Essays on literature: The role of artistic detail in A. P. Chekhov’s story The Chameleon
A.P. Chekhov developed small genres in the early period of his work: a humorous sketch, a short story, a joke, a feuilleton, often basing his work on an anecdotal incident. He was faced with the task of presenting a general picture through specific details in a small volume of work, with a small number of characters.
An artistic detail is one of the means of creating an artistic image, which helps to present the picture, object or character depicted by the author in a unique individuality. It can reproduce features of appearance, details of clothing, furnishings, experiences or actions.
Chekhov's story "Chameleon" begins with a premise that is extremely simple: an ordinary everyday incident - a greyhound puppy bit the finger of the "goldsmith master Khryukin" - gives rise to the development of the action. The main thing in this story is dialogue and individual remarks from the crowd, and description is kept to a minimum. It is in the nature of the author's remarks (the police officer is “in a new overcoat”, the victim is “a man in a starched cotton shirt and an unbuttoned vest”, the culprit of the scandal is “a white greyhound puppy with a sharp muzzle and a yellow spot on the back”).
There is nothing accidental in the story “Chameleon”. Every word, every detail is necessary for a more accurate description and expression of the author’s thoughts. In this work, such details are, for example, the overcoat of the police warden Ochumelov, the bundle in his hand, the sieve of the confiscated gooseberry, the bloody finger of the victim Khryukin. The artistic detail makes it possible to visualize the same Ochumelov in his new overcoat, which he takes off and puts on again several times throughout the story, then wraps himself in it. This detail highlights how the police officer's behavior changes depending on the circumstances. A voice from the crowd reports that the dog, “it seems,” is the general’s, and Ochumelov is thrown into hot and cold by such news: “Take off my coat, Eldyrin... It’s terrible how hot it is!”; “Put on my coat, brother Eldyrin... something was blown by the wind...”
Many artists use detail, including repetitive detail, but in Chekhov it occurs more often than in anyone else. With one such detail in the story, Chekhov reveals the essence of Ochumelov’s character: the police supervisor is a “chameleon”, the embodiment of the readiness to grovel before superiors and push around inferiors, to be mean, to curry favor, to “change his color” depending on the circumstances. “You, Khryukin, have suffered and don’t leave it like that... But the dog must be exterminated...” And a few minutes later the situation changed, and Ochumelov was already shouting: “A dog is a gentle creature... And you, idiot, put your hand down! There's no point in sticking out your stupid finger! It’s my own fault!”
Chekhov's skill lies in the fact that he knew how to select material, saturate a small work with great content, and highlight an essential detail important for characterizing a character or object. Precise and succinct artistic detail, created by the creative imagination of the author, guides the imagination of the reader. Chekhov attached great importance to details; he believed that they “excite the independent critical thought of the reader,” who must guess about many things himself.
“Brevity is the sister of talent,” Anton Pavlovich Chekhov wrote in his notebook. He himself, of course, had plenty of talent, which is why today, a hundred years after his death, we read the short and witty stories of this brilliant writer. How did he manage to so masterfully highlight the situation and reveal the characters’ characters in his small stories with a simple plot? Here, artistic detail comes to the author’s aid, aimed at emphasizing particularly important points in the work.
A.P. Chekhov’s story “Chameleon” is also rich in artistic details, in which the writer ridicules servitude and opportunism. Every little detail here plays into revealing the images. The heroes of the story have surnames that speak for themselves and often do not need additional epithets: police warden Ochumelov, policeman Eldyrin, goldsmith Khryukin.
Introducing us to the characters, A.P. Chekhov clarifies that in the hands of the policeman there is a sieve with confiscated gooseberries, and Khryukin with a “half-drunk face” is trying to achieve fair retribution for his finger bitten by a small puppy. These nuances in the description of the heroes help us to understand their characters and images more fully and deeply. Calling on artistic detail for help, rather than delving into complex psychology, the writer shows us Ochumelov’s violent changes in feelings during a difficult trial. He is so afraid of “missing the mark” with his decision that he gets hot and cold. By taking off and putting on his overcoat, the police supervisor seems to be changing masks, and at the same time his speech, mood, and attitude to the situation change.
