(the essay is divided into pages)
Initially, the story was perceived negatively: due to the ambiguity of a clear boundary between the speech of the narrator and the author, many were convinced that it was Leskov himself who ingenuously rejoiced at the victory of the Russian masters and the disgrace of the British. He was reproached for Slavophilism, idealization of the people and subjective assessment. This reaction meant only one thing - Leskov reached such a level of skill that the image of the narrator became alive, his features could be mistaken for those of a real person. In fact, the views attributed to the author were those of the narrator. We know quite a bit about him: judging by his speech, he belongs to the same social stratum as Lefty himself, is familiar with weapons, forging and blacksmithing, with navigation and shipbuilding (a description of English technology with the knowledge of a professional). He implicitly rejoices at Lefty’s luck, but is indignant at Platov’s behavior (violence and disrespect for the masters), admires the way Platov drives (whistles beat the driver), idealizes the image of the tsar. According to Leskov's idea, the narrator is a deeply religious person familiar with religious literature. In the seventh chapter, words that seem ordinary to us are quoted, which the narrator, apparently, read or heard somewhere. There are few vernacular words, few neologisms or logically constructed phrases in the description of the masters' pilgrimage. The narrator himself is internally transformed, speaking of the spiritual. Regarding the famous Leskovian neologisms, composed of two words (tugoment, dolbica, busters), it should be said that they have two functions. They belong both to the speech of the narrator and to the speech of the author; on the one hand, they are outwardly common people, similar to ordinary words distorted in the speech of uneducated people, on the other hand, they help the author to reveal his attitude to what is being described and reflect the people's perception of these things. A simple Russian peasant himself will never think of such a capacious subtle fusion of words, but he perceives the multiplication table precisely as something that is hammered in, a document - like paper, the absence of which leads to hardships, without which it is hard. Leskov reflects through these neologisms not the people's thought itself, but the originality of the people's worldview.
The author himself in many respects turns out to be opposite in his views to the narrator. He sees that Nicholas does not care about the prosperity of the country, but about himself, forcing the masters to improve the work of the British, but amuses his pride, perceiving the whole people as slaves. Leskov does not try to idealize and exalt the Russian people, he sees that the development of talent is impossible in Russia, he realizes that intuition and instinct are not always more important than knowledge(after the flea was shod, she stopped dancing). Leskov condemns Platov's behavior towards the masters: faith in the people, so unshakable in words, disappears, and he worries: will the Tula people steal a flea and a nut, his whistlers tear down the roof from the forge, drag the masters by force. However, Leskov sees the reason that such an attitude towards the people exists in the passivity of the people themselves: Lefty does not even try to explain what the work is, he calmly endures that Platov beats him (“God will forgive - this is not the first time such snow on our heads”).
The reader realizes all this thanks to the veiled forms of the author's presence. This is, firstly, the already mentioned frame, and secondly, the words that the author and the narrator evaluate differently. In addition, Leskov often uses irony, showing by this that what is happening should be understood not in the way the narrator does, but diametrically opposite. The author resorts to conscious historical errors in order to make the story universal and fantastic. Mention should be made of such an important way of expressing the author's position as italics. Since it is assumed that the story is spoken orally, the features of printed design cannot in any way be attributed to the position of the narrator. Supporting words are highlighted: at the end of the fifteenth chapter, the phrase “we will deliver alive to Petersburg” is highlighted, designed to warn the reader; it forms an antithesis with the very end of the story, in which the hero dies in the hospital; at the end of the fifth chapter, the words “something” and “what exactly” are highlighted, which emphasizes the intuitiveness of the work of the Tula masters, reliance on vague sensations. Thus, we see that the images of the author and the narrator in the work are polarized, which makes it possible for Leskov to show his position, to express his attitude towards the characters. Although the signs of the author's presence in the text are "veiled", they become visible when analyzing the structure and style of the work.
HISTORY OF CREATION. The idea of the story “Levsha” (The Tale of the Tula Oblique Lefty and the Steel Flea)” originated with Leskov, probably by 1878. According to his son, A.N. Leskov, his father spent the summer of this year in Sestroretsk, in the house of a gunsmith. Being familiar with the assistant to the head of the local arms factory, Colonel N.E. Bolonin, Leskov discussed with him the question of the origin of the joke about how "the British made a flea out of steel, and our Tula people shoed it, and sent it back to them." Having never learned anything about the origin of this proverb, Leskov in May 1881 wrote the story “Lefty”, the plot of which is built on the “proverb” that attracted his attention.
