Municipal budgetary educational institution
"Gymnasium No. 5" Bryansk
Comprehensive analysis story by A.P. Platonov “In the beautiful and furious world" (Lesson materials)
prepared
teacher of Russian language and literature
Legotskaya Vera Sergeevna
Bryansk-2018
1. The story was originally titled “Machinist Maltsev.” Why do you think the author changed the title?
2.
The story contains a lot of professional vocabulary related to the work of a steam locomotive. These words do not interfere with understanding the story; on the contrary, they make it more expressive.
3. “Alexander Vasilyevich accepted my appointmentinto his brigade calmly and indifferently; he apparently didn’t care who his assistants would be.” Why do you think Maltsev was indifferent to who would be his assistant? Why did he double-check the assistant's work?
- “He felt superior to us because he understood the machine more accurately than we did, and he did not believe that I or anyone else could learn the secret of his talent...”
4. How did Maltsev himself explain that he was driving the courier train behind the freight train?
“I was used to seeing light, and I thought I saw it, but I saw it then only in my mind, in my imagination. Actually I was blind, but I didn't know it. I didn’t even believe in firecrackers, although I heard them: I thought I had misheard. And when you blew the stop horn and shouted to me, I saw a green signal ahead, I didn’t guess right away.”
5. Do you think it can be considered that Maltsev’s pride (as we know, a mortal sin) became the reason for his trials? What does Platonov want to tell the reader by blinding his hero?
6. Why did the narrator, not being Maltsev’s friend, decide to help him after his release from prison?
“I was not Maltsev’s friend, and he always treated me without attention and care. But I wanted to protect him from the grief of fate, I was fierce against the fatal forces that accidentally and indifferently destroy a person; I felt the secret, elusive calculation of these forces - that they were destroying Maltsev, and, say, not me.”
7. The story was originally titled “Machinist Maltsev.” Why do you think the author changed the title?
8. The story features real experience Platonov, who in 1915-1917. worked as an assistant driver in the vicinity of Voronezh, and his father, as you know, was a mechanic and assistant driver. Prove with text that the author knew well what he was writing about?
9. Many researchers of Platonov’s work argue that the theme of the story is the loneliness of the master. Do you agree with this point of view? Give reasons for your answer.
10. Formulate the idea of the work? To do this, first think about the question of why the author blinds his hero?
Platonov convinces the reader that talent often leads to pride, which blinds a person and makes him insensitive to what is happening around him. To see the world, people, beauty, you must open your heart (remember: “only the heart is vigilant.”
11. What issues are raised in the story? How relevant are these problems today?
The story raises issues that are relevant at all times problems - problem pride, sympathy and attention to people, loneliness, fairness of punishment, the problem of guilt and responsibility, professionalism.
12. What did the story teach you? Would you like to read other stories by Platonov? Why?
Literature used
1. “In a beautiful and furious world”:analysis of Platonov's story. [Electronic resource]. Access mode:
https://goldlit.ru/platonov/1196-v-prekrasnom-mire-analiz
(date of access 04/10/18)
2. “Literature 7th grade. Textbook-reader" in 2 hours for general education educational institutions(authors - V.Ya. Korovina, V.I. Korovin, etc. - M.: "Prosveshchenie", 2009
3. Universal lesson developments in literature: 7th grade. - 3rd ed., revised. and additional - M.: VAKO, 2010.
Lesson Plan "IN A BEAUTIFUL AND FURIOUS WORLD."
TALENT OF A MASTER AND A PERSON IN THE STORY OF A. P. PLATONOV
Lesson Plan
Organizational moment.
Updating students' basic knowledge. Checking homework.
Announcing the topic and purpose of the lesson.
Students' perception of educational material.
Summing up the lesson.
Homework message.
Lesson Objectives
Educational goals:
teach students to express their thoughts following the norms of literary language;
show moral meaning story.
