Brief retelling of "Thick and thin" Chekhov. "Thick and thin" Chekhov retelling

/ / "Thick and thin"

Date of creation: 1883.

Genre: humorous story.

Subject: servility.

Idea: deep-rooted fear of the authorities in the Russian mind.

Issues. Social and social status creates an insurmountable barrier even between former friends.

Main heroes: Porfiry (thin), Michael (thick).

Plot. On railway station An unexpected meeting of two old friends takes place. According to the apt characteristics of the author, one can already guess the position of both. Fat looks completely satisfied with his life. Slim is burdened with a pile of things, a wife and a son.

The sudden meeting makes a huge impression on both, making Porfiry and Mikhail shed tears. Friends bind together warm memories of the years of study at the gymnasium. Porfiry is the first to come to his senses and begins to question Mikhail about his affairs, introduces his family to him.

Porfiry's speech is very nervous. This is partly due to joy, but true reason lies deeper. Slim doesn't let his friend say a word. He is extremely happy to remember the happy old times. Porfiry fondly recalls childhood nicknames.

Michael is happy too. With difficulty keeping up with his comrade's speech, he only manages to ask him about his current position and position. Porfiry proudly declares that he has risen to the rank of collegiate assessor and has the Order of Stanislav. Slim has something to be proud of. The title of collegiate assessor (rank of the eighth grade according to the Table of Ranks) was cherished dream huge mass of Russian officials. This rank conferred personal nobility. The Order of Stanislav is the youngest among state awards.

After these solemn declarations, Porfiry makes a small but very significant reservation: "the salary is bad." It becomes clear that thin is actually very poor. Maintaining a family costs him a lot of work. In order to somehow make ends meet, his wife is forced to give music lessons, and the head of the family himself is engaged in the manufacture of cigarette cases. Such a craft is an unworthy occupation for a nobleman. Porfiry, apparently, was transferred from the capital to the province as a head clerk. He will lead the "table" - the lowest link public institutions in imperial Russia.

Having told about his affairs, the thin one is interested in Mikhail's official position. He asks if the friend has reached the rank of State Councilor. This question is half a joke. For Porfiry, a state councilor (rank of the fifth class) is the ultimate dream. Since he and Mikhail studied together, Porfiry assumes that the old friend occupies approximately the same position and rank.

Tolstoy's answer produces the effect of an exploding bomb: "I have risen to the secret ... I have two stars." Privy Councilor is a rank of the third class, giving the right to hold the highest government positions, and "two stars" mean the possession of the highest state awards.

On the face of Porfiry there was a quick change of the most diverse feelings, ending in an obsequious and flattering smile. The changes affected his appearance ("hunched", "narrowed"), as well as his wife and son. The old familiarity instantly evaporated. Thin turned to his friend "your excellency."

Michael was not a proud and arrogant person. high position didn't turn his head. He interrupts Porfiry's flattering speech and reminds him that their childhood years are closely connected ("why ... veneration").

Giggling disgustingly, Slim is really surprised by these words. It does not fit in his mind, how can one talk so easily with a top-class official. He again cannot find words, but this time from fear of arousing the wrath of his superiors. For the third time, he introduces his family to Mikhail.

The fat one still intended to return to the old confidential communication, but the whole respectful appearance of the thin one made him feel sick. Somehow saying goodbye, he hurried away.

Porfiry's family for a long time could not recover after such a "significant" meeting.

Review of the product. In the story "Thick and thin" Chekhov very clearly noticed one of the negative qualities Russian person. Respect for rank, servility and fear of superiors, the desire to curry favor are as relevant today as they were in the 19th century. All this has taken deep roots. Characteristically, Michael did not insist or demand anything from Porfiry. For him, service has nothing to do with personal relationships. Porfiry himself, his wife and son are ready to humiliate themselves before those who occupy a higher official position.

Lecture, abstract. Thick and thin summary read online - concept and types. Classification, essence and features.

Thick and thin - full version of the story

The whole thing took place at the Nikolaevsky railway station. By classic chance, two friends met. They were very different. One is thick and the other is thin. Tolstoy's name was Misha. He was such a well-groomed and self-aware fat man. He smelled of fleur d'orange and sherry, at the time when this story was written - fleur d'orange was quite expensive perfume, made from orange blossoms, and sherry is wine. Misha looked full and contented, either from food or from life. And Thin is the exact opposite of his friend. It smelled of ham and coffee grounds. He was exhausted and tired. His name was Porfiry. Apparently then it was relevant to call the boys strange names, since his son was Nathanael, he is a high school student, studying in the third grade, a tall guy with narrowed eyes. Porfiry also has a wife, Louise, whom he boasts of throughout the story. But there is an ordinary average woman, with a very ordinary appearance, and even with a long chin. She was a Lutheran, in other words a Protestant. And this was, apparently, its main highlight.
In general, these two friends met. After they were warmly welcomed, they struck up a conversation. Thin began to tell his son Nathanael about his childhood with his friend. He said that at school they were given nicknames. Tolstoy - Herostratus, due to the fact that he set fire to school book cigarette, and the thin one - Ephialtes, because of the love of sneaking. Tolstoy sincerely became interested in learning about the present life of Thin. Porfiry began to brag about his son and wife, who was a music teacher, then he began to tell that he worked as a collegiate assessor, it used to be such a civil rank, close to major. He began to cry that the salary is small. But nevertheless, he boasted of his Order of Stanislav, so he was awarded with distinction by an official, but in fact this order is the lowest order of all the orders of that time. Another thin one makes cigarette cases and sells them for a ruble. And he was transferred to Nikolaev to the position of a clerk, and this is a position that combines the duties of a head of household and a security guard, but only like a chief.
Mikhail was really happy to learn about such achievements of his classmate. Well, when he told about himself that he was a secret adviser, that he had a high rank, he hoped for the same reaction. But Thin learned that before him stands a person of higher status than himself. He immediately forgot about childhood, about nicknames, and indeed, that his childhood friend stands here first of all. Shriveled, hunched over, the thin family immediately remembered the rules of etiquette, how to be welcomed. In general, Porfiry began to humiliate himself in front of Tolstoy, which the second one terribly did not like. Fatty tried to object to this veneration, but the thin family began to giggle at this. Mikhail decided not to react to this, but simply left, shaking his hand in farewell. And the Porfiry family did not understand that people should be treated as they should be, if you met a friend, whoever he is - this is a friend, you are more connected than those who are next to him now.

