One of central characters plays by A.P. Chekhov is an enterprising native of the lower classes. Outwardly, it seems that the actions do not develop around him, he stands aside from the problem of the work. In reality, everything is completely different. The image and characterization of Lopakhin in the play “ The Cherry Orchard"is a brilliant example of a brilliant author’s skillful use of words. With short strokes, insignificant actions, he brings you out of the shadows new class society.
Character's appearance and origin
Ermolai Alekseevich comes from a poor peasant family. The cruel father beat his son with a stick and did not provide him with the necessities. Ermolai ran barefoot in the snow and did not study anywhere. The serf grandfather and father were “in slavery” to Ranevskaya’s parents. Ermolai likes to call himself a “man.” By this word he means a whole class of serfs working for the owners. Men were not allowed into the house, even into those rooms where the owners were rarely present. From the son’s words, it becomes clear that the father’s profession and occupation is a merchant in a shop. Perhaps the father's trading spirit developed into the son's entrepreneurial spirit. At some moments it seems that Lopakhin is not proud, but boasts of his origin. But there are probably mixed feelings here. Ermolai Alekseevich is pleased with himself: he managed to acquire an estate that his ancestors could not even dream of.
The young merchant is neat in appearance. It’s strange, but the author does not talk about Lopakhin’s age. One can only guess that he is somewhere between 30 and 40. He was about 15 years old when Ranevskaya was young and thin. What the classic emphasizes in the character’s appearance:
- Tender fingers;
- White vest;
- Yellow shoes.
Character of the hero
Lopakhin is shown from different sides. His character allows you to choose the most striking features:- Hard work: gets up at 5 am and works until late at night.
- Intelligence: A man without education achieves success in accumulating wealth.
- Modesty: does not renounce his peasant origins.
- Self-criticism: Ermolai knows his weak sides, is not afraid to voice them to others: a blockhead, an idiot, bad handwriting.
Lopakhin can be rude, so Gaev calls him a fist. The man does not pay attention to such remarks addressed to him; perhaps Gaev is not the person whose words are worth listening to. Trofimov compares Ermolai with a predator. In the plot of the play, the predatory nature manifests itself very clearly. Lopakhin “swallowed” the cherry orchard, not noticing how much grief it brought to those around him. Moreover, it should be noted that some of them are close to him.
Beliefs and authorities
Ermolai Alekseevich is not afraid of working on the land. Agriculture gives him a good income: he sows poppies and receives 40 thousand. He admires nature, but surprisingly only that which brings profit. Blooming poppy – beautiful picture. Huge forests, vast fields, the deepest horizons force Lopakhin’s brain to work with triple strength. He imagines people as giants who must master all natural gifts. But the cherry orchard does not delight the merchant. He sees in it only areas for summer cottages. The gentle soul of a man is not upset at the thought of the destruction of the garden. The only wonderful thing about the garden is that it is big. The size is commensurate with the possible income. Delicious aromatic berries are not interesting. They will be born 2 times a year, what to do with them. It is not even profitable to trade them.The main belief of a merchant is the importance of money. The more he hangs around among them, the less he sees decent people. Everyone seems dishonest, envious and evil to him. It cannot be said that money made Lopakhin a stingy person. HE lends, the classic does not specify the terms of the debt, but not everyone wants to take advantage of the merchant’s generosity. Pyotr Trofimov prefers to remain poor, but not a debtor to the merchant. Ranevskaya easily asks for a loan.
Lopakhin and the owners of the cherry orchard
Ermolai has known Ranevskaya since childhood. He treats her with tenderness. From the hero’s remarks, the viewer learns that the owner of the estate did a lot of good for the merchant. Love for a woman as to a loved one, sister, friend. The relationship is of a trusting nature. Ermolai wants Ranevskaya to continue to believe him. Interesting phrase:“Sleep peacefully, there is a way out...”
But when the decision with the garden is made, from Lopakhin former owners no proposals were received.
According to some literary scholars, Ermolai Alekseevich loves Ranevskaya more than his own. A bright feeling, a desire to help runs through the entire plot, but others believe that for the merchant, the love for Lyubov Andreevna ends with the fate of the cherry orchard. He himself cuts down what he kept deep in his soul.
