The author's attitude towards Gaev. The main character of "The Cherry Orchard": analysis, characteristics and features. Images of the characters in the play

All the characters in the play “The Cherry Orchard” are of great importance in the ideological and thematic context of the work. Even casually mentioned names carry meaning. For example, there are off-stage heroes (the Parisian lover, the Yaroslavl aunt), the very fact of whose existence already sheds light on the character and lifestyle of the hero, symbolizing an entire era. Therefore, in order to understand the author’s idea, it is necessary to analyze in detail those images that realize it.

Characters and their role in the work

1. Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna - a sensitive, emotional woman, but completely unadapted to life and unable to find her core in it. Everyone takes advantage of her kindness, even the footman Yasha and Charlotte. Lyubov Andreevna expresses emotions of joy and tenderness in a childlike way. She is characterized by affectionate addresses to people around her. So, Anya is “my baby,” Firs is “my old man.” But a similar appeal to furniture is striking: “my cabinet,” “my table.” Without even noticing it, she gives the same assessments to people and things! This is where her concern for the old and faithful servant ends. At the end of the play, the landowner calmly forgets about Firs, leaving him alone to die in the house. She does not react in any way to the news of the death of the nanny who raised her. He just keeps drinking coffee. Lyubov Andreevna is the nominal mistress of the house, since essentially she is not one. All the characters in the play are drawn to her, highlighting the image of the landowner from different sides, so it seems ambiguous. On the one hand, her own state of mind is in the foreground. She left for Paris, leaving her children. On the other hand, Ranevskaya gives the impression of a kind, generous and trusting woman. She is ready to selflessly help a passerby and even forgive the betrayal of a loved one.
2. Anya - kind, gentle, empathetic. She has a big loving heart. Arriving in Paris and seeing the environment in which her mother lives, she does not condemn her, but feels sorry for her. Why? Because she is lonely, there is no close person next to her who would surround her with care, protect her from everyday adversity, and understand her gentle soul. The unsettled nature of life does not upset Anya. She knows how to quickly switch to pleasant memories. He has a keen sense of nature and enjoys the singing of birds.
3. Varya- adopted daughter of Ranevskaya. A good housewife, always at work. The whole house rests on it. A girl with strict views. Having taken on the difficult burden of caring for the household, I became a little hardened. She lacks subtle mental organization. Apparently, for this reason, Lopakhin never proposed marriage to her. Varvara dreams of walking to holy places. He does nothing to somehow change his fate. He trusts only in God's will. At the age of twenty-four he becomes “boring”, so many people don’t like him.
4. Gaev Leonid Andreevich. He reacts categorically negatively to Lopakhin’s proposal regarding the future “fate” of the cherry orchard: “What nonsense.” He is worried about old things, a closet, he addresses them with his monologues, but he is completely indifferent to the fate of people, which is why the servant left him. Gaev’s speech testifies to the limitations of this man, who lives only by personal interests. If we talk about the current situation in the house, then Leonid Andreevich sees a way out in receiving an inheritance or Anya’s profitable marriage. Loving her sister, she accuses her of being vicious and not marrying a nobleman. He speaks a lot, without being embarrassed by the fact that no one listens to him. Lopakhin calls him a “woman” who talks only with her tongue, without doing anything.
5. Lopakhin Ermolai Alekseevich. You can “apply” the aphorism to him: from rags to riches. Soberly evaluates himself. Understands that money in life does not change a person’s social status. “A boor, a fist,” says Gaev about Lopakhin, but he doesn’t care what they think about him. He is not trained in good manners and cannot communicate normally with a girl, as evidenced by his attitude towards Varya. He constantly glances at his watch when communicating with Ranevskaya; he has no time to talk like a human being. The main thing is the upcoming deal. He knows how to “comfort” Ranevskaya: “The garden is sold, but you sleep peacefully.”
6. Trofimov Petr Sergeevich. Dressed in a worn student uniform, glasses, sparse hair, in five years the “dear boy” has changed a lot, he has become ugly. In his understanding, the purpose of life is to be free and happy, and for this you need to work. He believes that those who seek the truth must be helped. There are many problems in Russia that need to be solved, not philosophized. Trofimov himself does nothing; he cannot graduate from university. He utters beautiful and clever words that are not supported by actions. Petya sympathizes with Anya and speaks of her as “my spring.” He sees her as a grateful and enthusiastic listener to his speeches.
7. Simeonov - Pischik Boris Borisovich. Landowner. Falls asleep while walking. All his thoughts are aimed only at how to get money. Even Petya, who compared him to a horse, replies that this is not bad, since a horse can always be sold.
8. Charlotte Ivanovna - governess. He doesn't know anything about himself. She has no relatives or friends. She grew up like a lonely stunted bush in a wasteland. She did not experience the feeling of love in childhood, did not see care from adults. Charlotte has become a person who cannot find people who understand her. But she can’t understand herself either. "Who am I? Why am I?" - this poor woman did not have a bright beacon in her life, a mentor, a loving person who would help her find the right path and not deviate from it.
9. Epikhodov Semyon Panteleevich works in an office. He considers himself a developed person, but openly declares that he cannot decide whether he should “live” or “shoot himself.” Jonah. Epikhodov is pursued by spiders and cockroaches, as if they are trying to force him to turn around and look at the miserable existence that he has been dragging out for many years. Unrequitedly in love with Dunyasha.
10. Dunyasha - maid in Ranevskaya's house. Living with the gentlemen, I lost the habit of simple life. Doesn't know peasant labor. Afraid of everything. He falls in love with Yasha, not noticing that he is simply unable to share love with someone.
11. Firs. His whole life fits into “one line” - to serve the masters. The abolition of serfdom is evil for him. He is used to being a slave and cannot imagine any other life.
12. Yasha. An uneducated young footman dreaming of Paris. Dreams of a rich life. Callousness is the main trait of his character; He even tries not to meet his mother, ashamed of her peasant origin.

