A.P. Chekhov in his play “The Cherry Orchard” creates a complex system of images. The writer in the “new drama” abandons the established division of characters into positive and negative. He divides them in his own way, putting a special meaning into each image.
The play features characters representing three generations. Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya, Leonid Andreevich Gaev, Ranevskaya's adopted daughter, Varya and the old footman Firs are representatives of a bygone era.
They are impractical people, unadapted to life, they are drawn headlong into memories of the past, so much so that they are unable to solve the serious problem facing them. Ranevskaya and Gaev do not want to lose the estate with the precious cherry orchard, but they do nothing to preserve it.
This attitude towards family home causes misunderstanding and even some anger among the representative of the present, Ermolai Alekseevich Lopakhin. As a true hero-activist, Lopakhin looks for ways to solve the problem, offers them to the owners of the estate, but receives only silence in response. Being a realist by nature, he understands what such sluggish behavior will lead to, so he decides to take the initiative into his own hands. The hero buys the estate to turn it into summer cottages, and orders the cherry orchard, which means so much to Ranevskaya, to be cut down. This act allows us to see another side of Yermolai. He is not able to understand what the value of the garden is, and therefore his act seems heartless, like a mockery of the overly sentimental Ranevskaya.
In addition to representatives of the past and present, Chekhov introduces characters who personify the future and express their position on the cherry orchard, a symbol of a bygone era. Such heroes include the “eternal student,” Petya Trofimov and Ranevskaya’s seventeen-year-old daughter, Anya. Petya expresses his position quite clearly when he says that we need to put an end to the past in order to start living in the present. This thought greatly influences Anya, and she admits that she does not experience such strong love to the cherry orchard, as before. It would seem that such heroes, personifying a bright future, should be positive and ideal. However, the author does not completely sympathize with any of his characters. Petya cannot apply his common sense thoughts and ideas in practice, and Anya, in love with the “eternal student,” does nothing. The heroes do nothing but rant about how great it would be to replace the “old” garden with a “new” one.
So why can’t we identify that there is no “ideal” hero in Chekhov’s play? Because every character has weak point. None of them are capable of thinking in various directions. Everyone is obsessed with their problems, dreams or memories. This hinders the development of heroes.
THE PLACE OF THE CHERRY ORCHARD IN THE SYSTEM OF IMAGES OF A. P. CHEKHOV’S PLAY “THE CHERRY ORCHARD”. SYMBOLIC MEANING OF THE TITLE. Tsurkan Alla Vladimirovna teacher of Russian language and literature Odessa secondary school 20
“The weather is wonderful. Everything sings, blooms, sparkles with beauty. All these trees bloom white, making them strikingly similar to brides during their wedding.” (From a letter from A.P. Chekhov)
“Listening to Chekhov’s play, when reading it it does not give the impression of a major thing. Not a word of anything new. Everything - mood, ideas - if you can talk about them - faces, all this was already in his plays. Of course, it’s beautiful, and – of course – it will waft green melancholy onto the audience from the stage. I don’t know what the melancholy is about.” (M. Gorky)
Plot (from French sujet - subject, content) - a system of events in a work of art that reveals characters characters and the writer’s attitude to the phenomena depicted; - sequence, course of events that makes up the content work of art. The plot is based on conflict.
Analytical conversation What is the relationship between the concepts symbol and allegory? What is the fundamental difference between these concepts? Express the idea by inserting the words “symbol” and “allegory” into the sentence with gaps: “In the individual it is brought in to visually show the generality, and in the visual picture it illustrates some kind of generality” (A.F. Losev). Name the central image-symbol of A. P. Chekhov’s play “The Cherry Orchard” and give maximum quantity his interpretations, justifying all interpretations.
Theses A generalized symbolic subtext is embedded in the system of images: all the main classes, three generations are represented; heroes are divided into “people of phrase” and “people of action”, isolated in the system of images of “victims and predators, unfortunate and happy”; all heroes can be called “klutzes” in one way or another.
The play has a system of symbolic oppositions (dream - reality, happiness - trouble, past - future). -In the speech of the heroes there are traditional symbols, words-emblems. (Trofimov: “we are moving uncontrollably towards a bright star.” -Plot twists in A.P. Chekhov’s play often acquire symbolic overtones. (The finale of the play. The blame for the tragic outcome of Firs’ life is placed on all the main characters of the play).
The author's remarks sometimes transform the action into a conventional plan. (Petya captivates Anya with loud words that are filled with faith in a wonderful future: “I have a presentiment of happiness..., I already see it...” It is no coincidence that the author’s remark mentions Epikhodov, who “plays the same sad song on the guitar.” This is how the author’s doubt about the validity of Petit’s premonitions is manifested.
