The man in the Iron case. (A person) living by his own narrow interests; isolated from people, from life; inert and closed. - You are a man in a case, a cardboard soul, a folder for affairs!(B. Lavrenev. A story about a simple thing). He reminds her of Chekhov's man in a case.(A. Koptyaeva. Ivan Ivanovich). - Based on the story by A.P. Chekhov “The Man in a Case” (1898).
Phraseological dictionary of the Russian literary language. - M.: Astrel, AST. A. I. Fedorov. 2008.
See what “Man in a Case” is in other dictionaries:
Man in a case- Title of the story (1898) by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860 1904). The main character is a provincial teacher Belikov, who is afraid of any innovations, actions not permitted by the “boss,” as well as reality in general. Hence his favorite expression: ... ... Dictionary of popular words and expressions
MAN IN A CASE- CASE. MAN IN A CASE. In Chekhov’s story “The Man in a Case”: “This man had a constant and irresistible desire to surround himself with a shell, to create for himself, so to speak, a case that would seclude him, protect him from external... ... History of words
MAN IN A CASE- “MAN IN A CASE”, USSR, SOVIET BELARUS, 1939, b/w, 84 min. Drama. Based on the story of the same name by A.P. Chekhov. Cast: Nikolai Khmelev (see KHMELEV Nikolay Pavlovich), Mikhail Zharov (see ZHAROV Mikhail Ivanovich), Olga Androvskaya (see ANDROVSKAYA Olga... ... Encyclopedia of Cinema
Man in a case- This term has other meanings, see Man in a Case (meanings). Man in a Case (true incident) ... Wikipedia
Man in a case- wing. sl. This is the name given to a person who is afraid of all innovations, drastic measures, very timid, like the teacher Belikov, depicted in A.P. Chekhov’s story “The Man in a Case” (1898). Belikov “was remarkable in that he always, even in very good times... ... Universal additional practical explanatory dictionary by I. Mostitsky
Man in a case- Talk. Disapproved About a person who is isolated in a circle of narrow philistine, petty-bourgeois interests, has isolated himself from real life, is afraid of innovations and changes. /i> Based on the title of the story by A. P. Chekhov (1898). BMS 1998, 619; BTS, 1470; FM 2002, 609; ... Large dictionary of Russian sayings
man in a case- about someone who has closed himself in a circle of narrow, philistine interests, has isolated himself from real life, is afraid of innovations and changes. The expression goes back to the story of the same name by A.P. Chekhov. The main character of this work is Belikov, a teacher of ancient languages,... ... Phraseology Guide
man in a case- About someone who is isolated in a circle of narrow, philistine interests, afraid of any innovations From the title of the story by A.P. Chekhov... Dictionary of many expressions
"Man in a Case"- A MAN IN A CASE story by A.P. Chekhov (1898), ch. The hero is afraid of life and tries to hide from it in a case, a shell of regulations and stereotypes... Russian humanitarian encyclopedic dictionary
Man in a Case (film)- This term has other meanings, see Man in a Case. Man in a Case ... Wikipedia
Books
- Man in a Case, A.P. Chekhov. The hero of the story “The Man in a Case” is Belikov, a high school Greek language teacher. His main fear is “that something might not work out.” With the arrival of a new teacher, Mikhail, in the city...
"Man in a Case"- story by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, written in May-June 1898. It was first published in the magazine “Russian Thought”, 1898, No. 7. 1st part of the “little trilogy”.
History of creation
The idea of creating this series came to Chekhov in the summer. The “Little Trilogy” series, consisting of three stories: “The Man in a Case”, “Gooseberry”, “About Love”, should not have ended with the story “About Love”. While writing the stories, there was a decline in creative activity, and later Chekhov was distracted by tuberculosis.
Chekhov worked on the story in May - June 1898 in Melikhovo. At the beginning of June 1898, the story was being prepared for publication, and on June 15, 1898, the manuscript was sent to the magazine.
Chekhov wrote about this story in his notebooks:
Prototype
Belikov's exact prototype is unknown. Some contemporaries (including V. G. Bogoraz and M. P. Chekhov) believed that the prototype of the “man in a case” was the inspector of the Taganrog gymnasium A. F. Dyakonov, while others described Dyakonov’s character traits, refuting the opinion of the first. Thus, P. P. Filevsky noted Dyakonov’s generosity and wrote: “I positively affirm that there is nothing in common between “The Man in a Case” and A. F. Dyakonov, and no local color can be found in this work by A. P. Chekhov.” .
