In the story of A. P. Chekhov "Chameleon" in a light humorous form tells about the conflict between a greyhound puppy and a goldsmith with a surname corresponding to his nature - Khryukin. The “valiant” overseer Ochumelov is trying to resolve the conflict situation between the animal that has not yet reached a sexually mature age and the half-drunk Khryukin.
Ochumelov, as a true Russian official, in his difficult service when solving any complex and controversial issues, is primarily guided not by the letter of the law, but by the social status of the people with whom he has to deal. The summary of this satirical sketch of the genius writer is as follows.
The events highlighted in the story unfold in one small Russian town, of which there are innumerable numbers on the territory of Russia, the author did not even mention the name of this settlement, since the incident that occurred in it takes place in almost every settlement of our country.
The main incident, considered by the writer, takes place in the market square, quiet, depopulated, where there are trade shops and taverns that evoke despondency and melancholy with open doors.
main characters
The main person in this story is the warden Ochumelov, dressed in a new overcoat and carrying a bundle in his hands, the contents of which will remain unknown to the reader until the last word. He is accompanied by a red-haired policeman, bearing the surname Eldyrin, whose duties include everywhere accompanying his high superiors, transporting the gooseberries confiscated by the warden, poured into a sieve with the top, and, on demand, help the superiors to take off and put on his overcoat, which Mr. Ochumelov proudly calls his coat ".
The second main person in the story was Mr. Khryukin, a goldsmith, dressed in a starched chintz shirt and an unbuttoned waistcoat. All these heroes, each according to his interest in the conflict, decide the question: how can they be with a white greyhound puppy, which of all the property has only a sharp muzzle, and a yellow spot on the back.
The puppy, after a collision with Khryukin, had only three limbs left from its healthy paws, on which he ran to the market square. It should be noted that as soon as the deafening screeching of the dog sounded and all the heroes in the story gathered in the market square, the square was immediately filled with a crowd of people, from which valuable advice and remarks addressed to the mister warden were periodically distributed.
What is the essence of the conflict
Warder Ochumelov has to make a decision in a very difficult situation for him. The fact is that Khryukin, who had already appeared on the square with a half-drunk face, acted in relation to the dog in the most unacceptable way - he poked the puppy with a cigarette. The dog, although he had not yet become an adult dog, responded to the insult accordingly, he simply bit the goldsmith's finger.
This event took place at the merchant Pichugin's wood-burning warehouse, and the warden Ochumelov learns about Khryukin's injury, as they say, after the fact. Khryukin, seeing the mister overseer, did not fail to turn to him with a demand to collect a fine from the owner of the dog for almost irreparable harm to his health inflicted on him - dear sir. Khryukin explains for a long time and in detail to Mr. Ochumelov how exactly a bloody finger will affect his subsequent losses, because his work is small, and now he will not be able to lift a finger for a week.
At the same time, Khryukin looks victorious and he knows for sure that "now it is not ordered to bite." Mr. Overseer is happy to fuck with any violator, and therefore inspired by the zeal of the police, he sets out what he will do in such a flagrant case that violates all the foundations of a respectable society. First, a protocol must be drawn up. Secondly, it is necessary with the utmost rigor to pay attention to the masters who dissolve their animals, who, apparently, do not want to obey the decrees.
Further, according to Ochumelov, it is necessary to explain to the lord violating the resolution what a dog and other stray cattle really mean. After the above and carefully considered decision, the dog must be exterminated immediately, since it is probably mad, and the owner, of course, should be fined. Here the mister overseer has the most important question that requires immediate resolution: who is the owner of the dog?
We invite you to read a summary of Chekhov's “Death of an Official”. This is a story in which the author expressed his negative attitude towards the political system of Russia at that time on the example of one narcissistic official.
"Kashtanka", written in 1887, can rightfully be considered one of the most famous stories by A. P. Chekhov. The above article is dedicated to this particular piece.
Who is the owner of the dog?
The mister overseer, moving his eyebrows, addressed this question with all severity to the crowd. The crowd immediately responded that the puppy probably belonged to General Zhigalov. All the fighting spirit and desire to profit flew from Ochumelov in an instant. It's still a general, and not some kind of artisan or merchant. The mister overseer immediately noticed that the dog was small in stature, and Khryukin was so healthy that the puppy, with all the desire, could not reach the finger.
And the crowd, meanwhile, emphasized that shoving a cigarette in the puppy's face is also not quite the right thing to do, and the puppy has rightfully taken the goldsmith. But then, again, someone from the crowd noticed that the general's dogs are thoroughbred, but expensive, and this puppy has neither appearance nor coat and, in general, in St. Petersburg or Moscow, regardless of any laws, she would no longer breathed.
Overseer Ochumelov this time decided to behave more prudently and confidently told Khryukin that this case, of course, could not be left, the culprits must be called to account and not particularly affectionately told him that he did not put out his stupid wounded finger, perhaps that he himself to blame for everything.
Negotiations of the crowd, where different opinions were expressed as to whether the dog belonged to the general or not, threw the poor mister overseer into the heat and then into the cold. Poor policeman Eldyrin only had time to give him his "coat", then take it off. Finally, the mister overseer decided to take the ill-fated puppy to the general's court, and ask the courtyard if it was a dog.
