The outstanding Russian prose writer and playwright Anton Pavlovich Chekhov is known throughout the world for his brilliant plays, novellas, and short stories. However, Chekhov paved the way to great literature with small comic stories, such anecdotal sketches.
Amazingly, these early attempts at writing are in no way inferior to the mature works of an already established writer. Chekhov generally valued laconicism and strictly followed the rule “to write with talent - that is, briefly.” He never wrote at length in Tolstoy's style, did not carefully select words like Gogol, and did not philosophize at length like Dostoevsky.
Chekhov’s works are simple and understandable, “his Muse,” Nabokov said, “is dressed in everyday clothes.” But this brilliant everydayness is where the creative method of the prose writer lies. This is exactly how they write in Chekhov.
One example of Anton Pavlovich’s early prose is the humorous collection “Motley Stories.” It has been edited several times by the author himself. Most of the works became textbooks, and their plots became mythologized. These are the stories “Thick and Thin”, “Chameleon”, “Surgery”, “Horse Name”, “Unter Prishibeev”, “Kashtanka”, “Death of an Official” and others.
The history of executor Chervyakov
In the 80s, Chekhov actively collaborated with Moscow and St. Petersburg printed publications (Alarm Clock, Dragonfly, Oskolki and others). A talented young writer, who signed the name Antosh Chekhonte, produced dozens of short funny stories that were very popular among the readership. The author never made up his stories, but spied and eavesdropped on them in real life. He knew how to turn any joke into a witty story.
One day, a good friend of the Chekhov family, Vladimir Petrovich Begichev (writer, manager of Moscow theaters), told an amusing story about how one person accidentally sneezed on another in the theater. He was so upset that the next day he came to ask for forgiveness for the embarrassment that had occurred.
Everyone laughed at the incident told by Begichev and forgot. Everyone except Chekhov. Then his imagination was already drawing images of the executor Ivan Dmitrievich Chervyakov in a tightly buttoned uniform and civil general Brizzhalov from the Department of Railways. And in 1883, a short story “The Death of an Official” with the subtitle “The Case” appeared on the pages of the magazine “Oskolki.”
In the story, the brilliant executor Ivan Dmitrievich Chervyakov goes to the theater to watch The Bells of Corneville. In high spirits, he sits down in the box and enjoys the action on stage. Taking his eyes off the binoculars for a minute, he looks around the auditorium with a blissful look and quite accidentally sneezes. Such an embarrassment can happen to any person and the wonderful executor Chervyakov is no exception. But bad luck - he sprayed the bald head of the man sitting in front of him. To Chervyakov’s horror, he turns out to be civil general Brizzhalov, who is in charge of communication routes.
Chervyakov delicately asks for forgiveness, but Brizzhalov just waves his hand - nothing! Until the intermission, the executor sits on pins and needles; The Bells of Corneville no longer occupies him. During the break, he finds General Brizzhalov and apologizes profusely. The general casually waves it off: “Oh, come on... I already forgot, but you’re still talking about the same thing!”
After consulting with his wife, the next day Chervyakov appears in Brizzhalov’s reception room. He is going to explain to the high-ranking official that he did not sneeze on purpose, without any malicious intent. But the general is too busy, in a hurry he says several times that it’s really funny to apologize for this.
All evening the poor official struggles with the text of the letter for Brizzhalov, but he fails to put the words on paper. So Chervyakov again goes to the general’s reception room for a personal conversation. Seeing the annoying visitor, Brizzhalov shook and barked, “Get out!!!”
Then something snapped in the unfortunate Chervyakov’s stomach. Unconscious, the official left the reception room, walked home and “without taking off his uniform, he lay down on the sofa and... died.”
New "little man"
In the printed version, the story “Death of an Official” takes only two pages. But at the same time, it is part of the large-scale panorama of motley human life that Chekhov paints. In particular, the work touches on the problem of the “little man”, which the writer was very interested in.
At that time, this topic was not new in the literature. It was developed by Pushkin in “The Station Agent”, Dostoevsky in “Poor People”, Gogol in “The Overcoat”. Chekhov, just like his literary predecessors, was disgusted by the suppression of the human personality, division into ranks and unjustified privileges enjoyed by the powerful. However, the author of “The Death of an Official” looks at the “little man” from a new angle. His hero no longer evokes pity, he is disgusting because he voluntarily fawns, fawns and grovels slavishly.
A chill towards Chekhov's official appears from the very first lines of the story. The author manages to achieve this with the help of the telling surname Chervyakov. To enhance the comic effect, the writer uses the epithet “beautiful.” So, in a luxurious theater box in a buttoned up and carefully ironed uniform with an elegant pair of binoculars in his hand sits the wonderful executor Ivan Dmitrievich... and suddenly - Chervyakov! A completely unexpected turn of events.
Ivan Dmitrievich's further actions, his comical pestering, vile groveling, veneration for rank and slavish fear only confirm his dissonant surname. In turn, General Brizzhalov does not evoke negative emotions. He kicks Chervyakov out only after he has finally tortured him with his visits.
One might think that Chervyakov died from the fear he experienced. But no! Chekhov “kills” his hero for another reason. Ivan Dmitrievich asked for forgiveness not because he was afraid of reprisals from the general. In fact, Brizzhalov had nothing to do with his department. Executor Chervyakov simply could not act differently. This model of behavior was dictated by his slave consciousness.
If the general had yelled at Chervyakov in the theater, arrogantly shamed him or showered him with threats, our executor would have been calm. But Brizzhalov, despite his high rank, treated Chervyakov as an equal. The usual scheme by which Chervyakov lived all these years no longer worked. His world collapsed. The idea was ridiculed. Life has lost its meaning for the wonderful executor. That is why he lay down on the sofa and died without taking off his uniform, which was for him the main human characteristic.
