The mastery of a humorous story is inherent in A.P. Chekhov. It is revealed in his work through details, symbols and images that remain in the ears of several generations of grateful readers. The morality contained in these laconic prose works is still a reliable guide for the moral choices of a free-thinking person.
The action begins with a meeting of two friends at the station. One of them is thick - Mikhail (privy councilor), the other thin - Porfiry. Already at the beginning, Chekhov contrasts two heroes.
Thin immediately begins to describe how wonderful he is, what his wife Louise is, what a son Nathanael is. Tolstoy looks at his friend enthusiastically, while Porfiry, having learned that Mikhail is a Privy Councilor, suddenly turned pale and petrified. The plot of the story “Thick and Thin” half consists of demonstrating a change in the attitude of the loser hero to his childhood friend. The author describes in great detail how the character and his family are changing: “He himself shrank, hunched over, narrowed... His suitcases, bundles and cardboard boxes shrank, wrinkled... His wife’s long chin became even longer; Nathanael stood tall and fastened all the buttons of his uniform...” After all, the son at first also assessed his father’s friend, whether it was worth greeting him, and in the end he hid behind Porfiry’s back. The same one immediately began to be polite to his old friend, address him “on you,” calling him “Your Excellency,” while he himself shrank more and more. Mikhail tried to explain that there can be no respect for rank between friends, but it was all in vain. And all this “reverence, sweetness and respectful sourness” made the Privy Councilor sick. He turned away from the thin one and gave him his hand in farewell.”
Main characters
- Tolstoy (Mikhail) is successful and prosperous. He rejoices at the meeting, is interested in the life of his friend, and is disappointed that his friend turned out to be a servile hypocrite. His position is Privy Councilor (a fairly high rank in Tsarist Russia). Chekhov gives an ironic description of his character: “Fat had just had lunch at the station, and his lips, coated with oil, were shiny like ripe cherries.” The carefree life of the hero also did not escape the reader: who would drink during the working day if there are some important matters at work? This means that the official lives idlely and freely, not knowing any worries, so he retains his cordiality and friendliness. He is glad to have the opportunity to demonstrate his liberal views to the public and willingly recognizes his old comrade as an equal, although he realizes that this is not so. In addition, Mikhail goes through life alone, we do not see his family. This means that his fate is developing smoothly and comfortably, no one burdens him with troubles. The characteristics of Tolstoy are contained in his portrait, a feature of which was noted by Gogol: fat officials know how to get comfortable, use their positions for personal enrichment, but skinny ones do not.
- Subtle (Porfiry) – humiliated, servile and busy. He bends under the weight of his burden, questions his friend absent-mindedly and superficially, flatters and humiliates himself in front of him when he learns that his friend is a Privy Councilor. His position is that of a minor official, perhaps a copyist of papers. The author described him as follows: “The thin man had just gotten out of the carriage and was laden with suitcases, bundles and cardboard boxes.” Before my mind’s eye appeared a portrait of a tortured, fussy man, on whom life presses from all sides, like trunks and bundles. Porfiry’s difficult lot, the hardships and worries of caring for his family, given his low salary, are shown through the suitcases and bags with which he is laden like a donkey. The hero is initially not free, he is burdened by family matters and responsibilities, which may be why he occupies a lower position. His servility is a cost of his profession. Without it, he will lose even the humble position he occupies. The writer emphasizes the typicality of his character, implying that all the unkempt-looking officials cannot arrange their lives differently: they bend under their superiors and never bend again, remaining on the lower steps of the career ladder.
Chekhov's attitude towards the heroes of the work is neutral. He tells a story and brings it to the attention of readers, but does not pass moral judgment on it. He is impartial in his laconic manner of presentation.
The most important stylistic figure in the book is the antithesis, which Chekhov stated already in the title. The characters in the story “Thick and Thin” symbolize the social inequality that people themselves create between themselves. Throughout the entire work, the antithesis remains: the rich man smells of “sherry and fleur-d’orange,” while the poor man smells of “ham and coffee grounds.” When Tolstoy is delighted, his comrade turns pale. Mikhail addresses his friend on a “first name” basis, and Porfiry, having recognized his rank, begins to address him “on a personal level”. Characteristics of heroes are based on comparison. If one is timid before rank, then the other has already learned to puff up with self-satisfaction. If one person’s life is bustle and flickering, then the other’s is comfort and idleness.
Not only the attitude changes, but also the speech. Both Thin and Tolstoy use colloquial vocabulary: “My darling,” “My darling,” “Fathers,” “darling.” When Porfiry finds out his friend’s position, he switches to an official and respectful address: “your excellency,” “you, sir,” “pleasantly, sir.”
Main topics
- In the story “Fat and Thin,” the theme of social inequality occupies a central place. It gives rise to such ugly forms of opportunism as flattery and hypocrisy.
