The play "The Cherry Orchard" was written by Chekhov in 1903. This is a time when great social changes are brewing in Russia, a premonition of a "healthy and strong storm" is felt. Dissatisfaction with life, vague and indefinite, embraces all classes. Writers express it in different ways in their work. Gorky creates images of rebels, strong and lonely, heroic and bright characters, in which he embodies the dream of a proud Man of the future. Symbolists, through unsteady, vague images, convey the feeling of the end of the present world, the disturbing mood of the impending catastrophe, which is terrible and desirable. Chekhov conveys these same moods in his dramatic works in his own way.
Chekhov's drama is a completely new phenomenon in Russian art. It lacks sharp social conflicts. In the play "The Cherry Orchard" all the characters are seized with anxiety and a thirst for change. Although the action of this sad comedy revolves around the question of who gets The Cherry Orchard, the heroes do not enter into a fierce struggle. Here there is no usual conflict between predator and prey or two predators (as, for example, in the plays of A. N. Ostrovsky), although in the end the garden goes to the merchant Yermolai Lopakhin, and he is completely devoid of predatory grip. Chekhov creates a situation in which open enmity between heroes with different views on life, belonging to different classes, is simply impossible. All of them are interconnected by love, family relationships, for them the estate where events unfold is almost their own home.
So, there are three main groups of characters in the play. Older generation- these are Ranevskaya and Gaev, half-ruined nobles, personifying the past. Today, the middle generation, is represented by the merchant Lopakhin. And, finally, the youngest heroes, whose fate is in the future, are Anya, the daughter of Ranevskaya, and Petya Trofimov, a raznochinets, a teacher of Ranevskaya's son.
All of them have a completely different attitude to the problem associated with the fate of the cherry orchard. For Ranevskaya and Gaev, the garden is their whole life. Here they spent their childhood, youth, happy and tragic memories bind them to this place. In addition, this is their state, that is, all that is left of it.
Yermolai Lopakhin looks at the cherry orchard with completely different eyes. For him, this is primarily a source of income, but not only. He dreams of acquiring a garden, as it is the embodiment of a way of life that is inaccessible to the son and grandson of serfs, the embodiment of an unattainable dream of something else. beautiful world. However, it is Lopakhin who persistently offers Ranevskaya to save the estate from ruin. This is where the true conflict is revealed: differences arise not so much on economic as on ideological grounds. Thus, we see that without taking advantage of Lopakhin's offer, Ranevskaya loses her fortune not only because of her inability to do something, because of lack of will, but because the garden for her is a symbol of beauty. “My dear, forgive me, you don’t understand anything ... If there is anything interesting, even wonderful, in the whole province, then this is only our cherry orchard.” He represents for her both material and, more importantly, spiritual value.
The scene of the purchase of the garden by Lopakhin is the culminating scene in the play. Here is the highest point of the hero's triumph; his wildest dreams came true. We hear the voice of a real merchant, reminiscent in part of Ostrovsky's heroes ("Music, play clearly! Let everything be as I wish! .. I can pay for everything"), but also the voice of a deeply suffering person who is not satisfied with life ("My poor, good, you won’t return now. (With tears.) Oh, if only everything would pass, if only our awkward, unhappy life would somehow change.
The leitmotif of the play is the expectation of change. But do the heroes do something for this? Lopakhin only knows how to make money. But this does not satisfy his "thin, tender soul"feeling beauty, longing for real life. He does not know how to find himself, his true path.
Well, what about the younger generation? Perhaps he has an answer to the question of how to live on? Petya Trofimov convinces Anya that the cherry orchard is a symbol of the past, which is scary and which needs to be rejected as soon as possible: “Really, from every cherry in the garden, from every leaf ... human beings do not look at you ... reborn all of you... you live in debt, at someone else's expense..." Petya looks at life exclusively from a social point of view, through the eyes of a commoner, a democrat. There is a lot of justice in his speeches, but they do not have a specific idea of \u200b\u200bresolution eternal questions. For Chekhov, he is just as "stupid" as most of the characters, a "shabby gentleman" who understands little in real life.
The image of Anya appears in the play as the brightest and most uncomplicated. She is full of hope vitality, but in it Chekhov emphasizes inexperience, childishness.
