The beginning of a new era in the play "The Cherry Orchard. The image of the garden in the play "The Cherry Orchard The Cherry Orchard as the central image of the play

The Cherry Orchard as the central image of the play

The action of the last work of A.P. Chekhov takes place on the estate of Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna, which in a few months will be sold at auction for debts, and it is the image of the garden in the play The Cherry Orchard that occupies a central place. However, from the very beginning, the presence of such a huge garden is puzzling. This circumstance was subjected to rather harsh criticism by I.A. Bunin, a hereditary nobleman and landowner. He wondered how one could extol the cherry trees, which are not particularly beautiful, have gnarled trunks and small flowers. Bunin also drew attention to the fact that gardens of only one direction are never found in manor estates, as a rule, they were mixed. If you count, the garden covers an area of ​​​​about five hundred hectares! To care for such a garden, a very large number of people are needed. It is obvious that before the abolition of serfdom, the garden was kept in order, and it is quite possible that the harvest brought profit to its owners. But after 1860, the garden began to fall into disrepair, as the owners had no money or desire to hire workers. And it’s scary to imagine what impassable jungle the garden has become in 40 years, since the action of the play takes place at the turn of the century, as evidenced by the walk of the owners and servants not through beautiful bushes, but across the field.

All this shows that the play did not intend a specific everyday meaning of the image of the cherry orchard. Lopakhin singled out only its main advantage: "The remarkable thing about this garden is that it is large." But it is precisely the image of the cherry orchard in the play that Chekhov renders as a reflection of the ideal meaning of the object of artistic space, built from the words of the characters who, throughout the entire stage history, idealize and embellish the old garden. For the playwright, the blooming garden has become a symbol of ideal, but receding beauty. And this transient and destructible charm of the past, contained in thoughts, feelings and actions, is attractive both for the playwright and for the audience. Linking the fate of the estate with the characters, Chekhov connected nature with social significance by contrasting them, thereby revealing the thoughts and actions of his characters. He tries to recall what the true purpose of people is, what spiritual renewal is necessary for, what is the beauty and happiness of being.

Cherry Orchard - a means of revealing the characters' characters

The image of the cherry orchard in the plot development of the play is of great importance. It is through the attitude towards him that one gets acquainted with the attitude of the heroes: it becomes clear their place in the historical changes that have befallen Russia. The viewer's acquaintance with the garden takes place in May, at a wonderful time of flowering, and its aroma fills the surrounding space. The mistress of the garden, who had been absent for a long time, returns from abroad. However, in the years she traveled, nothing had changed in the house. Even the nursery, in which there has not been a single child for a long time, bears the former name. What does a garden mean to Ranevskaya?

This is her childhood, she even imagines her mother, her youth and not very successful marriage to a man, like her, a frivolous spender; the love passion that arose after the death of her husband, burning her; death of younger son. From all this, she fled to France, leaving everything, hoping that the escape would help her forget. But she did not find peace and happiness abroad either. And now she has to decide the fate of the estate. Lopakhin offers her the only way out - to cut down the garden, which does not bring any benefit and is very neglected, and give the vacated land for summer cottages. But for Ranevskaya, who was brought up in the best aristocratic traditions, everything that is replaced by money and measured by it is gone. Rejecting Lopakhin's offer, she again and again asks for his advice, hoping that it is possible to save the garden without destroying it: “What should we do? Learn what?" Lyubov Andreevna does not dare to step over her convictions, and the loss of the garden becomes a bitter loss for her. However, she admitted that her hands were untied with the sale of the estate, and without much thought, leaving her daughters and brother, she was again going to leave her homeland.

Gaev goes over ways to save the estate, but all of them are futile and too fantastic: get an inheritance, marry Anya to a rich man, ask a rich aunt for money, or re-borrow from someone. However, he guesses about it: "... I have a lot of money... that means... not a single one." He is also bitter about the loss of the family nest, but his feelings are not as deep as he would like to show it. After the auction, his sadness is dispelled as soon as he hears the sounds of the billiards he loves so much.

For Ranevskaya and Gaev, the cherry orchard is a link to the past, where there was no place for thoughts about the financial side of life. This is a happy carefree time when there was no need to decide anything, no shocks happened, and they were the owners.