Paying special attention to accuracy in the selection of descriptions and artistic details, A.P. Chekhov managed to create such capacious and memorable images that many of them became household names and have not lost their significance even today.
Chekhov is rightfully considered a master of the short story. Over many years of working in humorous magazines, the author has learned to pack maximum content into a small volume. In a small story, extensive, detailed descriptions and long monologues are impossible. That is why in Chekhov’s works an artistic detail comes to the fore, carrying a huge semantic load.
Let's consider the role of artistic detail in the story "Chameleon". We are talking about how a police supervisor, considering the case of a puppy that bit a jewelry maker, changes his opinion several times about the outcome of the case. Moreover, his opinion directly depends on who owns the dog - a rich general or a poor man. Only after hearing the names of the characters, we can already imagine the characters in the story. Policeman Ochumelov, Master Khryukin, policeman Eldyrin - the names correspond to the characters and appearance of the heroes. The short phrases “Take off my coat, Eldyrin” and “Put my coat on, brother Eldyrin...” speak about the internal storm disturbing the police supervisor during the investigation of the case. Gradually we feel how Ochumelov is humiliated, not even in front of the general, the owner of the puppy, but in front of the animal itself. The warden bows to the powers that be and strives with all his might to please them, not caring about his human dignity. After all, his career depends on them.
We can learn about the character of the other hero of the story, Khryukin, from one small phrase that he “hits the dog with a cigarette in the mug for laughter, and she - don’t be a fool, and bite...”. The entertainment of Khryukin, a middle-aged man, is not at all appropriate for his age. Out of boredom, he mocks a defenseless animal, for which he pays - the puppy bit him.
The title "Chameleon" also conveys the main idea of the story. Ochumelov’s opinion changes as quickly and often, depending on circumstances, as a chameleon lizard changes its skin color, corresponding to natural conditions.
It is thanks to Chekhov’s masterful use of artistic details in his works that the writer’s work is understandable and accessible to every person.
(Option 1) A.P. Chekhov is rightfully considered a master of artistic detail. A precisely and well-chosen detail is evidence of the writer’s artistic talent. A bright detail makes the phrase more meaningful. The role of artistic detail in Chekhov’s humorous story “Chameleon” is enormous. The police warden Ochumelov, passing through the market square together with the policeman Eldyrin, is dressed in a new overcoat, which in the text of the story turns into an important detail characterizing the state of the police warden. For example, having learned that, probably, the dog that bit the goldsmith Khryukin belongs to General Zhigalov, Ochumelov becomes unbearably hot, so he says: “Hm!.. Take off my coat, Eldyrin... It’s terribly hot! » Here the removed coat is a symbol of the hero’s nervousness. Considering that such a homely dog cannot be a general’s, Ochumelov again scolds it: “The general’s dogs are expensive, purebred, but this one is the devil knows what! No fur, no appearance... just meanness..." But the assumption of a man from the crowd that the dog belonged to the general now instills fear in Ochumelov for the words that he just uttered. And here, to convey the mood of the character, the author again uses artistic detail. The warden says: “Hm!.. Put a coat on me, brother Eldyrin... Something blew in the wind... It’s chilling...” Here the coat seems to help the hero hide from his own words. At the end of the work, Ochumelov’s coat again turns into an overcoat, which the hero wraps himself in as he continues his path through the market square. Chekhov has no extra words, and therefore the important fact is that the new overcoat in Ochumelov’s conversation turns into a coat, that is, there is a deliberate reduction in the role of the object by the hero himself. Indeed, the new overcoat makes Ochumelov stand out as a policeman. But the function of the coat is different; with the help of this artistic detail, the writer characterizes the character. Consequently, artistic detail helps the writer to penetrate deeper into the psychology of the hero, and the reader to see the changing state and mood of the character. (Option 2) Artistic detail helps the author create the character of the hero. Such a characterizing detail can be a telling surname, a hero’s spoken word at the right time or at the wrong time, a substitution of words, their rearrangement, a piece of clothing, furniture, sound, color, even the choice of an animal that became