"The Cherry Orchard". The brother of the main character, Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya.

History of creation

Anton Chekhov finished working on the play "The Cherry Orchard" in 1903, and the next year the play was staged for the first time by famous directors and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko at the Moscow Art Theater. The role of Gaev in this first production was played by Stanislavsky himself, and the role of Lyubov Ranevskaya was played by Chekhov's wife, an actress.

The idea and the first drafts of the play date back to 1901. The Cherry Orchard was the last play written by Chekhov. The playwright died a year after he finished working on this work.

The play "The Cherry Orchard"

Gayev's appearance from the play "The Cherry Orchard"

Leonid Andreevich Gaev is the brother of the main character of the play. This is a man in years, however, divorced from reality. Gaev is 51 years old, the hero loves sweets, loves to drink well and have a hearty snack, speaks an awful lot and what he said often turns out to be inappropriate. The hero behaves stupidly and realizes this, however, like Ranevskaya, he is unable to cope with himself. The daughters of Ranevskaya, Gaev's niece, constantly advise her uncle to be silent, but he does not heed these advice.

By origin, Gaev is a landowner, but the hero, in his own words, "ate up on candies" all his fortune. The hero loves to make solemn speeches on any occasion. Once Gaev even turns to the bookcase. The hero loves billiards, and the terms associated with this game often slip into his speech.

Gaev is unusually lazy. The hero got a place in the bank, where he can receive six thousand income a year, but those around him do not believe that the hero will appreciate such a gift of fate and stay in this place. The old lackey Firs still looks after Gayev as if he were a child, and the merchant Lopakhin, with his usual rudeness, calls Gayev "a woman" and considers the hero a strange and frivolous person. However, the relatives, for all Gaev's shortcomings, treat him with love.

Like his sister, Gaev rejects the idea of ​​cutting down the cherry orchard and renting out the land in order to earn money, pay off debts and save the estate in this way. The hero agrees with Ranevskaya that "summer cottages and summer residents are a matter of course," and makes ephemeral plans to borrow money to buy a garden from a certain aunt-countess or to give his niece Anya in marriage to a rich gentleman who will pay off the debts.

Gaev gives Ranevskaya a promise that the estate will not be sold at auction for debts, but does nothing to fulfill this promise. Ultimately, the Ranevskaya estate is bought at an auction by the merchant Lopakhin, Ganev, Ranevskaya, the children and servants leave there saddened, and the cherry orchard is cut down. Further biography of the hero is unknown.

Gaev and his sister are touchingly attached to the cherry orchard, which embodies for both the best moments of life, youth and happiness. The images of Gaev and Ranevskaya in the play represent an obsolete past, which is giving way to the present, embodied in the image of the practical merchant Lopakhin.

Screen adaptations and staging

Illustration for the book "The Cherry Orchard"

In 1981 British director Richard Eyre directed the drama film "The Cherry Orchard" based on the play "The Cherry Orchard" by Anton Chekhov. The role of Leonid Gaev in this film adaptation was played by the actor Frederic Treves. The hero's sister Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya was played by an actress known for her role as M in a series of films about.

Before that, Judy Danch had already once starred in the film adaptation of The Cherry Orchard. It was a 1962 film, and the actress played the role of Ani, the youngest daughter of Ranevskaya, there. The image of Gaev in this version was embodied by Sir Arthur John Gielgud, famous for performing Shakespearean roles, including in films.

In 1999, another film adaptation was released, this time a joint Greek-French production. The director and scriptwriter is the Greek director Michalis Kakoyanis. The role of Gaev was played by British actor Alan Bates. The filming took place in Bulgaria.

Alan Bates in The Cherry Orchard

In 2008, the Russian film adaptation of The Cherry Orchard was released in the genre of a comedy with elements of farce and Italian square theater. The film was directed by Sergei Ovcharov. The role of Gaev was played by actor Dmitry Podnozov.

The play has been staged in theaters around the world several times. In Britain in 2009, The Cherry Orchard was staged by the London theater The Old Vic, adapted by the famous playwright and director Tom Stoppard. In 2016, the play was performed at the Yu Theater in California, USA. The director is Daniel Heifetz.

Quotes

"If a lot of remedies are offered against any disease, it means that the disease is incurable."

"Oh, wondrous nature, you shine with eternal radiance, beautiful and indifferent, you, whom we call mother, combine being and death, you live and destroy ..."

