HISTORY OF CREATION

The time of the creation of the work. The play was written at the very beginning of the twentieth century (1903), during a period of reassessment and rethinking of established values ​​and old traditions. Three "revolutions" of the 19th century prepared a sense of catastrophe, which was described in art and felt by contemporaries: biological (Darwinism), economic (Marxism) and philosophical (the teachings of Nietzsche).

The Cherry Orchard is the last play by A. Chekhov. This is the writer's symbolic farewell to life. He created it as an epilogue to his own life and as an epilogue to Russian literature - the golden age of classical Russian literature actually ended, the silver age began. The work contains elements of both tragedy (a metaphor for the end of life) and comedy (characters are depicted in a parody). The main event in the life of theatrical Moscow. The play "The Cherry Orchard" was the first absolute success of Chekhov, a playwright. It was written in 1903, and already in January 1904 the first production took place at the Moscow Art Theater.

This work formed the basis of a new drama. It was Chekhov who first realized that the old theatrical techniques were outdated. The nature of the conflict, the characters, Chekhov's drama - all this was unexpected and new. There are many conventions (symbols) in the play, and they should be interpreted on the basis of the author's definition of the genre - “comedy in four acts”. This play became a classic of Russian theater and is still relevant today. It manifested the artistic discoveries of the playwright, which marked the beginning of modernism in the literature and drama of Russia. At the end of the piece they knock with an ax and the string snapped. Chekhov says goodbye to the old Russian life, and to the landlord's estate, and to the Russian landowner. But, above all, it is imbued with the mood of the writer's farewell to life.

At the end of the play, all her characters disperse, having forgotten the old servant Firs in the closed house - they all have no time for him. Both kind Petya and romantic Anya forgot about Firs. Chekhov's innovation. There is no main character in the play. If in the classical drama the hero manifested himself in actions, then in Chekhov's - the characters manifest and reveal themselves in experiences (the pathos of action was replaced by the pathos of reflection). The author actively uses directions that form subtext: silence, silence, pause. A new form of conflict: “People are having lunch, drinking tea, and at this time their destinies are being broken” (A. Chekhov).

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WHY THE PIECE IS CALLED "CHERRY GARDEN"

The central image of the play is shown in the title of the work. The whole action takes place around the cherry orchard: sometimes the events themselves unfold there, the characters are constantly talking about him, they are trying to save him, he unites all the heroes of the work.

Small homeland is a secluded corner of nature, the ancestral nest of Ranevskaya and Gaev, in which they spent their childhood and youth. Such places become part of the person himself. The symbol of beauty - the cherry orchard - is something beautiful and delightful, a beauty that always affects the souls of people and their emotional state. The symbol of the passing time is the departure of the nobility from the life of Russia.

Smart and educated people are unable to preserve the garden, that is, their way of life and way of life. In the play, a garden is cut down, and in life, noble nests are disintegrated. "All Russia is our garden." These are the words of one of the characters in the play - Petya Trofimov. The Cherry Orchard is a symbol of the future of Russia, reflections on the fate of the entire country. Will the younger generation be able to grow a new blooming garden? This question remains open in the play.

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GENRE PLAYS

The plot is the sale of a cherry orchard, owned by the ruined noblemen Ranevskaya and Gaev, brother and sister. The new owner of the garden is the merchant Lopakhin, the grandson of a serf who used to work on this estate.

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GENRE FEATURES

A. Chekhov himself called "The Cherry Orchard" a comedy not for genre definition. Thus, the author noted that the play should be performed as a comedy. If you play it like a drama or a tragedy, the intended dissonance will not work, and the deep meaning of the work will be lost. There are indeed a lot of comedic moments, situations, characters, lines in the play. The Cherry Orchard has the structure of a piece of music - the play is built on leitmotifs, musical techniques, repetitions are used, the sound of a broken string appears twice. There are many tears in the play, but the author noted that these are frivolous tears, one can laugh at them. Chekhov's funny is intertwined with the sad, the comic with the tragic - everything is like in real life. The heroes, on the other hand, resemble sad clowns. “What came out of me was not a drama, but a comedy, sometimes even a farce” (A. Chekhov).

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LYUBOV ANDREEVNA RANEVSKAYA

Once a wealthy noblewoman Ranevskaya went to Paris, had a dacha in the south of France, at balls in her house "generals, barons, admirals danced." Now the past appears to her as a blossoming cherry orchard. She cannot adapt to new conditions - she continues to waste money, showing lordly carelessness in everything. “She is good, kind, glorious ...”, her brother Gaev says about her. “She's a good person. Easy, simple ... ", - says Lopakhin about Ranevskaya. He enthusiastically admits: "My father was a serf with your grandfather and father, but you, in fact, did so much for me that I forgot everything and love you like my own ... more than my own." Ranevskaya is loved by Anya and Varya, the landowner-neighbor Simeonov-Pishchik, and Petya Trofimov, and the servants. She is equally affectionate, generous and kind to everyone. But all positive qualities, combined with carelessness, spoiledness and frivolity, often turn into their opposite - cruelty and indifference. Ranevskaya generously gives a random passerby gold, but there is nothing to eat at home. Lyubov Andreevna invites the orchestra to the ball, unable to pay the musicians. Frivolity and inability to live independently appeared thanks to the serfs who did all the work on her estate. She says that she cannot live without a cherry orchard, but the garden is sold, and she is arranging an inappropriate ball in the house. Ranevskaya is emotional and inconsistent in her actions. In the first act, she decisively tears up, without even reading, the telegrams from Paris. In the future, the heroine no longer does this, and in the finale of the play, calmed and cheerful, she willingly returns to Paris to her former lover who had tortured her, leaving Varya and Anya without money, forgetting about Firs. Love for her is the most important thing in life (the name and surname were given for a reason - the heroine is impressionable, sensitive and vulnerable). At first she insisted that Paris was over forever. But when the Yaroslavl aunt sent the money, it turned out that they were not enough to save the estate, but enough to return to Europe. The nobility of Ranevskaya is that she does not blame anyone for the misfortunes that befell her. And no one reproaches Lyubov Andreevna for the fact that she actually led to the complete collapse of the family estate.

