Mental degradation of a person. The path of spiritual degradation of the main character of the story by A.P.

Composition

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov entered Russian literature at the very beginning of the 80s of the 19th century. This era was poor in major historical events and even began to be called “stagnant times.” Therefore, the writer’s work reflected both disappointment in the salvation and renewal of Russia, and a rethinking of the system of spiritual values. All of Chekhov's artistic activity is a call for spiritual liberation and emancipation of man. The voice of inner freedom, and not an attempt to find the truth, sounds in almost every one of his works. The writer writes simply and clearly, not at all like Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. This original feature was reflected not only in the language of stories and tales, but also in the plot of his works. In Chekhov, as a rule, they unfold calmly, smoothly and clearly. In his prose there is no external conflict between the heroes, an energetic and fierce struggle, or a fatal coincidence of circumstances. Chekhov's mastery is the art of large generalizations in a small form. He shows life not in full, like Goncharov or Turgenev, but in miniature, taking into account all the strokes and details. Humor, especially in depicting people's characters, is one of the leading features of Chekhov's style.
He ridicules stupidity, lack of culture, vulgarity, philistinism, careerism, sympathizes with “little people,” etc.
From the end of the 80s, the second period of A.P. Chekhov’s work began, marked by a significant deepening of the problematics of his works (themes such as the “case” life of the intelligentsia, problems of social significance, heroes who began to see the light and degenerated appeared). In these “serious episodes,” the humor that was present in the earlier works was preserved, but acquired different shades, connecting with new themes. Here the writer critically depicts public passivity, vulgarity, indifference, lack of social demands among the intelligentsia, etc. The heroes of most of these works belong to the middle social class. These are doctors, teachers, students, officials and less - landowners. But Chekhov is now more interested in the human qualities of the characters than in their social affiliation. The author does not focus much attention on the hero’s conflict with society, presenting him as part of this environment. Chekhov explored the inner world of man, the influence of everyday life and circumstances on the consciousness and psychology of the average person. It was during this period of creativity that such famous stories as “Anna on the Neck”, “Little Trilogy” (“Man in a Case”, “Gooseberry”, “About Love”), “Literature Teacher”, “A Boring Story”, “House” appeared. with a mezzanine”, “Lady with a Dog”, “Ward No. 6”, “Ionych” and many, many others.
Anya is the main character of the story “Anna on the Neck”. This is not at all an inactive person who does not care about anything. On the contrary, she actively participates in the life of society, enjoying the pleasures and entertainments of the world.
At the beginning of the story, this young girl marries a rich old man, Modest Alekseich, to help her needy and hungry brothers. This episode even evokes sympathy, because before us is a typical “unequal” marriage. Anya was exhausted, forced to “look after her drunken father, darn her brothers’ stockings and go to the market.” For the sake of her family, she is ready to do anything, even become the wife of the rude, vulgar and hated Modest Alekseich. But will her life change? With a stingy husband it is even more difficult for her than at home, where it was fun and she felt free. And it turned out to be impossible to help the family. Now Anya was rich: her husband gave her “rings, bracelets, brooches,” while recently she was ashamed of her “cheap hat and holes in her shoes, covered in ink.” And now the heroine appears for the first time in high society. This episode is the culminating, turning point in the structure of the story, in which two main parts can be distinguished: the marriage of the main character, life and secular society. At the ball, Anya transforms from a “downtrodden”, timid girl into a “proud and self-confident” lady: “And for the first time in her life she felt rich and free. Even the presence of her husband did not embarrass her...” Having liked her husband's boss, Anya acquired power over Modest Alekseich. She, who was so afraid even of the sound of his steps, now clearly says in his face: “Go away, you idiot!” Now she lives as she wants, in luxury, self-confidence and self-satisfaction appear in her. Yes, indeed, Anya laughs cheerfully, flirting with influential people, she got the better of her husband, but this victory was given to her at a very high price - at the cost of losing her own soul. This is clearly visible at the end of the story, when the heroine, while riding horses, does not notice her own father and brothers. The author completes the story with this scene. The process of spiritual degradation, according to the author, cannot be prevented. Anya was swallowed up by secular society, she lost the ability to sincerely feel and love. “Anna on the Neck” is the story of the impoverishment of the human soul, the loss of spiritual qualities, which are the main wealth of man.
