Small demon Sologub summary by chapters. “But it only seemed so”

Ardalyon Borisovich Peredonov, a literature teacher at a local gymnasium, constantly felt like a subject special attention women. Still would! State Councilor (fifth class in the table of ranks!), a man in the juice, in essence, not married... After all, Varvara... If something happens, Varvara can be sidelined. There’s just one thing: without her, you probably won’t get an inspector’s position. (The director of the gymnasium does not favor him; the students and their parents consider him rude and unfair.) Princess Volchanskaya promised Varvara to intercede for Ardalyon Borisovich, but set the condition for the wedding: it is inconvenient to intercede for the partner of her former house dressmaker. However, first the place, and then the wedding. Otherwise they will just deceive you.

Varvara was extremely disturbed by these moods of his, and she begged the widow Grushina to prepare a letter for money, as if from the princess, with a promise of a place if they got married.

Peredonov was overjoyed, but Vershina, who was trying to pass off the dowryless Marta as him, immediately besieged him: where is the envelope? Business letter- and without an envelope! Varvara and Grushina immediately corrected the matter with a second letter, sent through their St. Petersburg acquaintances. Both Vershina and Rutilov, who wooed Peredonov’s sisters, and Prepolovenskaya, who was hoping to marry his niece, all realized that their case was lost; Ardalyon Borisovich set a wedding day. Already suspicious, he was now even more afraid of envy and kept expecting a denunciation or even an attempt on his life. Prepolovenskaya added fuel to the fire, hinting that Ardalyon Borisovich’s close friend Pavel Vasilyevich Volodin was visiting Peredonov for Varvara Dmitrievna’s sake. This is, of course, nonsense. Varvara considers Volodin a fool, and a crafts teacher at a city school receives four times less than a gymnasium teacher, Peredonov. Ardalyon Borisovich became worried: he would marry Varvara, they would go to the inspector’s place, and on the way they would poison him and bury him like Volodin, and he would be an inspector. Varvara still doesn’t let go of the knife, and the fork is dangerous. (And he hid the cutlery under the bed. The Chinese eat with chopsticks.) So the ram, so similar to Volodin, looks blankly, probably plotting evil. The main thing is that they will inform you and he will die. After all, Natasha, Peredonov’s former cook, went straight to the gendarme from them. Having met the gendarme lieutenant colonel, Ardalyon Borisovich asked not to believe what Natasha would say about him, she was always lying, and she had a Pole lover.

The meeting gave rise to the idea of visiting the city fathers and assuring them of his trustworthiness. He visited the mayor, the prosecutor, the leader of the nobility, the chairman of the district zemstvo government, and even the police officer. And he told everyone that everything they were saying about him was nonsense. Once he wanted to light a cigarette on the street, he suddenly saw a policeman and asked if he could smoke here. So that the almost already established inspector would not be replaced by Volodin, he decided to mark himself. On the chest, on the stomach, on the elbows he put the letter P in ink.

The cat also became suspicious to him. Strong electricity in wool is the problem. And he took the beast to the barber for a haircut.

Already many times the gray little thing had appeared to him, rolled at his feet, mocked him, teased him: he would stick his head out and hide. And even worse - cards. The ladies, two at a time, winked; aces, kings, jacks whispered, whispered, teased.

After the wedding, the Peredonovs were visited for the first time by the director and his wife, but it was noticeable that they were moving in different circles local society. And not everything is going smoothly for Peredonov at the gymnasium. He visited the parents of his students and complained about their laziness and insolence. In several cases, children were punished for these fictitious faults and complained to the director.

The story of fifth-grader Sasha Pylnikov turned out to be completely wild. Grushina said that this boy was actually a girl in disguise: he was so cute and kept blushing, the quiet boy and the schoolchildren teased him about being a girl. And all this to catch Ardalyon Borisovich.

Peredonov reported to the director about a possible scandal: debauchery would begin in the gymnasium. The director felt that Peredonov was going too far. Nevertheless, the cautious Nikolai Vlasievich, in the presence of the gymnasium doctor, became convinced that Sasha was not a girl, but the rumor did not subside, and one of the Rutilov sisters, Lyudmila, looked into Kokovkina’s house, where her aunt had rented a room for Sasha.

Lyudmila and Sasha became a tender but troubled friendship. Lyudmila awakened in him premature, still unclear aspirations. She came dressed, perfumed, and sprinkled perfume on her Daphnis.

Innocent excitement was the main charm of their meetings for Lyudmila. She said to her sisters: “I don’t love him as much as you think... I love him innocently. I don’t need anything from him.” She bothered Sasha, sat him on her lap, kissed him and allowed him to kiss her wrists, shoulders, and legs. Once she half-begged, half-forced him to be naked to the waist. And she said to him: “I love beauty... I wish I had been born in ancient Athens... I love the body, strong, dexterous, naked... My dear idol, a god-like youth...”

She began to dress him in her outfits, and sometimes in the tunic of an Athenian or a fisherman. Her tender kisses awakened the desire to do something sweet or painful, tender or shameful to her, so that she would laugh with joy or scream with pain.

Meanwhile, Peredonov was already telling everyone about Pylnikov’s depravity. The townspeople looked at the boy and Lyudmila with vile curiosity. The future inspector himself behaved more and more strangely. He burned the winking and grimacing cards in his face, wrote denunciations about the card pieces, about the flaw, about the ram posing as Volodin. But the worst thing was what happened at the masquerade. The eternal jokers and inventors of the Rutilov sisters dressed Sasha as a geisha and did it so skillfully that the first ladies' prize went to him (no one recognized the boy). A crowd of guests, excited by envy and alcohol, demanded to take off the mask, and in response to the refusal, tried to grab the geisha, but was saved by the actor Bengalsky, who carried her out of the crowd in his arms. While the geisha was being poisoned, Peredonov decided to let fire on the missing piece that had appeared out of nowhere. He brought the match to the curtain. The fire was noticed from the street, so the house burned down, but people were saved. Subsequent events assured everyone that the rumors about Sasha and the Rutilov girls were nonsense.