Lopakhin and adopted daughter Ranevskaya
The girl adopted into the family sincerely loves Ermolai. She hopes that Lopakhin is good soulful person. In a conversation with Lyubov Andreevna, Ermolai does not refuse marriage: “I’m not averse to…”. But for more than 2 years, their imaginary connection has only been heard in the air. The merchant avoids Varya, remains silent in her presence or jokes. IN latest acts In the play, the mother asks Lopakhin to offer his hand and propose, to end this problem. There are many contradictions in the set of words of Ermolai’s monologue:- I don’t understand - I confess;
- There is still time - even now;
- Let's finish - that's it;
- Without you, I won’t make an offer.
The success of the entire play depends on the performer of the role of Lopakhin. This is the opinion of the author. The classic puts the future owner, rather than the current owners of the garden, at the center of the action. The play becomes the starting point of the new life of each hero. Lopakhin is the reason for the changes. His sober outlook, practicality, and business acumen attract viewers.
Introduction
“...if it (the role) fails, then the whole play will fail.” This is how Chekhov spoke in one of his letters about the role of Lopakhin from the play “The Cherry Orchard.” Oddly enough, the author places the center of attention not on Ranevskaya, the owner of the cherry orchard, but on Lopakhin. The merchant, a rather narrow-minded person, who himself honestly admits that he is essentially “a blockhead and an idiot” - this is the characterization of Lopakhin from “The Cherry Orchard” that is first remembered by readers. And yet it is precisely him who the author calls the “central” figure in the work! A number of critics echo him, defining this hero as a hero of new times, a viable person “ new formation", with a sober and clear view of things. In order to better understand this contradictory image, let us analyze Lopakhin.
Life path of Lopakhin
The fate of Lopakhin, Ermolai Alekseevich from the very beginning is closely intertwined with the fate of the Ranevskaya family. His father was a serf to Ranevskaya’s father, and traded “in a shop in the village.” One day, Lopakhin recalls in the first act, his father drank and broke his face. Then young Ranevskaya took him to her place, washed him and consoled him: “Don’t cry, little man, he’ll heal before the wedding.” Lopakhin still remembers these words, and they resonate in him in two ways. On the one hand, he is pleased by Ranevskaya’s affection, on the other, the word “peasant” hurts his pride. It was his father who was a man, Lopakhin protests, and he himself “made it into the people” and became a merchant. He has a lot of money, “a white vest and yellow shoes” - and he achieved all this himself. His parents didn’t teach him anything, his father only beat him when he was drunk. Remembering this, the hero admits that, in essence, he remained a peasant: his handwriting is bad, and he doesn’t understand anything about books - “he read a book and fell asleep.”
Lopakhin's energy and hard work deserves undoubted respect. From five o'clock he is already on his feet, works from morning to evening and cannot imagine his life without work. An interesting detail is that due to his activities, he always lacks time; some business trips on which he goes are constantly mentioned. This character in the play looks at his watch more often than others. In contrast to the amazingly impractical Ranevskaya family, he knows the score of both time and money.
At the same time, Lopakhin cannot be called a money-grubber or an unprincipled “grabber merchant”, like those merchants whose images Ostrovsky loved to paint. This can be evidenced at least by the ease with which he parted with his money. During the course of the play, Lopakhin will give or offer to lend money more than once (remember the dialogue with Petya Trofimov and eternal debtor Simeonov-Pishchik). And most importantly, Lopakhin is sincerely worried about the fate of Ranevskaya and her estate. The merchants from Ostrovsky's plays would never do what comes to Lopakhin's mind - he himself offers Ranevskaya a way out of the situation. But the profit that can be made by renting out a cherry orchard for summer cottages is not small at all (Lopakhin calculates it himself).
And it would be much more profitable to wait until the day of the auction and secretly buy a profitable estate. But no, the hero is not like that, he will more than once invite Ranevskaya to think about her fate. Lopakhin is not trying to buy a cherry orchard. “I teach you every day,” he says to Ranevskaya in despair shortly before the auction. And it’s not his fault that in response he will hear the following: dachas are “so vulgar”, Ranevskaya will never agree to this. But let him, Lopakhin, not leave, it’s “still more fun” with him...