Developmental goals:
development of figurative, logical, critical thinking, speech, memory, development of oral and written speech;
improving skills in working with text work of art, characteristics of heroes.
Educational goals:
formation of moral qualities;
development of creative abilities;
raising a competent reader.
Competencies:
be able to analyze the text of a work of art;
be able to characterize a literary hero;
be able to make a plan.
Lesson format: workshop
Lesson type: combined.
Equipment: denotation graph (on the board), explanatory dictionary of the Russian language S.I. Ozhegova, N.Yu. Shvedova, text of the story “In a Beautiful and Furious World.”
Method: partially search.
Methodical techniques: work on the plan, teacher explanation, vocabulary work, student message, commented reading, elements of analysis literary text, techniques of critical thinking technology: denotation graph, essay, syncwine.
Educational technologies: elements of technology for developing critical thinking.
Lesson progress
I. Organizational moment.
II. Updating students' knowledge. Checking homework (students reading the compiled quotation plan for the story, discussion) .
An approximate quotation plan for the story “In a Beautiful and Furious World”:
“He missed his talent as if he were lonely.”
“Maltsev was put on trial.”
“What is better – a free blind person or a sighted but innocent prisoner?”
“You see the whole world now!”
III. Announcing the topic and purpose of the lesson.
IV. Students' perception of educational material.
Stage 1. Call. The groups are given cards with tasks and questions (12–15 minutes to prepare).
First group .
Analytical conversation.
– How does Platonov show the talent of driver Maltsev?(Firstly, the author directly states that the driver is talented: Maltsev was still young - he was about thirty years old, “but he already had the qualifications of a first-class driver and had driven fast trains for a long time,” “He drove the train with the courageous confidence of a great master, with the concentration of an inspired artist who has absorbed all outside world into one’s inner experience and therefore has control over it.” Secondly, Platonov shows the talent of a machinist, equating it to the talent of an “inspired artist.” Thirdly, talent shines through in detail: the author writes about Maltsev’s eyes: “like empty,” but immediately adds: “I knew that with them he saw the whole road ahead and all of nature rushing towards us, even a sparrow... attracted Maltsev’s gaze...” Let us pay attention to the sublime vocabulary, which helps to affirm the author’s thoughts about the hero’s talent (“brave”, “inspired”, “powerful”, “gaze”). Fourthly, proof of Maltsev’s talent is last episode first chapter: (we read from the words: “Indeed, we could not understand his skills”).
– What's it like author's attitude to the work of machinists?(The narrator admires the locomotive as a work of art; the machine evokes a “feeling of inspiration,” “a special, touched joy... - as beautiful as in childhood when reading Pushkin’s poems for the first time.” That is, for the narrator, the work of the driver, locomotives are on a par with the peaks art, cause delight. But at the same time, the narrator only admires the cars, and the talent belongs to the chosen one - Maltsev.)
– (“He felt superior to us because he understood the machine more precisely than we did, and he did not believe that I or anyone else could learn the secret of his talent...”)
Second group.
What does the expression “bored by my talent” mean?(The driver Maltsev felt that no one drove trains better than him, that no one loved steam locomotives more than him. Therefore, he was lonely - after all, no one could understand his talent, could not share with him the joy of unity with the machine, “he was sad with us “,” “I was bored with my talent” - that is, I felt that I was chosen, that I was unable to find an equal.)
The talent of driver Maltsev.
– Like A.P. Does Platonov show the talent of driver Maltsev?(Firstly, the author directly states that the driver is talented. Secondly, A.P. Platonov shows the driver’s talent, equating it to the talent of an “inspired artist.” Thirdly, the talent shines through in the details: the author writes about Maltsev’s eyes: “I knew that he saw with them the whole road ahead and all of nature rushing towards us...” Fourthly, the last episode of Chapter 1 serves as proof of Maltsev’s talent...)
– Why did Maltsev check everything with his own hands, did not trust his assistants, and was indifferent to them?(“He felt superior to us because he understood the machine more accurately than we did, and he did not believe that I or anyone else could learn the secret of his talent...”)