Yu. Sobolev believed that the likely prototype of Chekhov’s hero could be the famous publicist M. O. Menshikov, Chekhov wrote about him in one of his diaries: the beginning of the quote “M. in dry weather he wears galoshes, carries an umbrella so as not to die from sunstroke, is afraid to wash his face with cold water, complains of a sinking heart.” However, the similarity between Menshikov and Belikov can only be noted externally. Chekhov himself wrote about his brother I.P. Chekhov:
From all these facts, we can conclude that the image of the Greek teacher Belikov is collective.
Now the expression “Man in a Case” has become a common noun in the Russian language, meaning a lonely person who closes himself off from the whole world, creating a shell around himself, a “case.”
Characters
- Ivan Ivanovich Chimsha-Himalayan- veterinarian, nobleman. A tall, thin old man with a long mustache.
- Burkina- gymnasium teacher and friend of I. I. Chimshi-Himalayansky. Tells a story about Belikov
- Belikov- Greek teacher. He worked together with Burkin at the gymnasium. His favorite phrase: “If only something didn’t work out”
- Cook Afanasy- old man 60 years old. Belikov's drunken and crazy servant.
- Mikhail Savvich Kovalenko- teacher of history and geography. A young, dark, tall man.
- Varenka- Belikov’s beloved, 30 years old. Sister Kovalenko. A tall, slender, black-browed, red-cheeked girl.
Plot
The story begins with a description of the overnight stay of two hunters: Ivan Ivanovich Chimsha-Himalayan and Burkin. They stopped in the village headman's barn and told each other different stories. The conversation turned to the topic of people “who are lonely by nature, who, like a hermit crab or a snail, try to retreat into their shell.” Burkin tells the story of a certain Belikov, who recently died in his town.
Written in May - June 1898. It was first published in the magazine “Russian Thought”, 1898, No. 7. The first part of the “little trilogy”.
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The idea of creating this series came to Chekhov in the summer. The “Little Trilogy” series, consisting of three stories: “The Man in a Case”, “Gooseberry”, “About Love”, should not have ended with the story “About Love”. While writing the stories, there was a decline in creative activity, and later Chekhov was distracted by tuberculosis.
Chekhov worked on the story in May - June 1898 in Melikhovo. At the beginning of June of this year, the story was being prepared for publication, and on June 15 of the year the manuscript was sent to the magazine.
Chekhov wrote about this story in his notebooks:“A man in a case: everything is in his case. When I was lying in a coffin, I seemed to be smiling: I had found my ideal.”
A. P. Chekhov
Prototype
Belikov's exact prototype is unknown. Some contemporaries (including V. G. Bogoraz and M. P. Chekhov) believed that the prototype of the “man in a case” was the Taganrog gymnasium inspector Alexander Fedorovich Dyakonov, while others described Dyakonov’s character traits, refuting the opinion of the first. Thus, P. P. Filevsky noted Dyakonov’s generosity and wrote: “I positively affirm that there is nothing in common between “The Man in a Case” and A. F. Dyakonov, and no local color can be found in this work by A. P. Chekhov.” .
Yu. Sobolev believed that the famous publicist M. O. Menshikov could be a likely prototype of the Chekhov hero. Chekhov wrote about him in one of his diaries:
"M. in dry weather he wears galoshes, carries an umbrella so as not to die from sunstroke, is afraid to wash his face with cold water, complains of a sinking heart"
However, the similarity between Menshikov and Belikov can only be noted externally. Chekhov himself wrote about his brother I.P. Chekhov:
“He, that is, Ivan, has turned a little gray and still buys everything very cheaply and profitably, and even in good weather takes an umbrella with him.”
From all these facts, we can conclude that the image of the Greek teacher Belikov is collective.
Now the expression “Man in a Case” has become a common noun in the Russian language, meaning a lonely person who closes himself off from the whole world, creating a shell around himself, a “case.”Characters
- Ivan Ivanovich Chimsha-Himalayan- veterinary doctor, nobleman. A tall, thin old man with a long mustache.
- Burkina- gymnasium teacher and friend of I. I. Chimshi-Himalayansky. Tells a story about Belikov.
Heroes of Burkina's story:
- Belikov- Greek teacher. He worked together with Burkin at the gymnasium. His favorite phrase: “No matter what happens”
- Cook Afanasy- old man 60 years old. Belikov's drunken and crazy servant.
