(361 words) A person grows and develops in the circle of other people. It is unlikely that a state and culture could arise without society. At the same time, without society, the majority will not dominate individuality and prevent it from developing. Therefore, the question arises: is society created for man, or does man exist for society?
Many writers have thought about this topic. For example, A.P. Chekhov in the story “Ionych” describes how Dmitry from a young energetic doctor turns into an ordinary man who cares only about prosperity. Such a change in him occurs not only from his laziness or unwillingness to develop further, but also because society itself does not strive for improvement. In the Turkin family, which is considered the most intelligent in the city, the same jokes of the father are repeated, the mother reads her boring novels aloud and, nevertheless, they are satisfied with themselves. Gradually, the monotony of such a life changes Dmitry too.
In Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita, the clash between the Master and society is associated with creativity. The writing environment shown in the novel is far from ideal. Even the desire for vouchers, dachas and tasty food It’s not as outrageous as the reluctance to understand something new. When the Master's novel is published, critics, for the sake of the authorities, begin to persecute the author, and he ends up in a madhouse. It is no coincidence that in a conversation with Ivan Bezdomny the hero does not call himself a “writer”, but a Master. Here, not only does society separate the hero of the novel from itself, but the Master also refuses to belong to such a company.
At the same time, Bulgakov leaves hope for justice for the individual. The novel parallels the story of Pontius Pilate and Yeshua. The behavior and speech of Yeshua and his disciple, Matthew Levi, gradually change the views of Pontius Pilate. Roughly the same thing happens with the Master, although he does not transform society, but thanks to him the poet Ivan Bezdomny changes, and the hero of his novel, Pontius Pilate, who is in the “prison of conscience,” realizes his mistake and is released.
Man and society mutually influence each other. It is very difficult to achieve harmony here. Ionych does not notice at all how he has changed, the Master suffers because he tries, but cannot, change society. Only an extraordinary person can greatly influence everyone around him, such as Yeshua, who changed not only Pilate, but the entire Christian world. Thus, no matter how enormous the influence of society is, it is changed by individuals, which means that the question posed cannot be answered unambiguously.
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1. The story of the hero’s degradation.
2. The life of Doctor Startsev.
3. Transformation into Ionych.
The power of the life case is outlined here by the artist strongly, concisely and beautifully...
A. S. Glinka
The story by A.P. Chekhov “Ionych” is a story of personality degradation. The author describes the disease of society using the example of the young doctor Startsev. Tracing the influence of the environment on a person, the writer shows the gradual transformation of Doctor Startsev into Ionych - a promising young doctor into an ordinary person. “Chekhov managed to condense the enormous volume of the entire human life, in all its tragicomic completeness on eighteen pages of text,” write P. Weil and A. Genis, calling this work a micronovel. The skill and virtuosity of the author, who slowly leads the narrative, made it possible to give the story a novel form. According to these critics, “Ionych” is an unwritten novel about the hero’s unhappened life.
The author shows us how the environment, society, influences inner world hero. At the beginning of the story we see Dmitry Ionych Startsev when he has just been appointed as a zemstvo doctor. For visitors, life in the provincial town of S. is boring and monotonous, for local residents but it seems very rich: “there is a library, a theater, a club, there are balls, and, finally, there are smart, interesting, pleasant families with whom you can make acquaintances.” The Turkin family is considered one of the most “educated and talented”: the head of the family, Ivan Petrovich, knows a lot about jokes, his wife Vera Iosifovna writes stories, and his daughter Ekaterina Ivanovna plays the piano. Of course, Startsev is advised to definitely visit this hospitable, welcoming, idyllic environment. In fact, this is a typical philistine family.
The first visit does not disappoint the doctor, on the contrary, a nice homely environment, reading aloud novels about what can never be, orchestral music, carefree pastime - all this is pleasant for the guest. Everything about being a guest was new to him, he liked Ekaterina Ivanovna’s acting, the theatrical remark of the footman Pava “die, you unfortunate thing!” caused laughter.
