The Cherry Orchard description of the characters. The main character of "The Cherry Orchard": analysis, characteristics and features
Social statuses of the characters in the play - as one of the characteristics
In the final play by A.P. Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" there is no division into main and secondary characters. They are all major, even seemingly episodic roles, and are of great importance for revealing the main idea of the entire work. The characterization of the heroes of “The Cherry Orchard” begins with their social representation. After all, social status already leaves an imprint in people’s heads, and not only on stage. Thus, Lopakhin, a merchant, is already associated in advance with a loud and tactless merchant, incapable of any subtle feelings and experiences, but Chekhov warned that his merchant is different from a typical representative of this class. Ranevskaya and Simeonov-Pishchik, designated as landowners, look very strange. After all, after the abolition of serfdom, the social statuses of landowners remained a thing of the past, since they no longer corresponded to the new social order. Gaev is also a landowner, but in the minds of the characters he is “Ranevskaya’s brother,” which suggests some kind of lack of independence of this character. With Ranevskaya’s daughters, everything is more or less clear. Anya and Varya have their ages indicated, showing that they are the youngest characters in The Cherry Orchard. The age of the oldest character, Firs, is also indicated. Trofimov Petr Sergeevich is a student, and there is some kind of contradiction in this, because if he is a student, then he is young and it seems too early to assign a middle name, but meanwhile it is indicated.
Throughout the entire action of the play “The Cherry Orchard,” the characters are fully revealed, and their characters are outlined in a form typical for this type of literature - in speech characteristics given by themselves or other participants.
Brief characteristics of the main characters
Although the main characters of the play are not highlighted by Chekhov as a separate line, they are easy to identify. These are Ranevskaya, Lopakhin and Trofimov. It is their vision of their time that becomes the fundamental motive of the entire work. And this time is shown through the relationship to the old cherry orchard.
Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna– the main character of “The Cherry Orchard” is a former rich aristocrat, accustomed to living according to the dictates of her heart. Her husband died quite early, leaving a lot of debts. While she indulged in new feelings, her little son tragically died. Considering herself guilty of this tragedy, she runs away from home, from her lover abroad, who also followed her and literally robbed her there. But her hopes of finding peace were not realized. She loves her garden and her estate, but cannot save it. It is unthinkable for her to accept Lopakhin’s proposal, because then the centuries-old order in which the title of “landowner” is passed down from generation to generation will be violated, carrying with it the cultural and historical heritage, inviolability and confidence in the worldview.
Lyubov Andreevna and her brother Gaev are characterized by all the best traits of the nobility: responsiveness, generosity, education, a sense of beauty, the ability to sympathize. However, in modern times, all their positive qualities are not needed and are turned in the opposite direction. Generosity becomes irrepressible spending, responsiveness and the ability to sympathize turn into slobbering, education turns into idle talk.
According to Chekhov, these two heroes do not deserve sympathy and their experiences are not as deep as they might seem.
In the play “The Cherry Orchard” the main characters talk more than they do, and the only person is the action. Lopakhin Ermolai Alekseevich, the central character, according to the author. Chekhov was sure that if his image failed, then the whole play would fail. Lopakhin is designated a merchant, but the modern word “businessman” would be more suitable for him. The son and grandson of serfs became a millionaire thanks to his instincts, determination and intelligence, because if he were stupid and uneducated, how could he have achieved such success in his business? And it is no coincidence that Petya Trofimov talks about his subtle soul. After all, only Ermolai Alekseevich realizes the value of the old garden and its true beauty. But his commercial spirit goes too far, and he is forced to destroy the garden.
Trofimov Petya- an eternal student and a “shabby gentleman.” Apparently, he also belongs to a noble family, but has essentially become a homeless vagabond, dreaming of the common good and happiness. He talks a lot, but does nothing for the speedy onset of a bright future. He also lacks deep feelings for the people around him and attachment to a place. He lives only in dreams. However, he managed to captivate Anya with his ideas.
Anya, daughter of Ranevskaya. Her mother left her in the care of her brother at age 12. That is, in adolescence, which is so important for the formation of personality, Anya was left to her own devices. She inherited the best qualities that are characteristic of the aristocracy. She is youthfully naive, which is perhaps why she was so easily carried away by Petya’s ideas.
Brief characteristics of minor characters
The characters in the play “The Cherry Orchard” are divided into main and secondary only according to the time of their participation in the actions. So Varya, Simeonov-Pishchik Dunyasha, Charlotte Ivanovna and the lackeys practically do not talk about the estate, and their worldview is not revealed through the garden; they seem to be cut off from it.
