Khor and Kalinich who like it more. Composition on the topic: Comparative characteristics of Khor and Kalinich in the story Khor and Kalinich, Turgenev

In the story "Khor and Kalinich" Turgenev depicts two opposite types of peasants, more often than others encountered in life.

Khor is a smart and practical person; he knows how to get along in life. Khor realized that the farther from the master, the better; so he begged for permission to settle in the forest in the swamp. Here he began to trade "butter and tar" and became rich. However, Khor did not want to pay off the master because, in his opinion, it is more profitable to live for the master: “you will end up in completely free people, then who lives without a beard (that is, every official).

Khory's practicality is also evident from the fact that he does not teach his sons to read and write, although he is aware of its usefulness. He knows that the literate will immediately be taken to the manor's court, and then his friendly family will be upset. Like all men, Khor looks at women with contempt. “Women are stupid people,” he says: why touch them? They do such nonsense. Don't get your hands dirty."

The ferret also does not pay attention to the cleanliness and tidiness in the house. But these minor flaws do not obscure the majestic, respectable figure of Khorya. In his diligence, economic knowledge and experience, he is much higher than his master. The conclusion directly follows from the story that such a person should not be deprived of liberty, and meanwhile, in the days of serfdom, the landowner could easily ruin his economy, insult, humiliate and even sell to another landowner.

Kalinich, according to Turgenev, is an "idealist-romantic". He has an enthusiastic, dreamy character and therefore does not like to do housework. He turned all his attention to the study of nature. He knows how to speak blood, fear, rage, can expel worms from wounds; his bees do not die, "the hand is light." Kalinich has a kind, tender heart. He treats all people with love, takes care of his master, the landowner Polutykin, like a child.

“Don’t touch him with me” (i.e., don’t condemn), he says about his master to his friend Khorya. “But why doesn’t he sew boots for you?” Khor objected. — “Eka, boots! What do I need boots for? I'm a man," Kalinich answers. But Polutykin did not in the least appreciate Kalinych's enthusiastic, disinterested affection for him, and to the author's question, what was his opinion of Kalinych, Polutykin coldly replied: “an assiduous and obliging peasant; the economy in good order, however, cannot support it: I delay everything. Every day he goes hunting with me ... What kind of economy is there, judge for yourself. Thus, Polutykin valued the peasants insofar as they were engaged in farming and gave the master more income.

In the person of Kalinich, Turgenev portrayed that side of the nature of the Russian person, thanks to which, in the past, types of obedient and devoted uncles and nannies were developed. In the old days, the origin of these types was explained by the condescending attitude of the landowners towards the serfs, but Turgenev clearly shows us that these types are the product of the humane, loving nature of the common people.

In January 1847, in the journal Sovremennik, an essay from the folk life "Khor and Kalinich" was published, which, unexpectedly for the author and some members of the editorial board, was a great success with readers. In two peasant characters he presented the main forces of the nation. The practical Khor and the poetic Kalinich are serfs, dependent people, but slavery did not turn them into slaves; spiritually they are richer and freer than the miserable half-tykins. Inspired by success, Turgenev writes other stories. Following "Khorem and Kalinich" they are published in "Sovremennik". And in 1852, "" was first published as a separate edition.

In this book, Ivan Sergeevich acted as a mature master of the folk story, here a kind of anti-serfdom pathos of the book was defined, which consisted in depicting strong, courageous and bright folk individuals, whose existence turned serfdom into a disgrace and humiliation of Russia, into a social phenomenon incompatible with the moral dignity of the Russian person.
Turgenev's narrator plays an important role as the unifying beginning of the book. He is a hunter, and hunting passion, according to Turgenev, is generally characteristic of a Russian person; “Give a peasant a gun, even if tied with ropes, and a handful of gunpowder, and he will go wandering ... through the swamps and through the forests, from morning to evening.” On this common basis for the master and the peasant, the special, open nature of the relationship between the narrator and people from the people is tied up in Turgenev's book.

