A.P. Chekhov's "Death of an Official": description, characters, analysis of the story
In 1883, a story by the unforgettable writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, “The Death of an Official,” was published in a well-known magazine called “Oskolki,” which made a proper impression on readers. The work was released under the pseudonym A. Chekhonte.
The surprising thing is that the plot was suggested to Chekhov by his comrade Anton Begichev, thanks to whom the writer managed to write an amazing story that touches the soul.
The work has its own genre: “sketch”, where the main character is a certain official, whose name is Ivan Chervyakov, who accidentally sprayed General Brizzhalov by sneezing in his direction. The hero, after everything that happened, torments himself for what he did, cannot find a place for himself, cannot calm down, he constantly apologizes to the general in the hope that he will have mercy and forgive, but he does not care about this. He forgot Chervyakov a long time ago, and he is still tormented in his soul, he is not at ease. As a result, Anton Pavlovich in his story raises an important problem: the “little man” facing society.
Chekhov clearly shows readers that he is protesting against a person losing his dignity and suppressing his personality. This is not acceptable for a writer. And Chervyakov is just such a hero who kills himself with his absurd persistence. It evokes both laughter and pity. Every time, apologizing to Brizzhalov, the character does nothing but lower his level. And what? Ivan Chervyakov dies at the end of the work not because of fright, when the general, whose nerves lost his nerve, shouted at him, no, he died from the general’s violation of the hero’s principles. This is a very tragic work that makes you think about your life and learn the necessary lessons.
The story is filled with many important details that play their role. The work is centered on an unusual incident, not a character or an idea. As a result, Chekhov depicts this or that circumstance, thanks to which the character of the hero is revealed.
Thus, the title of Chekhov’s story contains a deep problem: the confrontation between man and rank. Many questions arise after reading the work, because it is Anton Pavlovich who amazes with his talent: the mysterious writing of short stories. The main theme of the work is, undoubtedly, the inner world of man. The writer attaches very special importance to this. Chekhov is a master of his craft. Its brevity is unusual, unpredictable. So his stories are relevant and popular not only among the older generation, but also among the younger generation. Therefore, it is worth turning to the writer’s work in order to understand life itself, and its laws.
More details
Characters
The main character is Chervyakov. His surname is telling, it shows his insignificance, his wretched position. He works as an executor, that is, he carries out various types of punishments for people, and is a minor official. As small as a worm.
The second character is old man Bruzzhalov. He is a general, a respected person, and occupies an honorable place in society.
Developments
During a performance in the theater, Chervyakov sneezed and sprayed the general sitting in front of him. Now he is trying to beg for forgiveness, despite the fact that Bryuzzhalov has repeatedly tried to get rid of him: “Nothing, nothing...”, “Oh, completeness... I already forgot, but you’re still talking about the same thing!”
Reasons for Chervyakov’s behavior
This story clearly shows the slavish essence of a man who made himself a slave. He bound himself with chains. Chervyakov needs to humiliate himself, needs to beg and beg. He does not at all understand such simple words from Bryuzzhalov; it seems to him that he must suffer, must endure, must suffer. It doesn’t occur to Chervyakov that there is no need to beg for forgiveness. The general and the official seem to speak different languages, and this is partly true, because Chervyakov is a typical slave.
What makes him be like this? Lack of independence. People with a slave psychology cannot live without someone's protection, since their happiness depends on other people. Moreover, they invent this dependence for themselves; no one holds them or forces them to behave this way.
Chekhov's attitude
The reader may notice that despite the title of the story, “The Death of an Official,” Chekhov devotes only one word to the death itself at the very end of the work. By this, the author emphasizes the comical nature of what is happening. How absurdly Chervyakov behaves, trying to defend his worthless position in society.
Message and main idea
Chekhov wants to show that under no circumstances should one behave in this way, and that every effort must be made to get rid of the “slave psychology.” You always need to have your own opinion, soberly assess the situation, and most importantly, be able to hear and realize your mistakes.