Chekhov, before his contemporaries, decided to expand the theme of the “little man.” A few years after the publication of “The Death of an Official,” Anton Pavlovich wrote to his older brother Alexander (also a writer) to stop describing the humiliated and oppressed collegiate registrars. According to Chekhov Jr., this topic had lost its relevance and clearly smacked of mothballs. It is much more interesting to show the registrar who turns the life of “His Excellency” into a living hell.
Death of the main character
Most of all, the writer was disgusted by the slave philosophy, which completely destroys the beginnings of the human personality. That is why Chekhov “kills” his Chervyakov without a shadow of pity.
For the author, the main character is not a person, but a machine with a few simple settings, and therefore his death is not taken seriously. To emphasize the comical absurdity of what is happening, instead of the final “died,” “died,” or “died,” the author uses the colloquial verb “died.”
The absurd realism of Anton Chekhov
After the story “The Death of an Official” appeared in Oskolki, many critics accused Chekhov of having composed some kind of absurdity. After all, a person can’t lie down on the sofa and just die of grief! Anton Pavlovich just threw up his hands with his characteristic good-natured mockery - a story no less absurd than life itself.
Another instructive humorous story by Chekhov “Burbot”, in which the author described the habits of this fish. As always, Chekhov skillfully makes fun of people who always know how and what to do, trying to make others look like fools.
We recommend reading a summary of Chekhov's story “The Slut,” which explores an important question: “Is it easy to be strong?”
Later, the writer’s biographers found among his personal papers a letter from a friend from his native Taganrog. The letter said that the city postmaster threatened the offending official to bring him to justice. He tried to ask for forgiveness, and after failure he went to the city garden and hanged himself.
Despite the critical attacks of his contemporaries, Chekhov was no less a realist than Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, he simply used other artistic tools to describe reality - humor, satire, irony. Working in the small prose genre, he could not afford the luxury of lengthy descriptions and internal monologues. Therefore, in “The Death of an Official,” as in most other stories, there is no image of the author. Chekhov does not evaluate the actions of his heroes, he only describes them. The right to draw conclusions remains with the reader.
Workshop on literature. Working on text in Unified State Exam format
A.A. Chekhov "Death of an Official" (1883)
Purpose of the lesson: Review theoretical concepts about plot, composition, genre.
1. Reading the text.
One fine evening, the no less wonderful executor Ivan Dmitrich Chervyakov was sitting in the second row of chairs and looking through binoculars at “The Bells of Corneville”. He looked and felt at the height of bliss. But suddenly... This “but suddenly” is often found in stories. The authors are right: life is so full of surprises! But suddenly his face wrinkled, his eyes rolled up, his breathing stopped... he took the binoculars away from his eyes, bent down and... apchhi!!! He sneezed, as you can see. Sneezing is not forbidden to anyone anywhere. Men, police chiefs, and sometimes even privy councilors sneeze. Everyone sneezes. Chervyakov was not at all embarrassed, wiped himself with a handkerchief and, like a polite person, looked around him: had he bothered anyone with his sneezing? But then I was embarrassed. He saw that the old man sitting in front of him, in the first row of seats, was diligently wiping his bald head and neck with a glove and muttering something. Chervyakov recognized the old man as civil general Brizzhalov, an employee of the Department of Railways.
“I sprayed him!” thought Chervyakov. “Not my boss, a stranger, but still awkward. I need to apologize.”
Chervyakov coughed, leaned his body forward and whispered in the general’s ear:
Sorry, sir, I sprayed you... I accidentally...
Nothing, nothing...
For God's sake, I'm sorry. I... I didn't want to!
Oh, sit down, please! Let me listen!
Chervyakov became embarrassed, smiled stupidly and began to look at the stage. He looked, but no longer felt bliss. He began to feel uneasy. During the intermission he went up to Brizzhalov, walked around him and, having overcome his shyness, muttered:
I sprayed you, yours. Sorry... I... it's not that...
Oh, completeness... I already forgot, but you are still talking about the same thing! - said the general and impatiently moved his lower lip.
“I forgot, but there’s malice in his eyes,” thought Chervyakov, looking suspiciously at the general. “And he doesn’t want to talk. I should explain to him that I didn’t want to at all... that this is a law of nature, otherwise he’ll think I’m spitting.” wanted. Now he won’t think so, he’ll think so later!..”
Arriving home, Chervyakov told his wife about his ignorance. His wife, it seemed to him, took the incident too lightly; she only got scared, and then, when she found out that Brizzhalov was a “stranger,” she calmed down.
But still, go and apologize,” she said. - He will think that you don’t know how to behave in public!
That's it! I apologized, but he was somehow strange... He didn’t say a single worthwhile word. And there was no time to talk.
The next day, Chervyakov put on a new uniform, cut his hair and went to Brizzhalov to explain... Entering the general’s reception room, he saw many petitioners there, and among the petitioners the general himself, who had already begun accepting petitions. After interviewing several petitioners, the general looked up at Chervyakov.
Yesterday in “Arcadia”, if you remember, yours,” the executor began to report, “I sneezed, sir, and... accidentally sprayed... Iz...
What nonsense... God knows what! Anything you want? - the general turned to the next petitioner.
“He doesn’t want to talk!” thought Chervyakov, turning pale. “He’s angry, that means... No, we can’t leave it like that... I’ll explain to him...”
When the general finished his conversation with the last petitioner and headed to the inner apartments, Chervyakov stepped behind him and muttered:
Yours! If I dare to disturb you, it is precisely out of a feeling, I can say, of repentance!.. Not on purpose, you know for yourself, sir!
The general made a tearful face and waved his hand.
You're just laughing, sir! - he said, hiding behind the door.
“What kind of ridicule is there?” thought Chervyakov. “There is no ridicule here at all! General, he can’t understand! When it’s like this, I won’t apologize to this fanfare anymore! To hell with it! I’ll write him a letter, but I won’t go!” By God, I won’t!”
This is what Chervyakov thought as he walked home. He did not write a letter to the general. I thought and thought and couldn’t come up with this letter. I had to go explain it myself the next day.