Narration from the perspective of a hunter frees Turgenev from a one-sided, professional view of the world. The book retains the unintended simplicity of spoken language. The author's creative efforts in it remain imperceptible, the illusion arises that it is life itself that shows us vivid folk characters, amazing pictures of nature.

In two peasant characters, Turgenev presented the fundamental forces of the nation, which determine its viability, the prospects for their further growth and development. But further growth and formation is impossible if serfdom exists, which adversely affects not only the peasants, but also the nobles. Turgenev shows that this is a national evil. This problem is raised not only in Chora and Kalinich, but also in all other stories.

Chorus is one of the main characters of the story. He is a positive, practical, administrative head, rationalist. Having settled in the swamp, Khor managed to get rich. He settled down, "saved some money", got along with the master and other authorities, spawned a large family, submissive and unanimous Khor spoke little, chuckled to himself, he saw through his master. Khor stood closer to people, to society, he was occupied with administrative and state issues. His knowledge was quite, in its own way, extensive, but he could not read. Hor could not live without work, he was constantly doing something: he repaired the cart, then he propped up the fence, then he reviewed the harness. He lived in the estate, which towered in the middle of the forest, in a cleared and developed clearing. This is how Khor appears before us.

Kalinich is also the main character of the story, but he does not at all resemble his friend Khory. Kalinich belonged to the number of idealists, romantics, enthusiastic and dreamy people. He walked around in bast shoes and managed somehow. He once had a wife, whom he was afraid of, but had no children: Kalinich, unlike Khor, was in awe of his master, explained himself with fervor, "although he did not sing like a nightingale, like a lively factory man." Kalinich was endowed with such advantages that Khor himself recognized: “he spoke blood, fear, rabies, driving out worms; bees were given to him, his hand was light. Kalinich stood closer to nature, he was more touched by the description of mountains, waterfalls than by administrative and state issues. He lived in a low hut and could not maintain a household. He could read, sang well, and played the balalaika.

Only the music was liked by both Khory and Kalinich, it united them. Khor was very fond of the song “Share, you are mine, share!” and Kalinich knew this well. As soon as he begins to play, Khor begins to pull up in a plaintive voice. Here, for the first time, the theme of the musical talent of the Russian people makes itself known. This is how Kalinich appears before us.

The story "Khor and Kalinich" in the cycle "Notes of a Hunter" reveals the inner strength of a Russian person, the prospects for his further growth and development, reveals their talent, talent, their high spiritual qualities. Turgenev leads the reader to the idea that all “living Russia, not only peasant, but also noble, should take part in the fight against the national enemy.

Average rating: 3.9

Khor and Kalinich is the first story in the Hunter's Notes series. I.S. Tugrenev in this story gives a description of the customs, life, people and way of life of one of the provincial corners of Russia. In this story, I.S. Turgenev refutes the prevailing opinion about the peasants that they are not capable of friendship, cannot rationally manage their household, do not notice the beauty of the world around them. The author uses a method of comparison well known in the literature. Tender friendship connects two completely different people - Khory and Kalinich.
The first, Khor, is a strong master, he knows how to set things up in such a way that it brings joy and profit. He has a large family, where harmony and prosperity reign. Turgenev compares his hero with Socrates, with Peter the Great, emphasizing the remarkable mind and amazing ingenuity of the peasant: "Peter the Great was predominantly a Russian person, Russian precisely in his transformations." Khor is a person who feels his dignity, a rationalist. He is closer to people, to society.
Kalinich, the second character, is completely different. He is a dreamer, a poetic nature, a man of a cheerful disposition. He is closer to nature, often goes hunting with his master. An idealist and romantic, Kalinich does not like to reason and believes everything blindly.
So different, friends harmoniously complement each other. There are no conflicts between them, they respect the views and principles of each other. I. S. Turgenev observes their meeting: “Kalinych entered the hut with a bunch of wild strawberries in his hands, which he had picked for his friend, Khorya. The old man greeted him cordially. Independence, desire for freedom, softness and poetry of Kalinych complement and continue the pragmatism, rationality and settled way of life of Khory. The song that they sing together at the end of the story reveals the souls of ordinary peasants, something that binds them tightly to each other. Khor and Kalinich are the embodiment of the wealth of the soul, the giftedness of Russia, the hope for the future.

