In the work “The Man in a Case,” the author masterfully selected the characters; the list of characters includes absolutely opposite, incompatible people who are forced to get along while working in a gymnasium and living in a small town. In Chekhov's works, questions of morality, conscience, and personal choice often arise. The main characters of “The Man in a Case” make the reader think about our own “case”, about whether we have real freedom while living in society.
Characteristics of the characters “Man in a Case”
Main characters
Ivan Ivanovich |
Veterinarian wears a long mustache. Tall, thin old man. He has a strange double surname - Chimsha-Himalayan, which, according to others, does not suit him. For this reason, Ivan Ivanovich is called by his first name and patronymic. Together with the second narrator, he came to hunt, to breathe fresh air to the village of Mironositskoye. |
Burkina |
He works at the gymnasium, a short, plump, bald man with a long beard. Burkin is a good storyteller, an experienced, observant person, a kind of philosopher. He lived in the same house as main character story, in the apartment opposite. According to Burkin, burying people like Belikov is akin to pleasure. |
Belikov |
Teacher Greek language, about whom Burkin tells his hunting companion. This man went out into the street in any weather with an umbrella, wearing galoshes, and raising his collar high. He was frightened by any changes; he perceived prohibitions as the norm. Fearing everything new and unusual, he condemned any deviation in behavior, even the most harmless. Living in a case is his most comfortable state. Outside his shell, he is constantly afraid that “something might happen.” To his characterization we can add the fact that when he died, everyone experienced great relief. |
Mikhail Kovalenko |
Teacher, colleague of Belikov and Burkina. A tall, strong man speaking in a loud bass voice. From the first day we met, he hated Belikov; he sincerely doesn’t understand why everyone is afraid of him, why he goes to visit people if he just sits silently and looks at the owners. This man played decisive role in the fate of the Greek teacher - he told him the whole truth, refused the silent patience characteristic of those around him. Kicking the hated guest out of his house, he lowers Belikov down the stairs and calls him “fiscal.” |
Varenka Kovalenko |
Mikhail's sister, Belikov's beloved, she is 30 years old. Varvara Savvishna beautiful woman, cheerful laugh. She sings beautifully, which charmed her colleagues and Belikov. Varenka's portrait appears on the main character's table. Sister and brother often argue and quarrel because they live together. For this reason, colleagues purposefully woo Varvara Belikova, deciding that she is not against such a groom. |
Minor characters
Conclusion
The central image of Belikov is something unimaginably strange, empty, limited; for such people, life itself is unnatural and terrible. Belikov's entire existence is a hyperbole with a negative sign. The most important idea of the story is not to get bogged down in your “case” of doubts, fears, prejudices, not to set restrictions on yourself and those around you, to live fully, with thirst, with joy.
Work test
When I try to imagine Belikov, I see a little man locked in a tight little black box. A man in a case... What a seemingly strange expression, but how accurately it reflects the human essence.
And the most interesting thing is that this little man does not try to escape from the walls surrounding him, he feels good there, cozy, calm, he is fenced off from the whole world, scary world forcing people to suffer, to suffer, putting them in front of complex problems, the solution of which requires a certain determination and prudence.
Chekhov paints a man who does not need this world, he has his own, which seems better to him. Everything there is dressed in a cover, covered with it both inside and outside. Let us remember what Belikov looked like: even “in very good weather” he “walked in galoshes and with an umbrella and certainly in a warm coat with cotton wool.” Both his umbrella and his watch were in a case, even “... his face, it seemed, was also in a case, since he kept hiding it in his raised collar.” Belikov always wore “dark glasses, a sweatshirt, stuffed his ears with cotton wool, and when he got on the cab, he ordered the top to be raised.” That is, the desire to retreat into a case made itself felt always and everywhere.
He “always praised the past and what never happened,” but the present caused him true disgust. What about his thinking? It, too, is all clogged and sewn up. He even hid his thoughts in a case. “Only circulars and newspaper articles were clear to him in which something was prohibited.” Why? Yes, because everything in the ban is clear, definite, and understandable. Everything is in a case, nothing is allowed! This is it ideal life in Belikov's understanding.
