Charles Dickens and his literary characters

Laughter in Dickens's works expresses not only the author's position in relation to his characters (which is quite an ordinary thing), but also his understanding of a person's personal position in the world. Humor is present in Dickens's novels as an expression of the author's reaction to what is happening. Unsuspecting characters constantly find themselves the butt of laughter. Describing the small, touching lives of his characters, the author, on the one hand, anchors them in it, and on the other, takes them to some other reality. Something more is revealed to us than the pastime and feelings of certain characters. Consider, for example, a small fragment from Bose's Sketches: “Here the old people loved to launch into long stories about what the Thames was like in times gone by, when the arms factory had not yet been built, and no one thought about Waterloo Bridge; Having finished the story, they meaningfully shook their heads for the edification of the young generation of coal miners crowding around them, and expressed doubt whether all this would end well; after which the tailor, taking the pipe out of his mouth, remarked that it is good if it is good, but only hardly, and if anything is wrong, then nothing can be done about it - which mysterious judgment, expressed in a prophetic tone, invariably met with the unanimous support of those present.”

In itself, this scene does not contain anything remarkable. It is illuminated and filled with meaning through the author’s gaze. By emphasizing the absolute lack of content of the conversation, he shows us how good these people are, living their simple, unpretentious lives. The mediocrity of these heroes is ridiculed, but in such a way that the author strives in every possible way to soften and elevate it. And if laughter, as a rule, reduces the object at which it is directed, then, having this gift, Dickens does not abuse it, as a result of which his characters become simultaneously defenseless - under the author’s revealing gaze, and protected - by his affection. But such a view carries a contradiction. If the understanding that a person should be loved with his weaknesses and shortcomings has Christian roots, then the constant identification and ridicule of these shortcomings is something completely different from Christianity and alien to it. The imperfection of the world, thus, ceases to be perceived as temporary, but, on the contrary, is legitimized. And in this sense, laughter conceals a feeling of hopelessness. The person who laughs organizes the space around him. He evaluates and measures the world. And, consequently, the center of the world is found in itself, and not outside it. But since, while fixing flaws, he cannot in any way influence their correction, the world under his gaze becomes non-existent, devoid of harmony and order. A similar picture is given to us by the choice of heroes who become objects of laughter. After all, if these are people who believe in the orderliness of the world and are looking for the lofty and beautiful, then it seems obvious to us that the author’s own worldview is something completely opposite. But if we say that Dickens’s view of the romantic aspirations and naivety of his heroes reveals skepticism, then we will not be entirely right, since in his novels we can find many examples of the trepidation and trust with which he himself tells us about some sentimental story.

All the hardships and experiences of the heroes resonate in his soul. But although misfortunes are present in abundance in the works of Dickens, they nevertheless remain at a certain distance in relation to the reality in which a person in his world must exist. It seems that this world does not accommodate misfortune and does not have the resources to comprehend it. Thus, Dickens's narrative of the tragic fates of certain characters can move us, bring tears to our eyes, and yet remain completely groundless. Giving food to feelings, it will not contain those meanings without which our life would be undermined at its ultimate foundations. Troubles and misfortunes, in this case, no longer become some unresolved and painful moments of our reality. The world is established in some order, and we have no real cause for concern. And in this case, a description of cruelty towards positive heroes, as well as the sacrifice and nobility of the latter, is necessary in order to reveal our sensitivity. Coming into contact with this kind of reality, Dickens is aware of its groundlessness and some imaginary nature. Which makes Dickens's gradual transition to ridiculing it quite understandable.

“Shall we talk about the complaints and lamentations that were heard after Miss Wardle saw that she was abandoned by the unfaithful Jingle? Should Mr. Pickwick's masterful depiction of this soul-rending scene be brought to light? Before us is his notebook, which is watered with tears caused by philanthropy and sympathy; one word - and it is in the hands of a typesetter. But no! Let's arm ourselves with resilience! Let us not torment the reader’s heart with images of such suffering!” There is irony in all these solemn expressions. The “unmarried aunt” herself, who has already reached fifty years of age and is trying in vain to get married, is a caricature character and can hardly cause us heartache, as the author fears. But still, openly ridiculing her turns out to be impossible. By showing us the imperfection of his heroes, Dickens always reveals his closeness to them and his desire to immediately justify them. It’s as if he can’t deny himself the pleasure of somehow joking with them, but at the same time he doesn’t stop stroking their heads.

But, despite the abundance of love and warmth that Dickens pours out on his heroes, his attitude towards them contains not only Christian motives. With all his attention to their destinies, he is always in a state of deep peace of mind, which, perhaps, humor serves to maintain. Laughter does not require any supernatural effort from a person. The person who laughs does not lose his temper towards another, but, on the contrary, becomes entrenched in something of his own. After all, if the ambiguity that can be traced in the hero’s worldview somehow related to issues that were unresolved for the author himself, then the story about this character could not be completely calm and dispassionate. This is, for example, Russian literature. Turning to Dostoevsky's work, we will see that the problems that concern his heroes are a direct expression of what the author himself is trying to explain to himself. He doesn't shy away from the despair his characters feel. This shows his trust in the fact that the center that orders the world is located outside of him. This is what allows him to descend into the abyss of despair without fear of consequences. The possibility of acquiring complete knowledge is not, in this case, some distant and sweet dream, as we find it in Dickens, as a result of which there is no need to artificially secure oneself in an unclear and disorderly world.

So, if Dostoevsky selflessly follows in the footsteps of his heroes, then Dickens, giving them complete freedom, does not allow anyone into his own world. Laughter somehow allows him not to reveal himself to the reader. Precisely due to the fact that the difficulties that Dickens's heroes encounter on their way are not the difficulties of the author himself, there is no single center to which they could be directed together. Both the author himself and his heroes feel the right to adhere to those views that, for whatever reason, they choose for themselves. Thus, the main thing here is the very fact of human existence, which is so ontologically fixed that it does not require any additional justification. Indeed, people living ordinary human lives, saying the most banal things, become no less attractive to us than those who are distinguished by intelligence, nobility and heroic deeds. “Here a tight circle surrounded two respectable persons who, having consumed a fair amount of bitter beer and gin during the morning, did not see eye to eye on some issues of private life and are just now preparing to resolve their dispute by assault, to the great encouragement of the other inhabitants of this and neighboring houses , divided into two camps based on sympathy for one side or the other.