Analysis 3
The work in an exaggerated form shows the morals of Russian officials during Chekhov’s life. The image of the main character also shows one of the timeless human shortcomings - servility to the powerful, mixed with cowardice.
Executor Chervyakov (a mid-level official) accidentally sneezed on civil general Brizzhalov in the theater. This incident caused horror to the lower official. He began to apologize, preventing the general from watching the performance, then continued to do so in the foyer. Afterwards he bothered Brizzhalov with this in his service.
The author's satire is not aimed at criticizing the Russian autocracy, the order that gives superiors absolute power over those who are lower. Chekhov shows the civil general as an ordinary sane, polite and even patient person. From the very beginning he forgave and was ready to forget this minor incident. Brizzhalov abruptly kicked out the annoying, servile penitent only after he had really pissed him off, like any other person who did not have angelic humility.
In addition, it is emphasized that the civil general was not Chervyakov’s immediate superior, since he even served in another department. This moment is also skillfully used by the author in the episode when Chervyakov’s wife, who at first was also very frightened for her husband’s career, upon learning of this fact, calms down. Here we show another version of veneration. Chekhov reminds readers that even sane people can suffer from servility.
It is also significant that the main character does not imagine in detail the consequences of what happened. He does not begin to analyze, does not begin to look for workarounds, for possible other duty stations, if it does come to dismissal. Chervyakov, seeing the failure of his attempts to obtain forgiveness (although the general told him about this), wants to write a letter, but again does not take even such a simple step.
His fear is irrational. He is afraid of his superiors not only because he had to work with people who have power over him. In the end, the army, the civil service, and even business are always built on a hierarchical principle. However, not all people who find themselves in these areas have become cowardly slaves.
The cause of the official's death, which came from strong emotions after he was kicked out by a civil general, was his own spiritual qualities. His natural cowardice found a breeding ground in the order of the Russian bureaucracy.
Recognize your insignificance, you know where?
Before God, perhaps, before intelligence, beauty, nature, but not before people. Among people you need to be aware of your dignity.
A.P. Chekhov. From a letter to brother Mikhail
further...
The story has been read. The students expressed their first impressions. The plot is simple, clear, many saw the anecdotal nature and absurdity of the situation. Let us now turn to the text of the story itself.
EXPOSITION
The exposition of the story is the first two sentences (aka topic of the text) – very informative: « One fine evening, an equally wonderful executor, Ivan Dmitrich Chervyakov, sat in the second row of chairs and looked through binoculars at “The Bells of Corneville”. He looked and felt at the height of bliss" All you need to know about Chervyakov is that he is an executor at the height of bliss. On first reading, no less beautiful than a beautiful evening, the executor, looking from the second row through binoculars and even “feeling at the height of bliss,” at first looks only funny The question is what caused this bliss.
TIE
The beginning of the conflict - sneeze - is also still only within the limits of the funny: traditional "but suddenly" only enhances the comicality of the situation, and the author’s digression about "That everyone is sneezing" at first does not contradict the intonation of a humorous story.
However, the very description of the sneezing process is given as an extra-personal event, unusual for the official Chervyakov, which then led to death: “life is so full of surprises.” It is noteworthy that first Chekhov describes what happened to his face, eyes and breathing, and only then what Chervyakov himself did (he just pulled away the binoculars and bent over, apparently continuing to feel at the height of bliss). And only at the very end of the description is the interjection “apchhi!!!” returns to the joke: his face wrinkled, his eyes rolled up, his breathing stopped... he took the binoculars away from his eyes, bent down and... apchhi!!!