Initially, the writer planned to combine three “already finished small essays” under the general title “Historical characters in the fabulous tales of a new addition”, which, according to the definition of the writer himself, would be “pictures folk art about emperors: Nicholas I, Alexander II and Alexandra III(economic)” (from a letter to I.S. Aksakov, May 1881).
However, in October 1881, Leskov published one story in the Rus magazine entitled “The Tale of the Tula Oblique Left-hander and the Steel Flea (Shop Legend)”. The following year, the story was published as a separate edition, in which the writer made some changes. They were aimed at enhancing the satirical sound of the story (for example, in the 7th chapter, the writer added that money for the needs of churches is collected “even where there is nothing to take”). In addition, in the text of the 1882 edition, quotation marks were removed from a number of specific words and expressions characteristic of folk speech.
The appearance of "Lefty" almost immediately caused responses in the press. In October 1881, Leskov, in a letter to Aksakov, emphasized that ""Blokha" was very much noticed here even by writers." However, critics did not understand artistic value stories, Leskov's genre searches turned out to be alien to her. He was accused of “Slavophile chauvinism”, and of striving to ascribe to the people qualities that were not inherent in him, to show how “a Russian person plugs a foreigner in his belt”, and of belittling the Russian people.
GENRE UNIQUENESS. Criticism, being almost unanimous in their belief that Leskov had only artistically processed a legend that was common among the people, called the story “simple shorthand”, “retelling”. Such an assessment was explained by a too literal understanding of the preface, with which Leskov preceded the first editions of the story. Having introduced the subtitle “guild legend” into the title, the writer continued to “deceive” the reader in the very preface, claiming that he wrote down this legend in Sestroretsk from the words of “an old gunsmith, a native of Tula”, and it “expresses the pride of Russian gunsmiths”.
Leskov probably did not expect that criticism, based on his own assertion of the existence of a legend, would be so scathing about his literary abilities. As a result, the writer was forced to "expose" himself and in June 1882 in the newspaper "New Time" to publish a note "About the Russian Left-hander (Literary explanation)". In it, Leskov calls this work a story, insists on his authorship, Levsha calls "a person ... fictional." Later, in 1889, when preparing the collected works, the writer removed the preface from the text of the story.
Why does Leskov give “Levsha” the genre definition of “story”? After all, strictly speaking, this work is more like a story. It has a fairly large volume, which is not typical of a story, it is divided into 20 chapters, covers a long period of time (about 10-12 years). In addition, it is characterized by a consistent deployment of action with the introduction of new characters, the depiction of the wanderings of heroes and new impressions (all this is also largely characteristic of the story). However, the writer calls “Lefty” a “story” for a reason. Firstly, the word “story” itself is largely associated with the root word “skaz”, which emphasizes the oral nature of the narration. Secondly, the main character and the main object of the image is Lefty. The description of the stay of Alexander I in England, the conversation between Nicholas I and Platov, the latter’s trip to Tula, and even the work of the Tula masters only prepares the reader for the story of Lefty’s journey (in a letter to Aksakov in October 1881, Leskov said that “the best part is still in the end - Lefty in England and his tragic death”).
Thus, in the center of the story there is only one stage in the life of the hero - a stay in England, which Lefty sincerely tried to use for the good of the Fatherland. Combining the features of a story and a story in his work, focusing the reader's attention on several episodes from the hero's life and at the same time considering them in the context of Russian life and generally correlating the actions of a simple man Lefty and the behavior of the "fathers of the Fatherland", Leskov expresses his attitude to what is happening. The combination of features of different genres helps the author to solve certain problems. creative tasks(associated with the approval of one hero and the debunking of others), becomes one of the forms of revealing the author's position.