Peredonov began to realize that he had been deceived. One evening Volodin came in and sat down at the table. They drank more than they ate. The guest bleated and fooled around: “They fooled you, Ardasha.” Peredonov pulled out a knife and slashed Volodin in the throat.

When they entered to take the murderer, he sat dejectedly and muttered something meaningless.

Option 2

The gymnasium teacher Peredonov Ardalyon Borisovich was very suspicious and picky. He is not married, so women paid close attention to him.

Princess Volchanskaya promised Varya, his second cousin, a position as an inspector for Peredonov on the condition that he would marry her. But the teacher wants to get this place first and then have a wedding. So that he won't be deceived. He’s also not satisfied with Varya’s physique—he wants a fat one. Vershina wooes Marta Peredonova, whose outfit delighted the teacher. But he immediately thought that he was being caught in the net of marriage. Varya is worried. She asks the widow Grushina to forge a letter from the princess in order to debunk Peredonov’s doubts about getting the inspector’s position. But matchmaker Vershina adds suspicion by pointing out the letter without an envelope. This is strange. The widow Grushina wrote a second letter from the absent princess - Peredonov calmed down and stopped looking at other brides. Now he is worried about his life: he is waiting for an assassination attempt or denunciation. The teacher hides knives and forks from Varya under the bed. They tell him that Volodin is visiting his fiancee. He compares it with a ram and sees some similarities.

Peredonov decides to visit the fathers of the city in order to convince them of his trustworthiness. He assures everyone that the rumors about him are nonsense, which did not actually exist. To avoid being confused with Volodin, the teacher wrote the letters P on his body. Peredonov’s suspicions fell on the cat because of the electricity from the fur. He took him to the barber for a haircut. The cards winked and whispered - he burned them. Some little thing is lying under your feet and teasing, suddenly appears, and then hides.

Not all is well in Peredonov’s service. He suspected that the boy Sasha was a girl in disguise. An examination was performed in the presence of a doctor. Lyudmila became affectionately friends with Sasha. She dressed him up in women's clothing, kisses you on the cheeks, sits you on your knees. Peredonov kept telling everyone about the debauchery and depravity of such friendship. At the masquerade, Sasha, dressed as a geisha, took first prize. The drunken guests rushed to remove the mask from the stranger, and the actor saved him from the maddened crowd - he carried him in his arms. A gap appeared under Peredonov's feet. The teacher set fire to the curtain behind which he hid. People managed to run out, but the house burned down. The rumors about Sasha turned out to be untrue.

Peredonov considered himself deceived. In the evening Volodin came to visit. They drank and ate little. The guest turned into a ram, which teased and bleated all the time. Peredonov cut the ram's throat with a knife. The gendarmes who entered found the distraught teacher near Volodin’s corpse.

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Summary of the Little Demon Sologub

Ardalyon Borisovich Peredonov, a literature teacher at a provincial gymnasium, has a reputation as an eligible bachelor. And although he meets with Varvara, she has rivals - the dowryless Marta, the Rutilov sisters, and Prepolovenskaya’s niece. The groom has doubts, but mercantile considerations prevailed, because Varvara promised him the position of inspector through the efforts of Princess Volchanskaya, but only after the wedding.

Ardalion Borisovich is afraid that he will be deceived, and Varvara, hoping to calm the groom, together with the widow Grushina, prepare a forged letter from the princess with assurances to secure a place. Vershina, who was hoping to accommodate Martha, tried to expose the fake, pointing out the absence of an envelope, but a second fake letter, sent through friends in St. Petersburg, decided the matter. Ardalion Borisovich is happy and dares to get married.

Soon Peredonov, having a restless and suspicious character, begins to worry that now everyone will envy him. Here, the wounded Prepolovenskaya tells him that Volodin, a vocational school teacher, comes to him for a reason, but because of Varvara. Ardalyon Borisovich began to imagine sinister plans for an attempt on his life by Volodin and even Varvara, because it’s not for nothing that she is always with a knife and fork. Moreover, it seemed suspicious that his former cook Natasha switched to the service of the gendarme, maybe she wants to inform on Ardalyon Borisovich.

He decides to pay a visit to the mayor, the police chief, the leader of the nobility, and the prosecutor to prove to them his trustworthiness. But this does not relieve him of fears and doubts, and Ardalyon Borisovich begins to show the first signs of madness: he tonsured the electrified cat, marked himself with the letter “P” so that the newly minted inspector would not be replaced by Volodin. So the nedotikomka began to come and tease, and the cards came to life , Jacks and Queens wink and mock.

He still gets married, but it didn’t make him happy. And the final ugly story is the unfair accusations of Sasha Pylnikov, a high school student, of debauchery. However, Peredonov’s denunciations to the director about the boy did not help; moreover, they made Ardalyon Borisovich the subject of ridicule and hostility. Peredonov could not stand the teasing of Volodin, his imaginary enemy, who came to visit him and killed him in a fit of madness.

The inert, soulless Peredonov set the goal of his life to obtain a “place”, and quite naturally found himself in a vicious circle of intrigues and absurdities, layered on top of one another. Existing without meaning in the musty atmosphere of the province eventually led him to madness and crime.

Picture or drawing Sologub - Small demon

Naosobitsu

Today we are starting a conversation about symbolist prose and will talk about Fyodor Sologub’s novel “The Little Demon”. Sologub is a pseudonym; in fact, this man’s name was Fyodor Kuzmich Teternikov, he was born in 1863 and died in 1927. In age, he was older not only than many younger Symbolists, but also older Symbolists. He almost never took part in what is sometimes called the “sturm und drang of symbolism,” i.e. he published in symbolist magazines, but wrote almost no polemical articles, did not sign manifestos, and was generally, as they say, on his own. They remember him as a gloomy, extremely scrupulous, strict person.

However, life did not spoil him either. He was born in a deep province. He had a very strict mother and a very strict sister. He suffered a lot from his mother and sister, whom, however, he loved very much.