“I came yesterday to bother you,” he muttered when the general raised his questioning eyes to him, “not to laugh, as you deigned to say.” I apologized for the fact that when I sneezed, I sprayed, sir... but I didn’t even think of laughing. Do I dare laugh? If we laugh, then there will be no respect for people... there will be no...
Go away!!! - the general, blue and shaking, suddenly barked.
What? - Chervyakov asked in a whisper, dying of horror.
Go away!! - the general repeated, stamping his feet.
Something came off in Chervyakov’s stomach. Seeing nothing, hearing nothing, he backed away to the door, went out into the street and trudged... Arriving automatically home, without taking off his uniform, he lay down on the sofa and... died.
First published in the magazine "Oskolki", 1883, 30, with the subtitle "Case"
2. Dictionary for Chekhov's story (according to Dahl).
“Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language” by V.I. Dahl
An official is someone who serves the sovereign and is granted a rank.
A dignitary is a high-ranking official.
Executor (lat.) - an executor, an official at the office and public place, who has police and economic responsibilities.
Execution - execution of a court sentence, corporal punishment, punishment.
"The Bells of Corneville" is an operetta by the 17th century French composer Robert Plunket.
Bliss - happiness, well-being, prosperity.
Police chief (German) - chief of the city police.
Privy Councilor - 3rd class civil service rank (14 classes in total).
To be embarrassed is to be ashamed, to be confused.
State (German) - civilian, the opposite of military.
General - rank 4th class.
A department is an industry, part of government.
Yours - Your Excellency - the title of dignitaries of the 4th and 3rd classes.
Malice - malice, malice, deceit.
Vitsmundir - ceremonial service clothing.
"Arcadia" theater is a mythical land of happiness.
Apartments (French) - chambers, chambers.
Milostisdar - gracious sir - a polite address to someone.
Fanfaron is a braggart, a braggart, a liar, throwing dust in the eyes.
Person (French) - person, person, person.
To fade away - to become numb, to die, to lose memory and consciousness.
3. Genre “Death of an Official”
1) Define a story.
The story is an epic genre of small volume, requiring at least two events and a shock ending. The story is characterized by an economy mode.
2) Prove that this is a story.
The story “The Death of an Official” has a very small volume, three heroes, a minimum of events, an economical narrative, and an unexpected ending.
3) Philologists claim that Chekhov's story is a fusion of anecdote and parable.
An anecdote (Greek) is a short entertaining story about an unexpected event with an unpredictable ending.
A parable is a short story in an edifying form that claims to be a universal generalization.
Do you agree with the opinion of philologists? Prove it.
4.Plot
What is a plot? The course of events in a literary text.
Name the plot elements. Exposition, plot, development of action, climax, denouement.
Find plot elements in the story.
1.Exposition. Ivan Chervyakov in the theater.
2. The beginning. The official sneezed and sprayed the general.
3. Development of action. Chervyakov goes to apologize to the general.
4. Climax. The general shouted and stamped his feet.
5.Decoupling. The official died.
Why are the climax and resolution almost the same?
The short story genre requires an economy mode.
Name the extra-plot elements.
Description:
Exercise
Are there extra-plot elements in the text?
Philologists believe that Chekhov's plot has a peculiarity.
The plot of “The Death of an Official” is built cumulatively.
Cumulation is the stringing, joining together of homogeneous events and characters. (S. Broitman)
Prove it. (The story of “The Death of an Official” unfolds through accession - an increase in attempts at apology, and the final disaster is associated with a sharp change in the point of view of one of the characters, and at the same time the reader: the position and role of the general changes, thanks to which the original plot situation appears in a new light. )
5. Composition
1) Define composition.
Composition is the composition and specific arrangement of parts, elements and images of a work in some significant time sequence.
2)Name compositional techniques.
Repetition, reinforcement, contrast, montage.
3) What compositional techniques does Chekhov use?
Opposition: sneezed - died.
Repeat: apologizes 5 times.
6. Speaking names
Pay attention to the names and surnames of the main characters in the story. What are they called in the literature? (Talking names)
Why do writers use telling names in their works? (So that you can immediately see the character of a person, his essence)
Explain the meanings of the speaking names in this story.
Look at the meanings of the names.
Ivan (ancient Hebrew) - God bestowed, the mercy of God.
Dmitry (ancient Greek) - dedicated to Demeter, the goddess of fertility and agriculture.
Chervyakov - a worm, a worm, a ringed, legless animal that crawls, reptiles (Dahl).
Brizzhalov - to squeal - to strum, to tremble, to chatter; disdain - shout in a sharp voice, grumble (Dahl).
Why this choice?
Ivan. God gave life to the hero.
Dmitriy. Connection with the ground on which it crawls.
Worm. An animal that crawls on the ground is a reptile.
God himself gave the hero the life of a man, and he turned it into the life of an animal.
7.Answer the questions:
Why do you think the hero's last name is Chervyakov?
Read the first sentence of the story: “One fine evening, the no less wonderful executor Ivan Dmitrich Chervyakov was sitting in the theater in the second row of seats and looking through binoculars at the stage.” In what case is the word “beautiful” used in an ironic sense?
Read this episode again: “I sprayed him! - thought Chervyakov. - Not my boss, a stranger, but still not good. I need to apologize." Why do you think the author uses the word “still”? Why does the hero think that the situation turned out to be ugly?
Read the following sentence again: “Arriving home, without taking off his uniform, he lay down on the sofa and... died.” Why do you think Chekhov draws attention to the fact that the hero died without taking off his uniform?
8. Cross-cutting themes
Chekhov continues the theme of the “little man”, which was developed by Pushkin and Gogol. But Chekhov's little man differs from the heroes of his predecessors. Fill out the comparative table and, using it, describe Chekhov’s little man using material from the story “The Death of an Official.”