Give it to her, Sarah, give it to her properly! - exclaims in encouragement the elderly lady, who apparently did not have enough time to complete her toilet. - Why are you standing on ceremony? If my husband had decided to treat her behind my back, I would have clawed her eyes out, the scoundrel!”

These heroes cannot cause contempt for themselves, although they are licentious beyond all measure, since the very space of humanity in all its manifestations in the world of Dickens is fundamental and deserves all respect. It is precisely this that is the basis on which the meeting of the author and his heroes, as well as the latter with each other, takes place. In the case when belief in the existence of true holiness and apophatic knowledge about God and man become impossible, the world seems to become denser and concentrated in itself. As a result of the fact that the basis of everything is found in the human world with all its imperfections and vices, something common and unshakable for everyone is revealed. But what appeared to us here as a single thing actually becomes a condition for the existence of the particular. After all, if the human is valuable in itself, then any owner of this nature turns out to be rooted in something genuine. And thus the author, who tells about people, encounters in them the same self-sufficiency that he himself possesses. They can no longer be helpless and demand constant participation.

If the center is in a person, then he, in a sense, is divine, and therefore, chaos cannot be detected in him - something unexpected, incomprehensible. Everything that Dickens finds in his heroes is already familiar to him and to us, and this is what causes laughter. Humanity seems to enjoy itself. Being turned to oneself, it does not become scarce. The laugher always rises above the objects of laughter, but still is not far from them. By pushing them away from himself, he, in a sense, needs them. But this reveals his desire not for another, but for himself. When the meaning of someone's words and actions becomes transparent to the observer, then the latter's talents are revealed. He just recognizes himself, but does not receive anything new from the person.

Let us turn to the work of the writer whom we already mentioned in the first chapter, namely Jane Austen’s novel “Pride and Prejudice”. Her heroes are distinguished by the same calm and even gaiety that we are already familiar with from Dickens’s novels: “Mr. Bennet’s expectations were completely confirmed. His cousin's stupidity fully justified his hopes. And, listening to the guest with a serious expression on his face, he had a lot of fun. Moreover, except for the rare occasions when he glanced at Elizabeth, he did not at all need a partner with whom he could share pleasure.

By the time of evening tea, the dose he had taken turned out to be so significant that Mr. Bennet was glad to send his cousin into the living room, asking him to read something to the ladies.”

The laugher exhausts for himself, in relation to which he shows his irony. He can't look at each of them endlessly. And, at the same time, it is as if he really becomes the only one, but this happens in such a way that he provides everyone with the opportunity to be so. By keeping his guesses about another person to himself, in reality he does not interfere in his life. This is impossible precisely due to the fact that the world, closed to the human, as mentioned above, should not contain arbitrariness, because carries within itself the attributes of the divine. And in the case of intentional interference in the life of another, arbitrariness arises because you cannot calculate your strengths and abilities in such a way as to know for sure that all your actions will benefit the person. This is possible only if the world is opened from the human to the divine. And the responsibility that the one who helps another then takes upon himself is correlated with a world full of harmony. The feeling of the latter is inaccessible to those who legitimize human nature in its untransformed state. If the world in which people participate in each other's lives is not limited to the human, the need for the distance that we see between them in Dickens's novels is removed. If it is present in their relationship, it is not ontologically fixed.

But, returning to Dickens, we can say that laughter in his novels carries an ontology. It helps the author build the world in such a way that in it both the detachment of the other and his presence become important for a person at the same time. Independence from others is maintained by continuous contact with them. Loneliness within this reality turns out to be impossible. By pushing away from himself everything that, it would seem, should not exist, the man of Dickens's world simultaneously consolidates it. Revealing, as already mentioned, his abilities through contact with the world, he begins to feel an internal necessity in the latter, which, however, is not dictated solely by the desire to connect with himself. This allows him to look into the world of another without ceasing to feel his own stability. But even this degree of openness allows us to see some kind of spaciousness in Dickens’s reality. People of the most diverse destinies and characters paint this world with unique shades, which, nevertheless, being locked in the author’s soul, continues to be imbued with the feeling of the impossibility of finally overcoming its fragmentation. An attempt to resolve the latter by turning to God encounters a constant feeling of unpreparedness for this step, which is reinforced by the fact that the human itself creates support in itself. And speaking about humor as one of the components of this support, we can turn to the German writer of the twentieth century - Hermann Hesse. In his novel Steppenwolf, the theme of laughter is repeatedly heard, which is directly related to immortality. Let's take, for example, an excerpt from a poem composed by the main character of the novel at the moment of some special insight. “Well, we live in the ether, / We live in the ice of the astral heights / We don’t know youth and old age, / We are deprived of age and gender. / We look at your fears, squabbles, talk, / At your earthly turmoil / As we look at the gyrations of the stars, / Our days are immeasurably long. / Only quietly shaking our heads / Let the lights look out at the roads, / In the cold of the cosmic winter / In the skies we breathe endlessly. / We are enveloped in complete cold, / Our eternal laughter is cold and the bell.”

Laughter in this case, being the focus of everything, holds and pushes away all things at the same time. The eternity that Hermann Hesse presents to us contains nothing of what we encounter in the world. She continuously denies everything that fills our lives. But the detachment itself cannot arise in isolation from the object to which it relates, as a result of which, in some way, it is closed on this object. All things are grasped in the state in which they are at a particular moment, deprived of the possibility of further development. But this fixation itself carries with it a feeling of triumph and completeness.

