Cherry orchard firs. Negative qualities of Lopakhin

Firs

FIRS - central character comedy by A.P. Chekhov “The Cherry Orchard” (1903). The image of F., the old faithful servant of the Gaevs, contains individual psychological and historical and symbolic meaning. His “literary pedigree” (Savelich in “ The captain's daughter» A.S. Pushkin; Zakhar in “Oblomov” by I.A. Goncharov; Marey in “The Peasant Marey” by F.M. Dostoevsky) allows us to highlight the image of F. in a certain historical and cultural phenomenon. F.’s antique livery and white gloves are as much a memory of the past as the room, which “is still called the nursery,” the hundred-year-old “respected closet,” the family estate with a house and a cherry orchard. F. himself - in literally words are a “walking” memory of ancient manor life and customs. His joy: “The lady has arrived!” - this is the joy of recognizing the past: “And the master once went to Paris...” He remembers how and when to serve coffee in the living room, knows when to put a pillow under the lady’s feet. He has not forgotten what kind of clothing is required “on the road”, and “instructively” blames Gaeva: “They put on the wrong trousers again.” When it gets dark, he doesn’t forget to bring the master’s coat, sternly reprimanding him: “If you please, sir, put it on, it’s damp.” For him, the aging Gaev and Ranevskaya are still “the lord’s children” who must be taken care of and protected. And F., like the kind “spirit of the estate”, like the family “brownie”, does not stop doing this and, even when sick, pulls this cart: “Without me, who will give here, who will give orders? One for the whole house." Everyone has become accustomed to F.'s muttering, and no one is trying to listen to him and understand his meaning. In the broad temporal perspective of the action, it is the past itself that murmurs, reminding us that it is still alive, still going on, still lasting. “The sound of a broken string” - this is either a “sigh” or a “shudder of history” (D. Strehler) - was heard by everyone, but only F. muttered prophetically: “Before the misfortune it was the same...” In the muttering of the dying F. (“ Life has passed, as if he had never lived…”) one can also hear “something that cannot be understood...”. Before leaving, everyone was worried about F., worried, mentioned, reminded, asked four times whether he had been sent to the hospital - and forgot in the tightly boarded up house, where there would be no one until spring. Against the background of the forgotten F., joyful exclamations of “Goodbye, old life!” sound bitterly ironic. and “Hello, new life!” For some reason, I remember F.’s words about joy “before the will”: “And I remember, everyone is happy, but what they are happy about, they themselves don’t know.” The past is cut off. Decrepit, sick, but still alive F. - “the spirit of history”, “patriarch of the house”, “native Firs” - is left to die alone. The words “They forgot Firs” became a linguistic metaphor, penetrated into everyday life, being a generalization of purely Russian “unintentional stupidity”, the results of which are sad, if not catastrophic. The first performer of the role of F. was A.R. Artem (1904). Other performers include N.P. Khmelev (1934), Yu.V. Tolubeev (1978), I.V. Ilyinsky (1982).

All characteristics in alphabetical order:

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They are deservedly included in the list of works that form the basis of classical drama. The play “The Cherry Orchard” is present in the repertoire of most drama theaters and is considered one of the most frequently chosen for stage production.

The work presents to the reader typical characters, characteristic of Chekhov's philosophy. The secondary characters also stand out against the background of the foreground heroes. This includes the valet Firs.

History of creation

The old man has been serving in the house for more than half a century. He personifies the past of Russia, since his biography is closely connected with times long past. Firs was a servant under the grandfather of the main characters when the trees of the cherry orchard were young. The old way of life shapes the views of the valet, who panders to the old order. The prototype of the image of Firs can be considered Ipat, the lackey described in the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'.” Just like Firs, Ipat renounced personal freedom after the abolition of serfdom and preferred the role of a servant, which he had become accustomed to over the years of working in the prince’s house.