Characteristics of Lopakhin through the eyes of other characters
So, before us appears an extraordinary character, in which business acumen and practical intelligence are combined with sincere affection for the Ranevsky family, and this attachment, in turn, contradicts his desire to profit from their estate. To get a more accurate idea of the image of Lopakhin in Chekhov’s play “The Cherry Orchard,” let’s look at how the other characters speak about him. The range of these reviews will be wide - from “the enormous mind of a person” (Simeonov-Pishchik) to “a predatory beast that eats everything in its path” (Petya).
A striking negative description belongs to Ranevskaya’s brother, Gaev: “boorish, fist.” Lopakhin is somewhat beautified in Gaev’s eyes by the fact that he is “Varin’s fiancé,” and yet this does not prevent Gaev from considering the merchant a limited person. However, let's see from whose lips such a description of Lopakhin sounds in the play? Lopakhin himself repeats it, and repeats it without malice: “Let him speak.” For him, in his own words, only one thing is important - that Ranevskaya’s “amazing, touching eyes” look at him “as before.”
Ranevskaya herself treats Lopakhin with warmth. For her he is “good, interesting person" And yet, from every phrase of Ranevskaya it is clear that she and Lopakhin are people of different circles. Lopakhin sees in Ranevskaya something more than just an old acquaintance...
Test of love
Throughout the play, every now and then there is a conversation about the marriage of Lopakhin and Varya, this is spoken of as a matter already decided. In response to Ranevskaya’s direct proposal to take Varya as his wife, the hero replies: “I’m not averse... She good girl" And yet the wedding never takes place. But why?
Of course, this can be explained by the practicality of Lopakhin the merchant, who does not want to take a dowry for himself. In addition, Varya has certain rights to the cherry orchard, and her soul cares for it. Cutting down the garden comes between them. Varya explains her failure in love even more simply: in her opinion, Lopakhin simply does not have time for feelings, he is a businessman incapable of love. On the other hand, Varya herself does not suit Lopakhin. Her world is limited by housework, she is dry and “looks like a nun.” Lopakhin more than once demonstrates the breadth of his soul (let us remember his statement about the giants who are so lacking in Rus'). From Varya’s incoherent dialogues with Lopakhin, it becomes clear: they absolutely do not understand each other. And Lopakhin, deciding for himself Hamlet’s question “To be or not to be?”, acts honestly. Realizing that he will not find happiness with Varya, he, like the district Hamlet, says: “Okhmelia, go to the monastery”...
The point, however, is not only the incompatibility of Lopakhin and Varya, but the fact that the hero has another, unexpressed love. This is Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya, whom he loves “more than his own.” Throughout the entire play, Lopakhin’s bright, reverent attitude toward Ranevskaya runs as the leitmotif. He decides to propose to Varya after a request from Ranevskaya, but here he cannot overcome himself.
Lopakhin’s tragedy lies in the fact that for Ranevskaya he remained the same little man whom she once carefully washed. And at that moment when he finally understands that the “dear” that he kept in his soul will not be understood, a turning point occurs. All the heroes of “The Cherry Orchard” lose something of their own, cherished – Lopakhin is no exception. Only in the image of Lopakhin does his feeling for Ranevskaya appear as a cherry orchard.
Lopakhin's celebration
And then it happened - Lopakhin acquired Ranevskaya’s estate at auction. Lopakhin is the new owner of the cherry orchard! Now a predatory element really emerges in his character: “I can pay for anything!” The understanding that he bought an estate where once, “poor and illiterate,” did not dare to go beyond the kitchen, intoxicates him. But in his voice one can hear irony, self-mockery. Apparently, Lopakhin already understands that his triumph will not last long - he can buy a cherry orchard, “there is nothing more beautiful in the world,” but buying a dream is not in his power, it will vanish like smoke. Ranevskaya can still be consoled, because she is, after all, leaving for Paris. And Lopakhin remains alone, understanding this very well. “Goodbye” is all he can say to Ranevskaya, and this absurd word raises Lopakhin to the level of a tragic hero.