What is important for us in such sensations is that their occurrence is possible only as a result of a person losing his temper. Indeed, the expectation and achievement of completeness implies the existence of disparate units that it could include. Triumph is also characterized by overcoming some obstacle, and, therefore, must necessarily contain subjective and objective realities. Thus, we see that the point that acts in this case as a limit has its origins in the personal, human. Through an effort of will, the human recognizes the human, but since there is no appeal to revelation here, this outbreak itself carries within itself limitations. The event develops horizontally. A person learns something about himself and another, but this knowledge is of such a kind that, despite the fact that something that really exists at the moment is illuminated, the direction in which its change is possible remains closed. And if we can attribute such a movement from oneself to another with an inevitable return to oneself to both German and English culture, then here we will have to separate them. The very first thing that catches your eye is the absence in the Englishman’s worldview of that coldness that permeates the works of German authors. This can be explained by the fact that the German’s losing his temper turns out to be more strong-willed and uncompromising than that committed by the Englishman. The latter’s love for comfort and peace does not allow him to concentrate with his whole being on the object. Although representatives of both cultures convey ontology through laughter, as a kind of relationship between subject and object, the Englishman, nevertheless, does not bring this move to its semantic end. His path, touching the ultimate foundations, always runs into something purely human, which has no depth in itself. He inevitably discovers some kind of weakness in himself that prevents further searches. He is looking for support in what was already created before his intervention.

Charles Dickens and his literary characters

An illustration of this is the abundance of banal sayings in the works of the same Dickens, the meaninglessness of which the author, of course, is aware of. Smirking at them, he is not looking for something deeper and more convincing. And thus, his irony is on the verge of ultimate meaning and some simple human pleasure. The presence of the former prevents the latter from becoming completely empty and vulgar. The latter brings some kind of warmth as opposed to the German cold. This is perhaps explained by the fact that, allowing himself to be weak, the Englishman reveals the reality of love, thereby relying on Christian foundations. Confidence in one's own resources, which gives rise to irony, is coupled here with humility, which reveals itself in the fact that he can trust those truths that exist for him, regardless of his level of understanding.

Magazine "Nachalo" No. 15, 2006

Dickens Ch. Essays by Boz. Collected works in 30 volumes. M., 1957. T. 1. P. 120.

Posthumous notes of the Pickwick Club. Decree. ed. T. 2. P. 173.

Right there. T. 1. Essays by Bose, Madfog Notes. P. 126.

Osten D. Pride and Prejudice. Collected works in 3 volumes. M., 1988. T. 1. P. 432–433.

Back to folklore

Both humor and poetry are popular on social networks. Having united, these two phenomena reveal a craving for anonymity and post-folklore. Author's funny poems are significantly inferior in popularity to "pies", "powders", "depressives" and other manifestations of collective creativity.

Of course, for everyone

hanging on stage in the first act

chainsaw bucket and hedgehog

Stanislavsky is intrigued

afraid to go to the toilet

a very specific creator is hiding, but the mass audience is completely uninterested in his name. Network forms of humorous poetry are rooted in more ancient types of rhymed folklore - for example, ditties and sadushka poems, which became widespread in the 70s. Rigid genre boundaries (partly in the spirit of “hard” literary forms) do not clip the wings of fantasy, but give the text an openly playful character and deprive it of any depth.

The battle of humor and irony

Both the pie poems with their numerous variations and the humoresques from the public page “I See Rhymes” are undoubtedly fun and interesting, but still, calling them poetry can only be a stretch. In essence, they are just jokes, where the comic effect is enhanced by rhythm and rhyme. “High” literature approaches attempts to laugh with a fair amount of selectivity and skepticism. Among the classic poets there are not many names associated primarily with humor: Ivan Krylov, Sasha Cherny, Nikolai Oleinikov, Nikolai Glazkov... The rest were also no strangers to satire, parody or epigrams, but their funny heritage is inferior to more serious works. Osip Mandelstam, according to Irina Odoevtseva, generally wondered: why write funny poetry?

However, many modern poems do not experience such doubts. Igor Guberman, who celebrated his eightieth birthday two years ago, long before the advent of “pies” and even “sadushki”, created his own humorous genre - “gariki”. In these witty quatrains one can find political protest, deep philosophy, and ambiguous frivolity - everything is presented through the prism of Jewish humor, which simultaneously evokes a smile and anxiety:

I sinned so much in my prime,

I was walking like that then,

that even if there is no hell,

I'll get there.

Igor Guberman. Photo: ekburg.tv

The poet Sergei Satin, who heads the satire and humor section in Literaturnaya Gazeta, does not confine himself to one genre. He writes rubai, haiku, one-liners, “bad advice” and much more, demonstrating a wide range of comics - from soft irony to harsh satire. He reveals even an ordinary ditty from an unexpected side, turning it into poetic horror (“A passer-by walked through the cemetery, / He looked like a dead man, / And you won’t find anyone who doesn’t look like him / At night here.”), then to the chapter from “History of the Russian State” (“ From the Varangians to the Greeks / Our rivers allow. / Our land is abundant with water, / But roads are a whim").

Vladimir Vishnevsky was once considered a star of humorous poetry, but it is already clear that a significant part of his texts cannot stand the test of time. Although the author's bibliography includes dozens of weighty volumes, most of his impromptu words and puns sweep across the literary horizon like barely noticeable meteors. Only famous one-liners like “I was rejected, but what kind of ones!” showed relative vitality! or “Thank you for having me.” The main problem (if not the curse) of humorous poetry is its immediacy: what makes you smile today has every chance of being misunderstood tomorrow.

But Andrei Shcherbak-Zhukov is not afraid of the fleeting nature of the funny. He does not rely on specific temporal realities, giving preference to images of nature and internal states. There is a clear overlap with folklore - ditties and jokes, but it is carefully disguised by modern vocabulary, malicious wit and slight frivolity. The originality is added by a specific lyrical hero, whose worldview is clearly younger than his passport age, and the comic effect is caused by surprise, paradox, and unusual play on words:

What is the problem you and I have?