“Khor and Kalinich”, like the entire cycle of “Notes of a Hunter” by Turgenev, is a hymn to the Russian people, a deep study of the people's soul. Conventionally, in this review we will divide the essay into compositional and semantic parts, the first of which plays the role of exposition. This is a reflection on the "difference between the breed of people" in two Russian provinces, Oryol and Kaluga, supplemented by an accurate description of the life of ordinary people, their occupations and external differences. On a small segment of the text, the author manages to capture nature and landscape with a few strokes, while noticing what kind of game attracts an avid hunter here.

From a general judgment, Turgenev proceeds to particular manifestations of the “breed”, but before the reader appears the Russian master - “the small landowner Polutykin”. The author's interest in him is by no means accidental: this gentleman evokes a sincere disposition, but does not possess the qualities that attract a researcher of human souls, which means that by involuntarily comparing a minor hero with central characters, the reader will understand the main, most important thoughts embodied in the story.

There is no naturalness and immediacy in the landowner, which the author does not speak directly about, but gives examples that clearly express the narrator's ironic attitude towards him.

If the master strives for pretentiousness and originality in everything, then his serf peasant Khor, on the contrary, tries to be closer to nature. The peasant's estate is located in the middle of the forest, in the house "not a single Suzdal picture" spoils the pristine charm of the log walls; guests here are treated to simple and hearty food. All the sons of Khor - "young giants" - resemble heroes from Russian epics. The reader will first learn about the owner of the forest towers from Polutykin. “He is a smart man,” says the landowner, and this characteristic is one of the keys to the image of Khor. Natural mind, master's acumen, ingenuity, ability to understand people - all these character traits attract the narrator.

At first glance, it seems that Kalinich - another serf of Polutykin - is nothing like the prosperous and prosperous Khor. Even outwardly Kalinich differs from his friend. The way of life of these people is different, their occupations, manner of behavior are different. One is a rationalist, pragmatist, materialist, the other is an enthusiastic romantic, idealist. Khor finds mutual understanding with both the master and “other authorities”, lives in abundance; Kalinich, on the contrary, reveres the master, walks in bast shoes, is content with little. The first, as the author notes, is "closer to society", while the other is closer to nature.

The clever and insightful Khor kindly teases his friend, reproaching him for his blind obedience to the master, for his lack of practicality, but he never puts himself above Kalinich. The narrator also draws attention to the fact that Khor is contemptuous of women, and Kalinich used to have a wife, "whom he was afraid of." This kind man cannot offend even the most defenseless creature, therefore bees and horses are obedient to him, and he knows the secrets of forest strawberry glades. Probably, Khor felt that, communicating with him, he himself was approaching the natural world.

Their friendship is based on a deep inner relationship and mutual sympathy. They complement each other so harmoniously that their inseparable and indestructible bond arises.

The most heartfelt episode of the essay is singing to the balalaika. It is here that the spiritual unity of the two men manifests itself most fully and vividly. The lively and open soul of a Russian person is receptive to music, the unpretentious words of a folk song make not only the romantic Kalinich, but also the rationalist Khorya “compassionate”. And it becomes clear to the reader: all their differences are caused only by the manifestation of human individuality, and they are brought together by the “Russian spirit” that they have absorbed from the earth itself, from the natural environment in which they live. Such different people are two facets of the national character, complex, but integral, mysterious, unique and original ...

In the composition of the essay, a specific chronotope is of great importance. It is important for the author to build the narrative in such a way that, without interrupting the action, take the reader into the world of the Russian village, make miniature, but very expressive landscape sketches.