Like Ipat, Firs recalls the youth of his masters, their whims and obsessions. Contrary to Ipat's satirical characterization, Firs receives support from the author. Chekhov understands his hero and favors him. Phrases come out of the valet's mouth describing the playwright's thoughts and the idea of ​​the play. Firs is distinguished by a love of order, manifested in actions and in everyday life. In old age, he analyzes the atmosphere around him in the country and in the house and understands that the usual way of things has disappeared, that everything has become disorganized. Other characters in the work also feel instability.

The author, through the mouth of Firs, calls him and other characters “klutzes,” people unable to accept life. This is clearly depicted in the description of the attitude towards the cherry orchard. Firs sees him young, as in the past - an opportunity to trump him, and cuts down trees in an attempt to save him. Anya and Petya are thinking about creating new gardens, and not about preserving the old one.

The fate of Firs is tightly connected with the estate. Chekhov described him as a faithful servant. This type of hero is found in the works “Minor”, ​​“Eugene Onegin”, “Oblomov”. A representative of old Russia, its spirit, culture, traditions and faith, this multi-faceted, deep character is compared with the heroes proclaiming the ideals of the new time.

Play "The Cherry Orchard"

A fan of serfdom, old Firs demonstrates the indestructible bond between servant and master, cherished for centuries. The abolition of habitual bondage destroys his life, since now he becomes superfluous and unnecessary in a society where until recently the entire life relied on him. Therefore, an incomprehensible chaos reigns around the man. Firs acts as a kind of guardian of the family nest, looks after the household, remains a nanny for the barchuks who grew up before his eyes, continuing to monitor their appearance. Despite his detachment from the realities of life, Firs retains the ability to think rationally.

The hero’s attachment to his owners is associated with sincere feelings, since he spent his life on them. Therefore, he cries touchingly when meeting Ranevskaya and continues to straighten Gaev’s clothes. Remaining in a house locked for the winter, before his death Firs does not think about his needs, although the newfound freedom encourages him to do so. He is more concerned about how his wards feel, who have forgotten about him.

The unlucky dandy Yasha, who is with the dim-witted young lady Ranevskaya, looks in contrast against the backdrop of the solid Firs. The old man dies without attention, because no one cares about him, although those around him see his condition.

Chekhov draws peculiar parallels between masters and servants. In comparison with Dunyasha and Yasha, who copy the morals of the masters, Firs personifies the qualities that today’s nobles lack. Wise, faithful to his cause and dear people, the loyal and kind Firs earns the respect of the author and the reader.

Film adaptations

The play “The Cherry Orchard” is in demand among theater producers. Every director sooner or later turns to Chekhov’s work, which contains ideas whose relevance does not lose over time. The playwright’s philosophy is also interesting to film producers, which is why the work is often filmed. “The Cherry Orchard” could be seen on screens since 1936. The first director to pay attention to the play was Chieko Hagiyasyama. Then colleagues from Britain and Germany offered the public multi-part television projects based on the play.

The first full-length works based on Chekhov's work appeared in the second half of the 20th century.

The actor embodied the image of an old valet in the 1983 film. He also directed the film. Paul Curran played the role of a servant in the 1991 film. Alexander Grave appeared as Firs in Anna Chernakova’s 1993 film “The Cherry Orchard. Fantasies on the theme." In the 1999 film by Michalis Kakoyannis, Fiers was played by Michael Gough. portrayed the valet of Gaev and Ranevskaya in the film “Garden” by Sergei Ovcharov, filmed in 2008.

Quotes

Phrases that characterize his worldview and image come out of the mouth of old Firs. He lost his bearings after the abolition of serfdom, so the valet’s world is in a state of chaos and confusion:

“The men are with the gentlemen, the gentlemen are with the peasants, and now everything is in pieces, you won’t understand anything.”

Firs acutely feels the need for his presence in the house where he spent his life.

