The literary direction of the play The Cherry Orchard. "The Cherry Orchard" A.P.

The theme of the play "The Cherry Orchard" is the playwright's reflection on the fate of Russia, about its past, present and future, and the cherry orchard, "there is nothing more beautiful in the world" (III), personifies Chekhov's homeland ("All Russia is our garden" (II ), - says Petya Trofimov). The former masters of the country - the local nobles, spiritually helpless and practically bankrupt in the economic and social conditions of the early 20th century - are fading into the past. They are replaced by energetic business man- a merchant and entrepreneur, for the sake of profit he disfigures the earth and destroys its beauty. Chekhov, however, believes that in time other people will appear in Russia who will not cut, but plant gardens. Anya speaks about this, comforting Lyubov Andreevna: “We will plant new garden more luxurious than this...” (III).

The idea of ​​the play is to deny the past of the nobility and the bourgeois present of Russian life. At the same time, the playwright looks to the future of Russia with hope: it seems to the author to be happy and bright, although it will not come very soon (not only heroes dream of this beautiful far away in a hundred or two hundred years " cherry orchard”, but also the previous play by A.P. Chekhov - “Three Sisters”). Thus, the theme and idea of ​​the play have a socio-philosophical sound, because the playwright offers his own interpretation general issues national development Russia.

"The Cherry Orchard", like other Chekhov's plays, is distinguished by its bright artistic originality, which is due to the author's desire to bring the theater as close to life as possible. Therefore, the playwright consciously abandons many traditional theatrical techniques: separating heroes into positive and negative, from long monologues and replicas "aside", from genre unambiguity. According to the genre, "The Cherry Orchard" is a comedy, but unusual - a lyrical comedy.

It is known that the author and stage director, A.P. Chekhov and K.S. Stanislavsky, disagreed on the definition of the genre of The Cherry Orchard. The director of the Moscow Art Theater read the play as a drama, thereby emphasizing, firstly, the drama of the experiences of the owners of the estate and, secondly, the sad impression of the death of the beauty of the world - the cherry orchard, which is sacrificed to profit. The tearful experiences of Gaev and Ranevskaya - the owners of the estate - were taken at face value, which was contrary to the author's intention. Chekhov called his play a comedy and insisted on this definition in his letters to Stanislavsky. Why? Because one cannot believe in the depth of the experiences of Ranevskaya and Gaev: these people are not capable of deep, strong feelings.

In the play, Chekhov uses the usual comic trick- apparent difference between appearance and the inner appearance of the characters. In the first act, Ranevskaya declares that she loves her homeland, loves the cherry orchard, where she spent her childhood and youth, that she loves her own daughter Anya and adopted daughter Varya, that she is happy to return home from Paris. All this heroine say with enthusiasm, with tears in her eyes. But the subsequent events and actions of Lyubov Andreevna convincingly prove that these assurances are for the most part only words and sincere tears must be distinguished from the tearfulness of a sensitive landowner. Ranevskaya does nothing to save her family estate, she only endlessly borrows money from Lopakhin for her own pocket expenses, and on the day of the auction (!) she arranges a ball in her house. Having learned between dances about the sale of the estate, she weeps bitterly, not listening to either Lopakhin's excuses or Anya's consolations. In the last act, leaving for Paris, that is, again leaving his dear homeland and her beloved daughters, she suddenly admits that now her life has become calmer and even sleeps better: after the sale of the garden, her nerves have become stronger, since the event that she was so afraid of has already happened and nothing can be returned back.

Just as selfish as a garden, Lyubov Andreevna treats her loved ones. She takes all the money sent by the Yaroslavl grandmother for Anya and leaves for Paris to live there with her unfaithful lover. She completely forgets that her dear Varya dreams of entering a monastery, but for this she needs a contribution of at least a thousand rubles.

Is it possible to seriously believe in Gaev's experiences? After the auction, he comes home and says with tears in his voice: “I didn’t eat anything today ... How much I suffered! I'm terribly tired" (III). But at that moment he catches the sound of billiard balls from the next room, and then the author's remark follows: "Gaev's expression changes, he no longer cries" (ibid.).