Work test
His father was a serf of Ranevskaya’s grandfather and father, and traded in a shop in the village. Now Lopakhin has become rich. His characterization is given by Chekhov, including in the first person. However, he speaks of himself with irony that he remained a “man and man.” Talking about his childhood, the hero notes that his dad was a man who did not understand anything. He did not teach his son, but only beat him when he was drunk. Lopakhin admits that he, too, is, in essence, “a blockhead and an idiot.” He didn’t learn anything, his handwriting is bad.
Lopakhin's business acumen
Of course, Lopakhin, whose characteristics interest us, has enterprise, business acumen and intelligence. The scale of its activities is much wider than that of its previous owners. He's energetic. Moreover, the bulk of this hero’s fortune was earned by his own labor. The path to wealth was not easy for him. Individual remarks and remarks indicate that this merchant has some kind of big “business”. He is completely absorbed in it. At the same time, Lopakhin easily parted with his money, lending it to Simeonov-Pishchik and Ranevskaya, persistently offering it to Petya Trofimov. This hero always lacks time: he either goes on business trips or returns. By his own admission, he gets up at five o'clock in the morning and works from morning to evening. Ermolai Alekseevich says that he cannot live without work. It is Lopakhin who looks at his watch more often than others in the work. His characterization is supplemented by this essential detail already at the beginning of the work. His first line in the play is: "What time is it?" This merchant is constantly mindful of time.
Perception of Lopakhin by the characters in the play
This hero is perceived differently characters plays. Their reviews of him are very contradictory. This is a “good, interesting person” for Ranevskaya, a “fist” and “boor” for Gaev, “a man of enormous intelligence” for Simeonov-Pishchik. Petya Trofimov gives him a playful description, saying that he beast of prey", eating everything that comes in its way, and this requires metabolism."
Lopakhin's moment of supreme triumph
Lopakhin seeks to help Ranevskaya. He invites her to divide the garden into plots and rent them out. This hero feels his enormous power, requiring exit and application. In the end, Lopakhin buys the cherry orchard. His characterization is supplemented in this important scene with some significant features. For him, the episode when he announces the purchase to the former owners of the garden is a moment of supreme triumph. Now Lopakhin is the owner of the estate where his grandfather and father were slaves, where they were not even allowed into the kitchen. He begins to “wave his arms” more and more - he is intoxicated by the consciousness of his own luck and strength. Compassion for Ranevskaya and triumph in him are in conflict in this episode.
A businessman with the soul of an artist
Chekhov said that Lopakhin's role in the work is central, that the whole play will fail if it fails. He wrote that Ermolai Alekseevich is a merchant, but a decent person in every sense; he must behave decently, “without tricks,” and intelligently. At the same time, Chekhov warned against a petty, simplified understanding of the image of Lopakhin. He is a successful businessman, but he has the soul of an artist. His reasoning about Russia sounds like Lopakhin’s words remind lyrical digressions Gogol in It is to this hero that the most heartfelt words spoken about the cherry orchard in the play belong: “an estate that is not more beautiful in the world.”
Chekhov introduced features characteristic of some Russian entrepreneurs of the early 20th century into the image of Lopakhin, a merchant, but at the same time an artist at heart. We are talking about such names that left their mark on Russian culture as Savva Morozov, Shchukin, Tretyakov, and the publisher Sytin.
The final assessment that Petya Trofimov gives to his seemingly antagonist is very significant. The characterization of Lopakhin’s image given by this character is ambiguous. As we have already said, he compared it to a predatory beast. But at the same time, Petya Trofimov tells Lopakhin that he still loves him: like an artist, he has delicate, thin fingers and a vulnerable soul.
The illusory nature of victory
Lopakhin does not want to destroy the cherry orchard. His characterization would be incorrect if we thought so. He only proposes to reorganize it, dividing it into plots for dachas, making it “democratic” and accessible to the public for a reasonable fee. However, at the end of the play, Lopakhin ("The Cherry Orchard") is not shown as a triumphant winner who has achieved success. His characterization in the finale is very contradictory. And the old owners of the garden are depicted not only as defeated. Intuitively, Lopakhin feels the relativity and illusory nature of his own victory. He says that he wants this unhappy, awkward life to change as soon as possible. These words are supported by his fate: Ermolai Alekseevich alone is able to appreciate the significance of the cherry orchard, but he destroys it with his own hands.