Having devoted himself to work, the doctor did not visit this family for a year, until he was invited with a request to ease Vera Iosifovna’s migraines. His visits became more frequent - Startsev fell in love with the owner’s daughter. He longs for an explanation, but Kitty is either dry and cold, or hands him a note, setting up a date at the cemetery. Deception does not teach the doctor anything - he goes to propose to Kotik, but it turns out to be inopportune: Ekaterina Ivanovna is getting her hair done by a hairdresser, she is going to a club. In a distracted and stunned state, Startsev thinks about the dowry - such a character trait as prudence is already emerging in him. In a romantic impulse, he is ready to change his life, and Kitty laughs at him. In response to his marriage proposal, he receives a refusal: “More than anything in life, I love art, I madly love, adore music, I have dedicated my whole life to it. I want to be an artist, I want fame, success, freedom, and you want me to continue living in this city, to continue this empty, useless life, which has become unbearable for me.” Ekaterina Ivanovna perceives marriage as conventions limiting freedom. She is moving towards a brilliant goal, and not striving to get married.
Wounded pride and shame - this is what one leaves the Elders Club with. The author aptly notes that everything that happened looks like a small amateur play with a stupid ending. Soon the doctor was healed again as before.
He had a large practice in the city - the result of four years of work, he was overweight from his reluctance to walk and irritated with the townsfolk. He did not talk to anyone or get close to anyone, avoided all entertainment except playing vint, and opened a bank account. This is all that Startsev is interested in, and these changes are irreversible - the environment is sucking the once promising talented doctor deeper and deeper. Now it’s the other way around: a visit to the Turkins gives him other thoughts - he’s glad that he didn’t marry Kotik, he’s annoyed another work housewives, repeated jokes of the owner. Ekaterina Ivanovna says that she is a pianist, just like her mother is a writer. She idealizes the doctor. Startsev thinks only about money. His favorite profession has long turned into only a source of income for him. He leaves with the thought: “If the most talented people the whole city is so mediocre, then what should the city be like...” He leaves and never visits the Turkins again. From now on, the Turkins for him are “those whose daughter plays the piano.” After a few more years, this is no longer Dmitry Startsev, but Ionych, “not a man, but a pagan god,” greedy, irritable, apathetic, a lonely egoist who lives for profit. The vulgar philistine environment has done its job. Ionych cares only about satiety and wealth, and not at all about people who need a doctor. Now patients irritate him more, and his previous irritation with ordinary people is forgotten, because he himself has become like that. His achievements over the years include a triple with bells, several houses and a bank account. Startsev has degenerated and leads an inactive, empty life. He could have been changed for the better by both his life’s work and love, but he consciously succumbed to the influence environment, like Ekaterina Ivanovna, who, having returned to her parents’ house, gradually becomes a copy of her mother.
Chekhov is a universally recognized master of the short (and not so short) story. Main it creative technique- maximum concentration of information on a relatively small amount of text, hence such attention to detail, hence the ability to turn the most ordinary everyday story into symbolism. In Chekhov's works there is almost never a plot as such - or it is not so important, but most often the story is about one episode, or about that one at once. what in simple plot you can’t express it - about an entire human life.
“Ionych” is just one of these stories. His main topic- a common theme for the author about the relationship between man and the environment.
Actually, this work begins with a description of the environment. This is the provincial city of S. and the Turkin family, “the most talented and educated in the city.” Ivan Petrovich Turkin, who cannot be called anything other than a “mass entertainer.” Vera Iosifovna, who writes novels a la George Sand. Always beginning with the same phrase - “The frost grew stronger” (“Frost”, as you know, was later replaced by “Marasmus”, in this form the phrase is still circulating among the people ), a daughter who regularly torments the piano, a constant smell fried onions- all this will create a picture of triumphant vulgarity. If this family is the most talented, then there is no need to talk about the city. By the way, the very concept of “vulgarity” was introduced into Russian literature by Chekhov. (An interesting detail: in other European languages there is no word at all adequate to this concept; now, through the efforts of Nabokov, our word, Russian, is used).
So, the environment in the city of S. is irreparably vulgar. Vulgarity here is not just “gross bad taste.” according to the dictionary definition, but a lifestyle.