But “Lefty” also combines the features of folklore genres: stories, traditions, legends. Byvalshchina, or true story, is a short oral story about an unusual event that actually took place, while the main character often becomes a simple person. Tradition tells about real persons and events that took place in the past. But the stories of eyewitnesses in the legend are processed and subsequently modified. IN this case we have a combination of the features of the past, telling about the three Tula masters and outlining the story of Lefty (on the reality of whose existence only the narrator knows), and the legend that tells about people who really existed: Alexander I, Nicholas I, Ataman Platov, etc.
The narrator strives all the time to emphasize the authenticity of what is happening, citing historical realities and listing the names historical figures. This creates a feeling of documentary narration, and, consequently, the seriousness of the assessments that the author gives to the deeds of the emperors and their associates. Hyperbole (description of the miracles shown by the British, the image of the extraordinary work of masters, and then a savvy flea) also reminds us of the genre of legend, which is always based on a miracle, and the strength and intelligence of the main characters are often exaggerated. Legendary at its core is the depiction of Lefty's journey and his stay in England. Thus, the synthesis of the elements of the past and the legend makes it possible to show Lefty not only as a simple person in whose life an unusual event occurred, but also as a hero who is credited with special abilities.
However, none of the three named folklore genres implies the expression of the personal attitude of the narrator to the characters, their actions, to the events themselves. Leskov, on the other hand, consciously seeks to express the author's position, his inherent ironic attitude towards representatives of the authorities. That is why he also uses the opportunities that a fairy tale gives with its condescending attitude towards kings and nobles. To enhance the effect of unreality, fabulousness of what is happening, Leskov deliberately distorts the chronology, hiding errors in the text that the reader must detect. So, for example, it is known that Alexander I was in London in June 1814, while the Congress of Vienna (in the text “Lefty” it is called the “Council”) began in August 1814. After the end of the congress, the emperor did not travel around England.
Even more fantastic seems to be the use of the image of Platov. Making him the interlocutor of Nicholas I, who ascended the throne at the end of 1825, Leskov seems to “forget” that Platov died in 1818. Consequently, all further actions of Platov are nothing more than fantasy.
The effect of fabulousness is enhanced by the very nature of the narrative. For example, describing how Alexander hides a flea, the author notes that he “dipped the flea into a nut... and in order not to lose the nut itself, he put it in his golden snuffbox, and ordered the snuffbox to be put in his travel box.” (Remember the fabulous descriptions of the hidden death of Kashcheeva: a needle in an egg, an egg in a duck, a duck in a chest, etc.) It is the fabulous nature of the narrative that makes it possible to explain the appearance in the imperial palace of “a chemist from a nasty pharmacy from Anichkov Bridge”, who behaves easily and like a neighbor, and Levsha himself. The ironic description of the kings and their entourage, characteristic of a fairy tale, helps Leskov solve a number of artistic problems.
PROBLEM, PLOT AND COMPOSITION. In the story “Lefty”, one of the central problems is the creative talent of a Russian person, which more than once became the subject of artistic reflection in the works of Leskov (the stories “Dumb Artist”, “The Captured Angel”). Talent, in the view of the writer, cannot exist if it is not supported by the spiritual strength of a person, his moral core. The left-hander, an unprepossessing little man with his hair torn out during his studies, dressed like a beggar, is not afraid to go to the sovereign, as he is confident in his rightness, in the quality of his work. Once in England, he seeks to understand the military tricks of the British and serve the Fatherland.
The image of Lefty continues the gallery of images of the righteous created by Leskov. Lefty, who travels to England without documents, hastily dressed, hungry, to demonstrate Russian ingenuity and skill, is for the writer the embodiment of the idea of self-denial in the name of the Cause, self-sacrifice for the glory of the Fatherland. It is no coincidence that the narrator conveys his conversations with the British, who are stubbornly trying to persuade Lefty to stay in England. The inflexibility of the hero commands the respect of the British.
The left-hander absorbed many of the qualities inherent in the Leskovsky righteous: patriotism, the presence of clear moral guidelines, fortitude of character, natural talent, a keen interest in the life around him (“enchantment”), the foundations of Christian morality. (Remember what Lefty tells the British about faith and where the Tula craftsmen went before starting work.)
A lot of trials fall to the share of Lefty, but even in the dying hour the hero remembers only one thing - about a military secret, ignorance of which is disastrous for the Russian army. Leskov shows the tragic paradox of Russian life. Simple Tula master Lefty in more more concerned about the problem of Russia's military power than the Minister of War, Count Chernyshev, or the emperor himself.
