Comedy The Cherry Orchard. The Cherry Orchard as a symbol of spiritual memory (based on the play by A
In 1903, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov wrote his last play, to which he gave the surprisingly accurate affectionate title “The Cherry Orchard.” When you hear this phrase, you immediately want to immerse yourself in the warmth and comfort of the noble nest that adorned our land a century ago.
It was created by the labor and sweat of serfs for the life and joy of generations of the Gaev family, who were in some ways very similar to Oblomov. They are kind, smart, but inactive, like Ilya Ilyich, who spent his whole life lying on the sofa.
They also had their own Zakhar, only his name was Firs. Now he is 87. Gaev has also aged, remaining a big, carefree child with endless candies in his mouth. His sister managed to change her last name - now she is the mother of a seventeen-year-old girl. But until now, Ranevskaya’s room is called a nursery - the power of memory and tradition.
“Oh my youth! Oh my freshness! - Gogol exclaims in Dead Souls. We hear almost the same thing in Ranevskaya’s remark, because not only arms and legs, but also the human soul is looking for support. The most reliable support is the parental home. That is why, after spending five years abroad, Ranevskaya returns to the estate at the most difficult moment - it is already up for auction.
The Cherry Orchard... It is both a living memory of the departed and a medicine for the soul. Ranevskaya loves her estate not for its potatoes and tomatoes, but for its memory and beauty. She won't save her estate - no matter what. But he tries to see his native nest at least once again.
Perhaps it was for the sake of this meeting with Ranevskaya - a man, not a lady - that old Firs, the emblem of the house, so merged with it that even now, four decades later, perceives will as a misfortune, saved his life. It was not for nothing that “the owl screeched and the samovar hummed endlessly” when serfdom was abolished.
Now other sounds are heard - a broken string and an orchestra (flute, double bass and four violins). Maybe this is a requiem? Not in terms of private property in general, but in terms of that piece of memory and beauty that personally belongs to you, without which a person cannot be formed spiritually.
Lopakhin offers a real option for saving the cherry orchard - the dacha. But they will destroy everything, because this will mean the arrival of strangers in your home. “Dachas and summer residents are so vulgar,” says Ranevskaya, and Gaev supports her, although he cannot offer anything in return: he is not used to taking responsibility.
She is taken by Lopakhin, the son and grandson of the peasants who worked here. Apparently, these two clans of Lopakhins and Gaevs coexisted quite peacefully, living in parallel social worlds on the same “lordly” land. So he offers to loan money, but there is nothing to give back, and decent people in such a situation do not borrow. Material from the site
Other decent people do not leave this sinking ship that sails from the past to the hopeless present until the last minute. Servants and Charlotte, who does not know her relatives and homeland, live there on pea soup. Ranevskaya’s adopted daughter Varya is also here. The clerk Simeonov-Pishchik knocks his abacus knuckles and rustles the bills - “twenty-two misfortunes,” like the entire estate. And she is like a sinking ship. Lopakhin, a new man of a new era, in a white vest, standing firmly on the ground, is trying to save him. But everything is in vain, and at the end of the drama we hear the sound of an ax - it’s cherry trees being cut down at the roots. Together with the garden, to the sound of an ax, the faithful Firs, a symbol of the past “lordly” life, disappears into oblivion. In the bustle, everyone forgot about him. There was no one to take personal responsibility for the old man's fate.
Ranevskaya returned to Russia, and found herself, as it were, in another dimension - the era of primitive accumulation of capital, which had long passed in the West. But not only the train - they were all late. The train of life has gone in the direction of capitalization, that is, squeezing “cash” and “non-cash” from everything from which it can be squeezed. Including defenseless beauty. But giving up on her and the past is like giving up on your own mother. This is what Yasha, who dreams of going abroad, does - the most disgusting character in the play. Not so much by position, but by psychology. He is a slave. And slaves do not need spiritual memory.
A person, a state, or history simply cannot do without it.
