The technique of the grotesque in “Fairy Tales” by M. Saltykov-Shchedrin

The work of Saltykov Shchedrin can rightfully be called the highest achievement of social satire of the 1860-1880s. It is not without reason that Shchedrin’s closest predecessor is considered to be N.V. Gogol, who created a satirical and philosophical picture of the modern world. However, Saltykov Shchedrin sets himself a fundamentally different creative task: to expose and destroy as a phenomenon. V. G. Belinsky, discussing Gogol’s work, defined his humor as “calm in its indignation, good-natured in its slyness,” comparing it with others “formidable and open,

Bile, poisonous, merciless.” This second characteristic deeply reveals the essence of Shchedrin's satire. He removed Gogol's lyricism from the satire and made it more explicit and grotesque. But this did not make the works simpler or more monotonous. On the contrary, they fully revealed the comprehensive “bungling” of Russian society in the 19th century.
“Fairy tales for children of a fair age” were created in the last years of the writer’s life (1883-1886) and appear before us as a kind of result of Saltykov Shchedrin’s work in literature. And in terms of the richness of artistic techniques, and in terms of ideological significance, and in terms of the diversity of recreated social types, this book can fully be considered an artistic synthesis of the writer’s entire work. The form of a fairy tale gave Shchedrin the opportunity to speak openly on issues that concerned him. Turning to folklore, the writer sought to preserve its genre and artistic features and, with their help, draw the reader’s attention to the main problem of his work. By their genre nature, the tales of Saltykov Shchedrin represent a kind of fusion of two different genres of folklore and original literature: fairy tales and fables. When writing fairy tales, the author used grotesque, hyperbole, and antithesis.
Grotesque and hyperbole are the main artistic techniques with which the author creates the fairy tale “The Tale of How One Man Fed Two Generals.” The main characters are a man and two bum generals. Two completely helpless generals miraculously ended up on a desert island, and got there straight from bed in their nightgowns and with orders around their necks. The generals almost eat each other because they cannot not only catch fish or game, but also pick fruit from the tree. In order not to starve, they decide to look for a man. And he was found right away: he was sitting under a tree and shirking work. The “huge man” turns out to be a jack of all trades. He got apples from the tree, and dug potatoes from the ground, and prepared a snare for the hazel grouse from his own hair, and got fire, and prepared provisions. And what? He gave the generals a dozen apples, and took one for himself - sour. He even made a rope so that his generals could tie him to a tree with it. Moreover, he was ready to “please the generals for the fact that they, a parasite, favored him and did not disdain his peasant work.”
The man collected a swan's fluff to deliver his generals in comfort. No matter how much they scold the man for parasitism, the man “keeps rowing and rowing and feeding the generals with herring.”
Hyperbole and grotesque are evident throughout the narrative. Both the peasant's dexterity and the generals' ignorance are extremely exaggerated. A skilled man cooks a handful of soup. Stupid generals don’t know that buns are made from flour. A hungry general swallows his friend's order. An absolute hyperbole is that the man built a ship and took the generals straight to Bolshaya Podyacheskaya.
Extreme exaggeration of individual situations allowed the writer to turn a funny story about stupid and worthless generals into a furious denunciation of the existing order in Russia, which contributes to their emergence and carefree existence. In Shchedrin's fairy tales there are no random details or unnecessary words, and the heroes are revealed in actions and words. The writer draws attention to the funny sides of the person depicted. Suffice it to remember that the generals were in nightgowns, and each had an order hanging around their necks.
The uniqueness of Shchedrin's fairy tales also lies in the fact that in them the real is intertwined with the fantastic, thereby creating a comic effect. On the fabulous island, the generals find the famous reactionary newspaper Moskovskie Vedomosti. From the extraordinary island it is not far from St. Petersburg, to Bolshaya Podyacheskaya.
These tales are a magnificent artistic monument of a bygone era. Many images have become household names, denoting social phenomena of Russian and world reality.

You are now reading: Hyperbole and grotesque in the fairy tale by M. E. Saltykov Shchedrin “The Tale of How One Man Fed Two Generals”

M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin (1826-1889). Brief biographical information

Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov (pseudonym N. Shchedrin - since 1856) was born in the village of Spas-Ugol, Kalyazinsky district, Tver province. According to his father, Saltykov belonged to an old noble family, and according to his mother, to the merchant class. The writer's childhood was spent in a difficult, despotic atmosphere.

The future writer received a good education at home. Then he studied at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum.

Since 1844, Saltykov has been in the office, in service. From a young age, the writer had the opportunity to study the bureaucratic system of the Russian state.

In the 1840s, Saltykov was influenced by Belinsky and shared the ideas of utopian socialism.

Saltykov’s writing talent was formed under the influence of the “natural school”. Already his early works were accusatory in nature. For them, in 1848 the writer was exiled to Vyatka. The exile lasted until 1855.

After exile, Saltykov served in St. Petersburg. From 1858 he was vice-governor in Ryazan, then vice-governor in Tver; headed the state chambers in Penza, Tula, Ryazan. Being a major, influential official, Saltykov often stood up for peasants and ordinary people.