9. Blitz survey
Choose the correct answer
1. One fine evening Chervyakov was sitting...
a) in the theater
b) in a restaurant
2.When Chervyakov sneezed, he looked around and saw that he had accidentally sprayed
a) his general Bryzzhalov
b) Bryzzhalov, who was an “alien” general
3. When Chervyakov apologized to Bryzzhalov during intermission, Bryzzhalov...
a) said that it is difficult for him to forgive Chervyakov
b) said that he had already forgotten about what happened
4. Having learned about what happened, Chervyakov’s wife...
a) at first she was worried, but when she learned that it was a “stranger” general, she calmed down and advised him to apologize to him.
b) said that there is no need to worry about anything and apologize, since this is a “foreign” general.
5.After an unsuccessful attempt to apologize, Chervyakov...
a) wrote and sent a letter to the general with explanations
b) wanted to write a letter, but he didn’t succeed
6.At Chervyakov’s last attempt to apologize, General...
a) politely explained to him that he excused him
b) drove the official away
10.Creative task (for the story “Death of an Official”)
1.Why does Cher-vya-kov stand so-in-front of General Breeze-sorry?
2. Imagine that the general found out about Chervyakov’s death. His behavior, actions, actions.
One of the early stories by A.P. Chekhov's “The Death of an Official” was published in 1883, when a little-known writer under the pseudonym “Antosha Chekhonte” was published in humorous magazines, publishing dozens of short funny stories that enjoyed constant success among readers.
The background of the story is as follows. Once, a good friend of Anton Pavlovich’s family, writer and manager of Moscow theaters, Vladimir Petrovich Begichev, told a funny story about how one person sneezed on another in the theater during a performance. Moreover, this fact excited him so much that the next day he came to ask for forgiveness for yesterday’s embarrassment. They laughed at the story and forgot about it. But not Anton Pavlovich. Even then, in his imagination, the image of Ivan Dmitrievich Chervyakov in a tightly closed uniform and General Brizzhalov was born. The result of the story told was the short story “The Death of an Official” that appeared on the pages of the magazine “Oskolki” with the subtitle “Case”.
Story Analysis
The work was written in the spirit of realism, which became widespread in Russia in the second half of the 19th century. The story was included in the collection “Motley Stories”. The writer combined realism with convention here. This is clearly visible at the beginning of the work and at its end, when mockery of death is inappropriate.
The ideological content of the story is the theme of the little man, a protest against self-suppression and self-abasement of the individual. Ivan Dmitrievich Chervyakov is the younger brother of the “Station Warden” Samson Vyrin. Always humiliated and confused for no particular reason. In his story, Chekhov literally knocks on the reader’s mind, urging him to squeeze out “a slave drop by drop.”
Plot
The plot of the plot might seem completely devoid of any significance, if not for its further development and a completely unexpected ending. While in the theater, official Ivan Dmitrievich Chervyakov sneezed on the bald head of the general sitting in front and, as it seemed to him, displeased him.
Having apologized once, he was not satisfied with this and began to literally persecute the general with his apologies. It seemed to him that he was not satisfied with his apology. The general, at first, quite calmly and favorably accepted the official’s apology. But, endlessly pursued by Chervyakov, he finally explodes and screams at him. After which Ivan Dmitrievich came home, lay down on the bed and died.
Heroes
There are only two main characters here: a petty official with a telling surname, Ivan Dmitrievich Chervyakov, and civil general Brizzhalov. The main character is, of course, Chervyakov. Chekhov shows how pathetic and absurd a person can be, to what a slavish state he can reduce himself. Every time he apologizes to the general, he voluntarily renounces human dignity. It would seem that it would be easier to apologize to the person who graciously accepted your apology and that should all end there. No, you have to force yourself to go and apologize again.
For him, this is not just an unpleasant embarrassment. No! This is an attack on the bureaucratic hierarchy. In this case, General Brizzhalov evokes more sympathy. After all, at first he responded quite decently to Chervyakov’s apology. But he had the principle in his head that respect for persons is sacred, almost the foundation of social existence; in his mind, the general should, apparently, hold a ceremony to accept his apology. And he is even indignant that the general is so inattentive to his apologies. The general himself seems to us to be a completely well-bred man. The fact that he shouted at Chervyakov at the end of the story is quite understandable. Probably not everyone could withstand such persecution.
The story is called "Death of an Official." There is a deep meaning here that it was not a person who died, but an official for whom veneration of rank is the basis of life. His death does not evoke much sympathy or tragedy. If this official had grown to certain heights, then everywhere along his path he would have promoted the idea of veneration of rank, raising his own kind. That is why Chekhov mercilessly kills him. In his presentation, Chervyakov did not die from fright or from unbearable humiliation. No. It is unbearable for him to realize that his desire to serve, to offer his lowest apologies, is not received in a dignified manner. And he dies. By killing him, Chekhov thus pronounces a sentence on everything that Chervyakov personifies.
“The world of a “little” man in a small story by A.P. Chekhov's "Death of an Official". The right to grovel.
Plot, genre, chronotope.
Target: development of reading culture and understanding of the author's position.
Subject study results:
Personal
results:
- encourage students to think about human dignity.
Metasubject
results:
- ability to listen, reason, comment, draw conclusions;
Work with text, find the necessary information in it, process it; master speech (monologue, dialogical);
Subject
results:
in the cognitive sphere- the ability to analyze a story, characterize Chervyakov, understand and formulate a theme, an idea;
in the value-orientation sphere– evaluate the author’s idea, express your opinion;
in the communication field– perceive the reading of a story by ear, answer questions about the text, construct a monologue text;
in the aesthetic sphere– understand the role that artistic detail plays in creating an image.
Visual material.
Multimedia presentation, portrait of Chekhov.
Handout.
Text of the story "Death of an Official".
Appendix 1. Student work card (for each).
Appendix 2. Additional material (on the desk).
Board design
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
"Death of an Official"
The world of the “little man” in Chekhov’s short story ??????? Right to grovel
Illustrations for the story.
??????? Why did Ivan Dmitrich Chervyakov die?
Plot, genre, chronotope. Epigraph for the lesson.