“They used to dry cherries”

He cannot leave the estate because of his attachment to his matured owners. His importance is exaggerated by the hero, but the thriftiness and thoroughness with which he monitors everyday life confirm Firs’ point of view:

“I’m going to go to bed, but without me, who will give, who will give orders? One for the whole house"

The characterization of Firs in Chekhov's play The Cherry Orchard is not at all as clear as it might seem. According to the three-part scheme, he undoubtedly belongs to the heroes of the “past”, both in age (Firs is the oldest among characters, he is eighty-seven years old), and in his views and worldview - he is a staunch supporter of serfdom, and this situation is actually not as paradoxical as it seems at first glance. For Firs, serfdom with its close connection between peasant and master embodies the ideal a harmonious system structure of society, bound by mutual obligations and responsibilities. Firs sees in her the embodiment of reliability and stability. Therefore, the abolition of serfdom becomes a “misfortune” for him: everything that held “his” world together, made it harmonious and integral, is destroyed, and Firs himself, having fallen out of this system, becomes an “extra” element in the new world, a living anachronism. “...everything is fragmented, you won’t understand anything” - with these words he describes the chaos and meaninglessness of what is happening around him that he feels.

Closely connected with this is also the peculiar role of Firs in “The Cherry Orchard” - at the same time the “spirit of the estate”, the keeper of traditions that have not been observed by anyone for a long time, the business manager-manager and the “nanny” for the “lordly children” who never grew up - Ranevskaya and Gaev. Thriftiness and “maturity” are emphasized by the very speech of the old servant: “Without me, who will serve here, who will give orders?” - he says with full awareness of the importance of his place in the house. “They put on the wrong trousers again,” he addresses the fifty-year-old “child” Gaev. For all its distance from real life With cultural and social circumstances having long ago changed, Fiers nevertheless comes across as one of the few characters in the play who is capable of rational thought.

The servant heroes in the image system of the play “The Cherry Orchard,” in addition to their own characteristic functions, are also “mirrors” of the masters. However, Firs in this case, rather, an “anti-mirror”: if in the image of Dunyasha one can see an indirect parallel with Ranevskaya, and Yasha is a reflection of the nobility as a whole as a class, then in the image of Firs in the play “The Cherry Orchard” the author emphasizes those features that Gaev and Ranevskaya are deprived of : thoroughness, thriftiness, emotional “adulthood”. Firs appears in the play as the personification of these qualities, which are lacking to varying degrees in almost all the characters.

Everyone in the play is in one way or another connected with the main object around which the conflict unfolds - the cherry orchard. What is the cherry orchard for Firs? For him, this is the same imaginary chronotope as for everyone else, but for the old servant it personifies the “old” life, the “old order” - synonyms of stability, orderliness, a “correctly” functioning world. As an integral part of this world, Firs continues to live there in his memory; with the destruction of the previous system, the death of the old order, he himself dies - the “spirit of the estate” dies along with it.

The image of a devoted servant in the play “The Cherry Orchard” differs from similar ones in other works of Russian classics. We can see similar characters, for example, in Pushkin - this is Savelich, an ingenuous, kind and devoted “uncle”, or in Nekrasov - Ipat, a “sensitive serf”. However, the hero of Chekhov's play is more symbolic and multifaceted, and therefore cannot be characterized solely as a “servant” happy with his position. In the play, he is a symbol of time, the keeper of a passing era with all its shortcomings, but also its virtues. As the “spirit of the estate” he occupies a very prominent position in the work. important place, which should not be underestimated.

Work test

In Chekhov’s play “The Cherry Orchard,” I personally am not attracted to many characters, but one of them struck me with his sanity compared to other heroes - this is Firs.