Characteristics of heroes

1. Ranevskaya is a frivolous, spoiled and pampered woman, but people are drawn to her. The house seemed to open its time-bound doors again when she returned here after a five-year absence. She was able to warm him with her nostalgia. Comfort and warmth again “sounded” in every room, just as festive music sounds on holidays. This did not last long, as the days at home were numbered. In the nervous and tragic image of Ranevskaya, all the shortcomings of the nobility were expressed: its inability to be self-sufficient, lack of independence, spoiledness and tendency to evaluate everyone according to class prejudices, but at the same time, subtlety of feelings and education, spiritual wealth and generosity.
2. Anya. A heart beats in the chest of a young girl, waiting for sublime love and looking for certain life guidelines. She wants to trust someone, to test herself. Petya Trofimov becomes the embodiment of her ideals. She cannot yet look at things critically and blindly believes Trofimov’s “chatter,” presenting reality in a rosy light. Only she is alone. Anya does not yet realize the versatility of this world, although she is trying. She also does not hear those around her, does not see the real problems that have befallen the family. Chekhov had a presentiment that this girl was the future of Russia. But the question remained open: will she be able to change something or will she remain in her childhood dreams. After all, to change something, you need to act.
3. Gaev Leonid Andreevich. Spiritual blindness is characteristic of this mature person. He remained in childhood for the rest of his life. In conversation he constantly uses billiard terms out of place. His horizons are narrow. The fate of the family nest, as it turned out, does not bother him at all, although at the beginning of the drama he beat himself in the chest with his fist and publicly promised that the cherry orchard would live. But he is categorically incapable of doing business, like many nobles who are accustomed to living while others work for them.
4. Lopakhin buys Ranevskaya’s family estate, which is not a “bone of discord” between them. They do not consider each other enemies; humanistic relationships prevail between them. Lyubov Andreevna and Ermolai Alekseevich seem to want to get out of this situation as quickly as possible. The merchant even offers his help, but is refused. When everything ends well, Lopakhin is happy that he can finally get down to real business. We must give the hero his due, because it was he, the only one, who was concerned about the “fate” of the cherry orchard and found a way out that suited everyone.
5. Trofimov Petr Sergeevich. He is considered a young student, although he is already 27 years old. One gets the impression that being a student has become his profession, although outwardly he has turned into an old man. He is respected, but no one believes in his noble and life-affirming calls except Anya. It is a mistake to believe that the image of Petya Trofimov can be compared with the image of a revolutionary. Chekhov was never interested in politics; the revolutionary movement was not part of his interests. Trofimov is too soft. His soul and intelligence will never allow him to cross the boundaries of what is permitted and jump into an unknown abyss. In addition, he is responsible for Anya, a young girl who does not know real life. She still has a rather delicate psyche. Any emotional shock can push her in the wrong direction, from where she can no longer be returned. Therefore, Petya must think not only about himself and the implementation of his ideas, but also about the fragile creature that Ranevskaya entrusted to him.

How does Chekhov relate to his heroes?

A.P. Chekhov loved his heroes, but he could not trust any of them with the future of Russia, not even Petya Trofimov and Anya, the progressive youth of that time.