– What does the expression “bored by my talent” mean?(The driver Maltsev felt that no one drove trains better than him. No one could understand his talent, could not share with him the joy of unity with the machine, “he was sad with us,” he felt that he was chosen, that he was unable to find an equal.)
Third group.
– (Maltsev was fascinated by the sight of a thunderstorm in the distance. “He understood that the work and power of our machine could be compared with the work of a thunderstorm, and, perhaps, he was proud of this thought.” Maltsev is depicted as powerful, like some kind of pagan deity: “His eyes, accustomed to smoke, fire and space, now shone with inspiration.” Maltsev’s enthusiasm is shared by the narrator: “We rushed madly to that distant land, rushing to its defense.”)
– (The lightning that struck Maltsev seems like a blow higher powers, which was daringly challenged by the driver. This is a fight between equals, but Maltsev ended up blind. He drove the train “automatically,” feeling but not seeing his surroundings. Thus, Maltsev allowed a whole series violations: he passed a yellow traffic light, a red one, signals from the road crew, and firecrackers exploded because of it. Kostya guessed that Maltsev was blinded by a nearby lightning strike.)
– How do we see Maltsev on the fateful day of July 5?(Maltsev was captivated by the sight of a thunderstorm in the distance. He is depicted as powerful, like some kind of pagan deity. Maltsev’s enthusiasm is shared by the narrator: “We rushed madly to that distant land, rushing to its defense.”)
– Why was the trip on July 5 the last for Maltsev?(The lightning that struck Maltsev seems to be a strike from higher powers, which the driver daringly challenged. This is a struggle of equals, but Maltsev became blind as a result. He drove the train “automatically,” feeling but not seeing his surroundings.)
Fourth group.
–
– How does the author portray the investigator?(The investigator is depicted as a distrustful, indifferent person. He does not believe either Maltsev or his assistant: “He... got bored with me, like a fool.”)
– How do Kostya and Maltsev analyze what happened?(Maltsev saw the world in his imagination. The investigator needs facts, not “imagination”. Formally, the investigator is right. Both Kostya and Maltsev himself agree with this. Therefore, it is logical for Maltsev to be sent to prison.)
Maltsev's assistant.
– Give a description of the image of Maltsev’s assistant.
– When and under what circumstances will we learn the name of Maltsev’s assistant?(When Maltsev calls him by name, he asks him to drive the locomotive. When the critical moment comes, he realizes that he has gone blind, that he has become an ordinary, mortal person. When human understanding and participation become necessary.)
– Why doesn’t Kostya calm down after the tragedy that happened to Maltsev and think about the incident?(Kostya turns out to be a caring person: he tried to help his teacher-driver, defended Maltsev before the investigator, investigated the causes of the incident himself, and found a way to prove the innocence of the accused.)
What is the meaning of Kostya’s words: “Drive the car to the end, Alexander Vasilyevich: now you see the whole world!”?(Maltsev sees the world with new, clear eyes. This is also an “inner” insight - the acquisition of faith. And although Kostya “was not Maltsev’s friend,” the desire to “protect him from the grief of fate” performed a miracle. Thanks to the man’s talent, Kostya feels Maltsev “like own son”.)
Fifth group.
Analysis of the beginning and ending of the story.
– It is known that the most difficult thing to write is the first and last sentence, as well as starting and finishing any work. How A.P. did it Platonov? What's good about the first sentence of the story?(A.P. Platonov begins the story in such a way that he immediately introduces the reader into the action: “In the Tolubeevsky depot, Alexander Vasilyevich Maltsev was considered the best locomotive driver.” This phrase indicates the location of the action, main character; it is said what this hero does in life, his special skill is noted, and people’s respectful attitude towards him is noted.)