Firs is an old servant who is eighty-seven years old. He is a very reasonable, quiet, calm and rational person. Only now he had to live in a century when a great misfortune overtook him: the abolition of serfdom. Yes, yes, for Firs this is a real disaster, because he is an adherent of old views, he sincerely believes that in order for there to be order in the country and in society, this very society simply needs a “master-servant” relationship. When everyone has their own obligations and due to this a normal, orderly state system develops. The abolition of such a system entails terrible consequences for people who are accustomed to the old laws: they simply do not know why they are needed anymore in this world. The same thing affected Firs, his mental wound opened because he doesn’t know why he is needed, he feels superfluous.

Nevertheless, our hero understands that no one will take care of Ranevskaya and Gaev, whom he serves, that they are not adapted to life and have not matured emotionally enough for Firs to calmly retire. Gaev can’t even put on the right pants himself, even though he’s fifty years old! These two “children” still keep Firs afloat.

As for the main object of the play - cherry orchard, then his image is closely connected with Firs, because he associates life itself, the old foundations and the stable world that the elderly servant had with the cherry orchard, which is about to sink into oblivion.

Firs is very often associated with the spirit of the estate, because he absorbed many years of life on the estate, knew many of the ancestors who owned it and had great respect for the gentlemen to whom it now belongs. Firs is a symbol of devotion to last breath to his views, and at the same time to his masters: even after their departure from the estate, he continues to live there.

The death of Firs for me, as a reader, also meant the death of all the old orders of the estate, it meant some kind of logical, but very alarming and depressing end to an entire era of such faithful and devoted servants as Firs was. He is replaced by lackeys like Yasha. I think that Yasha is a bright antagonist of Firs, necessary to once again emphasize to the reader the difference between the past world and the future world after the turning point - the abolition of serfdom.

Option 2

Firs in this work refers rather to positive characters. Compared to others, he surprises with his own common sense.

He is an elderly servant who is already eighty-seven years old. His character can be distinguished by calmness, evenness, rationality and diligence. He lives in a time when it was canceled serfdom. For Firs this is a complete tragedy. The fact is that the old servant serves his masters very faithfully. He doesn't understand innovation. For him, such a relationship was always clear when there are masters who give orders and servants who carry them out. If everyone has their own responsibilities and rules of behavior, then there will always be order in the country. When such a hierarchy is violated, the adherents of the old traditions will not understand what to do. After all, they existed for a long time together with old customs, to which they were quite accustomed. Therefore, recently, after the serf reform, Firs feels oppressed. He doesn’t know what to do, because now no one needs him. Therefore he is very sad.

However, the old servant knows very well that Gaeve and Ranevskaya will not be able to cope without his help. He always served them, they practically did nothing on their own. So far, they have become so mature emotionally that Firs leaves work with peace of mind. And Gaev is not even able to put on the pants he needs, despite the fact that he already has fifty dollars! It is only because these two have not yet embarked on the path of independence that Firs is still working as a servant.

Firs also has a special relationship with the cherry orchard, the main subject in this work. An elderly person associates his most best years, when he was still a young servant. There used to be a strong and friendly world there, with its inhabitants and traditional foundations. This garden has very little time left and it will no longer exist.

Firs is like a manor spirit who is very old and has outlived several owners of the cherry orchard. And a devoted servant always respects current masters. Firs is the only one who has several owners of the estate and is devoted to them with all his soul. In fact, it is a symbol of devotion and fidelity.

Essay about Firs

Gogol's works were always filled with themes that excited the minds of his contemporaries, forcing them to think about this or that issue; in other words, he made people think, trying to guide them on the path of enlightenment and awareness, no matter who these people were.

So in his work “The Cherry Orchard” he discusses with the reader the topic of the abolition of serfdom, the possible consequences of this event, and other things that would be nice to think about together. Actually, he did just that in his work. Namely in this work he thinks through the image of Firs.

