This article will consider one of the pages of the work of the famous Russian writer Mikhail Efgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin - the story "The Wise Gudgeon". A summary of this work will be considered in conjunction with its

historical context.

Saltykov-Shchedrin is a famous writer and satirist who created his literary creations in an interesting style - in the form of fairy tales. The "Wise Gudgeon" is not an exception either, the summary of which can be told in two sentences. However, it raised acute socio-political problems. This story was written in 1883, during the period of the beginning of the repressions of the emperor directed against the intensified opponents of the tsarist regime. At that time, many progressive-minded people already understood the full depth of the problems of the existing system and tried to convey this to the masses. However, unlike the anarchist students who dreamed of a violent coup, the advanced intelligentsia tried to find a way out of the situation by peaceful means, with the help of appropriate reforms. Only with the support of the entire public was it possible to influence the situation and prevent the existing disorder, Saltykov-Shchedrin believed. "The Wise Gudgeon," a summary of which will be given below, sarcastically tells us about a certain part of the Russian intelligentsia, who in every possible way avoids public activity out of fear of punishment for free-thinking.

"Wise gudgeon": a summary

Once upon a time there was one gudgeon, and not a simple one, but an enlightened, moderately liberal. From childhood, his father taught him: "Beware of the dangers that lie in wait for you in the river, all around is full of enemies." Gudgeon decided: "Indeed, at any moment you are either hooked

caught, or the pike will eat. And you yourself cannot harm anyone. ”And he decided to outwit everyone: he built himself a hole where he lived without leaving,“ lived and trembled, ”he only came to the surface at noon to catch some midge, which was not always possible But the gudgeon was not upset, the main thing was that he was whole, and he lived his whole life like that, and he had no family or friends, and he lived in constant fear for his life, but he was very proud of the knowledge that he would not die in ear or in the mouth of a fish, and by his death, like his respectable parents. And here the gudgeon lies in his burrow, dying of old age, lazy thoughts are running in his head, and suddenly, as if someone whispered to him: "But you shouldn't have he lived, did nothing either useful or harmful ... He only translated the food. If you die, no one will remember you. For some reason, no one even calls you wise, only a fool and a dunce. "And then the gudgeon realized that he himself had deprived himself of all the joys, that his place was not in this artificially dug semi-dark hole, but in the natural environment. But it was too late, he lay and fell asleep. And suddenly the gudgeon disappeared, no one knows how Most likely, he died and floated to the surface, because no one would eat it - the old, and even the "wise".

This is the summary. "The wise gudgeon" tells us about people useless for society, who live their whole lives in fear, in every possible way avoiding struggle, arrogantly considering themselves enlightened. Saltykov-Shchedrin once again cruelly ridicules the miserable life and way of thinking of such people, urging them not to hide in a hole, but boldly fight for a place in the sun for themselves and their descendants. Not only respect, but even pity or sympathy in the reader is not aroused by the wise gudgeon, the brief content of whose existence can be expressed in two words: "he lived and trembled."

The writing

THE WISE PISKAR - the hero of the fairy tale by M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin "The Wise Piskar" (1883). P.P., following the instructions of his old father-Piskar - "if you want to chew on life, so keep an eye on both", lived quietly and since "he was an enlightened, moderately liberal squeak", invented such a hole "so that he could get into it it was possible, but no one else could fit in ", because" it is better not to eat, not drink, than to lose life with a full stomach. " Lived P.P. "Over a hundred years", he had no wife and children, no relatives, no friends. "Death is on his nose, but he is still trembling, he does not know why." Even the pikes began to praise him: "If only everyone lived like this, it would be quiet in the river!" Most likely P.P. died. his death ("and suddenly he disappeared").

According to A.S. Bushmin, in the Wise Piskar Saltykov-Shchedrin exposed to public shame the cowardice of that part of the intelligentsia, which in the years of political reaction succumbed to the mood of shameful panic. " VV Prozorov believed that "the author arouses in the reader a sly mockery, an ironic reaction, finally, a feeling of disgust, and in the end even compassion for the everyday philosophy of a quiet, mute, moderately accurate creature." In the image of P.P. also saw "the personification of wingless and vulgar philistine."

Lit .: A.S. Bushmin. The evolution of Saltykov-Shchedrin's satire. M., 1984; V.V. Prozorov. Saltykov-Shchedrin. Book for the teacher. M., 1988.

"Wise Squeaker" is an epic work, a fairy tale for adults. However, it is included in the number of school curriculum works quite justifiably, because the "fairy tale is a lie", but, clearly, "there is a hint in it." In this case, it is a hint of universal human vices - public and personal, which in one way or another can be understood by the younger generation of readers. And since the work is small in volume, the author reveals for the most part two interconnected vices - the fear of any dangers and complete inaction for the sake of survival. The main character is a squeaker, an allegorical image. It is both a fish and a living being at the same time.

Composition ingenuous fairy tales: from the beginning of "lived-was" through a story about mentoring from parents and a description of the way of life of a squirrel - to a description of his death. The author does not seek to hide deeply into the subtext the parallels between the plot and real life. This is how he characterizes his hero: "He was an enlightened, moderately liberal squealer." This phrase leaves no doubt that the text also has a connection with the contemporary realities of the author.