Varya- adopted daughter of Ranevskaya. But essentially she is the housekeeper of the estate, whose responsibilities include taking care of the owners and servants. She thinks on an everyday level, and her desire to devote herself to serving God is not taken seriously by anyone. Instead, they are trying to marry her off to Lopakhin, who is indifferent to her.
Simeonov-Pishchik- the same landowner as Ranevskaya. Constantly in debt. But his positive attitude helps him overcome his difficult situation. So, he doesn’t hesitate a bit when he receives an offer to rent out his lands. Thus, solving your financial difficulties. He is able to adapt to a new life, unlike the owners of the cherry orchard.
Yasha- young footman. Having been abroad, he is no longer attracted by his homeland, and even his mother, who is trying to meet him, is no longer needed by him. Arrogance is his main feature. He does not respect his owners, he has no attachment to anyone.
Dunyasha– a young, flighty girl who lives one day at a time and dreams of love.
Epikhodov- a clerk, he is a chronic loser, which he knows very well. In essence, his life is empty and aimless.
Firs- the oldest character for whom the abolition of serfdom became the greatest tragedy. He is sincerely attached to his owners. And his death in an empty house to the sound of the garden being cut down is very symbolic.
Charlotte Ivanovna- governess and circus performer rolled into one. The main reflection of the declared genre of the play.
The images of the heroes of “The Cherry Orchard” are combined into a system. They complement each other, thereby helping to reveal the main theme of the work.
Work test
Analysis of A. P. Chekhov’s comedy “The Cherry Orchard”
conducted by student group 44006/1 Kalinina A.
General description of comedy.
This lyrical comedy, as Chekhov himself calls it, is aimed at revealing the social theme of the death of old noble estates. The action of the comedy takes place on the estate of L.A. Ranevskaya, a landowner, and is tied to the fact that, due to debts, the inhabitants have to sell the cherry orchard so beloved by everyone. Before us is a nobility in a state of decline. Ranevskaya and Gaev (her brother) are impractical people and do not know how to manage things. Being people of weak character, they abruptly change their mood, easily shed tears over a trivial matter, willingly talk idle talk and organize luxurious holidays on the eve of their ruin. In the play, Chekhov also shows people of the new generation, perhaps the future lies with them. These are Anya Ranevskaya and Petya Trofimov (former teacher of Ranevskaya’s deceased son Grisha). New people must be strong fighters for future happiness. True, it is difficult to classify Trofimov as one of such people: he is a “klutz,” not too strong and, in my opinion, not smart enough for the great struggle. Hope is for young Anya. “We will plant a new garden, more luxurious than this...” - she believes, and in this faith is the only option in the play for a happy development of the situation for Russia.
Form and content of the work.
1) Form: a) problem part (subjective beginning), the world of a work of art: Main characters (images): landowner Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna, her daughters Anya and Varya, her brother Gaev Leonid Andreevich, merchant Lopakhin Ermolai Alekseevich, student Trofimov Pyotr Sergeevich, landowner Simeonov-Pishchik Boris Borisovich, governess Charlotte Ivanovna, clerk Epikhodov Semyon Panteleevich, maid Dunyasha, footman Firs and Yasha, as well as several minor characters (a passerby, a station master, a postal official, guests and servants). In addition, we highlight the “garden” as an independent hero; it takes its place in the system of images of the play. b) Structure (composition) of the work, organization of the work at the macrotext level: the comedy consists of four acts. All of them are intertwined plotwise and chronologically, forming a single picture of events. c) Artistic speech
This work is a comedy, so it is very emotional. We note that the text of the play is full of historicisms and archaisms, denoting objects and phenomena from the life of people of the early 20th century (lackey, nobles, master). There is colloquial vocabulary and colloquial forms of words in the servants’ remarks (“I’m good, what a fool I’ve been!”, “Charming, after all, I’ll take one hundred and eighty rubles from you... I’ll take it...”), and there are also numerous borrowings from French and German languages, direct transliteration and foreign words as such (“Pardon!”, “Ein, zwei, drei!”, “They are dancing grand-rond in the hall”).
subject - This is a phenomenon of the external and internal life of a person, which is the subject of study of a work of art. Work under study polythematic, because contains more than one topic.