The heroes of the play, sympathetic to the author, do not know how to defend their rights in life, they suffer or are silent. Ranevskaya and Gaev suffer because they understand that they cannot change anything about themselves. Their social status fades into oblivion, and they are forced to eke out a miserable existence on the last proceeds. Lopakhin suffers because he realizes that he cannot help them. He himself is not happy about buying a cherry orchard. No matter how hard he tries, he still will not become its full owner. That is why he decides to cut down the garden and sell the land, so that he can later forget about it as a bad dream. What about Petya and Anya? Isn't it the author's hope in them? Perhaps, but these hopes are very vague. Trofimov, due to his character, is not capable of taking any radical actions. And without this the situation cannot be changed. He is limited to talking about a wonderful future and that’s it. And Anya? This girl has a slightly stronger core than Petra. But due to her young age and the uncertainty of life, changes should not be expected from her. Perhaps in the distant future, when she has set all her life priorities, some action can be expected from her. In the meantime, she limits herself to faith in the best and a sincere desire to plant a new garden.

Whose side is Chekhov on? He supports each side, but in his own way. In Ranevskaya, he appreciates genuine female kindness and naivety, albeit seasoned with spiritual emptiness. Lopakhin appreciates the desire for compromise and poetic beauty, although he is not able to appreciate the real charm of the cherry orchard. The Cherry Orchard is a member of the family, but everyone unanimously forgets about this, while Lopakhin is not able to understand this at all.

The heroes of the play are separated by a huge abyss. They are not able to understand each other, since they are closed in the world of their own feelings, thoughts and experiences. However, everyone is lonely, they have no friends, like-minded people, and there is no true love. Most people go with the flow, without setting any serious goals for themselves. Besides, they are all unhappy. Ranevskaya experiences disappointment in love, life and her social supremacy, which seemed unshakable just yesterday. Gaev once again discovers that aristocratic manners are not a guarantee of power and financial well-being. Before his eyes, yesterday's serf takes away his estate, becomes the owner there, even without the nobility. Anna is left penniless and has no dowry for a profitable marriage. Although her chosen one does not demand it, he has not yet earned anything. Trofimov understands that he needs to change, but does not know how, because he has neither connections, nor money, nor position to influence anything. They are left with only the hopes of youth, which are short-lived. Lopakhin is unhappy because he realizes his inferiority, belittles his dignity, seeing that he is no match for any gentlemen, even though he has more money.

Interesting? Save it on your wall!

One of the main characters of the work is Gaev Leonid Andreevich, the brother of the main character, the owner of the estate Ranevskaya.

The writer presents Gaev as a lonely fifty-year-old man, a landowner who does not have his own family, living in an old estate under the guardianship of the old man Firs, who has lost his family fortune due to an idle lifestyle in the form of his favorite pastime - playing billiards.

The characteristic features of the hero are his aristocratic education, combined with a weak-willed nature, which is expressed in the inability and unwillingness to make important life decisions and defend his own position. But at the same time, Gaev is distinguished by his artistry and sincerity in expressing his thoughts, as well as sentimentality and romanticism.

When participating in conversations, Leonid Andreevich is verbose, often rants not on the substance of the conversation and sometimes he himself notices that he is speaking off topic and inappropriately inserts expressions that are not entirely clear to his interlocutors.

Gaev is characterized by a loving attitude towards his household and loved ones; he sincerely cares for the happiness of his sister and his nieces, hoping to successfully marry one of the girls, Anna, to a worthy and wealthy nobleman. Gaev is very attached to old Firs, he cannot do without him even while preparing for bed, but at the end of the play he does not even remember the old man.

Naively believing that there is a possibility of saving the estate from sale and preserving the cherry orchard, which is of great importance to him, however, as for all family members, Gaev dreams of receiving an unrealistic inheritance. In fact, Leonid Andreevich does not want to realize the accomplished fact of losing the family estate, although he says goodbye to the garden with tears in his eyes, but deep experiences and suffering are not characteristic of this hero. Therefore, he enters the service with a small annual salary in a men’s club, although, according to his relatives and the merchant Lopakhin, Gaev’s work will not last long, since Leonid Andreevich is not disciplined in work and is lazy.

Describing the image of Gaev in the play, the writer caricaturesly reveals the essence of the devastation of the noble class of that time, the spinelessness and lack of initiative of the aristocracy, idealizing the events taking place, which are already being actively replaced by representatives of commerce and business merchants in the form of Lopakhin, striving for a dominant position in society.

Option 2

Leonid Alekseevich Gaev is one of the heroes of the play “The Cherry Orchard” by the great Russian writer and playwright Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. In his image, as in Ranevskaya, the author depicted the past of Russia. He is a representative of the nobility, an aristocrat, and at the same time, wanting to show that their time is over, the author purposefully makes Gaev a bankrupt landowner.