What is important for Chekhov is the ability to stop, look back, interrupt a series of repeating events, and open oneself to the perception of the spiritual world. It is this ability that is the key to victory over vulgarity, but the heroine of the story did not understand this.
Let's consider the evolution of the character of the main character of the story “Ionych”, Dmitry Ionych Startsev. We can distinguish four stages in the life path of Doctor Startsev, in revealing the content of which Chekhov succinctly demonstrates the gradual impoverishment of the hero’s spirit, the weakening of his will, the strength of resistance, the loss of activity, and a living human reaction.
At the first stage, Dmitry Startsev is a young man who has just been appointed a zemstvo doctor and settled in Dyalizh, not far from the provincial town of S. He is a young man with ideals and a desire for something high. He is full of strength and energy (“... Having walked nine miles and then went to bed, he did not feel the slightest fatigue”), he is so passionate about work that even on holidays he does not have free time. He is interested in literature and art, he feels like a stranger among ordinary people. Doctor Startsev meets the Turkin family, “the most educated and talented” in the city. The way of their home suggests that even the life of the Turkin family is surprisingly monotonous (the same jokes, entertainment, activities), ordinary, typical.
And this is the best family in the city. And if the best people are like this, then what are the rest? Here Chekhov accurately notices the phenomenon of philistinism using the example of one family. This is the life the young doctor Startsev plunges into. He tries to fight her, is in love with Kitty, is full of hope, etc.
But at the second stage, Dmitry Ionych, having made an unsuccessful proposal to Kotik and received a refusal, no longer tries to resist the circumstances, he understands what a quagmire he is plunging into, but does not try to do anything; Thus, Startsev hides in a “case”, fenced off from the whole world.
He stops walking, suffers from shortness of breath, and likes to snack. Rides a pair of horses. He does not yet have close friends; ordinary people irritate him with their views on life less and less. The doctor’s main entertainment, which “he got involved in unnoticed, little by little,” was in the evenings taking white and green pieces of paper obtained from practice from his pockets.
Already at the third stage, Startsev moves away from the zemstvo hospital, his attention is absorbed by a large private practice. Now he is getting even fatter, suffering from shortness of breath even more: “He no longer rode out on a pair of horses, but on a troika with bells.”
Finally, at the fourth stage, Dmitry Startsev’s life is completely devastated and impoverished, he is infected with hoarding, he has an estate and two houses in the city, but he does not stop there, he recalls with pleasure the pieces of paper that he took out of his pockets in the evenings and sorted through them with reverence . Startsev worked all his life, but activity devoid of purpose turns out to be disastrous. And we see how, as a result of the loss of meaning and purpose in life, personality is destroyed. Gradually, Doctor Startsev turned into Ionych. The journey of life is now complete...
We can conclude that Startsev, understanding everything perfectly, did not try to change anything. Chekhov himself blames him for this.
Showing the evolution of Startsev from a young doctor, a lively and emotional person, to an obese, plump Ionych, who, in his troika with bells, seems not like a man, but a “pagan god,” A.P. Chekhov thus exposes the environment that influenced the main character the story has a pernicious effect, and himself.
Using the example of Doctor Startsev, the story shows the interaction of a weak and passive character with a spiritually impoverished society and the influence of this society on a person who is incapable of resistance and upholding positive principles in himself.
The ability to show the small in the big, the combination of humor with sarcasm are the main techniques through which Chekhov’s stories reveal vulgarity and philistinism that can ruin even smart, educated people...
In his works, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov appeals to readers not to succumb to the influence of the philistine environment, to resist circumstances, not to betray eternal ideals and love, to cherish the human in oneself.