- The writer wanted to emphasize how important it is for a person to preserve his individuality, so he touched upon the topic of personal freedom in his work. “Subtle” people are accustomed to servility; they no longer have their own “I.” The hero was not obliged to change his tone, because this is his friend, but he is so accustomed to the accepted cliches that he can no longer do otherwise.
- The theme of moral choice is also evident. Porfiry is also a chameleon man who changes his color depending on the situation. He is governed not by morality or intelligence, but by pitiful prudence. His choice is to achieve the favor of his superiors at the cost of his own dignity.
- At the same time, the author showed that the state system in Russia at that time simply forced people to become reptiles and defend themselves from attack at any cost. The lower is completely dependent on the higher, and there is nowhere to be found at the discretion of the government. This is not the first time that the topic of an unjust political system worries Chekhov.
- In general, the author tries to devalue vices by ridiculing them. Satire has a good purpose: to destroy a bad personality trait by showing people how ridiculous it is. The humor in the story can be traced even at the linguistic level: the writer deliberately uses colloquial expressions adjacent to clerical speech patterns to cause a comic effect.
The main idea and meaning of the story
The author wanted to ridicule vices so that people would feel ashamed of behaving this way. Society had to squeeze out hypocrisy, which, alas, has become an integral part of career growth and success in life. Thin is already a hypocrite automatically, he doesn’t even realize it, like his whole family. This is no longer a private shortcoming, it is a global problem that needs to be solved. The idea of the story “Fat and Thin” is that hypocrisy is more likely to destroy man A rather than help him. It is always noticeable and looks disgusting. People turn away from the hypocrite, just as Mikhail turned away from Porfiry. They see that insincerity is common among liars, and they do not want to be deceived. In addition, a hypocrite is ridiculous and insignificant, there is nothing to respect him for and it is difficult to love him. With his behavior he crosses out his reputation.
You must be able to differentiate between personal and work connections without infringing on any of these areas of life. Even if your career is not going well, and you need some help, you should not sell your personal space, your dignity. Having sold them once, a person forever loses his honor and becomes a reptile. The main idea in Chekhov's work is that the life of a hypocrite ceases to have significance for himself, its price is lower than the price of money, and other people feel this, so their attitude changes for the worse. For example, at first Tolstoy was sincerely glad to meet his friend, but then he was turned inside out by the disgusting spectacle of servility. If at first he himself thought of helping his comrade, then in the end he is ready to run away from him as fast as he can, as contempt rolls over him.
What does Chekhov teach?
The satirist ridicules veneration, which turns people into nonentities and deprives them of dignity. The author wittily showed how it destroys friendship and turns comrades into Thin and Thick, separating them forever. Such a division by rank is unjustified, because good people are everywhere, regardless of what position they occupy and how much their salary is. The writer understands that sycophancy, or its opposite - contempt, only harms society, and does not streamline it, so he ridicules these vices.
The author bequeaths to his descendants the well-known wisdom: “Every day, drop by drop, squeeze a slave out of yourself.” It is worth devoting all of yourself to this work, otherwise conventions, prejudices, public opinion or tyrants in a higher position can break the will, eradicate individuality and leave a spineless person at the mercy of the winner. A free person develops harmoniously and gains independence of views and judgments, which allows her to choose her own path.
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"Thick and thin" is a satirical story by Russian writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, created in 1883. It was first published by the humorous magazine "Oskolki" on October 1, 1883.
History of creation
The plot of the story “Thick and Thin” in its original version was based on an anecdotal incident, and the conflict between the characters arose by chance, due to the involuntary mistake of the “thin one”.
The 1886 edition, being generally textually close to the 1883 edition, significantly changed the meaning of the story with the few changes made. The motive of official subordination has been eliminated: the “thin” one now grovels before the “fat” without any practical need - “out of reflex.” The story received much greater satirical sharpness and generalization.
Characters
Main characters- Misha - Fat
- Porfiry - Thin
- Louise - Porfiry's wife
- Nathanael - son of Porfiry
Plot
Two old friends met at the Nikolaevskaya railway station. One of them was “thick” and the other was “thin”. Thin - Porfiry - had just gotten off the train, leaving with his wife Louise and son Nathanael. The fat one - Misha - recognized the thin one and immediately greeted him. Friends started talking. As a child, Porfiry bore the nickname Ephialtes because he “loved to tell lies.” As a child, Misha bore the nickname Herostratus because he “burned through a government book with a cigarette.”
Thin told the fat one that he was a collegiate assessor and sarcastically inquired whether Tolstoy had risen to the rank of “civilian.” However, the fat man turned out to be a secret councilor, after which Porfiry’s tone changed to obsequious and obsequious. Tolstoy could not bear this change in behavior and said goodbye to Porfiry.