Anya loves the garden as the only bright thing that was in her life “I'm at home! Tomorrow morning I'll get up and run to the garden... She sincerely worries, but cannot do anything to save the estate, relying on the decisions of her older relatives. Although in fact, she is much more reasonable than her mother and uncle. In many ways, under the influence of Petya Trofimov, the garden ceases to mean the same for Anya as it does for the older generation of the family. She outgrows this somewhat painful attachment to her native land, and later she herself is perplexed that she has fallen out of love with the garden: “Why do I no longer love the cherry orchard as before ... it seemed to me that there is no better place on earth than our garden.” And in the final scenes, she is the only one of the inhabitants of the sold estate who looks to the future with optimism: "... We will plant a new garden, more luxurious than this, you will see it, you will understand ..."

For Petya Trofimov, the garden is a living monument to serfdom. It is Trofimov who says that the Ranevskaya family still lives in the past, in which they were the owners of "living souls", and this imprint of slavery on them: "... you ... no longer notice that you live in debt, at someone else's expense ...", and openly declares that Ranevskaya and Gaev are simply afraid of real life.

The only person who is fully aware of the value of the cherry orchard is the "new Russian" Lopakhin. He sincerely admires him, calling the place "more beautiful than which there is nothing in the world." He dreams of clearing the territory of trees as soon as possible, but not for the purpose of destruction, but in order to transfer this land into a new hypostasis, which "grandchildren and great-grandchildren" will see. He sincerely tried to help Ranevskaya save the estate and pities her, but now the garden belongs to him, and unbridled jubilation is strangely mixed with compassion for Lyubov Andreevna.

Symbolic image of the cherry orchard

Written at the turn of the epochs, the play "The Cherry Orchard" became a reflection of the changes taking place in the country. The old is already gone, and it is being replaced by an unknown future. For each of the participants in the play, the garden is its own, but the symbolic image of the cherry orchard is the same for everyone except Lopakhin and Trofimov. “The earth is great and beautiful, there are many wonderful places on it,” says Petya, thereby showing that the people of the new era, to whom he belongs, are not characterized by attachment to their roots, and this is alarming. People who loved the garden easily abandoned it, and this is frightening, because if “All Russia is our garden,” as Petya Trofimov says, what will happen if everyone gives up on the future of Russia as well? And remembering history, we see: just over 10 years later, such upheavals began to occur in Russia that the country really became a ruthlessly destroyed cherry orchard. Therefore, we can draw an unambiguous conclusion: the main image of the play has become a true symbol of Russia.

The image of the garden, an analysis of its meaning in the play and a description of the attitude of the main characters towards it will help 10th grade students in preparing an essay on the topic “The image of the garden in the play “The Cherry Orchard” by Chekhov”.

Artwork test

Crazy years faded fun
It's hard for me, like a vague hangover.
But like wine, the sadness of bygone days
In my soul, the older, the stronger.
A.S. Pushkin

In the works of literary critics, the interpretation of The Cherry Orchard is most often presented from a historical or social point of view. The theme of the play is defined as follows: Chekhov shows the past, present and future of Russia. In accordance with these eras, there are owners of the estate in the play (they go bankrupt, while demonstrating complete helplessness), there is a new owner of life (an energetic, enterprising merchant), there are representatives of the younger generation (noble dreamers looking to the future). The idea of ​​the play is in the author's assessment of the current state of Russia. It is obvious that Chekhov understands the inevitability of the end of the local nobility (Gaev and Ranevskaya), sadly follows the activities of bourgeois businessmen (Lopakhin), but looks with hope into the future of Russia, which he connects with new people (Petya Trofimov and Anya), who are different from the previous ones, and from the real owners of the cherry orchard. These young people dream of planting a new garden in place of the old one, destroyed by Lopakhin for the sake of profits. So in the last comedy of Chekhov, historical optimism is manifested, which was not in his previous plays (“The Seagull”, “Ivanov”, “Uncle Vanya”).

Such a definition of the theme and idea of ​​The Cherry Orchard is quite possible, but it would be wrong to say that Chekhov only laughs at the nobility leaving the public stage, condemns the modern “masters of life” and sympathizes with the younger generation, which hastens the arrival of a new life. It seems that the attitude of the playwright towards his characters is more complex than unambiguous condemnation or sympathy.