In 1868, the writer retired and devoted himself entirely to literary activity. From 1868 to 1884, Saltykov was one of the publishers of the journal Otechestvennye zapiski. By the mid-1860s, the consistent democratic pathos of the writer’s work was finally formed. Shchedrin's works are predominantly satirical.

Shchedrin's most famous works are “Provincial Sketches” (1856), “The History of a City” (1869), and “The Golovlevs” (1880). After the closure of Otechestvennye Zapiski, Shchedrin continued to write fairy tales, which were published in separate editions. At the end of his life, the writer creates a cycle of autobiographical essays “Poshekhon Antiquity” (1887–1889). The writer died in St. Petersburg in 1889.

Fairy tales

History of creation. Topics

Shchedrin's tales can be considered as result writer's creativity. In them, Shchedrin summarizes the problems posed in previously written works. In a concise, laconic form, the writer gives his understanding of Russian history and the destinies of the Russian people.

The themes of Shchedrin's fairy tales are extremely broad. In his tales, the writer examines state power and the bureaucratic system of Russia, the relationship between the ruling classes and the people, the views of the liberal intelligentsia, and many other aspects of Russian reality.

Ideological orientation of fairy tales

Most of Shchedrin's tales are distinguished by sharp satirical orientation.

The writer makes a sharp criticism administrative system of the Russian state(“Bear in the Voivodeship”). He denounces life of the ruling classes(“The Tale of How One Man Fed Two Generals”, “The Wild Landowner”). Shchedrin reveals ideological failure and civic cowardice liberal intelligentsia(“The Wise Minnow”).

Ambiguous position Saltykova-Shchedrin in relation to the people. The writer appreciates the hard work of the people, sympathizes with their suffering (“Horse”), admires their natural intelligence and ingenuity (“The Tale...”). At the same time, Saltykov-Shchedrin sharply criticizes the people’s humility before their oppressors (“The Tale ...”). At the same time, the writer notes the rebellious spirit of the people, their desire for a free life (“Bear in the Voivodeship”).

Brief analysis of individual fairy tales

“The story of how one man fed two generals”

The main theme of “The Tale...” (1869) – relationship between the ruling classes and the people. It is revealed through the example of two generals who find themselves on a desert island and a man.

The people in the person of a man are depicted in a fairy tale ambiguous. On the one hand, a man is distinguished by such qualities as hard work, ingenuity, the ability to solve any problem: he can get food and build a ship.

On the other hand, Saltykov-Shchedrin fully reveals slave psychology man, humility, even self-abasement. The man picked the generals a dozen ripe apples, and took one sour one for himself; he made a rope for himself so as not to run away from the generals.

"Wild Landowner"

The main theme of the fairy tale “The Wild Landowner” (1869) – degeneration of the nobility in the conditions of post-reform Russia.

Shchedrin shows gross arbitrariness of the landowner in relation to peasants already freed from serfdom. The landowner punishes the peasants with fines and other repressive measures.

At the same time, as in the tale of two generals, the writer seeks to prove that Without men, a landowner cannot exist humanly: He simply turns into a beast.

In his work, Shchedrin used the traditional fairy tale motif of guests visiting the hero three times. For the first time, the actor Sadovsky and his female actors come to him, then four generals, then a police captain. They all declare the boundless stupidity of the landowner.

Saltykov-Shchedrin ridicules the polemics between conservative nobles and the liberal intelligentsia. In the fairy tale, the landowner's exclamation about the firmness of his soul and his unwillingness to compromise is repeatedly heard addressed to the liberals. “And I’ll prove to these liberals what strength of soul can do,” declares the landowner.

The newspaper "Vest", constantly mentioned in the fairy tale, acquires the meaning of a symbol of the reactionary press, defending the interests of the landowners.

"The Wise Minnow"

In the fairy tale “The Wise Minnow” (1883) Saltykov-Shchedrin denounces the liberal intelligentsia.

According to the observation of E.Yu. Zubareva, in the exhibition “The Wise Minnow” the motif of fatherly instruction sounds, reminding us of the “instructions” of fathers Molchalin and Chichikov. The father bequeathed to the minnow: “Beware of the fish!” This covenant defines the main life principle of Shchedrin’s hero: to live quietly, unnoticed, to escape from life’s problems into a deep hole.

The gudgeon lives in accordance with his father's instructions unnoticed, unnoticed and dies. His life is a meaningless existence, which is emphasized by the author’s aphorism: “When he lived, he trembled, and when he died, he trembled.”

According to the satirist, the liberal principles that the gudgeon professes are also meaningless and fruitless. Shchedrin satirically ridiculed the dreams of liberals, using the recurring motif of the “winning ticket.” This motif sounds, in particular, in the gudgeon’s dream. “It’s as if he won two hundred thousand, grew by as much as half an arshin and swallows the pike himself,” writes Shchedrin.

The death of the minnow goes unnoticed, as does his life.

"Bear in the Voivodeship"

The main theme of the fairy tale “The Bear in the Voivodeship” (1884) – relationship between government and people.

Animal images reflect hierarchy of power in a despotic state. The Lion is the king of beasts, the Donkey is his advisor; Next come the Toptygins-voivodes; then the “forest people”: animals, birds, insects, that is, according to Shchedrin, men.