Leskov's critical attitude to the authorities largely determines the problematics of the story. It is in the depiction of Alexander, Nikolai, Platov that Leskov's irony becomes most obvious. Platov's attempt to convince Alexander of the superiority of Russian weapons "disappointed the emperor", and the reminder of the special sugar of the Bobrinsky plant completely upset the sovereign ("Please don't spoil my politics," he asks Platov).
Platov himself becomes a patriot only outside the Fatherland. In Russia, he behaves like a typical feudal lord, rude and cruel. He does not believe the Tula masters, he demands that English work did not spoil and did not change the diamond. It was he who is to blame for the fact that Lefty left the country without a “tugament” (later this played a fatal role in his fate). Nikolai, having given the order to send Lefty to England, soon forgets about him. It is no coincidence that the narrator bitterly remarks that on the road to the hungry Lefty, “at each station, the belts were still tightened by one badge so that the intestines and lungs would not get mixed up.” If Alexander is confident in the superiority of English masters, then Nikolai believes in the possibilities of Russian talents. However, for him this is a matter of personal prestige, and people are only a means of achieving victory in a dispute with another power.
According to critics, the plot of the story is based on the motive of struggle, the competition of representatives of the two peoples, which is characteristic of folk art (it is no coincidence that the Tula masters ask for God's blessing). Antithesis is the main compositional device in the story. However, it is not so much Russian and English craftsmanship that are opposed, but the masters themselves and the authorities, who despise them. Recall that the English "half-skipper", who tried to "break through" to Count Kleinmichel with reminders of Lefty, was expelled so that he "did not dare to remember the human soul."
The reasons for the cultural and economic backwardness of Russia (this problem is also touched upon by Leskov) should, according to the writer, be sought in the lack of education of the Russian people, in the inattention of the authorities to the fate of national talents, which develop not thanks to, but in spite of its activities. In the story, the episodes of Nikolai's conversation with Lefty, to whom the emperor graciously condescends, and the hero's meeting with the British, for whom he is simply a naturally gifted person, a master, are contrasted compositionally. The culminating episode of the emperor's dialogue with the Lefty and the description of the preparations following it predetermine the denouement. The “sub-skipper” delivered to the English house and left on the floor in the “common people’s” hospital Lefty - this is the antithesis that determines the originality of the attitude towards the personality from the outside. royal power. Leskov sees this as one of the reasons for the social disorder in Russia.
SPECIFICITY OF NARRATORY. FEATURES OF THE LANGUAGE. When discussing the genre originality of the story, we did not say anything about such a definition of the genre as “skaz”. And this is no coincidence. Narrative as a genre oral prose implies a setting for oral speech, narration on behalf of a participant in the event. In this sense, "Lefty" is not a traditional tale. At the same time, a skaz can also be called such a way of narration, which involves the “separation” of the narration from the participant in the events himself. In Lefty, just such a process takes place, especially since the word “fable” is used in the story (Chapter 20), suggesting the skaz character of the narrative. The narrator, being neither a witness nor a participant in the events, actively expresses his attitude to what is happening in various forms. At the same time, in the tale itself, one can detect the originality of the position of both the narrator and the author.
Throughout the story, the style of the story changes. If at the beginning of the first chapter the narrator outwardly ingenuously outlines the circumstances of the emperor's arrival in England, then successively tells about the events taking place, using vernacular, obsolete and distorted forms of words, different types neologisms, etc., then already in the sixth chapter (in the story about the Tula masters) the narration becomes different. It does not completely lose its colloquial character, but it becomes more neutral, distorted forms of words, neologisms are practically not used. By changing the narrative manner, the author wants to show the seriousness of the described situation. It is no coincidence that even high vocabulary is encountered when the narrator characterizes "skillful people, on whom the hope of the nation now rested." The same kind of narration can be found in the last, 20th chapter, which, obviously, summing up, contains the author's point of view, so its style differs from that of most of the chapters.
Expressively colored words are often introduced into the calm and outwardly impassive speech of the narrator (for example, Alexander Pavlovich decided to “ride around Europe”), which becomes one of the forms of expressing the author's position, deeply hidden in the text.