Through his image, the author conveys to us the whole range of emotions that the old generation, accustomed to established norms and rights, experienced. Through the image of Firs, the problem of conservatism can also be traced, that is, the denial of everything new and revolutionary, since the old society was accustomed to established rules and did not want to change them, which explains Firs’ excessive conservatism. He is simply afraid of losing the life to which he is accustomed and which he loved with all his heart. And in the process of the story, we learn that this very life, one might say, was taken away from him, which is why he is very indignant, since he is used to obeying and being obeyed. His only stronghold old life is the cherry orchard, in which he feels as if in the past, transported to a time that is pleasant and radiant for him. Based on all this, the image of Firs becomes understandable and as clear as possible.

Firs is a man of the old era, who does not perceive anything new, and does not want changes in his life; in truth, he can easily be called a person of a very conservative character and lifestyle. Since he is accustomed to everything old, the abolition of serfdom, which in itself is very new for Russia, makes him feel very uncomfortable even at home, and only in his cherry orchard can he feel complete safety and serenity.

Also, through his image, the author speaks to the reader, discussing the question of the correctness of the decision of the authorities to abolish serfdom, since he was tormented by similar thoughts, and he often thought about what could ultimately happen after this event. Where will the vector of development of his homeland turn after the abolition of such a terrible thing as serfdom?

Essay 4

The image of this character, a servant on the estate, personifies the old times, the old life, the destruction of which the heroes of the work mourn.

Firs is classic look faithful servant. He got used to his role social role long ago absorbed everything else in him, so Firs even in to a greater extent than the owners, cannot live without an estate. The old servant simply cannot even imagine that life could be different.

The old servant is eighty years old, however, he is too attached to his occupation and does not even think about trying to lighten his duties. The functions it performs (in particular, helping the owner get dressed) are not of fundamental importance. The owners of the estate could well do without what the old servant does. However, for them it is simply a fragment of the past, the same as the cherry orchard itself, around which the plot of the work is built.

Moreover, if the owners, after selling the estate at auction, were still able to part with their cherry orchard and familiar home and went to new life, then Firs found himself tied to the past much more strongly. Chekhov shows the death of a servant in an estate that has already been sold. This symbolizes the fact that he cannot imagine his life without his usual place where he spent his whole life. Firs is in this work the same personification of a former life, collapsing before our eyes, like the cherry orchard.

It is significant that, unlike other servants, Firs is not looking for benefits for getting lost. By and large, he does not need money and material values. His duties as a servant, his position with his masters, as well as his confidence (as it turned out to be unfounded, because he still did not leave with the former owners of the estate) gave him the only meaning in life. In his affection for his owners one feels not so much servility as real care.

In the image of Firs one can also see an example of a meaningless existence, an example of subordinating one’s life to pitiful and insignificant goals. Firs, from the insignificant functions he performed, created an idol for himself, after the destruction of which he had no reason to live.

Like his masters, Firs is shown to be a weak man. Changes in the life of the country not only swept them out of their way, but essentially destroyed Firs himself. Neither the old servant nor the ruined landowners were able to even try to resist the passage of time. They limited themselves to only empty talk, as well as teachings to others, like Firs.

Fiers is probably deliberately depicted as old and almost deaf. Physical weakness and death at the end of the work represent the death of the old society and its orders.

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A.P. Chekhov wrote his famous play “The Cherry Orchard” in 1903. In this play, the central place is occupied not so much by the personal experiences of the characters, but by an allegorical vision of the fate of Russia. Some characters personify the past (Ranevskaya, Gaev, Firs, Varya), others - the future (Lopakhin, Trofimov, Anya). The characters in Chekhov's play "The Cherry Orchard" reflect the society of that time.