- Mikhail Savvich Kovalenko- teacher of history and geography. A young, dark, tall man. He comes from Malorosiya (Ukraine), where he came from with his sister.
- Varenka- Belikov’s beloved, 30 years old. Sister Kovalenko. A tall, slender, black-browed, red-cheeked girl.
Plot
The story begins with a description of the overnight stay of two hunters: Ivan Ivanovich Chimsha-Himalayan and Burkin. They stopped in the village headman's barn and told each other different stories. The conversation turned to the topic of people “who are lonely by nature, who, like a hermit crab or a snail, try to retreat into their shell.” Burkin tells the story of a certain Belikov, who recently died in his town.
Belikov was the “Man in a Case”. Even in the warmest weather, he went out in a coat, galoshes and an umbrella. And his umbrella had a case, and his watch, and his penknife. And his very face seemed to be in a case, he constantly hid it behind his collar. This man had an irresistible desire to create a shell for himself behind which he would hide from reality. Even the smallest violation or deviation from the rules made him worry. At pedagogical councils, he oppressed everyone with his suspiciousness and caution. With his sighs and whining, he put pressure on everyone and everyone gave in to him. Everyone was afraid of him. Belikov had a strange habit - going to teachers’ apartments. He came, sat down and was silent. So he “maintained good relations with his comrades.”
Once a new history and geography teacher was appointed to the gymnasium, and he came not alone, but with his sister Varenka. She charmed everyone at the director's name day, even Belikov. And then everyone decided to marry them. Varenka was not averse to getting married. But Belikov doubted, he constantly talked about Varenka, about family life and that marriage is a serious step.
Varenka's brother hated Belikov from the first day they met. He even gave Belikov the name “Look at the Spider.”
The critic was confused by the combination of a comedic caricature character and the seriousness of Chekhov's gaze, the seriousness of the background.
“In the gap between Belikov from Burkin’s story and Belikov from Chekhov’s story there is Emptiness. Emptiness is one of the names of the Man in the Case, his secret, his riddle. A hypertrophied and sad socio-cultural with the weakness of the natural, a grotesque body of the political, its evil parody, a jester suddenly turned into a spy with an important report. If you follow the logic of the myth, Belikov’s message must be really important.”
A. L. Bokshitsky
The influence of the image
Modern psychologists consider Belikov’s image as an example of a description of an anxiety disorder.
A monument to the heroes of the story was erected in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, in the park near the Sakhalin International Theater Center in 2013.
Screen adaptation
- “Man in a Case” - feature film, 1939.
- "Man in a Case" - animated film,
Who are the case people? They surround us everywhere, but few people realize that they can be characterized by such an interesting term. Because not everyone has read the famous story by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, which was called “The Man in a Case.” It was this Russian prose writer-playwright who first in history proposed this type of personality. However, first things first.
Visual image
Anyone who is familiar with him knows how rich the world of his works is on human types. Who doesn’t appear in his stories! And conscientious individuals, not satisfied with social laws and with themselves, and narrow-minded ordinary people, and noble dreamers, and opportunistic officials. And images of “case” people also appear. In particular, in the story mentioned above.
The plot of “The Man in a Case” centers on a high school teacher named Belikov. Teaching Greek has long ceased to be needed by anyone. He's very strange. Even if it’s sunny outside, he puts on galoshes, a warm cotton coat with a high collar and takes an umbrella. A mandatory “accessory” is dark glasses. He always stuffs his ears with cotton. He drives a cab, with the top always up. Belikov also keeps everything in cases - an umbrella, a watch, and even a penknife.
But this is just an image. It would seem that the description only says that the person is neat and prudent, maybe even a little pedantic. But it is not without reason that they say that the external manifestation reflects the internal state of a person. And indeed it is.
Personal characteristics
Examples of “case” people encountered in life are reflected in Belikov. He is a mixture of sociopath, paranoid and introvert. He is afraid of all living things. His is: “No matter what happens.” He treats everything that surrounds him with caution and fear. Belikov is not able to think freely, since each of his ideas is in a “case”.
And it would be okay if he was like that in society. But even at home he behaves the same way! He dresses in a long robe and cap, closes the shutters on the windows tightly, snapping the latches. His bed has a canopy, and when Belikov lies down in it, he covers his head with a blanket.
