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

Genre "The Cherry Orchard" has 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 loudly convinced everyone that the work belonged to tragicomedy and drama. Thus, Anton Pavlovich gave readers the opportunity to judge his creation for themselves, to observe and experience the variety of genres presented on the pages of the book.

The leitmotif of all scenes The cherry orchard serves in the play, because it is not just a backdrop 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 toward symbolism, and did not sacrifice it in this play. It is against the backdrop 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 the estate for debts. Upon a quick reading, it is noticeable that all the opposing forces are represented in the play: youth, 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 clash is not social confrontation at all, but the conflict of key characters with their environment and reality.

"Underwater" current of the play no less interesting than its main plot. Chekhov builds his narrative on halftones, where, among unambiguous and indisputable events, perceived as fact and for granted, existential questions appear from time to time, emerging 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 confrontation of social strata, but the loneliness that haunts each hero throughout his life.

Teffi described “The Cherry Orchard” with only one saying: “Laughter through tears,” analyzing this immortal work. It’s 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 sub-topic can be divided into the past - these are Gaev and Ranevskaya, who do not know how to navigate life at all, the present is Ermolai Lopakhin, a merchant, he knows what is needed, does everything prudently, and the future is Anya and Petya Trofimov, “humanity is moving towards the highest truth and I am in front row" his quote. Russia is our garden.. and in the end “all you can hear is an ax hitting the trees..” that is, the garden was destroyed and no one could manage it properly.
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The Cherry Orchard 1903 Brief summary of the comedy

The estate of landowner Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya. Spring, cherry trees are blooming. But the beautiful garden will soon have to be sold for debts. For the last 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. Things are bad for Ranevskaya, there are almost no funds left. Lyubov Andreevna always squandered money. Six years ago, her husband died from drunkenness. Ranevskaya fell in love with another person and got along with him. But soon her little son Grisha died tragically, 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 look after him for three years. And then, when he had to sell his dacha for debts and move to Paris, he robbed and abandoned Ranevskaya.

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

Finally the carriages arrive. The house is filled with people, everyone is in pleasant excitement. Everyone talks about their own things. Lyubov Andreevna looks at the rooms and through tears of joy remembers 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 to a rich man. The governess Charlotte Ivanovna, a strange and eccentric person, boasts about her amazing dog; the neighbor, the landowner Simeonov-Pishchik, asks for a loan of money. The old faithful servant Firs hears almost nothing and mutters something all the time.

Lopakhin reminds Ranevskaya that the estate should soon be sold at auction, the only way out is to divide the land into plots and rent them out to summer residents. Ranevskaya is surprised by Lopakhin’s proposal: how can her beloved wonderful cherry orchard be cut down! Lopakhin wants to stay longer with Ranevskaya, whom he loves “more than his own,” but it’s time for him to leave. Gaev makes a welcoming speech to the hundred-year-old “respected” cabinet, but then, embarrassed, he again begins to meaninglessly utter his favorite billiard words.

Ranevskaya does not immediately recognize Petya Trofimov: so he has changed, turned ugly, the “dear student” has turned into an “eternal student.” Lyubov Andreevna cries, remembering her little drowned son Grisha, whose teacher was Trofimov.

Gaev, left alone with Varya, tries to talk about business. There is a rich aunt in Yaroslavl, who, however, does not love them: after all, Lyubov Andreevna did not marry a nobleman, and she did not behave “very virtuously.” Gaev loves his sister, but still calls her “vicious,” which displeases Anya. 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 by it. The grumpy Firs finally takes the master, like a child, to bed. 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, on their way back, stopped in a field near the chapel. Just now, here, on the same bench, Epikhodov tried to explain himself to Dunyasha, but she had already preferred the young cynical lackey Yasha to him. Ranevskaya and Gaev don’t seem to hear Lopakhin and are talking about completely different things. Without convincing the “frivolous, unbusinesslike, strange” people of anything, Lopakhin wants to leave. Ranevskaya asks him to stay: “it’s still more fun” with him.