Extremely important for understanding Shchedrin’s tale image of History. He appears already in the fairytale beginning, which tells about the varieties villainy–"brilliant" And "shameful". “Large and serious atrocities are often called brilliant and as such are entered into the tablets of History. Small and comic atrocities are called shameful,” writes Shchedrin. The motive of History runs through the entire narrative of the three Toptygins. The Court of History, according to Shchedrin, pronounces a verdict on the despotic system of power. It is no coincidence that the fairy tale notes that “the Lion himself is afraid of History.”

The fairy tale depicts three Toptygins, who became famous in different ways in the voivodeship.

Toptygin 1st committed a “shameful” crime: he ate Chizhik. Despite his subsequent “brilliant” atrocities, he was cruelly ridiculed by the inhabitants of the forest and, as a result, was sent into retirement by Leo.

Toptygin 2nd He immediately began with a “brilliant” crime: he destroyed a peasant’s estate. However, he immediately fell on the spear. Here we see a clear hint from the satirist about the possibility of a popular rebellion against the authorities.

Toptygin 3rd He was distinguished by a good-natured, liberal disposition. However, during his reign, atrocities continued. Only these were "natural" crimes, independent of the will of the ruler. Thus, the writer seeks to emphasize that the point is not in the personal qualities of the governor, but in the system of power itself, which is hostile to the people.

People in the fairy tale “The Bear in the Voivodeship” is depicted ambiguous. Here we find not only the image of a slave people, as it was in “The Tale of How One Man Fed Two Generals.” Shown in the image of Lukash men rebel people, ready to skin his ruler. It is not for nothing that the fairy tale ends with the message that Toptygin on the 3rd suffered “the fate of all fur-bearing animals.”

Artistic originality of fairy tales

Genre originality

The tales of Saltykov-Shchedrin represent innovative genre, although they are based on folklore, And literary traditions.

When creating his works, Shchedrin relied on traditions of folk fairy tales And fairy tales about animals. Shchedrin often uses traditional fairy tales plot. The writer’s works often contain a fabulous the beginning(“Once upon a time there were two generals”; “In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there lived a landowner”). Often found at Shchedrin's sayings(“He was there, drinking honey-beer, it flowed down his mustache, but it didn’t get into his mouth”; “at the behest of a pike, according to my desire”; “neither to tell in a fairy tale, nor to describe with a pen”). In Shchedrin's works there are replays, characteristic of folk tales (three visits to a wild landowner by guests; three Toptygins).

In addition to folklore traditions (folk tales), Shchedrin also relied on literary traditions, namely the genre fables. At the heart of Shchedrin's fairy tales, like fables, is the principle allegories: with the help of animal images, human characters and social phenomena are recreated. It’s not for nothing that Shchedrin’s tales are sometimes called “fables in prose.”

At the same time, Saltykov-Shchedrin’s tales cannot be identified with either folk tales or fables. Shchedrin’s fairy tale is, first of all, an example political satire, enclosed in the traditional form of a fairy tale. The political satire of Saltykov-Shchedrin carries with it topical content, relevant for that time. In addition, it has a deep universal meaning.

Some of Saltykov-Shchedrin's tales also have their own genre specificity. For example, “The Tale of How One Man Fed Two Generals” bears the features Robinsonades; "Bear in the Voivodeship" contains elements historical chronicle, which partly brings this work closer to “The History of a City”.

The principle of allegory. Artistic techniques

Among the artistic techniques used by Saltykov-Shchedrin in fairy tales, we note the following. This is first of all various forms of allegory (irony, hyperbole, grotesque), as well as speech alogisms,aphorisms, other artistic media. Let us remember that the fairy tale genre itself already presupposes allegory as the basic principle of storytelling.

The most important means of allegory in the tales of Saltykov-Shchedrin is irony. Irony is based on the principle of semantic contrast: the definition of an object is opposite to its essence.

Let us give examples of irony. In “The Tale...” Shchedrin notes that one of the generals at one time served as a calligraphy teacher, therefore, was smarter than the other. The irony in this case emphasizes the stupidity of the generals. Let's give another example from the same fairy tale. When the man prepared food for the generals, they thought about giving the parasite a piece. Irony reveals the man’s hard work and at the same time the contemptuous attitude of the generals towards him. In the fairy tale “The Wise Minnow,” Shchedrin writes that the young minnow “had a mind.” Irony reveals the mental limitations of the liberal minnow. In the fairy tale “The Bear in the Voivodeship” it is noted that Leo’s Donkey “was reputed to be a sage.” Irony emphasizes the stupidity of not only the Donkey, but also the Leo.

In his fairy tales, Shchedrin also uses the technique hyperboles. As you know, the basis of hyperbole is the exaggeration of any properties of an object or phenomenon.

