The story of V. P. Astafiev “The Tsar Fish”. Human responsibility before nature. The meaning of the confrontation between man and the king fish

1. The testament of the old fisherman and the symbolism of the image of the king fish.

2. Human life and sins in the face of death.

3. The meaning of the collision between the “king of the river” and “the whole nature of the king.”

You can hide a shameful act from people; from the gods

It didn’t even allow you to hide in your thoughts.

Lucian of Samos

All the works of V. P. Astafiev are imbued with deep love for native land, to nature and all living things. In the story “The King Fish”, outwardly nothing supernatural happens: just an experienced fisherman caught a very large sturgeon, which he could not cope with alone, did not want to call his brother for help, and almost died because of his greed. But behind these stories are the powerful and mysterious elemental forces of nature, which have never completely submitted to man. These forces live according to their own laws, and these laws are somehow unknown to people connected with the concept of higher justice, honesty and purity of the soul. It was not for nothing that the old fisherman warned the young: “And if you, timid ones, have something in your soul, a grave sin, some kind of disgrace, some kind of barnacle - don’t get involved with the king fish, you come across codes - send them away immediately. Push away, push away!.. The Varna business is unreliable.”

The image of the king fish is of great importance for understanding the writer’s intention. The King Fish is not just a big sturgeon, it is a symbol of a human dream about something unprecedented and majestic, about something that no one has been able to achieve. Among fishermen, legends are gradually forming about her, and everyone hopes to catch her, but not everyone succeeds. But here the problem of choice arises: what is better for a person - to catch his dream, his king fish and know that nothing like this will happen again (“a king fish gets caught once in a lifetime...”) or to live with the dream of it? A person needs to strive forward, from a fulfilled dream another one must be born. But what other dream will a fisherman who early childhood All you were thinking about was fish? That’s why the wise old fisherman instructed the youth, speaking at first glance completely absurd words: “... it’s better to let her go, imperceptibly, as if accidentally let go, cross himself and move on with his life, think about her again, look for her.”

To go towards his dream, a person must cleanse himself of his vices and sins - this is the universal moral law. Therefore, a meeting with the king fish, with the mighty element of water, is so dangerous for someone who has committed an unworthy act in his life. In the most ancient ideas of man, water was associated with human emotions; later, in Christianity, the abyss of water began to be associated with human passions and sins. The hero of the story “The King Fish,” finding himself on the verge of death, suddenly remembers his heartless act with the girl he once loved. But, probably, not only this, but also his greed, which forced him to fight the fish alone instead of calling his brother, pulls him to the bottom of the river: “Who is he now? What form does it hatch?.. All grabbers are similar in appearance and in appearance! Only others manage to hide themselves, to hide for the time being, but chance comes, the limit of life overtakes, as the late Kuklin used to say, and rakes everyone into a heap - then distributes them one by one to their places.”

Feeling approaching death, Ignatyich thinks almost with hatred about his addiction to fishing, which pushed aside everything else, obscured life for him: “And because of her, because of this kind of reptile, man was forgotten in man! He was overcome by greed!” He also remembers his tragically deceased niece, reproaching himself for not saving her: “The girl will probably father's last darling, beloved uncle, let her call to herself. And they? Where were they? What did you do?

Hostile, hostile relations with his brother are also relegated to the background. The hero of the story hopes that he will save him from imminent death.

What is the meaning of the confrontation between man and the king fish? It can be understood in different ways. On the one hand, this is a struggle between man and nature, the desire to gain the upper hand over the fish at any cost, a clash of two opposing forces: “What am I? - the fisherman was amazed. “I’m not afraid of God or the devil, I only honor the dark Force... So, maybe that’s the point?” But it’s not just a matter of physical strength - meeting the king fish, the dream of all fishermen, also requires great mental strength. And the hero of the story is gnawed from within by the consciousness of his own meanness, a once-perpetrated dirty trick for which he must be held accountable: “... a woman is a creature of God, for her there is a special judgment and punishment... Are you expecting forgiveness, mercy? From whom? Nature, brother, too female! So, to each his own, but to God - God’s! Free the woman from yourself and from eternal guilt; Before this, accept all the torment in full, for yourself and for those who, at this moment under this sky, on this earth, are torturing a woman, perpetrating dirty tricks on her.”