Other works on this work

Option I

In 1898, Chekhov wrote a story, the essence of which was outlined in his notebooks. The notes record two motives: the immobility of provincial life and the coarsening of a person who is “overcome by greed.” The spiritual impoverishment of personality, its degradation, according to the author, lies in the fact that a person loses all his highly moral ideals and merges with the gray mass of society. The meaning of life is lost.

In the city of S. the atmosphere is conducive to a monotonous and hopeless life. In search of at least some entertainment, visitors wander to the home of the “educated and talented” Turkin family. Of course, after the moral fog that reigns on the streets of the city of S., this family will seem like just the last center of culture. But their life is surprisingly still monotonous and monotonous. The mother is a graphomaniac, the daughter is mediocrity, and the father practices his jokes in front of the mirror even before the guests arrive.

Chekhov gradually refutes the general opinion expressed at first about the Turkin family, which is considered “the most educated and talented” in the city of S. The young doctor who came to S. has his own high ideals, strives for beauty, and has kind and tender feelings for Kotik. But the first stage of the destructive influence of vulgarity on Startsev begins. It is noteworthy that Startsev does not resist all this. He is a conformist. He understands everything perfectly, but does nothing. This, according to Chekhov, is the main fault of the zemstvo doctor. As spiritual degradation progresses, the hero’s appearance changes: he becomes more and more plump, and shortness of breath appears. At first he went to the sick on foot, then he rode a couple of horses, and then a troika with bells. And now Startsev, suppressing his contempt for the townsfolk, sweeping away his disgust, folds up the pieces of paper obtained through medical practice, “which smelled of perfume, and vinegar, and incense,” to take to the bank. Startsev himself knows that he is “getting old, getting fat, declining,” but he has neither the desire nor the will to fight the philistine. The doctor’s name is now simply Ionych. The journey of life is completed.

It is difficult for an extraordinary person to survive in this gray world. Chekhov strictly evaluates his heroes, keenly sees the danger of delusions, but rejoices in the ability to preserve the remnant of feeling in his soul, even for a moment to rise to a poetic view of the world.

Option II

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov wrote about “what he saw and how he saw it... The dignity of his work is that it is understandable and relatable not only to every Russian, but to every person in general” (L.N. Tolstoy). In the foreground in his works is a person, his inner and outer world, his individuality, because “then a person will become better when you show what he is.”

Gray everyday life, filled with endless patients, at first does not irritate the young zemstvo doctor Dmitry Startsev, who settled in the city of S. He, like any local intellectual, considers it his duty to get acquainted with the Turkin family, which, according to city residents, is the most talented and extraordinary in S. The author paints this “talent” with small strokes. The flat witticisms of the head of the family, Ivan Petrovich, the mediocre acting of daughter Katerina and the far-fetched novels of her mother are understandable to Startsev, but still, after the hospital, the dirty men, it was pleasant and calm to sit in soft chairs and not think about anything. In the end, Startsev discovers that he is in love with the Turkins' daughter, who is called Kotik in the family circle.

Upon closer examination, it is discovered that Dmitry Startsev’s love for Katenka seems strange, half-hearted, and not entirely “real.” She did not come suddenly, but as a matter of course, and it is not entirely clear why Catherine is special for our hero. This love seems to be devoid of individualization. One gets the impression that Startsev simply felt the need to love. To love someone. His own thoughts can serve as proof of this: “... He wanted to scream that he wanted that he was waiting for love at all costs.” So, at a time when a “normal” lover would go crazy, completely abstract thoughts are spinning in Dmitry’s head: “Oh, there’s no need to gain weight!” or “And they must give a lot of dowry.” All this speaks, if not about his initial spiritual callousness, then about its prerequisites for further development. In the end, Ionych appears to the reader as an egoist, incapable of love at all. So, when he, an “ardent lover,” found out that the object of his adoration had left the city, he “calmed down and lived peacefully.”

Now he no longer has compassion for his neighbors as before, and allows himself to shout at the sick and hit with a stick. In the city they already call him Ionych at home, thereby accepting him into their midst. The process of Startsev’s spiritual dying is all the more painful because he is not fully aware of what a vile swamp he is plunging into, but does not try to fight. Complaining about the environment, he puts up with it. Even memories of love cannot awaken Startsev’s half-sleeping soul. He does not at all regret what was lost and is even partly glad that everything turned out this way: “It’s good that I didn’t get married then.” He does not feel sorry for his youth and unfulfilled hopes. Over time, Startsev’s physical laziness turned into laziness of feelings, laziness of sensations and desires for some kind of change. It was not for nothing that Chekhov gave his character the surname Startsev: this man showed congenital signs of old age - laziness, indifference, apathy. There is work, food, karst, some kind of respect from others. What else does? Love? For what? She causes so much unnecessary trouble.