The characterization of Lopakhin from “The Cherry Orchard” is noted as follows: good intentions, personal good qualities for some reason this hero is at odds with reality. Neither those around him nor he himself are able to understand the reasons for this.
Lopakhin was not given personal happiness either. His relationship with Varya results in his actions that are incomprehensible to others. He still does not dare to propose to this girl. Lopakhin, moreover, has a special feeling for Lyubov Andreevna. He awaits Ranevskaya’s arrival with special hope and wonders whether she will recognize him after five years of separation.
Relationship with Varya
In the last act, in the famous scene, when the failed explanation between Varya and Lopakhin is described, the characters talk about broken thermometer, about the weather - and not a word about what is most important to them at this moment. What’s the matter, why didn’t the explanation take place, why didn’t this love work out? Varya’s marriage is discussed throughout the entire play almost as a done deal, and yet...
What separates Lopakhin and Varya?
Apparently, the point is not that the groom is a businessman incapable of showing love. It is in this spirit that Varya explains to herself their relationship. She believes that he simply has no time for her, since Lopakhin has a lot to do. Probably, Varya is not a match for this hero after all: he is a broad-minded person, an entrepreneur, a person of great scope and at the same time an artist at heart. Varin’s world is limited by economy, housekeeping, and keys on his belt. This girl, moreover, is homeless and has no rights even to the now ruined estate. Lopakhin, for all the subtlety of his soul, lacks tact and humanity in order to bring clarity to their relationship.
The dialogue of the characters described in the second act does not clarify anything at the textual level in the relationship between Varya and Lopakhin. But it becomes clear at the subtext level that these people are infinitely distant. The characterization of the hero Lopakhin allows us to judge that with Varya he would hardly have found his happiness. Ermolai Alekseevich had already decided that he should not be with this girl. Here Lopakhin plays the role of provincial Hamlet, who decides for himself the famous question: “To be or not to be?” And he decides: “Okhmelia, go to the monastery...”.
What separates Varya and Lopakhin? Perhaps the relationship of these heroes is determined largely by the motive of the fate of the cherry orchard, their attitude towards it? Varya, like Firs, worries about the fate of the estate and garden. And Lopakhin “sentenced” him to felling. Thus, the death of the cherry orchard comes between the heroes.
But, probably, there is another reason, which is not formulated in the play (like many other things, sometimes the most important thing in Anton Pavlovich) and lies in the sphere of the subconscious. This is Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya.
Lopakhin and Ranevskaya
The characterization of Lopakhin from The Cherry Orchard would be incomplete without an analysis of the relationship between these two characters. The fact is that Ranevskaya, when Lopakhin was still a “boy” with his nose bloody from his father’s fist, took him to the washstand and said: “He’ll heal before the wedding.” Ranevskaya's sympathy, in contrast to her father's fist, was perceived by Lopakhin as a manifestation of femininity and tenderness. Lyubov Andreevna, in fact, did what a mother was supposed to do. Perhaps it is she who is involved in the fact that this merchant has such a “thin gentle soul"But it is precisely this characteristic of Lopakhin in the play “The Cherry Orchard” that makes the image of the merchant we are interested in contradictory. Ermolai Alekseevich kept a wonderful vision in his soul. So, in the first act, he tells Lyubov Andreevna that she once did this for him a lot, and that he loves her “more than his own.” This is a characteristic of Ranevskaya and Lopakhin, their relationship.
Lopakhin’s words in the first act are a “confession” of Ermolai Alekseevich’s first, long-standing love, filial gratitude, bright love for a beautiful vision that does not require anything in return and is not obligatory to anything.
Farewell to the past
However, what is once experienced is irrevocable. This “dear” for Lopakhin was not understood or heard. This moment probably became a turning point for him. psychologically. For Lopakhin it became a reckoning with the past, a farewell to it. And a new life began for him. But now this hero has become more sober.
This is the characteristic of Ermolai Lopakhin, the central character of the play, according to Chekhov.