Naturally, he observes all fasts and does not have female servants - fearing that others will suspect him of having relationships with them. Belikov is a real hermit. Who, in the literal sense of the word, is afraid to live.
Consequences
Naturally, such a lifestyle that Belikov leads cannot but affect anything. Who are the case people? These are real hermits who believe that they live quite normally, unlike others. This is also manifested in Chekhov's hero.
At one point he meets Varenka, a girl who is the sister of a new geography and history teacher. She shows an unexpected interest in Belikov. Whom society begins to persuade to marry her. He agrees, despite the fact that thoughts of marriage depress and worry him. Belikov loses weight, turns pale, becomes even more nervous and fearful. And the first thing that worries him the most is the lifestyle of the “bride”.
Who are the case people? Those who cannot understand others due to their detachment. Varenka loves to ride a bike with her brother. And Belikov is sure that this quite common hobby is not normal! Because it is not appropriate for someone who teaches history to young people to ride a bicycle. And the woman on this vehicle looks completely indecent. Belikov did not hesitate to express his thoughts to Varenka’s brother, who cannot stand him. And he threatened to report his hobby to the director of the gymnasium. In response, Varenka’s brother pulled Belikov down the stairs. What's the result? Belikov falls ill - from stress, he is haunted by the thought that someone will find out about his shame. And a month later he dies. This is the end.
Main thought
Well, who these case people are - you can understand from Belikov’s example. And, in principle, Chekhov wanted to convey a simple idea. The prose writer tried to convey to readers that a life “closed” from society only cripples the human soul. You can't be outside the rest. We are all members of a single society. Everything that a person has messed up for himself, set up, only fences him off from life. From a reality filled with colors. And indeed it is. Spiritual wretchedness only limits human existence. This is what Chekhov is thinking about in this story.
Modernity
A person of the 21st century who has read Chekhov knows what kind of people are called case people. And he is able to recognize them among the rest. Nowadays they are called introverts. These are people whose mental makeup is characterized by contemplation, isolation and concentration on their own inner world. They are not inclined to communicate with other people - it is difficult for them to establish contact with anyone.
However, to understand the essence of this term, it is enough to turn to etymology. "Introvert" is a word derived from the German introvertiert. Which literally translates as “turned inward.”
I always remember a conversation in childhood when my mother said that my favorite books are remembered in a special way, often annoying at first. And after that there will be many books that we will read for information or out of interest. But only our favorite books will constantly come to our aid.
She had an interesting theory about judging people by their favorite books, or rather, about the common technique of making an impression, “showing off your erudition.” I always liked how my mother discovered that a person was simply bragging, trying to impersonate someone else with the help of books “from the extracurricular reading list.”
She always understood very subtly what a person actually created for himself case from books, thinking that he is already “in the house” where no one will get him. Not always realizing how much the frame we choose says about us, this is a bookish case.
And I’ve always been surprised why many people openly I do not like Anton Pavlovich Chekhov's story “The Man in a Case,” written two years before the onset of the twentieth century, in May-June 1898.
Chekhov's "Little Trilogy" series consists of three stories: "The Man in a Case", "Gooseberry", "About Love", there should have been much more, after the story "About Love" Anton Pavlovich fell ill with tuberculosis. In Chekhov's notebooks there are brief mentions of the hero of this story:
“A man in a case: everything is in his case. When he was lying in a coffin, he seemed to be smiling: he had found his ideal.”
A. P. ChekhovIt's embarrassing to admit, but this story compiled a list of my favorite things. Probably because in childhood it was the first work I “mastered” from the vast heritage of Russian literature. And after that many books could not surpass it. Such recognition always causes ridicule, as if people should only like those things that tell about heroes they would like to be like. And sometimes I read what they write and say today, thinking to myself, have they really never read “The Man in the Case”?
The letter “f” has taken root in the Russian language for a very long time. All words starting with this letter are of foreign origin. And those words that end with her used to end with the letter “p”: “dear closet.”
What “original Russian” synonym could be taken instead of the foreign word “case”? Maybe a "case"? As soon as we say it, we will feel the mustiness, the smell of dust. The case immediately creates the image of a packed item lying in the attic. Perhaps it was packed away and then forgotten.
“Case” is a more inert word, it does not give a direct association, it does not have such a direct meaning, it does not seem to be connected with specific circumstances, one can say that the author invented everything from beginning to end. And it's very convenient. Therefore, there is so much controversy surrounding this story: who became the prototype of the Belikov gymnasium teacher, who taught the children the Greek language, which would all be so “useful in life”?