In the narration itself, the intonational features of the speech of the characters are skillfully emphasized (cf., for example, the statements of Alexander I and Platov).
According to I.V. Stolyarova, Leskov “directs the reader’s interest to the events themselves”, which is facilitated by the special logical structure of the text: most of the chapters have an ending, and some have a peculiar beginning, which makes it possible to clearly separate one event from another. This principle creates the effect of a fantastic manner. It can also be noted that in a number of chapters, it is at the end that the narrator expresses the author's position: “And the courtiers who stand on the steps all turn away from him, they think: “Platov has been caught and now they will drive him out of the palace, because they could not stand him for his courage” (end of the 12th chapter).
Not to mention the use various tricks, characterizing the features of not only oral speech, but also folk poetic creativity in general: tautologies (“shod on horseshoes”, etc.), peculiar forms of verbs with a prefix (“admired”, “send”, “slap”, etc.), words with diminutive suffixes (“palm”, “baby”, etc.). It is interesting to pay attention to the sayings introduced into the text (“morning is wiser than night”, “snow on your head”). Sometimes Leskov can modify them.
The nature of neologisms testifies to the mixing of different manners of narration. They can describe in more detail the object and its function (two-seater carriage), the scene of action (busters - combining the words busts and chandeliers, the writer gives a more complete description of the room in one word), the action (whistles - whistles and messengers accompanying Platov), designate foreign curiosities (merblues mantons - camel mantles, etc.), the state of heroes (waiting - expectation and agitation, annoying uku the mesh on which long years lay Platov, characterizing not only the inaction of the hero, but also his wounded pride). The appearance of neologisms in Leskov in many cases is due to literary play.
“Thus, Leskov's tale as a type of narration not only transformed, enriched, but also served to create a new genre variety: a tale of tales. A fairy tale is distinguished by a great depth of coverage of reality, approaching in this sense the novel form. It was Leskov's fairy tale that contributed to the emergence of a new type of truth seeker, who can be put on a par with the heroes of Pushkin, Gogol, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky ”(Mushchenko E.G., Skobelev V.P., Kroichik L.E. S. 115). Artistic originality“Lefty” due to the search task special forms expressing the author's position to assert the strength of the national character.
Doesn't get to know us right away. For several chapters, it seems that the main character of the story is the Cossack Platov. True main character appears as if by chance. Perhaps the author did so intentionally in order to emphasize the essence of the character of Lefty from the story "Lefty" - he comes from the people and himself is his personification, with all his simplicity, naivety, indifference to wealth, great faith in Orthodoxy and devotion to the Fatherland.
For the same purpose, the author does not give the hero a name. Lefty is one of the three Tula masters who were honored to make something of this kind in order to prove to Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich and self-confident English what the Russian people are capable of.
The generalization of the image of Lefty emphasizes not only his namelessness, but also a little information about him. Reading, we do not know anything about his age or family. Before us is only a laconic portrait of him: “a slanting left-hander, a birthmark on his cheek, and the hair on his temples was torn out during teaching.”
Despite his outward ugliness, Lefty has a great talent that amazed not only the king himself, but also English craftsmen. The left-hander, together with two other Tula masters, managed to shoe a miniature flea, without having any special knowledge and devices. In this case, Lefty got the most difficult job - to forge miniature carnations for horseshoes.
The quality without which the characterization of Lefty from the story "Lefty" would be incomplete is the modesty of a brilliant master. The folk craftsman did not boast of his achievement and did not consider himself a hero, but simply conscientiously carried out the orders of the sovereign, and also tried with all his heart to show what a Russian person was capable of. When Emperor Nicholas realized what the work of the masters was, which at first he could not see even through his small scope, he was surprised how they could do it without equipment. To which Lefty modestly replied: “We are poor people and because of our poverty we don’t have a small scope, but we have shot our eyes like that.”
Lefty also showed modesty and indifference to wealth during his trip to England. He did not agree to study abroad; neither money nor fame convinced him.
Lefty asked for one thing - to go home as soon as possible. This simplicity and modesty became the reason for the inglorious death of the hero, which no one knew about. He was embarrassed by a comfortable cabin and high society, so he spent the entire journey across the winter sea on deck, which is why he fell ill.