According to the method of expression, topics are divided into: 1) explicitly expressed: theme of love for home(“Children’s room, my dear, beautiful room...”, “Oh, my garden!”, “Dear, dear closet! I greet your existence, which for more than a hundred years has been directed towards the bright ideals of goodness and justice”), theme of family, love for relatives(“My darling has arrived!”, “my beloved child”, “I suddenly felt sorry for my mother, so sorry, I hugged her head, squeezed her with my hands and couldn’t let go. Then my mother kept caressing her and crying”), old age theme(“I’m tired of you, grandfather. I wish you would die sooner,” “Thank you, Firs, thank you, my old man. I’m so glad that you’re still alive”), love theme(“And what’s there to hide or remain silent about, I love him, that’s clear. I love him, I love him... This is a stone on my neck, I’m going to the bottom with it, but I love this stone and I can’t live without it,” “ You have to be a man, at your age you have to understand those who love. And you have to love yourself... you have to fall in love”; nature conservation theme, the theme of the future of Russia.
2) cultural and historical topics: the theme of the future of Russia
According to the classification of philologist Potebnya:
2) Internal form (shaped structures, plot elements, etc.)
3) External form (words, text structure, composition, etc.)
Problems of the work.
The main problems of this play are questions about the fate of the Motherland and the duty and responsibility of the younger generation. The problem is implicitly expressed, since the author conveys this idea through the symbol of the cherry orchard, revealed from various aspects: temporal, figurative and spatial).
Specific issues: a) social (social relationships, building a new life, the problem of a noble leisurely society); b) socio-psychological (inner experiences of the characters); d) historical (the problem of nobles getting used to the abolition of serfdom).
Chronotope.
Straightforward, the action takes place in May 1900, immediately after the abolition of serfdom, and ends in October. Events take place in chronological order on Ranevskaya’s estate, but there are references to the heroes’ past.
Characteristics of heroes.
It is worth noting that there are no sharply positive or sharply negative characters in the work.
Appearance The heroes are given very briefly, and mainly only clothing is described. The text does not contain characteristics of all heroes.
Lopakhin - “in a white vest, yellow shoes”, “with a pig’s snout”, “thin, delicate fingers, like an artist’s”
Trofimov – 26-27 years old, “in a shabby old uniform, with glasses”, “hair is not thick”, “How ugly you have become, Petya”, “stern face”
Firs - 87 years old, “in a jacket and white vest, shoes on his feet.”
Lyubov Ranevskaya, landowner - “She is a good person. An easy, simple person,” very sentimental. He lives idly out of habit, despite the fact that he is completely in debt.
It seems to the heroine that everything will work out by itself, but the world collapses: the garden goes to Lopakhin. The heroine, having lost her estate and her homeland, goes back to Paris.
Anya, Ranevskaya's daughter, is in love with Petya Trofimov and is under his influence. She is passionate about the idea that the nobility is guilty before the Russian people and must atone for their guilt. Anya believes in future happiness, a new, better life (“We will plant a new garden, more luxurious than this”, “Goodbye, home! Goodbye, old life!”).
Leonid Andreevich Gaev is Ranevskaya’s brother, “a man of the eighties,” a man confused by words, whose vocabulary consists mainly of “billiard words” (“Cut into a corner!”, “Doublet into a corner... Croise in the middle..”) .") and complete nonsense (“Dear, dear closet! I greet your existence, which for more than a hundred years has been directed towards the bright ideals of goodness and justice; your silent call for fruitful work has not weakened for a hundred years, supporting (through tears) in the generations of our kind, vigor, faith in a better future and nurturing in us the ideals of goodness and social self-awareness"). One of the few who comes up with various plans to save the cherry orchard.
Ermolai Alekseevich Lopakhin is a merchant, “he is a good, interesting person,” he characterizes himself as “a man with a man.” He himself comes from a family of serfs, and now is a rich man who knows where and how to invest money. Lopakhin is a very contradictory hero, in whom callousness and rudeness fight with hard work and ingenuity.
Pyotr Trofimov - Chekhov describes him as an “eternal student”, already old, but still not graduated from the university.
Ranevskaya, angry at him during an argument about love, shouts: “You are twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, and you are still a second-grade high school student!” Lopakhin ironically asks, “How many years have you been studying at the university?” This hero belongs to the generation of the future, he believes in it, denies love and is in search of truth.
Epikhodov, Ranevskaya and Gaev’s clerk, is madly in love with their maid Dunyasha, who speaks of him a little ambiguously: “He is a meek man, but sometimes when he starts talking, you won’t understand anything.