the title of the work. The first thing that catches your eye is the name of the police supervisor. Why Ochumelov? Perhaps precisely because, having gone crazy and confused, the hero of the work does not know what to do, what to decide on. The next interesting fact, as always with Chekhov, is veiled, hidden, you won’t see it right away. Among the first remarks of Khryukin (also a telling surname) there is one especially close to Chekhov the satirist: “Nowadays it is not ordered to bite!” It seems that we are talking about a dog, but government policy got a little bit of it. Ochumelov does not turn around, but, as befits a military man, “makes a half turn to the left” and intervenes in what is happening. Khryukin’s bloody finger, raised up, “has the appearance of a sign of victory” of a man, a half-drunk goldsmith, Khryukin, over a dog, a white greyhound puppy with an expression of melancholy and horror in his watery eyes. Khryukin treats the dog as if it were a person who offended him, from whom he demands satisfaction, moral, material, legal: “I’ll rip you off”, “let them pay me”, “if everyone bites, then it’s better not to live in the world." The poor animal, depending on who it is considered to be, is either going to be exterminated as a rabid dirty trick, or it is called a gentle creature, a tsutsik, or a little dog. But not only Ochumelov’s attitude towards the dog changes, but also towards Khryukin, whom she bit because he poked a cigarette in her face for a laugh, and towards the supposed owner. Either Khryukin is accused of having “picked his finger with a nail” in order to “rip it off”, then they advise not to leave this matter like that, “you need to teach him a lesson”, then they don’t call him anything other than a pig and a blockhead and they threaten him, not the dog . The degree of Ochumelov’s excitement is reflected by the new overcoat he puts on and then takes off, as he either shivers from excitement or gets hot. The artistic detail in Chekhov's story characterizes Ochumelov, Khryukin, and the dog. It helps the reader understand the author's point of view and forces him to be more attentive.
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The role of artistic detail in Chekhov's story "Chameleon" Victoria Romanova's project, 8th grade
This amazing animal is a chameleon. Hiding from enemies and trying to quietly get close to the insects of its victims, this lizard can quickly and easily change color, merging with its environment. But if such an adaptive reaction of an animal causes us to admire the wisdom of nature, then a person with similar qualities can hardly be called worthy and decent. A striking example of such “chameleonism” is given to us by A.P. Chekhov in his story “Chameleon”.
The plot is based on an ordinary life incident: a puppy bit a man’s finger. This event attracted a large number of onlookers in a matter of minutes, and a whole crowd gathered in the market square, where it had just been quiet and dull. The gathering attracted the attention of police warden Ochumelov, who walked decorously through the square, accompanied by a policeman. The victim, who turned out to be the “goldsmith” Khryukin, showed the crowd a bloody finger, and “in the center of the crowd, with his front legs spread out and his whole body trembling,” sat the “white greyhound puppy who was the culprit of the scandal.” Ochumelov, feeling his importance, decided to understand the situation.
At the beginning of the story, we see a bundle in Ochumelov’s hands, and a sieve with gooseberries in the policeman’s hands. The role of the gooseberries and the knot is that the police warden and the policeman have already managed to receive a bribe from someone, despite the early hour. These two details characterize these characters as resourceful and enterprising people.
Near the very gates of the warehouse, he sees the above-described man standing in an unbuttoned vest and, raising his right hand, shows the crowd a bloody finger. It was as if it was written on his half-drunk face: “I’m already going to rip you off, you scoundrel!” and the finger itself looks like a sign of victory.
The detail of the bloody finger shows us that the jeweler Khryukin will not be able to work. I wonder if Mr. Khryukin fulfilled orders on time? And how quality were the products? Now he has an excuse and can stop working until his finger heals.
The story takes place in the second half of summer; overcoats are not worn in summer. The fact that Ochumelov put on his overcoat at that very time and it was new indicates that he had recently received a position. Thanks to her, Ochumelov has power, and the overcoat also speaks about this. The open overcoat seems to increase and give greater importance to Ochumelov in the eyes of others. Throughout the entire story, Ochumelov alternately takes off and then puts on his overcoat.