Take, for example, the image of the valet Firs. This hero, of course, refers to the outgoing Russia, since for more than fifty years he has been faithfully serving the owners of the cherry orchard, he also remembers the grandfather of Gaev and Ranevskaya. Not only by age, but also by conviction, he is an adherent of the old order, the old way of life. It is remarkable that a hero similar to Firs has already been portrayed in Russian literature - this is the yard Ipat, the lackey of Prince Utyatin from N.A. Nekrasov’s poem “Who Lives Well in Russia” (ch. “Last Child”). Ipat, after the announcement of the Manifesto, renounced personal freedom and wished, as before, to serve his masters-princes. Firs calls the abolition of serfdom "a misfortune" and says that in 1861 he "did not agree to freedom, remained with the masters" (II). Ipat, with tears of emotion, recalls the habits of a serf master: how the young prince Utyatin harnessed Ipat to his cart instead of a horse or bathed him in a winter river. And Firs fondly recalls the tyranny of the late gentleman, who imagined himself a doctor and treated all patients with sealing wax. The old servant firmly believes in this medicine and believes that it is thanks to the sealing wax that he lives so long (III). However, the servility of Ipat causes satirical ridicule in the Nekrasov poem, and the behavior of Firs - the author's calm understanding in the Chekhov play.

Slave psychology is combined in the old man with a touching attachment to the masters. Firs sincerely cries at a meeting with Ranevskaya (I), whom he has not seen for five years, diligently continues to serve the fifty-year-old "child" Gaev. The old man ruefully remarks to him: “Again, they put on the wrong trousers. And what am I to do with you!” (I). Even when they forget him and he remains to die in a house locked for the winter, he worries about the owner: “But Leonid Andreevich, I suppose, didn’t put on a fur coat, he went in a coat ... I didn’t look ... Young and green!” (IV).

Having lived all his life on the estate, he cares about the prestige of the house and the good reputation of the owners. At the ridiculous ball, started by Ranevskaya on the day of the auction, he does his best, but serves the guests as expected. When Ranevskaya sends him to rest, Firs replies with a grin: “I’ll go to sleep, but without me, who will give, who will order? One for the whole house" (III). And he is right, since Yasha carelessly walks around the rooms, and Dunyasha dances with the guests. The old servant is even offended for his current masters, who are not like the former ones: “In the past, generals, barons, admirals danced at our balls, and now we send for the postal official and the head of the station, and even they do not go hunting” (III).

Next to Firs, the play shows a servant of modern times - Yasha, a stupid and self-satisfied guy. He visited Paris and, having tasted the charms of European civilization, began to despise his fatherland and is ashamed of his peasant origin. Yasha asks Ranevskaya to take him back to Paris with her, and complains: “It’s positively impossible for me to stay here. What can I say, you yourself are miles away, the country is uneducated, the people are immoral, moreover, boredom, the food is ugly in the kitchen ... ”(III). Yasha himself is an insignificant person and a loose servant, which is proved by his behavior at the ball. He never took Firs to the hospital, because the unlucky lady Ranevskaya has a non-executive lackey. But in the last act, showing his "knowledge and skills", he declares to Lopakhin that the champagne is not real, and he drinks the whole bottle alone. At the beginning and at the end of the play, Chekhov shows Yasha's attitude towards his mother, who comes to see him on the day of his arrival and departure. The reminder of the mother waiting in the kitchen causes only annoyance in the lover of Parisian life. Firs, in comparison with this lackey, looks like a conscientious, devoted servant, a wise man.

Chekhov trusts the old valet with several very important statements that clarify the author's intention of the play. Firstly, love for order in everything (in service and in life) is what distinguishes Firs. And in his old age, he sees senseless fuss around and remarkably characterizes the order both in the manor house and in the surrounding Russian life: before everything was right, “men with the masters, gentlemen with the peasants, but now everything is scattered, you won’t understand anything” (II) . This feeling of fragility, confusion is experienced not only by the old man, but also by Lopakhin, who has just fulfilled his dream (he bought a cherry orchard at auction) and already complains about his awkward, unhappy life.

Secondly, Firs calls all the heroes of the play and himself, in accordance with the author's intention, "stupid" (III), that is, fools who do not understand life. An example of the bad luck of all the characters is their attitude towards the cherry orchard. Firs sees the garden as it was in the irrevocable past; for Gaev, talking about a garden is an occasion for empty boasting; Lopakhin, thinking about saving the garden, cuts it down; Anya and Petya prefer to dream of new gardens rather than saving the old one.