"The whole of Russia is our garden," says Petya Trofimov. Yes, in Chekhov's play, the central theme is the fate of not only the cherry orchard, which belongs to Ranevskaya. This dramatic work- a poetic reflection on the fate of the Motherland. The author does not yet see a hero in Russian life who could become a savior, a real owner of the "cherry orchard", the keeper of its beauty and wealth. All the characters in this play (excluding Yasha) evoke sympathy, sympathy, but also a sad smile from the author. All of them are sad not only about their personal fate, but they feel a general ill-being, rushing, as it were, in the very air. Chekhov's play does not solve questions, just as it does not give us an idea of future fate heroes.
A tragic chord completes the drama - the old servant Firs, who has been forgotten, remains in the boarded-up house. This is a reproach to all the heroes, a symbol of indifference, disunity of people. However, the play also contains optimistic notes of hope, although uncertain, but always living in a person, because life is directed to the future, because the old generation is always replaced by youth.
The young generation of "The Cherry Orchard" A.P. Chekhov
Grade 10
TO young generation include Petya Trofimov and Anya. Let us dwell on Petya, since the main semantic load the words "young" (here - "beginning to live", "promising"). Petya Trofimov is 26 years old, six years ago he was the teacher of the son of the mistress of the Ranevskaya estate. The boy drowned, his mother, in order to forget grief, leaves for Paris. Petya settles somewhere nearby. Ranevskaya arrives, having spent all her money abroad, and Petya comes to the house only to bow and leave immediately. It is difficult for him to understand that his behavior is tactless. Others (Anya, Varya) understand this. By his appearance, he reminds a woman of the loss. Brings her to tears. He actually takes care of Anya on the estate. That's why here. Ranevskaya considers him a good man. Lopakhin sincerely loves him. Varya is strict with him. Anya admires him and is almost in love. Everyone around considers Petya smart, honest, proud man. But the characterization of Petya by other heroes is very concise. Limited by words brother, funny man. We cannot compose full portrait hero. Peter, according to him, free man. Fits well with the image of a revolutionary. But where does the strength come from this sickly, in glasses, in a student uniform, one woman in the carriage called him a shabby gentleman, in his eyes they call him "stupid", " eternal student". He enjoys authority. What authority can he enjoy with his appearance like that? Let us recall the words of Dunyasha: “On the third day, Pyotr Sergeyevich arrived. They sleep in the bathhouse, they live there. Appearance is not the main thing here. Petya speaks monologues about Russian intelligentsia, about the workers, about the feudal lords, about the rich. At the same time, he warns that he is afraid of serious conversations. Let's take a look at Petya's words. Petya sees only dirt around him. In front of you are white-handed women who live at the expense of others. Sometimes he moves from denunciation to self-flagellation. He may be right, because he does nothing for 5 months. But others insist that it is necessary to work. And this is with the hardworking Varya and the energetic, businesslike Lopakhin. Petya believes that "humanity is moving towards the highest truth, towards the highest happiness, which is only possible on earth." The monologue "humanity is coming" is delivered by order of the bored Ranevskaya and after Lopakhin's ironic remark to the words about Petya's mind. The apt characterization given by Petya Lopakhin (about the "predatory beast") begins and ends with laughter. Petya's life was difficult, he was expelled from the university 2 times. Trofimov does not study because he cannot study and support himself at the same time. When Petya is asked why he did not complete the course? Petya is silent in response. Trofimov has lagged behind the “new”, he lives in the provinces, does nothing, does not read anything. He sees only dirt around him. He speaks beautifully and energetically calls to go forward, but he does not shine with wealth, beauty, or tact. Any other character is more human than him. His honesty is incompetent. He hasn't suffered anything in his life. In the play, Petya not only criticizes the existing order, his main role is a call for a change in life. Petya calls to follow him, because he sees himself in the "front rows". He himself has no idea where and why to go. Its purpose is unclear. He only anticipates. He does not know life and is afraid of it, what can be the goal? He hides from fear of life behind beautiful words and even closes his eyes in "fear." At the end of the play, Petya, together with Anya, is going to Moscow to plant new garden. Begin new life. And with what kind of luggage will he go, even if he cannot leave the house, he is looking for galoshes. He was sucked into the life of people like Ranevskaya and Gaev, he is not able to go beyond words. According to Chekhov, the task of the Trofimovs in life and image in the play is to give an impetus to Anya's movement. Like Anya. Anya is the bearer of new futures revolutionary ideas. Young, with character, without the burden of the past on her feet, she evokes sympathy. It's people like her who move forward. Anya talks about life.