Gaev is already 51 years old, but at the same time he is absolutely not independent. The old servant Firs still dresses and undresses him, like a little child, carefully watching that the master does not catch a cold. Gaev is infinitely lazy. When the question of selling the Cherry Orchard at auction arises, he only makes long, pathetic and solemn speeches, swearing that under no circumstances will he allow the sale... But that’s all. In practice, no action was taken or even weak attempts to do anything. Gaev is an example of pure egoism. Caring only about himself, he really doesn’t care what happens to the Cherry Orchard. At the end of the play, he forgets about his old devoted servant Firs.

Gaev's hobby is playing billiards, and he also likes to eat candy. The passion for games and sweets emphasizes the character’s infantilism. After selling the garden, Leonid Alekseevich will get a job at a bank, but no one believes that this will last long. Everyone knows his inconstancy and laziness.

Chekhov contrasts Gaev with Lopakhin, who is a typical representative of the merchant class of that time. Leonid Alekseevich speaks poorly of Lopakhin, considers him a boor and a brute. He rejects his business proposal to rent out the Cherry Orchard for dachas, which in reality could have saved the garden, citing the mythical vulgarity of such a deal. At the same time, Gaev does not consider it shameful to beg for money from others. In the play, he says that it would be nice to go to his aunt-countess - to ask for money to cover debts or receive an inheritance, or to marry Anya, his niece, to a rich man

The purpose of creating “The Cherry Orchard” was to display the division of society of that time into the past (Ranevskaya, Gaev), present (Lopakhin) and future of Russia (Petya Trofimov, Anya). Gaev is an image of the outdated noble past of Russia. He is helpless and absolutely not adapted to modern life.

Essay Image and characteristics of Gaev

The play The Cherry Orchard still remains relevant; many of the characters are written with incredible texture and represent collective images of various human types. One of the main characters is Leonid Andreevich Gaev, who throughout his entire existence was a landowner and was always ready for everything. When the time comes for a new time and need arises, Gaev does not know what to do.

In fact, we need to consider this hero as the antithesis of Lopakhin and vice versa. From birth, Gaev remained in bliss; he was constantly taken care of and accustomed to the wealth and habits of people of the upper class. In turn, Lopakhin represents a man, as they say in America, “who made himself.” He is somewhat similar, for example, to Stolz from Goncharov’s novel, he is also an active, mostly materialist who strives to achieve everything.

Gaev is a spacious and mostly dreamy, inactive nature. He literally cannot take care of his estate himself, but can only think about how good it would be to receive some kind of indulgence, some kind of contentment from other people. Having lived like this until he was 50 years old, he can no longer choose anything else, and only at the end of the play do we learn about how Leodnid Andreevich gets a job as a bank employee.

As Lopakhin says, Gaev will not be able to hold out at this job, since he is very lazy and this really makes sense. Lopakhin, of course, treats the landowner with contempt in many respects and does not miss the opportunity to tease him, but he gives very clear definitions that correspond to reality.

It seems to me that in the image of Gaev, Chekhov depicted the crisis of the aristocratic class and the crisis among the landowners.

As you know, in order to maintain power, you must have clear and firm convictions, as well as the ability to defend these convictions in fact. Leonid Andreevich, in turn, is an aristocrat only in name; he is a landowner by inheritance, but in fact he would not be able to achieve the privileges that he has.

In my opinion, the figure of Gaev is sad and even to some extent tragic, although it does not evoke sympathy.

Several interesting essays

• The main characters of Hoffmann's Nutcracker

  Hoffmann's fairy tale “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” is one of the symbols of Christmas and New Year. Even the ballet of the same name is the highlight of the theater program at this time.

• Essay Conflict of generations in the novel Fathers and Sons of Turgenev

  In the novel “Fathers and Sons” by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev, it is written about the conflict of different generations. The main character Evgeny Bazarov is a very hardworking person. He likes exact sciences

• Azamat in the novel Hero of Our Time Lermontov's characterization and image

  Azamat is a young highlander who strives to imitate Kazbich in everything. Probably Azamat is spoiled and lacks the true pride and dignity of a prince’s son

Most people live without noticing how many beautiful things surround us. You need to have special qualities to see beauty in simple things. If you find it difficult to see a miracle, just look around, most miracles are provided to us by nature.

In our family, sport has become a good tradition that can unite us and unite us in the most difficult times.

A.P. Chekhov wrote his famous play “The Cherry Orchard” in 1903. In this play, the central place is occupied not so much by the personal experiences of the characters, but by an allegorical vision of the fate of Russia. Some characters personify the past (Ranevskaya, Gaev, Firs, Varya), others - the future (Lopakhin, Trofimov, Anya). The characters in Chekhov's play "The Cherry Orchard" reflect the society of that time.

