A.P. Chekhov as a playwright lies in the fact that the action of his plays does not develop around a single conflict in which two main characters, polarizing in their qualities, are opposed. A.P. Chekhov simultaneously develops several storylines, the relationships of his characters are complex, and even minor characters have their own history and experiences.

The atmosphere of confusion and indecision is created by people who have no intelligible goal at all for various reasons. The youngest daughter of Ranevskaya Anya and lackey Firs lack of purpose can be explained by their age. Anya does not yet have her own life experience, assimilates other people's ideas (Trofimova), without subjecting them to critical assessment, having no idea how to implement them. For Firs, "life passed as if it had never lived." At the end of the play, he lies down on the sofa, and there is no need for him to get up, because those who can be taken care of have left. Governess Charlotte does not know who her parents were, who she herself is and why she exists.

The landowners Gaev and Simeonov-Pishchik would gladly not have any goal, they are satisfied with everything, and only extreme necessity makes them do something. Gaev writes a letter to a wealthy aunt-countess asking for money, gets a job at a bank. Simeonov-Pischik asks everyone to lend money until the British found valuable white clay on his land, for the right to extract which they paid generously. Lackey Yasha is also accustomed to a prosperous existence with a wealthy mistress in Paris. His only and fulfilled desire was to go abroad again, away from "ignorance." These heroes, so different in social status, are united by the habit of living at the expense of others.

The clerk Epikhodov suffers from an unrequited love for the maid Dunyasha, and she needlessly fell in love with the footman Yasha. The goals of these characters are dictated by their feelings, but end in nothing. Ranevskaya, after the sale of the cherry orchard, returns to her lover, forgiving betrayal in order to take care of him sick. Ranevskaya is driven by love and compassion. The eldest daughter of Ranevskaya Varya would agree to marry the merchant Lopakhin, if only he decided to propose to her. The love experiences of the listed heroes do not lead to any changes.

Finally, the most interesting, especially in comparison with each other, are the figures of Lopakhin and Trofimov. One has a specific goal and concrete ways to achieve it, the other has an abstract goal and one knows plans.

The merchant Lopakhin spends his days in tireless work, cannot stand inactivity, admires the immensity and wealth of his homeland. He is upset by his own illiteracy and the insufficient number of honest, decent people. He measures the result of his activities in numbers: how much poppy has been sown, how many thousands of rubles were raised for it, what may be the income from summer residents-tenants. Lopakhin is a successful entrepreneur, but he is visited by thoughts that you need to have a goal in addition to the pursuit of profit. He admits: "When I work for a long time, tirelessly, thoughts are easier, and it seems that I also know what I exist for."

Student Trofimov believes that it is necessary “to work, to help with all our might those who are looking for the truth,” shares with Anya an inexplicable presentiment of future happiness. Ranevskaya believes that Trofimov is looking forward so boldly, because he has not yet managed to "suffer" any of his questions. However, he tells Anya that he visited many places, managed to endure hunger, disease and poverty.

In the fourth act, Lopakhin offers Trofimov a loan, but Trofimov refuses, saying that he is a free man with different values. Trofimov believes that "humanity is moving towards the highest truth, to the highest happiness." What kind of happiness Trofimov had in mind, what ways he was going to go to him - the play does not give answers to these questions.

An analysis of the statements and actions of the heroes of The Cherry Orchard from the point of view of the existence of a goal and means of achieving it leads to the conclusion that all of them, with the exception of Lopakhin, do not know specific means, and their goals, if any, are not too significant and arose under the influence of circumstances. Such a number of "helpless" characters was necessary for A.P. Chekhov to present to the viewer a fading society of idle dreamers, the symbol of which is the cherry orchard.

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 Russian theater.

The main theme of the play is autobiographical - a bankrupt family of nobles is auctioning off their family estate. The author, as a person who has gone through a similar life situation, with a subtle psychologism describes the state of mind of people who are soon forced to leave their home. The novelty of the play is the lack of division of heroes into positive and negative, major and minor. They all fall into three categories:

• people of the past - noble aristocrats (Ranevskaya, Gaev and their lackey Firs);
• people of the present - their bright representative merchant-entrepreneur Lopakhin;
• people of the future - progressive youth of that time (Peter 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.