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LEONID ANDREEVICH GAYEV

Gaev is the embodiment of the image of a pathetic aristocrat. He himself admits: "They say that I ate my entire fortune on candy." Gayev can be called an overage baby: he is 51 years old, and a footman, who is already 87, undresses him before bed. Leonid Andreevich is used to an idle life. He has two passions - to play billiards and make passionate speeches (it is no coincidence that the name Gaev is so consonant with the word gaer, which means - a jester; the one who clowns, grimaces for the amusement of others). He looks like a parody of an educated nobleman. he has a special speech, replete with billiard terms, a characteristic word - "who?" Worthlessness, laziness, idle talk and self-conceit are the main features of this personality. Anya says to Gaev: "Everyone loves you, respects you ... What a good uncle you are, what a smart one!" But Chekhov questions this opinion. Along with the lordly grace and sensitivity in Gayev, lordly arrogance and arrogance are noticeable. Leonid Andreevich is convinced of the exclusivity of the people of his circle ("white bone") and every time he makes others feel his position as a master. He is gentle with his family, but contemptuously - disgusted with the servants ("Get away, my dear, you smell like chicken" - he says to Yasha. "You are tired, brother" - Firs). He considers "grimy" Lopakhin a boor and a fist. But at the same time Gaev is proud of his closeness to the people, asserts: "It's not for nothing that a man loves me." At the beginning of the play, he swears on honor that the cherry orchard will not be sold. But Lopakhin buys the garden, and no one remembers his empty promises and words. Gaev and Ranevskaya rejected Lopakhin's offer, but they themselves could not save their estate. This is not only the frivolity and impracticality of the ruined nobles, it is the idea that the nobility is not able, as before, to determine the path of development of the country. Their heightened sense of beauty does not allow making a commercial enterprise out of a poetic cherry orchard. The actions of the characters demonstrate to the viewer that it is impossible to trust the words of the landowners, spoken even sincerely and emotionally. Returning from the auction at which the cherry orchard was sold, Gaev does not hide his tears. However, his tears instantly disappear as soon as he hears the blows of the cue. This proves that deep experiences are alien to him.

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The former serf Gaeva and Ranevskaya became the new owner of the cherry orchard. In the recent past, his ancestors were serfs who worked on the estate, "grandfather and father were slaves," "they were not even allowed into the kitchen." Lopakhin exclaims: "If my father and grandfather stood up from their graves and looked at the whole incident, like their Yermolai, the beaten, illiterate Yermolai, who ran barefoot in winter, like this very Yermolai bought an estate, which is the most beautiful in the world." Ermolai managed to get out of poverty and achieve material well-being without outside help. he has many positive traits: he remembers the goodness of Ranevskaya, is hardworking ("You know, I get up at five o'clock in the morning, I work from morning to evening ..."), friendly, "a man of the greatest mind," as Pischik says about him. The enterprising merchant has a lot of energy and acumen. His hard work and perseverance were formed in difficult living conditions, and they tempered his purposeful nature. Lopakhin lives for today. His ideas are rational and practical. He correctly assesses the position of Ranevskaya and Gaev, and gives them very valuable advice. If they accepted the offer to break the cherry orchard into summer cottages and lease the land, they could save their estate and get out of a difficult financial situation. The characters have different attitudes towards Lopakhin. Ranevskaya considers him a good, interesting person, Gaev is a boor and a fist, Simeonov-Pischik is a man of great intelligence, and Petya Trofimov compares him to a beast of prey. This contradictory perception of Lopakhin reflects Chekhov's attitude towards him. A fashionably dressed and successful businessman lacks culture and education, and he himself often feels inferior. Business acumen etched spirituality in him (Chekhov notes the predatory nature of capitalism). By contributing to the economic progress of the country, the lopakhins are unlikely to be able to eliminate poverty, injustice, lack of culture, because in the first place they have personal interest, profit and profit. The knock of the ax cutting down the cherry orchard symbolizes the transition from the past to the present. And the future looks great when the younger generation plants and grows their new garden.

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SECONDARY CHARACTERS

Supporting characters take part in the play along with the main characters. They often repeat the thoughts of the main characters. In addition, the author put thoughts that are important for understanding the play into their mouths. Governess Charlotte Ivanovna turns everything serious into funny. With her tricks and ventriloquism, she emphasizes the comedic nature of what is happening. She owns the phrase that any character could express: “where I am from and who I am - I don’t know ...” Servants Yash and Dunyasha are ridiculous in their desire to be like masters in everything. In fact, these are images of Ranevskaya and Gaev brought to the grotesque. Dunyasha always powders herself, declares that she "has become tender, so delicate" and is very reminiscent of Ranevskaya. Cheeky Yasha, accusing everyone of ignorance, is a recognizable parody of Gaev. The old servant Firs personifies the "old life", "the old order." He rarely appears in the play, nevertheless he plays a significant role - he is entrusted with the final monologue. In the image of Firs, those features are emphasized that his owners are deprived of: solidity, thrift.