It would seem that you live in your own case - please continue to live. But Belikov was not like that. Your chains, chains of rules, unquestioning submission, true love he imposes on his superiors on everyone around him.
He oppresses everyone with incredible caution, case-like considerations, puts pressure on people, as if enveloping them in his dark cover. Belikov is against everything new, bright, constantly afraid that something might not work out, that it might not reach the authorities! The case “covers” his brain, suppressing positive emotions on the vine. This “black case” can’t hold up bright light, therefore, away with everything, even the most innocent, but not prescribed by the circular, entertainment.
Belikov realizes, when working in a team, that it is necessary to maintain relationships with colleagues, and therefore tries to show friendliness and be a good comrade. This is, of course, wonderful, but how do these feelings find expression? He comes to visit someone, sits quietly in the corner and is silent, thereby, as he thinks, fulfilling the duty of a true comrade.
Naturally, no one loves this timid “gray mouse”, and no one expects love from him. But even in such a person some feelings awaken, albeit very weak, one might say, “still in the very embryonic stage,” but they are there.
And these feelings arise in relation to Varvara Savvishna Kovalenko, the sister of the new history and geography teacher. But even here Belikov “hides his head in the sand” - everything needs to be thought out and checked. “I like Varvara Savvishna... and I know that every person needs to get married, but... all this, you know, happened somehow suddenly... We need to think about it.”
Even Belikov’s wedding must be strictly “regulated”, otherwise “you get married, and then, what good, you’ll end up in some kind of story.” It is very difficult for Belikov to make a responsible decision. He needs to prepare for a long time, get ready, and then, lo and behold, the problem will be solved by itself, everything will be quiet and calm again.
In addition, Belikov is very touchy and vulnerable. Maybe that's why he's so careful? Let us remember how the caricature affects him, what he experiences when Varya sees him falling from the stairs. These shocks break through the case, and for Belikov this is tantamount to death in the literal sense of the word.
When Belikov dies, it seems that it was for this moment that he lived. “Now, when he lay in the coffin, his expression was meek, pleasant, even cheerful, as if he was glad that he had finally been put in a case from which he would never come out.”
Yes, Belikov won’t come out; but how many more of these little men are left in the case, how many more will there be!
Perhaps there will be many more.
But let’s try to think about what awaits a person who leads a case lifestyle in old age. After all, probably in the end life path there needs to be a feeling of not
You lived in this world in vain, you need someone who would take care of you, give you, so to speak, “water to drink.”
And if a person lived in a case, a case “without windows, without doors,” what awaits him? Loneliness, I think, and the reluctance of others to take any part in his fate. And loneliness is scary, even for those who are covered from head to toe.
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MAN IN A CASE
(Story, 1898)
Belikov- the main character, a high school teacher of the Greek language. A Burkin gymnasium teacher tells veterinarian Ivan Ivanovich Chimshe-Gimalaysky about him. At the beginning of the story he gives full description V.: “He was remarkable in that he always, even in very good weather, went out in galoshes and with an umbrella and certainly in a warm coat with cotton wool. And he had an umbrella in a case, and a watch in a gray suede case, and when he took out a penknife to sharpen a pencil, his knife was also in a case; and his face, it seemed, was also in a cover, since he kept hiding it in his raised collar. He wore dark glasses, a sweatshirt, stuffed his ears with cotton wool, and when he got on the cab, he ordered the top to be raised. In a word, this man had a constant and irresistible desire to surround himself with a shell, to create for himself, so to speak, a case that would seclude him and protect him from external influences. Reality irritated him, frightened him, kept him in constant anxiety, and, perhaps, in order to justify this timidity of his, his aversion to the present, he always praised the past and what never happened; and the ancient languages that he taught were for him, in essence, the same galoshes and umbrella where he hid from real life.”