We are faced with another aspect of the struggle between man and fish: Ignatyich also fights with himself, with his past, with his sins, which became a pleasure for defeating the “king of the river.” Astafiev ends the story on an optimistic note. The hero did not defeat the fish, but the meeting with it, which almost ended in his death, could become the beginning of his moral rebirth and renewal: “... it became easier for him. The body - because the fish did not pull down, did not hang on it like a slouch, the soul - from some kind of liberation, not yet comprehended by the mind.

Mainly devoted to military topics, but in this article we will turn to a work describing the village way of life. Depicting the harsh realities of life on the verge of censorship is what Astafiev has always distinguished. “The King Fish” (a summary and analysis will be the main topics of the article) is the key story of the collection with the same name, therefore its consideration will help to understand the meaning of the entire work and the author’s intention.

About the book

Viktor Astafiev was no stranger to village themes. “The Fish King” is a collection of short stories consisting of twelve works. The main theme of the entire collection is the unity of nature and man. In addition, there is philosophical, social, moral issues, Special attention devoted to environmental issues.

Nature and man are inextricably linked, and in this connection there is their immortality: nothing disappears without a trace, Astafiev believes. “The King Fish” (a brief summary will confirm this) is the central story of the entire collection, it concentrates the author’s main thoughts. Without reading and analyzing it, it is impossible to understand the full depth of the author's intention.

V. Astafiev, “Tsar Fish”: summary

The main character of the story is Ignatyich. He works as a machine operator, loves to delve into technology and is passionate about fishing. This is a good person, ready to selflessly help even to a stranger, but treats others somewhat condescendingly.

Ignatyich was an unsurpassed fisherman. He had no equal in this matter, and therefore he never asked anyone for help and managed it himself. And he also took all the loot for himself.

Brother

Astafiev ("The Fish King") shows a good knowledge of human relationships in his work. Summary talks about Ignatyich's most terrible envious person - his younger brother, also an avid fisherman. Often he managed to force Ignatyich to fishless places, but even there he managed to catch select fish. The commander was angry with our hero because he succeeded in everything, and everything he did went wrong.

One day the brothers met on the river. The younger one began to threaten the older one with a gun. The commander was furious, he hated and envied his brother. But Ignatyich managed to get away from him. The village learned about this incident, and the Commander had to go apologize to his older brother.

King fish

Viktor Astafiev begins to describe his hero’s usual fishing trip. “The Tsar Fish” is an environmental work, so the author does not miss the opportunity to note that Ignatyich is engaged in poaching. That is why the character is in constant tension, afraid of the appearance of fisheries inspection. Any boat passing by becomes a cause for panic.

Ignatyich checks the pre-set traps. They contain a lot of fish, among which the fisherman notices a very large one. It turned out to be a sturgeon that was so tired of escaping the net that it was now simply sinking to the bottom. Ignatyich took a closer look, and something in the appearance of the fish seemed primeval to him. Horror grips the fisherman, he tries to cheer himself up with jokes and inserts new hooks into his prey.

Astafiev continues to develop the action of the short story “The Fish Tsar”. The content of the chapters tells that Ignatyich begins to be overcome by doubts. His inner instinct tells him that you can’t handle the fish alone, you need to call your brother. But the thought that they will have to divide the spoils immediately drives away other arguments.

Greed takes over Ignatyich. He thinks that he himself is no better than other grabbers. But he immediately begins to encourage himself, greed is perceived as excitement. Then the thought occurs to him that the king fish has been caught in his net. Such happiness comes only once in a lifetime, so you can’t miss it. Although my grandfather once said that if you come across a king fish, you need to let it go. But Ignatyich cannot allow even the thought of this.

The fisherman tries to drag the fish into the boat, but falls overboard with it and becomes entangled in the nets. Miraculously, he manages to swim out and grab onto the boat. Ignatyich begins to pray for salvation, repents of having dared to catch the king fish.

The fisherman and his prey huddled together, entangled in the net, and weakened. Ignatyich begins to think that their destinies are intertwined with the king fish, and inevitable death awaits them ahead.

Beast and man

Astafiev’s work “The Fish Tsar” talks about the inextricable connection between man and nature. So, Ignatyich begins to think that nature and people have the same fate.

Suddenly the hero becomes imbued with hatred for the fish, begins to beat it, and persuades it to come to terms with death. But everything is in vain, the fisherman only exhausts himself. In a moment of despair, Ignatyich calls his brother, but there is no one around except the fish.