LOPAKHIN AS A SYMBOL OF THE REAL RUSSIA. The role of Lopakhin A.P. Chekhov considered the play “The Cherry Orchard” to be “central”. In one of his letters he said: “...if it fails, then the whole play will fail.” What is special about this Lopakhin and why exactly his A.P. Chekhov placed at the center of the figurative system of his work?
Ermolai Alekseevich Lopakhin - merchant. His father, a serf, became rich after the reform of 1861 and became a shopkeeper. Lopakhin recalls this in a conversation with Ranevskaya: “My father was a serf to your grandfather and father...”; “My dad was a man, an idiot, he didn’t understand anything, he didn’t teach me, he just beat me when he was drunk and kept hitting me with a stick. In essence, I’m just as much of a blockhead and an idiot. I haven’t studied anything, my handwriting is bad, I write in such a way that people are ashamed of me, like a pig.”
But times change, and “the beaten, illiterate Ermolai, who ran barefoot in the winter,” broke away from his roots, “made his way into the people,” became rich, but never received an education: “My father, it’s true, was a man, but I’m a white vest, yellow shoes. With a pig's snout in a row... Only he's rich, he has a lot of money, but if you think about it and figure it out, he's a man..." But don't think that this remark reflects only the hero's modesty. Lopakhin likes to repeat that he is a man, but he is no longer a man, not a peasant, but a businessman, a businessman.
Individual remarks and remarks indicate that Lopakhin has some kind of big “business” in which he is completely absorbed. He always lacks time: he either returns or is going on business trips. “You know,” he says, “I get up at five o’clock in the morning, I work from morning to evening...”; “I can’t live without work, I don’t know what to do with my hands; hanging out somehow strangely, like strangers”; “I sowed a thousand dessiatines of poppy in the spring and now I have earned forty thousand net.” It is clear that not all of Lopakhin’s fortune was inherited; most of it was earned by his own labor, and the path to wealth was not easy for Lopakhin. But at the same time he easily parted with the money, giving it to Ranevskaya and Simeonov-Pishchik on loan, persistently offering it to Petya Trofimov.
Lopakhin, like every hero of “The Cherry Orchard,” is absorbed in “his own truth,” immersed in his experiences, does not notice much, does not feel much in those around him. But, despite the shortcomings of his upbringing, he is acutely aware of the imperfections of life. In a conversation with Firs, he sneers at the past: “It was very good before. At least they fought." Lopakhin is worried about the present: “We must say frankly, our life is stupid...” He looks into the future: “Oh, if only all this would pass, if only our awkward life would change somehow, unhappy life" Lopakhin sees the reasons for this disorder in the imperfection of man, in the meaninglessness of his existence. “You just have to start doing something to understand how few honest, decent people there are. Sometimes, when I can’t sleep, I think: “Lord, you gave us huge forests, vast fields, the deepest horizons, and living here, we ourselves should really be giants...”; “When I work for a long time, tirelessly, then my thoughts are lighter, and it seems as if I also know why I exist. And how many people, brother, are there in Russia who exist for no one knows why.”
Lopakhin is truly the central figure of the work. Threads stretch from him to all the characters. He is the link between the past and the future. Of all the characters, Lopakhin clearly sympathizes with Ranevskaya. He keeps warm memories of her. For him, Lyubov Andreevna is “still the same magnificent” woman with “amazing”, “touching eyes”. He admits that he loves her “like his own... more than his own,” he sincerely wants to help her and finds, in his opinion, the most profitable “salvation” project. The location of the estate is “wonderful” - twenty miles away Railway, near the river. You just need to divide the territory into plots and rent them out to summer residents, while having a considerable income. According to Lopakhin, the issue can be resolved very quickly, the matter seems profitable to him, you just need to “clean up, clean... for example,... demolish all the old buildings, like this one an old house, which is no longer any good, cut down the old cherry orchard..." Lopakhin is trying to convince Ranevskaya and Gaev of the need to make this “only correct” decision, not realizing that with his reasoning he deeply hurts them, calling everything that is unnecessary rubbish long years was their home, was dear to them and sincerely loved by them. He offers to help not only with advice, but also with money, but Ranevskaya rejects the proposal to lease out the land for dachas. “Dachas and summer residents are so vulgar, sorry,” she says.