Didn't find what you were looking for? Use the search
On this page there is material on the following topics:
- theme of spiritual memory cherry orchard
- saving the cherry orchard
- cherry orchard symbol
- cherry orchard as a symbol of duzov memory
- cherry orchard as a symbol of spiritual memory
The play “The Cherry Orchard” is the last work of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. The writer was terminally ill and realized that he would die very soon. This is probably why the play is permeated with some special sadness, tenderness, and lyricism. “The Cherry Orchard” amazes the reader with its metaphorical nature and depth of characters. Each scene here is multifaceted and ambiguous; every detail becomes the personification of a former, passing life, but still so familiar and familiar.
It’s as if three eras met in the play: past, present and future. Some heroes live in yesterday, cherishing warm memories of the past, others know the value of time, are busy with everyday affairs and are ready to benefit from any business, while others look confidently into tomorrow, looking into the still distant and unknown future.
The artistic load placed on the landscape also makes an indelible impression. The background against which the events of the play develop is the cherry orchard. The garden is the embodiment of the inevitably passing past, the familiar, quiet, carefree life that has sunk into oblivion. Stanislavsky, in his memoirs about Chekhov, wrote that the writer in his work “... caressed the former beautiful, but now unnecessary life, which he destroyed with tears in his play.”
The Cherry Orchard is a quiet family nest, an island of homely peace and comfort, with which the heroes firmly associate all the brightest and dearest things that warm the soul. It’s as if the dreams and hopes, aspirations and memories of Ranevskaya and Gaev are collected here - representatives of the “past” generation, people who are inert and indecisive, those who are accustomed to an easy, carefree life, over which, it seemed to the heroes, time itself has no power. The characters, year after year, tenderly cherished the treasure trove of their memories, without even thinking that the old order would soon sink into oblivion and the heroes would have to learn to live in a new world, where, as it turned out, there was no place for idle dreamers.
So does the cherry orchard need to be saved? Is it necessary to save the old noble Russia, the embodiment of which is this “character” (the image of the cherry orchard is so thought out and tangible that it can safely be called another “character” of the play)? Despite the fact that the cherry orchard is a symbol of the past, do tenderly treasured memories deserve to be destroyed just because people of the “new era” are not aware of their value and significance? No. The garden was and remains the same embodiment of unfulfilled, but still surprisingly kind, bright and pure dreams and hopes; an echo of a happy and carefree past, dear to the hearts of the main characters of the play.
So, the old way of life is changing under the pressure of young, energetic, active people, but this does not mean at all that memories of the past should be destroyed, because memory is part of history and culture. That is why the cherry orchard “has the right to life” and is worthy of “salvation”, because “it preserves in its blooming whiteness the poetry of the former lordly life.”
- November 17th, 2014
- 376
Reflections on the topic: Should the cherry orchard be saved?
Time moves inexorably forward, one era replaces another, and the question inevitably arises: is it necessary to part with the past?
“The Cherry Orchard” is the last work of A.P. Chekhov, his “swan song”. This play is called “the most Chekhovian” of all the writer’s plays. Stanislavsky, who highly appreciated her, noted that Chekhov was one of the first “to begin cutting down a beautiful blooming cherry orchard, realizing that his time had passed, that the old life was irrevocably condemned to scrap.” Showing the historical change in social structures, Chekhov is trying to resolve the question: is it necessary to save the cherry orchard? His entire play is woven from forebodings and expectations, and the closeness of renewal is felt in it. The time of cherry orchards with their delicate beauty is coming to an end, and lordly manor life is becoming a thing of the past. The owners of the cherry orchard - landowners Ranevskaya and Gaev - are unable to resist determined, assertive, practical entrepreneurs, because they are too passive and not adapted to a life that requires struggle. They fail, and one of the main reasons is that their time has run out.