Main characters

The heroes of Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" are lyrical characters with special features. For example, Epikhodov, who was constantly unlucky, or Trofimov, an “eternal student.” Below will be presented all the characters of the play "The Cherry Orchard":

• Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna, mistress of the estate.
• Anya, her daughter, 17 years old. I am not indifferent to Trofimov.
• Varya, her adopted daughter, 24 years old. In love with Lopakhin.
• Gaev Leonid Andreevich, brother of Ranevskaya.
• Lopakhin Ermolai Alekseevich, a native of peasants, now a merchant. He likes Varya.
• Trofimov Pyotr Sergeevich, eternal student. He likes Anya, but he is above love.
• Simeonov-Pishchik Boris Borisovich, a landowner who constantly has no money, but he believes in the possibility of unexpected enrichment.
• Charlotte Ivanovna, the maid, loves to show tricks.
• Epikhodov Semyon Panteleevich, clerk, unlucky man. He wants to marry Dunyasha.
• Dunyasha, the maid, considers herself like a lady. In love with Yasha.
• Firs, an old footman, constantly takes care of Gaev.
• Yasha, Ranevskaya's spoiled lackey.

Images of the characters in the play

A.P. Chekhov always very accurately and subtly noticed his features in each character, be it appearance or character. This Chekhovian feature is also supported by the play “The Cherry Orchard” - the images of the heroes here are lyrical and even a little touching. Each has its own unique features. For convenience, the characteristics of the heroes of The Cherry Orchard can be divided into groups.

Old generation

Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna appears as a very frivolous but kind woman who cannot fully understand that all her money has run out. She is in love with some scoundrel who left her without funds. And then Ranevskaya returns with Anya to Russia. They can be compared to people who left Russia: no matter how good it is abroad, they still continue to yearn for their homeland. The image chosen by Chekhov for his homeland will be written below.

Ranevskaya and Gaev are the personification of the nobility, the wealth of past years, which during the author’s time began to decline. Both brother and sister cannot fully understand this, but nevertheless they feel that something is happening. And by the way they begin to act, you can see the reaction of Chekhov’s contemporaries - it was either a move abroad, or an attempt to adapt to new conditions.

Firs is an image of a servant who was always faithful to her masters and did not want any change in order, because they did not need it. If with the first main characters of “The Cherry Orchard” it is clear why they are considered in this group, then why can Varya be included here?

Because Varya occupies a passive position: she humbly accepts the developing position, but her dream is the opportunity to walk to holy places, and strong faith was characteristic of people of the older generation. And Varya, despite her seemingly vigorous activity, does not take an active part in conversations about the fate of the cherry orchard and does not offer any solutions, which shows the passivity of the wealthy class of that time.

Younger generation

Representatives of the future of Russia will be considered here - these are educated young people who put themselves above any feelings, which was fashionable in the early 1900s. At that time, public duty and the desire to develop science were put in first place. But one should not assume that Anton Pavlovich portrayed revolutionary-minded youth - this is, rather, a depiction of the majority of the intelligentsia of that time, who were only engaged in discussing lofty topics, putting themselves above human needs, but were not adapted to anything.

All this was embodied in Trofimov - the “eternal student” and “shabby gentleman”, who was never able to graduate from anything and had no profession. Throughout the play he only talked about various matters and despised Lopakhin and Varya, who was able to admit the idea of ​​his possible romance with Anya - he is “above love.”

Anya is a kind, sweet, still completely inexperienced girl who admires Trofimov and listens carefully to everything he says. She personifies youth, who have always been interested in the ideas of the intelligentsia.

But one of the most striking and characteristic images of that era was Lopakhin, a native of peasants who managed to make a fortune for himself. But, despite his wealth, he remained essentially a simple man. This is an active person, a representative of the so-called “kulaks” class - wealthy peasants. Ermolai Alekseevich respected work, and work always came first for him, so he kept postponing an explanation with Varya.

It was during that period that Lopakhin’s hero could appear - then this “rising” peasantry, proud of the realization that they were no longer slaves, showed a higher adaptability to life than the nobles, which is proven by the fact that it was Lopakhin who bought Ranevskaya’s estate.

Why was the characterization of the characters in The Cherry Orchard chosen specifically for these characters? Because it is on the characteristics of the characters that their internal conflicts will be built.

Internal conflicts in the play

The play shows not only the personal experiences of the characters, but also the confrontation between them, which makes the images of the heroes of “The Cherry Orchard” brighter and deeper. Let's take a closer look at them.

Ranevskaya - Lopakhin

The most important conflict is in the pair Ranevskaya - Lopakhin. And it is due to several reasons:

• belonging to different generations;
• contrast of characters.