At first glance, the dramatic heroine is Charlotte Ivanovna. In the park, she sadly talks about her life: she has neither parents nor home, where she is loved and expected, she does not know her age, place of birth: “Where I come from and who I am - I don’t know” (II). This is really a dramatic monologue of a poor, lonely governess. But the author does not accentuate the sad impression of the heroine’s words and even warns him with an unexpected remark: “He takes a cucumber out of his pocket and eats it” (II). In the play, Epikhodov complains about his life all the time, but is it really possible to take seriously his groans, which are needed mainly for "interesting" in front of Dunyasha. After all, all the misfortunes of a suffering clerk do not go beyond a cockroach in a mug of kvass and a broken cue.

Thus, in The Cherry Orchard there are no truly unhappy characters who perceive life in a truly dramatic way. At the same time, there are funny, even farcical situations in the play (“Epikhodov’s misfortunes, Petya’s fall from the stairs), misunderstandings (Varya mistakenly beats Lopakhin instead of Epikhodov with a stick), comic characters (Simeonov-Pishchik with her eternal money problems, Charlotte with her ventriloquism and tricks, etc.). Therefore, Chekhov could rightly call his play a comedy.

For creating comic effect the playwright masterfully uses traditional comic devices. For example, in The Cherry Orchard, Chekhov resorts to a "parodic reflection" or "distorting mirror". Central heroes, who outwardly look almost tragic characters, the author surrounds with "lateral", frankly farcical figures. These latter emphasize the comic essence of the central (pseudo-dramatic) characters. So, Epikhodov with his “twenty-two misfortunes” presents a caricature of the intellectual Petya Trofimov, Dunyasha - a caricature of Ranevskaya, Yasha - of Gaev, Simeonov-Pishchik - of Lopakhin (V.V. Ermilov "A.P. Chekhov" M., 1951, p. 474).

Another Chekhov trick of the comic is when the outwardly dramatic monologue of the hero is followed by comic scene, which, by contrast, should smooth out the sad impression of the previous phrase. For example, Ranevskaya's enthusiastic exclamations upon arrival at the estate are perceived with irony because of Gaev's subsequent monologue about the "dear, respected closet" (I); during an inspirational speech by Petya Trofimov about " proud man» (II) Epikhodov (!) passes in the back of the stage; Ranevskaya's too frank reproaches addressed to Petya at the ball end with his comical fall down the stairs (III).

The Cherry Orchard is a lyrical comedy. Sad mood associated in the play with the death of the garden. In addition, Chekhov sympathetically draws heroes who, following Firs, can rightly be called "stupid" (III). They all live “in fragmentation” (II), unsettled, unhappy. Even Petya, this " eternal student", which talks so beautifully about a "proud man" and a bright future; even Lopakhin, such a successful businessman and such a lonely man. Chekhov shows the alienation of people, their unwillingness to understand each other. To do this, the author uses the comic technique "dialogue of the deaf", when the interlocutors do not hear each other. In the first act, Dunyasha tells Lopakhin that Epikhodov proposed to her, and at the same time Lopakhin listens to see if Ranevskaya has arrived from the station, and does not react in any way to such an important message from the maid. In the second act, none of the listeners respond to Charlotte's monologue about her unfortunate fate, but everyone is animatedly discussing the charms of life abroad.

The lyrical mood in the play is born because Chekhov sympathizes with his heroes, although he does not forgive them for the death of the garden. Everyone is to blame for this sad event: the old owners are proud of their estate and nothing more; new owner, wanting to save the garden, puts it under the axe; the young heroes welcome the death of the living garden, intending to plant new gardens in the future.