“Dear, dear wardrobe! I welcome 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, maintaining (through tears) in the generations of our kind courage, faith in a better future and instilling in us the ideals of goodness and social identity. "

All the characters in the play "The Cherry Orchard" are of great importance in the ideological and thematic context of the work. Even the casually mentioned names carry a semantic load. For example, there are non-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 implement it.

Trofimov Petr Sergeevich- student. The teacher of the young son of Ranevskaya, who died tragically. I could not finish my studies, as he was expelled from the university several times. But this did not in any way affect the breadth of outlook, intelligence and education of Pyotr Sergeevich. The feelings of a young man are touching and disinterested. He sincerely became attached to Ana, who was flattered by his attention. Forever unkempt, sick and hungry, but at the same time not losing his self-esteem, Trofimov denies the past and strives for a new life.

Characters and their role in the work

1. Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna - a sensitive, emotional woman, but completely not adapted to life and unable to find her core in her. Everyone uses her kindness, even the footman Yasha and Charlotte. Lyubov Andreevna expresses emotions of joy and tenderness in a childish way. She is characterized by affectionate appeals to the people around her. So, Anya - "I'm going away," Firs - "my old man." But such an appeal to furniture is striking: "my cabinet", "my table". Without noticing it herself, she gives the same assessment to a person and things! This is where her concern for the old and faithful servant ends. At the end of the play, the landowner calmly forgets about Firs, leaving him alone to die in the house. She does not react to the news of the death of the nanny who raised her. He just keeps drinking coffee. Lyubov Andreevna is a nominal mistress of the house, since in essence she is not. All the characters in the play are drawn to her, highlighting the image of the landowner from different sides, so it seems ambiguous. On the one hand, her own state of mind is in the foreground. She left for Paris, leaving her children behind. On the other hand, Ranevskaya gives the impression of a kind, generous and trusting woman. She is ready to disinterestedly help a passer-by and even forgive a betrayal of a loved one.
2. Anya - kind, gentle, empathic. She has a big loving heart. Arriving in Paris and seeing the environment in which his mother lives, he does not condemn her, but regrets her. Why? Because she is lonely, there is no close person with her who would surround her with care, protect her from everyday hardships, understand her tender soul. The disorder of life does not upset Anya. She knows how to quickly switch to pleasant memories. He has a subtle sense of nature, enjoys the singing of birds.
3. Varya- adopted daughter of Ranevskaya. A good hostess, constantly at work. The whole house rests on it. Girl of stern looks. Having taken upon herself the heavy burden of caring for the household, she became a little hardened. She lacks a subtle mental organization. Apparently, for this reason, Lopakhin never made her a marriage proposal. Varvara dreams of going to holy places. She does nothing to somehow change her fate. He hopes only for God's will. In his twenty-four years, he becomes a "bore", so that many do not like it.
4. Gaev Leonid Andreevich. To Lopakhin's proposal regarding the future "fate" of the cherry orchard, he reacts categorically negatively: "What nonsense." He is worried about old things, a wardrobe, he addresses them with his monologues, but he is completely indifferent to the fate of people, so the servant left him. Gayev's speech testifies to the limitations of this man, who lives only by personal interests. If we talk about the situation in the house, then Leonid Andreevich sees the way out in receiving an inheritance or in Ani's profitable marriage. Loving her sister, she accuses her of being vicious, she did not marry a nobleman. He speaks a lot, not embarrassed by the fact that no one is listening. Lopakhin calls him a "woman" who grinds only with her tongue, while doing nothing.
5. Lopakhin Ermolai Alekseevich. To him you can "apply" the aphorism: from rags to riches. He evaluates himself soberly. Understands that money in life does not change a person's social status. “Ham, kulak,” says Gaev about Lopakhin, but he doesn't care what people think of him. Not trained in good manners, unable to communicate normally with a girl, as evidenced by his attitude towards Varya. He constantly glances at his watch, communicating with Ranevskaya, he has no time to talk like a human being. The main thing is the upcoming deal. Knows how to "console" Ranevskaya: "The garden is sold, but you sleep well."
6. Trofimov Petr Sergeevich. Dressed in a shabby student's uniform, glasses, thin hair, for five years, "dear boy" has changed a lot, looked ugly. In his understanding, the goal of life is to be free and happy, and for this you have to work. He believes that those who seek the truth need help. There are many problems in Russia that need to be solved and not philosophized. Trofimov himself does nothing, he cannot graduate from the university. He utters beautiful and intelligent words that are not supported by actions. Petya sympathizes with Anya, speaks of her "my spring". He sees in her a grateful and enthusiastic listener to his speeches.
7. Simeonov - Boris Borisovich Pischik. Landowner. Falls asleep on the go. All his thoughts are directed only at how to get money. Even Petya, who compared him to a horse, he replies that this is not bad, since a horse can always be sold.
8. Charlotte Ivanovna - governess. Knows nothing about himself. She has no relatives or friends. Grew up like a lonely stunted bush in the middle of a wasteland. She did not experience feelings of love in childhood, did not see care from adults. Charlotte has become a person who cannot find people who would understand her. But she cannot understand herself either. "Who am I? Why am I?" - this poor woman did not have a bright beacon in her life, a mentor, a loving person who would help to find the right path and not turn away from it.
9. Epikhodov Semyon Panteleevich works in an office. He considers himself a developed person, but openly declares that he cannot decide in any way: "live" for him or "shoot himself." Jonah. Epikhodov is pursued by spiders and cockroaches, as if trying to force him to turn around and look at the miserable existence that he has been dragging out for many years. Unrequitedly in love with Dunyasha.
10. Dunyasha - maid in Ranevskaya's house. Living with the gentlemen, she lost the habit of a simple life. Doesn't know peasant labor. Afraid of everything. Falls in love with Yasha, not noticing that he is simply not able to share love with someone.
11. Firs. His whole life fits into "one line" - to serve the masters. The abolition of serfdom is evil for him. He is used to being a slave and cannot imagine another life.
12. Yasha. An uneducated young footman dreaming of Paris. Dreams of a rich life. Callousness is the main feature of his character; even with his mother tries not to meet, ashamed of her peasant origin.