Our whole life testifies to the fact that society in one way or another obeys the dictates of history, and every person takes into account historical laws more than his own feelings, whether he wants it or not. Ranevskaya is replaced by Lopakhin, whom, by the way, she does not blame for anything. And he, in turn, feels sincere affection for this woman. “My father was a serf to your grandfather and father, but you, in fact, you once did so much for me that I forgot everything and love you like my own…” he says. Another character, Petya Trofimov, proclaims the time of new life and makes passionate speeches against historical injustice. But this young man also treats the mistress of the estate with tenderness and on the night of her arrival at the family nest he says: “I will just bow to you and leave immediately.” Nevertheless, everything has long been clear to everyone: the atmosphere of universal goodwill and sympathy can no longer change anything, because the laws of history are inexorable. Therefore, when, leaving the estate forever, Ranevskaya and Gaev are left alone for a minute, they throw themselves on each other’s necks and sob... In this scene there is a breath of tragedy, a feeling of harsh and inevitable changes. The era of Lopakhin is coming, the cherry orchard is cracking under his ax. Lopakhin cannot help but rejoice at the fact that he became the owner of the estate where his father, being a forced man, served the masters. And, I must admit, his feelings are understandable. There is even some historical justice contained in Lopakhin’s triumph. At the same time, he also understands that his triumph will not bring fundamental changes. He cannot help but realize that new people will come to replace him, and this will be the next step in history, as Petya Trofimov enthusiastically declares: “All of Russia is our garden,” and these words, imbued with cheerfulness and confidence, set the tone for the entire play .
Of course, the realization of lofty goals is still far away; first we have to survive the Lopakhin era, but “humanity is moving towards the highest truth,” life, which seemed frozen in place, has begun to move. The dreamy and dreary expectation of change was replaced by the conviction that a bright future is close. People can already hear his steps. There is no need to save the cherry orchard! The salvation of society lies in the renewal of life.
The image of the garden in the play "The Cherry Orchard" is ambiguous and complex. This is not just part of the estate of Ranevskaya and Gaev, as it might seem at first glance. This is not what Chekhov wrote about. The Cherry Orchard is a symbolic image. It signifies the beauty of Russian nature and the life of the people who raised it and admired it. Together with the death of the garden, this life also perishes.
A center that unites characters
The image of the garden in the play “The Cherry Orchard” is the center around which all the characters unite. At first it may seem that these are just old acquaintances and relatives who, by chance, gathered at the estate to solve everyday problems. However, it is not. It is no coincidence that Anton Pavlovich united characters representing various social groups and age categories. Their task is to decide the fate of not only the garden, but also their own.
Gaev and Ranevskaya’s connection with the estate
Ranevskaya and Gaev are Russian landowners who own an estate and a cherry orchard. This is brother and sister, they are sensitive, smart, educated people. They are able to appreciate beauty and feel it very subtly. That’s why the image of the cherry orchard is so dear to them. In the perception of the heroes of the play “The Cherry Orchard”, he personifies beauty. However, these characters are inert, which is why they cannot do anything to save what is dear to them. Ranevskaya and Gaev, for all their spiritual wealth and development, are devoid of responsibility, practicality and a sense of reality. Therefore, they cannot take care not only of loved ones, but also of themselves. These heroes do not want to listen to Lopakhin’s advice and rent out the land they own, although this would bring them a decent income. They think that dachas and summer residents are vulgar.
Why is the estate so dear to Gaev and Ranevskaya?
Gaev and Ranevskaya cannot rent out the land because of the feelings connecting them with the estate. They have a special relationship with the garden, which is like a living person to them. Much connects these heroes with their estate. The Cherry Orchard seems to them to be the personification of bygone youth, a past life. Ranevskaya compared her life to a “cold winter” and a “dark stormy autumn.” When the landowner returned to the estate, she again felt happy and young.
Lopakhin's attitude to the cherry orchard
The image of the garden in the play “The Cherry Orchard” is also revealed in Lopakhin’s attitude towards it. This hero does not share the feelings of Ranevskaya and Gaev. He finds their behavior illogical and strange. This person is surprised why they do not want to listen to seemingly obvious arguments that will help find a way out of a difficult situation. It should be noted that Lopakhin is also capable of appreciating beauty. The cherry orchard delights this hero. He believes that there is nothing more beautiful in the world than him.