Let us give examples of hyperbole from fairy tales. In “The Tale...” Shchedrin notes that the generals didn’t even know any words except the phrase: “Accept the assurance of my complete respect and devotion.” The hyperbole reveals the extreme mental limitations of the generals. Let's give some more examples. One of the generals is convinced that the rolls “will be born in the same form as they are served with coffee in the morning.” The hyperbole emphasizes the ignorance of the generals. Shchedrin writes that the man made a rope for himself so as not to run away from the generals. With the help of this hyperbole, Shchedrin reveals the slave psychology of the people. The writer talks about how a man built a ship on a desert island. Here, with the help of hyperbole, the idea of ​​a craftsman people and their ability to do creative work is emphasized. Shchedrin's wild landowner was covered with hair from head to toe, walked on all fours, and lost the gift of articulate speech. Here the hyperbole helps to reveal the physical and spiritual degradation of the landowner. In this case, hyperbole turns into grotesque: there is not only exaggeration, but also elements of fantasy.

Grotesque- the most important artistic technique used by Saltykov-Shchedrin. The grotesque is based on the combination of the incompatible, the connection of the incompatible, combination of reality and fantasy. The grotesque is Saltykov-Shchedrin’s favorite artistic technique. It helps the artist to reveal the very essence of the depicted phenomenon, to sharply expose it.

Let's give examples. The generals on a desert island found an old “number” of “Moskovskie Vedomosti”. This example emphasizes that generals live by the ideas of the conservative press even on a desert island. The grotesque technique is also used by Shchedrin in the scene of the fight between the generals: one bit off the other’s order; at the same time blood began to flow. The grotesque here reveals the writer’s idea that the order is an integral part of the general’s body: without the order, the general is no longer a general. In the fairy tale “The Bear in the Voivodeship,” Shchedrin reports that the printing press (in the forest!) was publicly burned under Magnitsky. As you know, M.L. Magnitsky is a conservative statesman of the era of Alexander I. In this case, the grotesque emphasizes the conventions of fairy-tale storytelling. It becomes clear to the reader that this is actually not about the forest, but about the Russian state.

Sometimes the writer resorts to speech alogisms. In the fairy tale “The Wild Landowner,” Shchedrin cites the following reflection of the peasants: “The peasants see: although their landowner is stupid, he is given a great mind.” Speech illogic reveals the narrowness of the landowner’s mental horizons.

In fairy tales Shchedrin often uses aphorisms, apt expressions. Let us remember Donkey’s advice to Toptygin the 3rd in the fairy tale “The Bear in the Voivodeship”: “Act with decency.” The meaning of the aphorism is that in conditions of despotism, the most important thing for a ruler is to maintain external decorum.

The satirist, with the help of an apt folk proverb, formulated the main life principle of the heroine of the fairy tale “Dried Roach”: “Ears do not grow higher than the forehead.” This expression emphasizes the cowardice of liberals. In the fairy tale “The Bear in the Voivodeship,” Shchedrin writes that Toptygin 1st “was not angry, but just a brute.” The writer sought to emphasize here that the point is not in the personal qualities of the ruler, but in the criminal role he plays in the state.

Questions and tasks

1. Briefly describe the life path and creative activity of M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin. What family was he born into? Where did you get your education? At what age did you start serving? What ideas did the writer adhere to? What is the name of the magazine he published in the 1860s–1880s? Name the main works of Shchedrin.

2. What place do his fairy tales occupy in Shchedrin’s work? At what time were they created? Name the main themes of fairy tales.

3. Describe the ideological orientation of fairy tales. What phenomena of Russian reality does Shchedrin expose? What is the writer's attitude towards the people?

4. Make a brief analysis of the fairy tales “The Tale of How One Man Fed Two Generals”, “The Wild Landowner”, “The Wise Minnow”, “The Bear in the Voivodeship”.

5. Consider the genre uniqueness of Shchedrin’s tales. What traditions did the writer rely on when creating them? How did Shchedrin demonstrate his innovation? Tell us about the genre specifics of individual fairy tales.

6. What basic principle underlies Shchedrin’s fairy tales? List the main artistic techniques used by the writer in fairy tales.

7. Define irony, hyperbole, grotesque. Give examples and comment on them. Give also examples of speech alogisms and aphorisms.

8. Make a detailed outline on the topic “Satirical pathos of fairy tales by M.E. Salytov-Shchedrin.”

9. Write an essay on the topic: “The artistic originality of M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin’s fairy tales.”

The work of M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin covers the 60-80s of the last century. At this time, along with the revolutionary upsurge, the reaction intensified. To bypass censorship, the satirist wrote allegorically: he either transferred contemporary reality to the 18th century, then hid representatives of arbitrariness under the name of the favorite of the French king Louis XV, the Marquise of Pompadour, or resorted to the genre of fairy tales.

In 1870, “The History of a City” appeared - a brilliant satire on the Russian autocracy. “The History of a City” - the history of the oppression of the people

And a decisive condemnation of the resigned humility that made the existence of the reactionary system possible. “The History of One City” was written on behalf of the residents of the city of Foolov - the Foolovites, or more precisely, the Foolov chroniclers, who told the world the deeds of the Foolov mayors from 1731 to 1825. Caricatured, grotesque images of administrators embodied the features of people contemporary to the author. There are hints here about the activities of Speransky, a response to the reforms of the last decade, and a satire on the reform initiatives of Alexander II.