Arriving in St. Petersburg, he could not introduce himself and say that he was carrying out the order of the tsar. Therefore, he was robbed and was not accepted in any hospital, except for the simplest for the poor, where he died. The author contrasted the image of Lefty with an Englishman who sailed with him, who was settled in a good hotel and cured. And Lefty, because of his modesty and simplicity, tragically died.
Lefty traits
Love for the motherland and a sense of responsibility to their state are the main character traits of Lefty. The last thought of the master Lefty was the desire to convey to the king at all costs that it was not necessary to clean the guns with bricks. If he could convey this, Russian military affairs would be even more successful, but his request never reached the sovereign. Even dying, this simple Tula master remained true to his character, the main feature of which was to think about the Fatherland, and not about himself.
In the image of Lefty N.S. Leskov showed the full depth of the Russian person: naive, simple and even funny, but for whom there is nothing sweeter than the Orthodox faith and native side. Devotion to the Motherland, responsibility for its future and great natural skill - these are the qualities that underlie the characteristics of the hero of the tale "Lefty".
Plan
- Proximity to the people
- The great talent of a simple master
- Indifference to wealth and comfort
- Lefty traits
The action of the story "Lefty" takes place in Russian Empire during the reign of Tsars Alexander I and Nikolai Pavlovich. The work contrasts the attitude of the emperors towards the Motherland and the achievements of the Russian people. In the story, the author noticeably sympathizes with Tsar Nikolai Pavlovich, as well as the main character, the Tula master Levsha, whose views are akin to the imperial ones. They are united by the belief that nothing is impossible for a Russian. The characteristic of Lefty from Leskov's story "Lefty" is an opportunity to understand the essence of a real simple Russian person.
Proximity to the people
Characteristics of Lefty from Leskov's story "Lefty" - an essay on the topic for grade 6 |
Characteristics of Lefty
Lefty - the main character of the story of the same name by N. S. Leskov, a talented Russian artisan, gunsmith. He, along with two other masters, was instructed to create some kind of masterpiece with the participation of a steel dancing flea, so as not to be inferior in ingenuity to the British. After much deliberation, these three craftsmen decided to shoe the flea, keeping their plans a secret. Lefty himself created carnations for horseshoes. The external characterization of the hero is scarce. Their story is only known that Lefty was slanting, had a birthmark on his cheek and bald patches on his temples.
Particular attention is paid to the talent of the master. He is described as a skilled craftsman and craftsman. At the same time, the hero does not feel significant at all. When the British offer him to stay with them and promise a carefree life, he immediately rejects their offer. In his actions, one can see not only loyalty to the motherland, but also disbelief in better life in the best conditions. The left-hander is such a downtrodden creature that it doesn’t even occur to him to show even the slightest resistance to circumstances. And he even dies in a strange way. Returning to St. Petersburg, he ended up in a hospital for people of the lower class. Cabbers, carrying him on a stretcher, dropped him, as a result of which Lefty broke his head. So, a wonderful master died unknown and useless to anyone.
The tragic fate of Lefty is contrasted with the life of the English skipper who came with him. Immediately upon arrival, he was taken to the British Embassy, where he was warmly and thoughtfully received. With this opposition, the author wanted to emphasize the indifference to human life that prevails in the country. In fact, a rare craftsman with an outstanding talent died, and no one cared before. There is a lot of comical in the description of this hero. For example, being an oblique left-hander, he was able to create the finest work, invisible to the human eye.
Brief description of Lefty
The image of Lefty has a double meaning: both positive and ironic, negative. On the one hand, Lefty is a skilled artisan, embodying the amazing skill of the Russian people; but at the same time he is deprived of the technical knowledge known to the English masters: the flea, savvy by Lefty and his comrades, ceases to perform the dance. The left-hander rejects the lucrative offers of the British and returns to Russia; however, the disinterestedness and incorruptibility of Lefty, who thinks only about the good of the Motherland, is inextricably linked with downtroddenness, a sense of his own insignificance in comparison with Russian officials and nobles. The left-hander embodies both the virtues and vices of a simple Russian person. Returning to his homeland, Lefty falls ill and dies, deprived of any care.
Brief description of the work "Lefty" by Leskov N.S.