– Comment on the last phrase of the story: “I was afraid to leave him alone, like my own son, without protection against the action of the sudden and hostile forces of our beautiful and furious world.” A.P. Platonov calls our world “beautiful and furious.” What is the meaning of these definitions?(The world is beautiful because it brings the joy of creativity, the joy of sensations, the beauty of nature. It is furious because it is hostile to man, does not allow man’s power over itself, crushes “chosen, exalted people.”)
– Why did Kostya take Maltsev on the locomotive?(Kostya saw that “facts are happening that prove the existence of hostile human life disastrous circumstances, and these disastrous forces crush the chosen, exalted people.” He “decided not to give up, because he felt something in himself that could not be in external forces nature and in our destiny, - ... I felt my peculiarity as a person ... I became embittered and decided to resist, not yet knowing how to do it.” Kostya acted on the inspiration of a “special person.”)
– How does the author convey Maltsev’s feelings when he found himself on the locomotive again?(“He concentrated, forgot his grief as a blind man, and gentle joy illuminated the haggard face of this man, for whom the feeling of the machine was bliss.”)
– What helped Maltsev to see again?(The excitement that he experienced when returning to his life’s work. The excitement that was transmitted to Kostya: “I remained silent, worried with all my heart.”)
– What is the meaning of Kostya’s words: “Drive the car to the end, Alexander Vasilyevich: now you see the whole world!”?(Maltsev sees the world with new, clear eyes. He also saw the light because he believed in friendly support, in the caring nature of a person. This is an “internal” insight - the acquisition of faith. Always calm, stern Maltsev began to cry, Kostya kissed him in response. And although Kostya " was not Maltsev’s friend,” but the desire to “protect him from the grief of fate” performed a miracle. This is how Kostya’s talent manifested itself and instilled in Kostya confidence in the abilities of himself and his teacher. , although at first he himself felt younger both in age and in abilities.)
– “You have to treat people like a father.” How do you understand these words of A.P. Platonov?(The author himself feels love for people, responsibility for them, and he expressed this “fatherly” feeling in the image of Kostya.)
– And now about the last phrase of the story. Platonov calls our world “beautiful and furious.” What is the meaning of these definitions?(The world is beautiful because it brings the joy of creativity, the joy of sensations, the beauty of nature. It is furious because it is hostile to man, does not allow man’s power over himself, crushes “chosen, exalted people.” Maltsev had both a thunderstorm, and his helplessness as a blind man, and indifference of people. But a “furious” world gives a person the opportunity to express himself, assert his strength in struggle, and feel the joy of overcoming.) This is the only way to understand the beauty of the world.)
Vocabulary work.
Find in explanatory dictionary Russian language S.I. Ozhegova, N.Yu. Shvedova means the words “axlebox”, “injector”, “firecracker”, “reverse”, “tender”. Make a dictionary. (cm. )
– Why do you think there are so many words and terms that are incomprehensible to most people in the story? What role do they play?(Incomprehensible words interest the reader, make the heroes special people. Such words add significance, weight and mystery to the heroes, and speak about the talent of the master.)
Stage 2. Understanding. Work in groups.
Students, with the help of their friends, answer the questions posed (work with the text of the story “In a Beautiful and Furious World”, select keywords and phrases from the text to compose your part of the denotation graph).
(Under conditions group work children get the opportunity to express their point of view in a group and only after that “voice” it in front of the class. Working in groups helps develop communication skills, critical thinking, speaking up, persuasion and discussion. Using this type of collaboration ensures that students cannot avoid completing a task.)
Stage 3. Reflection. Reflection and generalization. Construction of a denotation graph.
One representative from the group speaks on his assignment, gives a detailed answer on his part of the denotation graph and fills out his column in the diagram on the board, and everyone else makes up the diagram in the notebook.
The result of the work is a denotation graph compiled on the basis of the answers of the students speaking (cm. ).
Final question:
– Well, according to A.P. Platonov, is it possible to overcome the tenacious force of the violent forces of life?