It is one of the most famous works of the author, included in the cycle of his stories "Notes of a Hunter". There are at least two reasons for this. Firstly, it was from this story, published in 1847 in the journal Sovremennik, that the cycle began. The story was placed among the advertisements for the sale of various household items, in the “Mixture” section, and according to the first lines, it fully corresponded to the practical orientation of this part of the magazine.

The author compared the features of the development of the economy of the peasants of the Oryol and Kaluga provinces. But more important was the perception of this way of life and the peasants by the author. His inquisitive and observant mind, manifested in every line, sympathy for the common man, the behavior of the characters, their manners, speech, habits, outlook on life - everything was perceived by the reader of those years as something new, valuable, progressive. And this is the second and main reason why the story "Khor and Kalinich" has become the calling card of the entire cycle of the writer's stories. There is a lot of insight in this story.

The author informs us that, according to his observations, the standard of living of the Kaluga peasant is much higher than that of the Orel one. As an example, he tells the story of Mr. Polutykin's Zhizdra peasants - Khory and Kalinich. He considers them both individually, as he gets to know them, and in comparison. These men have long been friends with each other, but at the same time they are completely different in character and their hobbies.

Khor is a quitrent peasant who managed to separate himself with his household from the rest of the peasant household and get rich. He deliberately does not want to redeem his freedom and regularly pays a considerable amount of dues to the master once a year. When asked by the narrator why he does not give up such dependence, he answers evasively. He looks at the interlocutor carefully, sometimes laughs off, but he himself asks many questions about the life of the master. The narrator concludes that in front of him is a man of his own mind. Outwardly, Khor is a powerful, round-headed man, like Socrates.

Kalinich pays much more attention than Khor to their common landowner Polutykin, helping him on the hunt to the detriment of his own business affairs. And despite the fact that he keeps his apiary clean and tidy, he has very little time left for other things. Yes, and in the external appearance of Kalinych, the lack of personal ambitions is reflected. He has bast shoes on his feet all year round, and even on holidays, unlike Khor, he does not wear boots. At the same time, it is its simplicity that appeals to the hunter. He sees in Kalincha a good-natured lyricist who has a good feeling and understands both people and the surrounding nature.

When a conversation starts between the narrator and the characters about who lives by what and what he has seen in his lifetime, Kalinich is interested in precisely those details in the hunter's story that are connected with nature, architecture and the customs of people from other countries. But Khor is interested in purely practical issues of the everyday life of society and the state system. There is another difference. Chorus is illiterate. He has many children, but only one of them can read. Kalinich is single and has no children. But knowledge of literacy helps him to better understand some things in life and expands his horizons.

The plot of the work is built around the narrator's communication mainly with the three heroes of the story - Khorem, Kalinich and Mr. Polutykin. Involuntarily comparing these characters, you come to the conclusion that simple peasants are much closer to nature and natural, uncontrived questions of life than their master. Polutykin, although he is, according to the author, an excellent person, still often behaves oddly: he begins to go after rich young ladies from the neighborhood, and having failed, he complains about his "trouble" to all neighbors. That loads the parents of failed brides with sour peaches. Everywhere and everywhere he tells the same absolutely not funny anecdote. And he forces his cook to change the natural taste of traditional dishes. In a word, an idle life spoils his nature.

The work ends with a description of the hunter's touching farewell to his new peasant friends. The ending is pretty concise. It is outlined with several strokes, detailing the image of the most charming hero of Kalinich's story. The narrator, looking at the sky, portends that the weather will be fine tomorrow, and Kalinich, who is well acquainted with folk signs, objects to him. He says that the ducks are splashing and the grass smells very strongly, therefore, do not expect clear weather. And yet he looks at the evening dawn for a long time and with visible pleasure.

In the story there is a share of romanticization of the peasants. But still, the work can be called realistic. It is a harbinger of future creations of Russian writers about everyday life, concerns and problems of the common people.

  • "Khor and Kalinich", a summary of Turgenev's story
  • "Fathers and Sons", a summary of the chapters of Turgenev's novel