The characterization of Firs in Chekhov's play “The Cherry Orchard” is not at all as clear as it might seem. According to the three-part scheme, he undoubtedly belongs to the heroes of the “past”, both in age and in his views and worldview - he is a convinced supporter of serfdom, and this situation is actually not as paradoxical as it seems at first glance. For Firs, serfdom, with its close connection between peasant and master, embodies an ideal, harmonious system of society, sealed by mutual obligations and responsibility. Firs sees in her the embodiment of reliability and stability. Therefore, the abolition of serfdom becomes a “misfortune” for him: everything that held “his” world together, made it harmonious and integral, is destroyed, and Firs himself, having fallen out of this system, becomes an “extra” element in the new world, a living anachronism. “...everything is in pieces, you won’t understand anything” - with these words he describes the chaos and meaninglessness of what is happening around him that he feels.
Closely connected with this is also the peculiar role of Firs in “The Cherry Orchard” - at the same time the “spirit of the estate”, the keeper of traditions that have not been observed by anyone for a long time, the business manager and “nanny” for the “lordly children” who never grew up - Ranevskaya and Gaev. Thriftiness and “maturity” are emphasized by the very speech of the old servant: “Without me, who will serve here, who will give orders?” - he says with full awareness of the importance of his place in the house. “They put on the wrong trousers again,” he addresses the fifty-year-old “child” Gaev. For all its distance from real life With cultural and social circumstances having long ago changed, Fiers nevertheless comes across as one of the few characters in the play who is capable of rational thought.
Servant heroes in the image system of the play “The Cherry Orchard”, in addition to their own characteristic functions, are also “mirrors” of the owners. However, Firs in this case, rather, an “anti-mirror”: if in the image of Dunyasha one can see an indirect parallel with Ranevskaya, and Yasha is a reflection of the nobility as a whole as a class, then in the image of Firs in the play “The Cherry Orchard” the author emphasizes those features that Gaev and Ranevskaya are deprived of : thoroughness, thriftiness, emotional “adulthood”. Firs appears in the play as the personification of these qualities, which are lacking to varying degrees in almost all the characters.
Everyone in the play is in one way or another connected with the main object around which the conflict unfolds - the cherry orchard. What about Firs? cherry orchard? For him, this is the same imaginary chronotope as for everyone else, but for the old servant it personifies the “old” life, the “old order” - synonyms of stability, orderliness, a “correctly” functioning world. As an integral part of this world, Firs continues to live there in his memory; with the destruction of the previous system, the death of the old order, he himself, the “spirit of the estate,” dies along with it.
The image of a devoted servant in the play “The Cherry Orchard” differs from similar ones in other works of Russian classics. We can see similar characters, for example, in Pushkin – this is Savelich, a simple-minded, kind and devoted “uncle”, or in Nekrasov – Ipat, a “sensitive serf”. However, the hero of Chekhov’s play is more symbolic and multifaceted, and therefore cannot be characterized solely as a “servant” happy with his position. In the play, he is a symbol of time, the keeper of a passing era with all its shortcomings, but also its virtues. As the “spirit of the estate”, he occupies a very important place in the work, which should not be underestimated.
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For many years he served in the house of Ranevskaya and Gaev, and also served their father. In 1861, when they abolished serfdom, he gave up his freedom : “Then I did not agree to freedom, I stayed with the masters...” He even regrets the time when serfdom existed, calling its abolition a “misfortune”: “...And still. The men are with the gentlemen, the gentlemen are with the peasants, and now everything is in pieces, you won’t understand anything...” He saw reliability in serfdom.