It’s both good and sensitive, just incomprehensible. I kind of like him. because, among other things, it creates an image of time: in the first and third acts, this is an image of the past and present (the comfort and warmth of one’s home after a long separation (“My room, my windows, as if I had never left”, “The living room, separated by an arch from the hall . The chandelier is burning")), in the fourth and last act - this is a picture of the future, the realities of the new world, the emptiness after the departure of the heroes (“The scenery of the first act. There are no curtains on the windows, no paintings, there is a little furniture left, which is folded in one corner, definitely for sale. There is a feeling of emptiness. Suitcases, travel items, etc. are stacked near the exit door and at the back of the stage. The door to the left is open."
Thus, the interior performs a descriptive and characteristic function.
Artistic landscape.
It is worth noting that the same description of a landscape performs two functions at once (the development of external and internal action and a descriptive-characteristic function), based on the presence in the play of such a hero as the “cherry orchard”, we will give examples: “It’s already May, Cherry trees are blooming", "Field. An old, crooked, long-abandoned chapel, next to it there is a well, large stones that were apparently once gravestones, and an old bench. The road to Gaev's estate is visible. To the side, towering, the poplars darken: that’s where the cherry orchard begins. In the distance there is a row of telegraph poles, and far, far away on the horizon a large city is vaguely visible, which is visible only in very good, clear weather. The sun will set soon." Artistic detail.
1. Portrait: Gaev about Anya: “She is good, kind, nice, I love her very much, but no matter how you come up with mitigating circumstances, you still have to admit that she is vicious. You can feel it in her slightest movement.”
2.Portrait-psychological: Dunyasha about Epikhodov: “He’s an unhappy person, something happens every day. They tease him like that: twenty-two misfortunes...”
3. Verbal: “billiard words” by Gaev, for example “I’m cutting to the middle!”, “From two sides to the middle” and others.
Composition of the play.
Exposition. Located in the first act - these are scenes of Dunyasha, Lopakhin and Epikhodov waiting for Ranevskaya’s arrival from Paris.
Such scenes tell the reader and viewer about the estate of Lyubov Andreevna, revealing the main feature of its inhabitants - everyone talks about their own, without listening to the others. Scenes of the appearance of Ranevskaya with her daughter and governess Charlotte, the clarification of the relationship between Ranevskaya and her brother Gaev. The main problem of the play is revealed - the reluctance to sell the cherry orchard, and at the same time, the impossibility of making a different decision. Lopakhin offers his own conditions - buy the garden, cut everything down and rent it out as summer cottages. Nobody agrees.
Development of action. In the second act, the fate of the cherry orchard and the estate of Ranevskaya and Gaev are decided, who live an idle life, without controlling their expenses, thereby driving themselves into even greater debt.
Climax. In the third act, the scene of the ball at Ranevskaya’s estate is described, and behind the scene the sale of the estate to Lopakhin takes place, all the characters learn about it. This shocks the heroes.
« Pishchik. What's up for auction? Tell me! Lyubov Andreevna. Is the cherry orchard sold?
Lopakhin. Sold.
Lyubov Andreevna. Who bought it?
Lopakhin. I bought".
Denouement is described in the fourth act of the play using scenes of Ranevskaya’s departure back to Paris. All the heroes leave the house, except for the footman Firs: he has been forgotten.
Plot external. Performs both functions: constructive (illuminates the elements of the image) and characteristic (reveals the image of the characters). External: general development of events. Interior almost completely absent. Partially presented in the monologues of the characters in the play. Conflicts: 1. Psychological, moral: internal conflict of the human soul. 2. Socio-historical: the conflict of the outgoing nobility and the bourgeoisie coming to replace it (Ranevskaya, Gaev and Ani and Trofimov, respectively).
Thus The plot is multilinear, concentric. The composition is complex (external: dividing the play into actions, internal: replicas of the characters). All types of text are present (narration, description and reasoning). The work is a play.
All the characters in the play “The Cherry Orchard” are of great importance in the ideological and thematic context of the work. Even casually mentioned names carry meaning. For example, there are off-stage heroes (the Parisian lover, the Yaroslavl aunt), the very fact of whose existence already sheds light on the character and lifestyle of the hero, symbolizing an entire era. Therefore, in order to understand the author’s idea, it is necessary to analyze in detail those images that realize it.