Characteristics of heroes

1. Ranevskaya is a frivolous, spoiled and pampered woman, but people are drawn to her. The house seemed to open the time-bound doors again when she returned here after a five-year absence. She was able to warm him with her nostalgia. Coziness and warmth again "sounded" in every room, as solemn music sounds on holidays. This did not last long, as the days of the house were numbered. In the nervous and tragic image of Ranevskaya, all the shortcomings of the nobility were expressed: its inability to self-sufficiency, lack of independence, spoiledness and a tendency to evaluate everyone according to class prejudices, but at the same time the subtlety of feelings and education, spiritual wealth and generosity.
2. Anya. A heart beats in the chest of a young girl, which is waiting for sublime love and looking for certain life guidelines. She wants to trust someone, to test herself. Petya Trofimov becomes the embodiment of her ideals. She cannot yet look at things critically and blindly believes Trofimov's "chatter", presenting reality in a rosy light. She's the only one. Anya is not yet aware of the versatility of this world, although she is trying. She also does not hear those around her, does not see the real problems that have befallen the family. Chekhov had a presentiment that this girl was the future of Russia. But the question remained open: will she succeed in changing something, or will she remain in her childhood dreams. After all, in order to change something, you need to act.
3. Gaev Leonid Andreevich. Spiritual blindness is characteristic of this mature person. He stayed in childhood for the rest of his life. In conversation, he constantly uses billiard terms out of place. His horizons are narrow. The fate of the family nest, as it turned out, did not bother him at all, although at the beginning of the drama he punched himself in the chest and publicly promised that the cherry orchard would live. But he is categorically incapable of doing business, like many nobles who are used to living while others are working for them.
4. Lopakhin buys the family estate of Ranevskaya, which is not a "bone of contention" between them. They do not consider each other to be enemies; humanistic relationships prevail between them. Lyubov Andreevna and Ermolai Alekseevich seem to want to get out of this situation as soon as possible. The merchant even offers his help, but is refused. When everything ends safely, Lopakhin is happy that he can finally get down to real business. We must pay tribute to the hero, because it was he, the only one, who was concerned about the “fate” of the cherry orchard and found a way out that suited everyone.
5. Trofimov Petr Sergeevich. He is considered a young student, although he is already 27 years old. One gets the impression that the student body has become his profession, although outwardly he has turned into an old man. He is respected, but no one believes in noble and life-affirming appeals, except for Anya. It is a mistake to believe that the image of Petya Trofimov can be compared with the image of a revolutionary. Chekhov was never interested in politics, the revolutionary movement was not part of his circle of interests. Trofimov is too soft. The warehouse of his soul and intelligence will never allow him to cross the boundaries of what is permitted and jump into an unknown abyss. In addition, he is responsible for Anya, a young girl who does not know real life. She still has a rather delicate psyche. Any emotional shock can push her in the wrong direction, from where she can no longer be returned. Therefore, Petya must think not only about himself and about the implementation of his ideas, but also about the fragile creature who was entrusted to him by Ranevskaya.