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

Soon everyone disperses. Left alone, Anya and Trofimov are glad 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 of Russia is our garden,” but in order to live in the present, one must first atone for the past through suffering and labor. Happiness is close: if not they, then others will definitely see it.

The twenty-second of August arrives, trading day. It was on this evening, completely inappropriately, that a ball was being held at the estate, and a Jewish orchestra was invited. Once upon a time, generals and barons danced here, but now, as Firs complains, both the postal official and the station master “don’t like to go.” Charlotte Ivanovna entertains guests with her tricks. Ranevskaya anxiously awaits her brother's return. The Yaroslavl aunt nevertheless sent fifteen thousand, but it was not enough to redeem the estate.

Petya Trofimov “calms” Ranevskaya: it’s not about the garden, it’s over long ago, we need to face the truth. Lyubov Andreevna asks not to judge her, to have pity: after all, without the cherry orchard, her life loses its meaning. Every day Ranevskaya receives telegrams from Paris. At first she tore them right away, then - after reading them first, now she no longer tears them. “This wild man,” whom she still loves, begs her to come. Petya condemns Ranevskaya for her love for “a petty scoundrel, a nonentity.” Angry Ranevskaya, unable to restrain herself, takes revenge on Trofimov, calling him a “funny eccentric”, “freak”, “neat”: “You have to love yourself... you have to fall in love!” Petya tries to leave in horror, but then stays and dances with Ranevskaya, who asked him for forgiveness.

Finally, a confused, joyful Lopakhin and a tired Gaev appear, who, without saying anything, immediately goes home. The Cherry Orchard was sold, and Lopakhin bought it. The “new landowner” is happy: he managed to outbid the rich man Deriganov at the auction, giving ninety thousand on top of his debt. Lopakhin picks up the keys thrown on the floor by the proud Varya. Let the music play, let everyone see how Ermolai Lopakhin “takes an ax to the cherry orchard”!

Anya consoles her crying mother: the garden has been sold, but there is a whole life ahead. There will be a new garden, more luxurious than this, “quiet, deep joy” awaits them...

The house is empty. Its inhabitants, having said goodbye to each other, leave. 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 “beast of prey,” necessary “in the sense of metabolism,” he still loves his “tender, subtle soul.” Lopakhin offers Trofimov money for the trip. He refuses: no one should have power over the “free man”, “in the forefront of moving” to the “highest happiness”.

Ranevskaya and Gaev even became happier after selling the cherry orchard. Previously they were worried and suffered, but now they have calmed down. Ranevskaya is going to live in Paris for now with money sent by her aunt. Anya is inspired: a new life is beginning - she will graduate from high school, work, read books, and a “new wonderful world” will open up before her. Suddenly, out of breath, Simeonov-Pishchik appears and instead of asking for money, on the contrary, he gives away debts. It turned out that the British found white clay on his land.

Everyone settled down differently. Gaev says that now he is a bank employee. 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.”

There must finally be an explanation between Varya and Lopakhin. Varya has been teased as “Madame Lopakhina” for a long time. Varya likes Ermolai Alekseevich, but she herself cannot propose. Lopakhin, who also speaks highly of Varya, agrees to “end this matter right away.” But when Ranevskaya arranges their meeting, Lopakhin, having never made up his mind, leaves Varya, taking advantage of the 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 old Firs, whom everyone seemed to care about, but whom they forgot to send to the hospital. Firs, sighing that Leonid Andreevich went in a coat and not a fur coat, lies down to rest and lies motionless. The same sound of a broken string is heard. “Silence falls, and you can only hear how far away in the garden an ax is knocking on a tree.”