“Inventory for City Governors” contains laconic characteristics of twenty-two Foolov rulers. Each mayor marked his stay in power in his own way, but they all distinguished themselves in extorting taxes and suppressing rebellions, in persecuting dissent and in abolishing the sciences. Fantastically grotesque is the figure of the hastily appointed mayor Dementy Varlamovich Brudasty, into whose cranium a simple mechanism was installed, capable of shouting two words “I will not tolerate” and “I will ruin.” This primitive device did not prevent Brudasty, nicknamed Organchik, from regularly fulfilling the main duty of the mayor - “to put in order the arrears neglected by his predecessor,” that is, to collect taxes. Another mayor had a stuffed head. He did not frighten the townsfolk with cries of “I will not tolerate” and “I will ruin”, but withdrew from business. Having taken the reader through all the stages of Foolov's debauchery, the author shows how the apparatus of autocratic power is becoming increasingly dull and disintegrating. The last ruler of the Gloomy-Burcheev, a scoundrel who “proved his loyalty,” combined narrow-mindedness with inflexibility, “almost bordering on idiocy.” Everything according to Ugryum-Burcheev’s project is tightly constrained by discipline and riddled with espionage. The whole world seems to him ideally to be a model camera. The image of the royal dignitaries and the kings themselves, brought to the point of grotesquery, is not only a picture of their mental and moral degeneration, but eloquently testifies to the depravity of the very principle of autocracy. Saltykov-Shchedrin also skillfully used the grotesque in fairy tales. The image of the main character of the fairy tale “The Wild Landowner” looks grotesque. He is worried about the thought: too many men have divorced. And he began to destroy the men. The landowner completed the job of destroying the peasant. The man disappeared. Together with the peasant, the benefits that the master had at his disposal also disappeared. Left without men, he degraded to the level of a beast: he grew hair, lost his articulate speech and began to crawl on all fours. Indeed, without the peasant, the landowners would go wild.

M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin resorts to Aesopian language when he ridicules little people who want to hide from social storms. Among his fairy tales, a special place is occupied by the “fairy tale for children of a fair age” - “The Wise Minnow”. In the image of a minnow, a cowardly man in the street is depicted, whose cold fish blood does not care about social events. True to his decision, the cowardly minnow turned his life into absurdity. Behind the author's praise of the gudgeon's diligence and modesty, one senses barely veiled mockery. The author’s unexpected conclusion that the gudgeon “fooled everyone” and that he won victories tremblingly makes the reader laugh. It is no coincidence that the words “fear” and “trembled” are repeated in the story about the life of a gudgeon. If the first part talked only about the decision to tremble, the second part talked about hopeless trembling, then the third part is the logical conclusion of the life of a useless trembling creature. Shchedrin ironically calls him wise; lofty phrases about him sound mocking. The words “lived and trembled” and “died and trembled” contain the leading idea of ​​the entire work. The gudgeon did nothing to anyone - neither good nor bad, “he lived and trembled - that’s all.” Even years of useless existence did not bring respect to the minnow. He disappeared as unnoticed as he lived. The last time the definition of “wise” was used to refer to the deceased minnow sounds like a grotesque, final mockery of the cowardly man in the street, who is the only one capable of taking care of his “unloving” life.

The writer devoted his enormous satirical talent to the fight against social evil in its most varied manifestations. He condemned hypocrisy, did not tolerate lies and falsehood, and fought for the triumph of social justice. He dramatically exaggerates negative phenomena. He often uses hyperbole and grotesquery, depicting a person or pictures of human life in a deliberately exaggerated or understated, ugly-comic form, where the real is intertwined with the fantastic. Grotesque distinguishes Shchedrin's satire from Gogol's satire.

In conclusion, I would like to add that the thoughts expressed by the writer in fairy tales are still contemporary today. Shchedrin's satire is time-tested and it sounds especially poignant in times of social unrest, such as those that Russia, Ukraine and all the republics of the former USSR are experiencing today.

Mikhail Evgrafovich Salttykov-Shchedrin

(1826 - 1889)

Fairy tale “The Tale of How One Man Fed Two Generals” (1889)

The book "Fairy Tales" consists of 32 works, written mainly, with some exceptions, in the period from 1883 to 1886. Fairy tales are written “for children of a fair age.”

“The story of how one man fed two generals” was published in the magazine “Otechestvennye zapiski” for 1869.

Fairy tales of a satirical nature, have a ring composition.

Plot

“At the behest of a pike,” at the author’s “want,” two generals, who previously served “in some kind of registry,” and are now retired, end up on a desert island. Since they have not learned anything in their entire life, they cannot get food for themselves. Having found the Moskovskie Vedomosti, they begin to read about the dishes, can’t stand it, and attack each other out of hunger. Having come to their senses, they decide to find a man, since “there are men everywhere, you just have to look for him.”

Having found the man, the generals force him to look for and prepare food. Having grown fat from abundant food and a carefree life, they help that they miss their life on Podyacheskaya and begin to worry about pensions. A man builds a boat for the generals and delivers them to St. Petersburg, for which he receives “a glass of vodka and a nickel of silver.”

Heroes

Generals

We are used to receiving everything ready-made: “Who would have thought, Your Excellency, that human food, in its original form, flies, swims and grows on trees?”