He is sincerely devoted to his owners, loves them like family. How happy Firs was when Ranevskaya arrived: “ My lady has arrived! Waited for it! Now at least die" He looks after her, Gaev, who is already 51 years old, and yet Firs is so old. Firs understands the importance of his place in the house: “Without me, who will serve here, who will give orders?” How did the owners repay Firs? Yes, they simply forgot about him at the end of the play. Firs fell ill. They wanted to put him in the hospital, but they didn’t. Everyone left, but Firs was forgotten. They left him to die alone in the locked house where he had served for so many years. “...Firs (comes to the door, touches the handle). Locked. We left... (Sits on the sofa.) They forgot about me... It’s okay... I’ll sit here..."
The role of Firs in the play is great. He seems to be opposed to his masters; he is characterized by traits that they do not have: hard work, thoroughness, devotion, thrift. And through their attitude towards Firs, the character traits of Ranevskaya and Gaev are more clearly visible: their selfishness, callousness, indifference, mismanagement and others.
There are other servants in the play.
Charlotte Ivanovna-Governess to Ranevskaya. This is a lonely woman. Her parents, circus performers, died early. A German lady took her in to raise her. Having matured, she went to work as a governess. Nothing is known about heroin. And she herself doesn’t know how old she is or who her parents are. She is cheerful, makes everyone laugh by speaking in other people's voices and performing magic tricks. And one of the heroes, Simeon the Pischik, even burns about her like this: . “...Just think! The most charming Charlotte Ivanovna.” This heroine did not become coarse, like Yasha, or become arrogant, like Dunyasha. This is a woman who is very sorry, who, in essence, is decent and kind. "This best role, I don't like the rest"- wrote A.C. Chekhov.
Dunyasha- Ranevskaya’s maid, looks like her mistress. She tries to seem sophisticated, delicate, noble, imitates the hostess in everything. She considers herself a young lady, dreams of love, of a prince. “I was taken to the masters as a girl, I’m now unaccustomed to simple life, and my hands are white, white, like a young lady’s. She has become tender, so delicate, noble, I’m afraid of everything...” She is so far from reality, she has lost touch with the people’s soil, and she cannot join the owners.
Yasha- lackey. Ranevskaya took him with her to Paris. He came home a changed man, dressing differently, able to speak beautifully . “You are educated, you can talk about everything,” Dasha, who is in love with him, talks about him.
He disdains the people, calling them “immoral”; even Russia is “uneducated” for him. This footman is used to caring only about his stomach, and is spoiled by his owners with champagne and pickles. He is groupy, rude, and mentally callous. So he says to Firs: “I'm tired of you, grandfather. I wish you would die soon.” And he didn’t even go out to see his mother, who came from the village to see her. He loves no one but himself. He says to Dasha, who is in love with him: “If a girl loves someone, then she is immoral.” And he is the immoral one. Using the example of the lackey Yasha, the author showed how noble habits can be passed on to servants, disfiguring their souls.
Thus, each of the servants has its own meaning in the play, complementing and revealing the images of the main characters.
Among the characters in A.P. Chekhov's play, the old servant Firs may seem like an inconspicuous figure. Genius author's position the fact that he was able to show in this way the numerous shortcomings of society. The image and characterization of Firs in the play “The Cherry Orchard” reveal the problems of the remnants of serfdom and provide ways to resolve them.
Hero's Beliefs
Firs are the older generation of servants. They lived under serfdom and believe that such a structure of society is ideal. There are many positive things about serfdom for Firs:
- Mutual obligations of servants and masters;
- Close relationship between master and servant;
- Reliability of position;
- Stability of life for the peasant.
- Insults;
- Beatings;
- Lack of development opportunities for yourself and family members;
- Refusal of one's own opinion;
- Complete subordination to the master in choosing living conditions and family relationships.
Firs believes that the foundations and traditions of the estate rest on it. The children he cared for never became adults. The spirit of the cherry orchard dies along with the old footman.
Servant Appearance
The author gives an accurate description of the character's appearance. Firs is not just an old man, but an ancient old man. At the end of the play he calls himself a klutz. What's in this word? Resentment, indifference or humility. Perhaps all together. The strict demands of the old masters taught the servant to order: he is clean, neat, precise. Hero's appearance:- White vest and jacket;
- Shoes;
- Antique livery;
- Tall hat;
- White gloves.