Someone misled us like children:

We were taught that life is a fight,

And she turned out to be... geel!

Andrey Shcherbak-Zhukov. Photo : np-nic.ru

Modern philologists draw a clear line between humorous and ironic poetry. The difference lies in the nuances: the first is based on harshness, hyperbolicity, burlesque, while the second is more prone to a bitter smile and laughter through tears. Humorous poems (and these include almost all of the above authors) are aimed at a mass audience and the stage. Ironists, on the other hand, are aimed at developing the genre possibilities of lyrics. The most successful poet in this field is Igor Irtenev. Despite their outward simplicity and entertainment, his poems, filled with bitter irony and florid quotation, create a special poetic cosmos, where many discoveries await the thoughtful reader: " Such times have come, / What my mind tells me: / “Comrade, believe the khan will come / And cover everyone with a copper basin".

Between fable and parody

According to philologists, the genre of literary parody is now going through hard times. It would seem that when a poetic boom covers the country, and the number of poets numbers tens of thousands of people, the parodist has somewhere to roam. Everything turns out to be much more complicated. Modern poetry is devoid of grandiose figures - authors whose poems would be known by heart by the widest possible audience. Without such names, a parodist has a hard time: if he appeals to a narrow circle of readers or only clings to the pearls of outright graphomaniacs, he will not achieve much success.

The unpopularity of the genre and other difficulties do not stop enthusiasts of their craft. Parodies of Yevgeny Minin, an author with excellent literary erudition, an extraordinary sense of humor and amazing skill as an imitator, often appear on the pages of thick magazines. But many of his works smack of excessive straightforwardness and uniformity. Another modern parodist, Alexey Berezin, does not always strive to adapt to the original source - some of his imitations become completely independent works, independent of the original. Just one dubious line “northern sky” results in his grandiose “Albert Camusical”, the main “trick” of which is neologisms formed from the names of famous writers:

La Rochefu is over. On the standalone road

I'll go beyond the horizon along a roundabout path...

Let me be a little unfinished gigolo,

Thinking about the past is painful and painful for me.

Finally, it is worth saying a little about modern fables. In Russian literature, this genre is tightly fused with the name of Ivan Krylov. The bar set by "The Crow and the Fox", "Quartet" and other masterpieces is high, but this does not mean that you should give up trying to overcome it. It is unknown whether the fables of the modern poet and actor Vladislav Malenko will remain in history, but he definitely succeeded in bringing a new perspective and fresh ideas to the genre. Behind-the-scenes intrigue in an animal theatre, love in the world of electrical appliances, or a surge of nationalism in a single forest - each idea is realized with an extraordinary plot, lively characters and unbroken morality. Paying tribute to tradition (still to the same Krylov), Malenko makes the fable genre move forward to relevant topics, modern vocabulary and infectious laughter. Laughter that brings pleasure and at the same time imperceptibly changes us for the better.

Vladislav Malenko. Photo: fadm.gov.ru

Do we ever wonder how the author of a satirical story, humorous story or feuilleton manages to evoke laughter or at least an ironic smile in the reader? “Well,” we will say, “that’s why he is a writer, this is the secret of his talent.” But every person must have the secret of a smart joke and laughter. Let's remember what an awkward feeling a person who doesn't understand jokes or makes rude, vulgar jokes causes in a company. And how good it is sometimes to amuse your comrades with a witticism, how necessary it is sometimes to ridicule a slacker, a liar, a sycophant with a sarcastic word!

We can and should learn to joke and make fun of what interferes in our lives. Of course, for this, first of all, you need to have a sense of humor, observation, and the ability to see shortcomings.

This is how Ozhegov’s Explanatory Dictionary interprets the meaning of funny:

Humor – 1. Understanding of the comic, the ability to see and show a funny, condescending - mocking attitude towards something. Sense of humor. Talk about something with humor. 2. In art: an image of something in a funny, comic form. Humor and satire. Humor section in a newspaper. 3. Mocking and playful speech. Subtle humor.

Satire – 1. A work of art that sharply and mercilessly exposes negative phenomena. 2. Accusatory, scourging ridicule.

Laughter – 1. Short characteristic vocal sounds expressing fun, joy, pleasure, as well as ridicule, gloating and other feelings. Laughter through tears (sad laughter). Roll with laughter (laugh). 2. Something funny, worthy of ridicule.

Joke – 1. Something that is said or done seriously, for the sake of entertainment, fun; words that are not trustworthy. 2. A short comic play. 3. Expression of disapproval, doubt, surprise.

Irony is a subtle, hidden mockery.

So, laughter can be cheerful, kind, and then we call it humorous. Humorous works include the well-known poems by S. V. Mikhalkov about Uncle Styopa. We laugh at how Uncle Styopa “was looking for the greatest shoes on the market”, “looking for trousers of the greatest width.” It’s funny to us, for example, when N.V. Gogol’s Taras Bulba begins to “fight with his fists” with his sons who have just returned home after a long separation, that is, at a moment that, according to our ideas, should be solemn and touching.

And sometimes there is evil, angry, satirical laughter. He calls people to protest, awakens contempt for a character or phenomenon. A satirical work always evokes in a thoughtful reader not only laughter, but also a sad feeling, because the satirical writer exposes phenomena that interfere with people's happiness. These are the fables of Krylov, the fairy tales of Saltykov-Shchedrin, the stories of Zoshchenko.

Some joke - some truth

Every joke, like the truth, has a difficult fate. Although the truth is respected, many do not like it. And everyone loves a joke, although they don’t have much respect for it. This is where love and respect come together, which humorous and satirical literature has long used. A joke is the darling of society and is carried on easily and naturally, but the truth is like an elephant in a china shop: wherever you turn, something flies everywhere. That's why she often appears accompanied by a joke.