Chekhov dislikes Gaev, who has nothing left in his head except the rules of billiards. Lopakhin, a representative of the newly born Russian capitalism, piques his curiosity. But the author does not accept pragmatic people, it is obvious to him that nothing will come of the smug Lopakhin. (Everything is miraculously arranged for non-pragmatic characters: for example, a rare white clay was suddenly found in Simeonov-Pischik's estate, and he received money for his rent in advance). Ermolai Lopakhin is waving his arms all the time, Petya gives him advice: “Get out of this habit of waving. And, too, to build summer cottages, to expect that individual owners will eventually emerge from summer residents, to count like this is also to wave ... ”Lopakhin has Napoleonic plans, but, according to the author, they are not destined to come true. This is a temporary character, other times will come and the lopakhins, having done their job, will pass. Chekhov's sympathies are on the side of Petya and Anya. The eternal student Trofimov is ridiculous (pitiful galoshes, falls down the stairs), but he gets Anya's love.

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PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF RUSSIA

The Cherry Orchard is often called a work about the past, present and future of Russia. The past - Ranevskaya and Gaev. They live on memories, they are not satisfied with the present, and they do not even want to think about the future. These are educated, refined people, full of inactive love for others. When they are in danger, the heroes behave like children who close their eyes in fear. Therefore, they do not accept Lopakhin's proposal to save the cherry orchard and hope for a miracle, without even trying to change anything. Ranevskaya and Gaev are not able to be masters of their land. Such people cannot influence the development of their country. The present is Lopakhin. The smug Lopakhin is a bright representative of the nascent bourgeoisie in Russia. Society has high hopes for people like him. The hero feels like the master of life. But Lopakhin remained a “peasant”, unable to understand that the cherry orchard is not only a symbol of beauty, but also a kind of thread that connects the past with the present. You can't cut your roots. And Yermolai recklessly destroys the old, not having built and having no plans to build something new. It cannot become the future of Russia, because it destroys beauty (cherry orchard) for its own benefit. The future is Petya and Anya. It cannot be said that the future belongs to a 17-year-old girl, full of only strength and desires to do good. Or behind an eternal student, a ridiculous "shabby gentleman" (his whole appearance is rather pathetic), who is trying to reorganize life on the basis of only vague ideas. Chekhov does not see a hero in Russian life who would become the real master of the cherry orchard. The question in the play remains open. Chekhov sees that there is no connection between times (a broken string is a symbol of a gap between generations). But Anya and Petya have to look for the answer, because so far there is no one else but them.

Dawn. Outside the window is a blooming cherry orchard.

Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya returns to her estate from Paris with her daughter Anya. The day is spent talking with family and guests. Everyone is excited by the meeting, they speak without listening to each other.

In a confidential conversation with Varya, Ranevskaya's adopted daughter, Anya learns that the merchant Lopakhin, who is considered to be Varya's fiancé, never made an offer, and this event is not expected. Anya, on the other hand, complains about the eternal lack of money in Paris and her mother's misunderstanding of the situation: she thoughtlessly scatters the last money, orders the most expensive in restaurants, gives the lackeys a ruble for tea. In response, Varya says that there is money here too.
no, moreover, the estate will be sold in August.

Petya Trofimov is still in the estate. This is a student, a former tutor of the late son of Ranevskaya, Grisha, who drowned at the age of seven in the river. Anya, having learned about Petya's presence, is afraid that the sight of the latter will evoke bitter memories in her mother.

Old footman Firs appears, puts on white gloves and begins to set the table.

Enter Lubov Andreevna, her brother Leonid Andreevich Gaev and Lopakhin. The merchant had to leave at five o'clock, but he wanted so much to look at Lyubov Andreyevna, to talk to her, she is just as magnificent.

His father was a serf to her father, but she once did so much for him that he forgot everything and loves her more than his own. Ranevskaya is happy to return home. Gayev, telling her the news, from time to time pulls out a box of candies from his pocket and sucks. Lopakhin says that the estate is being sold for debts, and offers to divide this land into summer cottages and lease them.

Then they will have twenty-five thousand income a year. True, the old buildings will have to be demolished and the garden cut down. Lyubov Andreevna categorically objects: the garden is the most wonderful place in the whole province.

According to Lopakhin, they have no other way out, the only wonderful thing about the garden is that it is very large, and a cherry is born every two years, and no one buys that one either. But Firs remembers that in the past, dried cherries were transported by carts to Moscow and Kharkov, they helped out a lot of money. Varya gives her mother two telegrams from Paris, but the past is over, and Lyubov Andreyevna tears them up. Gaev, changing the subject,
turns to the closet, which is a hundred years old, and begins to make a sentimental, high-flown speech, bringing himself to tears. The sister sums it up. that he is still the same, Gaev is embarrassed. Lopakhin reminds that if they decide about summer cottages, he will lend money and leave. Lyubov Andreevna and Leonid Andreevich admire the garden, remember their childhood.

Petya Trofimov enters in a shabby student's uniform. Lyubov Andreevna hugs him, cries. and, looking closely, asks why he has grown so old and ugly, and after all he was once a sweet student. Petya says that in the carriage one woman called him a shabby gentleman and, probably, he will be an eternal student.

