Essay on the topic “The theme of the future in the comedy “The Cherry Orchard.” Essay on the topic: Past, present and future in Chekhov’s play “The Cherry Orchard” Theme of a wonderful future, the cherry orchard

Past, present and future in the play by A.P. Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard"

I. Introduction

“The Cherry Orchard” was written in 1903, in an era that was in many ways a turning point for Russia, when the crisis of the old order had already become apparent, and the future had not yet been determined.

II. Main part

1. The past is represented in the play by characters of the older generation: Gaev, Ranevskaya, Firs, but other characters in the play also talk about the past. It is associated primarily with the nobility, which end of the 19th century- at the beginning of the 20th century it was in obvious decline. The past is ambiguous. On the one hand, it was a time of serfdom, social injustice etc., which, for example, Lopakhin and Petya Trofimov talk about. On the other hand, the past seems to be a happy time not only for Ranevskaya and Gaev, but also, in particular, for Firs, who perceives “will” as misfortune. There was a lot of good things in the past: goodness, order, and most importantly - beauty, personified in the image of a cherry orchard.

2. The present in Russia is vague, transitional, and unstable. This is how it appears in Chekhov’s play. The main exponent of the present is Lopakhin, but we should not forget about other heroes (Epikhodov, lackey Yasha, Varya). The image of Lopakhin is very contradictory. On the one hand, he, a merchant who emerged from the former serfs, is the master of the present; it's no coincidence that he gets it cherry orchard. This constitutes his pride: “the beaten, illiterate Ermolai /.../ bought an estate, the most beautiful of which there is nothing in the world /.../ bought an estate where his father and grandfather were slaves.” But, on the other hand, Lopakhin is unhappy. He is a subtle person by nature, he understands that he is ruining beauty, but he cannot live otherwise. The feeling of his own inferiority is especially evident in his monologue at the end of the third act: “Oh, if only all this would pass, if only our awkward, unhappy life would somehow change.”

3. The future in the play is completely vague and uncertain. It would seem that it belongs to the younger generation- Trofimov and Anya. It is they, especially Trofimov, who speak passionately about the future, which seems to them, of course, wonderful. But Anya is still just a girl, and how her life will turn out, what her future will be, is completely unclear. There are serious doubts that Trofimov will be able to build the happy future he is talking about. First of all, because he does absolutely nothing, but only talks. When it is necessary to demonstrate the ability to perform at least minimal practical action (comfort Ranevskaya, take care of Firs), he turns out to be incompetent. But the main thing is the attitude towards key image plays, to the cherry orchard. Petya is indifferent to its beauty, he urges Anya not to regret the cherry orchard, to forget about the past altogether. "We will plant new garden“, says Trofimov, and this one, then, let him die. This attitude towards the past does not allow us to seriously hope for the future.

III. Conclusion

Chekhov himself believed that the future of his country would be better than its past and present. But in what ways this future will be achieved, who will build it and at what cost - the writer did not give specific answers to these questions.

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Essay text:

A.P. Chekhov wrote his last play, The Cherry Orchard, in 1904, shortly before his death. In this work, the author expressed his acute feeling of imminent change. The 19th century is a thing of the past. The remnants of serfdom and the noble way of life are becoming a thing of the past. I go bankrupt and move on to other owners. noble nests. What new thing is born in the cleared place?
What is new in the play is personified by three people: Petya Trofimov, Anya and Lopakhin. Moreover, Petya and Anya are clearly opposed to Lopakhin. Who are these people, and what can you expect from them?
Petya Trofimov is an eternal student, he is twenty-seven years old, he cannot complete the course, he was expelled from the university twice. The author does not specify why this was due to poor performance or due to politics. It is characteristic of him acute feeling justice. In the play he acts as an accuser. His actions are words. He says to Anya: ...your grandfather, great-grandfather and all your ancestors were serf owners who owned living souls, and don’t human beings look at you from every cherry in the garden, from every leaf, from every trunk, do you really not hear voices? .. However, it seems that no one takes him seriously. The words shabby gentleman somehow stick to him like a label. His role is unenviable, it resembles the role of a jester who is allowed to tell the truth.
But destructive criticism of existing foundations is not productive in itself; a positive program for the reconstruction of society is needed. Let's see what Petya offers. He says: It’s so clear that in order to start living in the present, we must first redeem our past, put an end to it, and we can only redeem it through suffering, only through extraordinary labor. What does Petya mean when he talks about suffering? Maybe this is the suffering that revolutions bring, civil wars? Most likely, he repeats without deep awareness the words that in those pre-revolutionary years were in great use among the intelligentsia and semi-intelligentsia. Destructive rhetoric has sprouted into destructive ideology. It seemed that all we had to do was put an end to the outdated, hateful foundations of society, and all of Russia would become a garden. And again the eternal Russian question looms before the heroes: What to do?
Petya calls for work, but he himself is not capable of creation. There is labor to collect stones (for construction) and there is labor to scatter stones (destroying).
Only Anya agrees with Petya and shares his views. She considers exploitation immoral, she wants to work to provide for herself and her mother and through work to become useful to society. Her plans are simple: pass the exam for a gymnasium course, then study and work.
Here is her naive idea of ​​happiness: We will read on autumn evenings, we will read many books, and a new, wonderful world will open before us...
What awaits Petya and Anya in the future? Did Petya graduate from university? What will he become? He will probably build schools and hospitals, or maybe gradually and imperceptibly turn into Ionych. Will Anya find her place in life? And what kind of place will it be? Will she teach children? Or serve high art in the theater? Or maybe she will find her happiness in love, in family, in motherhood?
However, let's return to the play. Both Petya and Anya do not accept the existing order of things and want to change it; despite the obvious inconsistency, their position is certainly moral, they are sincere in their desire for good to people and are ready to work for this.
We know how little time they have left, only thirteen years. What we don’t know: how their lives will turn out after the revolution, which they, willingly or unwillingly, are bringing closer.
But there is a person who is satisfied with the existing order. This is the merchant Lopakhin. The author’s attitude towards such people is formulated by Petya Trofimov, who says to Lopakhin: I, Ermolai Nikolaevich, understand that you are a rich man, you will soon be a millionaire. Just as in terms of metabolism you need a predatory beast that eats everything that comes its way, so you need it. Coming from a peasant background (his father was a serf to Ranevskaya’s grandfather and father), he did not receive an education and lacks culture. Gaev calls him a boor and a fist. But Lopakhin is a representative of the active part of society, he does not talk about the need for work, he works: ... I get up at five o’clock in the morning, I work from morning to evening, well, I always have my own and other people’s money.... His proposed plan of salvation the estate seems real. He believes that by dividing the cherry orchard into plots and renting them out, one can generate income. It is noteworthy that as a result of the auction, the garden goes to Lopakhin.
What is the future for Lopakhin? Probably, having become even more rich in the years remaining before the revolution, he will contribute to the economic prosperity of Russia, become a philanthropist, and use his own money to build schools and hospitals for the poor.
So who is the future? For Petya and Anya or for Lopakhin? This question could have been purely rhetorical if history had not provided Russia with a second attempt to resolve it in our time. Will active Petya and Anya come? And when will the educated, highly cultured and moral Lopakhin appear?

The rights to the essay “The Future in the Play The Cherry Orchard” belong to its author. When quoting material, it is necessary to indicate a hyperlink to

THE FUTURE IN A.P. CHEKHOV'S PLAY "THE CHERRY ORCHARD"
The play "Cherry"
garden" was written by Chekhov in 1904 - on
the last year of the writer's life. She was
perceived by the reader as creative
will talented satirist And
Damaturg. One of the main themes of this play
is the topic of the future of Russia, related to
her with the images of Petya Trofimov and Anya - daughter
Ranevskaya. Covering this topic, Chekhov
at the same time raises a number of other
problems characteristic of all Russian
literature in general. These are the problems of fathers and
children, human activist, love and suffering.
All these problems are intertwined in
content of "The Cherry Orchard", which
is to say goodbye to the new, young
Russia with its past, in aspiration
her for tomorrow's Self, bright day.
Image
Russia is embodied in the very title of the play -
"The Cherry Orchard". "All of Russia is our garden,"
- says Chekhov through the mouth of his hero. AND,
indeed, a cherry orchard for Ranevskaya and
her brother Gaev is a family nest, a symbol
youth, prosperity and former grace
life/The owners of the garden love him, although not
know how to save or save. Ranevskaya with
with tears and tenderness he speaks about his
estate: "..l love this house, without
cherry orchard I don’t understand my life, and
If you really need to sell, then sell and
me along with the garden..." But for Ranevskaya and
Gaev's cherry orchard is a symbol of the past.
Another
hero - active Lopakhin looks at the garden
only with
practical side. He sees in him
the opportunity to receive a large income, and with
methods do not stand on ceremony. Ermolai Lopakhin, new merchant-industrialist,
symbolizing the present of Russia, its
transition to capitalist paths of development.
Future
Chekhov associates the prosperity of Russia with
the younger generation represented in the play
Petya Trofimov and Anya. It is for them
to be built new Russia, plant
new cherry orchards. Petya Trofimov - son
pharmacist, commoner, honest labor
making his way into life. He is poor and
familiar with the difficult life of the people. When
it’s winter, Petya is anxious, often hungry,
because th

The future as the main theme of the play

In 1904, on the stage of the Moscow Art Theater was staged last play A.P. Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard", which became the result of the entire work of the playwright. Greeted enthusiastically by the audience, this production received mixed reviews from critics. Both the heroes and the circumstances in which they found themselves were controversial. The theme and idea of ​​the play were also controversial. There is no doubt that Chekhov tried to understand what kind of future awaits the heroes in the play “The Cherry Orchard,” and that’s all Russian society generally. What prompted this desire? More than 40 years have passed since the abolition of serfdom. The usual way of life, built over centuries, has collapsed, and not everyone has the strength and ability to rebuild for a new one. Moreover, not only the nobility suffered from the loss of their peasants, but also many peasants had a hard time getting used to freedom. Some were accustomed to living off the labor of others, while those others simply did not know how to think and make decisions independently. In the play this sounds quite often: “Men are with the gentlemen, gentlemen are with the peasants.”