It would seem like a fairy tale, a joke, but what truth lies behind it! For example, in the tales of Saltykov-Shchedrin, truth and joke exist, as it were, separately from each other: truth recedes into the background, into the subtext, and the joke remains a full-fledged mistress in the text.

This is mathematics: we write a joke, but the truth is in our minds.

And in the stories of the mature Chekhov, the joke dissolves in the truth and becomes almost unnoticeable. Let's try to laugh at the stories “Vanka” or “Toska”. If we succeed, it’s bad!

“Brevity is the sister of talent” (A. P. Chekhov.)

The peculiarity of a humorous story is that it is a small work, telling about one event with a small number of characters.

So, a humorous story should, first of all, be short and concise. These are the works and sketches of A.P. Chekhov. Let's try to find out what are the features of the style of early Chekhov - Antoshi Chekhonte, The Man Without a Spleen?.

At the time of Chekhov's creative debut, according to the conditions of humorous magazines, the story should not exceed one hundred lines. Fulfilling these requirements, Chekhov learned to write briefly. “Brevity is the sister of talent” is one of the writer’s favorite phrases. The short stories were very capacious in content. This was achieved by a bright title; meaningful first and last names; a plot that was based on an unusual situation or event; dynamic development of action; expressive detail; scenic dialogue; simple, clear speech of the author.

Let's remember the story "The Horse's Name". Why do we find it funny every time we listen to or read it? What makes a work funny?

Firstly, the plot is ridiculous: a whole family is busy searching for the “horse name” of an official who knows how to charm a toothache. Secondly, it’s funny because an educated person is so superstitious that he is ready to believe in conspiracies, that you can cure a tooth by telegraph. Thirdly, the ways in which the retired general is trying to calm the pain are ridiculous: vodka, cognac, tobacco soot, turpentine, iodine. Fourthly, ambiguous phrases: “Now he only feeds on his teeth”, “He lives not with his wife, but a German woman” and others - make you smile. Fifthly, the “horse” names themselves are funny: Zherebtsov, Zherebchikov, Loshadkin, Kobylin, Kobylitsyn, Kobylyatnikov, Kobylkin, Loshadevich And finally, the denouement of the story is funny: the simple surname Ovsov turned out to be “horse”. It’s also funny that efforts to find the name were in vain: “the doctor came and pulled out the bad tooth.” Chekhov's laughter is good-natured, cheerful, he achieved a good laugh through brevity and laconism of presentation.

An artistic detail that carries a huge semantic load

Chekhov is rightfully considered a master of short humorous works. In a small story, extensive, detailed descriptions and long monologues are impossible. That is why artistic detail comes to the fore in Chekhov's works. An artistic detail is one of the means of creating an artistic image, which helps to present the picture, object or character depicted by the author in a unique individuality. A detail can reproduce the appearance features, features of clothing, furnishings, nuances of the hero’s experiences or actions.

Let's consider the role of artistic detail in Chekhov's story "Chameleon". We are talking about how a police supervisor, considering the case of a puppy that bit a jewelry maker, changes his opinion several times about the outcome of the case. Moreover, his opinion directly depends on who owns the dog - a rich general or a poor man. Only after hearing the names of the characters can we imagine the heroes of the story. Policeman Ochumelov, Master Khryukin, policeman Eldyrin - the names correspond to the characters and appearance of the characters. The title "Chameleon" also conveys the main idea of ​​the story. Ochumelov’s opinion changes as quickly and often depending on circumstances, just as a chameleon lizard changes its skin color to suit natural conditions. It is thanks to Chekhov’s masterful use of artistic details in his works that the writer’s work is understandable and accessible to every person.

Chekhov's skill lies in the fact that he knew how to select material, saturate a small work with capacious content, and highlight an essential detail important for characterizing a character or object. Precise and succinct artistic detail, created by the creative imagination of the author, guides the imagination of the reader. Chekhov attached great importance to detail and believed that it “excites the reader’s independent critical thought,” which is why we still read the short and witty stories of this brilliant writer today.

A.P. Chekhov greatly valued a sense of humor and those who quickly caught a joke. “Yes, sir, this is the surest sign: a person doesn’t understand a joke - good luck! - the comedian used to say. From the memoirs of K.I. Chukovsky about Chekhov, we know that the comedian loved to work with people, but most of all he loved to have fun, be mischievous, and laugh with them. “The laughter was not at all causeless, because Chekhov was its cause.”

Pig under the oak tree

I. A. Krylov in his fables also talks about comic situations and comic characters, but the nature of laughter is different. Krylov's fables are allegorical: people and their actions are hidden under the masks of animals. The fable is written in free verse, it contains a moral - a short and clear conclusion from the lesson contained in it. Krylov’s fables reflected the experience, consciousness and moral ideals of our people, and the peculiarities of the national character. This was expressed not only in the original interpretation of traditional plots, but above all in the language in which the fables were written. In the language of Krylov's fables, living folk speech clearly manifested itself. Each class in his works has its own language: rude in the Wolf, submissive in the Lamb ("The Wolf and the Lamb"), boastful speech in the Hare ("Hare on the Hunt"), thoughtful reasoning of the stupid Rooster ("Rooster and the Seed of Pearls"), swaggering the Geese’s speech about their ancestors (“Geese”), the Pig’s stupidly self-satisfied speech (“Pig under the Oak”).

Krylov widely and freely introduced folk vocabulary into his fables: snout, man, manure, fool, beast, booby. What feeling does the hero of the familiar fable “The Pig Under the Oak” evoke in us, readers? By what means does the fabulist achieve rejection of the Pig, for example in this passage?

Pig under an ancient oak tree

I ate my fill of acorns, to my fullest,

Having eaten, I slept under it,

Then, having cleared her eyes, she stood up

And she began to undermine the roots of the oak tree with her snout.