After graduating from high school, he began teaching in the provinces. He is remembered as a rather strict, if not picky, teacher. He taught in the Novgorod and Pskov provinces. Then approximately he began to write poetry and prose - in addition to being a prose writer, he was also a wonderful poet. And his first poems were inspired mainly by the poetry of the idol of that time, Semyon Yakovlevich Nadson, about whom we have already talked a little and will talk more. And even in “The Little Demon,” when the heroine asks the hero who his favorite poet is, he replies: “Of course Nadson!”

“But it only seemed so”

In 1895, Sologub wrote the novel “Heavy Dreams,” which was precisely related to the theme of provincial life and teaching in the provinces. In 1903, Sologub's book, a collection of poems, was published. By this time he had already moved to St. Petersburg. And finally, in a year of crisis for Russia, in the year of the first Russian revolution, in 1905, Sologub released his novel “The Little Demon.”

This novel was a huge success. It was read in completely different layers. This is one of the few symbolist texts that was immediately accepted not only among the narrow circle of readers of modernist literature, but also among a very wide circle in general. But, as it seems, this novel was not fully adequately understood then, and now it is also not always correctly perceived by the reader. Let’s remember how this novel begins, let’s remember the first paragraph of “The Little Demon.”

“After the festive mass, the parishioners went home. Others stopped in the fence, behind the white stone walls, under old linden and maple trees and talked. Everyone dressed up in a festive way, looked at each other friendly, and it seemed that people in this city lived peacefully, amicably, and even cheerfully. But it only seemed so.”

As a matter of fact, the rest of the novel is devoted to exposing this appearance, this appearance. The novel is dedicated to what actually happened and what did not seem. And it seems that this provokes the reader to perceive Sologub’s text as a work that continues the traditions of the great classical Russian literature. Indeed, you and I remember a large number of texts, a large number of works that are devoted to the description, as Gorky said, “ leaden abominations"life in the Russian province.

I also remember, of course, Saltykov-Shchedrin with his satirical works, Dostoevsky is also remembered as the author of “Demons,” and this is simply a title that echoes the title of Sologub’s novel “The Little Demon.”

I remember, of course, Chekhov with his “Man in a Case” and other works. Let me remind you that in Sologub’s novel the main character is school teacher, as in Chekhov’s story “The Man in a Case”.

Moreover, the text is full of references to classical Russian literature. For example, Princess Volchanskaya, one of Sologub’s off-text characters, who does not appear on stage in the novel, but is often mentioned, of course, reminds of Pushkin’s “Queen of Spades,” and the image of a masquerade at which a bear appears may make some readers remember the famous scene of a home holiday in “Eugene Onegin” and the also famous episode preceding this scene - Tatyana’s dream. As we remember, there the heroine is carried away by a bear. Here the bear also carries away one of the main characters. Those. the novel is indeed extremely densely saturated with references to Russian classical literature and is often perceived as, I repeat, a continuation of this great tradition. As another text written within this great tradition of revelation. And this novel is often defined as a novel about the absurdities of Russian provincial life late XIX century. This is almost a classic definition.

However, if we begin to carefully read this novel, if we begin to carefully read “The Little Demon,” then we will see one very important thing. We will see that, in the words of Sologub himself, “it all just seemed.” It just seems that this novel fits into the tradition of Russian classical literature. In fact, Sologub does not so much continue this tradition as very angrily parody it, very angrily ridicule it. And even as we read this novel - which is partly why it was chosen for analysis in this lecture - we see how realistic direction, whatever we understand by this word, comes into some conflict right on the pages of the novel with the new symbolist, modernist, decadent direction. And to begin with, I propose to understand a little about how all parts of this definition work, or rather, how they do not work in this novel: a novel about the absurdity of Russian provincial life of the late 19th century. Let's start with the word "provincial".

Provincial town?

Indeed, we know and see that the action of the novel takes place in some provincial town; its name, as often happens in Russian literature, is not named. But at the same time, it is very curious that in the novel there is no, there is no traditional contrast for Russian literature “province - capital”, which, in fact, it seems, only gives meaning to this exposure of the province, that there is a province, but there is some other .

Well, let’s remember Chekhov, “Three Sisters”: “To Moscow! To Moscow! To Moscow!" - some, albeit fantastic, land, some fantastic space, where people are rushing best heroes, which are opposed to this inert life. Sologub did all this quite cleverly.

It seems that Petersburg is mentioned in the novel. This is the same Princess Volchanskaya whom she dreams of marrying main character Roman Peredonov, lives in St. Petersburg. She once - again outside the novel - sent some letters to the hero. However, firstly, none of these letters are mentioned in the novel. And, secondly, Peredonov so often fantasizes about this very Volchanskaya, her features acquire an increasingly fantastic appearance, and in the end it becomes unclear to the reader whether this Princess Volchanskaya even exists or does not exist.

A remarkable and important episode in this regard is the episode when the heroes go on a short journey. Peredonov rides on a cart with minor characters novel. He sets off on this journey, they describe to us in detail the beginning of this journey, how they leave the city, it is described how they drive along the road, and then everything ends. The technique is partly similar: we see that the heroes, leaving the city, do not end up anywhere. Nothing is reported either about where they arrived or how they returned; they find themselves, as it were, in absolute emptiness.

Parody on the theme of “small homeland”

Even more interesting is how the novel parodies a very important theme for classical Russian literature. small homeland, which is often contrasted with the capital St. Petersburg or the capital Moscow. I will even read this fragment. Two heroes, Peredonov and the second one, so parodic, so comic... Yes, all the characters there are so scary. So scary comic character, a teacher named Volodin. And they conduct such a dialogue. (Ardalyon Borisovich is Peredonov’s name.)

“Listen, Ardalyon Borisych, what I wanted to tell you,” Volodin spoke. “All the way I thought about how not to forget, and I almost forgot.”

Well? - Peredonov asked gloomily.

“You love sweets,” Volodin said joyfully, “and I know this food that you will lick your fingers.”

“I know all the delicious dishes myself,” said Peredonov.

Volodin made an offended face.

Maybe,” he said, “you, Ardalyon Borisych, know all the delicious dishes that are made in your homeland, but how can you know all the delicious dishes that are made in my homeland if you have never been to my homeland?” ?

