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 an individual psychological and historical symbolic meaning. His "literary genealogy" (Savelyich in " Captain's daughter» A.S. Pushkin; Zakhar in "Oblomov" by I.A. Goncharov; Marey in F.M. Dostoevsky’s “Peasant Marey”) allows you to highlight the image of F. in a certain historical and cultural phenomenon. F.'s old livery and white gloves are as much a memory of the past as is the room that "is still called the nursery," the hundred-year-old "respected closet," the family estate with a house and a cherry orchard. Sam F. - in literally words are a "walking" memory of an old estate life and custom. 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, he knows when to put a pillow under the lady's feet. He did not forget what kind of clothes are supposed to be "on departure", and "edifyingly" he blames Gaeva: "Again, they put on the wrong trousers." When it gets dark, he does not forget to bring the master's coat, sternly reprimanding him: "If you please, sir, put it on, otherwise it's damp." The aging Gaev and Ranevskaya are still “lordly children” for him, who need to be taken care of, who need to be protected. And F., like a kind “spirit of the estate”, like a family “brownie”, does not stop doing this and, even falling ill, pulls this cart: “Without me, who will give here, who will dispose? One for the whole house. Everyone is used to F.'s mumbling, and no one is trying to listen to it and make out its meanings. In the broad time perspective of the action, it mutters the past itself, reminding you that it is still alive, still going on, still going on. “The sound of a broken string” - this is either a “sigh”, or a “shudder of history” (D. Strehler) - everyone heard, but only F. muttered prophetically: “Before the misfortune, it was the same ...” In the muttering of the dying F. (“ Life has passed, as if it had not lived ...”), one also hears “something that cannot be understood ...”. Before leaving, everyone 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 no one would be until spring. Against the background of the forgotten F., joyful exclamations “Farewell, old life!” sound bitterly ironic. and "Hello, new life!". For some reason, I recall F.'s words about joy "before the will": "And I remember that everyone is happy, but what they are happy about, they themselves do not know." The past is cut off. The decrepit, sick, but still alive F. - "the spirit of history", "the patriarch of the house", "native Firs" - is left to die alone. The words "Firs forgot" 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. - A.R. Artem (1904). Other performers include N.P. Khmelev (1934), Yu.V. Tolubeev (1978), I.V. Ilyinsky (1982).

All characteristics in alphabetical order:

- - - - - - - - - - -

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 staging on stage.

The work presents the reader characteristic characters characteristic of Chekhov's philosophy. Against the background of the heroes of the first plan, secondary characters also stand out. These include valet Firs.

History of creation

The old man has served in the house for more than half a century. He personifies the past of Russia, since his biography is closely connected with bygone times. Firs was a servant under the grandfather of the protagonists when the cherry orchard trees were young. The old way of life forms the views of the valet, pandering to the old ways. The prototype of the image of Firs can be considered Ipat, the lackey described in the poem "Who Lives Well in Rus'". Like Firs, Ipat renounced personal freedom after the abolition of serfdom and preferred the role of a servant, to which he had become accustomed during his years of work in the prince's house.

Like Ipatus, Firs recalls the youth of his masters, their whims and obsessions. Contrary to the satirical characterization of Ipat, Firs receives support from the author. Chekhov understands his hero and favors him. From the lips of the valet escaped phrases describing the thoughts of the playwright and the idea of ​​the play. Firs is distinguished by a love for order, manifested in actions and in everyday life. In old age, he analyzes the atmosphere surrounding him in the country and in the house and understands that the usual way of things has disappeared, that everything has come to a fragmented state. Instability is also felt by other heroes of the work.

The author, through Firs, calls him and other characters "stupid", people unable to accept life. This is clearly depicted in the description of the relationship to the cherry orchard. Firs sees him young, as in the past, an opportunity to trump, and cuts down trees, trying to save. Anya and Petya are thinking about arranging new gardens, and not about preserving the old one.

The fate of Firs is closely connected with the estate. Chekhov described him as a faithful servant. This type of hero is found in the works "Undergrowth", "Eugene Onegin", "Oblomov". A representative of old Russia, its spirit, culture, traditions and faith, a multifaceted deep character is compared with heroes proclaiming the ideals of the new time.