At the end of the story, the police supervisor leaves, wrapping himself in his greatcoat. From this we can conclude: Ochumelov becomes mentally closed to everyone around him, just like the authorities. We can also say that people will follow their superiors (nothing has changed in our time). We have proven that the artistic detail in A. P. CHEKHOV’s story The Chameleon helps to understand and reveal the images. He is worried and afraid of losing power, and therefore he gets hot and cold.
A.P. Chekhov is rightfully considered a master of artistic detail. A precisely and well-chosen detail is evidence of the writer’s artistic talent. Bright
the detail makes the phrase more meaningful. The role of artistic detail in Chekhov’s humorous story “Chameleon” is enormous.
The police warden Ochumelov, passing through the market square together with the policeman Eldyrin, is dressed in a new overcoat, which in the text of the story turns into an important detail characterizing the state of the police warden. For example, having learned that, probably, the dog that bit the goldsmith Khryukin belongs to General Zhigalov, Ochumelov becomes unbearably hot, so he says: “Hm!.. Take off my coat, Eldyrin... It’s terribly hot! » Here the removed coat is a symbol of the hero’s nervousness. Considering that such a nondescript dog cannot be the general’s, Ochumelov again scolds it: “The general’s dogs are expensive, purebred, but this one is the devil knows what! No fur, no appearance... just meanness..." But the assumption of a man from the crowd that the dog belonged to the general now instills fear in Ochumelov for the words that he just uttered. And here, to convey the mood of the character, the author again uses artistic detail. The warden says: “Hm!.. Put a coat on me, brother Eldyrin... Something blew in the wind... It’s chilling...” Here the coat seems to help the hero hide from his own words. At the end of the work, Ochumelov’s coat again turns into an overcoat, which the hero wraps himself in as he continues his path through the market square. Chekhov has no extra words, and therefore the important fact is that the new overcoat in Ochumelov’s conversation turns into a coat, that is, there is a deliberate reduction in the role of the object by the hero himself. Indeed, the new overcoat makes Ochumelov stand out as a policeman. But the function of the coat is different; with the help of this artistic detail, the writer characterizes the character.
Consequently, artistic detail helps the writer to penetrate deeper into the psychology of the hero, and the reader to see the changing state and mood of the character.
(Option 2)
Artistic detail helps the author create the character of the hero. Such a characterizing detail can be a telling surname, a hero’s spoken word at the right time or at the wrong time, a substitution of words, their rearrangement, a piece of clothing, furniture, sound, color, even the choice of an animal that became the title of the work.
The first thing that catches your eye is the name of the police supervisor. Why Ochumelov? Perhaps precisely because, having gone crazy and confused, the hero of the work does not know what to do, what to decide on. The next interesting fact, as always with Chekhov, is veiled, hidden, you won’t see it right away. Among the first remarks of Khryukin (also a telling surname) there is one especially close to Chekhov the satirist: “Nowadays it is not ordered to bite!” It seems that we are talking about a dog, but government policy got a little bit of it. Ochumelov does not turn around, but, as befits a military man, “makes a half turn to the left” and intervenes in what is happening. Khryukin’s bloody finger, raised up, “has the appearance of a sign of victory” of a man, a half-drunk goldsmith, Khryukin, over a dog, a white greyhound puppy with an expression of melancholy and horror in his watery eyes. Khryukin treats the dog as if it were a person who offended him, from whom he demands satisfaction, moral, material, legal: “I’ll rip you off”, “let them pay me”, “if everyone bites, then it’s better not to live in the world." The poor animal, depending on who it is considered to be, is either going to be exterminated as a rabid dirty trick, or it is called a gentle creature, a tsutsik, or a little dog. But not only Ochumelov’s attitude towards the dog changes, but also towards Khryukin, whom she bit because he poked a cigarette in her face for a laugh, and towards the supposed owner. Either Khryukin is accused of having “picked his finger with a nail” in order to “rip it off”, then they advise not to leave this matter like that, “you need to teach him a lesson”, then they don’t call him anything other than a pig and a blockhead and they threaten him, not the dog . The degree of Ochumelov’s excitement is reflected by the new overcoat he puts on and then takes off, as he either shivers from excitement or gets hot.