Gaev and Varya remain in the room. Gaev notices that her sister has not yet lost the habit of wasting money. he has a lot of ways to improve matters: it would be nice to get an inheritance, it would be nice to marry Anya to a very rich man, it would be nice to go to Yaroslavl and ask for money from his aunt-countess. The aunt is very rich, but does not like them: firstly, Ranevskaya married a faithful juror, not a nobleman, and secondly, she did not behave very virtuous.

Lyubov Andreyevna is kind, glorious, but she is vicious. Then they notice that Anya is standing at the door. The uncle kisses her, the girl reproaches him for the last words and asks him to be silent, then he himself will be calmer. He agrees and excitedly changes his plans to save the estate: it will be possible to arrange a loan against promissory notes in order to pay interest to the bank, Anya's mother will talk to Lopakhin, he will not refuse her, and Anya will rest and go to her grandmother in Yaroslavl. That’s how it’s going to work out. He swears that he will not allow the estate to be sold. Anya
reassured you and, happy, hugs your uncle. Firs appears, reproaches G Aev, that he had not yet gone to bed, and everyone left.

On our website) take place in the old noble estate, which belongs to Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya. The estate is located not far from the big city. Its main attraction is a huge cherry orchard, which occupies almost a thousand acres. Once this garden was considered one of the most wonderful places in the province and brought a lot of income to the owners. There is even a mention of him in the Encyclopedic Dictionary. But after the fall of serfdom, the economy on the estate was upset. There is no more demand for cherries that are born only once every two years. Ranevskaya and her brother, Leonid Andreevich Gaev, who lives here on the estate, are on the verge of ruin.

The first act of The Cherry Orchard takes place on a cold May morning. Ranevskaya and her daughter Anya are returning from France. In the estate, where the cherries have already bloomed, she is awaited by the eldest (adopted) daughter Varya (24 years old), who runs the farm in the absence of her mother, and the merchant Yermolai Lopakhin, the son of a serf, a grasping man who has become very rich in recent years.

Lyubov Andreevna and Anya arrive from the railway station, accompanied by Gaev and their neighbor-landowner Simeonov-Pishchik, who met them. The arrival is accompanied by a lively conversation, which well describes the characters of all the heroes of this Chekhovian play.

"The Cherry Orchard". Performance based on the play by A.P. Chekhov, 1983

Ranevskaya and Gaev are typical inactive aristocrats, accustomed to living without labor on a grand scale. Lyubov Andreevna thinks only of her love passions. Her husband died six years ago, and a month later the boy-son Grisha also drowned in the river. Taking most of the estate's funds, Ranevskaya left to be comforted in France with her lover, who shamelessly deceived and robbed her. She left her daughters on the estate with almost no money. 17-year-old Anya came to her mother in Paris only a few months ago. Foster Vara had to manage the lossless estate herself, saving on everything and making debts. Ranevskaya returned to Russia only because she was left abroad completely penniless. The lover squeezed everything out of her, forced her to sell even a dacha near Menton, and he himself remained in Paris.

In the dialogues of the first act, Ranevskaya appears as a woman, exaggeratedly sensitive and vulnerable. She loves to show kindness by giving generous tips to lackeys. However, in her random words and gestures every now and then a mental callousness, indifference to loved ones slips.

Match Ranevskaya and her brother, Gaev. The main interest in his life is billiards - he now and then pours billiard terms. Leonid Andreevich loves to utter pompous speeches about "bright ideals of goodness and justice", about "social consciousness" and "fruitful work", but, as you can understand, he himself does not serve anywhere and does not even help young Vara to manage the estate. The need to take care of every penny makes Varya stingy, not preoccupied for her age, like a nun. She expresses a desire to give up everything and go to wander through the splendor of the holy places, but with such piety she feeds her old servants with one pea. Varya's younger sister, Anya, is very reminiscent of her mother with an inclination to enthusiastic dreams and isolation from life. A family friend, Simeonov-Pishchik, is the same ruined landowner as Ranevskaya and Gaev. He is only looking for where to intercept a loan of money.

A muzhik, poorly educated, but a business merchant, Lopakhin reminds Ranevskaya and Gaev that their estate will be sold for debts in August. He also offers a way out. The estate is located next to a big city and a railway, so its land can be profitably leased to summer residents of thousands for 25 annual income. This will allow not only to pay off the debt, but also to have a large profit. However, the famous cherry orchard will have to be cut down.

Gaev and Ranevskaya reject such a plan with horror, not wanting to lose their dear memories of their youth. But they cannot think of anything else. Without felling, the estate will inevitably pass to another owner - and the cherry orchard will still be destroyed. Nevertheless, the indecisive Gaev and Ranevskaya shy away from destroying him with their own hands, hoping for a miracle that will help them out by unknown means.

Several other characters also participate in the dialogues of the first action: the hapless clerk Epikhodov, with whom minor misfortunes constantly occur; the maid Dunyasha, from constant communication with bars herself became sensitive, like a noblewoman; Gayeva Firs, an 87-year-old footman, loyal to the owner like a dog and refused to leave him after the abolition of serfdom; Ranevskaya's lackey Yasha, a stupid and boorish young commoner, who, however, was imbued in France with contempt for "ignorant and wild" Russia; superficial foreigner Charlotte Ivanovna, a former circus performer, and now Anya's governess. The former teacher of the drowned son of Ranevskaya, the "eternal student" Petya Trofimov, also appears for the first time. The character of this remarkable character will be detailed in the following acts of The Cherry Orchard.