And, pleased with the convincingness of his objection, Volodin laughed and bleated.

In your homeland they eat dead cats,” Peredonov said angrily.

Excuse me, Ardalyon Borisych,” Volodin said in a shrill and laughing voice, “perhaps in your homeland they deign to eat dead cats, we will not touch on this, but you have never eaten erls.”

And so on. We see that this theme arises - a small homeland, it is discussed what foods are eaten in Volodin’s homeland, and which are eaten in some other places, but immediately, and this is typical for Sologub’s novel, this theme, having arisen, is ridiculed. So tall, so lyrical theme small homeland leads to a buffoonish, buffoonish dialogue between the characters that denies it and destroys this topic.

Russian life at the end of the 19th century?

So, from this definition, it seems, the word “provincial” should be removed, because we are talking not only about provincial life, because other life, I repeat again, metropolitan life is simply not described in the novel. Now let's see what happens to Russian life. And, in general, we will actually see the same thing, the same similar picture. Despite the fact that the heroes have Russian surnames, eat porridge, that's it, there is no such special specificity, pressure on the fact that we are talking about Russian life, in the novel. Again, since there are no other alternatives - another life, some kind better life- simply does not appear in the novel.

And finally, “the end of the 19th century.” Again, the novel uses all sorts of words associated with this era. In the novel we're talking about about some reforms that were carried out at that time, etc. But it is structured in such a way that only when mentioned, this topic is immediately discredited, immediately becomes meaningless, unimportant, unimportant. In other words, the emphasis of Russian great literature on sociality, on the specific conditions of life in Russia at the end of the 19th century, in the provinces in the novel means almost nothing.

Let's give one more very specific one: interesting example. The fact is that Chekhov’s story, which we have already recalled, the story “The Man in a Case,” was written at the height of Sologub’s work on the novel “The Petty Demon.” You can imagine how Sologub, I repeat once again, a gloomy, gloomy person, how angry he was when he read this story. Chekhov seemed to have taken over his theme. And, apparently, it was impossible for him not to react in any way to the publication of this story. He understood that otherwise criticism would begin to reproach him for being secondary, for imitating Chekhov, for somehow repeating Chekhov in his text. And he introduces an episode into the novel in which the characters discuss Chekhov’s story “The Man in a Case,” and discuss it again in such a way that literally nothing remains of this story. The fact is that this teacher Volodin, out of his stupidity, is wooing an educated young lady. And here is the following dialogue between them:

“She saw that only one conversation was possible - city gossip. But Nadezhda Vasilievna still made one more attempt.

Have you read “The Man in a Case” by Chekhov? - she asked. - Isn’t it so accurate?

Since she addressed this question to Volodin, he grinned pleasantly and asked:

What is this, an article or a novel?

“A story,” Nadezhda Vasilievna explained.

Mister Chekhov, would you like to say? - Volodin inquired.

Yes, Chekhov,” Nadezhda Vasilievna said and grinned.

Where is this placed? - Volodin continued to be curious.

In “Russian Thought,” the young lady answered kindly.

Which room? - Volodin interrogated.

I don’t remember well, in some summer one,” Nadezhda Vasilyevna answered, still kindly, but with some surprise.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Volodin consoled the hostess with a promise to get the May issue of Russian Thought (by the way, Sologub gives the number incorrectly) and read Mr. Chekhov’s story. Peredonov listened with an expression of obvious boredom on his face. Finally he said:

I haven't read it either. I don't read nonsense. In stories and novels they write all the nonsense.”

Those. the story appears, it seems that a parallel also arises between the story and the novel, but all this is crossed out by Peredonov’s idiotic, frankly, stupid remark “everyone writes nonsense.”

A novel about the absurdity of life

And thus, if we cross out in this hypothetically written definition of “a novel about the absurdity of Russian provincial life of the late 19th century,” all unnecessary words, then “a novel about the absurdity of Russian provincial life at the end of the 19th century” will turn out to be “a novel about the absurdity of life.” This, it seems, is the very big, key difference between the Russian classic novel and Sologub’s novel. If Russian classic novel busy trying to describe a specific historical reality, then, accordingly, we can conclude that somewhere they live differently, that life in general, in theory, should be arranged differently.

U different writers this is justified in different ways. For example, the Russian classic novel “Crime and Punishment,” remember, believes that the city of St. Petersburg is infected with the devil, the devil has won in this city. And when Raskolnikov finds himself at the Yenisei River, when he finds himself outside of St. Petersburg, then purification occurs. Everything comes back - here it is very important word! - returns to the primitive truth, to the Christian foundations of life. And in general, it is important that Russian classical literature, of course, looked at all this differently, but still, one way or another, most writers hoped that good came first, and evil came into the world later.

This is completely different from Sologub. Sologub has these characters who seem to pretend to be heroes of the Russian classic work, so ridiculous, so caricatured, so terrible and scary in their manifestations that, it seems, no social conditions, this cannot be explained by any features of the biography. And it turns out from Sologub that through this flair, through this fog, through this semblance of a Russian classical humanistic novel, a completely different construction begins to shine through: a novel about the absurdity of life, about evil, which is primary.

A parody of the philosophy of hope

And then we probably need to take one more step: Sologub has different kinds of evil. Evil can be disgusting, negative and disgusting, but at the same time (and we'll talk about this a little later) evil can also be charming. Evil can be, according to Sologub... Forgive me for this oxymoron, evil can be good within the framework of his concept.

At the same time, it must be said that Sologub very evilly and very witty, sometimes more, sometimes less, parodies not only the circumstances of the Russian realistic novel - he parodies, perhaps, the main thing that is in the Russian novel, be it the novel of Dostoevsky or the novel of his antipode Chernyshevsky. He parodies the philosophy of hope.

