Remembering the classics: A. P. Chekhov, "The Death of an Official," a brief summary

"To squeeze out a drop by drop of a slave" is, in Chekhov's opinion, the most difficult and most necessary task for a person. People should be internally free, spiritually liberated, unobscured. An ardent humanist, the writer passionately protested against the state of "futility," the fear of life and the opportunity to be himself. He bitterly ridiculed those who obediently bent their backs and heads before the ranks, cringed before the authorities, in every possible way self-extinguished, trampled on a person in himself. A clear example of this is the author's story "The Death of an Official", published in the humorous magazine "The Stretched Stories".

Retelling and analysis

In this work, many things are described concisely and laconically - those that Chekhov hated. "The death of an official," whose brief content we are now considering, is in a nutshell this. In the theater during the performance, the executioner Chervyakov (one of the lowest bureaucratic ranks in Russia in the 19th century) accidentally sneezed. The event is ordinary, with whom, as they say, does not happen! As a man brought up, he apologized to the representative gentleman, whose bald head accidentally sprinkled. Of course, embarrassment, but since the apology is pronounced, and the "injured" party accepted - everything, the incident is exhausted. However, it was not for nothing that Chekhov called his death "The Death of an Official". His summary on this scene does not end there. After all, "sprinkled" Brizzhalov - none other than the general! Unfortunate Chervyakov in horror, he is frightened to the animal state. Not understanding that a long time ago, forgiven, the executer endlessly bored "his victim." He literally terrorizes the general with humiliated requests to forgive him and endless explanations. And if at first we, the readers, roll with laughter, uttering silly remarks of the hero to himself or aloud, and presenting his intermittent, trembling voice with horror, then all the fun is crossed out with one single phrase by Chekhov. "The death of an official," the brief content of which we are considering, ends like this: an official expelled for annoying by the general, came home, lay down and died.

Conflict in the story

Why did it happen? What did the official die from? In his early humorous works, the writer often uses "talking" surnames. Therefore, in order to evoke corresponding associations among the readers, it is Chervyakov who calls his hero. Chekhov, the death of an official (a brief summary allows one to grasp this idea) explains his depreciation, lack of rights, a feeling of helpless, defenseless worm. He is a little man, whom nobody notices, with whom no one counts, which is of no interest to anyone. And the hero does not argue with this state of affairs, he resigned himself, does not grumble and even considers it correct! That's the reason for his infinite horror! He, the insignificant worm of this world, dared to sneak (in the strict sense of the word) to the authorities! At this point, and should sharpen the analysis of the story "The death of an official." Chekhov masterfully broadcasts a panic that engulfed the unfortunate executor. He's pathetic, but it's horrifying in us. Is it possible to be so much a slave of conventions, a social system and a hierarchy to apologize innumerable times and die because you were allegedly not forgiven! But Chervyakov died! And precisely because he did not believe in his own forgiveness. I did not cope with the fear of life, before the violation of conventions. This is really scary, AP Chekhov believes. "The death of an official", in fact, is a story about the death of a man in a person full of moral degradation of the individual, about his spiritual degeneration. About how the slave's psychology enslaved and ruined the free soul.

Afterword

The story is not for nothing that has a generalized name: "The death of an official," and not "The Death of Chervyakov." In an anecdotal case, Chekhov sees the morbid state of society and diagnoses him. "You live boringly, gentlemen!" - the phrase already from another work echoes that which we analyze. It sounds like a verdict in our days. So, it's time for us to recover!