Of course, you will say that the pig does not evoke any good feelings - it is gluttonous, nasty, stupid. The author achieved a similar effect by drawing the image of the Pig with the help of rude, colloquial words and expressions: he ate to his fill, his eyes were cut by his snout. The pig is shown in actions, the last of which is not only absurd and meaningless, but also harmful - “and began to undermine the roots of the oak tree.”

Let us recall another fable by Krylov, “The Donkey and the Nightingale.” By what means does the fabulist create the image of a stupid, narcissistic judge? Let's answer this question using an example passage:

The donkey saw the nightingale

And he says to him: “Listen, buddy!

You, they say, are a great master of singing:

I would really like

Judge for yourself, having heard your singing,

How great is your skill?

The choice of a donkey as a judge rather than another animal is in itself absurd: a donkey is a symbol of stupidity, stubbornness, and ignorance. In addition, the cry of this animal is the most anti-musical in nature, so you can immediately guess that it is impossible for a donkey to appreciate the song of a nightingale. The arrogance and narcissism of this character are shown in the manner of speaking: the familiar address “buddy”, the combination of incompatible words “great master” - give the whole combination a disdainful connotation. The colloquial language of the fable makes it possible to present it as a small comedy. The comedy of the situation is often complemented by the comedy of language.

Let's talk about some more features of Krylov's fables. An indispensable condition of a fable is that the action is emphasized by frequent verbal rhymes. Krylov’s rhyme carries a semantic load. In this regard, consider the fable “Two Barrels”. The beginning is already funny: “Two Barrels were traveling, one with wine, the other Empty.” Here the rhyme connects precisely those words that define the subject of consideration in the fable. The story presents us with a fantastic picture: two barrels are driving through the city by themselves, one smoothly, the other rushing and rattling. If we accept the conventionality of the situation, then everything looks quite natural: a column of dust, a passerby huddles to the side. But the second part of the fable directly speaks of people who “scream about their own affairs.” Then the moral is clearly formulated: “He who is deeds in truth, is often quiet in words.” And further: “Great man. He thinks his strong thoughts ∕ Without noise.” Returning to the beginning of the story, we comprehend it on a different level. Barrels turn out to be conventional objects denoting human qualities. But this allegorical statement contains an additional metaphorical element, which we realize after reading the entire fable. The metaphorical meaning of an empty barrel in this context is interpreted in relation to an empty person, a talker. The whole fable is built on similar comparisons.

So, the images of animals, which are sometimes depicted in Russian costumes in illustrations, carry a satirical typification of the features of the Russian national character. Krylov accurately expressed the people's belief in good and evil. And the people willingly accepted as their own dozens of Krylov’s humorous and satirical poems and “moral teachings,” including them in proverbs during the fabulist’s lifetime: “Ay, Moska! She knows that she is strong, That she barks at the elephant”, “At least they laugh at braggarts, but often they get shares in the division”, “They bark and leave”, “And Vaska listens and eats”, “I didn’t even notice the elephant”, “ A helpful fool is more dangerous than an enemy.” Even the names of fables became proverbs, for example: “Trishkin’s caftan,”

"Demyanov's ear", "Elephant and Moska".

Comic speech means

In addition to an interesting humorous plot and the character’s vivid speech, the writer needs to remember about the speech means of the comic. There are special words and expressions that add brightness and emotionality to speech, and serve as an expression of the author’s attitude towards what is being depicted. They are called speech means of comic or speech means of humor. Firstly, this is a monologue and dialogue. A monologue is an extended statement by one character. Dialogue is a conversation between two or more characters. It should be added to this that there is a so-called “internal monologue”, when the author seems to be talking to himself. For example: “This had to happen! Dunno had never found himself in such a situation. This was the first time." "Wow! Was I right?” Conversational speech is, first of all, oral, unprepared, free speech. This is how we talk to friends and parents. This is exactly what the heroes of humorous stories say. They do not “talk”, but “chat”, do not shout, but “yell”, and often make some speech errors. But the author needs to accurately reproduce this free, colloquial speech to create a comic effect, so that we “believe” him.

Secondly, it is imperative to name expressively colored words as a means of creating a humorous work - both a fable and a story. They make speech bright, interesting, and most importantly, spontaneous. Speech in this case, of course, is called expressive. These could be particles: Wow! Yah! Oh, what is this?; words and expressions: The cat jumped - and onto the closet; Try to get it out of the closet! What could we do!

Thirdly, brightness and imagery of speech are imparted not only by expressively colored words, but also by comparisons. Comparison is a technique based on comparing one phenomenon or object with another. When we play, we also compare our friends with someone or something. For example: “Petka puffs like a steam locomotive”; “The bow on Button’s head looked like a butterfly. It seemed like she was about to fly away,” “They, like donkeys, did not want to give way to each other.” And finally, this is hyperbolization as one of the speech means of the comic. Hyperbolization is “exaggeration,” that is, “exceeding the usual, habitual.” She often makes me smile: “I’m going to die of laughter” is an exaggeration. We often say: “Fear has big eyes.” The eyes of laughter are just as big.

Let’s turn to V. Dragunsky’s story “The Enchanted Letter” and try to determine what features of a humorous story the author implements in his work. This story can be called funny, since the boys’ misunderstanding of each other and everyone’s confidence in their own rightness makes you smile. The comic effect is created due to the fact that the guys pronounce the word shishki incorrectly. The kids are still small, and they don’t know how to pronounce all the letters correctly. This happens because each of them “does not hear himself from the outside” and considers his “pronunciation” to be correct.

Language and humor are so closely related

So, we are convinced that satirists and humorists have their own completely precise and specific speech means and techniques. Let's look at some of them. Let's compare the words warrior and warrior, soul and little soul. It is quite obvious that the suffixes -yak - and -onk - give these words a disdainful, mocking connotation, causing an ironic smile in relation to what they mean: Eh, you warrior! Or a petty, cowardly soul! Here are some more suffixes of this kind: - ishk - (little people, passions), - nya (squabbling, cooking), - shchin-a (assault), - il-a (thug, boss), - yag-a (hustler, dude ) and etc.