The genre is defined by the author himself - it is a tale, a work of oral folk art, based on traditions, legends. The language of the tale is unusual: many words are distorted, as if they were pronounced by an illiterate person: “melkoscope” (microscope), “ceramides” (pyramids), etc. This is one of the means of humorous depiction.
This is a story about the unprecedented skill of Tula gunsmiths, about the simple Russian people who believe in God and diligently do their work not for the sake of money and fame, but for the prosperity of their Fatherland. Leskov shows various Russian characters worthy of all respect. Many characters the tales are real, but described from the point of view of a commoner. For example, General Platov is represented Don Cossack. He is opposed to the king.
Tsar Alexander is a person who is interested in foreign things, surprised and rejoicing at the merits of others. Platov is a strict Cossack, for whom everything native is the highest value, and he is sure that there are more miracles in Russia.
Sovereign Nikolai Pavlovich is a just tsar who trusts Russian craftsmen and knows that they will not let him down.
Lefty is a Tula gunsmith, an inconspicuous person, endowed with great talent and skill, tolerant of others and grateful. He was not seduced by the tempting offers of the British, returned to his homeland, and there he turned out to be useless and died in a hospital for the poor.
Works of Russian literature late XIX centuries have often raised the topic of patriotism. The need to take care of the talents that ennoble the face of Russia in the face of other states was shown in his story "Lefty" by N. S. Leskov. The writer called his creation "skaz". The full title of the work is: "The Tale of the Tula Oblique Lefty and the Steel Flea." None of the Russian writers could so accurately describe the skill of domestic artisans.
How the work was created
Leskov is called the country's most popular writer. Nikolai Sergeevich is a bright and outstanding figure in Russian literature. He had an extraordinary sensitivity and a genuine interest in nature and the world of everything national. Leskov's images are characterized by a clearly expressed national character. In many works of the author, including "Lefty", one feels heightened interest to the problem of national character.
The first publication of the story "Lefty" by N. S. Leskov took place in October 1881 in the magazine "Rus". As the basis of his tale, the author took a folk joke that the British made a flea, and the Russians were able to shoe it and send it back. From the memoirs of Leskov's son, it is known that his father once visited a gunsmith in Sestroretsk in the summer. It was there that the meaning of the joke about the flea was explained to the writer. And one employee of the local arms factory told him about it.
The preface to the story begins with the information that Leskov took this legend from gunsmiths. Some writers have used this technique in their creations to give the story a special authenticity. But this is just a trick. In fact, Leskov is the true author, not a reteller of history.
The main characters of "Lefty" Leskov
The plot of the work includes real and fictional events. So the main characters of "Lefty" are divided into personalities that really existed in history and invented by the writer. Among the true heroes are Alexander I and Nicholas I ( Russian emperors). A very vivid image is the cavalry general, ataman of the Don Cossack army - Matvey Ivanovich Platov. Among real characters- Count and Minister of War A. I. Chernyshev, Privy Councilor and Doctor of Medicine M. D. Solsky (Martyn-Solsky), State Chancellor, Count K. V. Neselrode (Kiselvrode).
The main fictional character is Levsha himself. He was a master of weapons and had one feature - he worked with his left hand. So they called him Lefty. The profession of a gunsmith was to his liking. The name Lefty is a common noun, as in some works the righteous were called, who renounced everything and sacrificed a lot.
Brief retelling of "Lefty"
According to the genre, the work is a story, because the narrative takes a rather large layer of time. The author himself called it a skaz, that is, a story, to highlight a special "narrative" manner of narration. We provide brief retelling"Lefty" Leskov.
Events in the story begin during the reign of Alexander I. In 1815, the emperor traveled around Europe. He also visited England. The tsar was accompanied by General Platov. The British showed the emperor one curiosity - a miniature flea made of steel that danced. The movements of the flea could only be seen with a microscope. The English craftsmen presented the miniature to Alexander I, and he brought it to St. Petersburg. The tsar took this gift as a demonstration of the superiority of European masters over Russian ones.