V. Summing up the lesson.
– What did you succeed in the lesson?
– What didn't work in the lesson?
– Compose a syncwine based on the story you read.
Example of syncwine:
World,
Beautiful, furious,
It makes you happy, it makes you sad, it worries you.
We need to help each other.
Life.
VI. Homework message.
To choose from:
oral drawing: make oral illustrations of the episodes that made the greatest impression;
writing an essay on the topic: “The problem of mutual assistance in the modern world.”
The meaning of the title of A. P. Platonov’s story “In a Beautiful and Furious World”
Andrei Platonovich Platonov lived a difficult life full of hardships. “I lived and languished, because life immediately turned me from a child into an adult, depriving me of my youth,” he wrote to his wife. Nevertheless, the writer’s heart did not harden. This is evidenced by such works as the story “In a Beautiful and Furious World.”
The plot of the story boils down to an incident that happened to the driver Maltsev. During one of his trips on a steam locomotive, he becomes blind from a lightning bolt, and then regains his sight. And although a locomotive disaster is miraculously avoided, Maltsev is brought to trial. The narrator Kostya, who served as his assistant, tries to help the convicted driver. But as a result of an experiment with electricity, Maltsev goes blind again. Kostya becomes a driver and takes the freed but blind Maltsev on one of his trips. Sitting in the driver's cab and remembering his favorite job, Maltsev regains the ability to see.
The author called the world beautiful and furious. He's truly wonderful. Kostya talks with pleasure about what a wonderful driver Maltsev was, how he drove the locomotive, what a pleasure it was to work with such a person. “He led the train with the courageous confidence of a great master, with the concentration of an inspired artist,” he “understood the machine more accurately” than others. However, Maltsev’s perfection depressed him; he felt lonely.
Maltsev encountered rage and the elements of the world during a thunderstorm, when he was unable to control the locomotive. All his skill was useless. The forces of nature turned out to be beyond the control of man. A dust devil and a thundercloud rushed towards the locomotive. “The light is silent around us; The dry earth and steppe sand whistled and scraped along the iron body of the locomotive. It became difficult for people to breathe, and the locomotive could not break through the dust and wind.
What happened changed Maltsev. His self-confidence disappeared and he turned into a sick old man. Maltsev really missed steam locomotives and spent all his time sitting near railway.
Having regained his sight, Maltsev began to see everything differently. Now he needed participation, the warmth of other people. The narrator spent the whole night with Maltsev, who had regained his sight, afraid to leave him alone with the beautiful and furious world.
What would have happened to Maltsev if such a misfortune had not happened to him? He would continue to lead an ideal life, but lonely, boring, devoid of spiritual intimacy with other people. And the beauty of the world around us is that there remains a particle in it that is beyond human control.
The title of the story - “In this beautiful and furious world” - is essential for understanding its problems. Why is Platonov’s world “beautiful” and “furious”? The word “beautiful” is associated with such concepts as joy, harmony, miracle, beauty, splendor. The word “furious” in our minds is related to such words as anger, strength, element, impulse, hatred, and so on. In Platonov, these concepts merge into a single stream, whose name is life. Isn't reality itself so contradictory? Isn't man himself so contradictory? The writer quite clearly points out in the story the existence of two elements - natural and human. You can see both the harmony of these elements and their disunity and opposition. That is why Platonov’s heroes are most often seekers, trying to determine their place in the world.
Back in the 20-30s of the 20th century, many critics spoke about Platonov’s strange heroes, about the unpredictable endings of his stories, about the logic of the image that was understandable to him alone. But even his most malicious detractors could not help but recognize the power of his talent, freedom of language, and incredible density of storytelling. Very often the writer asked questions about man’s place in the world, about his loneliness among people. He paid close attention to the feeling of emptiness, orphanhood, and uselessness that haunts a person. These feelings live in almost every hero of Platonov. So is the driver Maltsev.