So, A.P. Chekhov, according to M. Gorky, “created a completely original type of play - a lyrical comedy” (“On Plays”). This is how the genre originality of The Cherry Orchard should be defined. Unlike Stanislavsky, the playwright did not see drama in the death of another " noble nest". On the contrary, in the words of Petya, calling his listeners to a new life, the author's cheerfulness and philosophical optimism are expressed (II).

The "Cherry Orchard" shows the people of the outgoing Russia - "the fragments of the old nobility", Gaev and Ranevskaya. Chekhov builds the comedy of their characters on the discrepancy between their external respectability, significance and internal spinelessness. In their non-childish age, they managed to maintain a completely childish frivolity and ignorance real life. In the image of Lopakhin, a comic contrast is noticeable - external confidence and purposefulness in business matters and the inner timidity, indecision of a poorly educated and poorly educated person when he communicates with his former highly cultured masters. The shabby "better future" - Petya Trofimov - looks comical: he calls for work and moral self-improvement of incorrigible idlers (Gaeva and Ranevskaya) and conscientious workers (Lopakhin and Varya). All the heroes of the play (except, perhaps, seventeen-year-old Anya and the ancient old man Firs) demonstrate their helplessness in front of life problems. The author's (lyrical) attitude to the heroes of the comedy was successfully formulated by M. Gorky: "Despising, Chekhov regretted, spoke in a tone of mild, but deep reproach" ("About the Plays").

To analyze the play, you need a list actors, and with author's notes-comments. We will give it here in full, which will help to enter the world of the "Cherry Orchard"; the action takes place in the estate of Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya. So, the characters of the play:

Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna, landowner. Anya, her daughter, 17 years old. Varya, her stepdaughter, 24 years old. Gaev Leonid Andreevich, brother of Ranevskaya. Lopakhin Ermolai Alekseevich, merchant. Trofimov Petr Sergeevich, student. Simeonov-Pishchik Boris Borisovich, landowner. Charlotte Ivanovna, governess. Epikhodov Semyon Panteleevich, clerk. Dunyasha, maid. Firs, footman, old man 87 years old. Yasha, a young footman. Passerby. Station manager. Postal official. Guests, servants.

Genre problem. genre nature The Cherry Orchard has always been controversial. Chekhov himself called it a comedy - "a comedy in four acts" (although a comedy of a special type). K.S. Stanislavsky considered it a tragedy. M. Gorky called " lyrical comedy". Quite often the play is defined as "tragicomedy", "ironic tragicomedy". The question of the genre is very important for understanding the work: it determines the code for reading the play and the characters. What does it mean to see a tragicomic beginning in a play? It means “to a certain extent agree with their [heroes. - V.K.] originality, to consider them sincerely and truly suffering, to see in each of the characters a sufficiently strong character. But what can be strong characters among the “weak-willed”, “whining”, “whining”, “disillusioned” heroes?

Chekhov wrote: "I did not come out with a drama, but a comedy, in places even a farce." The author denied the characters of The Cherry Orchard the right to drama: they seemed to him incapable of deep feelings. K.S. Stanislavsky, in his time (in 1904), staged a tragedy, with which Chekhov did not agree. In the play there are tricks of a booth, tricks (Charlotta Ivanovna), blows with a stick on the head, after pathetic monologues, farcical scenes follow, then a lyrical note appears again ... closet"), funny, inappropriate replicas and out of place answers, comic situations arising from a misunderstanding between the characters. Chekhov's play is both funny and sad and even tragic at the same time. There are many crying people in it, but these are not dramatic sobs, and not even tears, but only the mood of faces. Chekhov emphasizes that the sadness of his heroes is often superficial, that their tears hide the usual for the weak and nervous people tearfulness. Combination of comic and serious distinguishing feature Chekhov's poetics, starting from the first years of his work.