Analysis of the piece

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. At the railway station they are met by Gaev (Ranevskaya's brother) and Varya (her adopted daughter).

The financial situation of the Ranevsky family is approaching complete collapse. The entrepreneur Lopakhin offers his own version of the solution to the problem - to divide the land plot into shares and give them to summer residents for a certain fee. The lady is burdened by this offer, because for this she will have to say goodbye to her beloved cherry orchard, which is associated with many warm memories of her youth. Adding to the tragedy is the fact that her beloved son Grisha died in this garden. Gayev, imbued with the feelings 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 Pyotr Trofimov. He delivers an excited speech on 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 capable of imbuing with his lofty ideas.

The third act begins with Ranevskaya's last money inviting the orchestra and arranging a dance evening. At the same time, Gaev and Lopakhin are absent - they left for the city for the auction, where the Ranevskys' estate should go under the hammer. After anxious waiting, Lyubov Andreevna learns that her estate was bought at auction by Lopakhin, who does not hide the joy of his acquisition. The Ranevsky family is in despair.

The final is entirely devoted to the departure of the Ranevsky family from their home. The parting scene is shown with all the deep psychologicalism inherent in Chekhov. The play ends with a remarkably deep monologue by Firs, which the owners in a hurry forgot in the estate. The final chord is the sound of an ax. The cherry orchard is being cut.

main characters

Sentimental person, owner of the estate. Having lived for several years abroad, she is accustomed to a luxurious life and, by inertia, continues to allow herself a lot that, given 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 diligence, prudence, enterprise and rudeness, a "peasant" 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 comfort Ranevskaya, he comes up with fantastic plans to save the family estate. He is emotional, verbose, but at the same time completely inactive.

Petya Trofimov

An eternal student, a nihilist, an eloquent representative of the Russian intelligentsia, who stands up for the development of Russia only in words. In pursuit of the "higher truth", he denies love, considering it a shallow and ghostly feeling, which immensely grieves Ranevskaya's daughter Anya, who is in love with him.

A romantic 17-year-old young lady who fell under the influence of the populist Pyotr 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. A type of servant of the old times, he surrounds his masters with paternal care. He remained to serve his masters even after the abolition of serfdom.

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

The structure of the work

The structure of the piece is quite simple - 4 acts without dividing into separate scenes. The time of action is several months, from late spring to mid-autumn. In the first act there is an exposition and set-up, in the second - an increase in tension, in the third - the culmination (sale of the estate), in the fourth - the denouement. A characteristic feature of the play is the absence of genuine external conflict, dynamism, and unpredictable twists in the storyline. 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 modern production)

The play is dominated by the development of the emotional and psychological plan, the main driving force of the 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 will never appear on the stage. The effect of expanding the spatial boundaries is also given by the symmetrically arising theme of France, which gives an arched form to the play.

Final conclusion

Chekhov's last play, one might say, is his "swan song". The novelty of her dramatic language is a direct expression of the special Chekhovian concept of life, which is characterized by an extraordinary attention to small, seemingly insignificant details, focusing on the inner experiences of the characters.

In the play "The Cherry Orchard" the author captured the state of critical disunity in 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.

The Cherry Orchard is one of the brightest and most famous dramas of the twentieth century. Immediately after it was written by Anton Pavlovich whom we will introduce to you, it was staged at the Moscow Art Theater. To this day, this play does not leave Russian scenes.

The plot of the play is based on the fact that Lyubov Ranevskaya, together with her daughter Anna, returns from Paris to sell the family estate. Moreover, the heroine and her brother, Gaev, grew up in this place and do not want to believe in the need to part with him.

Their acquaintance, the merchant Lopakhin, is trying to offer a profitable enterprise for cutting down a garden and renting out the area for summer cottages, which Ranevskaya and Gaev do not want to hear about. Lyubov Andreevna harbors illusory hopes that the estate can still be saved. While she wasted all her life with money, the cherry orchard seems to her to be of higher value. But it is not possible to save him, since there is nothing to pay off the debts. Ranevskaya is broke, and Gaev "ate the estate on candy canes." Therefore, at the auction, Lopakhin still buys a cherry orchard and, intoxicated with his capabilities, shouts about it at the family ball. But she regrets Ranevskaya, who is brought to tears by the news of the sale of the estate.