Lopakhin is trying to help Ranevskaya preserve the estate by cutting down the cherry orchard and building dachas in its place. But for Raevskaya this is impossible - after all, she grew up in this house, and “dachas are so vulgar.” And in the fact that it was Ermolai Alekseevich who bought the estate, she sees this as a betrayal on his part. For him, buying a cherry orchard is the resolution of his personal conflict: he, a simple man, whose ancestors could not go beyond the kitchen, has now become the owner. And this is where his main triumph lies.

Lopakhin - Trofimov

The conflict in a pair of these people occurs due to the fact that they have opposing views. Trofimov considers Lopakhin an ordinary guy, rude, limited, who is not interested in anything other than work. The same one believes that Pyotr Sergeevich is simply wasting his mental abilities, does not understand how one can live without money, and does not accept the ideology that man is above all earthly things.

Trofimov - Varya

The confrontation is most likely based on personal hostility. Varya despises Peter because he is not busy with anything, and fears that with the help of his clever speeches he will make Anya fall in love with him. Therefore, Varya tries in every possible way to prevent them. Trofimov teases the girl “Madame Lopakhina,” knowing that everyone has been waiting for this event for a long time. But he despises her because she equated him and Anya with herself and Lopakhin, because they are above all earthly passions.

So, above it was briefly written about the characters of the heroes of Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard”. We described only the most significant characters. Now we can move on to the most interesting thing - the image of the main character of the play.

The main character of "The Cherry Orchard"

The attentive reader has already guessed (or is guessing) that this is a cherry orchard. He personifies Russia itself in the play: its past, present and future. Why did the orchard itself become the main character of “The Cherry Orchard”?

Because it is to this estate that Ranevskaya returns after all the misadventures abroad, because it is because of him that the heroine’s internal conflict intensifies (fear of losing the garden, awareness of her helplessness, reluctance to part with it), and a confrontation arises between Ranevskaya and Lopakhin.

The Cherry Orchard also helps resolve Lopakhin’s internal conflict: it reminded him that he is a peasant, an ordinary man who miraculously managed to get rich. And the opportunity that arose with the purchase of the estate to cut down this garden meant that now nothing else in those parts could remind him of his origin.

What did the garden mean to the heroes?

For convenience, you can write the characters’ attitude towards the cherry orchard in a table.

Symbolism of the cherry orchard in the play

But how then is the image of the main character of “The Cherry Orchard” connected with the image of the Motherland? Through this garden, Anton Chekhov showed the past: when the country was rich, the class of nobles was in its prime, and no one thought about the abolition of serfdom. In the present, there is already a decline in society: it is divided, guidelines are changing. Russia was already on the threshold of a new era, the nobility was becoming smaller, and the peasants were gaining strength. And the future is shown in Lopakhin’s dreams: the country will be ruled by those who are not afraid to work - only those people will be able to lead the country to prosperity.

The sale of Ranevskaya's cherry orchard for debts and its purchase by Lopakhin is a symbolic transfer of the country from the rich class to ordinary workers. Debt here means debt for how their owners treated them for a long time, how they exploited the common people. And the fact that power in the country is passing to the common people is a natural result of the path along which Russia has moved. And the nobility had only to do what Ranevskaya and Gaev did - go abroad or go to work. And the younger generation will try to fulfill their dreams of a bright future.

Conclusion

Having carried out such a small analysis of the work, one can understand that the play “The Cherry Orchard” is a deeper creation than it might seem at first glance. Anton Pavlovich was able to masterfully convey the mood of society at that time, the situation in which it found itself. And the writer did this very gracefully and subtly, which allows this play to remain loved by readers for a long time.

The prototypes of Ranevskaya, according to the author, were Russian ladies who lived idly in Monte Carlo, whom Chekhov observed abroad in 1900 and early 1901: “And what insignificant women... [about a certain lady. - V.K.] “she lives here with nothing to do, just eats and drinks...” How many Russian women die here” (from a letter from O.L. Knipper).

At first, Ranevskaya’s image seems sweet and attractive to us. But then it acquires stereoscopicity and complexity: the lightness of her stormy experiences is revealed, exaggeration in the expression of feelings: “I can’t sit still, I’m not able to. (Jumps up and walks around in great excitement.) I won’t survive this joy... Laugh at me, I’m stupid... The closet is my dear. (Kisses the closet.) My table...” At one time, the literary critic D. N. Ovsyaniko-Kulikovsky even asserted, referring to the behavior of Ranevskaya and Gaev: “The terms “frivolity” and “emptiness” are no longer used here in a common and general way , and in a closer - psychopathological - sense, the behavior of these characters in the play “is incompatible with the concept of a normal, healthy psyche.” But the fact of the matter is that all the characters in Chekhov’s play are normal, ordinary people, only their ordinary life and everyday life are viewed by the author as if through a magnifying glass.

