Summary Chekhov "S alted too much". Slave mentality of the peasants

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

A. P. Chekhov wrote "Too s alty" in 1876. Like all stories of the early period, this one stands out for its light-hearted humor and deep hidden meaning. Anton Pavlovich despised all sorts of "labels" and did not understand the commitment of his contemporaries to any ideas. Therefore, the writer increasingly in his works turned to "simple" events, ordinary people, the life of the people without decorations and conjectures. The story "S alted" at first glance does not stand out as anything special, but if you look closely, you can see a huge number of problems taken from Russian reality.

Description of poverty in Russian villages

Gleb Smirnov, a surveyor, arrives at the Gnilushki station - this is what the summary tells about. Chekhov wrote “S alted” with obvious sarcasm, the writer shows the poverty of the peasants, and even the name of the station speaks for itself - rot and devastation reign everywhere. General Khokhotov summoned the surveyor to his place for surveying. The man still has to go about 40 miles, but the stationthe gendarme cannot find post horses for him. Smirnov can only turn to local men who, for a moderate fee, can bring him to his destination.

Gleb Gavrilovich really manages to negotiate with one of the peasants. Pockmarked, silent, hefty, dressed in cast-offs - this is how the summary describes the driver. Chekhov wrote "S alty" in order to show not only the poverty of ordinary peasants, but their manner of behaving. The peasant's horse, although young, was very thin, the cart started only after the fourth blow of the whip, which once again emphasizes Russian sluggishness and natural laziness.

Excessive cowardice of the surveyor

The cart set off in the evening, when it was already getting dark. Smirnov saw some dark haystacks on one side, a frozen plain on the other, and Klim's huge back covered everything in front. The land surveyor was frightened, because he did not know the driver, night falls on the ground, and only the two of them go in an unknown direction. Gleb Gavrilovich tried to talk the peasant, began to ask him about the robbers, but Klim was laconic. Smirnov was alarmed by this behavior, and he began to lie that he had a revolver, which he would immediately use in the event of an attack - this is what the summary tells about.

Chekhov "S alted" wrote in order to show the slavish mentality of the peasants, because Klim did not doubt for a second that his companion had a weapon. When the cart drove into the forest, Smirnov was very frightened, he began to be brave, to say that after himfour more comrades are coming, that he is not even averse to fighting with the robbers. The driver was impressed by the story about the meeting of the surveyor with the three robbers. Chekhov "S alted" wrote to show how much longer the peasants will move away from serfdom.

Unexpected denouement

The dark forest thickets and the restless look of the driver intimidated the surveyor and he began to fumble in his pockets, pretending to be looking for a revolver. Then Klim could not stand it and jumped off the cart right on the go. The fact that the peasant from the bushes asked the master to take away both the wagon and the horse, but not to kill him, tells a summary. Chekhov "S alted" wrote to talk about the blind obedience of the villagers. Klim looks like a he althy man, but it didn’t even occur to him to defend himself, he left his last property without hesitation and ran away.

Only two hours later the hoarse surveyor shouted to the cabman and persuaded him to continue the journey. Klim only grumbled that if he had known that this would happen, he would not have gone for any money, because the master scared him to death.