The artistic detail in Chekhov's story characterizes Ochumelov, Khryukin, and the dog. It helps the reader understand the author's point of view and forces him to be more attentive.
Composition
(1 option)
A.P. Chekhov is rightfully considered a master of artistic detail. A precisely and well-chosen detail is evidence of the writer’s artistic talent. Bright
the detail makes the phrase more meaningful. The role of artistic detail in Chekhov’s humorous story “Chameleon” is enormous.
The police warden Ochumelov, passing through the market square together with the policeman Eldyrin, is dressed in a new overcoat, which in the text of the story turns into an important detail characterizing the state of the police warden. For example, having learned that, probably, the dog that bit the goldsmith Khryukin belongs to General Zhigalov, Ochumelov becomes unbearably hot, so he says: “Hm!.. Take off my coat, Eldyrin... It’s terribly hot! » Here the removed coat is a symbol of the hero’s nervousness. Considering that such a homely dog cannot be a general’s, Ochumelov again scolds it: “The general’s dogs are expensive, purebred, but this one is the devil knows what! No fur, no appearance... just meanness..." But the assumption of a man from the crowd that the dog belonged to the general now instills fear in Ochumelov for the words that he just uttered. And here, to convey the mood of the character, the author again uses artistic detail. The warden says: “Hm!.. Put a coat on me, brother Eldyrin... Something blew in the wind... It’s chilling...” Here the coat seems to help the hero hide from his own words. At the end of the work, Ochumelov’s coat again turns into an overcoat, which the hero wraps himself in as he continues his path through the market square. Chekhov has no extra words, and therefore the important fact is that the new overcoat in Ochumelov’s conversation turns into a coat, that is, there is a deliberate reduction in the role of the object by the hero himself. Indeed, the new overcoat makes Ochumelov stand out as a policeman. But the function of the coat is different; with the help of this artistic detail, the writer characterizes the character.
Consequently, artistic detail helps the writer to penetrate deeper into the psychology of the hero, and the reader to see the changing state and mood of the character.
(Option 2)
Artistic detail helps the author create the character of the hero. Such a characterizing detail can be a telling surname, a hero’s spoken word at the right time or at the wrong time, a substitution of words, their rearrangement, a piece of clothing, furniture, sound, color, even the choice of an animal that became the title of the work.
The first thing that catches your eye is the name of the police supervisor. Why Ochumelov? Perhaps precisely because, having gone crazy and confused, the hero of the work does not know what to do, what to decide on. The next interesting fact, as always with Chekhov, is veiled, hidden, you won’t see it right away. Among the first remarks of Khryukin (also a telling surname) there is one especially close to Chekhov the satirist: “Nowadays it is not ordered to bite!” It seems that we are talking about a dog, but government policy got a little bit of it. Ochumelov does not turn around, but, as befits a military man, “makes a half turn to the left” and intervenes in what is happening. Khryukin’s bloody finger, raised up, “has the appearance of a sign of victory” of a man, a half-drunk goldsmith, Khryukin, over a dog, a white greyhound puppy with an expression of melancholy and horror in his watery eyes. Khryukin treats the dog as if it were a person who offended him, from whom he demands satisfaction, moral, material, legal: “I’ll rip you off”, “let them pay me”, “if everyone bites, then it’s better not to live in the world." The poor animal, depending on who it is considered to be, is either going to be exterminated as a rabid dirty trick, or it is called a gentle creature, a tsutsik, or a little dog. But not only Ochumelov’s attitude towards the dog changes, but also towards Khryukin, whom she bit because he poked a cigarette in her face for a laugh, and towards the supposed owner. Either Khryukin is accused of having “picked his finger with a nail” in order to “rip it off”, then they advise not to leave this matter like that, “you need to teach him a lesson”, then they don’t call him anything other than a pig and a blockhead and they threaten him, not the dog . The degree of Ochumelov’s excitement is reflected by the new overcoat he puts on and then takes off, as he either shivers from excitement or gets hot.
The artistic detail in Chekhov's story characterizes Ochumelov, Khryukin, and the dog. It helps the reader understand the author's point of view and forces him to be more attentive.