops were utterly defeated and shamefully fled, freezing in the snow of Russia and losing thousands and thousands of people. This is colorfully and metaphorically written in the satirical picture âThe Wolf in the Kennelâ. The fable was written precisely in the memorable 1812.
The fabulist handed over his creation to the army to the great commander Kutuzov. The story tells that Mikhail Ivanovich, circling his regiments, would certainly read the soldiers âThe Wolf on the kennelâ by heart. The fable contains the words: "You are gray, and I, my friend, gray-haired." At these words, Kutuzov took off his cocked hat every time and showed his gray head. The enthusiasm and enthusiasm of the soldiers knew no bounds.
The meaning of this fable is so transparent and obvious that the author did not even accompany it with his traditional explanation - "The moral of this fable is this." One who defends his home and his land cannot be defeated or carried out with some tricks - thatâs the whole moral of the fable âWolf in the Kennelâ. She is timeless. Therefore, it remains relevant to this day.