How does Chekhov feel about his heroes?

A.P. Chekhov loved his heroes, but he could not entrust the future of Russia to any of them, not even Peta Trofimov and Anya, the progressive youth of that time.

The heroes of the play, attractive to the author, do not know how to defend their life rights, they suffer or are silent. Ranevskaya and Gaev suffer, because they understand that they cannot change anything in themselves. Their social status fades into oblivion, and they are forced to drag out a miserable existence on the last proceeds. Lopakhin suffers, as he realizes that he can do nothing to help them. He himself is not happy with the purchase of a cherry orchard. No matter how hard he tries, he still will not become his full-fledged owner. That is why he decides to cut down the garden and sell the land in order to later forget about it as a nightmare. But what about Petya and Anya? Isn't the author pinning his hopes on them? Perhaps, but these hopes are very vague. Trofimov, by virtue of his character, is not capable of taking any radical actions. And without this, the situation cannot be changed. He is limited only to talking about a wonderful future and that's it. 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 life priorities for herself, it will be possible to expect any actions from her. In the meantime, she is limited to belief 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 Lopakhino he values ​​the desire for compromise and for poetic beauty, although he is not able to appreciate the real beauty of the cherry orchard. The Cherry Orchard is a member of the family, but everyone is unanimously forgetting about this, while Lopakhin is generally unable to understand this.

The heroes of the play are divided by a huge abyss. They are not able to understand each other, as they are closed in the world of their own feelings, thoughts and experiences. However, everyone is lonely, they have no friends, like-minded people, there is no true love. Most go with the flow without setting any serious goals. Moreover, they are all unhappy. Ranevskaya is experiencing disappointment in love, life and her social supremacy, which seemed unshakable yesterday. Gaev once again discovers that aristocratic manners are not a guarantor 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, she has no dowry for a profitable marriage. Her chosen one, although he does not require him, has not yet earned anything himself. Trofimov understands that he needs to change, but does not know how, because he has no connections, no money, no position to influence something. 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 equal to any masters, although he has more money.

Interesting? Keep it on your wall!

A.P. Chekhov turned to the genre of drama in his early work. But his real success as a playwright began with the play The Seagull. The play "The Cherry Orchard" is called Chekhov's swan song. She completed the creative path of the writer. In The Cherry Orchard, the author expressed his beliefs, thoughts and hopes. Chekhov believes that the future of Russia belongs to people like Trofimov and Anya. In one of his letters Chekhov wrote: “Students and female students are good and honest people. This is our hope, this is the future of Russia. " It is they, according to Chekhov, who are the true owners of the cherry orchard, which the author identified with his homeland. “All Russia is our garden,” says Petya Trofimov.