One of the main themes of A.P. Chekhov’s work is the vulgarization of man by the environment, his withdrawal from real life into a “case”, complete death. One of the brightest works devoted to this topic is the story “Ionych”.

In five small chapters, the writer managed to reflect the colossal fall of man.

Almost the entire conscious life of the doctor Dmitry Ionych Startsev passes before us, from his arrival in the provincial town of S. to his “reign” in it. At the beginning of the story we see a very young man, full of hopes and dreams. He dreams of a happy personal future, fruitful professional activity, and an interesting and meaningful life. And at first he begins to act, making his dreams come true. So, not having time to arrive in S., Startsev immediately meets the “most interesting” family in the city - the Turkins.

Having read the description of these people, we understand that this “interesting family” is the most ordinary people, ordinary people who consider themselves intellectuals. But does the “smart and subtle” Startsev understand this? Listening to another graphomaniac novel by Vera Iosifovna about noble activities for the benefit of the common people, the hero understands that she “read about something that never happens in life.” But still, “it was pleasant, comfortable to listen, and such good, calm thoughts kept coming into my head - I didn’t want to get up.”

Already during this period of his life, Dmitry Ionych begins to succumb to the “temptation of philistinism” - how good it is not to strive anywhere, to do nothing, not to think about anything, but just to rest in warmth and comfort...

Chekhov is in no hurry to accuse his hero. He shows that Startsev, who spent the whole winter in the village, treating men and seeing nothing but this, was new and interested in communicating with noble people, being in a warm family atmosphere. Can the young man be blamed for this?

But gradually the hero more and more often begins to choose peace rather than the development of the soul. Even in love affairs, he puts his own peaceful state first. Thinking that he is in love with Kotik, even going on a date with her (to the cemetery!), Startsev remains in the “mainstream” of everyday life. This hero does not suffer from insomnia from love, does not search every minute for a meeting with his beloved. No! Everything happens somehow “gray and everyday” for him. Without waiting for Kotik, Startsev gets into the stroller with the thoughts “Oh, I shouldn’t get fat!”, and the next day he goes to propose to Ekaterina Ivanovna.

Although during this period of his life the soul of Dmitry Ionych had not yet faded away. In the cemetery, where he was alone with eternity, thoughts come to his mind about the shortness of life and the need to live it interestingly and meaningfully. The hero realized that he thirsted for love: “How, in essence, Mother Nature jokes badly about man, how offensive it is to realize this! Startsev thought so, and at the same time he wanted to shout that he wanted it, that he was waiting for love at all costs..."

However, what did this man do to fulfill his desire? Even sitting waiting for his beloved, the hero thinks about the dowry. The ideal of family life is pictured in his head. And we see that this ideal does not go beyond the most limited ideas: “In the city, so in the city. They’ll give me a dowry, we’ll set things up...” As writers of the early 20th century would say, the most typical petty-bourgeois dreams...

The cat refused the hero - she had grandiose plans for the future. After this refusal, Startsev experienced unpleasant emotions - his offended pride did not give him peace, ... but nothing more. The author writes that “for three days things fell out of hand for him, he did not eat, there was no decline, but when the rumor reached him that Ekaterina Ivanovna had gone to Moscow to enter the conservatory, he calmed down and began to live as before.”

Further, starting from the fourth chapter, we observe a very rapid degradation of the hero. Apparently, no more events occurred that could excite his soul. Or rather, it seems to me that the hero decided not to “let” them near him. For what? This is unnecessary mental pain and insomnia. It’s much easier to live like everyone else, thinking only about your stomach and wallet.

This is how Startsev exists, gradually turning into Ionych. Already four years after the matchmaking event, the hero “put on weight, grew fat and was reluctant to walk, as he suffered from shortness of breath.”

It is important that Chekhov places part of the blame for the degradation of Dmitry Ionych on his entourage. With the residents of the city of S. it was painless to either play cards, or talk about the harvest, or drink. These people had no other topics for conversation, no other vital interests: “And Startsev avoided conversations, but only had a snack and played vint...”

And even the second appearance of Kotik could not change the direction of Ionych’s life: “And now he liked her, liked her very much, but something was already missing in her, or something was superfluous - he himself could not say what exactly, but something was already preventing him from feeling as before.” And the hero was now even glad that he did not marry Ekaterina Ivanovna - that would have been “extra trouble.”