Retold . Source: All the masterpieces of world literature in a brief summary. Plots and characters. Russian literature of the 19th century / Ed. and comp. V. I. Novikov. - M.: Olympus: ACT, 1996. - 832 p. On the cover:

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“The Cherry Orchard” is the last work of A.P. Chekhov. The writer was terminally ill when he wrote this play. He realized that he would soon pass away, and this is probably 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 all the most important things and takes stock - as well as about the present and future of those whom he leaves on this earth. In the play “The Cherry Orchard” it is 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 that they have at the moment, and others turn their gaze far ahead, not accepting take real events into account.
Thus, the past, present and future do not merge into one whole: they exist according to piecework and sort out their relationships with each other.
Prominent representatives of the past are Gaev and Ranevskaya. Chekhov pays tribute to the education and sophistication of the Russian nobility. Both Gaev and Ranevskaya know how to appreciate beauty. They find the most poetic words to express their feelings towards 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 address the closet as if they were an old friend: “Dear, dear closet! 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 a five-year separation, is ready to kiss every thing that reminds her of her childhood and youth. For her, home is a living person, a witness to all her joys and sorrows. Ranevskaya has a very special attitude towards the garden - it seems to personify all the best and brightest things that happened in her life, it is part of her soul. Looking at the garden through the window, she exclaims: “Oh my childhood, my purity! I slept in this nursery, looked at the garden from here, happiness woke up with me every morning, and then he was exactly the same, nothing has changed.” Ranevskaya's life was not easy: she lost her husband early, and soon after that her seven-year-old son died. The man with whom she tried to connect her life turned out to be unworthy - he cheated on her and squandered her money. But returning home for her is like falling into a life-giving spring: she feels young and happy again. All the pain boiling in her soul and the joy of the meeting are expressed in her address to the garden: “Oh my garden! After a dark, stormy autumn and a cold winter, you are young again, full of happiness, the angels have not abandoned you...” For Ranevskaya, the garden is closely connected with the image of her late mother - she directly sees her mother in a white dress walking through the garden.
Neither Gaev nor Ranevskaya can allow their estate to be rented out 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 immaturity in this matter (the remark “Puts a lollipop in his mouth” seems to confirm this): “We will pay the interest, I am convinced...” Where does he get such conviction from? Who is he counting on? Obviously not on myself. Without any reason, he swears to Varya: “I swear on my honor, whatever you want, I swear, the estate will not be sold! ... I swear on my happiness! Here's my hand to you, then call me a crappy, dishonest person if I allow it to go to auction! I swear with all my being!” Beautiful but empty words. Lopakhin is a different matter. This man does not waste words. 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 rented out for dachas, this must be done now, as quickly as possible - the auction is just around the corner! Understand! Once you finally decide to have dachas, they will give you as much money as you want, and then you are saved.” With such a call, the “present” turns to the “past,” but the “past” does not heed. “Finally deciding” is an impossible task for people of this type. It is easier for them to stay in the world of illusions. But Lopakhin does not waste time. He simply buys this estate and rejoices in the presence of the unfortunate and destitute Ranevskaya. The purchase of an estate has a special meaning for him: “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 a plebeian who has “rubbed his nose” with the aristocrats. He is only sorry that his father and grandfather do not see his triumph. Knowing what the cherry orchard meant in Ranevskaya’s life, he literally dances on her bones: “Hey, musicians, play, I want to listen to you! Come and watch how Ermolai Lopakhin takes an ax to the cherry orchard and how the trees fall to the ground!” And he immediately sympathizes with the sobbing Ranevskaya: “Oh, if only all this would pass, if only our awkward, unhappy life would somehow change.” 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?
Maybe the man of the future is Petya Trofimov? He is a truth-teller (“You don’t have to deceive yourself, you have to look the truth straight in the eye at least once in your life”). 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 above 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, the old servant Firs is all from the past. All his ideals are connected 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 the masters. Firs is a very integral person; 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. 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 pin his hopes for a new life?” There is a feeling of some confusion and anxiety: who will decide the fate of Russia? Who can save beauty?

General description of comedy.