Indeed, even with perhaps the darkest writer of the era, with the writer closest to Sologub, about whom, in fact, we were talking - with Chekhov, even with him, if we remember, in his plays there is still a finale, albeit in two sides, albeit ambiguous, but one way or another this philosophy of hope arises. This is the “sky in diamonds” in the play “Uncle Vanya”, this is the monologue about work and its fruitfulness in the finale of “Three Sisters”... Yes, there, of course, it is complicated by the fact that maybe this will never happen, maybe maybe these will be future generations, but still some kind of hope, as always with Chekhov it happens in both directions - Chekhov gives this hope.

What does Sologub have? He, I repeat once again, parodies this philosophy, it is important to emphasize this here. In general, when we talk about Sologub’s method, and this is how he differs from those who came after him, he does not abandon realism. He doesn’t say that all this was wrong, but I will write a completely different novel, built on different foundations. He seems to take all this into account, he seems to use all this in his text, but all of this is turned upside down for him and takes on such absolutely absurd outlines.

Here is a small fragment of the novel, where, as it seems, the philosophy of hope is very clearly parodied, primarily, of course, in the version of Chernyshevsky, his novel “What is to be done” and the famous epilogue from this novel. Here Peredonov and Volodin are speaking again.

“It’s useful, Ardalyon Borisych, to get some exercise,” Volodin convinced, “you’ll work, take a walk, eat, and you’ll be healthy.”

Well, yes,” Peredonov objected, “do you think that in two or three hundred years people will work?”

It seems impossible not to hear in this question from Peredonov a variation of the question from the play “Three Sisters”, whether people will work or not.

“- How about that? If you don't work, you won't even eat bread. They give you bread for money, but you have to earn money.

I don't even want bread.

There will be no buns and pies,” Volodin said, giggling, “and there will be nothing to buy vodka, and there will be nothing to make liqueurs from.”

No, people won’t work themselves, - said Peredonov, - there will be machines for everything, - he turned the handle like an Ariston, and it’s done... And it’s boring to turn for a long time.

Volodin became thoughtful, bowed his head, protruded his lips and said thoughtfully:

Yes, it will be very good. But then we won’t exist anymore.”

Again, there are two motives here at once, clearly parodic - this is Peredonov’s idea that machines will do all the difficult work, and the phrase, almost as if taken from Chekhov’s play: it will be wonderful, it will be good, but we will no longer exist. But Sologub does not want to calm down on this, and everything continues to become absurd, so to speak, to the extreme, to the limit.

“Peredonov looked at him angrily and growled:

It won't be you, but I will live.

“God grant you,” Volodin said cheerfully, “live two hundred years and crawl on your hands and knees for three hundred.”

Here, it seems, one can very clearly see, if you like, the technique of how Sologub dealt with Russian literature of the 19th century. Not just important, not just essential, but key, most cherished motives for Russian classical literature arise. And he entrusts the further dialogue about them to two unpleasant ones, two who are obviously, as they say in the subway, negative heroes, and they bring it all to the point of complete absurdity. At first I’ll just “live”, but it all ends with the absolutely absurd phrase “live for two hundred years and crawl on all fours for three hundred.”

"Positive program"

It seems that I have more or less already shown how Sologub deals with the Russian classical literature XIX century. Is there anything he puts in this place? Does he have any positive program, as they would say again in the 19th century? Well, I’ve already started talking about this a little bit. He puts evil in the place of good, in the place of the philosophy of hope, and what is traditionally divided in Russian literature turns out to be united together.

For example, this novel caused a scandal when it came out, also because it was perceived by contemporaries, and not without reason, as an erotic novel. But not only for this reason, but because Sologub’s eroticism was extremely inconsistent with the way they are used to writing about eroticism in Russian XIX literature century.

Let me remind you that if we are talking about Russian literature of the 19th century, then we must say that the most important thing in a woman has always been considered her inner world. There is a certain inner beauty that highlights the outside. It is enough to recall Katya from “Fathers and Sons” or, perhaps, the most expressive example in Russian literature – Natasha Rostova. Conversely, women who have external beauty, there is always something suspicious about them.

And Odintsova from “Fathers and Sons”, just paired with her sister Katya - it seems that she wins over her in all respects, and Katya’s hands are too big, and in general she is so clumsy, but in the end it is she who wins, it is she achieves, achieves her goal, because inner beauty is more important.

And, of course, the famous couple: Helen Kuragina-Bezukhova - Natasha Rostova. It is clear on whose side Tolstoy’s sympathies lie and who is truly beautiful.

This is completely different from Sologub. Not at all like that. AND main character, Varvara, is described as follows: “She hastily undressed and, grinning impudently, showed Peredonov her lightly painted, slender, beautiful and flexible body. Although Varvara was staggering from intoxication and her face was in every way fresh person would arouse disgust with its flabby and lustful expression...” This is quite, as it were, still in the traditions of Russian literature. Then comes the “but”: “...but her body was beautiful, like the body of a tender nymph, with attached to it, by the power of some despicable spell, the head of a withering harlot. And this is an amazing body for these two...” And so on. What follows is no longer very interesting and even somewhat vulgar, but I would like to draw your attention to this absolute contradiction of tradition. For Sologub, this is a completely possible option: a disgusting heroine even with a disgusting face, but her body is described as the body of a gentle nymph and Sologub, apparently, does not feel any disgust for her body.

“All the lambs, all the lambs, be-be-be”

Sologub’s dual reality is remarkable. For example, we have already talked quite a lot about this very Volodin, who is always compared to a ram. He bleats like a ram, his eyes are bulging like a ram's, and this comparison is made all the time. And all this is also perceived from a completely realistic perspective - a stupid young man, as he is often called. When suddenly, unexpectedly, we come across an episode where Volodin describes his dream. He tells what dream he had today. “- Me too today interesting dream I saw it,” Volodin announced, “but I don’t know what he’s doing.” It’s as if I’m sitting on a throne, wearing a golden crown, and in front of me there is grass, and on the grass there are lambs, all the lambs, all the lambs, be-be-be. So the lambs keep walking and doing this with their heads, and everything goes on and on.”

Well, that is. It’s clear, it seems completely obvious, what Sologub is hinting at here. And he hints at nothing less than the image of a lamb, which traditionally, both in painting and in literature, correlates with the image of Christ, the king of kings, who sits on the throne. And when we read this episode, we begin to perceive Volodin’s first appearance differently. We begin to read one detail in this first appearance differently.