The play "The Cherry Orchard"

An admirer of serfdom, old Firs demonstrates the indestructible, cherished for centuries bond between servant and master. The abolition of habitual bondage destroys his life, since now he is becoming superfluous and unnecessary in a society where, until recently, all life relied on him. Therefore, an incomprehensible chaos reigns around the man. Firs acts as a kind of keeper of the family nest, looks after the household, remains a nanny for the barchuks who grew up before his eyes, continuing to watch over them. appearance. Despite being detached from the realities of life, Fiers retains the ability to think rationally.

Attachment to the owners is associated with the hero with sincere feelings, since he spent his life on them. Therefore, he weeps touchingly when he meets Ranevskaya and continues to straighten Gaev's clothes. Left in a house locked for the winter, before his death, Firs does not think about his needs, although his newfound freedom is conducive to this. He is more concerned about how his charges feel, who have forgotten about him.

The unlucky dandy Yasha, who is with the close-minded young lady Ranevskaya, looks in contrast against the background 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 mores of the masters, Firs personifies the qualities that the current nobles lack. Wise, true to his cause and dear people, devoted and kind Firs commands the respect of the author and the reader.

Screen adaptations

The play "The Cherry Orchard" is in demand among theater directors. Each director sooner or later turns to Chekhov's work, which is fraught with ideas, the relevance of which is not lost over time. The philosophy of the playwright is also interesting for film directors, so the work is often filmed. The Cherry Orchard has been on screen since 1936. The first director to pay attention to the play was Chieko Hagiyiyasama. Then colleagues from Britain and Germany offered the attention of the public multi-part television projects based on the play.

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

The actor embodied the image of the 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 acted as Firs in Anna Chernakova's 1993 film The Cherry Orchard. Fantasies on a theme. In the 1999 film by Michalis Kakoyanis, Firs was played by Michael Gough. portrayed the valet Gaev and Ranevskaya in the film "Garden" by Sergei Ovcharov, filmed in 2008.

Quotes

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

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

Firs keenly 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 the matured owners. His significance is exaggerated by the hero, but the thriftiness and thoroughness with which he monitors life confirm Firs' point of view:

“I’m going to sleep, but without me, who will give, who will order? One for the whole house

The characterization of Firs in the play The Cherry Orchard by Chekhov is not at all as unambiguous as it might seem. According to the three-part scheme, he undoubtedly refers to the heroes of the “past”, both by age (Firs is the oldest among actors, 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 the peasant and the gentleman, embodies the ideal harmonious system organization of society, sealed with 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 together “his” world, 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 scattered, you won’t understand anything” - with these words he describes the chaos he feels and the meaninglessness of what is happening around.

This is also closely related to 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 for a long time, the manager-manager and the "nanny" for the "master's children" that never grew up - Ranevskaya and Gaev. Housekeeping and “adulthood” are emphasized by the very speech of the old servant: “Without me, who will give, who will dispose?” he says with full awareness of the importance of his place in the house. “They put on the wrong trousers again,” he turns to the fifty-year-old “child” Gaev. Despite its distance from real life with cultural and social circumstances long since changed, Firs nonetheless comes across as one of the few characters in the play capable of rational thought.

The servant characters in the system of images of the play The Cherry Orchard, in addition to their own characteristic functions, are also the "mirrors" of the masters. However, Firs 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 just deprived of : solidity, 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 connected in one way or another with the main object around which the conflict unfolds - with the cherry orchard. What is a cherry orchard for Firs? For him, this is the same imaginary chronotope as for everyone else, but for an old servant, he personifies the “old” life, the “old order” - synonymous with stability, orderliness, a “correctly” functioning world. As an integral part of this world, Firs in his memory continues to live there; with the destruction of the old system, the death of the old order, he himself dies - the "spirit of the estate" dies along with it itself.

The image of a devoted servant in the play The Cherry Orchard differs from those 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 slave." However, the hero of Chekhov's play is more symbolic and multifaceted, and therefore cannot be characterized solely as a "serf" satisfied with his position. In the play, he is a symbol of time, the guardian of the passing era with all its shortcomings, but also virtues. As the “spirit of the estate”, he takes a very important place which should not be underestimated.

Artwork test

In Chekhov's play The Cherry Orchard, there are not so many characters that attract me personally, but one of them struck me with its sanity compared to other characters - 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 an age when he was overtaken by a big misfortune: the abolition of serfdom. Yes, yes, this is a real disaster for Firs, because he is an adherent of old views, he sincerely believes that in order for the country and society to have order, this very society simply needs a “master-servant” relationship. When everyone has their own obligations, and due to this, a normal, orderly state system is formed. 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 more needed in this world. The same applies to Firs, his spiritual wound opened because he does not 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 be able to calmly retire. Gaev can't even put on the right pants himself, even though he's fifty years old! These two "children" also keep Firs afloat.