B.’s main fear is “that something might not work out.” Any deviation from the accepted rules makes him despondent and anxious. His fear is not only existential, but also social in nature - he is afraid that it will not reach his superiors. Despite his inconspicuousness and dullness, B., according to Burkin, “held in his hands” not only the gymnasium, but the entire city, where, under his influence, “they began to fear everything.” The metaphor of the case, acquiring more and more new details of Belikov’s fear of life, unfolds throughout the entire narrative.
With the appearance in the city of a new history and geography teacher, Mikhail Savvich Kovalenko, and his sister Varenka, who unexpectedly shows affection for B., society decides to marry the hero to her. They convince him that marriage is a serious step, that he must definitely get married, and B.
agrees, but thoughts of marriage plunge him into debilitating anxiety, so that he loses weight, turns pale and retreats even deeper into his case. He is confused primarily by the “strange way of thinking” of his possible bride and her brother. He walks a lot with Varenka and often comes to visit them, but he hesitates to propose. One day B. sees her and her brother riding bicycles, and this makes him dumbfounded. He goes to Kovalenko, who hates him, and “like an older comrade,” he warns: such fun as riding a bicycle is “completely indecent for a teacher of youth.” In addition, he warns his colleague that he will have to report the conversation to the director of the gymnasium. In response, Kovalenko declares that he does not like fiscals and lowers B. down the stairs. After everything that happened, the hero falls ill and dies a month later. Burkin summarizes: “Now, when he lay in the coffin, his expression was meek, pleasant, even cheerful, as if he was glad that he was finally put in a case from which he would never come out.”
The image of B. - “a man in a case”, a comic figure, almost a caricature, but also expressing the tragedy of life, became a household name during Chekhov’s lifetime.
To the question: Why did Belikov die? given by the author Ilya Zhelnov the best answer is “Man in a Case.” The Greek teacher Belikov appears to the reader as a surprisingly unpleasant type. He is disgusting both in himself and in all his manifestations. It turns out that “this little man, who always wore galoshes and carried an umbrella, controlled the entire gymnasium for fifteen years.” Respect for others, love, and compassion are absolutely alien to Belikov. He lives in his own closed little world among circulars and rules written by no one knows who. Belikov is completely unspiritual, despite the fact that, as a gymnasium teacher, he can be considered an educated person. The man in the case doesn’t even feel sorry for himself. He places many restrictions in his own life.
The author talks about it as follows: “And at home it’s the same story: robe, cap, shutters, latches, whole line all sorts of prohibitions, restrictions, and - oh, no matter what happens! It is harmful to eat fast food, but it is impossible to eat fast food, because, perhaps, they will say that Belikov does not fast, and he ate pike perch in cow butter - the food is not fast, but it cannot be said that it is fast.”
Even such little things paint a very colorful image of a person in a case. He is completely unnatural, he drives deep into himself all the natural manifestations of his soul. He is merciless towards others if their behavior does not comply with certain established rules and circulars. He is low, capable of meanness and evokes neither pity nor sympathy.
The relationship between Belikov and Varenka is interesting. At first glance, it seems as if at least some human weaknesses and feelings have finally appeared in the soul of the man in the case. But it was not there. The episode when Belikov saw Varenka riding a bicycle showed the true nature of the man in the case. He is not able to forgive any non-compliance with the rules to everyone around him, and Varenka is no exception. Naturally, Belikov is outraged that the girl is riding a bicycle. Although if you think about it, there is absolutely nothing reprehensible in this. Every person is free to dispose own life and do what he considers necessary, and such a trifle as riding a bicycle does not deserve such close attention and serious resonance.
True, Belikov has a different opinion about this “incident”. He strives to subordinate everything around him to established rules, and any discrepancy plunges him into shock. WHY DID BELIKOV DIED? He died of shock, because he had to face something out of the ordinary. Belikov found himself humiliated, trampled, and then ridiculed. Belikov's death caused deep relief among those around him. They felt freer, although not for long.