The ending of the story sums up the hero’s existence: “He is lonely. His life is boring, nothing interests him.” Outwardly, Ionych’s life is rich - he has a huge practice, many acquaintances, a lot of money. However, internally this person is dead. The “case” he put on himself completely absorbed this man, turning him into a walking mummy.

The title of the story fully reflects the degree of degradation of the hero - from a young promising doctor Dmitry Ionovich Startsev, he turned into an ordinary money-grubber Ionych, having lost the respect of not only the people around him, but also his own. What could be worse than this?

(based on the story “Ionych” by A.P. Chekhov)
The temple is still doing a little work.
But my hands fell
And in a flock, diagonally
Smells and sounds go away.
B. Akhmadulina

Chekhov tends to show heroes as already formed people, without saying anything about their past - about the ways and difficulties of formation and development. But just as one can judge its age and living conditions by looking at the cut of an adult tree, so one can see his past in a person.

Doctor Startsev is hardworking, smart, and full of hope. This means that in the past he thought a lot, worked, communicated with smart and kind people, graduated from a course at some higher educational institution, where many thoughts and ideas were in the air. The beginning of his work as a zemstvo doctor is promising: he is passionate about his work, works hard and willingly, he is healthy mentally and physically, he is happy with the knowledge of this health. But he's young. And this energy is the fruit of youth. Who among the people was not happy in his youth at least for a moment, who did not laugh while falling asleep! This is not merit or dignity - it is a pattern. A new age is always a reassessment of values. Unfortunately, only a few are given the opportunity to preserve its gifts after the passing of youth. And the most priceless of them is interest in life. And those people who are able to live fully until the end of their days are divided, in my opinion, into two categories.

Some are those in whom a certain unquenchable torch is lit. In any conditions - whether in society or alone - they will always relentlessly strive for something, look for something. Others need to constantly draw strength from someone; in solitude, their supply is depleted, the fire goes out. Startsev belongs to the latter. He still lives, still acts, but subconsciously feels the depletion of his supply. And that’s why he’s looking for support. Chekhov subtly shows the unconsciousness of this attraction. Startsev “somehow came by itself... the invitation came to mind.” Later, he will consider Kotik’s offer to visit the cemetery at night stupid and unconditionally decide not to go. And in the evening he “suddenly took it and went to the cemetery.” This apparent suddenness is prepared internally. A visit to the cemetery is Startsev’s last impulse towards another person, the last flash of his soul. If Kotik had come, Startsev’s reserve would have been replenished for a while, but she’s not there - “they lowered the curtain,” the fire went out, “suddenly everything went dark all around.” One phrase explains the entire instant revolution in Startsev’s soul. He will live for a long time, but here, at the gates of the cemetery, is the beginning of his agony.

And the next day, Startsev, by inertia, goes to propose, sees the same Turkins, hears the same “goodbye, please,” but he himself is no longer the same - and the scenery changed in the play (“When we change, the world changes”).

He knows that any disease can be treated at an early stage, otherwise it may be too late. That’s why he so carefully describes everything that aggravates the disease: the constant stupidity of the Turkins (the “foreignness” of the surname alone is worth it), and Ekaterina Ivanovna’s theatrical refusal.

Diagnosis: “Startsev’s heart has stopped beating restlessly.” This is the next stage of the death of the soul. Chekhov chose the most painful death for his hero - gradual, slow and inevitable. Here comes Kitty. It would seem that salvation is possible. But it’s too late, the disease is progressing, and medicine is no longer effective. What could be more terrible than the fate of a patient who knows that he is doomed? And Startsev knows: “How are we doing here? “No way,” he tells Kotik. True, Kitty revives him for a moment. “He remembered everything that happened. A fire began to ignite in my soul.” But this is the “recovery” of a consumptive patient before death. He immediately remembered the symptoms of the disease - “about the pieces of paper that he took out of his pockets with such pleasure in the evenings, and the light in his soul went out.”

And how insignificant, petty, disgusting
a man could come down!
N.V. Gogol

These words by N.V. Gogol brings together the eternal problems of literature of the 19th century, its innermost dream of a “living” soul, of a moral and spiritual person.