But in order to talk about the confrontation between personality and environment, at a minimum, a corresponding personality must appear. And a person appears - this is the zemstvo doctor Dmitry Ionych Startsev, an “intelligent man” who makes acquaintance with the Turkin family. He sees a lot - and bad game Kotik, and the stupidity of Ivan Petrovich, he owns a wonderful phrase: “It’s not the one who doesn’t know how to write stories who is mediocre, but the one who writes them and doesn’t know how to hide it.” But the paradox is that Startsev went in exactly the same way as the Turkins, only he went differently, more inconspicuously, more vulgarly. He looks at his surroundings quite soberly, but does not resist it in any way, but accepts it - from the very beginning. Kotik’s acting is terrible, but it’s pleasant to listen to, Vera Iosifovna’s novels are senile, but after them “good, peaceful thoughts come to mind.” The townsfolk and their conversations irritate Stariev, but he regularly appears at various family events and plays vint, avoiding “such entertainment as theater and concerts.” His thoughts constantly move from the sublime to the base. At the cemetery, he, like any ordinary person, reflects on the horror of death, on the bodies of beautiful girls buried in the ground, and then sits with pleasure in the stroller and complains about his fatness.
Until the end of his life, Startsev retains the pose of a man standing above his environment, trying, probably out of vanity, to inspire philosophical ideas liberal ordinary people, but true pleasure is given to him only by the accumulation of money. But every year it becomes more and more difficult to maintain the pose, and Ionych becomes simply a strange, irritable and lonely old man. He also changes in appearance - he becomes obese and ugly. But there was no internal change. Doctor Startsev did not fall and was not reborn under the influence of the environment. There was no confrontation; vulgarity is represented as a “thing in itself” that has no outlet in external world, and Ionych and the Turkins were only two poles, creating some tension within her. Startsev’s tragedy lies in the fact that he himself sincerely believes that he is above the environment. This prevents him from finding moral support outside of it, since this “outside” simply does not exist. But he also cannot completely merge with the environment, hence the constant feeling of discomfort. He is unhappy because he is too strong to calm down in animality, and too weak. to really oppose yourself to society. He is the personification of vulgarity and at the same time its victim...
The name of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov will forever remain in Russian literature as one of the loudest. His stories and plays reflected the life of Russian society late XIX- beginning of the 20th century. The problems that Chekhov wrote about in his works have not lost their relevance...
In Russian literature, quite often writers touched upon topics that were relevant for any era. Such problems raised by the classics as the concept of good and evil, the search for the meaning of life, the influence of the environment on a person’s personality and others...
In the image of Ionych, Chekhov showed how types like Belikov were created and their evolution. We have four stages ahead of us life story Doctor Startsev A. In revealing the content of these four stages, Chekhov succinctly demonstrates the gradual impoverishment of the hero's spirit...
In Russian literature, quite often writers touched upon topics that were relevant for any era. Such problems raised by the classics as the concept of good and evil, the search for the meaning of life, the influence of the environment on a person’s personality and others...
The plot of the story “Ionych” is simple. This is the story of the failed marriage of Dmitry Ionych Startsev. The plot is built around two declarations of love (the same as in “Eugene Onegin” by A.S. Pushkin). First, Doctor Startsev confesses his love to Kotik, proposes to her and receives a decisive refusal, and then, four years later, she tells Ionych about her love. But now he listens to her confession indifferently. But in fact, the story is the story of the hero’s entire life, lived meaninglessly.
What caused the hero to part with his moral ideals, plunges into the vulgar philistine life? What is the cause of the disease whose name is degradation human personality? In the story “Ionych” A.P. Chekhov most clearly showed the process of change human soul under the influence of his environment and the years he had lived, he was the first to open social reasons this disease.
