In the most difficult years of reaction and strict censorship, which created simply unbearable conditions for the continuation of his literary activity, Saltykov-Shchedrin found a brilliant way out of this situation. It was at that time that he began to write his works in the form of fairy tales, which allowed him to continue to castigate the vices of Russian society despite the rampage of censorship.
Fairy tales became for the satirist a kind of economical form that allowed him to continue the themes of his past. Hiding the true meaning of what was written from censorship, the writer used Aesopian language, grotesque, hyperbole and antithesis. In fairy tales for a "fair age" Saltykov-Shchedrin, as before, spoke about the hard fate of the people and ridiculed their oppressors. Bureaucrats, pompadour mayors and other impartial characters appear in fairy tales in the form of animals - an eagle, a wolf, a bear, etc.
"Lived - trembled, and died - trembled"
One of these works is the tale "The Wise Scribbler", written by Saltykov-Shchedrin in 1883, which has become a textbook. The plot of the tale, which tells about the life of the most ordinary minnow, is known to any educated person. Having a cowardly character, the gudgeon leads a secluded life, tries not to stick out of his hole, shudders at every rustle and a flashing shadow. So he lives until his death, and only at the end of his life does he realize the worthlessness of his miserable existence. Before his death, questions arise in his mind concerning his whole life: “Who did he pity, whom did he help, what did he do good and useful?”. The answers to these questions lead the minnow to rather sad conclusions: that no one knows him, no one needs him, and hardly anyone will remember him at all.
According to the spelling norms of the 19th century, the word "minnow" was written through "and" - "piskar".
In this plot, the satirist in a caricature form clearly reflects the mores of modern petty-bourgeois Russia. The image of a minnow has absorbed all the unpleasant qualities of a cowardly, self-contained man in the street, constantly shaking for his own skin. “He lived - trembled, and died - trembled” - such is the moral of this satirical tale.
The expression "wise minnow" was used as a common noun, in particular, by V. I. Lenin in the fight against liberals, the former "left Octobrists", who switched to supporting the right-liberal model of constitutional democracy.
Reading the fairy tales of Saltykov-Shchedrin is quite difficult, some people still cannot understand the deep meaning that the writer puts into his works. The thoughts that are set forth in the tales of this talented satirist are still relevant in Russia, mired in a series of social problems.
Problems of the fairy tale by Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin "The Wise Gudgeon"
In the complex sense of Shchedrin's fairy tales, small in volume and large in their ideological content, the following topics can be distinguished: satire on the autocratic government and on the exploiting classes, depiction of the life of the people in tsarist Russia, exposure of the behavior and psychology of the gentry-minded strata of the intelligentsia, disclosure of individual morality and propaganda of the socialist ideal and new morality.
In the fairy tale "The Wise Gudgeon" Shchedrin condemned the cowardice of that section of the intelligentsia which, during the years of political reaction, succumbed to shameful panic. Depicting the pitiful fate of a hero who, mad with fear, walled himself up in a dark hole for life, the satirist showed his warning and contempt to all those who, obeying the instinct of self-preservation, plunge into the narrow world of their own needs instead of active social struggle.
The minnow's parents lived quietly and peacefully, did not interfere in the life of society, and therefore died a natural death. And they ordered their son to watch both, protecting himself. Their son was smart and took the words of his parents literally. He protected himself not only from large fish, but also from crayfish and water fleas. Although they were smaller than him, they could do more harm, in his opinion. He was completely furious with fear and was even afraid to have a wife and children.
Shchedrin also ridiculed the minnow's thoughts about man, that is, about the government. How many different means he came up with to destroy the minnows, that is, the people, and they, knowing all these stupid means, still swallow them. "Although this is the most stupid tool, but with us minnows, the more stupid, the more true," - this is how the old minnow argues about the life of the people, who in no way want to learn even from their mistakes.
That minnow did not live, but only did that, that he trembled and was glad that he was alive. Even the pike began to praise him, hoping that he would come out of the hole. And he is not. I spent more than a hundred years sitting and thinking that I was the smartest. But Saltykov-Shchedrin talks about the wrong way of reasoning minnows that not those minnows become worse than citizens who sit in holes, tremble and therefore eat in vain. What is the benefit to society from their existence? No. Therefore, it did not consider the minnow smart, but only called a fool.
The originality of Shchedrin's artistic skill turned out to be in the great power of his laughter, in the art of using humor, hyperbole, the grotesque and fantasy for a realistic depiction of reality and evaluating it from progressive social positions. In his fairy tales, those who tried to hide from the enemy, to avoid social struggle, to live by their own needs, perish. He tried to instill in the reader a sense of social duty, to teach him to live a social life, social needs. Only under these conditions can a person be called smart and wise.