What does it tell us about plot fairy tales? Before the reader flies through the life of a squeaker, simple in its structure, which is based on the fear of the potential dangers of the world order. The hero's father and mother lived a long life and died a natural death. And before leaving to another world, they bequeathed to their son to be careful, since all the inhabitants of the water world, and even a person, can destroy him at any moment. The young squeaker learned the science of his parents so well that he literally imprisoned himself in an underwater hole. He came out of it only at night, when everyone was asleep, was malnourished and "trembled" around the clock - just not to be caught! In this jitter, he lived for 100 years, really outliving his relatives, although he was a small fish that anyone can swallow. And in this sense, his life was a success. But his other dream also came true - to live without anyone noticing. Everything came true exactly: no one ever found out about the existence of the wise squeaker.

Before dying, the hero begins to think about what would happen if all fish lived the same way as he does. And he gets his sight: the genus of squealers would have ceased altogether! Every opportunity passed by him - to make friends, create a family, raise children and pass on to them his life experience. He clearly realizes this before his death and, deep in thought, falls asleep, and then sees a dream about how he won 200,000 rubles, grew in size and began to swallow his enemies - pikes himself. Having relaxed, the squirrel involuntarily violates the boundaries of his burrow, and his "snout" from the burrow is shown outside. And then there is room for the reader's imagination. Because the author does not tell exactly what happened to the hero - he only states that he suddenly disappeared. There were no eyewitnesses to this incident, so not only the task of at least living imperceptibly was achieved by the piskar, but also the "super task" - to disappear just as unnoticed.

Behind all this "Aesopian language" the reader can easily guess the characteristic manner of Saltykov-Shchedrin through hyperbolic images and grotesque situations to depict the unsightly side of modern life. This is a tough satire on the reality of 1882-1883 - a period when the conservative trend, actively encouraged by Emperor Alexander III, became the leading trend in the political life of Russia. An increase in benefits, rights and all kinds of privileges of the nobility began. Under the guise of a clerk, Shchedrin showed the liberal intelligentsia of Russia, who were only worried about survival. Ironically, the author calls his hero "wise." For him, he is a conformist man, cowardly and passive both in the social and in the political sphere, who elevates his adaptability to the rank of philosophy. The work was first published in the Geneva émigré newspaper Obshche Delo under the heading “Fairy Tales for Children of Fair Age” and had no signature. Russia learned a new tale of the writer thanks to the progressive journal Otechestvennye zapiski. But most importantly, the work has outlived its time and acquired the character of satire on the eternal vices of people-reinsurers.

• "The story of how one man fed two generals," analysis

Year of writing: 1883

Genre: story

Main characters: lonely little gudgeon

Plot

In one river there lived a gudgeon who was afraid of everything. Even his old father, before his death in the mouth of a pike, taught him that minnows are small fish and should be afraid of everything and bow to everyone: pikes, crayfish, and crucians. So he lived according to his father's covenant, being afraid of everything, did not marry, did not have children, because he was afraid of that too. He warned everyone about the need to live with caution, carefully, as if furtively.

And our wise gudgeon lived up to a hundred years, because he saved his lonely life. In old age, he decided to commit a daring act: to swim along the river during the day, but he is frightened and returns to his hole again. There he dies, realizing that his life is completely useless, and if all the fish behaved like him, they would have all died out long ago. And in the end he disappears from the hole, no one knows where, because even the predatory fish did not want to eat him anymore, they called him "hateful" and "idiot".

Conclusion (my opinion)

In the image of a wise squeaker, the author portrays a person who has not brought joy to anyone, has not done anything good for society and for people. He was afraid only for his completely useless life, which did not give him any pleasure either. Gudgeon lived to be a hundred years old, but who got better or worse from this?

In the article you will get acquainted with a summary of the famous tale of Saltykov-Shchedrin "The Wise Gudgeon", which can be used for a reader's diary. Written in 1883. In the original, it is not called "gudgeon", but "piskar", since this type of fish makes sounds similar to a squeak. The work has a satirical focus and is written for adults - in it the author denounces the mood of cowardice and cowardice that has taken possession of society.

So, a summary of the tale of Saltykov-Shchedrin

The young minnow had very smart parents who managed to live a long life and die a natural death, avoiding the hook of the angler and the attack of a predatory pike.

Before his death, the gudgeon father told his son that if he wants to enjoy life, he must look both ways. The young gudgeon himself understood that he was in danger from all sides: a large fish could swallow, a crayfish could be cut by a claw, or a water flea could dig in. But the greatest threat to life came from a man with his seines, nets and fishing rods.

The father shared his memories of how he was caught by a net as a kid and almost hit the ear, but was released by a kind old man. Following the instructions of his father, he dug for himself such an excellent refuge-hole in a year that no one except him could get into it.

At night, when the river and all its inhabitants fell asleep, he would exercise in the moonlight, and during the day he sat in a burrow and trembled. He allowed himself to leave the mink in search of food only at noon, when the whole fish kingdom was already full.

Every day he was glad that he held out and remained alive, and with fear he thought what would happen next. After all, dangers lurked the gudgeon guarding his life at every step. Once opposite his shelter, a cancer froze and watched the gudgeon with its bony eyes. Another time, a pike lay in wait for him all day, frighteningly chattering his teeth, but he swam away with nothing.

The wise minnow lived for a long time, as planned, but at the same time he was deprived of a family, offspring and communication with friends-minnows. He paid for his hundred-year life with loneliness and constant fear.

In his dying reflections, he came to the conclusion that all minnows would have grown long ago if they behaved like him.

Even dying, the gudgeon trembled. He disappeared from the seething river life, but no one even noticed it. Here is such a sad tale.

Retelling provided by Marina Korovina.