In culture
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Notes
Links
- www.anton-chehov.info/pamyatniki-chexovu.html (photo of the sculptural group in Taganrog)
Excerpt characterizing Thick and Thin
Pierre gave her his word of honor.– Is he still here? – she asked quickly.
- Yes, I saw him just now.
She was obviously unable to speak and made signs with her hands to leave her.
Pierre did not stay for dinner, but immediately left the room and left. He went around the city to look for Anatoly Kuragin, at the thought of whom all the blood now rushed to his heart and he had difficulty catching his breath. In the mountains, among the gypsies, among the Comoneno, it was not there. Pierre went to the club.
In the club everything went on as usual: the guests who had come to dine sat in groups and greeted Pierre and talked about city news. The footman, having greeted him, reported to him, knowing his acquaintance and habits, that a place had been left for him in the small dining room, that Prince Mikhail Zakharych was in the library, and Pavel Timofeich had not arrived yet. One of Pierre's acquaintances, between talking about the weather, asked him if he had heard about Kuragin's kidnapping of Rostova, which they talk about in the city, is it true? Pierre laughed and said that this was nonsense, because he was now only from the Rostovs. He asked everyone about Anatole; one told him that he had not come yet, the other that he would dine today. It was strange for Pierre to look at this calm, indifferent crowd of people who did not know what was going on in his soul. He walked around the hall, waited until everyone had arrived, and without waiting for Anatole, he did not have lunch and went home.
Anatole, whom he was looking for, dined with Dolokhov that day and consulted with him on how to correct the spoiled matter. It seemed to him necessary to see Rostova. In the evening he went to his sister to talk with her about the means to arrange this meeting. When Pierre, having traveled all over Moscow in vain, returned home, the valet reported to him that Prince Anatol Vasilich was with the countess. The countess's living room was full of guests.
Pierre, without greeting his wife, whom he had not seen since his arrival (she hated him more than ever at that moment), entered the living room and, seeing Anatole, approached him.
“Ah, Pierre,” said the countess, approaching her husband. “You don’t know what situation our Anatole is in...” She stopped, seeing in her husband’s low-hanging head, in his sparkling eyes, in his decisive gait that terrible expression of rage and strength that she knew and experienced in herself after the duel with Dolokhov.
“Where you are, there is debauchery and evil,” Pierre said to his wife. “Anatole, let’s go, I need to talk to you,” he said in French.
Anatole looked back at his sister and stood up obediently, ready to follow Pierre.
Pierre took him by the hand, pulled him towards him and walked out of the room.
“Si vous vous permettez dans mon salon, [If you allow yourself in my living room,” Helen said in a whisper; but Pierre left the room without answering her.
Anatole followed him with his usual, dashing gait. But there was noticeable concern on his face.
The satirical story “Thick and Thin” was created in 1883 and belongs to Chekhov’s early works. Its first publication took place in the humorous magazine “Oskolki” on October 1 of the same year. At first, the plot of the story was based on an anecdotal incident, and the conflict between “thick” and “thin” arises accidentally due to the latter’s mistake. In 1886, the story was edited; in general, the text was close to the original version of 1883, but some changes made quite significantly changed the meaning of the story. The author removed the motive of subordination in service. The “thin” man now fawned over the “fat” one without any practical background, purely out of habit and developed reflex. Thanks to the changes made, the story became more generalized and satirically sharp.
The ideological content of the story is to ridicule veneration and the associated way of thinking. The author shows how ridiculous and pathetic a person is for whom position and social status are above simple human relationships. The main character is a small man who makes himself such, servile even when there is no need for it. In the story we see the world of the “subtle,” the world of slave psychology, which the writer mercilessly and truthfully exposes. A world in which a person voluntarily loses his own dignity and his personality.
Story Analysis
Plot
The action takes place at a railway station, where two old school friends meet, one of them is “fat”, the other is “thin”. “The thin one” gets out of the arriving carriage, accompanied by his thin wife and his equally teenage son in a school uniform, while the “fat one” comes out of the station buffet, where he apparently had a rather hearty lunch. Friends happily meet and begin to ask each other about life, who has achieved what. When asked by thin Porfiry what he has become now, fat Misha, without any ulterior motive, answers that he is now an important official, a secret councilor.
This is where a dramatic metamorphosis occurs with Porfiry and his entire family, which leads Misha into some confusion. The son, a high school student, instantly buttons up all the buttons and stretches out. The long chin of Porfiry’s wife becomes even longer, and he himself begins to behave as if at a reception with an important official with a petition. He begins to fawn, switch to “you”, and chuckle humiliatingly. Misha tries to reason with him: “stop it, we’re old friends.” However, Porfiry does not calm down and continues to behave in the same spirit. This becomes so unpleasant for Fat Misha that he tries to quickly say goodbye to Porfiry and leave.