Summing up, it should be said that Firs is an integral part of the noble estate where the play takes place. The old valet is a type of faithful servant who is very diversely represented in Russian literature: the nanny Eremeevna from The Undergrowth, the nanny Filipyevna from Eugene Onegin, Savelich from The Captain's Daughter, Zakhar from Oblomov, etc. Firs is a servant of Gaev and at the same time an exponent of the author's idea. This hero is a man of old Russia, in which there was serfdom, but there was also a high spiritual culture. Therefore, the image of a faithful servant turned out to be multifaceted.

Chekhov was against the indiscriminate denial of the old life, and even more so its violent destruction, at the right time it itself will give way to new orders. This author's idea is proved by the last, poignant scene of the play: forgotten by everyone, the helpless old man dies in a locked house. At the same time, Firs does not reproach his careless masters, since he sincerely loves them. His death coincides with the death of the cherry orchard and symbolizes the end of the "noble nest", the end of an entire era, the guardian of which was an old servant.

The Cherry Orchard is the pinnacle of Russian drama at the beginning of the 20th century, a lyrical comedy, a play that marked the beginning of a new era in the development of the Russian theater.

The main theme of the play is autobiographical - a bankrupt family of noblemen is selling their family estate at auction. The author, as a person who has gone through a similar life situation, describes with subtle psychologism the state of mind of people who are forced to leave their homes soon. The novelty of the play is the lack of division of heroes into positive and negative, into main and secondary. All of them fall into three categories:

• people of the past - aristocratic nobles (Ranevskaya, Gaev and their footman Firs);
• people of the present - their bright representative merchant-entrepreneur Lopakhin;
• the people of the future are the progressive youth of that time (Pyotr Trofimov and Anya).

History of creation

Chekhov began work on the play in 1901. Due to serious health problems, the writing process was rather difficult, but nevertheless, in 1903 the work was completed. The first theatrical production of the play took place a year later on the stage of the Moscow Art Theater, becoming the pinnacle of Chekhov's work as a playwright and a textbook classic of the theatrical repertoire.

Play analysis

Description of the work

The action takes place in the family estate of the landowner Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya, who returned from France with her young daughter Anya. They are met at the railway station by Gaev (Ranevskaya's brother) and Varya (her adopted daughter).

The financial situation of the Ranevsky family is nearing complete collapse. Entrepreneur Lopakhin offers his own version of the solution to the problem - to divide the land into shares and give them for use to summer residents for a certain fee. The lady is weighed down by this proposal, because for this she will have to say goodbye to her beloved cherry orchard, with which many warm memories of her youth are associated. Adding to the tragedy is the fact that her beloved son Grisha died in this garden. Gaev, imbued with the experiences of his sister, reassures her with a promise that their family estate will not be put up for sale.

The action of the second part takes place on the street, in the courtyard of the estate. Lopakhin, with his characteristic pragmatism, continues to insist on his plan to save the estate, but no one pays attention to him. Everyone switches to the appeared teacher Peter Trofimov. He gives an excited speech dedicated to the fate of Russia, its future and touches on the topic of happiness in a philosophical context. The materialist Lopakhin is skeptical about the young teacher, and it turns out that only Anya is able to imbue his lofty ideas.

The third act begins with the fact that Ranevskaya invites an orchestra with the last money and arranges a dance evening. Gaev and Lopakhin are absent at the same time - they left for the city for auction, where the Ranevsky estate should go under the hammer. After a long wait, Lyubov Andreevna finds out that her estate was bought at the auction by Lopakhin, who does not hide his joy from his acquisition. The Ranevsky family is in despair.

The finale is entirely devoted to the departure of the Ranevsky family from their home. The parting scene is shown with all the deep psychologism inherent in Chekhov. The play ends with a remarkably profound monologue by Firs, which the hosts hastily forgot on the estate. The final chord is the sound of an axe. They cut down the cherry orchard.

main characters

Sentimental person, owner of the estate. Having lived abroad for several years, she has become accustomed to a luxurious life and, by inertia, continues to allow herself a lot that, in the deplorable state of her finances, according to the logic of common sense, should be inaccessible to her. Being a frivolous person, very helpless in everyday matters, Ranevskaya does not want to change anything in herself, while she is fully aware of her weaknesses and shortcomings.

A successful merchant, he owes a lot to the Ranevsky family. His image is ambiguous - it combines industriousness, prudence, enterprise and rudeness, a "muzhik" beginning. In the finale of the play, Lopakhin does not share the feelings of Ranevskaya, he is happy that, despite his peasant origin, he was able to afford to buy the estate of the owners of his late father.