The content of "Lefty" tells that after the death of Alexander I, Nicholas I ascended the throne. Suddenly, a dancing flea was found in his apartment. General Platov explained to the tsar what the meaning of "nymphosoria" was. The art of English mechanics delighted everyone in the palace, but Platov assured that local craftsmen could not do it better. The sovereign ordered Platov to visit Tula, which was famous for its arms factories. Among the Tula masters, it was necessary to find someone who could surpass the British in skill.
In Tula, Platov was provided with the three most skilled gunsmiths, among whom was Lefty. By profession, Lefty was a master gunsmith. The general showed the artisans a "nymphosoria", and asked them to make something that would surpass the skill of the British. After some time, Leftsha with his work was taken to St. Petersburg. Under a microscope, the sovereign saw that the Tula craftsmen were able to shoe the same tiny English flea. Lefty was awarded for his skill.
To demonstrate to the British the talent of the Tula masters, the sovereign sent Lefty with a flea to England. They were very surprised at the work of the Tula people, who made tiny horseshoes. The left-hander was taken to the local arms factories and offered to stay there as a foreman. Lefty did not accept the offer and went home.
At the English factories, the master saw how the British clean gun barrels. He was annoyed that in Russia they had not thought of this before. The left-hander felt homesick and drank all the way. With one of his English friends, the "half-skipper", he argued who would outdrink whom. This led to the unexpected death of the hero immediately after his arrival in Russia. Before his death, he conveys to the generals the secret of cleaning guns, which was very important for Russia in those difficult years. But no one took advantage of his advice.
Analysis of the story
The work of N. S. Leskov "Lefty" has narrative and genre features. The reader perceives it as a story based on a legend. It contains elements of fairy tale and fantasy. with Russians folk tales its use is related magic number"three". The sovereign first hid the flea in a nut, then in a snuff box, and only at the end - a travel box. I immediately recall the tales of Koshchei, who hid his death in the form of a needle, or of the heroes who had to complete three tasks.
It is worth touching on the ideological theme of the story - a comparison of the true patriotism of a hero from the people with conceited characters from high society, including kings. The left-hander treats his fatherland with all selflessness. The rulers are only proud of the achievements of others, but they themselves do nothing to improve the country. Such a dependent attitude led to the fact that at the end of the story the country lost a talented artisan.
Image of Lefty
The image of Lefty is put in line with other righteous people created by Leskov. From the reviews about "Lefty" it is clear that he sacrificed himself in the name of a common cause, for the sake of his country. This character is a true patriot, gifted from birth, very moral and religious. Even before his death, he takes care of the interests of the fatherland and passes on the military secrets of the British in order to increase the military combat effectiveness of the Russian army.
The hero has only two traits. The main feature is the unusual talent of the master. Together with Tula craftsmen, Lefty managed to create a truly wonderful invention by shoeing a miniature English flea. In addition, in this very difficult job, Lefty got the most difficult part of it - forging microscopic carnations for horseshoes.
The second individual trait of the hero is his natural feature- he is left-handed, which became the common name of the character. This fact, which simply shocked the British, only emphasizes his uniqueness - to be able to create such a complex invention without any special devices, and even being left-handed.
The problem of power and people in the story
The people and power in the tale "Lefty" is one of the problems that the author raises. N.S. Leskov contrasts two tsars - Alexander and Nicholas, in the era of whose reign the events of the work take place, in their attitude towards the Russian people. Emperor Alexander Pavlovich loved everything foreign and spent little time in his native country, because he believed that the Russian people were not capable of something great. His brother Nicholas, who followed him to the throne, had a completely opposite point of view, he believed in the true skill and dedication of his people.
The attitude of Nikolai Pavlovich to a simple Russian person is perfectly illustrated by the case of Lefty. When Platov could not understand what the invention of the Tula craftsmen consisted of, deciding that they had deceived him, he regretfully informed the tsar about this. However, the emperor did not believe and ordered to send for Lefty, expecting something incredible: “I know that mine cannot deceive me. Something beyond the concept has been done here. ” And the Russian people in the image of Lefty did not disappoint the sovereign.
Simplicity and modesty, indifference to wealth and fame, namelessness of the character and great love for the motherland allow us to consider Lefty as a collective image of the Russian people in the work. The folk hero Levsha is the personification of the true soul of a simple Russian person, for whom the work of serving the motherland, although it cost his life, he managed to justify the trust placed in him and prove the power of skill.