It gets dark, the fisherman realizes that he is dying. It seems to him that the fish is clinging to him like a woman, and that the fish is a werewolf. Ignatyich begins to remember his life. Childhood, occupied with thoughts of fishing, and not with studies or games... The death of Taika's niece... Grandfather with his advice that you should not catch the king fish if you have sins in your soul...

Ignatyich ponders why he was so cruelly punished and understands that it’s all because of Glashka. Once he was jealous of her, which greatly offended the bride. The girl never forgave him, and retribution has now overtaken the fisherman.

There is the sound of a boat engine. The slave comes to life, begins to fight and, having untangled herself from the net, swims away. Ignatyich also received freedom. And not only physical, but also mental.

V. Astafiev, “Tsar Fish”: analysis

The story “The King Fish” is both symbolic and dramatic. It depicts both the struggle and unity of man with nature. The entire work is permeated with pathos, which is accusatory in nature. The author condemns poaching, understanding it in its very in a broad sense- poaching not only in nature, but also in society. Striving for approval moral ideals covers the entire narrative.

It is no coincidence that the hero and Astafiev himself constantly turn to the past. “The King Fish” (analysis of the episodes confirms this) makes it clear that it is at the moment of proximity to death that comprehension occurs life experience Ignatyich. The formation of the hero’s character directly depends on social and economic factors. And even despite his natural kindness and courage, Ignatyich turns out to be unable to resist them.

Thus, Astafiev emphasizes enormous power society, which influences not only humans, but also nature as a whole.

Students are introduced to Astafiev’s work “The Fish Tsar” in literature lessons in the 11th grade. Its problems are especially relevant due to their environmental focus. In the story “The Fish King,” it is advisable to begin the analysis of the artistic and semantic content with the history of creation and familiarity with the author’s worldviews. Only after getting to know the personality of the writer and his literary principles can be carried out full analysis works, which you can get acquainted with in our article.

Brief Analysis

Year of writing-1976.

History of creation– hard, painstaking work to realize the author’s plan about man’s barbaric attitude towards nature and his moral responsibility to it.

Subject– human responsibility to nature, consumer attitude towards the surrounding living world and moral devastation of man.

Composition– ring composition, classic three-part structure.

Genre- storytelling in stories.

Direction– realism.

History of creation

Meaning of the name The story, which is key in the cycle of the same name, is revealed gradually in the plot of the work. The main character finds himself in a situation where he himself becomes a victim of his own craft. This is a well-deserved fate for someone who has plundered Mother Nature for many years, but an exhausted person does not want to become food for fish and turns to God. Ignatyich’s memory recalls the words of his grandfather, who warned that a meeting with the king fish could turn into disaster if the fisherman’s conscience is not clear. It is a huge silent, but definitely intelligent creature that forces a person to reconsider his life and repent.

In the old days, the sturgeon was called nothing more than “the king of fish,” just as the eagle was called the king of birds. It was this word that Viktor Astafiev resurrected in his work. The King Fish is a symbol of the greatness and intelligence of nature, which is much stronger than man. The image of a “prehistoric” creature reminds the reader that he is only a small part of the vast, immense, eternal force of nature.

Working on a series of stories and finding the right form was not easy for the writer. Huge responsibility to yourself a large number of material, important points, which could not be overlooked - all this did creative process titanically complex.

Subject

Astafiev reveals the theme of the relationship between man and nature, man and society. The consumer attitude of people towards the world around them has become the main problem of the twentieth century. Man takes from nature more than he needs. This could turn into a terrible tragedy.

The main character of the story, Zinovy ​​Ignatyich, feels like the master and rightful owner of all the riches of nature in his native village. Poaching has long ceased to be something shameful for the villagers - it is their ordinary business, in which they compete, sparing nothing in their path.

At Ignatyich's - best house in the village, he has everything his heart desires, he has a huge amount in his bank account, but his thirst and habit of taking the maximum from nature leads him to a dangerous situation.

Idea The story is that man must live in harmony with nature, otherwise he faces death. After reading the story, the only correct conclusion comes - in order to appreciate nature, a person must remember that he is part of it. The story that happened with Ignatyich symbolizes the future of humanity (it will fall into its own traps) if people do not reconsider their relationship with nature.