First of all, the writer draws our attention to society provincial town S. He indirectly characterizes, avoiding direct assessments, using the example of the Turkin family - “the most educated and talented,” according to local residents. Gradually getting to know the Turkins, we understand how mediocre and boring they really are. The whole talent of Ivan Petrovich lies in the fact that he speaks in his extraordinary language: “Bolshinsky”, “not bad”, “thank you.” His wife, Vera Iosifovna, writes novels about what does not and cannot exist in reality. The daughter, Ekaterina Ivanovna, whom the family calls Kotik, is going to be a pianist and is sure that a great future awaits her. We understand that this is not real life, but her imitation: a sincere person living a full spiritual life will not flirt in a mannered manner, like Vera Iosifovna, and smile with only his eyes, like Ivan Petrovich. Its emptiness is complemented by a collective portrait of the rest of the city’s inhabitants: you can only talk to them about something edible. A.P. Chekhov, showing the “best” family in the city, forces us, following Startsev, to conclude: “If the most talented family so mediocre and stupid, then what is the whole city like? Even more primitive than the Turkins, because in this family there were still signs of education and intelligence.
And fate brings the young doctor Dmitry Ionych Startsev into this life of the provincial town of S. He is full of energy, passionate about his work, music sounds in his soul. He lives expecting happiness, love, everything that is characteristic of youth. Startsev is trying with all his might to be useful people, he devotes all his time to the work of a zemstvo doctor, which is the meaning of his life.
He rarely visits the city and hardly communicates with anyone. The townsfolk irritate him with their undisguised stupidity and narrow-mindedness. Whatever he talks about, everything is perceived by them as a personal insult: everyone felt a reproach to themselves in his words, and everything they talk about is “uninteresting, unfair, stupid.”
But four years of his life pass, and a completely different Doctor Startsev appears before us. He loses interest in work and prefers well-paid private practice to the activities of a zemstvo doctor. The hobbies of youth - both love and the desire to bring social benefit - degenerate into selfish worries and complete insensitivity to people
The test of life and time turns out to be the most difficult for the hero. Startsev’s opposition to the surrounding world of vulgarity was temporary, external, superficial. Chekhov does not show us the change of feelings of his hero, he almost does not use internal monologue. The changes in Startsev's character are shown with the help of one recurring detail - this is the doctor's means of transportation. At first, he walked into the city on foot, singing a romance, “he didn’t have his own horses yet.” A year later, he already had his own pair of horses and a coachman Panteleimon in a velvet vest, and four years later - a troika with bells, a sign of luxury in the provincial town of S. The coachman Panteleimon also changes along with his owner, which strengthens the negative impression of the evolution of Startsev’s image. Previously, ordinary people felt something “alien” in Startsev, but now they call him “Ionych” in their own way. His interests have become just as “his own”: he plays cards, when he comes home, he happily counts the money he receives, he has two houses in the city, and he is looking for a third... Here is the result of his life: “He is lonely. His life is boring, nothing interests him.”
Responsibility for the fact that Startsev’s fate turned out this way lies both with himself and with the environment that had a pernicious effect on him. The good inclinations of a person will not be able to germinate on the soil of vulgarity and philistinism if the person does not resist the influence of the environment with the help of his firm convictions and inner strength.
A.P. Chekhov - master short story, miniature novellas. In his deeply philosophical works, he protested against everyday life, spoke out against the “vulgarity of a vulgar person.” In the story "Ionych" Chekhov also touches on this topic. The main problem here is the spiritual degradation of a person faced with the environment of ordinary people.
At the beginning of the story, Dmitry Ionych Startsev, a zemstvo doctor, is contrasted with the inhabitants of the provincial town of S. From the very beginning, the author gives us a brief and exact description of this city: “newcomers complained about the boredom and monotony of life,” and the locals said that “it’s very good in S. that there is a library, a theater, a club, and there are balls.” The first point of view is objective and true, the second is subjective and self-justifying, false.
Local residents also had their own “attractions,” the main one of which was the Turkin family, “the most educated and talented.” Turkins are an integral part of the environment of the inhabitants of the city of S. Integral, because they do not develop and do not even try to do so. The images of the Turkins are static. What were they doing when Startsev visited them for the first time? They showed their “education and talent.” Ivan Petrovich showed his constant wit, constantly using phrases “developed by long exercises” in his speech, such as: “not bad”, “hello, please”, thank you." Vera Iosifovna read her novel, a novel "about something that has never happens in life."