The owners of the cherry orchard are hereditary noblemen Ranevskaya and Gaev, the Estate and the Garden have been the property of their family for many years, but they can no longer manage here. They are the personification of the past of Russia, there is no future for them. Why?
Gaev and Ranevskaya are helpless, idle people, incapable of any active actions. They admire the beauty of a blooming garden, it evokes nose-thalgic memories in these people, but that's all. Their estate is being ruined, and these people cannot and do not try to do anything in order to somehow improve the situation. The price of such "love" is not high. Although Ranevkaya says: "God knows, I love my homeland, I love it dearly." But the question arises, what kind of love is this if she left Russia five years ago and returned now only because she suffered a fiasco in her personal life. And in the finale of the play, Ranevskaya leaves her homeland again.
Of course, the heroine gives the impression of a person with an open soul, she is cordial, emotional, impressionable. But these qualities are combined with such traits of her character as carelessness, spoiledness, frivolity, bordering on callousness and indifference to others. We see that in fact Ranevskaya is indifferent towards people, even sometimes cruel. How else to explain the fact that she gives the last gold to a passer-by, and the servant in the house is left to live from hand to mouth. She thanks Firs, inquires about his health, and ... leaves the old, sick man in the boarded-up house, simply forgetting about him. This is, to say the least, monstrous!
Like Ranevskaya, Gaev has a sense of beauty. I would like to note that he, more than Ranevskaya, gives the impression of a master. Although this character can be called exactly the same inactive, careless and frivolous, like his sister. Like a small child, Gaev cannot give up the habit of sucking lollipops and even counts on Firs in small things. His mood changes very quickly, he is a fickle, windy person. Gayev gets upset to tears from the fact that the estates are for sale, but as soon as he heard the sound of balls in the billiard room, he immediately cheered up, like a child.
Of course, Gaev and Ranevskaya are the embodiment of a past outgoing life. Their habit of living "on debt, at someone else's expense" speaks of the idleness of the existence of these heroes. They are definitely not the masters of life, since even their material well-being depends on any chances: either it will be an inheritance, or the Yaroslavl grandmother will send them money in order to pay off their debts, or Lopakhin will lend money. People like Gaev and Ranevskaya are being replaced by a completely different kind of people: strong, enterprising, dexterous. One of these people is another character in the play, Lopakhin.
Lopakhin embodies the present of Russia. Lopakhin's parents were serfs, but after the abolition of serfdom, the fate of this man changed. He became a man, became rich, and is now able to buy the estate of those who once were his masters. Lopakhin feels his superiority over Ranevskaya and Gaev, and even they treat him with respect, since they realize their dependence on this person. It is clear that Lopakhin and people like him will very soon oust the noblemen.
However, Lopakhin gives the impression of a person who is the "master of life" only in a given, short period of time. He is not the owner of the cherry orchard, but only its temporary owner. He is going to cut down the cherry orchard and sell the land. It seems that, having increased his capital from this profitable enterprise, he still will not take a dominant place in the life of the state in the future. In the image of this character, Chekhov masterfully managed to portray a bizarre and contradictory combination of features of the past and the present. Lopakhin, although he is proud of the current situation, does not for a second forget about his low origin, he has too strong a resentment against life, which, as it seems to him, was unfair to him. Very soon the reader and viewer understands that Lopakhin is just an intermediate stage between the past and future generations.
In the play Chech “Lva, we also see characters opposed to the destructive activities of Lopakhin and the inaction of Ranevskaya and Gaev. These are Anya and Petya Trofimov. It is precisely such people, in the author's opinion, that the future of Russia. Trofimov is an ardent seeker of truth who sincerely believes in the triumph of a just life in the near future. Student Petya Trofimov is poor, suffers hardships, but as an honest man he refuses life at someone else's expense. He says a lot about the need to reorganize society, but he has not yet performed real actions. But he is a great propagandist. This is one of those who are followed by the youth, who is believed. Anya is carried away by Trofimov's call to change her life, and at the end of the play we hear her words calling to "plant a new garden." The author does not give us the opportunity to see the fruits of the activities of the representatives of the new generation. He only leaves us hope that the words of Petya Trofimov and Anya will not diverge from the deeds.
Three generations of people were portrayed by Chekhov in his play "The Cherry Orchard", and each character personifies the life of Russia: Ranevkaya and Gaev - the past, Lopakhin - the present, Trofimov and Anya - the future. Time has shown that Chekhov was absolutely right - a revolution awaited the Russian people in the near future, and it was people like Trofimov who made history.

One of the main characters of the work is Gaev Leonid Andreevich, the brother of the main character of the owner of the estate, Ranevskaya.

The writer presents Gayev as a lonely fifty-year-old man, a landowner who does not have his own family, living in an old estate under the tutelage of old Firs, who lost his family fortune due to his idle lifestyle in the form of his favorite pastime - playing billiards.

Characteristic features of the hero are his aristocratic education, combined with a weak-willed nature, which is expressed in the inability and unwillingness to make important life decisions, to defend their own position. But at the same time Gaev is distinguished by artistry and sincerity in expressing his thoughts, as well as sentimentality and romanticism.

Participating in conversations, Leonid Andreevich is verbose, often rants not on the essence of the conversation and sometimes he himself notices that he is talking off-topic and inappropriately inserts expressions that are not entirely clear to the interlocutors.

Gaev is characterized by a loving attitude towards his household and loved ones, he sincerely cares for the happiness of his sister and his nieces, hoping to successfully marry one of the girls, Anna, to a worthy and wealthy nobleman. Gaev is very attached to the old Firs, he cannot do without him even while preparing for bed, but in the finale of the play he does not even remember the old man.