Recognize your insignificance, you know where? Before God
perhaps before intelligence, beauty, nature, but not before
people. Among people you need to be aware of your
dignity.
A. Chekhov - brother Mikhail
During the classes
Goal setting
Today we continue the conversation about the wonderful writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. We remembered his biography, analyzed the story “Tosca”, and went on an excursion to the A.P. House-Museum. Chekhov. Thus, at least for a little while, we plunged into the world of the writer. You have already seen, I hope, that it is not without reason that they talk about the beauty of Chekhov’s work, where words are cramped and thoughts spacious, where every word is meaningful and capacious, like a deep vessel with a narrow neck: you look into it, but you won’t see the bottom... But you definitely need to see: for this you need to get used to it - then your eyes will begin to discern many things that you can’t see right away, in bright light...
Let us turn to his story “The Death of an Official.”
Written on the board TWO LESSON TOPICS. Unusual...I would like you to decide for yourself at the end of the lesson which topic was more important for you.
Today we will analyze Chekhov's story "The Death of an Official".
??? What would you suggest to cover in class?(students' answers)
GOALS: In today's lesson
Let’s analyze the story, talk about its plot, genre, chronotope;
let's characterize the main character;
Let's track how the theme of the "little man" develops in Chekhov's work;
Let's answer the question: Why did Ivan Dmitrich Chervyakov die?
As you work through the lesson, you fill out the cards in front of you.
Today we will need a dictionary for the story and additional material.
What is the story behind the creation of the story “Death of an Official”?
(students tell using additional material)
History of creation:
According to Chekhov’s recollections, the plot of the story “Death of an Official” was told to Anton Pavlovich Begichev(former director of Moscow theaters). It was simple: some man, who carelessly sneezed in the theater, came to a stranger the next day and began to apologize for causing him trouble in the theater. Funny anecdotal incident.“The Death of an Official” refers to the so-called early stories of the writer. Published in 1883 in the magazine "Oskolki" with subtitle - "Happening".“The Death of an Official,” like other stories of the writer, are included by the author in 1886 collection “Motley Stories.”
Motivation for cognitive activity
Before reading. Forecast.
??? What is this work about? The title is “Death of an Official.” Your forecast: what will we talk about?
Getting to know the text.
Your impressions...
Formation of skills and abilities
Analysis of the epigraph for the lesson.
(Teacher reads lines)
Recognize your insignificance, you know where? Before God, perhaps, before intelligence, beauty, nature, but not before people. Among people you need to be aware of your dignity.
????This is what Anton Pavlovich wrote to his brother Mikhail. How do you understand this idea? What does this quote have to do with "Death of an Official"?
We proceed directly to the analysis of the work. Plot.
??? What is a plot?
The course of events in a literary text.
??? What are the plot elements?
Exposition, plot, development of action, climax, fall of action, epilogue.
Assignment: Find and write down plot elements in a story(entry in work cards)
1.Exposition. Ivan Chervyakov in the theater.
2. The beginning. The official sneezed and sprayed the general.
3. Development of action. Chervyakov goes to apologize to the general.
4. Climax. The general shouted and stamped his feet.
5.Decoupling. The official died.
Task: Make a quotation story (entry in work cards)
“...Ivan Dmitrich Chervyakov sat in the second row of seats and...felt at the height of bliss.”
2. “...bent over and...apchhi!!!”
3. “...the old man...was diligently wiping his bald spot...”
4. “You need to apologize.”
5. “I apologized, but he was somehow strange...”
6. “What nonsense...”
7. “General, he can’t understand!”
8. “Get out!!!”
9. “...he lay down on the sofa and...died.”
CONCLUSION: What does this alignment of events give us? As always, Chekhov’s simplicity of plot hides a deep meaning. And it can only be known through artistic details, which are designed to convey to the reader the main idea.
3. Next stage: Chronotope.
??? What is a chronotope?
Chronotope is time and space in a work of art.
Exercise(group work)
Let's analyze the time and space of "Death of an Official" together.
Time
Space
One fine evening
Theater "Arcadia"
That same evening
At home
Next day
General's reception room
Same day
At home
Next day
General's reception room
Same day
At home
??? What features of the chronotope did you notice?
Just three days, alternating official locations.
CONCLUSION: What did the analysis of time and space in the work give us???
It is as if the plot is being threaded together.
We see the so-called suffering of the hero.
You can determine the genre of the work.
4. Genre “Death of an Official”
??? What is the genre of the work? Define a story.
The story is an epic genre of small volume, requiring at least two events and a shock ending. The story is characterized by an economy mode.
??? Prove it's a story(students' answers)
The story “Death of an Official” has a very small volume, three , a minimum of events, an economical narrative, an unexpected ending.
Philologists claim that Chekhov's story is a fusion of anecdote and parable.
Chekhov's story is rooted in the tradition of anecdote and parable. Chekhov's stories are a fusion of anecdote and parable.
(Joke(Greek) - a short entertaining story about an unexpected event with an unpredictable ending.
Parable- a short story in an edifying form, claiming to be a universal generalization)
5. Very often writers use so-called Speaking Names in their works.
??? What kind of reception is this?
??? Why do writers use telling names in their works?
??? Remember the telling names in works of Russian literature?
??? Why does Chervyakov have a first name, patronymic, and last name, but the general only has a last name? (for Chekhov, the general is a minor figure. Chervyakov is important to him. The general is deprived of a name and patronymic, and this is natural, because we see him through the eyes of Chervyakov, and he sees only the uniform (this word is often repeated in the text) of an important person)
Look at the meanings of the names.
Ivan(Old Hebrew) - God granted, the mercy of God.
Dmitriy(ancient Greek) – dedicated to Demeter, the goddess of fertility and agriculture.
Chervyakov- a worm, a worm, a ringed, legless animal that crawls, reptiles
Brizzhalov- to rattle - to strum, to tremble, to chatter; disdain – shout in a sharp voice, grumble
??? Why this choice?