Belikov's exact prototype is unknown. Some contemporaries (including V. G. Bogoraz and M. P. Chekhov) believed that the prototype of the “man in a case” was the inspector of the Taganrog gymnasium A. F. Dyakonov, while others described Dyakonov’s character traits, refuting the opinion of the first. Thus, P. P. Filevsky noted Dyakonov’s generosity and wrote: “I positively affirm that there is nothing in common between “The Man in a Case” and A. F. Dyakonov, and no local color can be found in this work by A. P. Chekhov.” .
Yu. Sobolev believed that the likely prototype of Chekhov’s hero could be the famous publicist M. O. Menshikov; Chekhov wrote about him in one of his diaries: “M. in dry weather he wears galoshes, carries an umbrella so as not to die from sunstroke, is afraid to wash his face with cold water, and complains of a sinking heart.”
However, the similarities between Menshikov and Belikov can only be noted externally. Chekhov himself wrote about his brother I.P. Chekhov: “He, that is, Ivan, has turned a little gray and still buys everything very cheaply and profitably, and even in good weather takes an umbrella with him.”From all these facts (far from complete), it is usually concluded (with great relief) that the image of the Greek teacher Belikov is collective, that is, it does not relate to anyone personally. Now the expression “Man in a case” has become a common noun in the Russian language, meaning necessarily lonely person, which closes itself off from the whole world, creating a shell around itself, a “case”. That is, we are talking about people “lonely by nature, who, like a hermit crab or a snail, try to retreat into their shell.”
At the same time, many forget that Belikov, who never tired of repeating “If only something had not worked out,” did not at all sit like a hermit crab in his corner, he was quite aggressive. He pestered everyone around him with truisms, trying on everyone the Procrustean bed of “time-tested truths.” Even the smallest violation or deviation from the rules made him worry. At pedagogical councils, he oppressed everyone with his suspiciousness and caution. With his sighs and whining, he put pressure on everyone and everyone gave in to him, everyone was afraid of him. Just look at his strange habit - going to teachers' apartments. Good "hermit crab"! He unceremoniously came to someone else's house, sat down and was silent. So he “maintained good relations with his comrades.”
Everyone remembered only the external signs, believing that the case was so noticeable. But the case may not be expressed in a coat, galoshes and an umbrella in the warmest weather; it may well be a Swiss watch, branded dresses and suits from which you don’t want to rip off the tag.
If Belikov had cases for his umbrella, watch and penknife, this means how much higher he valued his own knife - in comparison with “ordinary people”.
We believe that the man in the case must necessarily coincide with the description of Anton Pavlovich, so that his very face is in the case, so that he constantly hides it behind his collar, and his irresistible desire to create a shell for himself, behind which he would hide from reality, expressiveness Chekhovian grotesque.
But this could also be a person with a case of artificially created signs… “stardom”. And isn’t the desire to “stick to the pipe”, “to stick to the budget” a desire to hide from reality? The case makes a person inaccessible to the blows of fate, but it also preserves him in the case in such a way that from the outside it looks as wild as galoshes and an umbrella in dry weather.
In today's conditions, a person in a case can sign a Decree establishing the title “Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation”; he can swim with dolphins during working hours and take care of Siberian cranes more than people. He creates movements in his support, because... his reputation needs an additional case, and at the conferences of these movements we see strange antics and new attempts to create a case for themselves.
Any ideology in line with which people do things that are wild for a normal person is also a case that forever isolates a person from life, which is given only once. If you so want to live it in a box, then was it worth being born?..
Belikov is not at all as harmless as many believe. His last conversation with Kovalenko about bicycles ends with Varenka’s brother, whom Belikov is trying to marry this way and that, taking him down the stairs. But Belikov “informed” Kovalenko that he would have to report him to the director of the gymnasium... about the bicycles.
Therefore, there is no doubt how many denunciations he would have written if he had lived to see the “Stalinist repressions.” At the same time, everyone understands that it costs such a person nothing to change the case.
True, Chekhov’s Belikov died without changing his case, although he could have modernized it somewhat. After all, family life was imposed on him by well-wishers - as a new shell of a hermit crab, as a new case. Probably this new case, which most of us consider happiness and the meaning of life, was too big for him, crushing him with its weight.
Man in a case was last modified: January 1st, 2016 by Ekaterina Deduhova