Ranevskaya, despite the fact that her brother (Leonid Andreevich Gaev) calls her a “vicious woman,” oddly enough, evokes respect and love from all the characters in the play. Even the footman Yasha, as a witness to her Parisian secrets and quite capable of familiar treatment, does not occur to him to be cheeky with her. Culture and intelligence gave Ranevskaya the charm of harmony, sobriety of mind, and subtlety of feelings. She is smart, capable of telling the bitter truth about herself and about others, for example, about Pete Trofimov, to whom she says: “You have to be a man, at your age you have to understand those who love. And you have to love yourself... “I am above love!” You are not above love, but simply, as our Firs says, you are a klutz.”

And yet, there is much that evokes sympathy in Ranevskaya. Despite all her lack of will and sentimentality, she is characterized by a breadth of nature and a capacity for selfless kindness. This attracts Petya Trofimov. And Lopakhin says about her: “She is a good person. An easy, simple person."

Ranevskaya’s double, but a less significant personality, is Gaev in the play; it is no coincidence that in the list of characters he is presented by belonging to his sister: “Ranevskaya’s brother.” And he is sometimes able to say smart things, sometimes be sincere, self-critical. But the sister’s shortcomings - frivolity, impracticality, lack of will - become caricatures in Gaev. Lyubov Andreevna only kisses the closet in a fit of emotion, while Gaev makes a speech in front of him in “high style.” In his own eyes, he is an aristocrat of the highest circle, Lopakhina does not seem to notice and tries to put “this boor” in his place. But his contempt—the contempt of an aristocrat who ate his fortune “on candy”—is ridiculous.

Gaev is infantile and absurd, for example, in the following scene:

“Firs. Leonid Andreevich, you are not afraid of God! When should you sleep?

Gaev (swatting away Firs). So be it, I’ll undress myself.”

Gaev is another version of spiritual degradation, emptiness and vulgarity.

It has been noted more than once in the history of literature, the unwritten “history” of the reader’s perception of Chekhov’s works, that he allegedly experienced a special prejudice towards the high society - towards noble, aristocratic Russia. These characters - landowners, princes, generals - appear in Chekhov's stories and plays not only empty, colorless, but sometimes stupid and poorly mannered. (A.A. Akhmatova, for example, reproached Chekhov: “And how he described representatives of the upper classes... He didn’t know these people! He didn’t know anyone higher than the assistant station manager... Everything is wrong, wrong!”)

However, it is hardly worth seeing in this fact a certain tendentiousness of Chekhov or his incompetence; the writer had a lot of knowledge of life. This is not the point, not the social “registration” of Chekhov’s characters. Chekhov did not idealize representatives of any class, any social group; he was, as we know, outside of politics and ideology, outside of social preferences. All classes “got it” from the writer, and the intelligentsia too: “I don’t believe in our intelligentsia, hypocritical, false, hysterical, ill-mannered, lazy, I don’t believe even when it suffers and complains, because its oppressors come from its own depths.” .

With that high cultural-moral, ethical-aesthetic demands, with that wise humor with which Chekhov approached man in general and his era in particular, social differences lost their meaning. This is the peculiarity of his “funny” and “sad” talent. In The Cherry Orchard itself there are not only idealized characters, but also absolutely positive heroes (this applies to Lopakhin (Chekhov’s “modern Russia”) and to Anya and Petya Trofimov (Russia of the future).

The image of Gaev in the play “The Cherry Orchard” is very important to understand correctly. This is necessary to understand how Chekhov treated members of the nobility. Our article describes in detail the image of Gaev in the play "The Cherry Orchard".

Gaev is the brother of the main character of the work, Ranevskaya, practically her double. His image, however, is less significant than the image of this woman. That is why the hero we are interested in is presented as “Ranevskaya’s brother” in the list of characters, although he is older than his sister and has the same rights to the estate.

Gaev's social status

The photo above shows Stanislavsky in the role of Gaev. Leonid Andreevich Gaev is a landowner who ate his fortune “on candy.” He leads a rather idle lifestyle. Nevertheless, he is surprised that the garden needs to be sold for debts. This man is already 51 years old, but he does not have his own family. Gaev lives in an old estate that is being destroyed right before his eyes. He is under the care of Firs, an old footman. Gaev’s characterization should also be supplemented by the fact that he is constantly trying to borrow money from someone in order to at least cover the interest on his debts and the debts of his sister. for him is to repay all loans. This landowner hopes to receive an inheritance from someone, marry Anna off to a wealthy person, and go to Yaroslavl, where he can try his luck with the Countess Aunt.