A.P. Chekhov loved his heroes, but he could not trust any of them with the future of Russia, not even Petya Trofimov and Anya, the progressive youth of that time.
The heroes of the play, sympathetic to the author, do not know how to defend their rights in life, they suffer or are silent. Ranevskaya and Gaev suffer because they understand that they cannot change anything about themselves. Their social status fades into oblivion, and they are forced to eke out a miserable existence on the last proceeds. Lopakhin suffers because he realizes that he cannot help them. He himself is not happy about buying the cherry orchard. No matter how hard he tries, he still will not become its full owner. That is why he decides to cut down the garden and sell the land, so that he can later forget about it as a bad dream. What about Petya and Anya? Isn't it the author's hope in them? Perhaps, but these hopes are very vague. Trofimov, due to his character, is not capable of taking any radical actions. And without this the situation cannot be changed. He is limited to talking about a wonderful future and that’s all. And Anya? This girl has a slightly stronger core than Petra. But due to her young age and the uncertainty of life, changes should not be expected from her. Perhaps in the distant future, when she has set all her life priorities, some action can be expected from her. In the meantime, she limits herself to faith in the best and a sincere desire to plant a new garden.
Whose side is Chekhov on? He supports each side, but in his own way. In Ranevskaya, he appreciates genuine female kindness and naivety, albeit seasoned with spiritual emptiness. In Lopakhin, he appreciates the desire for compromise and poetic beauty, although he is not able to appreciate the real charm of the cherry orchard. The Cherry Orchard is a member of the family, but everyone unanimously forgets about this, while Lopakhin is not able to understand this at all.
The heroes of the play are separated by a huge abyss. They are not able to understand each other, since they are closed in the world of their own feelings, thoughts and experiences. However, everyone is lonely, they have no friends, like-minded people, and there is no true love. Most people go with the flow, without setting any serious goals for themselves. Besides, they are all unhappy. Ranevskaya experiences disappointment in love, life and her social supremacy, which seemed unshakable just yesterday. Gaev once again discovers that aristocratic manners are not a guarantee of power and financial well-being. Before his eyes, yesterday's serf takes away his estate, becomes the owner there, even without the nobility. Anna is left penniless and has no dowry for a profitable marriage. Although her chosen one does not demand it, he has not yet earned anything. Trofimov understands that he needs to change, but does not know how, because he has neither connections, nor money, nor position to influence anything. They are left with only the hopes of youth, which are short-lived. Lopakhin is unhappy because he realizes his inferiority, belittles his dignity, seeing that he is no match for any gentlemen, even though he has more money.
Interesting? Save it on your wall!In the play we are interested in by A.P. Chekhov's system of images is represented by three main groups. Let us briefly consider each of them, after which we will dwell in detail on the image of Ermolai Alekseevich Lopakhin. This hero of "The Cherry Orchard" can be called the most striking character in the play.
Below is a photo of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, the great Russian playwright, creator of the work that interests us. The years of his life are 1860-1904. For more than a hundred years, various of his plays, especially The Cherry Orchard, Three Sisters and The Seagull, have been staged in many theaters around the world.
People of the noble era
The first group of characters consists of people from the noble era, which is a thing of the past. This is Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya and Leonid Andreevich Gaev, her brother. These people own a cherry orchard. They are not old at all in age. Gaev is only 51 years old, and his sister is probably 10 years younger than him. It can also be assumed that the image of Varya also belongs to this group. This is Ranevskaya's adopted daughter. This also includes the image of Firs, the old footman, who is, as it were, part of the house and all the passing life. This is, in general terms, the first group of characters. Of course, this is only a brief description of the heroes. "The Cherry Orchard" is a work in which each of these characters plays a role, and each of them is interesting in its own way.
The most important person
Lopakhin Ermolai Alekseevich, the new owner of the cherry orchard and the entire estate, is very different from these heroes. He can be called the most active person in the work: he is energetic, active, moving steadily towards his intended goal, which is to buy a garden.
Younger generation
The third group is represented by Anya, the daughter of Lyubov Andreevna, and Petya Trofimov, who is the former teacher of Ranevskaya’s son, who recently died. Without mentioning them, the characterization of the heroes would be incomplete. "The Cherry Orchard" is a play in which these characters are lovers. However, in addition to the feeling of love, they are also united by their aspiration away from dilapidated values and all old life towards a wonderful future, which in Trofimov’s speeches is depicted as ethereal, although shining.