"Wise Scribbler"- This is an epic work, a fairy tale for adults. However, it is included in the number of school program works quite justifiably, because "the fairy tale is a lie", but, clearly, "there is a hint in it." In this case, this is a hint at universal human vices - public and personal, which one way or another can be understood by the younger generation of readers. And since the work is small in volume, the author reveals for the most part two interrelated vices - fear of any dangers and complete inaction for the sake of survival. The main character is a scribbler, an allegorical image. It is both a fish and a living being at the same time.
Composition fairy tales are unsophisticated: from the beginning “once upon a time” through a story about mentoring by parents and a description of the lifestyle of a scribbler - to a description of his death. The author does not seek to hide deep in the subtext of the parallels between the plot and real life. Here is how he characterizes his hero: "He was an enlightened scribbler, moderately liberal." This phrase leaves no doubt that the text also has a connection with the contemporary realities of the author.
What does it tell us plot fairy tales? The life of a scribbler flashes before the reader, simple in its structure, which is based on fear of the potential dangers of the world order. The father and mother of the hero lived a long life and died a natural death. And before departing to another world, they bequeathed to the son to be careful, since all the inhabitants of the water world, and even a person, can destroy him at any moment. The young scribbler learned the science of his parents so well that he literally imprisoned himself in an underwater hole. He came out of it only at night, when everyone was sleeping, he was malnourished and “trembled” around the clock - if only they didn’t grab him! In this jitters, he lived for 100 years, really outliving his relatives, although he was a small fish that anyone can swallow. And in this sense, his life was a success. But his other dream came true - to live in such a way that no one noticed. Everything came true exactly: no one ever found out about the existence of the wise scribbler.
Before his death, the hero begins to think about what would happen if all the fish lived the same way as he did. And he sees: the genus of squeakers would cease altogether! All opportunities passed him by - to make friends, start a family, raise children and pass on his life experience to them. He is clearly aware of this before his death and, thinking deeply, falls asleep, and then has a dream about how he won 200,000 rubles, grew in size and began to swallow his enemies himself - pikes. Having relaxed, the pikar involuntarily violates the boundaries of his hole, and his "snout" from the hole is shown out. And then - room for the reader's imagination. Because the author does not tell exactly what happened to the hero - he only states that he suddenly disappeared. There were no witnesses to this incident, so not only the task of at least living unnoticed was achieved by the scribbler, but also the "super task" - to disappear unnoticed as well.
Behind all this "Aesopian language", the reader can easily guess the characteristic manner of Saltykov-Shchedrin through hyperbolic images and grotesque situations to depict the unattractive side of modern life. This is a harsh satire on the reality of 1882-1883 - the period when the conservative trend, actively encouraged by Emperor Alexander III, became the leader in the political life of Russia. The increase in benefits, rights and all kinds of privileges of the nobility began. Under the guise of a scribbler, Shchedrin showed the liberal intelligentsia of Russia, which was only concerned with survival. With irony, the author calls his hero "wise". For him, this is a conformist person, cowardly and passive both in the social and political fields, who elevates his opportunism to the rank of philosophy. The work was first published in the Geneva émigré newspaper Common Cause under the heading “Tales for children of a fair age” and had no signature. Russia learned the writer's new fairy tale thanks to the progressive journal Otechestvennye Zapiski. But most importantly, the work outlived its time and acquired the character of a satire on the eternal vices of overcautious people.
- "The Tale of How One Man Feeded Two Generals", analysis
The fairy tale “The Wise Scribbler” says that a scribbler lived in the world, who was afraid of everything, but at the same time considered himself wise. Before his death, his father told him to behave carefully, and so he would remain alive. “Look, son,” said the old scribbler, dying, “if
If you want to live life, then look at both!” Piskar listened to him and began to think about his future life. He came up with a house for himself such that no one but him could climb into it, and began to think about how to behave the rest of the time.
With this tale, the author tried to show the life of officials who did nothing in their lives, but only sat in their "burrow" and were afraid of someone who was higher than them in rank. They were afraid to somehow harm themselves if they went beyond their "burrow". That, perhaps, there is some kind of force that can suddenly deprive them of such a rank. That life without luxury is the same for them as death, but at the same time
Just stay in one place and everything will be fine.
Just in the image of a scribbler, this is visible. He appears in the tale throughout the story. If before the death of his father, the life of the scribbler was ordinary, then after his death he hid. He trembled every time someone swam or stopped near his hole. He did not finish his meal, afraid to get out again. And from the twilight that constantly reigned in his hole, the scribbler was half-blind.
Everyone considered the scribbler a fool, but he himself considered himself wise. The title of the tale “The Wise Scribbler” hides a clear irony. “Wise” means “very smart”, but in this tale the meaning of this word means something else - proud and stupid. Proud because he considers himself the smartest, since he found a way to secure his life from an external threat. And he is stupid, because he did not understand the meaning of life. Although at the end of his life, the scribbler thinks about living like everyone else, not hiding in his hole, and as soon as he gathers the strength to swim out of the shelter, he begins to tremble again and again considers this idea stupid. “I’ll get out of the hole and swim like a gogol across the river!” But as soon as he thought about it, he was frightened again. And began, trembling, to die. Lived - trembled, and died - trembled.