Being in critical conditions, they are unable to feed themselves and are ready to eat each other: “Suddenly both generals looked at each other: an ominous fire shone in their eyes, their teeth chattered, a dull growl came out of their chests. They began to slowly crawl towards each other and in an instant they became frantic.”

They only care about their own well-being: “Here they live on everything ready-made, but in St. Petersburg, meanwhile, their pensions keep accumulating and accumulating.”

Incapable of appreciating the work of others; man “he lit a fire and baked so many different provisions that the generals even thought: “Shouldn’t we give the parasite a piece?”

Man (people)

Admiration, sympathy

A man is strong, smart, hardworking, skillful, can do anything, is able to survive anywhere.

He, "a huge man" before the arrival of the generals, having managed the economy, “I avoided work in the most impudent manner.”

For the gentlemen, the man was able to pick apples, catch fish, light a fire, dig potatoes, bake a lot of provisions, and even learned to cook soup in a handful. Then the man managed to make a boat and deliver the generals to St. Petersburg.

Irony

Strong "man" resignedly submits to weak and stupid generals. Narvav to his enslavers “ten of the ripest apples” takes it for himself "one, sour."

The man tolerates being treated as a slave, a parasite; he is incapable of legitimate rebellion; on the contrary, he is ready to put himself in shackles with his own hands: “The man now collected wild hemp, soaked it in water, beat it, crushed it - and by evening the rope was ready. The generals tied the man to a tree with this rope so that he would not run away.”

He considers the meager payment for his work fair.

Allegory

The relationship between the generals and the peasant is the relationship between the authorities and the people.

Hyperbola

“I even began to cook soup in a handful”, “the rolls will be born in the same form as they are served with coffee in the morning”

Fantastic

“Once upon a time there were two generals, and since both were frivolous, they soon, at the behest of a pike, at my will, found themselves on a desert island.”

Irony

“And the man began to play tricks on how he could please his generals because they favored him, a parasite, and did not disdain his peasant work!”

Grotesque

“Shreds flew, squeals and groans were heard; the general, who was a teacher of calligraphy, bit off the order from his comrade and immediately swallowed it.”

Tales of Saltykov-Shchedrin and folk tales

The form of the work does not correspond to the content: the form is fabulous, and the content is socio-political.

WITH Kazka "Wild Landowner" (1869)

Plot

The landowner, living in abundance, dreamed of one thing: to have fewer peasants on his estate. “But God knew that the landowner was stupid, and did not heed his request,” however, I heard the people’s request: “It’s easier for us to perish even with small children than to suffer like this all our lives!” And “There was no man on the entire property of the stupid landowner.”

Without the peasant's care, the landowner gradually began to turn into a beast. He didn’t wash his face and ate only gingerbread. Urus-Kuchum-Kildibaev invited the actor Sadovsky and his neighbors-generals to his place, but the guests, without receiving proper care and dinner, got angry and left, calling the landowner stupid.

The landowner decides "stay strong until the end" And "don't look."

In a dream he sees an ideal garden, dreams of reforms, but in reality he only plays cards with himself.

The police captain comes to see him and threatens to take action if the men do not return and pay taxes.

There are mice in the landowner's house, the paths in the garden are overgrown with thistles, snakes live in the bushes, and a bear wanders under the windows.

The owner himself became wild, grew hairy, began to move on all fours, and forgot how to speak.

The provincial authorities remain concerned: “Who will pay taxes now? who will drink wine in taverns? who will engage in innocent activities?

“As if on purpose, at that time a swarm of men flew through the provincial town and showered the entire market square. Now this grace has been taken away, put in a whip and sent to the district.”

The landowner was found, washed, put in order, and he still lives.

Landowner image

The author repeatedly focuses on the stupidity of the landowner: “This time the landowner was thinking seriously. Now the third person will honor him with a fool, the third person will look and look at him, spit and walk away.”

Landowner introduces himself "Russian nobleman, Prince Urus-Kuchum-Kildibaev." The non-Russian surname enhances the grotesqueness of what is happening, hinting that only an enemy can think of exterminating the breadwinner people.

After the disappearance of the peasants, the support of the nobility and the state, the landowner degrades and turns into a wild beast: “He was all overgrown with hair, from head to toe, like the ancient Esau, and his nails became like iron. He had long ago stopped blowing his nose, but walked more and more on all fours and was even surprised how he had not noticed before that this way of walking was the most decent and most convenient. He even lost the ability to utter articulate sounds and acquired some kind of special victory cry, a cross between a whistle, a hiss and a roar. But I haven’t acquired a tail yet.”

The landowner is a weak-willed and stupid creature, incapable of anything without peasant support. In order to return him to a decent life, they caught him, “Having caught it, they immediately blew their nose, washed it and cut their nails. Then the police captain made him a proper reprimand, took away the newspaper “Vest” and, entrusting it to Senka’s supervision, left.”

“He is still alive today. He plays grand solitaire, yearns for his former life in the forests, washes himself only under duress, and moos from time to time.” Even after everything that has happened, he remains a reckless beast in human form.

Distinctive features of the fairy tale

Means of artistic expression in a fairy tale

The tale is entirely based on hyperbole, grotesque and absurdity. The author deliberately brings hyperbole to the grotesque in order to show the absurdity of reality that gives rise to such heroes and such circumstances.