Relationships between the three groups of characters
In the play, these three groups are not opposed to each other, although they have different concepts and values. The main characters of the play “The Cherry Orchard,” despite all their differences in worldview, love each other, show sympathy, regret the failures of others, and are even ready to help. The main feature that separates them and determines their future life is their attitude towards the cherry orchard. In this case, it is not just part of the estate. This is a certain value, almost an animated face. During the main part of the action, the question of his fate is decided. Therefore, we can say that there is another hero of “The Cherry Orchard”, the suffering one and the most positive one. This is the cherry orchard itself.
The role of minor characters in the play "The Cherry Orchard"
The main characters were introduced in general terms. Let's say a few words about the other participants in the action taking place in the play. They are not just minor characters needed by the plot. These are companion images of the main characters of the work. Each of them carries a certain trait of the main character, but only in an exaggerated form.
Elaboration of characters
The different degrees of character development in the work “The Cherry Orchard” are striking. The main characters: Leonid Gaev, and especially Lyubov Ranevskaya - are given to us in the complexity of their experiences, the combination of sins and spiritual virtues, frivolity and kindness. Petya Trofimov and Anya are more outlined than depicted.
Lopakhin - the brightest hero of "The Cherry Orchard"
Let us dwell in more detail on the most striking character in the play, who stands apart. This hero of The Cherry Orchard is Ermolai Alekseevich Lopakhin. According to Chekhov's description, he is a merchant. The author, in letters to Stanislavsky and Knipper, explains that Lopakhin is assigned a central role. He notes that this character is a gentle person, decent in every sense. He must behave intelligently, decently, not petty, without any tricks.
Why did the author believe that Lopakhin’s role in the work was central? Chekhov emphasized that he did not look like a typical merchant. Let's find out what are the motives for the actions of this character, who can be called the killer of the cherry orchard. After all, he was the one who knocked him out.
Peasant past
Ermolai Lopakhin does not forget that he is a man. One phrase was etched in his memory. It was uttered by Ranevskaya, consoling him, then still a boy, after Lopakhin was beaten by his father. Lyubov Andreevna said: “Don’t cry, little man, he’ll heal before the wedding.” Lopakhin cannot forget these words.
The hero we are interested in is tormented, on the one hand, by the awareness of his past, but on the other hand, he is proud that he managed to become one of the people. For his former owners, he is also a person who can become a benefactor and help them unravel a tangle of insoluble problems.
Lopakhin's attitude towards Ranevskaya and Gaev
Every now and then Lopakhin offers Gaev and Ranevskaya various rescue plans. He talks about the possibility of giving the land they own to plots for summer cottages, and cutting down the garden, since it is completely useless. Lopakhin is sincerely upset when he realizes that these heroes of the play “The Cherry Orchard” do not perceive his reasonable words. He cannot comprehend how one can be so careless on the verge of one’s own death. Lopakhin directly says that he has never met such frivolous, strange, unbusinesslike people as Gaev and Ranevskaya (heroes of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard). There is not a shadow of deceit in his desire to help them. Lopakhin is extremely sincere. Why does he want to help his former masters?
Perhaps because he remembers what Ranevskaya did for him. He tells her that he loves her like his own. Unfortunately, the good deeds of this heroine remain outside the play. However, one can guess that due to her nobility and gentle character, Ranevskaya respected Lopakhin and pitied him. In a word, she behaved like a real aristocrat - noble, cultured, kind, generous. Perhaps it is precisely the awareness of such an ideal of humanity, its inaccessibility, that forces this hero to commit such contradictory actions.
Ranevskaya and Lopakhin are the two centers in the work "The Cherry Orchard". The images of the heroes described by the author are very interesting. The plot develops in such a way that the interpersonal relationships between them are not the most important thing. What comes first is what Lopakhin does as if involuntarily, surprising himself.
How is Lopakhin's personality revealed at the end of the work?
The third action takes place in nervous tension. Everyone expects that Gaev will soon arrive from the auction and bring news about the further fate of the garden. The owners of the estate cannot hope for the best; they can only hope for a miracle...
Finally, the fateful news was announced: the garden was sold! Ranevskaya is struck as if by thunder by the answer to a completely meaningless and helpless question: “Who bought it?” Lopakhin exhales: “I bought it!” This action of Ermolai Alekseevich decides the future of the heroes of The Cherry Orchard. It seems that Raevskaya did not expect this from him. But it turns out that the estate and garden are Ermolai Alekseevich’s lifelong dream. Lopakhin could not do otherwise. In it, the merchant avenged the peasant and defeated the intellectual. Lopakhin seems to be in hysterics. He doesn’t believe in his own happiness and doesn’t notice Ranevskaya, who is heartbroken.