Alexander Vasilyevich Maltsev had a remarkable talent - no one could feel the machines better than him, could not identify malfunctions at work at one glance, could not perceive the world so comprehensively, notice the smallest details. That is why his appointment to the newest and most powerful train in the depot, the IS, was quite expected. This car became his brainchild. During the trip, he seemed to merge with the locomotive, felt the beating of “its steam heart”, understood the slightest sound. Passionate about his work, he became like an inspired actor. But how often the narrator - Maltsev's assistant Kostya - noticed an incomprehensible sadness in his gaze. And this was nothing more than a feeling of loneliness pouring out. Much later Kostya will understand this melancholy. The driver's talent doomed Maltsev to loneliness, raised him above everyone and forced him to look down on him. Maltsev practically did not pay attention to his new assistant, and even a year later he treated him the same way as he treated an oiler. He devoted himself entirely to work, dissolving in the car and in the surrounding nature. The little sparrow caught in the air stream from the locomotive did not go unnoticed. Maltsev turned his head slightly to trace his further fate. It seemed to him that only he was able to absorb so much, to know so much. The strength of his talent, sadly enough, alienated him from the rest of the world of people; among his own kind, he felt lonely. Loss and emptiness reigned in his soul. This feeling of so-called orphanhood is characteristic of almost all of Platonov’s characters. With the help of this characterization of the hero, the writer was able to draw broader conclusions. From the fate of one person he moved to the fate of millions. His idea of the loss of man in the era of revolutions and political upheavals runs through all his works.
And really sad later life Maltsev, condemned by the people: he was excommunicated from the work to which he gave all of himself, to which his soul was drawn. Using the example of Maltsev, we see how the fate of a person deprived of spiritual fullness is built.
The image of Kostya’s assistant is also important in the story. This is a sensitive, observant person, no less attentive to detail than his teacher. He may have been less talented, but his diligence and diligence helped him greatly. Soon after Maltsev’s resignation, he himself successfully passed the machinist exams. Yes, indeed, Kostya is not so endowed with the gift of feeling the mechanism, but he is more attentive to the people around him. This can be considered his talent. He was able to discern, almost in passing, a secret sadness in the gaze of his teacher, but he did not stop there, he was looking for the “truth,” the answer to this melancholy. And he will find her, but only a little later. This is a person who is not deaf to the grief of others. It is he who brings back to life the lost Maltsev, blind and useless to anyone. Every time, getting ready to go, he saw his teacher on the bench, leaning on a cane. Maltsev responded to all words of consolation with the invariable “Get out!” Even in his grief, in his helplessness, he is afraid to let a living person, a feeling soul, approach him. He still does not believe that there is anyone in the world who could understand him. And an inexpressible melancholy reigned in his soul. He tried to somehow cling to that frantic pace of life again, to return at least part of his past. He came aimlessly to the depot and greedily caught the sounds of the railway; he turned his head to where he heard the powerful movement of the locomotive.
Proud in his loneliness, he nevertheless obeys Kostya, who once offered to go with him. Instead of the usual “Get out!” he said, “Okay. I will be humble. Give me something in my hands, let me hold the reverse: I won’t turn it.
- You won’t twist it! - I confirmed. - If you twist it, I’ll give you a piece of coal in your hands and I won’t take it to the locomotive again.
The blind man remained silent; he wanted to be on the locomotive again so much that he humbled himself in front of me.”
And now Maltsev again feels the breath of the oncoming wind, feels the power of a mechanical giant at hand. What is he experiencing at this moment? Delight! Joy! Delight! This storm of feelings brings him back to life: he begins to see clearly. But Kostya doesn’t leave him here either. Having escorted him home, he still cannot leave for a long time. Feeling an almost paternal affection for this man, he is afraid to leave him alone with the beautiful and furious world.
He feels his helplessness in front of the world, his naivety and simplicity behind the mask of arrogance. A brilliant machinist, Maltsev noticed the beauty of nature, enjoyed harmony, moving away from the human world. And the cruel world punished him for this.