Summary conversation Determine chronological framework actions of the play. What is the peculiarity of the spatio-temporal organization? Cherry Orchard"? How is the theme of passing time revealed in the actions of the characters? What do you think internal conflict plays? Do you think A.P. Chekhov’s play “The Cherry Orchard” is a drama or a comedy? Who is to blame for the death of The Cherry Orchard? How does Ranevskaya’s environment and proximity to other characters in the play affect the reader’s attitude towards Lyubov Andreevna’s drama? What makes you regret, and what hopes does “The Cherry Orchard” by A.P. Chekhov raise? What are your impressions of the work of a writer, playwright, or just a person? Has anything changed in your initial perception of his work and himself?
Internet resources ugolki.html
Division of the play's image system
Traditionally, the system of images in the play “The Cherry Orchard” is divided into three groups, symbolizing the present, future and past, which include all the characters. In the process of staging the play, Chekhov gave the actors precise instructions and recommendations on how to play each character; it was very important for him to convey to the viewer the characters of the characters, because it was through their images that Chekhov tried to show the comedy of what was happening. In addition, each character is assigned a certain socio-historical role. The author seems to be saying that it is possible to adjust your personality, relationships with outside world and the people around him, but change his place in general history they can't do it.
The heroes of the past include Ranevskaya and her brother and the old servant Firs: they are so mired in their memories that they are unable to adequately assess either the present or the future. Lopakhin is a bright representative of today, man-action. Well, Petya is an idealist, an eternal student, thinking about the common good that undoubtedly awaits in the future. It is clear that Chekhov built the characters in The Cherry Orchard according to his favorite principle of “bad good people.”
And in fact, it is impossible to single out any of the heroes as a villain, a victim, or absolutely ideal. Everyone has their own truth, and the viewer just needs to decide which of them is closer to him.
Features of the play's images
One of the features of Chekhov's images is the combination of positive and negative properties. Thus, Ranevskaya is characterized by impracticality and selfishness, but at the same time she is capable of sincere love, has a broad soul and generosity, she is beautiful both externally and internally. Gaev, despite his infantilism and sentimentality, is very kind. Brother and sister are characterized by those moral and cultural principles of hereditary nobility, which have already become an echo of the past. “Eternal student” Petya Trofimov argues very correctly and beautifully, but, like the old owners of the garden, he is absolutely divorced from reality and is not adapted to life. With his speeches, he also captivates Anya, who embodies the symbol of youth and hope for a better future, but is absolutely helpless in independent life. Her opposite is Varya, whose earthiness may interfere with her happiness.
Undoubtedly, in the play “The Cherry Orchard” the system of images is headed by Lopakhin. Chekhov insisted that Stanislavsky himself play him, and the playwright tried to convey to the performer the psychology of this character. Perhaps he is the only one whose internal beliefs are as close as possible to actions. Another striking feature of all the characters in this play is their inability and unwillingness to hear each other; everyone is so busy with themselves and their personal experiences that they are simply unable to understand others’. And instead of going through the ongoing test together - deprivation of home - they live with ideas about their future, in which everyone will be on their own. This is especially evident in the first act: Ranevskaya is so immersed in her memories that she is completely disconnected from what is happening, Anya is also busy with her thoughts, although Varya is trying to talk about what is happening in the house in her absence.
Brief characteristics of the characters in the play “The Cherry Orchard”
Characteristics of the images of “The Cherry Orchard” show how different people collected in one place. This is especially evident from current characters. Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna is one of central images play, the fate of the entire estate depends on its solution; the favorite tactic for solving all problems is escape. This happened after tragic death her youngest son, which coincided with a destructive passion for an unworthy person, “and I went abroad, completely left, never to return.” After unsuccessful attempt suicide because of the love that tormented her, “... suddenly she was drawn to Russia,” and after the sale of the estate, Lyubov Andreevna returned to Paris again, leaving her daughters to choose their own life path. Anya dreams of getting an education that will help her get a job, but adopted daughter The prospects are less rosy. Ranevskaya’s weak attempts to marry her to Lopakhin were not crowned with success, and Ranevskaya simply did not think of allocating funds to fulfill Varina’s dream - to devote herself to God, since the interests of those around her did not really care or excite her. But meanwhile, she does not refuse financial assistance to her friend Pishchik, giving her last money to a random passer-by, although she is well aware of her plight. One more in a feminine way The play is the maid Dunyasha, a peasant girl, accustomed to life in a manor house, striving to demonstrate her “subtle” nature, but not through actions, but through constant voicing. She dreams of love and marriage, but pushes away Epikhodov, who proposed to her.