This lyrical comedy, as Chekhov himself calls it, is aimed at revealing the social theme of the death of old noble estates. The action of the comedy takes place on the estate of L.A. Ranevskaya, a landowner, and is tied to the fact that, due to debts, the inhabitants have to sell the cherry orchard so beloved by everyone. Before us is a nobility in a state of decline. Ranevskaya and Gaev (her brother) are impractical people and do not know how to manage things. Being people of weak character, they abruptly change their mood, easily shed tears over a trivial matter, willingly talk idle talk and organize luxurious holidays on the eve of their ruin. In the play, Chekhov also shows people of the new generation, perhaps the future lies with them. These are Anya Ranevskaya and Petya Trofimov (former teacher of Ranevskaya’s deceased son Grisha). New people must be strong fighters for future happiness. True, it is difficult to classify Trofimov as one of such people: he is a “klutz,” not too strong and, in my opinion, not smart enough for the great struggle. Hope is for young Anya. “We will plant a new garden, more luxurious than this...” - she believes, and in this faith is the only option in the play for a happy development of the situation for Russia.

1) Form: a) problem part (subjective beginning), the world of a work of art: Main characters (images): landowner Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna, her daughters Anya and Varya, her brother Gaev Leonid Andreevich, merchant Lopakhin Ermolai Alekseevich, student Trofimov Pyotr Sergeevich, landowner Simeonov-Pishchik Boris Borisovich, governess Charlotte Ivanovna, clerk Epikhodov Semyon Panteleevich, maid Dunyasha, footman Firs and Yasha, as well as several minor characters (passerby, station master, postal official, guests and servants). In addition, we highlight the “garden” as an independent hero; it takes its place in the system of images of the play. b) Structure (composition) of the work, organization of the work at the macrotext level: the comedy consists of four acts. All of them are intertwined plotwise and chronologically, forming a single picture of events. c) Artistic speech

This work is a comedy, so it is very emotional. We note that the text of the play is full of historicisms and archaisms, denoting objects and phenomena from the life of people of the early 20th century (lackey, nobles, master). There is colloquial vocabulary and colloquial forms of words in the servants’ remarks (“I’m good, what a fool I’ve been!”, “Charming, after all, I’ll take one hundred and eighty rubles from you... I’ll take it...”), and there are also numerous borrowings from French and German languages, direct transliteration and foreign words as such (“Pardon!”, “Ein, zwei, drei!”, “They are dancing grand-rond in the hall”).

subject - This is a phenomenon of the external and internal life of a person, which is the subject of study of a work of art. Work under study polythematic, because contains more than one topic.

According to the method of expression, topics are divided into: 1) explicitly expressed: theme of love for home(“Children’s room, my dear, beautiful room...”, “Oh, my garden!”, “Dear, dear closet! I greet your existence, which for more than a hundred years has been directed towards the bright ideals of goodness and justice”), theme of family, love for relatives(“My darling has arrived!”, “my beloved child”, “I suddenly felt sorry for my mother, so sorry, I hugged her head, squeezed her with my hands and couldn’t let go. Then my mother kept caressing her and crying”), old age theme(“I’m tired of you, grandfather. I wish you would die sooner,” “Thank you, Firs, thank you, my old man. I’m so glad that you’re still alive”), love theme(“And what’s there to hide or remain silent about, I love him, that’s clear. I love him, I love him... This is a stone on my neck, I’m going to the bottom with it, but I love this stone and I can’t live without it,” “ You have to be a man, at your age you have to understand those who love. And you have to love yourself... you have to fall in love"; 2) implicitly expressed: nature conservation theme, the theme of the future of Russia.

2) cultural and historical topics: the theme of the future of Russia

According to the classification of philologist Potebnya:

2) Internal form (shaped structures, plot elements, etc.)

3) External form (words, text structure, composition, etc.)

Problems of the work.

The main problems of this play are questions about the fate of the Motherland and the duty and responsibility of the younger generation. The problem is implicitly expressed, since the author conveys this idea through the symbol of the cherry orchard, revealed from various aspects: temporal, figurative and spatial).