There are also prefixes that, under certain conditions, give an ironic or humorous tone to speech: raz - (racs -): beautiful (in A. Gaidar’s story “Chuk and Gek” the mother calls the troubled boys her beautiful sons), cheerful (too, excessively cheerful and therefore cheeky), for example: cheerful company, etc.; by -+ suffix – willow - (-ыва -): to pee, to read (jokingly - ironically about a frivolous attitude towards writing or reading), etc.; pre -: very much (for example, ironically: very grateful to you), etc.

A large group of words with an ironic or humorous connotation is formed by compounding. They are created in living folk speech: rotozey (onlooker or gaper), scoffer (mocker), penny-pincher (mean, petty person), windbag, chatterbox (chatterbox), etc. There are many such words in colloquial literary book speech: pompous (pompous ), low-grade (low quality), scribbler (prolific, but poor writer), sentimental (sentimental, overly sensitive), newly minted, newly minted (recently, just created, appeared), etc.

There are also lexical means. Let us recall the characterization of Igor from A. Rybakov’s story “The Adventures of Krosh”: “Igor works in an office, rubs shoulders with the authorities, likes to hang around among the elders.” Let's try to replace the highlighted words (colloquial and colloquial) with neutral, general literary ones: “Igor is often near his superiors, he likes to be among the elders.” As we can see, the dismissive, mocking tone of the characterization has disappeared. This means that irony is achieved in these phrases by the selection of colloquial and colloquial words that aptly characterize Igor as a sycophant looking for an easy life.

So, one of the means for imparting irony and humor to speech is accurate and figurative colloquial and colloquial words-synonyms of neutral words: instead of speaking, rant (to rant or express oneself in a pompous, pompous manner); instead of drawing - painting (about inept, mediocre drawing); instead of a picture - a daub (about a bad picture); instead of writing, scribble, scribble (screwed up a slander, scribbled verses, that is, bad poetry); place for a like-minded person - singing along (about someone who dutifully repeats other people’s words); instead of an assistant - an accomplice (usually in an unseemly matter, in a crime). Some words of this kind (for example, assistant) were originally taken from the vernacular (where posobit means “to help”), and then entered the general literary language, firmly establishing a negative connotation.

To give speech an ironic or humorous tone, archaisms are also used, most often from the Old Church Slavonic language. For example: instead of sitting, sitting; instead of wanting - deigning; instead of saying, he spoke; instead you are your mercy; instead of coming, appearing - welcome; instead of inventing - inventing; instead of through the fault of someone - by mercy.

For the same purpose, some words of foreign origin are used: opus (jokingly - ironically about an unsuccessful, poor-quality work), chimera (pipe, strange dream, unrealizable fantasy), sentiment (inappropriate, excessive sensitivity), maxim (ironically about thoughts with a claim to wisdom ), battle (jokingly about a fight, quarrel), fanfaron (braggart, boast).

To give a statement a touch of irony and ridicule, the figurative meaning of words and the technique of metaphorization are widely used. Thus, the location of the enemy is called a lair (in the literal sense, a lair is the dwelling of an animal); a group of criminal elements - a pack (cf.: pack of dogs); decomposed, antisocial elements - scum (in the literal sense - the remains of liquid at the bottom along with sediment); about someone who has become dissolute, has lost all restraint, they say he has become loose (literally, he has taken off his belt); about something that has reached the extreme limits of self-will, arbitrariness - unbridled (unbridled initially - free the horse from the bridle, then give full rein to something).

One of the most common subjects of irony and humor is the juxtaposition of disparate words, which reveal a discrepancy between form and content. This achieves a comic effect. Such ironic expressions as pearls of illiteracy, certified philosopher and others are based on such a comparison.

An important means of humor and irony is the use of phraseological expressions of a humorous and ironic nature in speech. Many of them are nothing more than frozen expressions constructed using the means listed above, as well as apt comparisons and hyperboles. Here are some humorous phraseological units: flies are dying, flies are dying (about unbearable boredom caused by something), a week without a year (very recently), on their own (that is, on foot), your money was crying (about a missing debt, wasted money) , not everyone is at home (out of their minds), the nose is not mature (too early to do anything), history is silent about this (something remains unknown, they prefer not to talk about something), etc. Phraseologisms of an ironic nature can attributed: in person (oneself, personally), from the height of one’s greatness (with excessive importance, with disdain for others), hide in the bushes (cowardly, evade something), filkin’s letter (illiterate or invalid document), calf delight (too violent delight), calf tenderness (excessive or inappropriate expression of tenderness).

Weapons of laughter M. M. Zoshchenko

M. M. Zoshchenko is a writer not only of a comic style, but also of comic situations. Not only his language is comical, but also the place where the story of the next story unfolded: a wake, a communal apartment, a hospital - everything is so familiar, personal, everyday familiar. And the story itself: a fight in a communal apartment over a hedgehog in short supply, a row at a wake over a broken glass.

Some of Zoshchenko’s expressions remained in Russian literature as aphorisms: “as if the atmosphere suddenly smelled on me,” “they’ll pick you off like a stick and throw you in for their kind people, even though they’re your own relatives,” “disturbs the unrest.” Zoshchenko, while writing his stories, chuckled himself. So much so that later, when I read stories to my friends, I never laughed. He sat gloomy, gloomy, as if not understanding what there was to laugh about. Having laughed while working on the story, he later perceived it with melancholy and sadness. I perceived it as the other side of the coin. If you listen carefully to his laughter, it is not difficult to discern that the carefree and humorous notes are only a background for the notes of pain and bitterness.

Zoshchenko's hero is an ordinary man, a man with poor morals and a primitive outlook on life. This man in the street personified an entire human layer of the Russia of that time. The writer did not ridicule the man himself, but the philistine traits in him.