EXAMPLES:

“The men see: although their landowner is stupid, he has a great mind.”

“How much or little time has passed, only the landowner sees that in the garden the paths to his garden are overgrown with thistles, snakes and all sorts of reptiles are teeming in the bushes, and wild animals are howling in the park. One day a bear approached the estate itself, squatted down, looked through the windows at the landowner and licked its lips.”

“And he became terribly strong, so strong that he even considered himself entitled to enter into friendly relations with the very bear who had once looked at him through the window.

- Do you want, Mikhail Ivanovich, to go hunting for hares together? - he said to the bear.

- To want - why not want! - answered the bear, - but, brother, you destroyed this guy in vain!

- And why?

- But because this man was far more capable than your nobleman brother. And therefore I’ll tell you straight: you’re a stupid landowner, even though you’re my friend!”

Fantastic and real in a fairy tale

The fairy tale “The Wise Minnow” (1883)

Plot

"Once upon a time there was a minnow" grew up in " smart" family. The father bequeathed to his son when dying: “If you want to chew your life, then keep your eyes open!” The gudgeon was wise, he remembered his father’s story about how his parent almost got hit in the ear, so he decided to listen to the advice, and since there is danger at every turn in the river (fish, crayfish, water fleas, “and seine, and nets, and tops, and nets”, and ouds), made it a rule "keep your head down" and live like this “so that no one notices.” He suffered a lot of hardships, went hungry, suffered from fear, lacked sleep, trembled, and so he lived to be a hundred years old. I dreamed of winning big. And only before his death he realized that he was alone, without a family, without relatives, in his entire life he had not done any good to anyone. And because he lived for so long, no one would even call him wise.

The image of the “wise minnow”

• Piskar is the image of a frightened man in the street who lives only for himself, and as it turns out, he does not live, but only exists for an unknown reason.
• For a hundred years, the minnow not only did nothing, but never even felt joy.
• There is an interpretation of the image of the gudgeon as a conformist who takes a wait-and-see attitude during the years of reaction.
• The author also touches on the philosophical problem of the meaning of life (“lived - trembled and died - trembled”).
• “He was an enlightened minnow, moderately liberal.”
• Lived by the motto: “You have to live in such a way that no one notices.”
• Every day I thought: “Does it seem like I’m alive? oh, will there be something tomorrow?
• Afraid of getting caught in the mouth of a big fish, the gudgeon decided for himself: “at night, when people, animals, birds and fish are sleeping, he will exercise, and during the day he will sit and tremble in the hole.” “And if he doesn’t provide, the hungry one will lie down in a hole and tremble again. For it is better not to eat or drink than to lose life with a full stomach.”
• “He did not marry and had no children, although his father had a large family.” “So there’s no time for family here, but how to live on your own!” “And the wise minnow lived in this way for more than a hundred years. I kept shaking, I kept shaking."
• Only at the end of his life, thinking about the question of what would have happened if all minnows lived like this, he realized: “After all, this way, perhaps, the entire gudgeon family would have died out long ago!”
• Before his death, realizing that his life had been in vain, the gudgeon decided: “I’ll crawl out of the hole and swim like a goldeneye across the entire river!” But as soon as he thought about it, he became frightened again. And he began to die, trembling. He lived and trembled, and he died - he trembled.”
• The gudgeon, having lived joylessly for more than a hundred years, did not even deserve respect: “And what’s most offensive is that I haven’t even heard anyone call him wise. They simply say: “Have you heard about the dunce who doesn’t eat, doesn’t drink, doesn’t see anyone, doesn’t share bread and salt with anyone, and only saves his hateful life?” And many even simply call him a fool and a disgrace and wonder how the water tolerates such idols.”
• It is not clear whether the gudgeon died on its own or whether someone ate it. “Most likely, he died himself, because what sweetness is it for a pike to swallow a sick, dying gudgeon, and what’s more, a “wise” one?”

Allegory in a fairy tale

• The main technique is allegory. In an allegorical form, the author expresses thoughts about “minnows” - cowardly and pathetic ordinary people.
• The author's voice is heard in the "moral" of the story: “Those who think that only those minnows can be considered worthy citizens who, mad with fear, sit in holes and tremble, believe incorrectly. No, these are not citizens, but at least useless minnows."(a game with the names “man - minnow”).

Combining spaces

Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin is the creator of a special literary genre - the satirical fairy tale. In short stories, the Russian writer denounced bureaucracy, autocracy, and liberalism. This article examines such works by Saltykov-Shchedrin as “Wild Landowner”, “Eagle-Patron”, “Wise Minnow”, “Crucian-Idealist”.

Features of Saltykov-Shchedrin's tales

In the fairy tales of this writer one can find allegory, grotesque, and hyperbole. There are features characteristic of an Aesopian narrative. The interactions between the characters reflect the relationships that prevailed in 19th century society. What satirical techniques did the writer use? In order to answer this question, it is necessary to briefly talk about the life of the author, who so mercilessly exposed the inert world of landowners.

about the author

Saltykov-Shchedrin combined literary activities with public service. The future writer was born in the Tver province, but after graduating from the lyceum he left for St. Petersburg, where he received a position in the Ministry of War. Already in the first years of work in the capital, the young official began to languish with the bureaucracy, lies, and boredom that reigned in the institutions. With great pleasure, Saltykov-Shchedrin attended various literary evenings, where anti-serfdom sentiments prevailed. He informed St. Petersburg residents about his views in the stories “A Confused Affair” and “Contradiction.” For which he was exiled to Vyatka.