Specific issues: a) social (social relationships, building a new life, the problem of a noble leisurely society); b) socio-psychological (inner experiences of the characters); d) historical (the problem of nobles getting used to the abolition of serfdom).

Chronotope.

Straightforward, the action takes place in May 1900, immediately after the abolition of serfdom, and ends in October. Events take place in chronological order on Ranevskaya’s estate, but there are references to the heroes’ past.

Characteristics of heroes.

It is worth noting that there are no sharply positive or sharply negative characters in the work.

Appearance The heroes are given very briefly, and mainly only clothing is described. The text does not contain characteristics of all heroes.

Lopakhin - “in a white vest, yellow shoes”, “with a pig’s snout”, “thin, delicate fingers, like an artist’s”

Trofimov – 26-27 years old, “in a shabby old uniform, with glasses”, “hair is not thick”, “How ugly you have become, Petya”, “stern face”

Firs - 87 years old, “in a jacket and white vest, shoes on his feet.”

Lyubov Ranevskaya, landowner - “She is a good person. An easy, simple person,” very sentimental. He lives idly out of habit, despite the fact that he is completely in debt. It seems to the heroine that everything will work out by itself, but the world collapses: the garden goes to Lopakhin. The heroine, having lost her estate and her homeland, goes back to Paris.

Anya, Ranevskaya's daughter, is in love with Petya Trofimov and is under his influence. She is passionate about the idea that the nobility is guilty before the Russian people and must atone for their guilt. Anya believes in future happiness, a new, better life (“We will plant a new garden, more luxurious than this”, “Goodbye, home! Goodbye, old life!”).

Varya is described by her adoptive mother Ranevskaya as “simple, works all day,” “a good girl.”

Leonid Andreevich Gaev is Ranevskaya’s brother, “a man of the eighties,” a man confused by words, whose vocabulary consists mainly of “billiard words” (“Cut into a corner!”, “Doublet into a corner... Croise in the middle..”) .") and complete nonsense (“Dear, dear closet! I greet your existence, which for more than a hundred years has been directed towards the bright ideals of goodness and justice; your silent call for fruitful work has not weakened for a hundred years, supporting (through tears) in the generations of our kind, vigor, faith in a better future and nurturing in us the ideals of goodness and social self-awareness"). One of the few who comes up with various plans to save the cherry orchard.

Ermolai Alekseevich Lopakhin is a merchant, “he is a good, interesting person,” he characterizes himself as “a man with a man.” He himself comes from a family of serfs, and now is a rich man who knows where and how to invest money. Lopakhin is a very contradictory hero, in whom callousness and rudeness fight with hard work and ingenuity.

Pyotr Trofimov - Chekhov describes him as an “eternal student”, already old, but still not graduated from the university. Ranevskaya, angry at him during an argument about love, shouts: “You are twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, and you are still a second-grade high school student!” Lopakhin ironically asks, “How many years have you been studying at the university?” This hero belongs to the generation of the future, he believes in it, denies love and is in search of truth.

Epikhodov, Ranevskaya and Gaev’s clerk, is madly in love with their maid Dunyasha, who speaks of him a little ambiguously: “He is a meek man, but sometimes when he starts talking, you won’t understand anything. It’s both good and sensitive, just incomprehensible. I kind of like him. He loves me madly. He is an unhappy person, something happens every day. They tease him like that: twenty-two misfortunes...” “You walk from place to place, but don’t do anything. We keep a clerk, but no one knows why”: in these words of Varya is Epikhodov’s whole life.

Portraits, as we described earlier, are brief – they are not an independent element of the work.