The author, resorting to irony, makes a subtle verdict on her talent, saying that “when Vera Iosifovna closed her notebook, they were silent for about five minutes and listened to “Luchinushka,” which the choir sang, and this song conveyed what was not in the novel and what happens in life."
Her daughter, who imagines herself in the future to be a “great pianist,” banged as hard as she could on the keys, and, it seemed, would not stop, “until she hammered the key inside the piano.” It was her parents who were to blame for the fact that the mediocre Ekaterina Ivanovna dreamed of becoming an artist. They had no doubt about the talent of their family, just like the whole city. The whole city is the same as them - who will tell them that all their creativity is worth nothing? Unless Startsev... But he was surprised at first, and then simply began to shy away, without expressing his hostility openly.
Kotik was still able to get out of the philistine environment for a while and, outside of it, she realized that everyone played like her: “there was nothing special about me.” Ekaterina Ivanovna even realized that she was “as much a pianist as her mother was a writer.” But, in all likelihood, she didn’t tell her anything. And even if she had told her, the mother simply “wouldn’t have believed” her daughter. The Turkins are too convinced of their talent.
What do we see on Startsev’s second visit to them? Same as the first one. And at the end of the story, the author describes how the Turkins continue to demonstrate their “talents.” Ekaterina Ivanovna is the only one who realizes the mediocrity of her abilities. She continues to hit the keys because she has found no other use for herself. Or “caring” parents “helped” not to be found.
So, we find a ring composition in the story. She emphasizes the immutability of the Turkins’ lives and the static nature of their images. Against their background, the changes in Startsev’s appearance look more distinct.
Why did this hero, a doctor, an intelligent person, turn into a mummy, a spiritless creature? The reasons for this are internal and social. The blame for the degradation of the hero lies both with Startsev himself and with the society in which he had to live, the society of ordinary people. What did these same ordinary people do all day long? They played cards, drank, and ate. They “did nothing, absolutely nothing, and were not interested in anything, and it was impossible to figure out what to talk about with them.” Everything that ordinary people said was unfair and stupid. Startsev was irritated, but still played screw with them (most importantly, with pleasure). Heroes, due to the fact that he did not avoid clubs, the company of gamblers and drinkers that irritated him, completely forgot about the theater and concerts. He did not shy away, but joined the environment he hated.
Startsev was increasingly overcome by a passion for hoarding. Counting money became one of his favorite pastimes. It is especially noteworthy that Startsev himself realized that he was “getting old, getting fat, getting worse.” "Day and night - a day away, life passes dullly, without impressions, without thoughts... During the day there is profit, and in the evening there is a club, a society of gamblers, alcoholics, wheezing people, whom I cannot stand. What's good?" - this is how the hero evaluates his life. But, despite the fact that Dmitry Ionych understands the horror of his situation and that he is mentally capable of change, the spiritual hero is weak. And he did not choose for himself the path of moral formation, transformation. Startsev walked along the road that many had already walked along, along the road that leads to material benefits. The hero feels that he is sinking, but does not try to save himself. Perhaps he is looking for salvation alone... But this is unlikely. Ionych is smart enough to understand that there is no salvation in loneliness, loneliness is not peace, it is a boring and joyless existence.
It should be noted that the very development of Startsev’s internal vices did not occur through the fault of society. They were inherent in it from the very beginning. Probably, in another environment, the hero gradually acquired horses and coachmen for them... But, one must think, it was society that made him an old man in such a short time. In the end, he himself was no different from the town inhabitants: “plump, red,” drove a troika with bells and looked like “ pagan god". If before Ionych was counting money, now it’s time for him to count his houses. Almost everything ceased to interest him, not a trace remained of his intellectuality. “Which Turkins are you talking about? Is it about those who play the piano?” - this is a typical question from the average person, but it was uttered through the lips of Startsev. Although no, now Ionych, a man who has no name. “That’s all that can be said about him,” - says the author, pronouncing the final verdict on this hero.