PERIPETES
Peripeteia. The hero’s first reaction looks quite human so far:« Chervyakov was not at all embarrassed, wiped himself with a handkerchief and, like a polite person, looked around him: had he bothered anyone with his sneezing? However, the circumstance "like a polite person" clearly redundant: Chervyakov’s diligence and confidence in Chervyakov’s bureaucratic impeccability are emphasized by this. Bliss and confidence in one’s own infallibility is emphasized by the adverb "not at all", i.e. not a bit, not an iota, and an oxymoronic combination "wiped himself with a handkerchief"(the rude “wiped himself” and the affectionate “with a handkerchief.” Chervyakov, pleased with himself, even “I looked around me: did he bother anyone with his sneezing?”
INTERNAL CONFLICT
Actually, the real, so to speak, “internal conflict” begins here: “But right away I had to be embarrassed. He saw that the old man sitting in front of him, in the first row of seats, was diligently wiping his bald head and neck with a glove and muttering something.” No one will ever know if Chervyakov really "sprayed" general or that “wiped his bald head and neck with a glove and muttered something” due to some other reasons, and not from "ignorance" unfortunate official. But Chervyakov "saw" and made my own "executor's" conclusions
Moreover, at first Chervyakov recognized the old man as a general, and then he thought that he had sneezed on him! Further, human insignificance and bureaucratic groveling, the “electricity of rank” with every new word and gesture of the hero inevitably lead him to death.
FIRST APOLOGY
“Not my boss, a stranger, but still awkward. I need to apologize" - i.e. At first the hero seemed to calm down, since he was a “stranger,” but, fearing to seem impolite, he decided to apologize: “Chervyakov coughed, leaned his body forward and whispered in the general’s ear:
- Sorry, sir, I sprayed you... I accidentally...
“Nothing, nothing...”
Of course, as soon as Chervyakov was distracted from his “bliss” and entered the sphere of human relations, his essence is visible to the reader: this and servility "yours", and his timidity, and his conviction of the right to groveling. But perhaps precisely because the fall from the heights of bureaucratic bliss was so sudden "but suddenly", Chervyakov cannot hear the general:
- For God's sake, I'm sorry. I... I didn't want to!
- Oh, sit down, please! Let me listen!
APOLOGY DURING INTRACT
Since Chervyakov no longer feels bliss, but only feels embarrassed and smiles stupidly, he makes a new attempt to apologize, already during intermission:
- I sprayed you, yours. Sorry... I... it's not that...
- Oh, completeness... I already forgot, but you are still talking about the same thing! - said the general and impatiently moved his lower lip.
NEW PHASE OF CONFLICT
Here the conflict enters a new phase: there will be no more apologies, Chervyakov will continue to walk "explain", after all, the general “moved his lower lip impatiently”, A “Chervyakov, looking suspiciously at the general,” saw "mischief in the eyes" and decided that the general did not want to talk to him. Now Chervyakov will not apologize, but explain that “I didn’t want it at all... that this is a law of nature”! It is necessary to explain “otherwise he’ll think that I wanted to spit. If he doesn’t think about it now, he’ll think so later!..” Chervyakov thinks so. Why did our hero decide that the general must certainly think so, especially "after"? Apparently because the general! Who will understand their generals?
CONVERSATION WITH YOUR WIFE
A conversation with your wife is a new stage of the conflict:
“When Chernyakov arrived home, he told his wife about his ignorance His wife, it seemed to him, took the incident too lightly; she only got scared, and then, when she found out that Brizzhalov was a “stranger,” she calmed down.”
Chekhov writes frivolously,” because for Chervyakov the conflict has outgrown “ ability to behave in society". Chervyakov believes that he acted impeccably correctly: firstly, “I wasn’t embarrassed at all", Secondly, "wiped himself with a handkerchief", thirdly, “he looked around him: did he bother anyone with his sneezing?” In the end, he even apologized "like a polite person" And "wonderful executor", although he might not have apologized, because the boss "stranger"! What else?!
“Still, go and apologize,” she said. - He will think that you don’t know how to behave in public!
Chervyakov has already apologized, and repeatedly. However, the anxiety does not disappear; not knowing what to blame himself for, Chervyakov now blames the general:
- That’s it! I apologized, but he was somehow strange... He didn’t say a single good word. And there was no time to talk.