Main characters
Speaking about Porfiry’s family, we can talk about all three as one person, since the head of the family, judging by their behavior, was able to mold his exact likeness from his wife and son. If at the beginning of the story they all behave like normal people, rejoicing at meeting an old friend, then, after the news of Tolstoy’s position, the same metamorphosis occurs with them as with Tonky. It’s safe to say that a person’s position is above all else for them. This whole family lives by the principle “I’m a worm in comparison with him, in comparison with him, with a face like that...”. By groveling before a person superior in position, they will apparently treat with contempt those who are lower than them on the social level.
In comparison with them, Misha evokes more sympathy, who, despite the high position he achieved, nevertheless managed to preserve simple human qualities. Remember friendship, rejoice in meeting an old friend, without looking at his social status. It can be assumed that he is a good-natured and sociable person, arrogance and arrogance are alien to him. That is why, when Porfiry began to so zealously express his veneration and servility to him, it became so unpleasant for him that he tried to leave as quickly as possible. From this we can conclude that these qualities are alien and unusual to him.
In his stories, Chekhov calls on people to stop being slaves and to remember their human dignity and self-respect.
The main characters of “Fat and Thin” are childhood friends; they once studied together, played pranks together, and both retained many warm memories of that carefree period. The description of the appearance of the characters is the main antithesis in the work. The author does not immediately introduce the names of the characters into the story; at first he calls them “thick and thin.” This emphasizes not only the external, but also the internal characteristics of the characters, setting the reader up to the fact that people have met, between whom misunderstanding is inevitable. In Chekhov's story “The Thick and the Thin”, servility and the habit of groveling before higher ranks are ridiculed. The instant metamorphosis that happened to the “thin” man and his entire family is so disgusting and irreversible that the “fat” man strives to leave his old friend, he “vomits”.
Characteristics of the characters “Thick and Thin”
Main characters
Fat (Misha) |
A plump, good-natured person who loves to eat well. He behaves easily and naturally. He rose to the rank of Privy Councilor and has “two stars.” He remembers school pranks with joy, and is sincerely glad to meet his childhood friend. Despite his position, he behaves simply and does not recognize rank among old friends. |
Thin (Porfiry) |
A thin man with a mountain of bags, suitcases and cardboard boxes in his hands. His family is his reflection. From the memoirs of Porfiry himself, we learn that in the gymnasium he was teased for lying. Talking about himself, he complains about his low income and is dissatisfied with his situation. It seems that Porfiry is sincerely glad to meet his friend, but something keeps him in suspense. His family cannot decide how to behave with Mikhail. They hide behind the back of the head of the family. After Porfiry finds out that Misha has become a secret councilor, his face changes beyond recognition and, apart from nervous giggling and stuttering, he manages to squeeze nothing out of himself. |
Minor characters
In the work “The Thick and the Thin” the characters meet by chance at the station, the “second” acquaintance occurs at the moment when Mikhail informs his friend about what post he holds. At this moment, the image of Porfiry undergoes such tremendous changes that a new person appears before us. The transformation so strikingly reveals the character of the “subtle” and his family that further dialogue between friends turns out to be impossible. The situation positively characterizes the well-fed and wealthy Mikhail, who turns out to be more humane and simpler than Porfiry, who complains about life. The author calls for maintaining your own dignity, self-respect, and not judging a person by their status in society.
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Work test
The story “Thick and Thin” by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov is short. Describes a short episode - a meeting of two childhood friends. When Thin finds out that his yesterday's friend Misha has risen to the rank of actual Privy Councilor (This is the second rank in the table of ranks), he has completely changed. Worship of rank sometimes eats into the blood and pores of the skin. Even in our time, you can see how people bow down to those above them, and are ready to humiliate those who are lower on the social ladder.
So, the main characters of the story:
Thin- Porfiry. Not without vanity. Married, has a son. According to the table of ranks, he rose to the rank of collegiate assessor, which corresponds to grade 8 according to the table of ranks. Verbose, loves to talk. Repeatedly, this indicates his forgetfulness and poor blood supply to the brain.
Louise, née Vanzenbach, music teacher. German and Lutheran by religion. He behaves modestly and is silent.
Nathanael- The boy is timid, but willful. He acts as he sees fit.
Thick– loves to eat delicious food, especially since the means allow him to eat a lot and satisfyingly. The fact that Tolstoy rose to rank II on the table of ranks speaks of his organizational and mental abilities. Worship of rank is unpleasant for him, which also characterizes Tolstoy positively.
The change in attitude towards Tolstoy that occurred in the Tonkoy family unpleasantly struck Tolstoy. He was used to communicating with people on equal terms and was sincerely glad to meet his friend. But this servility, which reached a sickening cloying, the sharp change that occurred in Tonkoy, made it clear to Tolstoy that communication on equal terms would not work. He quickly said goodbye to his former classmate and left.