The story "Gooseberries" Chekhov: a short summary. Analysis of the story "Gooseberries" Chekhov

In this article we will introduce you to the work "Gooseberries" by Chekhov. Anton Pavlovich, as you probably already know, is a Russian writer, a playwright. Years of his life - 1860-1904. We will describe the summary of this story, and analyze it. "Gooseberries" Chekhov wrote in 1898, that is, in the late period of his work.

Abstract: The beginning of the story

Burkin and Ivan Ivanych Chimsh-Himalayan paced the field. The village of Mironositskoe is seen in the distance. Suddenly it starts to rain, and so they decide to go to Pavel Konstantinych Alekhin, a landowner's friend whose farmstead is in the village of Sofino, nearby. Alyokhin is described as a tall man of about 40 years, full, looking more like an artist or a professor than a landowner, with long hair. He meets the travelers at the barn. The face of this man is black with dust, his clothes are dirty. He is glad to unexpected guests, suggests that they go to the bathing place. After dressing and washing, Burkin, Ivan Ivanych Chimsh-Himalayan and Alekhine go to the house where Ivan Ivanych tells the story of Nikolai Ivanich, his brother, over tea with jam.

Ivan Ivanych begins his story

Childhood brothers spent in the estate of his father, in freedom. Their parents were from cantonists, but left the hereditary nobility to children, having served the rank of officer. The estate after his death was seized from the family for debts. From the age of nineteen, Nikolai was sitting behind papers in the state chamber, but he was terribly homesick and dreamed of buying a small estate. Ivan Ivanych did not sympathize with the desire of his relative for life to lock himself up in the estate. And Nikolai could not think of anything else, all the while representing a large manor, where it was necessary to grow gooseberries.

Nikolai Ivanovich embodies his dream in reality

The brother of Ivan Ivanych bought money, was undernourished, eventually married not for love on a rich ugly widow. He kept his wife half-starved, and put her money in her name into the bank. The spouse did not endure this life and died soon, and Nikolay, not repenting at all, bought himself the desired estate, planted 20 bushes of gooseberries and healed in his own pleasure as a landowner.

Ivan Ivanych visits his brother

We continue to describe the story that Chekhov created, "Gooseberries." A brief summary of the following events is as follows. When Nikolai came to see Ivan Ivanych, he was amazed at how much his brother had fallen down, flabby and old. The master turned into a real tyrant, ate a lot, constantly sued the factories and talked in the tone of the minister. Ivan Nikolayevich treated Ivan Nikolayevich with gooseberry, and it was evident from him that he was satisfied with his fate as well as himself.

Ivan Ivanych reflects on the happiness and meaning of life

The following further events give us the story "Gooseberries" (Chekhov). The brother of Nicholas, at the sight of his relative, was seized by a feeling close to despair. He reflected, after spending a night in the estate, about how many people in the world go crazy, suffer, drink, how many children die from malnutrition. And others in the meantime live happily, sleep at night, eat during the day, say nonsense. Ivanych thought that behind the door of a happy person there must be someone with a hammer and a knock to remind him that there are unfortunate people on the ground that someday a misfortune will happen to him and nobody will hear or see him, just like Now he does not hear and does not notice others.

Finishing the story, Ivan Ivanych says that there is no happiness, and if there is a meaning in life, then he is not in it, but in doing good on earth.

How did Alyokhin and Burkin take the story?

Neither Alyokhin, nor Burkin are not satisfied with this story. Alyokhin does not understand whether Ivan Ivanych's words are true, since it was not about hay, not about croup, but about something that has no direct relation 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 sleep.

"Gooseberries" in the works of Chekhov

To a large extent, the work of Anton Pavlovich is devoted to "little people" and life. The story that Chekhov created, "Gooseberries" about love does not tell. In it, as in many other works of this author, people and society are exposed in philistinism, soullessness and vulgarity.

In 1898, the story "Gooseberries" Chekhov was born. It should be noted that the time when the work was created is the period of the reign of Nicholas II, who continued his father's policy, not wanting to implement the liberal reforms necessary at that time.

Characteristics of Nikolai Ivanovich

Chekhov describes to us Chimsh-Himalayan - an official who serves in one ward and dreams of owning his own estate. The cherished desire of this man is to become a landlord.

Emphasizes Chekhov how far behind this time this character, because in the time described, people did not chase after a meaningless title, the capitalists dreamed of becoming many noblemen, it was considered fashionable, advanced.

The hero of Anton Pavlovich profitably marries, after which he takes the money necessary to him from his wife and finally acquires the desired estate. Another one of his dreams is played by a hero, planting gooseberries in the estate. And his wife, meanwhile, is dying of hunger ...

"Gooseberries" Chekhov built using the "story in the story" - a special literary reception. We learn the history of the landowner from the lips of his brother. However, Ivan Ivanovich's eyes are the eyes of the author himself, he thus shows the reader his attitude towards people like Chimsh-Himalayan.

Attitude to Ivan Ivanovich's brother

The brother of the protagonist of the story "Gooseberries" Chekhov is struck by the spiritual poverty of Nikolai Ivanovich, terrified by his idleness and satiety of his relative, and the dream as such and its fulfillment seem to this man the pinnacle of laziness and selfishness.

During the time spent at the estate, Nikolai Ivanovich grows dull and old, he is proud of his belonging to the nobles, not understanding at the same time that this estate is already dying off, and a more just and free form of life comes to replace it, and gradually the social foundations are changing.

However, most of all the narrator is struck by the moment when Nikolai Ivanovich is given the first harvest of gooseberries. Immediately he forgets about the fashionable things of time and the importance of the nobility. This landlord gets the illusion of happiness in the sweetness of gooseberries, he finds the reason to admire and rejoice, and this circumstance amazes Ivan Ivanovich, who thinks that people prefer to deceive themselves just to believe in their own well-being. He also criticizes himself, finding such shortcomings as a desire to teach and self-satisfaction.

Ivan Ivanovich is thinking about the moral and moral crisis of the individual and society, his moral state of contemporary society is troubling him.

Thought Chekhov

Ivan Ivanovich speaks about how he is tortured by a trap, created by people for themselves, and asks to create in the future only good and try to eradicate evil. But in fact, through his character Chekhov himself says. A person ("Gooseberries" is addressed to each of us!) Must understand that the goal in life is good deeds, and not a sense of happiness. According to the author, every successful person should have a "man with a hammer" standing behind the door, reminding him that it is necessary to do good - to help orphans, widows, destitute. After all, one day a misfortune can happen even with the wealthiest person.