Chekhov plays up Chervyakov's dissatisfied bewilderment: general of railways “I didn’t say a single good word.” “And there was no time to talk.”
FIRST EXPLANATION FOR ANOTHER DAY
“The next day Chervyakov put on a new uniform, cut his hair and went to Brizzhalov to explain...” Chervyakov is convinced that it is necessary to explain, because he is only an executor, and Brizzhalov is a general: what if someone who does not speak good words thinks that the executor wanted to spit at the general!!! But, “entering the general’s reception room, he saw many petitioners there, and among the petitioners, the general himself,” Chervyakov can no longer “explain”; in the general’s reception room he is no longer a person:
The executor began to report, and the man ended with an apology:
- I sneezed and... accidentally splashed... Iz...
And once again I received human forgiveness from the general. But with each subsequent apology from Chervyakov, Brizzhalov’s non-official (in Chervyakov’s view, “dissolute” human) reaction makes their final explanation increasingly impossible. At the same time, the desire to explain becomes more and more powerful...
“He’s angry, that means... No, you can’t leave it like that... I’ll explain to him...”
SECOND EXPLANATION
And more and more absurd, developing into a mockery of the general and his own humiliation:
- Yours! If I dare to disturb you, it is precisely out of a feeling, I can say, of repentance!.. Not on purpose, you know for yourself, sir!
This penultimate explanation with the general is another turn in the development of the story’s conflict. Chervyakov is sincerely indignant that the general saw a mockery in Chervyakov’s executor’s devotion to the bureaucratic business. In the end, Ivan Dmitrich even calls the general a fanfare to himself and in his hearts decides no longer to apologize to the general, who "can't understand" what is clear to the executor!
“What kind of ridicule is there?” thought Chervyakov. “There is no ridicule here at all! General, he can’t understand! When it’s like that, I won’t apologize to this fanfare anymore!”
However, immediately, for some reason, Chervyakov thinks:
To hell with him! I’ll write him a letter, but I won’t go! By God, I won’t!”
Chekhov does not explain why Chervyakov did not write the letter; each reader can figure it out for himself:
This is what Chervyakov thought as he walked home. He did not write a letter to the general. I thought and thought and couldn’t come up with this letter. I had to go explain it myself the next day.
CLIMAX
Chervyakov’s last explanation is the culmination of the story. And here behind this “explain” - all the shocks of Ivan Dmitrich that threw him from Bliss to "Arcadia" into the abyss of human tyranny, bureaucratic fear, horror of "dare-laugh" and all the same Chervyakov’s previous bewilderment and misunderstanding, because of which he undertook a series of these apologies and executions:
“I came yesterday to bother you,” he muttered when the general raised his questioning eyes to him, “not to laugh, as you deigned to say.” I apologized for the fact that when I sneezed, I sprayed, sir... but I didn’t even think of laughing. Do I dare laugh? If we laugh, then there will be no respect for people... there will be no...
- Go away!!! - the general, blue and shaking, suddenly barked.
- What, sir? - Chervyakov asked in a whisper, dying of horror.
- Go away!! - the general repeated, stamping his feet.
INTERCLOSURE
The outcome of the conflict is now clear: the official Chervyakov could not bear the fall from the heights of his bureaucratic “arcadia”. Belief in one's own bureaucratic infallibility and inability to express real human feelings made further existence impossible: in fact, Chekhov describes only the “death of an official,” and not the death of a person. As soon as Ivan Dmitrich put on his new uniform and went to explain, he completely ceased to be a man, the man in him (as he should be according to Chekhov) died a long time ago. Chervyakov died from “in the stomach
A.P. Chekhov’s story “The Death of an Official” is one of the writer’s early works, which was included in the collection “Motley Stories” in 1886. It was written in the spirit of artistic realism. This trend in literature in Russia developed in the second half of the 19th century. At the end of the work, the writer goes beyond its scope, since he considered ridicule of death unacceptable.