Like his sister, he is very sensitive and sentimental. Being an idealist and a romantic, to console Ranevskaya, he comes up with fantastic plans to save the family estate. He is emotional, verbose, but completely inactive.

Petya Trofimov

Eternal student, nihilist, eloquent representative of the Russian intelligentsia, advocating for the development of Russia only in words. In pursuit of the "higher truth", he denies love, considering it a petty and illusory feeling, which greatly upsets his daughter Ranevskaya Anya, who is in love with him.

A romantic 17-year-old young lady who fell under the influence of the populist Peter Trofimov. Recklessly believing in a better life after the sale of her parental estate, Anya is ready for any difficulties for the sake of joint happiness next to her lover.

An 87-year-old man, a footman in the Ranevskys' house. Type of servant of the old time, surrounds with paternal care of his masters. He remained to serve his masters even after the abolition of serfdom.

A young footman, with contempt for Russia, dreaming of going abroad. A cynical and cruel person, rude to old Firs, disrespectful even to his own mother.

The structure of the work

The structure of the play is quite simple - 4 acts without division into separate scenes. The duration of action is several months, from late spring to mid-autumn. In the first act there is an exposition and a plot, in the second - an increase in tension, in the third - a climax (sale of the estate), in the fourth - a denouement. A characteristic feature of the play is the absence of genuine external conflict, dynamism, and unpredictable twists in the storyline. The author's remarks, monologues, pauses and some understatement give the play a unique atmosphere of exquisite lyricism. The artistic realism of the play is achieved through the alternation of dramatic and comic scenes.

(Scene from a contemporary production)

The play is dominated by the development of the emotional and psychological plan, the main engine of action is the inner experiences of the characters. The author expands the artistic space of the work by introducing a large number of characters who never appear on stage. Also, the effect of expanding the spatial boundaries is given by the symmetrically emerging theme of France, which gives arched form to the play.

Final conclusion

Chekhov's last play can be said to be his "swan song". The novelty of her dramatic language is a direct expression of Chekhov's special life concept, which is characterized by extraordinary attention to small, at first glance, insignificant details, focusing on the inner experiences of the characters.

In the play The Cherry Orchard, the author captured the state of critical disunity of the Russian society of his time, this sad factor is often present in scenes where the characters hear only themselves, creating only the appearance of interaction.

Introduction
1. Problems of the play by A.P. Chekhov "The Cherry Orchard"
2. The embodiment of the past - Ranevskaya and Gaev
3. Spokesman for the ideas of the present - Lopakhin
4. Heroes of the future - Petya and Anya
Conclusion
List of used literature

Introduction

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov is a writer of powerful creative talent and a kind of subtle skill, which manifests itself with equal brilliance, both in his stories and in stories and plays.
Chekhov's plays constituted an entire epoch in Russian dramaturgy and Russian theater and had an immeasurable influence on all their subsequent development.
Continuing and deepening the best traditions of the dramaturgy of critical realism, Chekhov strove to ensure that his plays were dominated by the truth of life, unadorned, in all its usualness, everyday life.
Showing the natural course of the everyday life of ordinary people, Chekhov bases his plots on not one, but several organically connected, intertwined conflicts. At the same time, the leading and unifying conflict is predominantly the conflict of the actors not with each other, but with the entire social environment surrounding them.

The problems of the play by A.P. Chekhov "The Cherry Orchard"