External plot and external conflict. The external plot of The Cherry Orchard is the change of owners of the house and garden, the sale of the family estate for debts. At first glance, the play clearly indicates the opposing forces that reflect the alignment of social forces in Russia at that time: old, noble Russia (Ranevskaya and Gaev), entrepreneurs gaining strength (Lopakhin), young, future Russia (Petya and Anya). It would seem that the collision of these forces should give rise to main conflict plays. Characters focused on major event in their life - at the sale of the cherry orchard, scheduled for August 22. However, the viewer does not become a witness of the sale of the garden itself: the seemingly climactic event remains outside the scene. social conflict in the play is not relevant, not social status actors is the main thing. Lopakhin - this "predator" entrepreneur - is depicted not without sympathy (like most of the characters in the play), and the owners of the estate do not resist him. Moreover, the estate, as it were, turns out to be in his hands, against his will. It would seem that in the third act the fate of the cherry orchard is decided, Lopakhin bought it. Moreover, the denouement of the external plot is even optimistic: “Gaev (cheerfully). In fact, everything is fine now. Before the sale of the cherry orchard, we all worried, suffered, and then, when the issue was finally resolved, irrevocably, everyone calmed down, even cheered up ... I'm a bank employee, now I'm a financier ... yellow in the middle, and you, Lyuba, like - no way, you look better, that's for sure." But the play does not end, the author writes the fourth act, in which nothing new seems to be happening. But the motif of the garden resounds here. At the beginning of the play, the garden, which is in danger, attracts the whole family, gathered after a five-year separation. But no one can save him, he is no more, and in the fourth act everyone again disperses. The death of the garden led to the breakup of the family, scattered all the former inhabitants of the estate around the cities and villages. Silence sets in - the play ends, the motif of the garden falls silent. Such external plot plays.

Definition of the genre of the play by A.P. Chekhov

Already at the first mention of the beginning of work on a new play in 1901, A.P. Chekhov told his wife that he had conceived a new play, and one in which everything would be turned upside down. This is what predetermined the genre of The Cherry Orchard as a comedy. K.S. Stanislavsky, who staged " The Cherry Orchard”on the stage, perceived the play as a tragedy, and it was this interpretation that he conveyed on stage, which caused deep dissatisfaction with the playwright and the author’s accusation that the director did not understand the meaning of the work. Although Chekhov tried to convey the comedic genre of the play The Cherry Orchard with a variety of techniques: the presence of a small circus performance in the tricks of Charlotte Ivanovna, Epikhodov's clumsiness, Petya's fall from the stairs, Gaev's conversations with the furniture.

Also, the author's definition of the genre of "The Cherry Orchard" can be seen in the differences: in the characters of the heroes of the play appearance disagrees with the content. For Chekhov, the suffering of his heroes is just a reflection of the weak, unbalanced characters of people who are not inclined to a deep understanding of what is happening and incapable of deep feelings. For example, Ranevskaya, speaking of love for her Motherland, of longing for her estate, is going to return to Paris without regret. And the arrangement of the ball on the day of the auction? It seems such a busy day, and she invites guests to the house. Her brother shows much the same flippancy, just trying to appear saddened by the situation. After the auction, almost sobbing, he complains about his depression and fatigue, but only when he hears the sounds of playing billiards, he immediately revives. Nevertheless, even using such bright features of the genre, the comedy The Cherry Orchard did not see the author's interpretation. Only after Chekhov's death was the play staged as a tragicomedy.

Disputes about the genre affiliation of The Cherry Orchard

From the first production to the present day, there has been talk of genre originality"The Cherry Orchard", and the theater-goers have not yet decided on the designation of the genre of the play. Of course, the problem of the genre is also encountered in other plays by Anton Pavlovich, for example, in The Seagull, but only because of The Cherry Orchard a heated discussion broke out between the author and the leaders of the theater. For everyone: the director, the critic, and even the viewer, The Cherry Orchard was their own, and everyone saw something of their own in it. Even Stanislavsky, after Chekhov's death, admitted that he initially did not understand the idea of ​​​​this play, arguing that The Cherry Orchard is "a heavy drama of Russian life." And only in 1908 Chekhov's last creation was staged as a lyrical comedy.

GENRE
THE ORIGINALITY OF A.P. CHEKHOV “CHERRY