Composition

The story has a classic three-part composition with exposition, but without epilogue. The denouement comes unexpectedly when Ignatyich feels that the fish has escaped and swam away, which means he has a chance to live. Last words stories sound wise and solemn, main character bows before the powerful force that gave him the opportunity to correct his mistakes and continue his earthly path. The story has a ring composition related to the theme of water as a powerful element: he “falls” into the water at the beginning of the work and is again “reborn” from the water after the river gives him a second chance.

Genre

In terms of volume and content, Astafiev’s cycle of short stories claimed to be a novel genre. But the writer did not want to take on such a large-scale responsibility in artistically, he was more interested in the semantic part of the future work. The author named his book “narrative in stories”, many literary critics call them short stories because of their vivid plot.

Thus, the narrative genre in the stories emphasizes their isolation, but the commonality of the characters and ideas makes the book whole and easy to understand. One art space in the series of stories serves one important purpose - to expose poaching and barbaric attitude towards nature, to stop the large-scale environmental disaster that threatens humanity.

"Tsar Fish" - a symbol of wisdom

A long time ago, even in Celtic mythology, this “king fish” was considered a symbol of wisdom and knowledge, although it served as food for the poor. Subsequently, it began to be perceived as a luxury that can only be afforded on holidays. But in our time, this delicacy is grown artificially, and it has become publicly available. This is salmon and its “brothers and sisters”.

The salmon family is large, it includes fish such as salmon, trout, pink salmon, chum salmon, and coho salmon. Each of them is unique in taste qualities. We'll talk specifically about salmon. The fact that this fish is smart is confirmed by recent research by American scientists: Atlantic salmon is able to sense a predator by its scent and does everything possible to avoid an unnecessary encounter. And the taste of such wild salmon is considered the most exquisite. Although farmed salmon is more affordable and therefore more widely sold (however, it is less healthy for the body). Wild salmon are usually caught from February to August. Well, farm-grown - all year round.

What should you pay attention to when choosing this smart fish? It should smell slightly of the sea, but in no case have a distinct smell of fish - this is the first sign of a stale product. Fresh fish's eyes are not cloudy, the gills are bright red, there is no mucus on the scales, and the flesh is without spots or streaks, soft and dense (that is, it has not been re-frozen). After purchasing salmon, try to eat the fish while it is fresh; do not store it in the refrigerator for a long time. In the freezer, however, frozen fish can last 3-4 weeks.

Now about the nutritional value of salmon (as well as the entire salmon family). It's no secret that this is an excellent source of protein (one serving - 200 g - contains up to 40 g of protein) and, most importantly, Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which improve the functioning of the heart, brain, eyes and joints, and also reduce the level of bad cholesterol in the blood. A great content vitamin D and calcium helps normal bone structure, preventing osteoporosis.

Once upon a time, according to tradition, Thursday was considered fish day. It’s better to give yourself at least two fish days a week. And there are simply countless recipes for this versatile fish. For example, here is the simplest one: salmon steak can be poured with lemon juice and baked in the oven or grilled. Or even complement this recipe with cream sauce with tarragon. Or honey and soy sauce dressing.
By the way, if you have a dream in which you eat salmon, your career will soon take off: your bosses will appreciate you.

Salmon soup

For 4 persons: salmon (head, backbone, fins and trimmings) - 600 g, potatoes - 4 pcs., onions - 1 pc., carrots - 1 pc., green onions - a bunch, dried marjoram - a pinch, Bay leaf, salt

Place the fish in a saucepan and add water (3 liters). Add salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove the fish from the broth. Peel the potatoes, cut them and place them in a saucepan with broth. After 10 minutes, add grated carrots and chopped onions. Cook until the vegetables are ready. Add pieces of salmon, marjoram, and bay leaf to the soup. Serve with chopped green onions.

Grilled salmon in white wine

For 4 persons: salmon steaks - 4 pcs., sugar - 50 g, dry white wine - 100 ml, lemon juice - 1 tsp, butter - 30 g, parsley - a bunch, salt, ground black pepper

Mix sugar, wine, chopped parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Wash and dry the fish. Place in the marinade, cover with film and leave for 2 hours. Place the salmon in a frying pan, pour in the marinade, add butter and fry on both sides for 5 minutes. Then place the fish on the grill pan, brush with marinade again and fry for 4 minutes on each side.