Convinced of the futility of his attempts to persuade Ranevskaya and Gaev, Lopakhin himself becomes the owner of the cherry orchard. In the monologue “I bought,” he cheerfully tells how the auction went, rejoices at how he “grabbed” Deriganov and “beat” him. For
Lopakhina, peasant son, the cherry orchard is part of an elite aristocratic culture; it has acquired something that was inaccessible twenty years ago. Genuine pride can be heard in his words: “If only my father and grandfather had risen from their graves and looked at the whole incident, like their Ermolai... bought an estate, the most beautiful of which is nothing in the world. I bought an estate where my grandfather and father were slaves, where they were not even allowed into the kitchen...” This feeling intoxicates him. Having become the owner of the Ranevskaya estate, the new owner dreams of a new life: “Hey, musicians, play, I want to listen to you! Come and watch how Ermolai Lopakhin takes an ax to the cherry orchard and how the trees fall to the ground! We will set up dachas, and our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will see here new life... Music, play!.. A new landowner is coming, the owner of the cherry orchard!..” And all this in the presence of the crying old mistress of the estate!
Lopakhin is also cruel towards Varya. For all the subtlety of his soul, he lacks humanity and tact to bring clarity to their relationship. Everyone around is talking about the wedding and congratulating. He himself talks about marriage: “What? I wouldn't mind... She's a good girl..." And this is his sincere words. Varya, of course, likes Lopakhin, but he avoids marriage, either from timidity, or from an unwillingness to give up freedom, the right to manage his own life. But, most likely, the reason is excessive practicality, which does not allow such a miscalculation: marrying a dowryless woman who has no rights even to a ruined estate.
“The Cherry Orchard” is considered an example of a dramatic classic. Its creation accompanied a turning point in Russian theater and Russian literature. This lyrical comedy with characteristic Chekhov's works sad aftertaste.
History of creation
Literary scholars believe that the play is autobiographical. The plot of the work is built around a bankrupt noble family forced to sell the family estate. Chekhov happened to find himself in a similar situation, so he knew first-hand the experiences of his heroes. State of mind each character was familiar to the writer as a person who was faced with the need to leave native home. The narrative is permeated with subtle psychologism.
The innovation of the play lay in the fact that its characters were divided not into positive and negative heroes, not on the main and minor ones. These were people of the past, present and future, whom the writer classified according to their worldview. Lopakhin was a representative of the present, although sometimes there is a feeling that he could lay claim to the position of a man of the future.
Work on the work was carried out from 1901 to 1903. Chekhov was seriously ill, but completed the play, and in 1904 the premiere theatrical production According to a new plot, it took place on the stage of the Moscow Art Theater.
"The Cherry Orchard"
The biography and fate of Ermolai Alekseevich Lopakhin is closely connected with the life of the Ranevskaya family. The hero's father was a serf of Father Ranevskaya and lived in petty trade. The young lady showed sympathy for the young man, who was constantly bombarded by his father, and he talks about this, recalling the story of life in serfdom. Ranevskaya’s attitude excited the consciousness of Ermolai Lopakhin. He liked the caress of an attractive girl, but he understood that there was an abyss between them based on slavery. Even the meaning of the hero’s surname and name suggests that he is intended for a completely different society.
Lopakhin became rich by becoming a merchant and was able to change his fate. He made himself and, despite the lack of proper education, became one of the people, of which he is incredibly proud. Although he admits that books are empty for him, and his handwriting has never acquired a noble appearance. The former serf achieved everything through hard work; his whole life consists of work. Lopakhin is in a hurry all the time, looking at his watch, waiting for a new meeting. He knows how to manage his own time and finances, unlike the Ranevskaya family.
Lopakhin more than once starts a conversation about the cherry orchard, offering help. He easily parts with money by lending money, but in the case of the estate being sold, something else is involved: Lopakhin loves Ranevskaya. He acts nobly, offering to buy the garden and rent it out as summer cottages, although he could have quietly bought it for his own use.
Lopakhin demonstrates amazing for a former serf business qualities. He is practical and calculating, but does not use his talents against those close to him. At the same time, some characters give an unflattering description of the hero, believing that Lopakhin is pursuing the possibility of a profitable deal.