After that, the cutting down of the cherry orchard begins and the heroes say goodbye to each other and to the old life.

We have given here the main storyline and the main conflict of this play: the "old" generation, which does not want to say goodbye to the cherry orchard, but at the same time cannot give it anything, and the "new" generation, full of radical ideas. Moreover, the estate itself here personifies Russia, and it was to depict the country of his day that Chekhov wrote "The Cherry Orchard". The summary of this work should show that the time of landlord power is passing, and nothing can be done about it. But there is also a replacement for it. A "new time" is coming - and it is not known whether it will be better or worse than the previous one. The author leaves the ending open, and we do not know what fate awaits the estate.

The work also uses the author's moves, allowing a deeper understanding of the atmosphere of Russia at that time, as Chekhov saw it. which gives an idea of ​​the main problems of the play, at first it is a pure comedy, but towards the end elements of tragedy appear in it.

Also in the play there is an atmosphere of "general deafness", which is even emphasized by the physical deafness of Gaev and Firs. Characters speak for themselves and for themselves, without listening to others. Therefore, remarks can often sound not as an answer to the question posed, but as a character's reflection aloud, which most fully demonstrates the qualities that Chekhov endowed him with. The Cherry Orchard, which has been analyzed several times, is also deeply symbolic, and each hero is not a specific person, but a generalized characteristic type of representatives of the era.

To understand this work, it is important to look at it deeper than just the sequence of actions. This is the only way to hear what Chekhov wanted to say. "The Cherry Orchard", its summary, plot and symbolism perfectly illustrate the author's view of the changes in Russia at that time.

The play does not have a classical setting, climax and dramatic action in the classical understanding of these concepts. The Cherry Orchard, like all Chekhov's plays, differs from the usual dramatic works. It is devoid of spectacular scenes and external variety.

The main event - the sale of an estate with a cherry orchard - takes place not in front of the audience, but behind the stage. On the stage, the viewer sees scenes of everyday life (people talk about everyday trifles, quarrel and reconcile, rejoice at the meeting, sad about the upcoming separation).

There are 4 actions in the comedy, which are not divided into phenomena. The timeline for the play is from May to October. The composition is circular - the play begins with the arrival of Ranevskaya from Paris and ends with her departure to Paris.

The composition itself reflects the empty, dull and eventless life of the nobles. To understand the author's attitude to what is happening and the characters, you need to pay close attention to the carefully thought-out system of images, the arrangement of the characters, the alternation of mise-en-scenes, the cohesion of monologues and dialogues, to individual remarks and author's remarks.

Action one

Exposition. Characters awaiting Ranevskaya's arrival from Paris. The viewer sees the atmosphere in the house, where everyone talks and thinks about their own, where an atmosphere of alienation and disunity reigns.

The tie. Ranevskaya appears with her daughter. It turns out that the estate is up for auction. Lopakhin offers to give it to the dachas, but Gaev and Ranevskaya are not able to make such a decision.

This is the beginning of a conflict, but not so much between people as between generations, past and present. The Cherry Orchard is a metaphor for the beautiful past of the nobles who are unable to preserve it. Time itself carries with it conflict.

Second action

Development of action. The fate of the cherry orchard and the Ranevskaya estate is being decided.

Act three

The climax. Somewhere behind the scene there is a sale of an estate and a cherry orchard, and on
stage - a ridiculous ball, arranged by Ranevskaya for the last money.

Action four

Interchange. After solving the problem, everyone calms down and rushes into the future - they leave. The blows of an ax are heard as the cherry orchard is being cut down. In the final scene, the old servant Firs remains in the boarded-up house.

The originality of the composition lies in the naturalness of the development of the action, complicated by parallel lines, digressions, everyday trifles, off-plot motives, in the nature of the dialogues. Dialogues are varied in content (everyday, comic, lyrical, dramatic).

The events in the play can only be called a rehearsal of the conflict that will happen in the future. It is not known what will happen to the characters of the play next and how their life will turn out.

The drama of The Cherry Orchard lies in the fact that tragic events will take place after the end of the play. The author does not reveal what awaits the characters in the future, as such there is no denouement. Therefore, the first act looks like an epilogue, and the last one looks like a prologue to a drama.