Let's look at some of the writer's works. The story “Case History” begins like this: “Frankly speaking, I prefer to be sick at home. Of course, there are no words, in the hospital, perhaps, it is brighter and more cultured. And the calorie content of their food may be more adequate. But, as they say, even straw can be eaten at home.” A patient diagnosed with typhoid fever is brought to the hospital, and the first thing he sees in the room for registering new arrivals is a huge poster on the wall: “Issuing corpses from 3 to 4.” Having barely recovered from the shock, the hero tells the paramedic that “patients have no interest in reading this.” In response, he hears: “If you get better, which is unlikely, then criticize, otherwise we will really give you away in three to four in the form of what is written here, then you will know.” Then the nurse takes him to the bathtub where he already some old woman is bathing.

It would seem that the nurse should apologize and postpone the “bathing” procedure for a while. But she was used to seeing in front of her not people, but patients. Why stand on ceremony with patients? She calmly invites him to get into the bath and not pay attention to the old woman: “She has a high temperature and is not reacting to anything. So take off your clothes without embarrassment." The patient's trials do not end there. First, he is given a robe that is not his size. Then, a few days later, having already begun to recover, he falls ill with whooping cough. The same nurse informs him: “You probably carelessly ate from a device on which a child with whooping cough ate.” When the hero finally recovers, he never manages to escape from the hospital walls, because they forgot to discharge him, then “someone didn’t come and it was impossible to note,” then the entire staff is busy organizing the movement of the wives of the sick. At home, the final test awaits him: his wife tells how a week ago she received a notice from the hospital demanding: “Upon receipt of this, immediately come for your husband’s body.”

“History of a Case” is one of those stories by Zoshchenko in which the depiction of rudeness, extreme disrespect for a person, and spiritual callousness is taken to the extreme. Together with the author, we laugh merrily, and then we feel sad. This is called “laughter through tears.”

A reminder for someone starting to write a humorous story.

In order to determine how a humorous story differs from an ordinary story, we turn to the “Instructions for Beginners to Write a Humorous Story.”

First of all, think about the plot of your story;

Do not forget that the basis of a humorous story is a comic situation or a funny misunderstanding (they are created due to the appearance of participants in events unexpected for the hero of the story, due to an unexpected turn of events, due to an unexpected outcome, the nature of the events that took place).

Remember that the title is of great importance in the story: the title is the key to solving the plot; the title can express the author's attitude;

Use linguistic means of creating humor in the story: interesting dialogues, funny names (nicknames), surnames of characters, author's humorous assessments;

The situation of the game is the next feature of a humorous story at the plot level. Play is always laughter and a cheerful mood. Play is always putting on some kind of mask, ascribing to yourself someone else's role. Daniil Kharms says this beautifully in his poem “The Game.”

The presence of funny characters is another feature of a humorous story at the plot level. The characters presented in the story always evoke a kind smile or grin.

For example, in the story “Chicken Soup” by V. Dragunsky, by chance, a boy and his dad are forced to cook food, that is, to do work that they have never done. In N. Nosov’s story “Knock-Knock-Knock”, the unexpected appearance of a crow, which was mistaken for a robber, led to the “creation of a protective structure” in order to avoid a collision with the robber. In the story “The Glory of Ivan Kozlovsky” by V. Dragunsky, the main character believes that good singing is loud. “I sang well, probably even heard on the other street.”

Conclusion

M. Twain wrote that humorous stories require “the same ability to see, analyze, understand, which is necessary for the authors of serious books.”

So, we think that we have proven that we can learn to make fun of what interferes with our lives. Of course, for this, first of all, you need to have a sense of humor, observation, and the ability to see shortcomings.

“Brevity is the sister of talent” is one of the writer’s favorite phrases. The short stories were very capacious in content. This was achieved by a bright title; meaningful first and last names; a plot that was based on an unusual situation or event; dynamic development of action; expressive detail; scenic dialogue; simple, clear speech of the author.

Thus, summing up the analysis of Krylov’s fables, we can conclude: a prerequisite for the funny in them is a comic situation, which is based on an unexpected turn in the plot, a comic hero, the inconsistency of something, a caricatured display of some character trait of a character or a situation in which which is based on allegory, hyperbole, metaphor, personification, comparison.

In “Instructions for Beginners to Write a Humorous Story,” we tried to highlight the main artistic techniques for creating a humorous story. Using this “Memo” and the “Sun Diagram”, the children composed stories. Of course, it is impossible to include all the funny details, the rays of the “cheerful sun” in one work. In order for the story to be funny and humorous, you need training, as in any business, you need to hone your skills. We tried to show how this is done using the examples of the works of satirical writers and humorous writers.

We wish our peers not to stop there - to write - to write funny, with humor, with a dose of irony, and even satire. And then, perhaps, our Saltykov-Shchedrins, Chekhovs, Zoshchenkos, Zhvanetskys will appear in our lives and literature

Textbook for 5th grade

Literature

About the funny in a literary work. Humor

Let's talk about what's funny in the work, about the role that laughter plays...

But can laughter “play a role”? After all, laughter is just when it's funny!

Right. However, laughter is different from laughter, and the writer is not at all indifferent to how the reader laughs. When creating the story, he thought in advance at whom and why he would direct the cheerful arrows of laughter.

And these arrows strike accurately and can, at the author’s request, either hurt lightly, or prick more strongly, or even pillory the one who deserves it. The cheerful arrows of laughter can quickly knock down the magnificent clothes in which an insignificant, swaggering creature is dressed, and show what it really is.

So you read and completely forgot about the author, carried away by events. And he is here, with you. It is he who makes you laugh on this page, and not on another, and together with laughter he gives you a thought and a feeling, through a joke he helps you to see something more clearly, understand and independently critically evaluate...

Laughter can be cheerful and kind—we call the scenes and episodes of a work that evoke it humorous. And sometimes there is evil, angry laughter - it is caused by satirical works; they call people to protest, awaken contempt for the depicted character, phenomenon, and force people to act.