This is how Volodin is described for the first time: “Pavel Vasilyevich Volodin, a young man, with his whole face and grip, came in with a joyful loud laugh, surprisingly similar to a lamb: hair like a lamb’s, curly, eyes bulging and dull - everything is like a cheerful one.” lamb, is a stupid young man.” But what follows, it seems to me, is important: “He was a carpenter, he had previously studied at a vocational school, and now he served as a crafts teacher at a city school.” Again: you can consider this, you can perceive it as a completely realistic detail - a teacher, a carpenter, a vocational school.

But as it seems, in connection with this episode, where he sits on the throne as the king of kings, I repeat once again, like Christ, we should probably remember that the carpenter was no more or less than Christ’s father Joseph. And then this topic continues, it develops, all the time Sologub balances on the brink between portraying Volodin as stupid young man, a ram, and this one prepared for the sacrifice of the king of kings.

Here is another scene: “Volodin walked around the rooms, shaking his forehead, protruding his lips and bleating. The guests laughed. Volodin sat down, looked blissfully at everyone, narrowing his eyes with pleasure, and laughed, too, the bleating laugh of a sheep.

Well, all the lambs, all the lambs, and then I woke up,” Volodin finished.

“The ram and the ram’s dreams,” Peredonov grumbled, “an important dish is the mutton king.”

Final scene

Here again this mutton king appears, and prepares all this final scene, where the features of a stupid young man, a lamb, and the features of an innocent victim merge in this image. “Volodin seemed scary and threatening to him...” This is almost the end of the novel. “We had to defend ourselves. Peredonov quickly pulled out a knife, rushed at Volodin and slashed him in the throat. Blood gushed out in a stream. Peredonov was frightened. The knife fell from his hands. Volodin kept bleating and tried to grab his throat with his hands. It was clear that he was mortally frightened, weakening and could not reach his hands to his throat. Suddenly he died and fell on Peredonov. There was an intermittent squeal, as if he had choked, and then it died down. Peredonov also screamed in horror, followed by Varvara.”

Those. this one is humorous, satirical developing topic the ram ends with something – it ends with a sacrifice. It is quite obvious that here this Volodin, whom the protagonist of Peredonov’s novel slaughters like a ram, turns out to be a victim, and a victim that does not lead to purification. The result is such a completely diabolical picture: yes, Volodin is stabbed to death, the sacrifice is made, but this leads to nothing. There is no enlightenment, there is nothing. Peredonov sits with a dull face, with a dull mechanical face, when they come to arrest him.

The erotic line of the novel and Nedotikomka

And here it is necessary to say about one more, it seems to me, the most interesting and not the most striking circumstance. What is in this novel, besides the line of Peredonov, Volodin and these characters, who personify such a dark, gloomy, terrible life this provincial town, there is a line that seems to be opposed to this line.

This is an erotic line, for which Sologub was also much scolded, condemned, and accused. A boy named Sasha Pylnikov, a student of Peredonov, who is in love with an adult woman, Lyudmila Rutilova. And the way their pastime is described, quite innocent, however, they dress each other in all sorts of costumes, etc., some kisses... All this, all this beautiful, perfume-scented life seems to be contrasted with this terrible life the rest of the city.

However, if we carefully read this novel, we will see that, strictly speaking, nothing happened. The fact is that the personification of this terrible city life is this fantastic creature, which is called the “non-puncture”. This is a character invented by Sologub who appears when the hero... Well, it seems that this is obvious even from my presentation - the hero goes crazy throughout the novel more and more and ends up killing his comrade. And the first sign of this descent into madness is the image of Nedotykomka. Nedotykomka correlates with Peredonov: from “too”, “over-”, she is “under-”.

And she is described as follows: “In the clouds of dust, the gray Nedotykomka sometimes flashed in the wind. It was dirty and dusty." Pay attention again: clouds of dust, in the wind, gray Nedotykomka, dirty and dusty. And elsewhere in the novel it is described as follows: “The missing piece sparkled with dull golden sparks, sometimes bloody, sometimes fiery.” This is how the embodiment of vulgarity, fear, horror of life, absurdity is depicted, the very absurdity of life that we talked about in our lecture.

But it’s interesting that Nedotikomka and Sasha Pylnikov, seemingly opposed to everything that is in this novel, appear in the same chapter. And the most interesting thing is that the way this Sasha Pylnikov is described... Well, starting with his last name. We already see that clouds of dust are what accompanies this Nedotykomka, and the hero bears the name Pylnikov. And then “dull golden sparks, sometimes bloody, sometimes fiery” - this is how Nedotykomka is described. So, in this same chapter, Sasha is depicted like this: “Sasha began to shine, stood all red.” Those. we see that in fact the motives that envelop the most terrible, most infernal character of this novel, Nedotykomka, and the motives that are associated with the character who seems to be opposing her (note that she is small and he a little boy), so these motives are similar.

And one can even assume, if we carefully, if not read, then re-read this novel, that, in fact, Nedotykomka is... Peredonov experiences such a not entirely pure interest in this boy, in this Sasha, it seems to him that he is in disguise girl all the time. So, it can be assumed that, by saying modern language, Nedotykomka is such a sublimation of Sasha in the eyes of Peredonov. And if we assume this, and it seems that we have grounds for this, it turns out that this line, the line of opposition, the line of beautiful eroticism opposing the line of base eroticism and, in general, everything base and terrible in the novel, that they grow from the same root, as a matter of fact. Here is Nedotykomka, on the one hand, and on the other hand, Sasha Pylnikov.

The alternative to evil turns out to be evil that is more charming, more attractive. Those. as if evil is the only thing that, strictly speaking, surrounds a person, according to Sologub. It just accepts different shapes. The form may be terrible, the form disgusting, the form base. Or maybe the form is tall, erotic, beautiful. [The problem] is that he is still reveling in it himself. When he writes about Sasha Pylnikov and this Lyudmila, he himself is simply delighted with it. But that doesn’t stop all this from being evil, and he himself actually understands it when he describes it.