Ivan. God gave life to the hero.
Dmitriy. Connection with the ground on which it crawls.
Worm. An animal that crawls on the ground is a reptile.
CONCLUSION: God himself gave the hero the life of a man, and he turned it into the life of an animal.
6. Keywords
Exercise. Write down the key words (verbs) that create the image of the official.
I looked - 5 times. Sneezed - 6 times. Confused - 3 times.
Sprayed - 5 times. Apologize – 7 times. Explain – 5 times.
Muttered - 3 times. Sorry - 1 time. Understand – 1 time
??? How do they characterize Chervyakov?
As we work on the image of Chervyakov, we write down the characteristics on the board.
Chervyakov's image:
modest official, "little man"
official not by line of service, but by nature
voluntarily grovels
constantly humiliated
renounced his human dignity, etc.
7. Creative task. Imagine that a general found out about Chervyakov’s death. Compose a monologue of a general after the death of an official.
8. Interpretation of the story. "The Little Man" by Chekhov
A.P. Chekhov addresses the traditional theme of the “little man”
??? What heroes in Russian literature are “little people”? Give examples.
1. They all occupy one of lowest places in the social hierarchy.
2. Humiliation combined with a feeling of injustice, wounded pride.
3. “Little Man” often performs in opposition to a "significant person", and the development of the plot is constructed mainly as a story of resentment, insult.
??? Chervyakov – “little man”?
Chervyakov could be ranked among the traditional “little man” type in Russian literature.
Chekhov presents us with the theme of the “little man” in a completely different way.
??? TO then he can say: where did Chekhov’s innovation manifest itself?
Behind the anecdotal situation in Chekhov's humorous stories often appears psychological paradox.
Paradox– unexpected, unusual, contrary to common sense.
??? What psychological paradox is discussed in the story “The Death of an Official”?
The traditional pairing of a formidable general and a timid official in Russian prose about the “little man” was turned upside down in Chekhov’s story: the modest official turned into an oppressor (executioner), and his excellency into an oppressed victim. Brizzhalov's high bureaucratic rank did not prevent him from remaining a normal person. Chervyakov, on the contrary, even with his low rank, is not a person.
He wrote to his brother Alexander in 1885 (after the creation of the story “The Death of an Official”) about “little” people: “Have mercy on your oppressed college registrars! Can’t you just smell that this topic has already become obsolete and is making you yawn? And where in Asia do you find the torment that the chino-shi experience in your stories? Truly I tell you, it’s scary to even read! It is now more realistic to portray collegiate registrars who do not allow their excellencies to live.”
??? Do you agree with this thought of M. Rybnikova: “ This is a story about FEAR. The general was a major official, and Chervyakov was a minor official. Such was the way of life, such was the system that the younger ones were terribly afraid of the older ones. He apologized ten times, he yelled at him, Chervyakov got scared and died” (students’ answers)
It's not about fear. Chervyakov does not understand why the general did not curse him. After all, that’s how it’s supposed to be. And Chervyakov died not from fright at all, but from the fact that a man of high rank violated his sacred principles.
??? Why is Chervyakov pursuing the general?
In Chekhov's works there are many characters with stereotypical thinking who live according to the “program”. Chervyakov believes that the general must humiliate and punish a minor official for any mistake. Shown here program crash: Chervyakov does not understand, why the general does not listen to his apologies. It seems to be doing everything right, but achieving the opposite effect.
??? Why did Chervyakov die?
If Chervyakov was humiliated in his human dignity, it was by no means by General Brizzhalov. Chervyakov humiliates his human dignity, at the same time very persistently, only myself. So, Chekhov's Chervyakov is an official not by type of service or position, but by nature. This type exists in any environment and in any people. He, alas, is eternal, immortal. Hero of "Death of an Official" died because he was not understood and satisfied with the RIGHT TO CROSS.
??? Why did Chervyakov die without taking off his uniform?
Violation of logic in actions people in Chekhov's works are a reflection of illogicality, the absurdity of reality itself. The title is preceded by a hint about the incompatibility of some concepts: the death is not of a person, but of a bureaucrat, a slave. The author constantly draws attention to the inconsistency, the contrast of cause and effect (the official sneezed - the official “died”). Harmless Chervyakov turns out to be a kind of tyrant, despot. Chervyakov scary because on it, on it voluntary groveling, the whole system holds sycophancy, veneration, humiliation And self-humiliation.
??? How does Chekhov feel about his hero?
In Chekhov's creative development, his early stories play a very important role. In particular, the writer’s attitude towards a downtrodden and humiliated person who became like this through his own fault changes dramatically. Instead of the pity traditional for previous literature, one feels contempt to people like this. And an excellent illustration of this is the story “The Death of an Official.” There is no hopelessness in Chervyakov’s situation, and his suffering is far-fetched. He's himself voluntarily drives into spiritual slavery by constantly humiliating himself, annoying the general with his apologies. Therefore, it is unlikely that Chekhov’s sympathies could be on the side of such a character. Rather, this is the “anti-ideal” of the author.
Reflection.
???What topic will you write on your work card? Why?
??? What does this story make us think about?
That a person should always remain a person, never lose his dignity and value others primarily by their human qualities, and not by their positions. And the writer convinced us of this by laughing at the absurd death of the official Chervyakov, who forgot about his human dignity and became like a worm.
??? What to do to avoid becoming like the official Chervyakov?
Ratings. Bottom line.
History of creation
“...An amazing mind flashed and disappeared in Russian literature, because only very smart people, those whose mind “shimmers through all veins”, can invent and tell a good absurdity, a good joke,” wrote I.A. about Chekhov’s talent . Bunin. L.N. Tolstoy said about him: “Chekhov is Pushkin in prose.” These words meant the strongest artistic impression left by Chekhov’s prose, which was surprising in its brevity and simplicity.