The play "The Cherry Orchard" is the last dramatic work in which Anton Pavlovich Chekhov pays tribute to his time, the nobles and such a vast concept as "estate", so valued by the author at all times.

The Cherry Orchard genre always served as a reason for controversy and gossip. Chekhov himself wished to classify the play as a comedy genre, thereby going against the critics and connoisseurs of literature, who in a voice convinced everyone that the work belonged to tragicomedy and drama. Thus, Anton Pavlovich gave readers the opportunity to judge his creation for themselves, observe and experience the variety of genres presented on the pages of the book.

Leitmotif of all scenes a cherry orchard is used in the play, because it is not just a background against which a whole series of events take place, but also a symbol of the course of life in the estate. Throughout his career, the author gravitated towards symbolism, not giving up on it in this play either. It is against the background of the cherry orchard that both external and internal conflicts develop.

The reader (or viewer) sees successive owners of the house, as well as the sale of an estate for debts. On a cursory reading, it is noticeable that all the opposing forces are represented in the play: young people, noble Russia and aspiring entrepreneurs. Of course, social confrontation, often taken as the main line of conflict, is obvious. However, more attentive readers may notice that the key reason for the collision is not social confrontation at all, but the conflict of key characters with their environment and reality.

"Underwater" course of the play no less interesting than its main plot. Chekhov builds his narrative on semitones, where, among the unambiguous and indisputable events, taken as fact and for granted, from time to time there are questions of life that emerge throughout the play. “Who am I and what do I want?” Firs, Epikhodov, Charlotte Ivanovna and many other heroes ask themselves. Thus, it becomes obvious that the leading motive of The Cherry Orchard is not at all the opposition of social strata, but loneliness that haunts every hero throughout his life.

Teffi described "The Cherry Orchard" with only one saying: "Laughter through tears", analyzing this immortal work. It is both funny and sad to read it, realizing that both conflicts raised by the author are relevant to this day.
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the subtopic can be divided into the past, this is Gaev and Ranevskaya, who absolutely do not know how to spin in life, the present is Yermolai Lopakhin, a merchant, he knows what is needed, he does everything prudently, and the future is Anya and Petya Trofimov, "humanity is moving towards the highest truth and I am in front row "of his quote. Russia is our garden .. and at the end, "you can only hear how they knock on the trees with an ax .." that is, the garden was destroyed and no one was able to properly dispose of it.
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Cherry Orchard 1903 A summary of the comedy

The estate of the landowner Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya. Spring, cherry trees are blooming. But the beautiful garden must soon be sold for debt. For the past five years, Ranevskaya and her seventeen-year-old daughter Anya have lived abroad. Ranevskaya's brother Leonid Andreevich Gaev and her adopted daughter, twenty-four-year-old Varya, remained on the estate. Ranevskaya is not doing well, there are almost no funds left. Lyubov Andreevna always littered with money. Her husband died of drunkenness six years ago. Ranevskaya fell in love with another person, got along with him. But soon her little son Grisha died tragically by drowning in the river. Lyubov Andreevna, unable to bear the grief, fled abroad. The lover followed her. When he fell ill, Ranevskaya had to settle him at her dacha near Menton and take care of him for three years. And then, when he had to sell the dacha for debts and move to Paris, he robbed and left Ranevskaya.

Gaev and Varya meet Lyubov Andreevna and Anya at the station. At home, the maid Dunyasha and the familiar merchant Ermolai Alekseevich Lopakhin are waiting for them. Lopakhin's father was a serf of the Ranevskys, he himself became rich, but says about himself that he remained a "peasant peasant." The clerk Epikhodov comes, a man with whom something constantly happens and who was nicknamed "twenty-two misfortunes."

At last the carriages arrive. The house is filled with people, everyone is pleasantly excited. Everyone talks about their own. Lyubov Andreevna examines the rooms and through tears of joy recalls the past. The maid Dunyasha can't wait to tell the young lady that Epikhodov proposed to her. Anya herself advises Varya to marry Lopakhin, and Varya dreams of marrying Anya off as a rich man. The governess Charlotte Ivanovna, a strange and eccentric person, boasts about her amazing dog, the neighbor landowner Simeonov-Pischik asks for a loan. He hears almost nothing and the old faithful servant Firs mutters all the time.