The image of the garden in the play "The Cherry Orchard" is ambiguous and complex. This is not just a part of the estate of Ranevskaya and Gaev, as it might seem at first glance. This is not what Chekhov wrote about. The cherry orchard is a symbolic image. It means the beauty of Russian nature and the life of the people who raised him and admired him. Together with the death of the garden, this life also perishes.

Center uniting characters

The image of the garden in the play "The Cherry Orchard" is the center around which all the heroes unite. At first it may seem that these are just old acquaintances and relatives who have gathered by chance in the estate to solve everyday problems. However, it is not. It is no coincidence that Anton Pavlovich combined characters representing various social groups and age categories. Their task is to decide the fate of not only the garden, but also their own.

Gayev and Ranevskaya's connection with the estate

Ranevskaya and Gaev are Russian landowners who own the estate and the cherry orchard. They are brother and sister, they are sensitive, intelligent, educated people. They are able to appreciate beauty, they feel it very subtly. That is why the image of the cherry orchard is so dear to them. In the perception of the heroes of the play "The Cherry Orchard", he personifies beauty. However, these characters are inert, because of which they cannot do anything to save what is dear to them. Ranevskaya and Gaev, with all their spiritual wealth and development, are deprived of responsibility, practicality and a sense of reality. Therefore, they cannot take care not only of loved ones, but also of themselves. These heroes do not want to heed Lopakhin's advice and rent out their land, although this would bring them a decent income. They believe that dachas and summer residents are vulgar.

Why is the estate so dear to Gaev and Ranevskaya?

Gaev and Ranevskaya cannot lease the land because of the feelings that connect them with the estate. They have a special relationship with the garden, which is like a living person to them. Much connects these heroes with their estate. The cherry orchard seems to them to be the personification of a departed youth, a past life. Ranevskaya compared her life with "cold winter" and "dark, rainy autumn." When the landowner returned to the estate, she again felt happy and young.

Lopakhin's attitude to the cherry orchard

The image of the garden in the play "The Cherry Orchard" is also revealed in relation to Lopakhin. This hero does not share the feelings of Ranevskaya and Gaev. He considers their behavior to be illogical and strange. This person wonders why they do not want to listen to seemingly obvious arguments that will help them find a way out of a predicament. It should be noted that Lopakhin is also capable of appreciating beauty. The cherry orchard delights this hero. He believes that there is nothing more beautiful in the world.

However, Lopakhin is a practical and active person. Unlike Ranevskaya and Gaev, he cannot just admire the cherry orchard and regret it. This hero seeks to do something to save him. Lopakhin sincerely wishes to help Ranevskaya and Gaev. He never ceases to convince them that both the land and the cherry orchard should be leased. This should be done as soon as possible, as the auction will be coming soon. However, the landlords do not want to listen to him. Leonid Andreevich can only swear that the estate will never be sold. He says he will not allow an auction.

The new owner of the garden

Nevertheless, the auction did take place. Lopakhin became the owner of the estate, who cannot believe his own happiness. After all, his father and grandfather worked here, "were slaves", they were not even allowed into the kitchen. The purchase of the estate for Lopakhin becomes a kind of symbol of his success. This is a well-deserved reward for many years of work. The hero would like his grandfather and father to rise from the grave and be able to rejoice with him, to see how their descendant has succeeded in life.

Negative qualities of Lopakhin

The cherry orchard for Lopakhin is just land. It can be bought, pledged, or sold. This hero, in his joy, did not consider himself obliged to show a sense of tact in relation to the former owners of the purchased estate. Lopakhin immediately begins to cut down the garden. He did not want to wait for the departure of the former owners of the estate. The soulless footman Yasha is somewhat similar to him. It completely lacks such qualities as attachment to the place where he was born and raised, love for his mother, kindness. In this respect, Yasha is the complete opposite of Firs, a servant who has unusually developed these feelings.

Attitude to the garden of Firs' servant

In revealing, it is necessary to say a few words about how Firs, the oldest of all in the house, treated him. For many years he devotedly served his masters. This man sincerely loves Gaev and Ranevskaya. He is ready to protect these heroes from all troubles. We can say that Firs is the only one of all the characters in The Cherry Orchard, endowed with such a quality as devotion. This is a very integral nature, which is manifested in its entirety in the attitude of the servant to the garden. For Firs, the estate of Ranevskaya and Gaev is a family nest. He seeks to protect it, as well as its inhabitants.

Representatives of the new generation

The image of the cherry orchard in the play "The Cherry Orchard" is dear only to those heroes who have important memories with it. The representative of the new generation is Petya Trofimov. The fate of the garden does not interest him at all. Petya declares: "We are higher than love." Thus, he admits that he is not capable of experiencing serious feelings. Trofimov looks at everything too superficially. He does not know real life, which he is trying to remake based on far-fetched ideas. Anya and Petya are outwardly happy. They yearn for a new life, for which they seek to break with the past. For these heroes, the garden is "all of Russia", and not a specific cherry orchard. But is it possible to love the whole world without loving your own home? Petya and Anya are losing their roots in striving for new horizons. Mutual understanding between Trofimov and Ranevskaya is impossible. For Petya, there are no memories, no past, and Ranevskaya deeply experiences the loss of the estate, since she was born here, her ancestors also lived here, and she sincerely loves the estate.

Who will save the garden?

As we have already noted, it is a symbol of beauty. It can only be saved by people who are able not only to appreciate it, but also to fight for it. Active and energetic people who replace the nobility treat beauty only as a source of profit. What will happen to her, who will save her?