"Thick and thin" Chekhov retelling will convey only a figurative understanding of the story, it is better to read it in full. A story about two school friends who meet at the train station - thick and thin. Thin married, lives not very richly. Tolstoy rose to high ranks. Precisely such an abyss between them does not allow to speak sincerely.

"Thick and thin" retelling

At the station of the Nikolaev railway, two school friends met: one fat, the other thin. Fatty gave the impression of a man who succeeded in life, while Thin, on the contrary, looked much more modest. He had just got out of the carriage, carrying a lot of cardboard boxes in his hands, a thin woman, his wife, and a tall schoolboy, his son, were peeking out from behind him. The meeting was stormy and joyful - "they kissed each other three times and fixed their eyes full of tears on each other."

Porfiry (Thin) introduced Tolstoy to his family - his wife Louise and son Nathanael. School comrades with delight and laughter recalled the years of study at the gymnasium. Gradually the conversation turned to business matters. Thin said that he had been working as a collegiate assessor for two years already, but since he received a very small salary, he had to earn extra money by making cigarette cases and music lessons. Tolstoy said that he had risen to the rank of Privy Councilor and had two stars.

As soon as Porfiry realized that the high authorities were in front of him, he immediately changed in his face - “he turned pale, turned to stone, but soon his face twisted in all directions with the widest smile.” He smiled obsequiously and began to address his old friend "Your Excellency." The fat one tried to stop the thin one, but the familiar, friendly tone was already forgotten. Despite being childhood friends, Thin continued to grovel. The Privy Councilor began to get annoyed by such behavior and, annoyed, left.

The work "Thick and Thin" was written in 1883 and is attributed to early work writer. Despite the small size of the story, everything is perfectly combined and presented in it. critical realism is hallmark story, the author managed to combine everything in the best manner. The theme of the story can be considered a meeting of two friends who were previously classmates, one of them is fat, the other is thin. At the beginning of the story there is a description of the characters and the place where they are located.

Read the summary of Chekhov's story Thick and Thin

The work begins, the author brings together two old friends, they crossed on Nikolaevskaya railway. The description of the first comrade, referred to as "fat" begins with a description, he had recently eaten and there was still butter on his lips, he smelled of sherry and orange blossom.

His friend is the complete opposite. appearance, he was "thin" and literally just arrived and got off the train, he had a lot of suitcases, he smelled of freshly eaten ham and coffee. He did not come alone, but with his wife and son, the author also focuses on them, the woman was thin and with a long chin, the son also had a thin physique and studied at the gymnasium.

Misha, that was the name of the "fat" was the first to see an old friend and pounced on him full of joy. Porfiry was stunned by this meeting, they were both full of tears and joy of the meeting.

Porfiry communicates with the fat man, says that such a handsome man remained, as he was before. He asks if he is rich or married. Without waiting for an answer, the thin one boasts of his wife, praises her and her son as best he can, and introduces them to Mikhail, introducing him as a friend from the gymnasium. The thin one went on and on talking, he recalled the times of his studies, how they called the fat one Herostratus, and how he was Ephialtes. From time to time he again remembers his wife and praises her.

Then the fat man asks how his friend lives, how he does what he does, whether he serves, how he earns. Thin serves as a collegiate assessor, complains about his title, but what can you do, his wife gives music lessons, and they live like that, has a thin part-time job, makes cigarette cases and sells for a ruble apiece. Tolstoy, having listened, says that he has already risen to two stars.

To this, the thin one reacted quite sharply with his family, the author describes how his face twisted, how he cringed. Up to this point, Porfiry's conversation with Mikhail had proceeded calmly and without tension. But after he learned about the achievements of the Tolstoy, he immediately changed not only in his face, but also in conversation, he began to address Misha as you, as a boss. This attitude became disgusting to the fat one, because he was actually interested in the life of a comrade, so after the thin one began to behave in a very strange way, Mikhail shook his hand in farewell and left.

The story teaches and shows how not to be. Of course, all the heights that you have achieved are good, but it's not right to brag. How does Porfiry behave when meeting a friend? At first he rejoices and immediately begins to brag, the reader immediately notices this boasting, then how fixated he is on himself and his "wonderful" family, Mikhail, in turn, carefully listened to his friend, and told his story without any hints or attempts to humiliate his friend with his achievements. He simply answered the thin one's question and told how he lives.

Picture or drawing Thick and thin

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