Chekhov, “The Death of an Official”: summary, analysis
The theme of the “little” person - the official, who is often in constant uncertainty and confusion for no reason, is brought to the fore here. This is exactly how the author protests against any suppression of the individual. The summary of Chekhov's story “The Death of an Official” very clearly reflects all the consequences of such treatment.
Heroes
There are only three characters in the story. This is a low-ranking official, Ivan Dmitrievich Chervyakov, his wife and General Brizzhalov. The main focus of the work is on the official who has become the object of ridicule. But the character of the remaining characters is left undisclosed by A.P. Chekhov. “The Death of an Official” (summary) describes Chervyakov as a small, pitiful and comical person. His stupid and absurd persistence evokes genuine laughter, and his humiliation generates pity. In his persistent apologies to the general, he goes beyond all limits and renounces his human dignity.
Opposition
Analyzing the topic “Chekhov, “Death of an Official”: summary, analysis,” it should be noted that the author contrasts two personalities in the plot. This is the boss and the subordinate.
It is with the conflict that A.P. Chekhov begins his story “The Death of an Official.” The summary shows its traditional development: General Brizzhalov eventually shouted at his subordinate, because of this Chervyakov dies of cardiac arrest. It would seem like a familiar plot pattern. However, the work contains the presence of certain innovative techniques, because the general shouted at his subordinate only after he himself brought him down with his annoying apologies.
A comic and somewhat unexpected turn of events lies in the worldview of the official Chervyakov, who died not at all because of fear, but because the general, as a man of high rank, violated his “sacred principles.”
Chekhov has not changed his style; his brevity is amazing. His works always contain a deep meaning, which can only be understood through artistic details.
Summary of the story “The Death of an Official”, Chekhov
Now, in fact, we can proceed to the plot of the work itself. Petty official Ivan Dmitrievich Chervyakov, acting as the caretaker of the institution, sits in the second row, looks through binoculars and enjoys the operetta of the French composer Plunkett “The Bells of Corneville”. Then his face wrinkled, his eyes rolled up, his breath caught, he bent over and sneezed. Chervyakov was a very polite man, he wiped himself with a handkerchief and looked around to see if he had hurt anyone with his sneeze. And suddenly I discovered that the old man sitting in front was wiping his bald spot with a handkerchief and muttering something. Taking a closer look, Ivan Dmitrievich saw that it was none other than State General Brizzhalov. This makes him feel sick. He awkwardly pulled himself up to him and began to whisper words of apology in his ear.
Trifles
Chekhov continues “The Death of an Official” (we present a summary of the work in the review) with the fact that the general replied that, in general, nothing terrible happened. But he continued to apologize, then the general asked to let him calmly listen to the rest of the operetta. But the official did not let up and even during the intermission approached the general and began to ask for forgiveness, to which he replied that he had long forgotten about it.
But now it seemed to Chervyakov that the general was being sarcastic and probably thought that he wanted to spit at him. The official came home and told his wife about what had happened; she was frightened and said that her husband had taken this too lightly, that she needed to go to a reception with the general and ask for forgiveness again.
The next day, dressed in a new uniform, he goes to the general. Which turned out to have a lot of visitors in the waiting room. After interviewing several visitors, the general saw Chervyakov, who again began with his ridiculous apologies for yesterday. Brizzhalov answered with dignity: “Yes, that’s enough! What nonsense!
Apologies
But Chervyakov did not stop and even suggested writing an explanatory letter. And then the general could not stand it and shouted at him, believing that he was simply mocking him. However, Chervyakov muttered in bewilderment that he was not laughing at all.
In general, when he came home, he thought about it and decided to go to the general again tomorrow. The next day, Brizzhalov simply could not stand it and yelled at him: “Get out!”
This is how Chekhov ends “The Death of an Official.” The summary at the end tells that Chervyakov felt ill, he backed towards the door and mechanically trudged home. Returning to the apartment, he lay down on the sofa in his uniform and died.