Lopakhin reminds Ranevskaya that the estate should soon be sold at auction, the only way out is to split the land into plots and lease them to summer residents. Ranevskaya Lopakhin's proposal surprises: how can you cut down her favorite wonderful cherry orchard! Lopakhin wants to stay longer with Ranevskaya, whom he loves "more than his own," but it's time for him to leave. Gaev addresses a hundred-year-old "respected" wardrobe with a welcoming speech, but then, embarrassed, again begins to uselessly utter his favorite billiard words.

Ranevskaya does not immediately recognize Petya Trofimov: this is how he changed, grew ugly, the "dear student" turned into an "eternal student." Lyubov Andreevna cries, remembering her little drowned son Grisha, whose teacher was Trofimov.

Gayev, left alone with Varya, tries to talk about business. There is a rich aunt in Yaroslavl, who, however, does not like them: after all, Lyubov Andreevna did not marry a nobleman, and she did not behave "very virtuous". Gaev loves his sister, but still calls her "vicious", which displeases Ani. Gaev continues to build projects: his sister will ask Lopakhin for money, Anya will go to Yaroslavl - in a word, they will not allow the estate to be sold, Gaev even swears about it. Grumpy Firs finally takes the master, like a child, to sleep. Anya is calm and happy: her uncle will arrange everything.

Lopakhin never ceases to persuade Ranevskaya and Gaev to accept his plan. The three of them had breakfast in the city and, returning, stopped in a field near the chapel. Just here, on the same bench, Epikhodov tried to explain himself to Dunyasha, but she already preferred the young cynical lackey Yasha to him. Ranevskaya and Gaev do not seem to hear Lopakhin and talk about completely different things. Without convincing the "frivolous, non-business, strange" people of anything, Lopakhin wants to leave. Ranevskaya asks him to stay: with him "still more fun."

Anya, Varya and Petya Trofimov arrive. Ranevskaya starts a conversation about a “proud person”. According to Trofimov, there is no point in pride: a rude, unhappy person needs not to admire himself, but to work. Petya condemns the intelligentsia, incapable of work, those people who philosophize importantly, but treat men like animals. Lopakhin enters the conversation: he just works "from morning to evening", dealing with large capitals, but he is more and more convinced that there are few decent people around. Lopakhin does not finish, Ranevskaya interrupts him. In general, everyone here does not want and do not know how to listen to each other. There is a silence in which the distant sad sound of a broken string is heard.

Soon, everyone disperses. Left alone, Anya and Trofimov are happy to have the opportunity to talk together, without Varya. Trofimov convinces Anya that one must be “above love”, that the main thing is freedom: “all Russia is our garden,” but in order to live in the present, one must first redeem the past by suffering and labor. Happiness is close: if not they, then others will definitely see it.

The twenty-second of August arrives, the day of trading. It was on this evening, quite inappropriately, that a ball was being organized in the estate, and a Jewish orchestra was invited. Once upon a time, generals and barons danced here, but now, as Firs laments, the postal official and the station chief "are not going to be hunted." Guests are entertained by Charlotte Ivanovna with her tricks. Ranevskaya anxiously awaits her brother's return. Yaroslavl's aunt still sent fifteen thousand, but they are not enough to redeem the estate.

Petya Trofimov "calms" Ranevskaya: it's not about the garden, it's over for a long time, you need to face the truth. Lyubov Andreevna asks not to condemn her, to regret: after all, without the cherry orchard, her life loses its meaning. Every day Ranevskaya receives telegrams from Paris. The first time she tore them at once, then - having read them first, now she no longer tears. “This wild man,” whom she still loves, begs her to come. Petya condemns Ranevskaya for her love of "a petty scoundrel, nothingness." Angry Ranevskaya, unable to restrain herself, takes revenge on Trofimov, calling him a "funny eccentric", "freak", "neat": "You must love yourself ... you must fall in love!" Petya, in horror, tries to leave, but then stays, dances with Ranevskaya, who asked him for forgiveness.

Finally, a confused, joyful Lopakhin and a tired Gaev appear, who, without telling anything, immediately goes to his room. The cherry orchard was sold, and Lopakhin bought it. The "new landowner" is happy: he managed to surpass the rich man Deriganov at the auction, giving ninety thousand in excess of the debt. Lopakhin picks up the keys thrown on the floor by the proud Varya. Let the music play, let everyone see how Yermolai Lopakhin “enough with an ax in the cherry orchard”!