The image of the cherry orchard in Chekhov's play "The Cherry Orchard" is a symbol of the home and the past, dear to the heart. Can you boldly go forward if you hear the knock of an ax behind your back, which destroys everything that was previously sacred? It should be noted that the cherry orchard is, and it is no coincidence that expressions such as "hitting a tree with an ax", "trampling a flower" and "chopping down the roots" sound inhuman and blasphemous.

So, we briefly examined the image of the cherry orchard as understood by the characters in the play "The Cherry Orchard". Reflecting on the actions and characters of the characters in Chekhov's work, we also reflect on the fate of Russia. After all, she is a "cherry orchard" for all of us.

The Cherry Orchard as the central image of the play

The action of the last work by A.P. Chekhov takes place on the estate of Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna, which in a few months will be sold at auction for debts, and it is the image of the garden in the play "The Cherry Orchard" that takes center stage. However, from the very beginning, the presence of such a huge garden is puzzling. This circumstance was rather harshly criticized by I.A. Bunin, a hereditary nobleman and landowner. He wondered how one could extol cherry trees, which are not particularly beautiful, have gnarled trunks and small flowers. Bunin also drew attention to the fact that gardens of only one orientation are never found in manor estates, as a rule, they were mixed. If you count, the garden covers an area of ​​about five hundred hectares! A very large number of people are needed to care for such a garden. It is obvious that before the abolition of serfdom, the garden was kept in order, and it is quite possible that the harvest brought profit to its owners. But after 1860, the garden began to fall into disrepair, since the owners did not have the money or the desire to hire workers. And it’s scary to imagine what impassable jungle the garden has turned into in 40 years, since the play takes place at the turn of the century, as evidenced by the walk of the owners and servants not through the beautiful bushes, but across the field.

All this shows that the play was not conceived of a specific everyday meaning of the image of the cherry orchard. Lopakhin singled out only its main advantage: "The only thing that is remarkable about this garden is that it is large." But it is precisely the image of the cherry orchard in the play that Chekhov portrays as a reflection of the ideal meaning of the object of artistic space, built from the words of the characters who, throughout the stage history, idealize and embellish the old garden. For the playwright, the blooming garden has become a symbol of ideal, but receding beauty. And this fleeting and destructible charm of the past, contained in thoughts, feelings and actions, is attractive both for the playwright and for the audience. Connecting the fate of the estate with the heroes, Chekhov combined nature with social significance by contrasting them, thereby revealing the thoughts and actions of his characters. He tries to remind what is the true destiny of people, for which spiritual renewal is necessary, in which lies the beauty and happiness of being.

Cherry Orchard - a means of revealing the characters of the characters

The image of the cherry orchard in the plot development of the play is of great importance. It is through the attitude towards him that the acquaintance with the worldview of the heroes occurs: their place in the historical changes that befell Russia becomes clear. The viewer's acquaintance with the garden takes place in May, at a wonderful time of flowering, and its aroma fills the surrounding space. The owner of the garden, who was absent for a long time, is returning from abroad. However, in the years she traveled, nothing in the house has changed. Even the nursery, which has not had a single child for a long time, bears the same name. What does a garden mean for Ranevskaya?

This is her childhood, she even imagines her mother, her youth and not a very successful marriage to a man like her, a frivolous spender; the love passion that arose after the death of her husband; death of the youngest son. From all this, she fled to France, abandoning everything, hoping that the escape would help her to forget. But even abroad, she did not find peace and happiness. And now she has to decide the fate of the estate. Lopakhin offers her the only way out - to cut down the garden, which does not bring any benefit and is very neglected, and give the vacated land for summer cottages. But for Ranevskaya, brought up in the best aristocratic traditions, everything that is replaced by money and is measured by it is vulgar. Rejecting Lopakhin's offer, she again and again asks his advice, hoping that it is possible to save the garden without destroying it: “What should we do? Teach what? " Lyubov Andreevna never dares to overstep her convictions, and the loss of the garden becomes a bitter loss for her. However, she admitted that she had no hands on the sale of the estate, and without much hesitation, leaving her daughters and brother, she was going to leave her homeland again.

Gaev goes over the ways to save the estate, but they are all ineffectual and too fantastic: to receive an inheritance, to marry Anya to a rich man, to ask for money from a rich aunt, or to borrow from someone else. However, he guesses about it: "... I have a lot of funds ... that means ... not a single one." He, too, is bitter from the loss of the family nest, but his feelings are not as deep as he would like to show it. After the auction, his sadness is dispelled as soon as he hears the sounds of his beloved billiards.

For Ranevskaya and Gaev, the cherry orchard is a thread into the past, where there was no room for thoughts about the financial side of life. This is a happy, carefree time when there was no need to decide something, there were no shocks, and they were the masters.

Anya loves the garden as the only bright thing in her life “I'm at home! Tomorrow morning I'll get up and run to the garden ... ". She is sincerely worried, but she cannot do anything to save the estate, relying on the decisions of her older relatives. Although in fact, she is much more reasonable than her mother and uncle. In many ways, under the influence of Petya Trofimov, the garden ceases to mean the same for Anya as it did for the older generation of the family. She outgrows this somewhat painful attachment to her native land, and later she herself wonders that she has stopped loving the garden: “Why I no longer love the cherry orchard, as before ... it seemed to me that there is no better place on earth like our garden”. And in the final scenes she is the only one of the residents of the sold estate who looks optimistically into the future: "... We will plant a new garden, more luxurious than this, you will see it, you will understand ..."