Everything happens according to his passionate desire, but against his will, because a minute later, noticing the unfortunate Ranevskaya, the merchant unexpectedly utters words that contradict his delight a minute earlier: “My poor, good one, you won’t bring me back now...” But the very next moment the former peasant and merchant in Lopakhino raise their heads and shout: “Music, play clearly!”
Petya Trofimov’s attitude towards Lopakhin
Petya Trofimov says about Lopakhin that he is needed “in the sense of metabolism,” like a predatory beast that eats what comes in its way. But suddenly Trofimov, who dreams of a just structure of society and assigns the role of exploiter to Yermolay Alekseevich, says in the fourth act that he loves him for his “subtle, gentle soul.” - a combination of predatory skills with a gentle soul.
The inconsistency of the character of Ermolai Alekseevich
He passionately craves purity, beauty, and is drawn to culture. In the work, Lopakhin is the only character appearing with a book in his hand. Although this hero falls asleep while reading it, other characters throughout the play do not hold books in their hands at all. However, the merchant's calculation, common sense, and earthly principles turn out to be stronger in him. Realizing that he is proud of his possession, Lopakhin is in a hurry to knock him out and arrange everything according to his own understanding of happiness.
Ermolai Alekseevich argues that the summer resident will multiply to an extraordinary extent in 20 years. For now he is just drinking tea on the balcony. But one day it may happen that he will start farming on his tithe. Then the cherry orchard of Ranevskaya and Gaev will become luxurious, rich, and happy. But Lopakhin is wrong about this. A summer resident is not the person who will preserve and multiply the beauty that he has inherited. Its purely practical, predatory. It excludes all impractical things, including culture. Therefore, Lopakhin decides to cut down the garden. This merchant, who has a “subtle soul,” does not realize the main thing: you cannot cut the roots of culture, memory, and beauty.
The meaning of the play by A.P. Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard"
The intelligentsia from a serf, submissive, downtrodden slave created a talented, free, creatively active person. However, she herself was dying, and her creation was dying along with her, since without roots a person cannot exist. "The Cherry Orchard" is a drama about the loss of spiritual roots. This ensures it is up to date at all times.
The play by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov shows the attitude of people to the events taking place at the junction of eras. This was the time when the capitalization of society and the death of Russian feudalism took place. Such transitions from one socio-economic formation to another are always accompanied by the death of the weak and the intensified struggle of various groups for survival. Lopakhin in the play is a representative of a new type of people. Gaev and Ranevskaya are characters of a dying era, who are no longer able to correspond to the changes taking place, to fit into them. Therefore they are doomed to failure.
There are many interesting works in classical literature, the stories of which are relevant to this day.
The works written by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov fit exactly this description. In this article you can get acquainted with his play “The Cherry Orchard” in a brief summary.
The history of the creation of the play by A.P. Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard"
The start date of the play was set in 1901, the first performance was shown 3 years later. The work reflects the unpleasant impressions of the author himself, which arose from observing the decline of many of his friends’ estates, as well as his own.
Main characters
Below is a list of the main characters:
- Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna - owner of the estate;
- Anya is her own daughter;
- Gaev Leonid Andreevich - brother;
- Trofimov Pyotr Sergeevich - “eternal student”;
- Lopakhin Ermolai Alekseevich – buyer.
Minor characters
List of minor characters:
- Varya is Anya’s half-sister;
- Simeonov-Pishchik – owner of the estate;
- Charlotte is a teacher;
- Dunyasha - maid;
- Epikhodov Semyon Panteleevich – clerk;
- Firs - servant, old man;
- Yasha is a servant, a young guy.
“The Cherry Orchard” - summary of actions
1 action
Events take place while waiting for Ranevskaya. Lopakhin and Dunya talk, during which an argument arises. Epikhodov comes into the room. He drops the bouquet, complaining to the others that he considers himself a failure, after which he leaves. The maid tells the merchant that Epikhodov wants to marry her.
Ranevskaya and her daughters, Gaev, Charlotte and the landowner arrive. Anya talks about her trip to France and expresses her dissatisfaction. She also wonders whether Lopakhin is going to marry Varya. To which her half-sister replies that nothing will work out, and that the estate will be put up for sale in the near future. At the same time, Dunya is flirting with a young footman.