Exercise

Retell the content of the story “Ionych”.

Answer

Dmitry Ionovich Startsev, the hero of the story “Ionych,” was appointed as a doctor at the zemstvo hospital in Dyalizh, not far from the provincial town of S. He is a young man with ideals and a desire for something high. In S. he meets the Turkins family, “the most educated and talented” in the city.

Ivan Petrovich Turkin played in amateur performances, showed tricks, made jokes, Vera Iosifovna wrote novels and stories for herself and read them to guests. Their daughter, Ekaterina Ivanovna, a young pretty girl, whose family name is Kotik, played the piano.

When Dmitry Ivanovich first visited the Turkins, he was fascinated. He fell in love with Catherine. This feeling turned out to be “the only joy and... the last” during his entire life in Dyalizh. For the sake of his love, he is ready, it would seem, to do a lot. But when Kotik refused him, imagining herself to be a brilliant pianist, and left the city, he suffered for only three days. And then everything went as before. Remembering his courtship and lofty reasoning, he only lazily said: “How much trouble, however!” etc.

The story has 4 parts. These are 4 stages of the life path of Dmitry Ionovich Startsev, 4 steps of the ladder leading down.

Chekhov shows the degradation of Ionych's soul through subtext, through artistic details and intonations.

conclusions

Dmitry Startsev is collapsing both socially and personally. Startsev is an intelligent person, but in the city of S. the standard of intelligence is the Turkins. At the beginning of the story, Startsev sees the mediocrity of both mother and daughter. He is offended by the flat jokes of the owner of the house. Startsev is a pleasant person, but the money he earns becomes the only ideal of his life. This led to the fact that “greed took over.” Startsev loses the ideals of his youth and does not know how to preserve his love.

Reasons for Startsev's degradation

Questions and tasks

1. How does Startsev feel about the surrounding society? Why does he, understanding the vulgar essence of this society, submit to it? How is this submission expressed? (Startsev is a good person, but he does not know how to feel deeply and complains about life.)

2. Who is to blame for the fact that Dmitry Ionovich Startsev became Ionych? Who is to blame for the fact that love did not take place? Could it have happened?

3. How does the scene in the cemetery reveal Startsev’s character traits? Why is nature shown so romantically here?

4. Prove that Startsev’s life story is consonant with the words of N.V. Gogol: “Human feelings, which were not deep in him anyway, became shallow every minute, and every day something was lost.” (At first, Startsev has only minor shortcomings of the soul: he loves shallowly, is not sensitive enough, complains about life, is irritable. But in the city of S. he comes to complete spiritual degradation, becomes one of the “dead souls.”)

From Chekhov's letter to Orlov: “For now these are students and female students - they are honest, good people, this is our hope, this is the future of Russia, but as soon as students and female students go out on the road on their own, become adults, our hope and the future of Russia turns into smoke, and they remain The filter contains only doctors-landowners, unfed officials, and thieving engineers.”.

Conclusion

“Ionych” is a warning story that it is very easy to lose yourself, your soul. Gogol also spoke about this: “Take with you on the journey, leaving the soft youthful years, stern, embittering courage, take with you all human movements, do not leave them on the road, you will not pick them up later.”

The story was written in 1898 and is associated with the problems of the development of capitalism and capitalist relations in Russia, when material interest becomes the main priority. A person as a person, a person’s self-worth become unnecessary and fade into the background. The problems of poverty and humiliating poverty are combined with the need to strive to accumulate money, which often gives rise to dependence on it and, as a consequence, leads to lack of spirituality, mental degradation and devastation. The story also raises questions of interaction between a person and his surrounding social environment.

Individual assignments for the next lesson

Messages about plays by A.P. Chekhov according to plan: brief retelling, conflict, features.
- "Seagull"
- "Three sisters"
- "Uncle Ivan"

Literature

1. D.N. Murin. Russian literature of the second half of the 19th century. Methodological recommendations in the form of lesson planning. Grade 10. M.: SMIO Press, 2002.

2. E.S. Rogover. Russian literature of the 19th century. M.: Saga; Forum, 2004.

3. Encyclopedia for children. T. 9. Russian literature. Part I. From epics and chronicles to the classics of the 19th century. M.: Avanta+, 1999.