At the end of the story, the reader is offered the author’s thought about how common the notorious “case” is in the surrounding life: “But isn’t it the fact that we live in a city in a stuffy, cramped environment, write unnecessary papers, play screw - isn’t that a case? ? And the fact that we spend our whole lives among idle people, quarrelsome people, stupid, idle women, talking and listening to all sorts of nonsense - isn’t this a case? "
We have to admit that it is very difficult for a person to influence the boundaries of this very “case”. And life turns out to be unreal, miserable, turns into a gray and worthless vegetation. Chekhov's story “The Man in a Case” shows how strong vulgarity can be, preventing a person from thinking and acting as his soul desires. But nevertheless, such an event in the story as the death of Belikov indicates that vulgarity can still be dealt with. All it takes is a small effort from a person to turn everything around. For example, in this story, in order to cope with Belikov, it was enough to laugh at him, without being afraid to show true feelings
I want to describe the main character, Belikov, in Anton Pavlovich Chekhov's story "The Man in a Case". Belikov occupies the main place in the story, since it is about his life, appearance, and how others treat him.
The most ordinary Greek teacher in a gymnasium, unmarried, lives in a small room. His room is as small as a bear's den, a table and a canopy crib. He also has a cook named Afanasy, about sixty years old. When going to bed, Belikov always covered his head, was afraid of extraneous noises, heard the ominous sighs of Afanasy... He constantly thought that the cook, for no apparent reason, might suddenly kill him... Every night, because of these thoughts, he could not calmly sleep. And in the morning, when I had to go to the gymnasium, I was bored and pale. This is what it means to live a “case life”! Belikov looked very gloomy and monotonous: “he wore dark glasses, a sweatshirt, stuffed his ears with cotton wool, and when he got into the cab, he ordered the top to be raised. In a word, this man had a constant and irresistible desire to surround himself with a shell, to create for himself, so to speak, a case , which would seclude him, protect him from external influences. Reality irritated him, frightened him, kept him in constant anxiety, and, perhaps, in order to justify this timidity, his aversion to the present, he always praised the past, and even then, which never happened; and the ancient languages that he taught were for him, in essence, the same galoshes and an umbrella where he hid from real life."
From these signs one can understand that Belikov is an uncommunicative, suspicious, and modest person.
- Oh, how sonorous, how beautiful the Greek language is! - he said with a sweet expression; and, as if to prove his words, narrowing his eye and raising his finger, said:
- Anthropos!
But Belikov’s favorite phrase was: “No matter what happens!” And also, when entering the gymnasium, he constantly repeated to his colleagues: “They are very noisy in our classes.”
Because of his character, Belikov kept the entire gymnasium in fear, and what about the gymnasium, the whole city!!! Imagine, because of him, students were not allowed to go out after nine, and they were forbidden to write about carnal love in articles. People stopped getting to know each other, sending letters... That's how much he influenced the reality around him.
He absolutely loved the language he taught. I devoted my whole life to it! Once, when his future bride Varenka was singing Little Russian romances, he sat down next to her and said, admiringly:
- The Little Russian language, with its tenderness and pleasant sonority, resembles ancient Greek.
As mentioned earlier, he kept the entire city in fear. But not only students, but also teachers, and even the director were afraid of him! The ladies didn’t put on performances on Saturdays, they were afraid, what if he found out! They were afraid to eat or play cards in his presence. Because of people like Belikov, over the last ten to fifteen years the city became like a dead village - no one went out into the street, talked, read books, didn’t help the poor, didn’t teach literacy... Everyone knew that seeing this, Belikov will definitely say: “All this is good, but no matter what happens!” These words of his upset everyone very much. And when he died, everyone breathed a sigh of relief!
With this story, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov wanted to show that people like Belikov are not worth being. What joy is there in the fact that everyone is afraid of you, you are not friends with anyone, you don’t talk? And when you leave for the next world, no one feels sorry for you, no one misses you, but everyone just rejoices and rejoices!
So get to know each other more often, communicate, and your soul will feel better.