And we return to, in fact, where we began to analyze this text. The novel is not written about social motives. The novel exposes evil as much as it glorifies it on other pages. A novel that masquerades as Russian realistic novel, at the same time being a novel of a new type, a decadent novel, a symbolist novel, which is often difficult to read, very often unpleasant, but necessary for the reader who is interested in Russian culture of the early twentieth century.

Literature

Venclova T. On the demonology of Russian symbolism // Venclova T. Interlocutors at the feast. Articles about Russian literature. Vilnius, 1997. pp. 41-81.
Erofeev Victor. Disturbing lessons from “The Little Demon.” Sologub F. Small demon. Novel. Stories / Comp., intro. Art. V.V. Erofeeva. - M.: Pravda, 1989. El. version - V. Esaulov, August 2005
Keldysh V. A. About the “Little Demon” // Sologub F. Small Demon. M., 1988. P. 3-18.

The novel “The Little Demon” began in 1892 and was completed in 1902. First published in the journal “Problems of Life” for 1905, Nos. 6–11, but without last chapters. The novel appeared in its entirety for the first time in the publication of Rosehip in March 1907.

In the printed reviews and in the oral ones that I had to listen to, I noticed two opposing opinions.

Some people think that the author, being very bad person, wished to give his portrait and portrayed himself in the image of teacher Peredonov. Due to his sincerity, the author did not want to justify or embellish himself in any way and therefore smeared his face with the blackest colors. He accomplished this amazing undertaking in order to ascend to a certain Golgotha and suffer there for something. The result was an interesting and safe novel.

Interesting because it shows what kind of bad people there are in the world. Safe because the reader can say: “This is not written about me.”

Some even think that each of us, looking carefully at ourselves, will find in ourselves the undoubted traits of Peredonov.

Of these two opinions, I give preference to the one that is more pleasant for me, namely the second. I was not put under the necessity of inventing and inventing things out of myself; everything anecdotal, everyday and psychological in my novel is based on very accurate observations, and I had enough “nature” around me for my novel. And if the work on the novel took so long, it was only in order to raise the accidental to the necessary, so that where Aisa, scattering jokes, reigned, strict Ananke would reign.

It is true that people love to be loved. They like the sublime and noble sides of the soul to be depicted. Even in villains they want to see glimpses of goodness, “the spark of God,” as they put it in the old days. That’s why they can’t believe it when a true, accurate, gloomy, evil image stands in front of them. I would like to say:

This is him talking about himself.

No, my dear contemporaries, it was about you that I wrote my novel about the Little Demon and his creepy Nedotykomka, about Ardalion and Varvara Peredonov, Pavel Volodin, Daria, Lyudmila and Valeria Rutilov, Alexander Pylnikov and others. About you.

This novel is a masterfully crafted mirror. I polished it for a long time, working hard on it.

The surface of my mirror is smooth and its composition is pure. Measured many times and carefully tested, it has no curvature.

The ugly and the beautiful are reflected in it equally accurately.

January 1908

PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION

It once seemed to me that Peredonov’s career was over and that he would never leave the psychiatric hospital where he was placed after he stabbed Volodin to death. But in Lately I began to hear rumors that Peredonov’s mental impairment turned out to be temporary and did not prevent him from finding himself free after some time - rumors, of course, are unlikely. I mention them only because incredible things happen these days. I even read in one newspaper that I was going to write the second part of “The Little Demon.”

I heard that Varvara managed to convince someone that Peredonov had a reason to act as he did - that Volodin more than once uttered outrageous words and revealed outrageous intentions - and that before his death he said something unheard of impudently, that and led to a fatal outcome. With this story, Varvara, they told me, interested Princess Volchanskaya, and the princess, who had previously forgotten to put in a word for Peredonov, now seemed to take an active part in his fate.

What happened to Peredonov after he left the hospital, my information about this is unclear and contradictory. Some told me that Peredonov joined the police, as Skuchayev advised him, and was an adviser to the provincial government. He distinguished himself in some way in this position and is making a good career.

From others I heard that it was not Ardalyon Borisovich who served in the police, but another Peredonov, a relative of ours. Ardalyon Borisovich himself was unable to enter the service or did not want to; he got busy literary criticism. His articles reflect those features that distinguished him before.

This rumor seems even more implausible to me than the first.

However, if I manage to obtain accurate information about later activities Peredonova, I will tell you about this in some detail.

(August 1909)

DIALOGUE (SEVENTH EDITION)

My soul, why are you so confused?

Accept anger and abuse humbly.

But isn’t this our work worthy of being thanked? Where does the hatred come from?

This hatred is like fear. You awaken your conscience too loudly, you are too frank.

But is there no benefit to my truthfulness?

You are waiting for compliments! But this is not Paris.

Oh yes, not Paris!

You, my soul, are a true Parisian, child European civilization. You came to elegant dress and in light sandals where they wear blouses and oily boots. Don’t be surprised that a greased boot will sometimes roughly step on your tender foot. Its owner is an honest fellow.

But so gloomy! And so awkward!

(PREFACE) TO THE SEVENTH EDITION

Attentive readers of my novel “Smoke and Ashes” (the fourth part of “The Legend in the Making”), of course, already know what goes down the road now Ardalyon Borisovich.

LITTLE IMPOSSIBLE

I wanted to burn her, the evil witch...

After the festive mass, the parishioners went home. Others stopped in the fence, behind the white stone walls, under old linden and maple trees, and talked. Everyone dressed up for the holiday, looked at each other friendly, and it seemed that they lived peacefully and amicably in this city. And even fun. But it all just seemed.

The school teacher Peredonov, standing in the circle of his friends, gloomily looking at them with small, swollen eyes from behind gold-rimmed glasses, said to them:

Princess Volchanskaya herself promised Varya, that’s for sure. As soon as you marry him, he says, I’ll immediately get him a job as an inspector.

How can you marry Varvara Dmitrievna? - asked the red-faced Falastov, - after all, she is your sister! Is there a new law that says you can marry sisters too?