On the topic: methodological developments, presentations and notes
The symbolism of names in the play by A.P. Chekhov "The Cherry Orchard"
In the 18th century, the theatrical spectator, even before the start of the performance, knew what characters he would see on stage. The playwright was instructed to give the characters "speaking" surnames. Reading in the list actors...
Presentation "Symbolism of names in A.P. Chekhov's play "The Cherry Orchard"
In the 18th century, the theatrical spectator, even before the start of the performance, knew what characters he would see on stage. The playwright was instructed to give the characters "speaking" surnames. After reading in the list of characters "With ...
/ / / Three generations in Chekhov's play "The Cherry Orchard"
Three generations are clearly distinguished in Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard. The first rightfully belongs to the footman. He is very fond of the estate, where he has worked all his conscious life. The soul of the old man still lives in "serfdom", since he himself does not want to adopt new "strange" laws. He was satisfied with certainty and order in everything. Now, although he feels like a kind of “authorized person” in the estate, he is still worried about the future. He is tormented by the fact that there is only uncertainty ahead, from which, due to his age, he can suffer.
The second generation includes and. They inherited the worldview, character and landlord traditions from their parents. However, neither sister nor brother calculated their strength, and the estate is in decline. Their "debt hole" is growing in the same way as "lordly" requests. Life practically does not teach heroes anything. Ranevskaya had already sold a dacha near Menton, and with this money she literally supported her lover. The woman herself was not averse to living in a "big way". Love, just littered with finances. Even when she was forced to return to her homeland with little or no money, profligacy did not leave her character.
Gaev is very dissatisfied with this behavior. The man literally reproaches his sister, but he himself leads a very “uneconomical” lifestyle. His habits have long included dinners in expensive restaurants, playing billiards in a club and other festivities. Living in the Gaev estate, he constantly watches how last strength Varya is knocked out in order to at least somehow cut costs.
And they are the third final generation. Lopakhin can also be attributed to them. He, like the girls, is “rooted” to the estate. Yermolai was the son of a simple serf "muzhik". However, only he managed to rise literally from the bottom. His plans include a wedding with Varya, but the young people still cannot explain themselves. They are both busy, both purposeful and their actions are very thoughtful. Will they create another generation together? Most likely no.
Despite mutual sympathy, Chekhov does not create a new "cell" of society. Lopakhin's indecisiveness, the author literally cuts the knot of feelings that have arisen and breeds youth along different sides. The garden is cut down, and at the same time the history of this estate ends. Perhaps Lopakhin will someday marry, and a new generation will be born, without the old aggravating memories of what he experienced. And while he's leaving noble nest” along with the servants, Gaev with his sister, Varya and Anna.
Anya leaves the estate with joy. She envisions her future in iridescent color. Ahead of the girl is studying, new discoveries and communication with Peter. It was he who showed the representative of the third generation all the "cons" of the past idea of life. Thanks to him, the girl is not afraid of the unknown future. She boldly steps forward, trying not to look back at the felled cherry trees in the garden ...
Three generations, three different outlooks on life and one garden where everyone could once find their little happiness...
Three generations in A.P. Chekhov's play "The Cherry Orchard" 1. "The Cherry Orchard" - Chekhov's "swan song". 2. Ranevskaya and Gaev are representatives of the outgoing life. 3. Lopakhin is the personification of the present. 4. Petya Trofimov and Anya as representatives of a new generation, the future of Russia.
A.P. Chekhov turned to the genre of dramaturgy already in early work. But his real success as a playwright began with the play The Seagull. The play "The Cherry Orchard" is called Chekhov's swan song. She was completed creative way writer. In The Cherry Orchard, the author expressed his beliefs, thoughts, and hopes. Chekhov believes that the future of Russia belongs to people like Trofimov and Anya. In one of his letters, Chekhov wrote: “Students and female students are good and honest people. This is our hope, this is the future of Russia.” It is they, according to Chekhov, who are the true owners of the cherry orchard, which the author identified with his homeland. “The whole of Russia is our garden,” says Petya Trofimov.
The owners of the cherry orchard are the hereditary nobles Ranevskaya and Gaev. The estate and the garden have been the property of their family for many years, but they can no longer be in charge here. They are the personification of Russia's past, there is no future behind them. Why?