Main characters

The heroes of Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" are lyrical characters with special features. For example, Epikhodov, who was constantly unlucky, or Trofimov, an “eternal student.” Below will be presented all the characters of the play "The Cherry Orchard":

• Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna, mistress of the estate.
• Anya, her daughter, 17 years old. I am not indifferent to Trofimov.
• Varya, her adopted daughter, 24 years old. In love with Lopakhin.
• Gaev Leonid Andreevich, brother of Ranevskaya.
• Lopakhin Ermolai Alekseevich, a native of peasants, now a merchant. He likes Varya.
• Trofimov Pyotr Sergeevich, eternal student. He likes Anya, but he is above love.
• Simeonov-Pishchik Boris Borisovich, a landowner who constantly has no money, but he believes in the possibility of unexpected enrichment.
• Charlotte Ivanovna, the maid, loves to show tricks.
• Epikhodov Semyon Panteleevich, clerk, unlucky man. He wants to marry Dunyasha.
• Dunyasha, the maid, considers herself like a lady. In love with Yasha.
• Firs, an old footman, constantly takes care of Gaev.
• Yasha, Ranevskaya's spoiled lackey.

Images of the characters in the play

A.P. Chekhov always very accurately and subtly noticed his features in each character, be it appearance or character. This Chekhovian feature is also supported by the play “The Cherry Orchard” - the images of the heroes here are lyrical and even a little touching. Each has its own unique features. For convenience, the characteristics of the heroes of The Cherry Orchard can be divided into groups.

Old generation

Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna appears as a very frivolous but kind woman who cannot fully understand that all her money has run out. She is in love with some scoundrel who left her without funds. And then Ranevskaya returns with Anya to Russia. They can be compared to people who left Russia: no matter how good it is abroad, they still continue to yearn for their homeland. The image chosen by Chekhov for his homeland will be written below.

Ranevskaya and Gaev are the personification of the nobility, the wealth of past years, which during the author’s time began to decline. Both brother and sister cannot fully understand this, but nevertheless they feel that something is happening. And by the way they begin to act, you can see the reaction of Chekhov’s contemporaries - it was either a move abroad, or an attempt to adapt to new conditions.

Firs is an image of a servant who was always faithful to her masters and did not want any change in order, because they did not need it. If with the first main characters of “The Cherry Orchard” it is clear why they are considered in this group, then why can Varya be included here?

Because Varya occupies a passive position: she humbly accepts the developing position, but her dream is the opportunity to walk to holy places, and strong faith was characteristic of people of the older generation. And Varya, despite her seemingly vigorous activity, does not take an active part in conversations about the fate of the cherry orchard and does not offer any solutions, which shows the passivity of the wealthy class of that time.

Younger generation

Representatives of the future of Russia will be considered here - these are educated young people who put themselves above any feelings, which was fashionable in the early 1900s. At that time, public duty and the desire to develop science were put in first place. But one should not assume that Anton Pavlovich portrayed revolutionary-minded youth - this is, rather, a depiction of the majority of the intelligentsia of that time, who were only engaged in discussing lofty topics, putting themselves above human needs, but were not adapted to anything.

All this was realized in Trofimov - " eternal student" And " shabby gentleman", who was never able to finish anything, had no profession. Throughout the play he only talked about various matters and despised Lopakhin and Varya, who was able to admit the idea of ​​his possible romance with Anya - he is “above love.”

Anya is a kind, sweet, still completely inexperienced girl who admires Trofimov and listens carefully to everything he says. She personifies youth, who have always been interested in the ideas of the intelligentsia.

But one of the most striking and characteristic images of that era was Lopakhin, a native of peasants who managed to make a fortune for himself. But, despite his wealth, he remained essentially a simple man. This is an active person, a representative of the so-called “kulaks” class - wealthy peasants. Ermolai Alekseevich respected work, and work always came first for him, so he kept postponing an explanation with Varya.

It was during that period that Lopakhin’s hero could appear - then this “rising” peasantry, proud of the realization that they were no longer slaves, showed a higher adaptability to life than the nobles, which is proven by the fact that it was Lopakhin who bought Ranevskaya’s estate.

Why was the characterization of the characters in The Cherry Orchard chosen specifically for these characters? Because it is on the characteristics of the characters that their internal conflicts will be built.

Internal conflicts in the play

The play shows not only the personal experiences of the characters, but also the confrontation between them, which makes the images of the heroes of “The Cherry Orchard” brighter and deeper. Let's take a closer look at them.