The play "The Cherry Orchard" occupies a special place in Chekhov's work. Before her, he aroused the idea of ​​the need to change reality by showing the hostility of living conditions to a person, highlighting those features of his characters that doomed them to the position of a victim. In The Cherry Orchard, reality is depicted in its historical development. The theme of changing social structures is being widely developed. Noble estates with their parks and cherry orchards, with their unreasonable owners, are fading into the past. They are being replaced by businesslike and practical people, they are the present of Russia, but not its future. Only the younger generation has the right to purify and change life. Hence the main idea of ​​the play: the establishment of a new social force that opposes not only the nobility, but also the bourgeoisie and is called upon to rebuild life on the basis of genuine humanity and justice.
Chekhov's play "The Cherry Orchard" was written during the period of public upheaval of the masses in 1903. It opens to us another page of his multifaceted work, reflecting the complex phenomena of that time. The play amazes us with its poetic power, drama, and is perceived by us as a sharp denunciation of the social ulcers of society, exposing those people whose thoughts and actions are far from moral norms of behavior. The writer vividly shows deep psychological conflicts, helps the reader to see the reflection of events in the souls of the characters, makes us think about the meaning of true love and true happiness. Chekhov easily takes us from our present to the distant past. Together with his heroes, we live near the cherry orchard, we see its beauty, we clearly feel the problems of that time, together with the heroes we try to find answers to difficult questions. It seems to me that the play "The Cherry Orchard" is a play about the past, present and future not only of its heroes, but of the country as a whole. The author shows the clash of representatives of the past, the present and the future embedded in this present. I think that Chekhov succeeded in showing the justice of the inevitable departure from the historical arena of such seemingly harmless persons as the owners of the cherry orchard. So who are they, the owners of the garden? What connects their life with his existence? Why is the cherry orchard dear to them? Answering these questions, Chekhov reveals an important problem - the problem of the outgoing life, its worthlessness and conservatism.
The very title of Chekhov's play is lyrical. In our mind, a bright and unique image of a blooming garden emerges, embodying beauty and striving for a better life. The main plot of the comedy is connected with the sale of this old noble estate. This event largely determines the fate of its owners and inhabitants. Thinking about the fate of the heroes, one involuntarily thinks about more, about the ways of Russia's development: its past, present and future.

The embodiment of the past - Ranevskaya and Gaev

The spokesman for the ideas of the present - Lopakhin

Heroes of the future - Petya and Anya

All this involuntarily leads us to the idea that the country needs completely different people who will do other great things. And these other people are Petya and Anya.
Trofimov is a democrat by birth, by habits and convictions. Creating the images of Trofimov, Chekhov expresses in this image such leading features as devotion to the public cause, striving for a better future and propaganda of the struggle for it, patriotism, adherence to principles, courage, hard work. Trofimov, despite his 26 or 27 years, has a great and difficult life experience behind him. He has already been expelled from the university twice. He has no confidence that he will not be expelled a third time and that he will not remain a "perpetual student".
Experiencing both hunger, and need, and political persecution, he did not lose faith in a new life, which would be based on just, humane laws and creative creative work. Petya Trofimov sees the failure of the nobility, mired in idleness and inaction. He gives a largely correct assessment of the bourgeoisie, noting its progressive role in the economic development of the country, but denying it the role of the creator and builder of a new life. In general, his statements are distinguished by directness and sincerity. With sympathy for Lopakhin, he nevertheless compares him with a predatory beast, "which eats everything that comes in its way." In his opinion, the Lopakhins are not able to decisively change life, building it on reasonable and fair principles. Petya evokes deep thoughts in Lopakhin, who in his heart envies the conviction of this "shabby gentleman", which he himself so lacks.
Trofimov's thoughts about the future are too vague and abstract. “We are moving irresistibly towards the bright star that burns there in the distance!” he says to Anya. Yes, the goal is great. But how to achieve it? Where is the main force that can turn Russia into a blooming garden?
Some treat Petya with slight irony, others with undisguised love. In his speeches, one can hear a direct condemnation of a dying life, a call for a new one: “I will come. I will reach or show others the way how to reach. And points. He points it out to Anya, whom he loves passionately, although he skillfully hides this, realizing that another path is destined for him. He tells her: “If you have the keys to the household, then throw them into the well and leave. Be free as the wind."
In the klutz and the “shabby gentleman” (as Trofimova Varya ironically calls) there is no strength and business acumen of Lopakhin. He submits to life, stoically enduring its blows, but is not able to master it and become the master of his fate. True, he captivated Anya with his democratic ideas, who expresses her readiness to follow him, firmly believing in a wonderful dream of a new flowering garden. But this young seventeen-year-old girl, who gathered information about life mainly from books, pure, naive and spontaneous, had not yet encountered reality.
Anya is full of hope, vitality, but she still has so much inexperience and childhood. In terms of character, she is in many ways close to her mother: she has a love for a beautiful word, for sensitive intonations. At the beginning of the play, Anya is carefree, quickly moving from concern to animation. She is practically helpless, accustomed to live carefree, not thinking about daily bread, about tomorrow. But all this does not prevent Anya from breaking with her usual views and way of life. Its evolution is taking place before our eyes. Anya's new views are still naive, but she forever says goodbye to the old house and the old world.
It is not known whether she will have enough spiritual strength, stamina and courage to go through the path of suffering, labor and deprivation to the end. Will she be able to maintain that ardent faith in the best, which makes her say goodbye to her old life without regret? Chekhov does not answer these questions. And it's natural. After all, one can only speak about the future presumably.