The interior is an intrinsic element in the work (i.e. it is needed for description as such), because, among other things, it creates an image of time: in the first and third acts, this is an image of the past and present (the comfort and warmth of one’s home after a long separation (“My room, my windows, as if I had never left”, “The living room, separated by an arch from the hall . The chandelier is burning")), in the fourth and last act - this is a picture of the future, the realities of the new world, the emptiness after the departure of the heroes (“The scenery of the first act. There are no curtains on the windows, no paintings, there is a little furniture left, which is folded in one corner, definitely for sale. You feel the emptiness. Suitcases, travel items, etc. are stacked near the exit door and at the back of the stage. The door to the left is open").

Thus, the interior performs a descriptive and characteristic function.

The work of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov “The Cherry Orchard” was created more than a century ago in 1903. But until now this play has not lost its relevance. It is read with pleasure and performed on the stages of the most famous theaters. It reflects the problems of the noble class of pre-revolutionary Russia and the aspirations of ordinary people of that time.

I must say that this is one of the last works of the great writer. A year after it was written, Chekhov died of illness.

In contact with

Classmates

Characters of the play

Supporting characters

The play takes place on the estate of Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya. She returns to her homeland from France, where she lived for a long time with her young daughter Anya. They are met by relatives and friends, including Gaev, the owner’s brother, and her adopted daughter Varya. They lived on the estate all this time, trying to maintain order in it.

Ranevskaya herself is not distinguished by her ability to ensure her comfortable existence. During travel and an idle life, the family’s fortune has melted like snow, and something needs to be decided in order to pay off debts and find money for future life.

The merchant Lopakhin understands this very well, who offers her to sell the estate in order to cut down the garden and build it up with houses for summer residents. This option could save the landowner and bring big profits to Lopakhin himself.

But Lyubov Andreevna is very attached to her father’s house. After all, it was here that her childhood and teenage years passed, and her beloved Grisha, her son, died. The brother and adopted daughter are trying to save the situation by any means, but nothing comes of it.

In parallel with this action The play develops a philosophical and love line:

In the third act, Gaev and Lopakhin go to the auction, and dances are held on the estate. In the midst of the fun, Gaev returns and announces the sale of the estate to Lopakhin. The merchant, of course, is beside himself with happiness and demands cheerful music from the musicians. He doesn’t feel sorry for the ruined owners at all.

In the finale, Ranevskaya and her family leave the sold estate to start a new life. Lopakhin triumphs, and only the old footman Firs pronounces his sad monologue to the sound of an ax - they are cutting down a cherry orchard.

Critics' reaction

After the publication of “The Cherry Orchard,” it was noted that the work reflected the state of the noble class at the beginning of the last century. Almost before our eyes, the death of an entire class is happening. It is this, and not the economic issue, that is the main concern of readers. Ranevskaya understands that her life is over and is not trying to benefit from what is happening.

Artistic basis

The play was conceived as a comedy, but after reading it to the end, you begin to understand that it is more of a tragicomedy or even a drama.

The main feature of the work is symbolism, which is unique to Chekhov. Even the dialogue in the play is unusual, since the lines in most cases are not an answer to the questions that are asked. Chekhov tried to write and show that the characters simply do not try to understand each other. They don't hear anyone but themselves.

The garden itself is the central “hero” here, symbolizing the collapse of the noble life of Russia.

This is a brief retelling of the play “The Cherry Orchard,” the plan of which consists of four acts. The full version of the work can be read online or by ordering a printed version of the book.

"The Cherry Orchard" is one of the most striking and famous dramatic works of the twentieth century. Immediately after it was written by Anton Pavlovich, which we will present to you, it was staged at the Moscow Art Theater. To this day, this play has not left Russian stages.

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 friend, the merchant Lopakhin, is trying to offer a profitable enterprise to cut down the garden and rent 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 has been wasting money all her life, the cherry orchard seems to her to be of higher value. But it is impossible to save him, since there is nothing to pay off his debts. Ranevskaya is broke, and Gaev “ate his estate on candy.” Therefore, at the auction, Lopakhin buys a cherry orchard and, intoxicated by his possibilities, shouts about it at the family ball. But he feels sorry for Ranevskaya, who is brought to tears by the news of the sale of the estate.