Caricature of the nobility

The image of Gaev in the play "The Cherry Orchard" is a caricature of the nobility. The negative qualities of the landowner Ranevskaya are even more uglier in the character of her brother, which emphasizes the comedy of everything that happens. Gaev's description, unlike Ranevskaya's, is placed mainly in stage directions. His character is revealed mainly through actions, and the other characters in the play say very little about him.

The attitude of others towards Gaev

The author tells us very little about Gaev's past. However, we understand that this person is educated, that he knows how to clothe his thoughts in beautiful speeches, albeit empty. The hero we are interested in lived his entire life on the estate. He was a regular at men's clubs, where he indulged in playing billiards, his favorite pastime. It was from there that Gaev brought all the news. Here he was offered the position of an employee in a bank with a good annual salary of 6 thousand. Those around him were very surprised by this proposal. Sister Gaeva directly says to Leonid Andreevich: “Where are you! Sit down.” Lopakhin also expresses his doubts about this, believing that Gaev will not be able to hold on to the proposed position, since he is “very lazy.” Only Anya, the hero’s niece, believes in him.

What caused this distrust towards Gaev? Those around him even show some disdain for this hero. Even the lackey Yasha treats him with disrespect. Let's resolve this issue, which will help us better understand the image of Gaev in the play "The Cherry Orchard".

Leonid Andreevich

Gaev is a man who can be called an empty talker. He sometimes starts ranting at the most inopportune moments. Because of this, his interlocutors are confused and often ask him to shut up. Gaev Leonid Andreevich himself realizes this, but cannot cope with the unpleasant trait of his character. In addition, the characterization of Gaev’s image should be supplemented by the fact that he is very infantile. Leonid Andreevich cannot defend his opinion, he is not even able to properly formulate his point of view. This hero often cannot say anything of substance. Instead, he says his favorite word, "whom." Inappropriate billiard terms also constantly appear in the speech of the hero we are interested in.

Relationships with Firs, sister and nieces

The servant Firs still follows his master as if he were a small child. He either shakes off the dust from his trousers, or brings Gaev a warm coat. Meanwhile, Leonid Andreevich is an adult fifty-year-old man. However, he does not consider such guardianship on the part of his servant shameful. The hero even goes to bed under the supervision of his lackey, who is sincerely attached to him. Despite such devotion to Firs, at the end of the work Gaev forgets about him.

He loves his sister and his nieces. In his family, Gaev is the only man. However, he was unable to become the head of the family. The hero is unable to help anyone, since it doesn’t even occur to him. This indicates that Gaev’s feelings are very shallow.

Is the cherry orchard dear to Gaev?

The image of Leonid Gaev is also revealed in his attitude to the cherry orchard. He means a lot to our hero, as well as to his sister. Gaev does not want to accept Lopakhin’s offer, just like Ranevskaya. He thinks that it would be “nice” to divide his estate into plots and rent them out. After all, this will bring his family closer to businessmen like Lopakhin. This would be unacceptable for Leonid Andreevich, since he considers himself a true aristocrat and looks down on merchants like Ermolai Alekseevich. When Gaev returns from the auction where his estate was sold, he is depressed, tears are visible in his eyes. However, when he hears the cue hitting the balls, his mood immediately improves. This fact tells us that the hero is not characterized by deep experiences. This is an important feature that complements the image of Gaev in the play “The Cherry Orchard” by Chekhov.

The meaning of Gaev's image

The character we are interested in closes the chain, which consists of images of nobles depicted by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. The author introduced us to the “heroes of their time” - well-educated aristocrats who cannot defend their ideals. Because of this weakness of the nobles, people like Lopakhin have the opportunity to occupy a dominant position in society. Anton Pavlovich deliberately understated the image of Gaev in the comedy “The Cherry Orchard” as much as possible, making him a caricature. This was necessary in order to show the degree of reduction of the nobles.

Was the author of The Cherry Orchard a success?

His work is presented above) caused great stir. Many of his contemporaries belonging to the aristocracy were very critical of this play. They accused Anton Pavlovich of ignorance of their circle and of incorrectly portraying his class. Chekhov can hardly be blamed for this. After all, he sought to create not just a comedy, but a real farce, which he did very well. Of course, he succeeded in the image of Gaev. Many of our contemporaries are familiar with quotes from the comedy “The Cherry Orchard,” and the play itself is included in the compulsory school curriculum for literature. This work is still very popular in theaters in our country. All this speaks of the undoubted value of “The Cherry Orchard” from an artistic point of view.