In Russian literature, Chekhov is considered “Pushkin in prose”, thanks to his scale and unsurpassed artistic style. In Chekhov's story “The Death of an Official” the theme of the “little man” is revealed, but not in the same way as in Gogol or Pushkin. In the work “Death of an Official”, the analysis provides an introduction to the history of creation, issues, features of the genre and composition - all this is in our article. It will be useful for 9th grade students when studying Chekhov’s work in literature lessons.
Brief Analysis
Subject– the theme of the little man, self-abasement and ceremonial worship.
Composition- clear, characteristic of the genre of the story. The personality of the narrator is visible, bringing assessment and emotional coloring to what is happening.
Genre- story. Chekhov's story is similar to the form of a “sketch,” which is why his works are especially good when staged in theaters and filmed.
Direction- realism characteristic of the second half of the 19th century.
History of creation
There are several versions of the creation of the story “Death of an Official”. One of them says that the story happened in reality, at the Bolshoi Theater, which the author learned about from the manager of the imperial theaters.
According to another version, the source of inspiration for Chekhov was Alexey Zhemchuzhnikov, a famous humorist and lover of practical jokes. There were rumors that the joker deliberately stepped on the foot of one high-ranking official, and then harassed him with apologies and courtesy calls.
The third version of the appearance of Chekhov’s plot: an incident that occurred in Taganrog (the writer’s homeland) in 1882. A certain postal worker tried to apologize after a conflict with his superiors, but he was not accepted or understood. In despair, the employee committed suicide. Be that as it may, Chekhov’s artistically rethought plot was embodied in a brilliant story, written in less than two days. The work was first published in 1883 in the magazine “Oskolki” under the pseudonym A. Chekhonte.
Subject
In Chekhov's story “The Death of an Official”, subject a small person, a servile consciousness, a derogatory attitude towards oneself in the face of higher ranks.
Story idea is to see in oneself a symptom of veneration of rank and destroy it in the bud - it is for this that Chekhov exaggerates many important details in the narrative and uses irony with the grotesque. The problems of society contemporary to the author came to light, acutely and topically, in a short story genre.
The conflict between Chervyakov and General Brizzhalov is character's conflict with himself. The meaning of his actions is unclear and inexplicable for a morally “healthy” person. Problems of the story is caused by a disease of society - the habit of groveling before those who occupy a higher position in society, which is quite relevant in our time.
Chervyakov and Brizzhalov - opposite heroes: it was the general who was supposed to become a negative character, but in Chekhov they swapped roles. The general is an extremely positive, adequate character, and the junior rank is cowardly, unsure of himself, annoying, inconsistent and, to say the least, strange in his actions and aspirations. The main idea of the work is the loss of moral foundations, the ideals on which a “healthy” personality rests.
Composition
The comic and tragic merged into one, thanks to the skillfully selected artistic means in Chekhov's story. Analysis of the work allows us to conclude that its composition is traditional for the small genre. This is indicated by the narrator’s monologue, which adds its own note to the perception of what is happening.
The personality of the narrator sometimes emerges quite clearly with comments and an emotional assessment of events. In the structure of the story, it is easy to highlight the plot, climax and other components of the plot. It is dynamic and bright, thanks to Chekhov's laconicism and precision. Every word (characters' surnames, description of appearance), every sound, every phrase is precise and verified - they serve a single purpose in Chekhov's work. A master of situational sketches, he skillfully presents content within the framework of a traditional composition. Perhaps this is why almost all of Chekhov’s works have been filmed, staged in theaters and have great success with audiences.
Main characters
Genre
Chekhov reached unprecedented heights in the short story genre. A peculiarity of his story can be considered its similarity to a sketch. The author gives an original picture of the event, as if observing what was happening from the outside. The short story genre before Chekhov was a nondescript small-scale epic form, which was considered a fragment of a novel or story. It was thanks to Anton Pavlovich that this genre gained popularity, fame and full embodiment in literature.