Comic and tragic character
There is love in Chekhov’s words towards Firs, and some mockery is also noticeable. The image is tragic and comical at the same time.The comedy is already visible in the name - Firs. Greek origin name with an amazing translation. Firs is the rod of Dionysus (thyrsus), the god of winemaking, harvest, and productive natural forces. The flower-crowned old man is far from divine status. He occupies the lowest level - lackey. But it contains those productive forces of nature with which man is gifted: devotion, hard work, patience. The classic emphasizes by this the disharmony of the structure of society.
Firs Nikolaevich remembers the parents of the current owners of the estate. He has survived more than one generation of masters, but has not changed. Ready to serve them, take care and worry about other people’s destinies, forgetting about myself.
Firs sincerely got used to the role of a servant, he loves Ranevskaya, looks after her brother Gaev like a child. Each phrase contains the tragedy and comedy of the old man’s situation. He is 87 years old, and he puts pads under his legs:
Cries with joy: “My lady has arrived!”
He cleans Gaev’s trousers with a brush: “They put on the wrong ones again!”
Selects a coat:
“...he’s wearing light, demi-season wear...”
The owner may catch a cold.
The result of such an attitude is deplorable - they forget about it. The old man is left alone in an empty, boarded-up house. He is sick, old and very tired, but those who caused him to lose his health, those whom he cared about so much, are not around.
A quiet, modest old servant is left alone in an empty house. He will listen to how centuries-old trees fall, remember the beauty of their blossoms. Firs and the cherry orchard can be considered the same type of characters. They could still be saved and helped, but no one wants to even think about such possibilities. The garden has gone under the ax, and the servant dies alone. There is no one to bring a glass of water to the old man.
Firs - character characteristics
FIRS - central character comedy by A.P. Chekhov "The Cherry Orchard" (1903). The image of F., the old faithful servant of the Gaevs, contains an individual psychological and historical and symbolic meaning. His "literary pedigree" (Savelich in " The captain's daughter» A. S. Pushkin; in “Oblomov” by I. A. Goncharov; Marey in “The Peasant Marey” by F. M. Dostoevsky) allows us to distinguish the image of F. into a certain historical and cultural phenomenon. F.’s antique livery and white gloves are as much about the past as the room, which “is still called the nursery,” the hundred-year-old “respected closet,” the family estate with a house and a cherry orchard. F. himself - in the literal sense of the word - is a “walking” memory of ancient manor life and customs. His joy “The lady has arrived!” - this is the joy of recognizing the past: “And the gentleman once went to Paris...” He remembers how and when to serve coffee in the living room, knows when to put a pillow under the lady’s feet. He has not forgotten what clothes are required “for traveling”, and “instructively” reproaches Gaeva: “They put on the wrong trousers again.” When it gets dark, he doesn’t forget to bring the master’s coat, sternly reprimanding him: “If you please, sir, put it on, it’s damp.” For him, the aging Gaev and Ranevskaya are still “the master’s children,” who must be taken care of, who must be protected. And F., like the kind “spirit of the estate”, like the family “brownie”, does not stop doing this and, even getting sick, pulls this cart: “Without me, who will give here, who will give orders? One for the whole house.” To F.’s muttering. everyone has become accustomed to it, and no one is trying to listen to it and understand its meaning. In the broad temporal perspective of the action, it is the past itself that mutters, reminding us that it is still alive, still going on, still lasting. “The sound of a broken string” is not that “sigh.” “, or “the shudder of history” (D. Strehler) - everyone heard, but only F. muttered prophetically: “Before the misfortune it was the same...” In the muttering of the dying F. (“Life passed as if he had never lived...” ) one can also hear “something that cannot be understood...” Before leaving, everyone was worried about F., worried, mentioned, reminded, asked four times whether he had been sent to the hospital - and forgot in the tightly boarded up house, where there was no one until spring will be. Against the background of the forgotten F., joyful exclamations of “Goodbye, old life!” sound bitterly ironic. and "Hello, new life! For some reason, I remember F.’s words about joy “before the will”: “And I remember, everyone is happy, but what they are happy about, they themselves don’t know.” The past is cut off. Decrepit, sick, but still alive F. - “the spirit of history”, “the patriarch of the house”, “native Firs” - was left to die alone. The words “Firs was forgotten” became a linguistic metaphor, penetrated into everyday life, being a generalization of purely Russian “unintentional stupidity ", the results of which are sad, if not catastrophic. The first performer of the role of F. is A. R. Artem (1904). Among other performers are N. P. Khmelev (1934), Yu. V. Tolubeev (1978), I. V. Ilyinsky (1982).