Naively believing that there is a possibility of saving the estate from selling and preserving the cherry orchard, which is of great importance for him, however, as for all family members, Gaev dreams of receiving an unreal inheritance. In fact, Leonid Andreevich does not want to realize the accomplished fact of the loss of the family estate, although he says goodbye to the garden with tears in his eyes, but deep feelings and suffering are not characteristic of this hero. Therefore, he enters the service with a small annual salary in a men's club, although, according to relatives and merchant Lopakhin, Gaev's work will not last long, since Leonid Andreyevich is not disciplined and lazy to work.

Describing the image of Gaev in the play, the writer caricatures the essence of the devastation of the noble class of that time, the spinelessness and lack of initiative of the aristocracy, idealizing the events that are taking place, which are already being actively replaced by representatives of commerce and business merchants in the form of Lopakhin, striving for a dominant position in society.

Option 2

Gaev Leonid Alekseevich is one of the heroes of the play "The Cherry Orchard" by the great Russian writer and playwright Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. In his image, as in Ranevskaya, the author depicted the past of Russia. He is a representative of the nobility, an aristocrat, while, wanting to show that their time is over, the author purposefully makes Gayev a ruined landowner.

Gaev is already 51 years old, but at the same time he is absolutely not independent. The old servant Firs still dresses and undresses him like a little child, watching carefully so that the master does not catch a cold. Gaev is infinitely lazy. When the question of selling the Cherry Orchard at auction comes up, he only makes long pathetic solemn speeches, swears that under no circumstances will he allow the sale ... But that's all. In practice, no action was taken or even a weak attempt to do something. Gaev is an example of pure selfishness. Caring only about himself, he really does not care what will happen to the Cherry Orchard. At the end of the play, he forgets about the old devoted servant Firs.

Gayev's hobby is playing billiards, in addition, he loves to eat lollipops. Passion for games and sweets emphasizes the infantilism of the character. After the sale of the garden, Leonid Alekseevich will get a job at a bank, but no one believes that this will last long. Everyone knows his inconstancy and laziness.

Chekhov contrasts Gayev with Lopakhin, who is a typical representative of the merchant class of that time. Leonid Alekseevich speaks badly of Lopakhin, considers him a boor and rude. He rejects his business proposal to lease the Cherry Orchard for summer cottages, which in reality could have saved the garden, referring to the mythical vulgarity of such a deal. At the same time, Gaev does not consider it shameful to beg for money from others. In the play, he says that it would be nice to go to his aunt-countess - to ask for money to cover debts or to receive an inheritance, or to marry a rich man, Anya, his niece.

The purpose of creating the "Cherry Orchard" was to reflect the division of society at that time into the past (Ranevskaya, Gaev), the present (Lopakhin) and the future of Russia (Petya Trofimov, Anya). Gaev is an image of the obsolete noble past of Russia. He is helpless and absolutely not adapted to modern life.

Composition Image and characteristics of Gaev

The play The Cherry Orchard is still relevant, many characters are written incredibly textured and represent collective images of various human types. One of the main characters is Leonid Andreevich Gaev, who throughout his existence was a landowner and was always ready for everything. When the time comes for a new time and the need comes, Gaev does not know what to do.

In fact, you need to consider this hero as the antithesis of Lopakhin and vice versa. Gayev from birth was in bliss, they constantly cared for him and accustomed people of the upper class to wealth and habits. In turn, Lopakhin is a man, as they say in America, "who made himself." He is somewhat similar, for example, to Stolz from Goncharov's novel, he is also an active, mostly materialist who seeks to achieve everything.

Gaev is a voluminous nature and for the most part dreamy, inactive. He literally cannot take care of his estate himself, but can only think about how good it would be to get some kind of indulgence, some kind of satisfaction from other people. Having lived like this until 50 years old, he can no longer choose anything else, and only at the end of the play do we learn about how Leodnid Andreevich gets a job as an employee in a bank.

As Lopakhin says, Gaev will not be able to hold out on this job, since he is very lazy and this really makes sense. Lopakhin, of course, in many respects treats the landowner with contempt and does not miss the opportunity to pry him, but he gives very clear definitions that correspond to reality.

It seems to me that in the image of Gaev Chekhov portrayed a crisis of the aristocratic class and a crisis among the landowners.

As you know, in order to maintain power, one should have clear and firm convictions, as well as the ability to defend these convictions in fact. Leonid Andreevich, in turn, is an aristocrat only nominally, he is a landowner by inheritance, but in fact he could not achieve the privileges that he possesses.