Her brother Gaev Leonid Andreevich is in many ways similar to his sister. But he is characterized by idle talk, and perhaps that is why no one takes him seriously (even the lackey Yasha treats him with extreme disrespect) and is openly considered unadapted to life. This is especially evident when he tells his sister that he was offered a position at the bank “Where are you!” Just sit there…”, but meanwhile everyone is waiting for him to find the money to pay off his debts. He naively believes that fifteen thousand sent by his aunt will be enough to save the estate.
The only sane person in the play is Lopakhin, who suggests real way saving the estate, but it is perceived by the owners as “vulgarity.” Although Ranevskaya’s neighbor Simeonov-Pishchik, who is in the same position, constantly looking for money to pay interest on his debts, at the end of the play says that he leased his land to the British for the extraction of rare clay. Thus showing that it is not so scary to use your land to generate income. It is Lopakhin who is the representative of the new era that has come. Petya compares him to a predator: “that’s how you need beast of prey,...so you are needed.” He sincerely tries with all his might to help Ranevskaya, but her lack of understanding of obvious things angers him: “I’m babysitting you.” It is Lopakhin who inhales with his plan new life to the old estate.
But, perhaps, only the cherry orchard occupies a truly central place in the system of images of Chekhov’s play. Through the attitude towards him and his perception, the author shows the inner content of each of the main characters, reflecting their time and their historical era, and the garden itself becomes the image and symbol of all of Russia.
The article analyzed the image system Chekhov's play and given brief description the main characters of the comedy. The main objective of this article is to help 10th graders write an essay on the topic “The system of images in the play “The Cherry Orchard”.”
Work test
The system of images of The Cherry Orchard, in accordance with the ideological and thematic features of the play, is also very original. There is no place in it for one main character, just as there is no division into positive and negative characters. After all, everyone turns out to be equally far from true understanding life, everyone is helpless in front of the fast-flowing time, everyone wants to look into the future, but it remains unknown to anyone. Chekhov's definition applies to each of them: “bad good man" These are the past owners of the cherry orchard: Ranevskaya with her imbalance and sensitivity, complete impracticality and selfishness, but at the same time she is a woman capable of loving devotedly, possessing generosity and breadth of soul, inner and external beauty; Gaev, sentimental and childish, absolutely unadapted to life, but a kind and warm-hearted person. They both have that internal culture, which has always characterized the inhabitants of “noble nests”, but has already begun to become a thing of the past. In contrast to them, Petya Trofimov, naive in his noble impulses, is focused on the future. This “eternal student,” despite all his wonderful speeches, full of socio-political and civic pathos, also turns out to be unadapted to real life, and therefore his eloquence is somewhat akin to Gaev’s talkativeness. Anya, as often happens in Chekhov, is the embodiment of youth, hopes, faith in a wonderful future, but in practical life she is helpless, like her mother. Varya, a serious, strict, economical girl, on the contrary, turns out to be too down-to-earth and, perhaps, that is precisely why happiness eludes her.
All other characters are also individualized, but Lopakhin still occupies a special place among the heroes of the play. It is not for nothing that Chekhov was so concerned that the performer of the role correctly understood this character. This is an unconventional image of a merchant for Russian literature. A businessman, and a very successful one, Lopakhin is at the same time a “soft man”, endowed with the “soul of an artist.” The irony of life is that Lopakhin, sincerely striving to save the garden for Ranevskaya, in the end “accidentally” takes possession of it himself. But having achieved success, he does not look like a winner. The paradox is that he is the only person who can truly appreciate the cherry orchard (it is he who owns the most soulful, poetic words about the cherry orchard), it is he who must destroy this beauty with his own hands - there are no other ways out of this situation. So luck turns into a mockery of his best hopes. Why this happened is something neither the hero himself nor anyone else can understand. But it was Lopakhin who wrote the words that are so significant for the author about “a clumsy, unhappy life” that “you know it’s passing.” He is the only one of the heroes who realizes the limitations of his “truth” and the need to search for a “general idea,” which brings his position closer to the author’s point of view. Material from the site
Chekhov in The Cherry Orchard shows the fatal discrepancy between personal good qualities a person, his subjectively good intentions and the results of his social activities. It is with Lopakhin that one of the long-standing and main themes enters into the play Chekhov's works: hostility, illogicality, unbearable complexity, incomprehensibility of life for an ordinary “average” person, no matter who he is. Many other heroes of Chekhov struggle just as unsuccessfully with the mysteries of life - both in his plays and in stories and stories. They turn out to be just as lonely, suffering, dependent on circumstances hostile to them, and therefore Lopakhin is one of the heroes standing on the main line of Chekhov’s creativity.
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