As for the main object of the play - cherry orchard, then his image is closely connected with Firs, because life itself, the old foundations and the stable world that the elderly servant had, he associates 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 a lot of years of life in the estate, knew many of the ancestors who owned it and had great respect for the masters who own it now. Firs is a symbol of devotion to last breath his views, and at the same time 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, meant some kind of logical, but very disturbing and depressing end to an entire era of such faithful and devoted servants as Firs was. He is being replaced by such lackeys as Yasha. I think that Yasha is a bright antagonist of Firs, who is needed to once again emphasize to the reader the difference between the world of the past and the world of the future after the turning point - the abolition of serfdom.

Option 2

Firs in this work refers rather to positive characters. Against the background of others, he surprises with his own common sense.

He is an elderly servant who has already passed eighty-seven years of age. In his character, one can distinguish calmness, uniformity, rationality and diligence. He lives in a time when it was canceled serfdom. For Firs, this is a whole tragedy. The fact is that the old servant serves his masters very faithfully. He does not understand innovation. For him, it was always clear such an attitude when there are gentlemen who give orders, and servants who carry them out. If everyone has their own duties and rules of conduct, then there will always be order in the country. When such a hierarchy is broken, then the adherents of the old traditions will not understand what to do. After all, they existed for a long time along with the old customs, to which they were quite accustomed. Therefore, since recently, after the serf reform, Firs feels oppressed. He does not know what to do, because now no one needs him. Therefore, he is very sad.

However, the old servant knows perfectly well that Gaev 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 left his job with peace of mind. And Gaev is not even able to put on the pants he needs, despite the fact that he already has a fifty dollars! Only because these two have not yet embarked on the path of independence, Firs still works as a servant.

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

Firs is like a manor spirit who is very old and outlived several cherry orchard owners. And the faithful servant always respects the 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, he 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 direct them to the path of enlightenment and awareness, no matter who these people are.

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 about which it would be nice to think together. In fact, 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 gamut of emotions experienced by the old generation, accustomed to established norms and rights. Through the image of Firs, the problem of conservatism is also traced, that is, the denial of everything new and revolutionary, since the old society was used to established rules and did not want to change them, this is precisely what 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 narration, we learn that this very life was taken away from him, one might say, because of which he is very indignant, because he is used to obeying, and being subordinated. His only stronghold old life is a 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 security and serenity.

Also through his image, the author speaks with the reader, discussing the issue of the correctness of the decision of the authorities to abolish serfdom, since he was tormented by such thoughts, and he often thought about what could happen in the end 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 more than the owners, can not live without the 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 performed by him (in particular, helping the owner in dressing) are of no fundamental importance. The owners of the estate could well do without what the old servant does. However, for them it is just 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 attached to the past much more strongly. Chekhov shows the death of a servant in an already sold estate. 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 the former life, collapsing before our eyes, like the cherry orchard.

It is significant that, unlike other servants, Firs is not looking for profit to fail. He, by and large, 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 of life. In his attachment to the owners, one feels not so much servility as real concern.

In the image of Firs one can also see an example of a senseless existence, an example of subordinating one's life to miserable and insignificant goals. From the insignificant functions that he performed, Firs 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 person. Changes in the life of the country not only swept them out of their way, but Firs himself, in fact, was destroyed. Neither the old servant nor the ruined landowners were able to even try to resist the flow of time. They limited themselves only to empty talk, as well as the teachings of those around them, like Firs.

Firs is probably deliberately depicted as old and almost deaf. Physical weakness and death at the end of the work personify the death of the old society and its practices.

Some interesting essays

Previously, people were different, but everyone knew his duty to his homeland and was a patriot. Gogol is a real Russian man with endless talent. It was he who wrote the magnificent work of Taras Bulba

• The image and characteristics of Matrena Korchagina in the poem Who in Rus' live well

  Russian peasant woman is a character in various works Nekrasov. All of them are imbued with sympathy for her fate.