Lopakhin announces that their estate is being sold for debt. He advocates the following solution to the problem: dividing the territory into parts and renting them out. But for this you need to cut down the cherry orchard. The landowner and her brother refuse, citing the mention of the garden in the encyclopedia. The adopted daughter brings telegrams from France to her mother, but she tears them up without reading them.
Petya Trofimov appears, the mentor of Ranevskaya’s deceased son. Gaev continues to look for options to make a profit that would help cover debts. It comes to the point of marrying Anya off to a rich man. At that time, Varya tells her sister about her problems, but the younger sister falls asleep, tired from the road.
Act 2
Events take place in a field near an old chapel. Charlotte gives a description of her life.
Epikhodov sings songs, plays the guitar, tries to show himself as a romantic in front of Dunya. She, in turn, wants to impress the young footman.
Landowners and a merchant appear. He also continues to assure the owner of the land for rent. But Ranevskaya and her brother are trying to reduce the topic to “no”. The landowner begins to talk with pity about unnecessary costs.
Yakov ridicules Gaev's chant. Ranevskaya remembers her men. The last of them ruined her and exchanged her for another. After which the landowner decided to return to her homeland to her daughter. Changing the subject of Lopakhin, she starts talking about Varya’s wedding.
An old footman enters with Gaev's outer clothing. He talks about serfdom, presenting it as a misfortune. Trofimov appears, who goes into deep philosophy and speculation about the future of the country. The landowner tells her adopted daughter that she has wooed her to a merchant.
At that time, Anya secluded herself with Trofimov. He, in turn, romantically describes the situation around him. Anya turns the conversation to the topic of serfdom and says that people only talk and do nothing. After which the “eternal student” tells Anya to give up everything and become a free person.
Act 3
A ball is held in the landowner's house, which Ranevskaya considers unnecessary. Pischik is trying to find someone who will lend him money. Ranevskaya's brother went to buy the estate in his aunt's name. Ranevskaya, seeing that Lopakhin is getting richer, begins to criticize him because Varya has not yet married him. The daughter complains that he is only laughing it off.
The landowner shares with her son's former teacher that her lover is asking her to return to France. Now the owner no longer thinks about the fact that he ruined her. Trofimov tries to convince her, and she advises him to also have a woman on the side. The upset brother returns and begins a monologue about how the estate was bought by Lopakhin.
The merchant boastfully tells everyone that he bought an estate and is ready to cut down the cherry orchard so that his family will continue to live in the place where his serf father and grandfather worked. Her own daughter consoles her crying mother, convincing her that her whole life lies ahead.
Act 4
Former residents leave the house. Lopakhin, tired of idleness, is going to leave for Kharkov.
He offers Trofimov money, but he does not accept it, reasoning that soon people will reach an understanding of the truth. Gaev became a bank employee.
Ranevskaya worries about the old footman, fearing that he will not be sent for treatment.
Lopakhin and Varya are left alone. The heroine says that she became a housekeeper. The merchant still did not ask her to marry him. Anya says goodbye to her mother. Ranevskaya plans to return to France. Anya plans to go to school and help her mother in the future. Gaev feels abandoned.
Suddenly Pishchik arrives and gives everyone the borrowed money. He recently became rich: white clay was found on his land, which he now rents out. The landowners say goodbye to the garden. Then they lock the doors. An ill Firs appears. In the silence the sound of an ax is heard.
Analysis of the work and conclusion
First of all, the style of this genre is observed in the bright contrast of the images of two heroes: Lopakhin and Ranevskaya. He is enterprising, seeks profit, but she is frivolous and frivolous. There are also funny situations. For example, Charlotte’s performances, Gaev’s communication with the closet, etc.
Reading this book in the original, by chapters and actions, and not in abbreviation, the question immediately arises: what does the cherry orchard mean for the heroes of the play? For landowners, the garden is a whole story of the past, while for Lopakhin it is the place on which his future will be built.
The problem of contrasting relationships at the turn of two centuries is raised in the work. There is also the question of the legacy of serfdom and the attitude of different layers of society to the consequences. The question is raised about how the future of the country will be built using the example of the local situation. The question is raised that many are ready to reason and advise, but only a few are able to act.
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov noticed a lot of what was relevant at that time and remains important now, so everyone should read this lyrical play. This work was the last in the writer’s work.