Throughout the action, the conversation repeatedly comes up about Lopakhin's marriage to Vara. Ermolai does not marry the girl not because of the lack of a dowry, but because of the issue of cutting down the garden. Varya sees in the groom only a businessman for whom the wedding can be beneficial as a deal. Incoherent dialogues between the characters make it clear that there is no mutual understanding between them. The love for Ranevskaya, warming in Lopakhin’s heart, does not allow him to think about other women. The hero proposes to Varya solely at the request of his beloved.
Illustration for the book "The Cherry Orchard" In the play, each character loses something along with The Cherry Orchard. Lopakhin loses faith in love, realizing that the image of a simple man has forever been assigned to him in Ranevskaya’s perception. Having bought Ranevskaya’s garden at auction, he, a representative of the future, the owner of an estate where his family was in service, falls into euphoria. But, having acquired the garden, he did not achieve the fulfillment of a dream that remained unattainable. Ranevskaya leaves Russia, going to Paris, and Lopakhin is left alone with the estate where he spent his youth.
At the end of the play, Ermolai Alekseevich talks about his awkward life. It becomes obvious to him that everything he strived for turned out to be empty. He realizes how many people in his country exist aimlessly and do not understand what they live for.
Still from the film "The Cherry Orchard" The author's attitude towards Lopakhin is not as negative as that of other characters in the play. Chekhov considers Lopakhin a “klutz” and justifies the hero with a lack of education and upbringing. Many of Lopakhin’s actions indicate that, despite his business acumen, the man is not distinguished by simple forethought. He is late for the train to meet Ranevskaya. Wanting to help her out of trouble, he buys a garden. He decides to ask Varya to marry and immediately forgets about it.
The image of Lopakhin is incredibly relevant in last decades. This is a “hero of our time”, skillfully building a business, but callous in soul. A person incapable of perception and thinking exclusively about his own self-realization through material wealth. Ermolai Lopakhin presents with his description an anti-portrait of Chekhov. A sensitive writer whose works are full philosophical meaning and tragedy, is the complete opposite of the son of serfs who has made it into the people.
Film adaptations
The first film adaptation of the play by Russian playwright Chekhov was made in Japan in 1936 by director Morato Makoto. The characters were modernized to match current Japanese images. In 1959, director Daniel Petri shot the film “The Cherry Orchard,” in which Martin Hirte played the role of Lopakhin. In the 1973 production by Jan Bull, the image of Lopakhin was absent, and in the Soviet film adaptation of 1976, Yuri Kayurov appeared in the role of the merchant in Leonid Kheifetz's teleplay.
Vysotsky plays in the play "The Cherry Orchard" Richard Eid in 1981 directed Bill Paterson as Lopakhin, and in Soviet picture Igor Ilyinsky played Ermolai in 1983. Anna Chernakova, who directed the film “The Cherry Orchard” 10 years later, invited Lopakhin to play the role. The image of the merchant in the television film by Sergei Ovcharov in 2008 went to. The most famous performer of this role on theater stage became .
Quotes
Lopakhin is beautiful by the fact that he does not forget his place. Like any person who has not seen a prosperous life, he is proud of what he managed to achieve without patronage and help. For him, the main expression of success is material wealth:
“My father, it’s true, was a man, but here I am in a white vest and yellow shoes.”
Illustration for the play "The Cherry Orchard" The hero understands how valuable an education he did not receive would be in his current situation. He also feels that he lacks the ability to understand the world that he is so eager to get into, where he wants to be accepted as “one of his own”:
“My dad was a man, an idiot, he didn’t understand anything, he didn’t teach me, he just beat me when he was drunk, and that was all with a stick. In essence, I’m just as much of a blockhead and an idiot. I haven’t studied anything, my handwriting is bad, I write in such a way that people are ashamed of me, like a pig.”
Lopakhin's main achievement is that he manages to understand: the life he strives for is worthless. Money doesn't bring him pleasure. Owning a cherry orchard makes him understand that his dreams turned out to be empty, the pleasure from their fulfillment is doubtful. Work becomes the main life credo for the hero:
“When I work for a long time, tirelessly, then my thoughts are lighter, and it seems as if I also know why I exist. And how many people, brother, are there in Russia who exist for no one knows why.”