For Petya Trofimov, the garden is a living monument to serfdom. It is Trofimov who says that the Ranevskaya family still lives in the past, in which they were the owners of "living souls", and this imprint of slavery on them: "... you ... no longer notice that you are living on debt, at someone else's expense ...", and openly declares that Ranevskaya and Gaev are simply afraid of real life.

The only person who fully understands the value of the cherry orchard is the "new Russian" Lopakhin. He sincerely admires it, calling it a place "there is nothing more beautiful in the world." He dreams rather to clear the territory of trees, but not for the purpose of destruction, but in order to transfer this land into a new hypostasis, which will be seen by “grandchildren and great-grandchildren”. He sincerely tried to help Ranevskaya save the estate and pity her, but now the garden belongs to him, and unrestrained glee is strangely mixed with compassion for Lyubov Andreevna.

The symbolic image of the cherry orchard

The play "The Cherry Orchard", written at the turn of the epochs, became a reflection of the changes taking place in the country. The old is already gone, and an unknown future is coming to replace it. For each of the participants in the play, the garden has its own, but the symbolic image of the cherry orchard is one that is leaving the past for everyone except Lopakhin and Trofimov. “The earth is great and beautiful, there are many wonderful places on it,” says Petya, thereby showing that the people of the new era, to whom he belongs, are not attached to their roots, and this is alarming. People who loved the garden easily abandoned it, and this is frightening, because if “All Russia is our garden,” as Petya Trofimov says, what will happen if everyone gives up on the future of Russia? And remembering history, we see: after just over 10 years, such upheavals began to occur in Russia that the country really became a mercilessly destroyed cherry orchard. Therefore, an unambiguous conclusion can be made: the main image of the play has become a true symbol of Russia.

The image of the garden, an analysis of its meaning in the play and a description of the attitude of the main characters towards it will help 10th grade students in preparing an essay on the topic “The image of a garden in the play“ The Cherry Orchard ”by Chekhov."

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"The Cherry Orchard" is a lyric play by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov in four acts, the genre of which the author himself defined as a comedy.

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The success of the play, written in 1903, was so obvious that on January 17, 1904, the comedy was shown at the Moscow Art Theater. The Cherry Orchard is one of the most famous Russian plays created at that time. It is noteworthy that it is based on Anton Pavlovich Chekhov's own painful impressions of his acquaintance A.S. Kiselev, whose estate was also gone from the auction.

It is important in the history of the play's creation that Anton Pavlovich Chekhov wrote it already at the end of his life, being seriously ill. That is why the work on the work progressed very difficult: about three years passed from the beginning of the play to its production.

This is the first reason. The second consists in Chekhov's desire to fit into his play, intended for staging on stage, the whole result of reflections on the fate of his characters, the work on whose images was carried out very scrupulously.

The artistic originality of the play became the pinnacle of Chekhov's work as a playwright.

Act one: acquaintance with the characters of the play

The heroes of the play - Lopakhin Ermolai Alekseevich, the maid Dunyasha, the clerk Epikhodov Semyon Panteleevich (who is very clumsy, "22 misfortunes", as those around him call him) - are waiting for the owner of the estate, landowner Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna, to arrive. She is due to return after a five-year absence, and the household is in excitement. Finally, Lyubov Andreevna and her daughter Anya crossed the threshold of their house. The hostess is incredibly happy that she has finally returned to her native land. Nothing has changed here in five years. Sisters Anya and Varya talk among themselves, rejoicing at the long-awaited meeting, the maid Dunyasha prepares coffee, ordinary household trifles cause tenderness in the landowner. She is kind and generous - both to the old lackey Firs and to other household members, she willingly talks with her brother, Leonid Gayev, but her beloved daughters evoke special tremulous feelings. Everything, it would seem, goes on as usual, but suddenly, like a bolt from the blue, the message of the merchant Lopakhin: "... Your estate is being sold for debts, but there is a way out ... Here is my project ..." after cutting it down. He claims that this will bring a considerable income to the family - 25 thousand a year and save them from complete ruin, but no one agrees to such an offer. The family does not want to part with the cherry orchard, which they consider the best and to which they are attached with all their hearts.

So, no one listens to Lopakhin. Ranevskaya pretends that nothing is happening and continues to answer meaningless questions about the trip to Paris, not wanting to accept reality as it is. A casual conversation about nothing starts up again.

Petya Trofimov, the former teacher of the deceased son of Ranevskaya Grisha, who at first was unrecognized by her, came in to make his mother cry with his reminder. The day is coming to an end ... Finally, everyone goes to bed.

Act two: there is very little left before the sale of the cherry orchard

The action takes place in nature, near an old church, from where you can see both the cherry orchard and the city. There is very little time left before the sale of a cherry orchard at auction - literally a few days. Lopakhin is trying to convince Ranevskaya and her brother to lease the garden to summer cottages, but again no one wants to hear him, they hope for the money that the Yaroslavl aunt will send. Lyubov Ranevskaya recalls the past, perceiving her misfortunes as punishment for sins. First, the husband died from champagne, then the son of Grisha drowned in the river, after which she left for Paris so that the memories of the area where such a grief happened would not stir the soul.

Lopakhin suddenly opened up, telling about his difficult fate in childhood, when his father "did not teach, but only beat him drunk, and all with a stick ..." Lyubov Andreevna invites him to marry Vara, his adopted daughter.