However, Lopakhin is a practical and active person. Unlike Ranevskaya and Gaev, he cannot just admire the cherry orchard and regret it. This hero strives to do something to save him. Lopakhin sincerely wants to help Ranevskaya and Gaev. He never ceases to convince them that they should rent out both the land and the cherry orchard. This must be done as soon as possible, since the auction will be soon. However, the landowners do not want to listen to him. Leonid Andreevich can only swear that the estate will never be sold. He says he won't allow the auction.
New owner of the garden
Nevertheless, the auction still took place. The owner of the estate is Lopakhin, who cannot believe his own happiness. After all, his father and grandfather worked here, “were slaves”, they weren’t even allowed into the kitchen. The purchase of an estate for Lopakhin becomes a kind of symbol of his success. This is a well-deserved reward for many years of work. The hero would like his grandfather and father to rise from the grave and be able to rejoice with him, to see how much their descendant has succeeded in life.
Negative qualities of Lopakhin
The cherry orchard for Lopakhin is just land. It can be bought, mortgaged or sold. This hero, in his joy, did not consider himself obliged to show a sense of tact towards the former owners of the purchased estate. Lopakhin immediately begins to cut down the garden. He did not want to wait for the former owners of the estate to leave. The soulless lackey Yasha is somewhat similar to him. He completely lacks such qualities as attachment to the place in which he was born and raised, love for his mother, and kindness. In this respect, Yasha is the complete opposite of Firs, a servant who has unusually developed these feelings.
Relation to the garden of the servant Firs
In revealing it, it is necessary to say a few words about how Firs, the oldest of everyone in the house, treated him. For many years he faithfully served his masters. This man sincerely loves Gaev and Ranevskaya. He is ready to protect these heroes from all troubles. We can say that Firs is the only one of all the characters in The Cherry Orchard endowed with such a quality as devotion. This is a very integral nature, which is fully manifested in the servant’s attitude towards the garden. For Firs, the estate of Ranevskaya and Gaev is a family nest. He strives to protect it, as well as its inhabitants.
Representatives of the new generation
The image of the cherry orchard in the play “The Cherry Orchard” is dear only to those characters who have important memories associated with it. The representative of the new generation is Petya Trofimov. The fate of the garden does not interest him at all. Petya declares: “We are above love.” Thus, he admits that he is not capable of experiencing serious feelings. Trofimov looks at everything too superficially. He does not know real life, which he is trying to remake based on far-fetched ideas. Anya and Petya are outwardly happy. They thirst for a new life, for which they strive to break with the past. For these heroes, the garden is “all of Russia,” and not a specific cherry orchard. But is it possible to love the whole world without loving your home? Petya and Anya are losing their roots in their quest for new horizons. Mutual understanding between Trofimov and Ranevskaya is impossible. For Petya there are no memories, no past, and Ranevskaya deeply experiences the loss of the estate, since she was born here, her ancestors also lived here, and she sincerely loves the estate.
Who will save the garden?
As we have already noted, it is a symbol of beauty. Only people who can not only appreciate it, but also fight for it can save it. Active and energetic people who replace the nobility treat beauty only as a source of profit. What will happen to her, who will save her?
The image of the cherry orchard in Chekhov's play "The Cherry Orchard" is a symbol of the home and the past, dear to the heart. Is it possible to boldly move forward if the sound of an ax is heard behind you, destroying everything that was previously sacred? It should be noted that the cherry orchard is and it is no coincidence that such expressions as “hitting a tree with an ax”, “trampling a flower” and “cutting off the roots” sound inhumane and blasphemous.
So, we briefly examined the image of the cherry orchard as understood by the characters in the play “The Cherry Orchard.” Reflecting on the actions and characters of the characters in Chekhov’s work, we also think about the fate of Russia. After all, it is a “cherry orchard” for all of us.