I have one very memorable day in my life. I really remember how my grandmother and my friends rested on the banks of the river. It was a beautiful sunny day outside

• The image of St. Petersburg in the stories of Dostoevsky essay

  The image of St. Petersburg is described by many writers, the first who touched upon the topic of the northern city was Pushkin. It was he who in his works described Petersburg, which has two sides on one side it is a big beautiful city

• Composition The problem of national happiness in the poem Who lives well in Rus' Nekrasova

  Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov, one of the most talented writers of the nineteenth century, began the poem in 1863 and composed it until the end of his life, until 1877.

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 as 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 heroes of Chekhov's play "The Cherry Orchard" serve as a reflection of 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, the "eternal student." Below will be presented all the heroes of the play "The Cherry Orchard":

• Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna, mistress of the estate.
• Anya, her daughter, 17 years old. 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. Sympathizes with 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 perform tricks.
• Epikhodov Semyon Panteleevich, clerk, unlucky person. 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.

The characters of the play

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

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's in love with some scoundrel who left her penniless. And then Ranevskaya returns with Anya to Russia. They can be compared with 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 at the time of the author began to decline. Both brother and sister may not be fully aware of this, but nevertheless they feel that something is happening. And by the way they begin to act, one can see the reaction of Chekhov's contemporaries - it was either a move abroad, or an attempt to adapt to new conditions.

Firs is the 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 emerging position, but her dream is the opportunity to go to holy places, and strong faith was characteristic of people of the older generation. And Varya, despite his seemingly stormy 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 rich class of that time.

Younger generation

Here the representatives of the future of Russia will be considered - 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 the first place. But one should not assume that Anton Pavlovich portrayed revolutionary-minded youth - it is rather an image of most of the intelligentsia of that time, which was engaged only in talking on high topics, putting itself above human needs, but was not adapted to anything.

All this was realized in Trofimov - " eternal student" And " shabby gentleman", who could not 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 thought of his possible romance with Anya - he is "above love."

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

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

It was during that period that the hero of Lopakhin could have appeared - then this "risen" peasantry, proud of the realization that they were no longer slaves, showed a higher adaptability to life than the nobles, which is proved by the fact that it was Lopakhin who bought Ranevskaya's estate.

Why was the characterization of the heroes of "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 heroes, but also the confrontation between them, which makes it possible to make the images of the heroes of "The Cherry Orchard" brighter and deeper. Let's consider them in more detail.

Ranevskaya - Lopakhin

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

• belonging to different generations;
• opposition of characters.

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

Lopakhin - Trofimov

The conflict in a pair of these people is due to the fact that they have opposing views. Trofimov considers Lopakhin an ordinary peasant, rude, limited, who is not interested in anything but 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 a person is above everything earthly.

Trofimov - Varya

The confrontation is built, most likely, on personal rejection. Varya despises Peter because he is not busy with anything, and fears that with the help of his smart speeches, Anya will fall in love with him. Therefore, Varya tries in every possible way to prevent them. Trofimov, on the other hand, 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, the above was briefly written about the characters of the heroes of "The Cherry Orchard" by Chekhov. We have described only the most significant characters. Now we can move on to the most interesting - the image of the protagonist of the play.

The protagonist of The Cherry Orchard

The attentive reader has already guessed (or guesses) that this is a cherry orchard. In the play, he personifies Russia itself: its past, present and future. Why is the garden itself 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 escalates (fear of losing the garden, awareness of her helplessness, unwillingness to part with it), and a confrontation arises between Ranevskaya and Lopakhin.

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

What did the garden mean for heroes

For convenience, you can write the ratio of the characters to the cherry orchard in the table.

The symbolism of the cherry orchard in the play

But how, then, is the image of the protagonist 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 estate of the nobility was in its prime, no one thought about the abolition of serfdom. In the present, a decline in society is already outlined: it is divided, landmarks 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 can lead the country to prosperity.

The sale of Ranevskaya's cherry orchard for debts and the purchase by Lopakhin is a symbolic transfer of the country from the wealthy class to ordinary workers. By debt here is meant a debt for how to deal with them. for a long time treated the owners as they exploited the common people. And the fact that power in the country passes common people, is a natural result of the path along which Russia moved. And the nobility had to do what Ranevskaya and Gaev did - go abroad or go to work. And the younger generation will try to fulfill the dreams of a brighter future.

Conclusion

After 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 the society of that time, the position in which it was. And the writer did this very gracefully and subtly, which allows this play to remain loved by readers for a long time.