Work test
Rating Analysis
Average rating: 4.1. Total ratings received: 303.
The outstanding Russian prose writer and playwright Anton Pavlovich Chekhov is known throughout the world for his brilliant plays, novellas, and short stories. However, Chekhov paved the way to great literature with small comic stories, such anecdotal sketches.
Amazingly, these early attempts at writing are in no way inferior to the mature works of an already established writer. Chekhov generally valued laconicism and strictly followed the rule “to write with talent - that is, briefly.” He never wrote at Tolstoyan length, did not carefully select words like Gogol, and did not philosophize at length like Dostoevsky.
Chekhov’s works are simple and understandable, “his Muse,” Nabokov said, “is dressed in everyday clothes.” But this brilliant everydayness is where the creative method of the prose writer lies. This is exactly how they write in Chekhov.
One example of Anton Pavlovich’s early prose is the humorous collection “Motley Stories.” It has been edited several times by the author himself. Most of the works became textbooks, and their plots became mythologized. These are the stories “Thick and Thin”, “Chameleon”, “Surgery”, “Horse Name”, “Unter Prishibeev”, “Kashtanka”, “Death of an Official” and others.
The history of executor Chervyakov
In the 80s, Chekhov actively collaborated with Moscow and St. Petersburg printed publications (Alarm Clock, Dragonfly, Oskolki and others). A talented young writer, who signed the name Antosh Chekhonte, produced dozens of short funny stories that were very popular among the readership. The author never made up his stories, but spied and eavesdropped on them in real life. He knew how to turn any joke into a witty story.
One day, a good friend of the Chekhov family, Vladimir Petrovich Begichev (writer, manager of Moscow theaters), told an amusing story about how one person accidentally sneezed on another in the theater. He was so upset that the next day he came to ask for forgiveness for the embarrassment that had occurred.
Everyone laughed at the incident told by Begichev and forgot. Everyone except Chekhov. Then his imagination was already drawing images of the executor Ivan Dmitrievich Chervyakov in a tightly buttoned uniform and civil general Brizzhalov from the Department of Railways. And in 1883, a short story “The Death of an Official” with the subtitle “The Case” appeared on the pages of the magazine “Oskolki.”
In the story, the brilliant executor Ivan Dmitrievich Chervyakov goes to the theater to watch The Bells of Corneville. In high spirits, he sits down in the box and enjoys the action on stage. Taking his eyes off the binoculars for a minute, he looks around the auditorium with a blissful look and quite accidentally sneezes. Such an embarrassment can happen to any person and the wonderful executor Chervyakov is no exception. But bad luck - he sprayed the bald head of the man sitting in front of him. To Chervyakov’s horror, he turns out to be civil general Brizzhalov, who is in charge of communication routes.
Chervyakov delicately asks for forgiveness, but Brizzhalov just waves his hand - nothing! Until the intermission, the executor sits on pins and needles; The Bells of Corneville no longer occupies him. During the break, he finds General Brizzhalov and apologizes profusely. The general casually waves it off: “Oh, come on... I already forgot, but you’re still talking about the same thing!”
After consulting with his wife, the next day Chervyakov appears in Brizzhalov’s reception room. He is going to explain to the high-ranking official that he did not sneeze on purpose, without any malicious intent. But the general is too busy, in a hurry he says several times that it’s really funny to apologize for this.
All evening the poor official struggles with the text of the letter for Brizzhalov, but he fails to put the words on paper. So Chervyakov again goes to the general’s reception room for a personal conversation. Seeing the annoying visitor, Brizzhalov shook and barked, “Get out!!!”
Then something snapped in the unfortunate Chervyakov’s stomach. Unconscious, the official left the reception room, walked home and “without taking off his uniform, he lay down on the sofa and... died.”
New "little man"
In the printed version, the story “Death of an Official” takes only two pages. But at the same time, it is part of the large-scale panorama of motley human life that Chekhov paints. In particular, the work touches on the problem of the “little man,” which the writer was very interested in.