Everyone started laughing. Peredonov’s ruddy, usually indifferently sleepy face became ferocious.

Second cousin... - he muttered, angrily looking past his interlocutors.

Did the princess promise you herself? - asked the dapperly dressed, pale and tall Rutilov.

“Not for me, but for Varya,” answered Peredonov.

Well, you believe it,” Rutilov said animatedly. - You can say everything. Why didn’t you come to the princess yourself?

Understand that we went with Varya, but didn’t find the princess, we were only five minutes late,” Peredonov said, “she went to the village, will return in three weeks, but I couldn’t wait, I had to come here for exams.

Fedor Sologub

"Little Demon"

Ardalyon Borisovich Peredonov, a literature teacher at a local gymnasium, constantly felt himself the subject of special attention from women. Still would! State Councilor (fifth class in the table of ranks!), a man in the juice, in essence, not married... After all, Varvara... If something happens, Varvara can be sidelined. There’s just one thing: without her, you probably won’t get an inspector’s position. (The director of the gymnasium does not favor him; the students and their parents consider him rude and unfair.) Princess Volchanskaya promised Varvara to intercede for Ardalyon Borisovich, but set the condition for the wedding: it is inconvenient to intercede for the partner of her former house dressmaker. However, first the place, and then the wedding. Otherwise they will just deceive you.

Varvara was extremely disturbed by these moods of his, and she begged the widow Grushina to prepare a letter for money, as if from the princess, with a promise of a place if they got married.

Peredonov was overjoyed, but Vershina, who was trying to pass off the dowryless Marta as him, immediately besieged him: where is the envelope? Business letter - and without an envelope! Varvara and Grushina immediately corrected the matter with a second letter, sent through their St. Petersburg acquaintances. Both Vershina and Rutilov, who wooed Peredonov’s sisters, and Prepolovenskaya, who was hoping to marry his niece, all realized that their case was lost, Ardalyon Borisovich set a wedding day. Already suspicious, he was now even more afraid of envy and kept expecting a denunciation or even an attempt on his life. Prepolovenskaya added fuel to the fire, hinting that Ardalyon Borisovich’s close friend Pavel Vasilyevich Volodin was visiting Peredonov for Varvara Dmitrievna’s sake. This is, of course, nonsense. Varvara considers Volodin a fool, and a crafts teacher at a city school receives four times less than a gymnasium teacher, Peredonov. Ardalyon Borisovich became worried: he would marry Varvara, they would go to the inspector’s place, and on the way they would poison him and bury him like Volodin, and he would be an inspector. Varvara still doesn’t let go of the knife, and the fork is dangerous. (And he hid the cutlery under the bed. The Chinese eat with chopsticks.) So the ram, so similar to Volodin, looks blankly, probably plotting evil. The main thing is that they will inform you and he will die. After all, Natasha, Peredonov’s former cook, went straight to the gendarme from them. Having met the gendarme lieutenant colonel, Ardalyon Borisovich asked not to believe what Natasha said about him, she was lying and had a Pole lover.

The cat also became suspicious to him. Strong electricity in wool is the problem. And he took the animal to the barber for a haircut.

After the wedding, the Peredonovs were visited for the first time by the director and his wife, but it was noticeable that they moved in different circles of local society. And not everything is going smoothly for Peredonov at the gymnasium. He visited the parents of his students and complained about their laziness and insolence. In several cases, children were punished for these fictitious faults and complained to the director.

Lyudmila and Sasha became a tender but troubled friendship. Lyudmila awakened in him premature, still unclear aspirations. She came dressed, perfumed, and sprinkled perfume on her Daphnis.

Meanwhile, Peredonov was already telling everyone about Pylnikov’s depravity. The townspeople looked at the boy and Lyudmila with vile curiosity. The future inspector himself behaved more and more strangely. He burned the winking and grimacing cards in his face, wrote denunciations about the card pieces, about the problem, about the ram posing as Volodin. But the worst thing was what happened at the masquerade. The eternal jokers and inventors of the Rutilov sisters dressed Sasha as a geisha and did it so skillfully that the first ladies' prize went to him (no one recognized the boy). A crowd of guests, excited by envy and alcohol, demanded to take off the mask, and in response to the refusal, tried to grab the geisha, but was saved by the actor Bengalsky, who carried her out of the crowd in his arms. While the geisha was being poisoned, Peredonov decided to let fire on the missing piece that had appeared out of nowhere. He brought the match to the curtain. The fire was noticed from the street, so the house burned down, but people were saved. Subsequent events assured everyone that the rumors about Sasha and the Rutilov girls were nonsense.

When they entered to take the murderer, he sat dejectedly and muttered something meaningless.

The gymnasium teacher Peredonov Ardalyon Borisovich was very suspicious and picky. He is not married, so women paid close attention to him.

Not all is well in Peredonov’s service. He suspected that the boy Sasha was a girl in disguise. An examination was performed in the presence of a doctor. Lyudmila became affectionately friends with Sasha. She dressed him in women's clothes, kissed him on the cheeks, and sat him on her lap. Peredonov kept telling everyone about the debauchery and depravity of such friendship. At the masquerade, Sasha, dressed as a geisha, took first prize. The drunken guests rushed to remove the mask from the stranger, and the actor saved him from the maddened crowd - he carried him in his arms. A gap appeared under Peredonov's feet. The teacher set fire to the curtain behind which he hid. People managed to run out, but the house burned down. The rumors about Sasha turned out to be untrue.

Essays

The image of Varvara in Fyodor Sologub’s work “The Little Demon”

Small demon Sologub summary by chapters. “But it only seemed so”

Option 2

Other writings:

Picture or drawing Sologub - Small demon

Other retellings for the reader's diary

Naosobitsu

“But it only seemed so”

Provincial town?

Parody on the theme of “small homeland”

Russian life at the end of the 19th century?

A novel about the absurdity of life

A parody of the philosophy of hope

"Positive program"

“All the lambs, all the lambs, be-be-be”

Final scene

The erotic line of the novel and Nedotikomka

Literature

"Little Demon"

Essays