In order to more sarcastically show the life of a scribbler, there is hyperbole in the fairy tale: “He does not receive a salary and does not keep servants, he does not play cards, he does not drink wine, he does not smoke tobacco, he does not chase red girls. “. Grotesque: “And the wise scribbler of this kind lived for more than a hundred years. Everyone trembled, everyone trembled.” Irony: “Most likely, he died himself, because what sweetness is it for a pike to swallow an ailing, dying scribbler, and besides, a wise one? “
Talking animals predominate in ordinary folk tales. Since in the fairy tale of M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin there is also a talking scribbler, his fairy tale is similar to a folk tale.
Essays on topics:
- Once upon a time there was an "enlightened, moderately liberal" gudgeon. Clever parents, dying, bequeathed to him to live, looking at both. The minnow realized that he was threatened from everywhere ...
- “The Wise Scribbler” is an epic work, a fairy tale for adults. However, it is included in the number of school program works quite justifiably, because ...
- The theme of serfdom and the life of the peasantry played an important role in the work of Saltykov-Shchedrin. The writer could not openly protest the existing system. Merciless...
- The ideological and artistic features of Saltykov-Shchedrin's satire were most clearly manifested in the fairy tale genre. If apart from "fairy tales" Saltykov-Shchedrin did not write anything, ...
- Democratic literature of the second half of the 19th century sought to awaken a civic conscience in Russian society, influencing the poetic “word of denial” or the edge of the political ...
- M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, a brilliant thinker and original critic, publicist, editor, entered the history of Russian literature as a satirist writer. Genre diversity...
- The fairy tales of M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, written mainly in the 80s of the XIX century (they are often called political), became a satire on the ...
Saltykov-Shchedrin, "The Wise Minnow", let's start the analysis of the tale with the personality of the writer.
Mikhail Evgrafovich was born in 1826 (in January) in the Tver province. On the side of his father, he belonged to a very old and rich family of nobles, and on the side of his mother, to the class of merchants. Saltykov-Shchedrin successfully graduated and then took the post of an official in the military department. Unfortunately, the service interested him very little.
In 1847, his first literary works, "A Tangled Case" and "Contradictions", saw the light of day. Despite this, only in 1856 did they start talking about him seriously as a writer. At this time, he began to publish his "Provincial Essays".
The writer tried to open the eyes of readers to the lawlessness happening in the country, to ignorance, stupidity, and bureaucracy.
Let us dwell in more detail on the cycle of fairy tales written by the writer in 1869. It was a kind of synthesis of the ideological and creative searches of Saltykov-Shchedrin, a kind of result.
Mikhail Evgrafovich could not fully expose all the vices of society and the failure of management due to the censorship that existed at that time. That is why the writer chose the form of a fairy tale. So he was able to sharply criticize the existing order, without fear of prohibitions.
The fairy tale "The Wise Gudgeon", the analysis of which we are doing, is quite rich from the artistic side. The author resorts to the use of the grotesque, antithesis, hyperbole. It also plays an important role. It is these techniques that helped to hide the true meaning of what is written.
The fairy tale appeared in 1883, it is famous to this day, it has even become a textbook. Its plot is known to everyone: there lived a minnow, who was quite ordinary. His only difference was cowardice, which was so strong that the gudgeon decided to spend his whole life in a hole without protruding from there. There he sat, afraid of every rustle, every shadow. And so his life passed, no family, no friends. The question arises, well, what kind of life is this. What did he do well in life? Nothing. Lived, trembled, died.
That's the whole plot, but it's just the surface.
Analysis of the fairy tale "The Wise Gudgeon" implies a deeper study of its meaning.
Saltykov-Shchedrin depicts the mores of contemporary petty-bourgeois Russia. In fact, minnow does not mean a fish, but a cowardly layman who is afraid and trembles only for his own skin. The writer set himself the task of combining the features of both fish and man.
The tale depicts philistine alienation and isolation in oneself. The author is offended and bitter for the Russian people.
Reading the works of Saltykov-Shchedrin is not very easy, which is why not everyone was able to comprehend the true intention of his fairy tales. Unfortunately, the level of thinking and development of modern people is not very appropriate.
I would like to draw attention to the fact that the thoughts expressed by the writer are relevant to this day.
Read the tale “The Wise Minnow” again, analyze it based on what you have now learned. Look deeper into the idea of the works, try to read between the lines, then you will be able to analyze not only the fairy tale "The Wise Gudgeon" yourself, but also all works of art.