Salmon tartare

For 4 persons: salmon (fillet) - 500 g, pickled capers - 1 tbsp. l., shallots - 3 heads, chives - 1 bunch, soy sauce - 1 tbsp. l., lemon juice - 3 tbsp. l., olive oil - 1 tbsp. l., salt, ground black pepper

Chop the salmon into small 0.5 cm cubes. Chop the shallots, chives and capers very finely. Place the mixture in a bowl, add soy sauce, olive oil, sprinkle with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Place a cooking ring on a plate, place the prepared tartare there, and press down. Remove the ring. Can be served with arugula and whole grain bread.

Every writer touches on the theme of nature in any of his works. This could be a simple description of where the events are unfolding. of this work or an expression of the hero’s feelings, but the author always shows his position, his attitude towards nature.

Victor Astafiev defines nature with the help of a symbol - the almost mythical king fish: the fish looked like a “prehistoric lizard”, “eyes without eyelids, without eyelashes, naked, looking with serpentine coldness, concealed something in themselves.” This image-symbol gradually becomes the plot center of both the story and the entire book, all its short stories.

Each writer insists on his own and often refuses to understand and comprehend the position opposite to his own. Astafiev, in his work “The Fish King,” tries to understand this problem and find an answer to this important question for everyone: what is nature - a temple or a human slave?

The main character of this narrative in the stories is Ignatyich, a fisherman. He has been fishing all his life and knows how to do it very well. Not a single fish, in any place of the river, even in the most remote and uninhabited, will be able to escape from his nets. He conquered the river. Here he is the king, the king of nature. And he behaves like a king: he is careful, he completes all his affairs. But how does he manage the wealth entrusted to him? Ignatyich is fishing. But why does he need it in such large quantities? His family is wealthy enough to live and feed themselves without this “profit.” He does not sell the fish he catches. And in order to engage in fishing, he has to hide from fisheries supervision, because this activity is considered poaching. What motivates him? And here we see our king of nature from the other side. All his actions are driven by greed. Besides him, there are many good fishermen in the village, and there is an unannounced competition between them. If your networks bring more fish, then you are the best. And because of this selfish desire, people destroy fish, which means they are gradually destroying nature, wasting the only valuable thing that is on earth.

But why does nature need such a king who does not value the wealth he owns? Will she really submit and not overthrow him? Then the king fish appears, the queen of the rivers, sent to fight the king of nature. Every fisherman dreams of catching the king fish, because it is a sign from above. The legend says: if you catch the king fish, release it and don’t tell anyone about it. This fish symbolizes the peculiarity of the person who caught it, his superiority over others. What happens to Ignatyich when he meets this messenger of nature? There are two conflicting feelings in him: on the one hand, the desire to pull out the king fish, so that later the whole village will know about his skill, on the other hand, superstitious fear and the desire to release the fish in order to get rid of this burden that is too much for him. But still, the first feeling wins: greed takes precedence over conscience. Ignatyich decides to pull out this fish at all costs and become known as the best fisherman in the entire area. He vaguely understands that he cannot cope alone, but he suppresses the thoughts that he could call his brother for help, because then he would have to share both the booty and the glory with him. And greed destroys him. Ignatyich finds himself alone in the water with the “fish”. The wounded king of nature and the queen of rivers meet in equal combat with the elements. Now the king of nature no longer controls the situation, nature conquers him, and gradually he humbles himself. Together with the fish, huddled close to each other and calmed by this touch, they await their death.

Ignatyich asks: “Lord, let this fish go!” He himself is no longer able to do this. Their fate is now in the hands of nature. This means that it is not man who creates nature, but nature that rules over man. But nature is not so merciless, it gives a person a chance to improve, she waits for repentance. Ignatyich - clever man, he understands his guilt and sincerely repents of what he has done, but not only that: he remembers all his past actions, analyzes his life. This incident makes him remember all his old sins and think about how he will live further if he survives here. It may seem that Astafiev with his thoughts only further confused the reader, and did not build his thoughts, but still he gives an answer to difficult question: nature is a temple where man cannot manage at his own discretion, but still he must help this temple enrich itself, because man is part of nature, and he is called upon to protect this only home for all living things.

The work “The Fish King” is written as a narrative within stories. The book consists of many short stories, essays, stories. Some stories were written in artistic style, others in journalism. This diversity allows you to much more accurately assess the situation and unfolding events, look at problems from different angles and find the only correct solution. It also allows you to cover a large number of problems. Different styles make the events occurring in the story more realistic. In this work, Astafiev seems to ask you: are you using what is given to you correctly, are you not wasting the wealth given to us - nature? The truth written here brightens memory and thoughts and makes you look at the world with different eyes.