Firs
FIRS is the central character of A.P. Chekhov’s comedy “The Cherry Orchard” (1903). The image of F., the old faithful servant of the Gaevs, contains individual psychological and historical and symbolic meaning. His “literary pedigree” (Savelich in “The Captain’s Daughter” by A.S. Pushkin; Zakhar in “Oblomov” by I.A. Goncharov; Marey in “The Peasant Marey” by F.M. Dostoevsky) allows us to distinguish the image of F. in a certain historical cultural phenomenon. F.’s antique livery and white gloves are as much a memory of the past as the room, which “is still called the nursery,” the century-old “respected closet,” the family estate with a house and a cherry orchard. F. himself - in the literal sense of the word - is a “walking” memory of ancient manor life and customs. His joy: “The lady has arrived!” - this is the joy of recognizing the past: “And the master once went to Paris...” He remembers how and when to serve coffee in the living room, knows when to put a pillow under the lady’s feet. He has not forgotten what kind of clothing is required “on the road”, and “instructively” blames Gaeva: “They put on the wrong trousers again.” When it gets dark, he doesn’t forget to bring the master’s coat, sternly reprimanding him: “If you please, sir, put it on, it’s damp.” For him, the aging Gaev and Ranevskaya are still “the lord’s children” who must be taken care of and protected. And F., like the kind “spirit of the estate”, like the family “brownie”, does not stop doing this and, even getting sick, pulls this cart: “Without me, who will give here, who will give orders? One for the whole house." Everyone has become accustomed to F.'s muttering, and no one is trying to listen to him and understand his meaning. In the broad temporal perspective of the action, it is the past itself that murmurs, reminding us that it is still alive, still going on, still lasting. “The sound of a broken string” - this is either a “sigh” or a “shudder of history” (D. Strehler) - was heard by everyone, but only F. muttered prophetically: “Before the misfortune it was the same...” In the muttering of the dying F. (“ Life has passed, as if he had never lived…”) one can also hear “something that cannot be understood...”. Before leaving, everyone was worried about F., worried, mentioned, reminded, asked four times whether he had been sent to the hospital - and forgot in the tightly boarded up house, where there would be no one until spring. Against the background of the forgotten F., joyful exclamations of “Goodbye, old life!” sound bitterly ironic. and “Hello, new life!” For some reason, I remember F.’s words about joy “before the will”: “And I remember, everyone is happy, but what they are happy about, they themselves don’t know.” The past is cut off. Decrepit, sick, but still alive F. - “the spirit of history”, “patriarch of the house”, “native Firs” - is left to die alone. The words “They forgot Firs” became a linguistic metaphor, penetrated into everyday life, being a generalization of purely Russian “unintentional stupidity”, the results of which are sad, if not catastrophic. The first performer of the role of F. was A.R. Artem (1904). Other performers include N.P. Khmelev (1934), Yu.V. Tolubeev (1978), I.V. Ilyinsky (1982).
All characteristics in alphabetical order:
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