Platonov masterfully creates a contrast between these two worlds. This is especially evident in the scenes of the locomotive struggling with the elements. “We were now walking towards a powerful cloud that appeared over the horizon. From our side, the cloud was illuminated by the sun, and from inside it was torn by fierce, irritated lightning, and we saw how swords of lightning pierced vertically into the silent distant land, and we rushed madly towards that distant land, as if rushing to its defense.” Maltsev and the machine are fighting the forces of nature. Platonov saturates the text with vivid metaphors and epithets. The locomotive itself becomes like a mythical deity. And what is the outcome of this struggle? Ultimately, nature comes back to harmony: “We smelled the damp earth, the fragrance of herbs and grains, saturated with rain and thunder, and rushed forward, catching up with time.” But what happens to a person? Blinded by lightning, Maltsev loses his sight. Many researchers often talk about two lightning bolts. The first of them - so strong and grandiose, deprived a person of his sight, but not for long. But the second - artificial - deprives Maltsev of his ability to see for a long time.
The author leads the reader to believe that the laws of the human world are much more cruel and merciless than natural laws. People were unable to recognize Maltsev's talent. He becomes even more lonely. The path to Maltsev’s salvation is in the form of Kostya. He not only restores the sight of the former driver, but also opens up a path to the human world for him. “You see the whole world now!”
Maltsev appears new car and a new assistant.
Description of Maltsev's work.
Because of lightning, Maltsev goes blind and endangers the lives of many people.
Maltsev is put on trial.
The narrator takes the blind man with him in the car, and he regains his sight.
Analysis of the work
The title of the story - “In this beautiful and furious world” - is essential for understanding its problems. Why is Platonov’s world “beautiful” and “furious”? The word “beautiful” is associated with such concepts as joy, harmony, miracle, beauty, splendor. The word “furious” in our minds is related to such words as anger, strength, element, impulse, hatred, and so on. In Platonov, these concepts merge into a single stream, whose name is life. Isn't reality itself so contradictory? Isn't man himself so contradictory? The writer quite clearly points out in the story the existence of two elements - natural and human. You can see both the harmony of these elements and their disunity and opposition. That is why Platonov’s heroes are most often seekers, trying to determine their place in the world.
Back in the 20-30s of the 20th century, many critics spoke about Platonov’s strange heroes, about the unpredictable endings of his stories, about the logic of the image that was understandable to him alone. But even his most malicious detractors could not help but recognize the power of his talent, freedom of language, and incredible density of storytelling. Very often the writer asked questions about man’s place in the world, about his loneliness among people. He paid close attention to the feeling of emptiness, orphanhood, and uselessness in the world that haunts a person. These feelings live in almost every hero of Platonov. So is the driver Maltsev.
Alexander Vasilyevich Maltsev had a remarkable talent - no one could feel the machines better than him, could not identify problems in the work at one glance, could not perceive the world so comprehensively, notice the smallest details. That is why his appointment to the newest and most powerful train in the depot, the IS, was quite expected. This car became his brainchild. During the trip, he seemed to merge with the locomotive, felt the beating of “its steam heart”, understood the slightest sound. Passionate about his work, he became like an inspired actor. But how often did the narrator, Maltsev’s assistant Kostya, notice an incomprehensible sadness in his gaze. And this was nothing more than a feeling of loneliness pouring out. Much later Kostya will understand this melancholy. The driver's talent doomed Maltsev to loneliness, raised him above everyone and forced him to look down on him. Maltsev practically did not pay attention to his new assistant, and even a year later he treated him the same way as he treated an oiler. He devoted himself entirely to work, dissolving in the car and in the surrounding nature. The little sparrow caught in the air stream from the locomotive did not go unnoticed. Maltsev turned his head slightly to trace his further fate. It seemed to him that only he was able to absorb so much, to know so much. The strength of his talent, sadly enough, alienated him from the rest of the world of people; among his own kind, he felt lonely. Loss and emptiness reigned in his soul. This feeling of so-called orphanhood is characteristic of almost all of Platonov’s characters. With the help of this characterization of the hero, the writer was able to draw broader conclusions. From the fate of one person he moved to the fate of millions. His idea of the loss of man in the era of revolutions and political upheavals runs through all his works.