At that time, this topic was not new in the literature. It was developed by Pushkin in “The Station Agent”, Dostoevsky in “Poor People”, Gogol in “The Overcoat”. Chekhov, just like his literary predecessors, was disgusted by the suppression of the human personality, division into ranks and unjustified privileges enjoyed by the powerful. However, the author of “The Death of an Official” looks at the “little man” from a new angle. His hero no longer evokes pity, he is disgusting because he voluntarily fawns, fawns and grovels slavishly.
A chill towards Chekhov's official appears from the very first lines of the story. The author manages to achieve this with the help of the telling surname Chervyakov. To enhance the comic effect, the writer uses the epithet “beautiful.” So, in a luxurious theater box in a buttoned up and carefully ironed uniform with an elegant pair of binoculars in his hand sits the wonderful executor Ivan Dmitrievich... and suddenly - Chervyakov! A completely unexpected turn of events.
Ivan Dmitrievich's further actions, his comical pestering, vile groveling, veneration for rank and slavish fear only confirm his dissonant surname. In turn, General Brizzhalov does not evoke negative emotions. He kicks Chervyakov out only after he has finally tortured him with his visits.
One might think that Chervyakov died from the fear he experienced. But no! Chekhov “kills” his hero for another reason. Ivan Dmitrievich asked for forgiveness not because he was afraid of reprisals from the general. In fact, Brizzhalov had nothing to do with his department. Executor Chervyakov simply could not act differently. This model of behavior was dictated by his slave consciousness.
If the general had yelled at Chervyakov in the theater, arrogantly shamed him or showered him with threats, our executor would have been calm. But Brizzhalov, despite his high rank, treated Chervyakov as an equal. The usual scheme by which Chervyakov lived all these years no longer worked. His world collapsed. The idea was ridiculed. Life has lost its meaning for the wonderful executor. That is why he lay down on the sofa and died without taking off his uniform, which was for him the main human characteristic.
Chekhov, before his contemporaries, decided to expand the theme of the “little man.” A few years after the publication of “The Death of an Official,” Anton Pavlovich wrote to his older brother Alexander (also a writer) to stop describing the humiliated and oppressed collegiate registrars. According to Chekhov Jr., this topic had lost its relevance and clearly smacked of mothballs. It is much more interesting to show the registrar who turns the life of “His Excellency” into a living hell.
Death of the main character
Most of all, the writer was disgusted by the slave philosophy, which completely destroys the beginnings of the human personality. That is why Chekhov “kills” his Chervyakov without a shadow of pity.
For the author, the main character is not a person, but a machine with a few simple settings, and therefore his death is not taken seriously. To emphasize the comical absurdity of what is happening, instead of the final “died,” “died,” or “died,” the author uses the colloquial verb “died.”
The absurd realism of Anton Chekhov
After the story “The Death of an Official” appeared in Oskolki, many critics accused Chekhov of having composed some kind of absurdity. After all, a person can’t lie down on the sofa and just die of grief! Anton Pavlovich just threw up his hands with his characteristic good-natured mockery - a story no less absurd than life itself.
Another instructive humorous story in which the author described the habits of this fish. As always, Chekhov skillfully makes fun of people who always know how and what to do, trying to make others look like fools.
Later, the writer’s biographers found among his personal papers a letter from a friend from his native Taganrog. The letter said that the city postmaster threatened the offending official to bring him to justice. He tried to ask for forgiveness, and after failure he went to the city garden and hanged himself.
Despite the critical attacks of his contemporaries, Chekhov was no less a realist than Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, he simply used other artistic tools to describe reality - humor, satire, irony. Working in the small prose genre, he could not afford the luxury of lengthy descriptions and internal monologues. Therefore, in “The Death of an Official,” as in most other stories, there is no image of the author. Chekhov does not evaluate the actions of his heroes, he only describes them. The right to draw conclusions remains with the reader.