Enter student Petya Trofimov and both Ranevskaya's daughters. A conversation starts between Trofimov and Lopakhin. One says that “in Russia, very few are working so far,” the other calls for evaluating all that is given by God and starting to work.

The attention of the conversation is attracted by a passer-by who recites poetry, and then asks for a donation of thirty kopecks. Lyubov Andreevna gives him a gold coin, for which her daughter Varya reproaches her. “People have nothing to eat,” she says. - And you gave him the gold ... "

After Varya's departure, Lyubov Andreevna, Lopakhina and Gaeva, Anya and Trofimov are left alone. The girl confesses to Pete that she no longer loves the cherry orchard, as before. The student argues: "... To live in the present, you must first redeem the past ... by suffering and continuous work ..."

Varya can be heard calling Anya, but her sister is only irritated, not responding to her voice.

Act Three: The Day The Cherry Orchard Is Sold

The third act of The Cherry Orchard takes place in the living room in the evening. Couples are dancing, but no one feels joy. Everyone is discouraged about impending debts. Lyubov Andreevna understands that they started the ball quite inopportunely. Those in the house are waiting for Leonidas, who must bring news from the city: was the garden sold or the auction did not take place at all. But Gaev is still not there. Households begin to worry. Old footman Firs admits that he is not feeling well.

Trofimov teases Varya with Madame Lopakhina, which annoys the girl. But Lyubov Andreevna really proposes to marry a merchant. Varya seems to agree, but the catch is that Lopakhin has not yet made an offer, and she herself does not want to impose.

Lyubov Andreevna worries more and more: has the estate been sold? Trofimov calms Ranevskaya: "Does it matter, there is no turning back, the path is overgrown."

Lyubov Andreevna takes out a handkerchief, from which a telegram falls, in which it is reported that her beloved is sick again and calls her. Trofimov begins to argue: "he is a petty scoundrel and insignificant", to which Ranevskaya responds with anger, calling the student a fool, a neat and funny eccentric who does not know how to love. Petya takes offense and leaves. A crash is heard. Anya reports that the student fell down the stairs.

The young footman Yasha, talking with Ranevskaya, asks to Paris if she has the opportunity to go there. Everyone seems to be busy talking, but are in anxious anticipation of the outcome of the auction in the cherry orchard. Lyubov Andreevna is especially worried, literally does not find a place for herself. Finally, LOPAKHIN and GAYEV enter. It can be seen that Leonid Andreyevich is crying. Lopakhin reports that the cherry orchard has been sold, and when asked who bought it, he answers: “I bought it.” Ermolai Alekseevich reports the details of the auction. Lyubov Andreyevna sobs, realizing that nothing can be changed. Anya consoles her, trying to focus on the fact that life goes on, no matter what. She seeks to instill hope that they will plant "a new garden, more luxurious than this ... and a quiet, deep joy will descend on the soul, like the sun."

Act four: after the sale of the estate

The estate is sold. In the corner of the children's room, there are packed things ready for removal. The peasants come to say goodbye to their former owners. The sounds of cherries being cut down can be heard from the street. Lopakhin offers champagne, but no one, except Yasha's footman, wants to drink it. Each of the former tenants of the estate is depressed by what happened, family friends are also depressed. Anya voices her mother's request that the garden should not be chopped down before she leaves.

“Indeed, is there really not enough tact,” says Petya Trofimov and leaves through the hallway.

Yasha and Ranevskaya are going to Paris, Dunyasha, in love with a young footman, asks him to send a letter from abroad.

Gaev hurries Lyubov Andreevna. The landowner sadly says goodbye to the house and garden, but Anna admits that a new life begins for her. Gaev is also happy.

Governess Charlotte Ivanovna, leaving, sings a song.

Simeonov-Pishchik Boris Borisovich, a landowner neighbor, enters the house. To the surprise of everyone, he repays debt to both Lyubov Andreevna and Lopakhin. He reports the news of a successful deal: he managed to lease land to the British for the extraction of rare white clay. The neighbor did not even know that the estate was sold, so he is surprised to see the packed suitcases and the preparations of the former owners for departure.

Lyubov Andreevna, firstly, worries about the sick Firs, because it is still not known for certain whether he was sent to the hospital or not. Anya claims that Yasha did it, but the girl is mistaken. Secondly, Ranevskaya is afraid that Lopakhin will never make an offer to Varya. They seem to be not indifferent to each other, however, no one wants to take the first step. And although Lyubov Andreevna is making a last attempt to leave young people alone to solve this difficult issue, nothing comes of such an undertaking.

After the former mistress of the house for the last time looks longingly at the walls and windows of the house, everyone leaves.

In the hustle and bustle, they did not notice that they had locked up the sick Firs, who mutters: "Life has passed, as if it never lived." The old lackey holds no grudge against the owners. He lies down on the sofa and passes into another world.

We bring to your attention the story of Anton Chekhov, where, with the subtle and inimitable irony inherent in the writer, he describes the character of the main character - Shchukina. What was the peculiarity of her behavior, read the story.

The essence of the play "The Cherry Orchard"

From literary sources it is known that Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was very happy when he came up with the title for the play - "The Cherry Orchard".

It seems logical, because it reflects the very essence of the work: the old way of life changes to a completely new one, and the cherry orchard, which the former owners cherished, is mercilessly cut down when the estate passes into the hands of the enterprising merchant Lopakhin. The Cherry Orchard is a prototype of old Russia, which is gradually disappearing into oblivion. The past is fatefully crossed out, giving way to new plans and intentions, which, according to the author, are better than the previous ones.