Anya consoles her crying mother: the garden is sold, but there is a whole life ahead. There will be a new garden, more luxurious than this, they will have a "quiet deep joy" ...

The house is empty. Its inhabitants, having said goodbye to each other, disperse. Lopakhin is going to Kharkov for the winter, Trofimov is returning to Moscow, to the university. Lopakhin and Petya exchange barbs. Although Trofimov calls Lopakhin a "predatory beast" necessary "in the sense of metabolism," he still loves in him a "gentle, subtle soul." Lopakhin offers Trofimov money for the trip. He refuses: no one should have power over the “free man”, “in the forefront of the movement” to “the highest happiness”.

Ranevskaya and Gaev even cheered up after the sale of the cherry orchard. Previously, they worried, suffered, but now they have calmed down. Ranevskaya is going to live in Paris for the time being with the money sent by her aunt. Anya is inspired: a new life is beginning - she will graduate from high school, work, read books, a "new wonderful world" will open before her. Suddenly, a breathless Simeonov-Pischik appears and instead of asking for money, on the contrary, distributes debts. It turned out that the British had found white clay on his land.

Everyone settled down differently. Gaev says that he is now a banking campaigner. Lopakhin promises to find a new place for Charlotte, Varya got a job as a housekeeper for the Ragulins, Epikhodov, hired by Lopakhin, remains on the estate, Firs should be sent to the hospital. But still Gaev sadly says: "Everyone is abandoning us ... we suddenly became unnecessary."

An explanation must finally occur between Varya and Lopakhin. For a long time Varya has been teased "Madame Lopakhin". Vara likes Yermolai Alekseevich, but she herself cannot make an offer. Lopakhin, who also speaks very well of Vara, agrees to "end it at once" with this case. But, when Ranevskaya arranges their meeting, Lopakhin, never daring, leaves Varya, using the very first pretext.

“It's time to go! On the road! " - with these words they leave the house, locking all the doors. All that remains is the old Firs, whom, it would seem, everyone took care of, but whom they forgot to send to the hospital. Firs, sighing that Leonid Andreyevich went in an overcoat, and not in a fur coat, lies down to rest and lies motionless. The same sound of a broken string is heard. "Silence sets in, and you can only hear how far away in the garden they are knocking on a tree with an ax."

Retold . A source: All the masterpieces of world literature in a summary. Plots and characters. Russian literature of the XIX century / Ed. and comp. V.I. Novikov. - M.: Olymp: ACT, 1996 .-- 832 p. On the cover:

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"The Cherry Orchard" is the last work of AP Chekhov. The writer was terminally ill when he wrote this play. He was aware that he would soon die, and, probably, that is why the whole play is filled with some kind of quiet sadness and tenderness. This is the great writer’s farewell to everything that was dear to him: to the people, to Russia, whose fate worried him until the last minute. Probably, at such a moment, a person thinks about everything: about the past - he remembers the most important things and sums up the results - as well as about the present and future of those whom he leaves on this earth. In the play "The Cherry Orchard" it was as if a meeting of the past, present and future took place. It seems that the heroes of the play belong to three different eras: some live in yesterday and are absorbed in memories of times long past, others are busy with momentary affairs and strive to benefit from everything they have at the moment, and still others look far ahead, not accepting into account real events.
Thus, the past, present and future do not merge into one whole: they exist by piecework and sort things out among themselves.
Gaev and Ranevskaya are prominent representatives of the past. Chekhov pays tribute to the education and refinement of the Russian nobility. Both Gaev and Ranevskaya know how to appreciate beauty. They find the most poetic words to express their feelings in relation to everything that surrounds them - be it an old house, a favorite garden, in a word, everything that is dear to them.
since childhood. They even refer to the wardrobe as to an old friend: “Dear, dear wardrobe! I greet your existence, which for more than a hundred years has been directed towards the bright ideals of goodness and justice ... ”Ranevskaya, finding herself at home after five years of separation, is ready to kiss every thing that reminds her of her childhood and youth. Home for her is a living person, a witness to all her joys and sorrows. Ranevskaya has a very special attitude to the garden - he seems to personify all the best and brightest that was in her life, is a part of her soul. Looking out the window at the garden, she exclaims: “O my childhood, my purity! In this nursery I slept, looked from here at the garden, happiness woke up with me every morning, and then he was exactly the same, nothing changed. " Ranevskaya's life was not easy: she lost her husband early, and soon after that her seven-year-old son died. The person with whom she tried to connect life turned out to be unworthy - he cheated on her and squandered her money. But returning home for her is like falling to a life-giving source: she again feels young and happy. All the pain that boiled in her soul and the joy of meeting are expressed in her address to the garden: “O my garden! After a dark, rainy autumn and cold winter, you are young again, full of happiness, the angels have not left you ... ”The garden for Ranevskaya is closely connected with the image of the deceased mother - she directly sees her mother in a white dress walking through the garden.
Neither Gaev nor Ranevskaya can allow their estate to be leased to summer residents. They consider this very idea vulgar, but at the same time they do not want to face reality: the day of the auction is approaching, and the estate will be sold under the hammer. Gaev shows complete infantilism in this matter (the remark “Puts a lollipop in his mouth” seems to confirm this): “We will pay the interest, I’m convinced ...” Where did he get such conviction? Who is he counting on? Obviously not on myself. Having no reason for that, he swears to Varya: “I swear by my honor, what you want, I swear, the estate will not be sold! ... I swear by my happiness! Here is my hand for you, call me then a trashy, dishonest person, if I admit it to the auction! I swear with my whole being! " Beautiful but empty words. Lopakhin is a different matter. This person does not throw words to the wind. He sincerely tries to explain to Ranevskaya and Gaeva that there is a real way out of this situation: “Every day I say the same thing. Both the cherry orchard and the land must be leased out for summer cottages, to do it now, as soon as possible - the auction is right around the corner! Understand! Once you finally decide to have summer cottages, you will be given as much money as you like, and then you will be saved. " With this call, the “present” refers to the “past,” but the “past” does not heed. “To finally solve” is a daunting task for people of this kind. It is easier for them to be in a world of illusion. But Lopakhin does not waste time. He simply buys this estate and rejoices in the presence of the unfortunate and disadvantaged Ranevskaya. Buying an estate for him has a special meaning: "I bought an estate where my grandfather and father were slaves, where they were not even allowed into the kitchen." This is the pride of the plebeian who “wiped his nose” to the aristocrats. He only regrets that his father and grandfather do not see his triumph. Knowing what the cherry orchard meant in the life of Ranevskaya, he literally dances on her bones: “Hey, musicians, play, I wish to listen to you! Come all to watch how Yermolai Lopakhin will stop with an ax in the cherry orchard, how the trees will fall to the ground! ” And right there she sympathizes with the sobbing Ranevskaya: "Oh, it would be more likely that all this would pass, it would sooner change somehow our awkward, unhappy life." But this is a momentary weakness, because he is experiencing his finest hour. Lopakhin is a man of the present, the master of life, but is he the future?
Perhaps the man of the future is Petya Trofimov? He is a lover of truth (“You must not deceive yourself, you must at least once in your life look the truth straight in the eye”). He is not interested in his own appearance (“I don’t want to be handsome”). He apparently considers love to be a relic of the past (“We are higher than love”). Everything material does not attract him either. He is ready to destroy both the past and the present “to the ground, and then ...” And then what? Is it possible to grow a garden without knowing how to appreciate beauty? Petya gives the impression of a frivolous and superficial person. Chekhov, apparently, is not at all happy with the prospect of such a future for Russia.
The rest of the characters in the play are also representatives of three different eras. For example, old servant Firs is all from the past. All his ideals are associated with distant times. He considers the reform of 1861 to be the beginning of all troubles. He does not need "will", since his whole life is devoted to masters. Firs is a very integral nature, he is the only hero of the play, endowed with such a quality as devotion.
Lackey Yasha is akin to Lopakhin - no less enterprising, but even more soulless person. Who knows, maybe he will soon become the master of life?
The last page of the play has been read, but there is no answer to the question: "So with whom does the writer associate his hopes for a new life?" There is a feeling of some kind of confusion and anxiety: who will decide the fate of Russia? Who can save beauty?