In my opinion, the figure of Gaev is sad and even to some extent tragic, although it does not evoke sympathy.

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Gaev's place in the system of images of the work

To understand Chekhov's perception of the nobility, it is necessary to consider the characterization of Gayev in the play "The Cherry Orchard", the brother of the main character, practically a double of Ranevskaya, but less significant. Therefore, in the list of characters, he is designated "Ranevskaya's brother", although he is older than her and has the same rights to the estate as his sister.

Gaev Leonid Andreevich is a landowner who "made his fortune on candy", leads an idle lifestyle, but it is strange to him that the garden is being sold for debts. He is already 51 years old, but he has neither a wife nor children. He lives on an old estate, which is crumbling before his eyes, under the care of the old footman Firs. However, it is Gayev who is constantly trying to borrow money from someone in order to cover at least the interest on the debts of both his own and his sisters. And his options for repaying all loans are more like pipe dreams: “It would be nice to get an inheritance from someone, it would be nice to marry our Anya off as a very rich person, it would be nice to go to Yaroslavl and try her luck with my aunt-countess ...”

The image of Gaev in the play "The Cherry Orchard" became a caricature of the nobility in general. All the negative aspects of Ranevskaya found a more ugly attitude in her brother, thereby further emphasizing the comic of what is happening. Unlike Ranevskaya, Gaev's description is mainly in the stage directions that reveal his character through actions, while the characters say very little about him.

Features of the character of Gaev

Very little is said about Gaev's past. But it is clear that he is an educated person who knows how to expose his thoughts in beautiful, but empty speeches. All his life he lived on his estate, a frequenter of men's clubs, in which he indulged in his favorite pastime, playing billiards. He brought all the news from there and there he received an offer to become a bank employee, with an annual salary of six thousand. However, for those around it it was very surprising, the sister says: “Where are you! Sit down already ... ", Lopakhin also expresses doubt:" But he won't sit still, he is very lazy ... ". The only person who believes him is his niece Anya "I believe you uncle!" What caused such distrust and in some ways even a disdainful attitude on the part of others? After all, even the footman Yasha shows his disrespect for him.

As already mentioned, Gaev is an idle talker, at the most inopportune moments he can indulge in ranting, so that all those around him are simply lost and ask him to be silent. Leonid Andreevich himself understands this, but this is part of his nature. He is also very childish, unable to defend his point of view, and he cannot really formulate it. He so often has nothing to say to the point that his favorite word "Whom" is constantly heard and completely inappropriate billiard terms appear. Firs still follows his master like a little child, then shakes off the dust from his trousers, then brings him a warm coat, and for a fifty-year-old man there is nothing shameful in such care, he even goes to bed under the watchful gaze of his lackey. Firs is sincerely attached to the owner, but even Gaev in the finale of the play "The Cherry Orchard" forgets about his devoted servant. He loves his nieces and his sister. But he could not become the head of the family, in which he remained the only man, and he cannot help anyone, since it does not even occur to him. All this shows how shallow the feelings of this hero are.

For Gaev, the cherry orchard means as much as for Ranevskaya, but just like she is not ready to accept Lopakhin's offer. After all, breaking the estate into plots and leasing it "went", largely due to the fact that it will bring them closer to such businessmen as Lopakhin, and for Leonid Andreyevich this is unacceptable, since he considers himself a true aristocrat, looking down on such merchants. Returning depressed from the auction at which the estate was sold, Gayev had only tears in his eyes, and barely hearing the blows of the cue on the balls, they dry up, proving once again that deep feelings are simply not characteristic of him.

Gaev as the final stage in the evolution of the nobility in the work of A.P. Chekhov

Gaev closed the chain, consisting of the images of the nobles, created by Chekhov throughout his creative life. He created "heroes of his time", aristocrats with an excellent education, unable to defend their ideals, and it was this weakness that allowed people like Lopakhin to take a dominant position. In order to show how much the nobles were shrunken, Anton Pavlovich underestimated the image of Gaev as much as possible, bringing it to a caricature. Many representatives of the aristocracy were very critical of this portrayal of their class, accusing the author of ignorance of their circle. But Chekhov did not even want to create a comedy, but a farce, which he did successfully.

Reasoning about the image of Gaev and a description of the features of his character can be used by pupils of the 10th grade while writing an essay on the topic "Characteristics of Gaev in the play" The Cherry Orchard ".

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