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

We have given here the main plot line 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 personifies Russia here, and it was to depict the contemporary country that Chekhov wrote “The Cherry Orchard.” The summary of this work should show that the time of landowner power is passing, and nothing can be done about it. But there is a replacement for it. A “new time” is coming - and it is unknown 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 to better understand 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 “universal deafness”, which is even emphasized by the physical deafness of Gaev and Firs. The characters speak for themselves and for themselves, without listening to others. Therefore, remarks can often sound not like an answer to a question posed, but like a character thinking out loud, which most fully demonstrates the qualities that Chekhov endowed him with. “The Cherry Orchard,” the analysis of which has been undertaken 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 wonderfully illustrate the author’s view of the changes in Russia at that time.

“The Cherry Orchard” is the pinnacle of Russian drama of the early 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 sells their family estate at auction. The author, as a person who has gone through a similar life situation, with subtle psychologism describes the mental state of people who will soon be forced to leave their home. The innovation of the play is the absence of division of heroes into positive and negative, into main and secondary ones. They are all divided into three categories:

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

History of creation

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

Play Analysis

Description of the work

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

The financial situation of the Ranevsky family is nearing complete collapse. Entrepreneur Lopakhin offers his own version of a solution to the problem - to divide the land into shares and give them to summer residents for use for a certain fee. The lady is burdened by this proposal, because for this she will have to say goodbye to her beloved cherry orchard, with which many warm memories of her youth are associated. Adding to the tragedy is the fact that her beloved son Grisha died in this garden. Gaev, imbued with his sister’s feelings, 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 turns to the teacher Pyotr Trofimov who has appeared. He delivers an excited speech dedicated to the fate of Russia, its future and touches on the topic of happiness in a philosophical context. The materialist Lopakhin is skeptical about the young teacher, and it turns out that only Anya is capable of being imbued with his lofty ideas.

The third act begins with Ranevskaya using her last money to invite an orchestra and organize a dance evening. Gaev and Lopakhin are absent at the same time - they went to the city for an auction, where the Ranevsky estate should go under the hammer. After a tedious wait, Lyubov Andreevna learns that her estate was bought at auction by Lopakhin, who does not hide his joy at his acquisition. The Ranevsky family is in despair.

The finale is entirely dedicated to the departure of the Ranevsky family from their home. The parting scene is shown with all the deep psychologism inherent in Chekhov. The play ends with a surprisingly deep monologue by Firs, whom the owners in a hurry forgot on the estate. The final chord is the sound of an axe. The cherry orchard is being cut down.

Main characters

A sentimental person, the owner of the estate. Having lived abroad for several years, she got used to a luxurious life and, by inertia, continues to allow herself many things 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 about 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 - he combines hard work, prudence, enterprise and rudeness, a “peasant” beginning. At the end of the play, Lopakhin does not share Ranevskaya’s feelings; he is happy that, despite his peasant origins, he was able to afford to buy the estate of his late father’s owners.

Like his sister, he is very sensitive and sentimental. Being an idealist and romantic, to console 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, advocating for the development of Russia only in words. In pursuit of the “highest truth,” he denies love, considering it a petty and illusory feeling, which immensely upsets 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 Peter Trofimov. Recklessly believing in a better life after the sale of her parents' estate, Anya is ready for any difficulties for the sake of shared happiness next to her lover.

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

A young lackey who treats Russia with contempt and dreams of going abroad. A cynical and cruel man, he is rude to old Firs and even treats his own mother with disrespect.

Structure of the work

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

(Scene from a modern production)

The development of the emotional and psychological plane dominates in the play; the main driver of the action is the internal 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 stage. Also, the effect of expanding spatial boundaries is given by the symmetrically emerging theme of France, giving 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 Chekhov’s special concept of life, which is characterized by extraordinary attention to small, seemingly insignificant details, and a focus on the inner experiences of the characters.

In the play “The Cherry Orchard,” the author captured the state of critical disunity of 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.