Life in the provinces gave the writer the opportunity to observe in all details the bureaucratic world, the life of landowners and the peasants oppressed by them. This experience became the material for works written later, as well as the formation of special satirical techniques. One of Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin’s contemporaries once said about him: “He knows Russia like no one else.”

Satirical techniques of Saltykov-Shchedrin

His work is quite diverse. But perhaps the most popular among Saltykov-Shchedrin’s works are fairy tales. We can highlight several special satirical techniques with the help of which the writer tried to convey to readers the inertia and deceit of the landowner world. And above all, in a veiled form, the author reveals deep political and social problems and expresses his own point of view.

Another technique is the use of fantastic motifs. For example, in “The Tale of How One Man Fed Two Generals” they serve as a means of expressing dissatisfaction with the landowners. And finally, when naming Shchedrin’s satirical techniques, one cannot fail to mention symbolism. After all, fairy tale heroes often point to one of the social phenomena of the 19th century. Thus, the main character of the work “Horse” reflects all the pain of the Russian people, oppressed for centuries. Below is an analysis of individual works by Saltykov-Shchedrin. What satirical techniques are used in them?

"Crucian idealist"

In this tale, the views of representatives of the intelligentsia are expressed by Saltykov-Shchedrin. The satirical techniques that can be found in the work “Crucian Crucian Idealist” are symbolism, the use of folk sayings and proverbs. Each of the heroes is a collective image of representatives of one or another social class.

The plot of the tale centers on a discussion between Karas and Ruff. The first, as is already clear from the title of the work, gravitates towards an idealistic worldview, belief in the best. Ruff, on the contrary, is a skeptic who mocks the theories of his opponent. There is also a third character in the tale - Pike. This unsafe fish symbolizes the powers that be in Saltykov-Shchedrin’s work. Pike are known to feed on crucian carp. The latter, driven by the best feelings, goes to the predator. Karas does not believe in the cruel law of nature (or the established hierarchy in society for centuries). He hopes to bring Pike to his senses with stories about possible equality, universal happiness, and virtue. And that’s why he dies. Pike, as the author notes, is not familiar with the word “virtue”.

Satirical techniques are used here not only to expose the rigidity of representatives of certain sections of society. With the help of them, the author tries to convey the futility of moralistic debates that were common among the intelligentsia of the 19th century.

"Wild Landowner"

The theme of serfdom is given a lot of space in the works of Saltykov-Shchedrin. He had something to say to readers about this. However, writing a journalistic article about the relations of landowners to peasants or publishing a work of art in the genre of realism on this topic was fraught with unpleasant consequences for the writer. Therefore, we had to resort to allegories and light humorous stories. In “The Wild Landowner” we are talking about a typical Russian usurper, not distinguished by education and worldly wisdom.

He hates “men” and dreams of killing them. At the same time, the stupid landowner does not understand that without the peasants he will die. After all, he doesn’t want to do anything, and he doesn’t know how. One might think that the prototype of the fairy tale hero is a certain landowner whom the writer perhaps met in real life. But no. We are not talking about any particular gentleman. And about the social stratum as a whole.

Saltykov-Shchedrin fully explored this theme, without allegories, in “The Golovlev Gentlemen.” The heroes of the novel - representatives of a provincial landowner family - die one after another. The reason for their death is stupidity, ignorance, laziness. The character in the fairy tale “The Wild Landowner” faces the same fate. After all, he got rid of the peasants, which he was glad about at first, but he was not ready for life without them.

"Eagle Patron"

The heroes of this tale are eagles and crows. The first symbolize the landowners. The second are peasants. The writer again resorts to the technique of allegory, with the help of which he ridicules the vices of the powerful. The tale also includes the Nightingale, Magpie, Owl and Woodpecker. Each of the birds is an allegory for a type of people or social class. The characters in "The Eagle the Patron" are more humanized than, for example, the heroes of the fairy tale "Crucian the Idealist." Thus, the Woodpecker, who has the habit of reasoning, at the end of the bird's story does not become a victim of a predator, but ends up behind bars.

"The Wise Minnow"

As in the works described above, in this tale the author raises questions relevant to that time. And here this becomes clear from the very first lines. But Saltykov-Shchedrin’s satirical techniques are the use of artistic means to critically depict not only social, but also universal, vices. The author narrates the story in “The Wise Minnow” in a typical fairy-tale style: “Once upon a time...”. The author characterizes his hero in this way: “enlightened, moderately liberal.”

Cowardice and passivity are ridiculed in this tale by the great master of satire. After all, these were precisely the vices that were characteristic of most representatives of the intelligentsia in the eighties of the 19th century. The gudgeon never leaves its shelter. He lives a long life, avoiding encounters with dangerous inhabitants of the aquatic world. But only before his death does he realize how much he missed during his long and worthless life.