But that's the past. And what awaits all of them in the future - this is exactly what the playwright wanted to understand. To provide a clear explanation, Chekhov used the image of a cherry orchard as a symbol of Russia, and through his attitude towards it, his attitude towards his homeland. The future of the cherry orchard is the future of Russia.

The future and the heroes of the play “The Cherry Orchard”

So what does the future hold for the heroes of The Cherry Orchard? After all, each of the heroes is very vital. The past is irretrievably lost and this is a fact; symbolic proof is the cutting down of the garden and the death of Firs. “...I don’t understand my life without the cherry orchard...” says Ranevskaya, who runs abroad again after selling it to waste her last money. Gaev gets a job in a bank, with a certain annual salary. For brother and sister, the future is completely unclear, because their whole life is closely connected with the past, and remains there. They're on cellular level they are not able to get used to the present, to begin to think rationally and make decisions, and there is simply no place for such baggage in the new life.

Lopakhin with his business acumen is real. He cuts down the cherry orchard, knowing full well that he is destroying centuries-old traditions, as if breaking the knot that connected the landowners with the peasants working on their land and belonging to them. Therefore, the behind-the-scenes scene of the peasants’ farewell to their owners is also very symbolic. He understands that the future belongs to summer residents, to whom the land does not belong, and working on it is not their duty and obligation. There is a future for Lopakhin, but it is also very vague.

The most joyful future is in the representation of Chekhov’s heroes of “The Cherry Orchard” in Petya and Anya. Petya very beautifully reflects on the good of all humanity, calls for action, but he himself does not know what awaits him, because his speeches are so different from his actions, he is an empty talker. Even Ranevskaya notes: “You don’t do anything, only fate throws you from place to place, it’s so strange...”. There is no past for him, he does not find a place in the present, but he sincerely believes that he will find himself in the future: “...I have a presentiment of happiness...I already see it.” Anya strives for the future almost as enthusiastically. She sincerely believes that she will be able to pass the exam at the gymnasium and find a job. “We will build a new garden!” - says a young seventeen-year-old girl. Petya and Anya are new people, an emerging layer - the intelligentsia, for whom the most important thing is moral beauty. However, Petya is not entirely like that, he is only trying to show it, and this can be seen from the words of Ranevskaya, who called him “neat,” and later, when this free and proud person was looking for old galoshes.

And what awaits Varya, Ranevskaya’s adopted daughter and the young servants Yasha and Dunyasha? Varya is a very economical and sensible girl, but she is so down to earth that she does not arouse any interest in Lopakhin, who wanted to marry her. It is obvious that she has no bright impressions ahead of her, that the future awaits her, no different from the present.

But the future of Yasha and Dunyasha can cause a lot of controversy. They are cut off from their roots, being poorly educated, not having strict moral principles They are capable of much to satisfy their desires. They treat their owners without respect, and in some ways are even able to use them. So arrogant and boorish Yasha begs to go back to Paris with Ranevskaya, since life in the Russian outback, among ordinary peasants, has become painful for him. He even disdains his own mother, and it is clear that at any moment he will also step over his mistress. It is people like Yasha who, in 13 years, will destroy the Winter Palace, destroy noble estates and shoot former owners.

It can be argued that the future in the comedy “The Cherry Orchard” is very vague. Chekhov only indicated in which direction the heroes could move, because the future of Russia was very much on the minds of everyone who lived in such a difficult time. historical time. What is indisputable is that Anton Pavlovich clearly showed that there will be no return to the past and it is necessary to learn to live in a new way, preserving only the best in the form of a set of spiritual values.

Thoughts about the future of the cherry orchard and a description of the future as imagined by Chekhov’s heroes can be used by 10th grade students when writing an essay on the topic “The Future in the play “The Cherry Orchard”.”

Work test

Introduction
1. Problems of the play by A.P. Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard"
2. The embodiment of the past - Ranevskaya and Gaev
3. Exponent of 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 unique subtle skill, manifested with equal brilliance both in his stories and in his novels and plays.
Chekhov's plays constituted an entire era in Russian drama and 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, unvarnished, in all its commonness and everyday life.
Showing natural progression everyday life ordinary people, Chekhov bases his plots not on one, but on several organically related, intertwined conflicts. At the same time, conflict is predominantly leading and unifying. characters not with each other, but with the entire social environment around them.