Conclusion

The truth of life in all its sequence and completeness - this is what Chekhov was guided by when creating his images. That is why each character in his plays is a living human character, attracting with great meaning and deep emotionality, convincing with its naturalness, warmth of human feelings.
By the strength of his direct emotional impact, Chekhov is perhaps the most outstanding playwright in the art of critical realism.
Chekhov's dramaturgy, responding to the topical issues of his time, addressing the everyday interests, feelings and worries of ordinary people, awakened the spirit of protest against inertia and routine, called for social activity to improve life. Therefore, it has always had a huge impact on readers and viewers. The significance of Chekhov's dramaturgy has long gone beyond the borders of our homeland, it has become global. Chekhov's dramatic innovation is widely recognized outside our great homeland. I am proud that Anton Pavlovich is a Russian writer, and no matter how different the masters of culture are, they probably all agree that Chekhov prepared the world with his works for a better life, more beautiful, more just, more reasonable.
If Chekhov peered hopefully into the 20th century, which was just beginning, then we live in the new 21st century, we still dream of our cherry orchard and those who will grow it. Flowering trees cannot grow without roots. Roots are past and present. Therefore, in order for a wonderful dream to come true, the younger generation must combine high culture, education with practical knowledge of reality, will, perseverance, diligence, humane goals, that is, embody the best features of Chekhov's heroes.

Bibliography

1. History of Russian literature of the second half of the XIX century / ed. prof. N.I. Kravtsova. Publisher: Education - Moscow 1966.
2. Exam questions and answers. Literature. 9th and 11th grades. Tutorial. - M.: AST - PRESS, 2000.
3. A. A. Egorova. How to write an essay on "5". Tutorial. Rostov-on-Don, "Phoenix", 2001.
4. Chekhov A.P. Stories. Plays. – M.: Olimp; Firma LLC, AST Publishing House, 1998.

Time, along with space, is one of the main conditions for the existence of both a work of art and life itself. In the play by A.P. Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, time is the key symbol that creates the plot and forms the problem.

The image of time allows you to separate the true from the false, connects and at the same time separates the characters of the play and turns out to be fatal on the personal, social and historical levels.

Three forms of time - past, present and future - divide the heroes of The Cherry Orchard into three ideological categories. So, Gaev and Ranevskaya relate to the past: despite their position as landowners, they do not farm, and therefore cannot save the cherry orchard. Ranevskaya lives only with memories and is a deeply feeling and loving nature, and Gaev is a still ungrown boy who eats candy and thinks only about playing billiards.

Lopakhin in the play is a representative of the present, who, in the conditions of the new time, becomes the owner of a garden and an estate. Anya and Petya are inactive heroes living in the future. Petya denounces old Russia, talks about new ways to improve society, but in reality he is an eternal student and a "shabby gentleman."

Heroes belonging to different times are not able to understand and hear each other. Ultimately, everyone is talking about their own. The forms of time have both their advantages and disadvantages, but together they form a single "life" plot of The Cherry Orchard.

The garden itself also represents time. This happens, firstly, because of the direct meaning of the image of the garden: in spring it blooms, in autumn it sheds leaves. In this sense, the garden means the annual cycle of time and nature. Secondly, the garden is a historical time: it is necessary to destroy the old ideas about the world so that new ones appear in their place; it is necessary to cut down a beautiful useless garden in order to give the land to summer residents and make a profit from it.

Finally, the turning point turns out to be connected with the historical fate of Russia and the author: the play was written in 1903, on the threshold of the revolution of 1905 and the revolution of 1917 following it. In this context, one can try to predict the fate of the characters: Gaev and Ranevskaya will not accept the revolution, they will go abroad where will be forgotten; Lopakhin will be dispossessed, the land of the garden will be collectivized; the followers of the revolutionary movement will be Petya and Anya, poor, "shabby", ready to work and sincerely believing in the possibility of building an ideal society.

Thus, we can conclude that time is not only an integral part of the play "The Cherry Orchard", but also an active figure. Thanks to the many faces of time, the events of The Cherry Orchard are harmonious and logically interact. However, despite the power of time, the ability of the characters to act independently and independently choose the reality in which they have to live is much more important.