And indeed, the further life of Maltsev, who was condemned by people, is sad: he was excommunicated from the work to which he gave all of himself, to which his soul was drawn. Using the example of Maltsev, we see how the fate of a person deprived of spiritual fullness is built.
The image of Kostya’s assistant is also important in the story. This is a sensitive, observant person, no less attentive to detail than his teacher. He may have been less talented, but his diligence and diligence helped him greatly. Soon after Maltsev’s resignation, he himself successfully passed the machinist exams. Yes, indeed, Kostya is not so endowed with the gift of feeling the mechanism, but he is more attentive to the people around him. This can be considered his talent. He was able to discern, almost in passing, a secret sadness in the gaze of his teacher, but he did not stop there, he was looking for the “truth,” the answer to this melancholy. And he will find her, but only a little later. This is a person who is not deaf to the grief of others. It is he who brings back to life the lost Maltsev, blind and useless to anyone. Every time, getting ready to go, he saw his teacher on the bench, leaning on a cane. Maltsev responded to all words of consolation with the invariable “Get out!” Even in his grief, in his helplessness, he is afraid to let a living person, a feeling soul, approach him. He still does not believe that there is anyone in the world who could understand him. And an inexpressible melancholy reigned in his soul. He tried to somehow cling to that frantic pace of life again, to return at least part of his past. He came aimlessly to the depot and greedily caught the sounds of the railway; he turned his head to where he heard the powerful movement of the locomotive.
Proud in his loneliness, he nevertheless obeys Kostya, who once offered to go with him. Instead of the usual “Get out!” he said, “Okay. I will be humble. Give me something in my hands, let me hold the reverse: I won’t turn it.
- You won’t twist it! - I confirmed. - If you twist it, I’ll give you a piece of coal in your hands and I won’t take it to the locomotive again.
The blind man remained silent; he wanted to be on the locomotive again so much that he humbled himself in front of me.”
And now Maltsev again feels the breath of the oncoming wind, feels the power of a mechanical giant at hand. What is he experiencing at this moment? Delight! Joy! Delight! This storm of feelings brings him back to life: he begins to see clearly. But Kostya doesn’t leave him here either. Having escorted him home, he still cannot leave for a long time. Feeling an almost paternal affection for this man, he is afraid to leave him alone with the beautiful and furious world.
He feels his helplessness in front of the world, his naivety and simplicity behind the mask of arrogance. A brilliant machinist, Maltsev noticed the beauty of nature, enjoyed harmony, moving away from the human world. And the cruel world punished him for this.
Platonov masterfully creates a contrast between these two worlds. This is especially evident in the scenes of the locomotive struggling with the elements. “We were now walking towards a powerful cloud that appeared over the horizon. From our side, the cloud was illuminated by the sun, and from inside it was torn by fierce, irritated lightning, and we saw how swords of lightning pierced vertically into the silent distant land, and we rushed madly towards that distant land, as if rushing to its defense.” Maltsev and the machine are fighting the forces of nature. Platonov saturates the text with vivid metaphors and epithets. The locomotive itself becomes like a mythical deity. And what is the outcome of this struggle? Ultimately, nature comes back to harmony: “We smelled the damp earth, the fragrance of herbs and grains, saturated with rain and thunderstorms, and rushed forward, catching up with time.” But what happens to a person? Blinded by lightning, Maltsev loses his sight. Many researchers often talk about two lightning bolts. The first of them, so strong and grandiose, deprived a person of his sight, but not for long. But the second - artificial - deprives Maltsev of his ability to see for a long time.