Problems of the play by A.P. Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard"

The play “The Cherry Orchard” occupies a special place in Chekhov’s work. Before her, he awakened the idea of ​​​​the need to change reality, showing the hostility of man's living conditions, 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 topic of changing social structures is being widely developed. The noble estates with their parks and cherry orchards, with their unreasonable owners, are becoming a thing of the past. They are being replaced by business-like and practical people; they are the present of Russia, but not its future. Only the younger generation has the right to cleanse and change life. Hence the main idea of ​​the play: the establishment of a new social force, opposing not only the nobility, but also the bourgeoisie and called upon to rebuild life on the principles of true humanity and justice.
Chekhov's play “The Cherry Orchard” was written during the period of social upsurge of the masses in 1903. It reveals to us another page of his multifaceted creativity, reflecting the complex phenomena of that time. The play amazes us with its poetic power and drama, and is perceived by us as a sharp exposure of the social ills of society, an exposure of those people whose thoughts and actions are far from moral standards of behavior. The writer clearly shows deep psychological conflicts, helps the reader to see the reflection of events in the souls of the heroes, makes us think about the meaning true love and true happiness. Chekhov easily takes us from our present to the distant past. Together with its heroes, we live next to the cherry orchard, see its beauty, 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 characters, but also of the country as a whole. The author shows the clash between representatives of the past, the present and the future inherent in this present. I think that Chekhov managed to show 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 garden owners? What connects their lives with his existence? Why is the cherry orchard so dear to them? Answering these questions, Chekhov reveals an important problem - the problem of passing life, its worthlessness and conservatism.
The very name of Chekhov's play sets one in a lyrical mood. In our minds, a bright and unique image of a blooming garden appears, personifying beauty and the desire for a better life. The main plot of the comedy is related to the sale of this ancient noble estate. This event largely determines the fate of its owners and inhabitants. Thinking about the fate of the heroes, you involuntarily think about more, about the ways of development of Russia: its past, present and future.

The embodiment of the past - Ranevskaya and Gaev

Exponent of 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 accomplish different great things. And these other people are Petya and Anya.
Trofimov is a democrat by origin, habits and beliefs. Creating images of Trofimov, Chekhov expresses in this image such leading features as devotion to public causes, desire for a better future and propaganda of the fight for it, patriotism, integrity, courage, and hard work. Trofimov, despite his 26 or 27 years, has a lot of 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 an “eternal student.”
Experiencing hunger, poverty, and political persecution, he did not lose faith in new life, which will be based on fair, 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 creator and creator of new life. In general, his statements are distinguished by directness and sincerity. While treating Lopakhin with sympathy, he nevertheless compares him to a predatory beast, “which eats everything that gets in its way.” In his opinion, the Lopakhins are not capable of decisively changing life by building it on reasonable and fair principles. Petya causes deep thoughts in Lopakhin, who in his soul 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 heading uncontrollably towards the bright star that burns there in the distance!” - he says to Anya. Yes, his goal is wonderful. 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’ll get there. I’ll get there or show others the way to get there.” And he points. He points it out to Anya, whom he loves dearly, although he skillfully hides it, realizing that he is destined for a different path. He tells her: “If you have the keys to the farm, then throw them into the well and leave. Be free like the wind."
In a klutz and " shabby gentleman“(as Varya ironically calls Trofimova) Lopakhin’s strength and business acumen are lacking. He submits to life, stoically enduring its blows, but is not able to master it and become the master of his destiny. True, he captivated Anya with his democratic ideas, who expresses her readiness to follow him, firmly believing in the wonderful dream of a new blooming garden. But this young seventeen-year-old girl, who gained information about life mainly from books, is pure, naive and spontaneous, has not yet encountered reality.
Anya is full of hope, vitality, but there is still so much inexperience and childhood in her. In terms of character, she is in many ways close to her mother: she has a love for beautiful word, to sensitive intonations. At the beginning of the play, Anya is carefree, quickly moving from concern to animation. She is practically helpless, she is used to living carefree, not thinking about her daily bread or 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 says goodbye to the old home and the old world forever.
It is unknown whether she will have enough spiritual strength, perseverance and courage to complete the path of suffering, labor and hardship. 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 this is natural. After all, we can only talk about the future speculatively.

Conclusion

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

List of used literature

1. History of Russian literature second half of the 19th century century / ed. prof. N.I. Kravtsova. Publisher: Prosveshchenie - 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 with a "5". Study guide. Rostov-on-Don, "Phoenix", 2001.
4. Chekhov A.P. Stories. Plays. – M.: Olimp; LLC "Firm" Publishing house AST, 1998.