Gaev and Ranevskaya are helpless, idle people, incapable of any active actions. They admire the beauty of the blooming garden, it evokes nostalgic memories in these people, but that's all. Their estate is ruined, and these people cannot and do not try to do anything in order to somehow improve the situation. The price of such "love" is small. Although Ranevskaya says: “God knows, I love my homeland, I love dearly.” But the question arises, what kind of love is this if she left Russia five years ago and returned now only because she failed in her personal life. And in the finale of the play, Ranevskaya again leaves her homeland.
Of course, the heroine gives the impression of a person with open mind, she is cordial, emotional, impressionable. But these qualities are combined with such traits of her character as carelessness, spoiledness, frivolity, bordering on callousness and indifference to others. We see that in fact Ranevskaya is indifferent towards people, even sometimes cruel. How else to explain the fact that she gives the last gold to a passerby, and the servants in the house are left to live from hand to mouth. She thanks Firs, asks about his health, and... leaves an old, sick man in a boarded up house, simply forgetting about him. It's monstrous to say the least!
Like Ranevskaya, Gaev has a sense of beauty. I would like to note that he, more than Ranevskaya, gives the impression of a gentleman. Although this character can be called exactly the same inactive, careless and frivolous as his sister. as if Small child, Gaev cannot give up his habit of sucking lollipops and counts on Firs even in small things. His mood changes very quickly, he is a fickle, windy person. Gaev is upset to tears because the estates are being sold, but as soon as he heard the sound of balls in the billiard room, he immediately cheered up, like a child.
Of course, Gaev and Ranevskaya are the embodiment of the past passing life. Their habit of living “in debt, at the expense of others” speaks of the idleness of the existence of these heroes. They are definitely not the masters of life, because even their material well-being depends on some accidents: either it will be an inheritance, or the Yaroslavl grandmother will send them money in order to pay off their debts, or Lopakhin will lend money. People like Gaev and Ranevskaya are being replaced by a completely different type of people: strong, enterprising, dexterous. One of these people is another character in the play, Lopakhin.
Lopakhin embodies the present of Russia. Lopakhin's parents were serfs, but after the abolition of serfdom, the fate of this man changed. He made his way into the people, got rich, and is now able to buy the estate of those who were once his masters. Lopakhin feels his superiority over Ranevskaya and Gaev, and they treat him with respect, because they are aware of their dependence on this person. It is clear that Lopakhin and people like him will very soon oust the well-born nobles.
However, Lopakhin gives the impression of a person who is the "master of life" only in a given, short period of time. He is not the owner of the cherry orchard, but only its temporary owner. He is going to cut down the cherry orchard and sell the land. It seems that, having increased his capital from this enterprise that is beneficial to him, he still will not occupy a dominant place in the life of the state in the future. In the image of this character, Chekhov masterfully managed to portray a bizarre and contradictory combination of features of the past and the present. Lopakhin, although he is proud of his current position, does not forget for a second about his low origin, his resentment for life is too strong in him, which, as it seems to him, was unfair to him. Very soon the reader and viewer realizes that Lopakhin is just an intermediate step between the past and future generations.
In the play Chekh'ba we also see characters opposed to the destructive activity of Lopakhin and the inaction of Ranevskaya and Gaev. This is Anya and Petya Trofimov. It is for such people, according to the author, the future of Russia. Trofimov is an ardent seeker of truth, who sincerely believes in the triumph of a just life in the near future. Student Petya Trofimov is poor, suffers hardships, but as an honest person he refuses to live at the expense of others. He talks a lot about the need for a reorganization of society, but he has not yet taken real actions. But he is a great propagandist. This is one of those who are followed by young people, who are trusted. Anya is carried away by Trofimov's call to change life, and at the end of the play we hear her words calling for "planting a new garden." The author does not give us the opportunity to see the fruits of the activities of the representatives of the new generation. He only leaves us hope that the words of Petya Trofimov and Anya will not diverge from deeds.
Chekhov depicted three generations of people in his play The Cherry Orchard, and each character personifies the life of Russia: Ranevkaya and Gaev - the past, Lopakhin - the present, Trofimov and Anya - the future. Time has shown that Chekhov was absolutely right - in the near future, the Russian people were expecting a revolution, and it was people like Trofimov who made history.