Ranevskaya - Lopakhin

Most main conflict is in the pair Ranevskaya - Lopakhin. And it is due to several reasons:

• belonging to different generations;
• contrast of characters.

Lopakhin is trying to help Ranevskaya preserve the estate by cutting down the cherry orchard and building dachas in its place. But for Raevskaya this is impossible - after all, she grew up in this house, and “dachas are so vulgar.” And in the fact that it was Ermolai Alekseevich who bought the estate, she sees this as a betrayal on his part. For him, buying a cherry orchard is the resolution of his personal conflict: he, a simple man, whose ancestors could not go beyond the kitchen, has now become the owner. And this is where his main triumph lies.

Lopakhin - Trofimov

The conflict in a pair of these people occurs due to the fact that they have opposing views. Trofimov considers Lopakhin an ordinary man, rude, limited, who is not interested in anything other than work. The same one believes that Pyotr Sergeevich is simply wasting his mental abilities, does not understand how one can live without money, and does not accept the ideology that man is above all earthly things.

Trofimov - Varya

The confrontation is most likely based on personal hostility. Varya despises Peter because he is not busy with anything, and fears that with the help of his clever speeches he will make Anya fall in love with him. Therefore, Varya tries in every possible way to prevent them. Trofimov teases the girl “Madame Lopakhina,” knowing that everyone has been waiting for this event for a long time. But he despises her because she equated him and Anya with herself and Lopakhin, because they are above all earthly passions.

So, above it was briefly written about the characters of the heroes of Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard”. We described only the most significant characters. Now we can move on to the most interesting thing - the image of the main character of the play.

The main character of "The Cherry Orchard"

The attentive reader has already guessed (or is guessing) that this is a cherry orchard. He personifies Russia itself in the play: its past, present and future. Why did the orchard itself become the main character of “The Cherry Orchard”?

Because it is to this estate that Ranevskaya returns after all the misadventures abroad, because it is because of him that the heroine’s internal conflict intensifies (fear of losing the garden, awareness of her helplessness, reluctance to part with it), and a confrontation arises between Ranevskaya and Lopakhin.

The Cherry Orchard also helps resolve Lopakhin’s internal conflict: it reminded him that he is a peasant, an ordinary man who miraculously managed to get rich. And the opportunity that arose with the purchase of the estate to cut down this garden meant that now nothing else in those parts could remind him of his origin.

What did the garden mean to the heroes?

For convenience, you can write the characters’ attitude towards the cherry orchard in a table.

Symbolism of the cherry orchard in the play

But how then is the image of the main character of “The Cherry Orchard” connected with the image of the Motherland? Through this garden, Anton Chekhov showed the past: when the country was rich, the class of nobles was in its prime, and no one thought about the abolition of serfdom. In the present, there is already a decline in society: it is divided, guidelines are changing. Russia was already on the threshold new era, the nobility became smaller, and the peasants gained strength. And the future is shown in Lopakhin’s dreams: the country will be ruled by those who are not afraid to work - only those people will be able to lead the country to prosperity.

The sale of Ranevskaya's cherry orchard for debts and its purchase by Lopakhin is a symbolic transfer of the country from the rich class to ordinary workers. Debt here means debt for how to for a long time The owners treated how they exploited the common people. And the fact that power in the country is transferring to the common people, is a natural result of the path along which Russia was moving. And the nobility had only to do what Ranevskaya and Gaev did - go abroad or go to work. And the younger generation will try to fulfill their dreams of a bright future.

Conclusion

Having carried out such a small analysis of the work, one can understand that the play “The Cherry Orchard” is a deeper creation than it might seem at first glance. Anton Pavlovich was able to masterfully convey the mood of society at that time, the situation in which it found itself. And the writer did this very gracefully and subtly, which allows this play to remain loved by readers for a long time.