According to Chekhov’s memoirs, the plot of the story “Death of an Official” was told to Anton Pavlovich by Begichev. It was simple: some man, who carelessly sneezed in the theater, came to a stranger the next day and began to apologize for causing him trouble in the theater. Funny anecdotal incident.
“The Death of an Official” refers to the so-called early stories of the writer. Published in 1883 with the subtitle “The Case.” “The Death of an Official,” like other stories of the writer, were included by the author in the 1886 collection “Motley Stories.” All these works reveal the theme of the little man.
Genre, genre, creative method
Before A.P. came to Russian literature. Chekhov believed that the small epic form is a “splinter” of the large (novel) form: “a chapter torn from a novel,” as V.G. Belinsky about the story. The differences between a novel and a story (as the story was called) were determined only by the number of pages. Chekhov, according to L.N. Tolstoy, “created new, completely new... forms of writing for the whole world...”.
The story “The Death of an Official” is written in the “sketch” genre. This is a short humorous story, a painting from life, the comedy of which consists in conveying the conversation of the characters. Chekhov raised the skit to the level of great literature. The main thing in the scene is the speech of the characters, believably everyday and funny at the same time. The title and the telling names of the characters play an important role.
Thus, the problem of the story “The Death of an Official” is stated in the title itself, which represents a combination of opposing concepts. An official is an official, wearing a uniform buttoned up with all the buttons (this also applies to his feelings); he is, as it were, deprived of the living movements of the soul, and suddenly - death, although sad, is still a purely human property, which is contraindicated for an official, such is the image he has about him. Chekhov's work, one can assume in advance, is a story not about the disappearance of human individuality, but about the cessation of the functioning of an official, a kind of soulless mechanism. In the story, it is not so much the person who dies, but his outer shell.
The story as a whole is written within the framework of critical realism. However, in the second half of the story, Chervyakov’s behavior goes beyond the limits of everyday plausibility: he is too cowardly, too annoying, this does not happen in life. In the end, Chekhov is completely sharp and open. With this “died” he takes the story beyond the scope of everyday realism. Therefore, this story is felt as quite humorous: death is perceived as frivolity, a convention, a revelation of a technique, a move. The writer laughs, plays, and does not take the word “death” seriously. In the clash of laughter and death, laughter triumphs. It determines the overall tone of the work. So Chekhov’s funny turns into accusatory.
Topics
Rethinking the traditional theme of the “little man”, coming from Pushkin, Gogol, Turgenev and early Dostoevsky, Chekhov at the same time continues and develops the humanistic pathos of this direction in new conditions. Like Pushkin’s “The Station Agent,” Gogol’s “The Overcoat,” and Dostoevsky’s “Poor People,” Chekhov’s works are full of protest against the suppression and distortion of the human personality, which in new historical conditions is even more merciless and sophisticated. At the same time, the story portrays the subject of ridicule as a petty official who acts meanly and grovels when no one forces him.
Idea
In Chekhov's story, the center of a story is usually not a character or an idea, but a situation - an unusual incident, an anecdote. Moreover, the case is far from accidental - it highlights certain patterns of life, the essence of character. Chekhov had a genius gift for noticing in reality such situations in which characters would be revealed not just to the maximum, but with exhaustive completeness, both as social and ethical types, and as people with a psychology and manner of behavior peculiar only to them.
In the story “The Death of an Official,” the writer showed how a petty official, Chervyakov, being in a humiliated position, not only does not strive to get out of it, but himself proclaims slavish behavior. Which became the subject of ridicule in the story. Chekhov stood up for high moral ideals.
Main characters
There are two main characters in the story. One of them is a general who plays a secondary role and only reacts to the actions of the hero. The general is deprived of a name and patronymic, and this is natural, because we see him through the eyes of Chervyakov, and he sees only the uniform (this word is often repeated in the text) of an important person. We don’t learn anything significant about the general, but it is obvious that he, also in violation of tradition, is more humane than the “humiliated and insulted” Chervyakov. One thing is clear: the characters in the story speak different languages, they have different logic and understanding - dialogue between them is impossible.
The second character - the official Chervyakov - is the object of ridicule in the story. Traditionally in Russian literature it was a “small”, poor, “humiliated and insulted” person who evoked sympathy from the reader. Chekhov, with his ineradicable sense of freedom, sought to overcome this cliche. He wrote to his brother Alexander in 1885 (after the creation of the story “The Death of an Official”) about “little” people: “Give me your oppressed collegiate registrars! Can’t you just smell that this topic has already become obsolete and is making you yawn? And where in Asia do you find the torment that the chino-shi experience in your stories? Truly I tell you, it’s scary to even read! It is now more realistic to portray collegiate registrars who do not allow their excellencies to live.” The little man Chervyakov here is both funny and pitiful at the same time: ridiculous because of his absurd persistence, pathetic because he humiliates himself, renouncing his own human personality, human dignity.
Plot and composition
In Chekhov's story, one of the participants in the events turns out to be a minor official, the other - a general. The official's surname - Chervyakov - speaks for itself, emphasizing the humiliation of the executor1 Ivan Dmitrievich. This initial situation gives rise to traditional conflict. The general barked at a small, defenseless, dependent man - and killed him. In Chekhov, the general actually shouted at the official, as a result of which: “Something came off in Chervyakov’s stomach. Seeing nothing, hearing nothing, he backed away to the door, went out into the street and trudged... Arriving automatically home, without taking off his uniform, he lay down on the sofa and... died.”
Thus, a seemingly familiar plot scheme appears. However, significant changes are also taking place. To begin with, the general barked at his visitor only when he drove him with more and more visits, more and more new explanations, and all on the same topic, to the point of complete exhaustion, and then to frenzy.
He doesn’t look like a pathetic, dependent person or official. After all, he bothers the general with his apologies not because he depends on him. Not at all. He apologizes, so to speak, for reasons of principle, believing that respect for persons is the sacred basis of social existence, and he is deeply discouraged that his apology is not accepted. When the general once again waved him off, remarking: “You’re just laughing, sir!..” - Chervyakov became seriously angry. “What kind of ridicule is there? - thought Chervyakov. - There is no ridicule here at all! General, he can’t understand!” Thus, Chervyakov is fundamentally different from his previous literary colleagues. Chervyakov’s worldview contains an unexpected, comic twist on the traditional theme and plot scheme. It turns out that Chervyakov does not die from fright at all. The drama of man is that he could not stand the trampling of principles that were sacred to him, and not by anyone, but by an illustrious person, a general. Chervyakov could not bear this. Thus, under Chekhov’s pen, a harmless anecdote develops into a satire on prevailing morals and customs.
Artistic originality
In the history of Russian literature A.P. Chekhov entered as a master of the small genre. The name of the writer is associated with the formation of a satirical story, the defining features of which were laconicism and aphorism.
The title itself, “The Death of an Official,” contains the main idea of the work: the opposition of rank and man, the unity of the comic and the tragic. The content of the story makes a strong artistic impression due to its brevity and simplicity. It is known that Chekhov adhered to the thought: “to write with talent - that is, briefly.” The small volume of the work and its precise laconicism also determine the special dynamism of the story. This special dynamism is contained in verbs and their forms. It is through verbal vocabulary that the plot develops, and the characteristics of the characters are also given; although, of course, the writer also uses other artistic techniques.
In the story, the characters have telling surnames: Chervyakov and Brizzhalov. The official Chervyakov serves as an executor. The meaning of this word is discussed above. The second meaning of this word (it is marked in dictionaries as obsolete) is the following: executor - the one who carried out the execution, that is, punishment, or supervised it. Today this meaning is perceived as the main one, since the previous one (junior official in the office) has already been forgotten. The phrase executor Chervyakov was also chosen on the principle of comic contrast, characteristic of Chekhov: executor (that is, carrying out punishment) and suddenly a “funny” surname... Chervyakov.
According to the writer, a literary work “should give not only a thought, but also a sound, ... a sound impression.” In the story, this is literally a sound impression - “But suddenly his face wrinkled, his eyes rolled up, his breathing stopped... he took the binoculars away from his eyes, bent down and... apchhi!!! He sneezed, as you can see” - causes a comic effect.
In a short story, lengthy descriptions and internal monologues are impossible, which is why artistic detail comes to the fore. It is the details that carry enormous meaning in Chekhov. Literally one phrase can say everything about a person. In the last sentence of the story “The Death of an Official,” the author practically explains everything: the official, “coming home mechanically, without taking off his uniform, he lay down on the sofa and... died.” The uniform, this official uniform, seemed to have grown on him. Fear of a higher rank killed a man.
In the story “Death of an Official,” the author’s position is not clearly expressed. One gets the impression of Chekhov's objectivity and indifference to what is happening. The narrator does not evaluate the hero's actions. He ridicules them, leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions.
Meaning of the work
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov is one of the greatest Russian classical writers. He is known as a master of realistic storytelling. The writer himself said this: “Fiction is called fiction because it depicts life as it really is.” The truth of life attracted him above all. The main theme of Chekhov's work (like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky) was the inner world of man. But the artistic methods and artistic techniques that writers used in their work are different. Chekhov is rightfully considered a master of the short story and miniature novella. Over many years of work in humorous magazines, Chekhov honed his skill as a storyteller and learned to fit maximum content into a small volume.
After the story “The Death of an Official” appeared, many critics said that Chekhov had composed some kind of absurd story that had nothing to do with life. The situation, indeed, is brought to the point of absurdity by the writer, but this is precisely what allows us to better see the absurdities of life itself, in which servility, veneration, deification of superiors and panic fear of them reign. According to M.P. Chekhov, the writer's brother, an actual incident similar to the one described occurred at the Bolshoi Theater, but it is unclear whether it was known to Chekhov. Another thing is known: in January 1882, Chekhov received a letter from his Taganrog acquaintance A.V. Petrov, which said: “On the eve of Christmas... our postmaster (a famous monster and pedant) threatened one official (senior sorter K.D. Shchetinsky) to put him on trial, it seems, for violation of discipline, in a word, for personal insult; and he foolishly, after trying to ask for forgiveness, left the office and in the city garden... a few hours before Matins and hanged himself...” In other words, Chekhov managed to recreate a typical, albeit absurd, situation.
“Russian critics wrote that neither Chekhov’s style, nor his choice of words, nor anything else testifies to the special literary care with which Gogol, Flaubert or Henry James were obsessed. His vocabulary is poor, his combinations of words are banal; a juicy verb, a hothouse adjective, a mint-cream epithet, brought on a silver tray - all this is alien to him. He was not a verbal virtuoso like Gogol; his Muse was dressed in casual dress. Therefore, it is good to cite Chekhov as an example of the fact that one can be an impeccable artist without the exceptional brilliance of verbal technique, without exceptional concern for the graceful curves of sentences. When Turgenev begins to talk about the landscape, one can see how concerned he is with smoothing the trouser folds of his phrase; crossing his legs, he sneaks a glance at the color of his socks. Chekhov doesn’t care about this - not because these details don’t matter, for writers of a certain type they are natural and very important - but Chekhov doesn’t care because by his nature he was alien to any kind of verbal ingenuity. Even a slight grammatical error or a newspaper stamp did not bother him at all. The magic of his art is that, despite his tolerance for mistakes that a brilliant beginner could easily avoid, despite his readiness to be content with the first word he came across, Chekhov was able to convey a sense of beauty completely inaccessible to many writers who believed that they knew for certain what such luxurious, lush prose. He achieves this by illuminating all the words with the same dim light, giving them the same gray tint - midway between the color of a dilapidated fence and an overhanging cloud. The variety of intonations, the flickering of charming irony, the truly artistic sparingness of characteristics, the colorfulness of details, the fading of human life - all this is purely Chekhovian. the features are flooded and surrounded by a rainbow-vague verbal haze” (V.V. Nabokov).