How it ended
So they would have done, taking the puppy to the general, but then Prokhor, the general's cook, came out onto the square. The cook, without a moment's hesitation, immediately rejected the idea that the greyhound puppy belonged to General Zhigalov. But only the mister overseer sighed with relief and, having assigned the puppy to the wandering class, decided to exterminate him, like a cook, either on purpose, or by accident, noticed that although the dog was not a general, it was not alien to the general's family either.
The puppy belongs to the brother of General Zhigalov, the Honorable Vladimir Ivanovich, who came to visit the general. Ochumelov was again moved by the sight of a frightened puppy, threatened Khryukin that he would still get to him, and went on his way. And the crowd laughed at Khryukin, completely forgetting about the unfortunate dog.
Public vice
In the story "The Chameleon" Chekhov makes fun of all of us well-known human vices. The desire to judge in disagreement with the laws, and according to the rank of the parties who occupy, opportunism and servility to the ranks are still striking features of Russian reality.
Both in the story and in real modern life, many officials, like a chameleon, change their color depending on the situation, and change their minds to the look that is pleasing to the high authorities.
The story was written by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov in 1884, in the same year it was first published on the pages of Oskolkov.
"Chameleon": a summary of the story
An overseer walked along the market square - a policeman by the name of Ochumelov. It was quiet around, the people were all home. And suddenly screams. Khryukin - the master of goldsmiths chased the dog, shouted, caught her by the hind legs, a crowd gathered around.
The policeman pointed out the disorder to the warder, who went into the crowd to sort it out. Someone's greyhound bit Khryukin's finger. An interesting conversation took place. Ochumelov wanted to kill the dog, but someone said that it belongs to the general. Immediately, the warder changed his mood, already on the injured Khryukin began to attack. When it was decided that the general did not have such dogs, only cops, Ochumelov began to scold the dog again. And when he found out that it was the general's brother, a greyhound, he smiled so badly, let the dog go home, and threatened Khryukin.
Chekhov's story is so small that it does not need a summary. "Chameleon" already fits on a page and a half.
The essence of the title of the story
You can even understand why the story is named so and not otherwise by reading the summary. A chameleon is a lizard that adjusts to its environment by changing color. So Ochumelov in the story changes his mind, and literally changes clothes - he takes off his coat, then puts it back on. Anton Pavlovich Chekhov notes everything very subtly in his stories. The Chameleon is a summary of a 19th century social painting. A small sketch shows all the duplicity of the law and officials in front of those in power. In the name itself, Anton Pavlovich has already laid the idea that he wanted to convey with his work.
Analysis
This is a humorous story, a kind of everyday sketch, a small comic scene. This scene, however, is not just humor, it is an accusation, Chekhov brings to light the so-called chameleonism. The plot is dynamic, the mood and the state of health of Ochumelov, the hero - a chameleon, change very quickly. The supervisor's bossy tone is replaced by a cowardly one and back again in a matter of minutes, as soon as the policeman or someone from the crowd suggests who the dog belongs to. The cop isn't the only chameleon in the story. The injured Khryukin himself also responds to reality and adapts to it. He then demands payment for the damage and reminds him that his brother is a gendarme, then he humbly falls silent under Ochumelov's angry speeches, fearing that the dog is indeed a general.
Besides, the crowd changes too. At first, sleepy people, looking out of curiosity, even a little sympathetic to Khryukov, laugh at him at the end of the scene.
Simplicity and seriousness of the story
You can fit a retelling or a summary in three sentences. The Chameleon, however, is not an easy story. At the time of its publication, it was perceived as a serious criticism of the autocratic police regime of the 19th century.
It would seem that a policeman is walking around the square in a new greatcoat, with him the policeman, seeing the crowd, come to investigate, having learned about the master's bitten finger by the dog, they begin the proceedings - that's all the summary. The "Chameleon" is revealed in detail: in Ochumelov's overcoat taken off and put on again, in Khryukov's finger raised up like a banner of victory and then lowered, in the intonations of a policeman. And the names in Anton Pavlovich's story are also speaking. Ochumelov from the word "plague" - he infects the crowd with his changeability, his chameleonism. Khryukin from the word "grunt", that is, he is a pig. Drunk, behaving like a boor. General Zhigalov, absent in the story, but mentioned, is from the word "gigalo", "ignite". It was he who became the instigator of all these disputes, whether or not to exterminate the dog. After all, as soon as he was mentioned, all the transformations of Ochumelov, Khryukin began, and with them the crowd, servile to the policeman.
Chameleon
Police overseer Ochumelov is walking through the market square. He sees a running dog, which the swearing man catches up and grabs. A crowd gathers. A man (goldsmith Khryukin) shows the crowd a bitten finger. Ochumelov is determined: “I will show you how to dismiss the dogs! Eldyrin, - he turns to the policeman, - find out whose dog it is, and draw up a protocol! And the dog must be exterminated. Immediately! " After Ochumelov finds out that the possible owner of the dog is General Zhigalov, all his determination is lost. He turns to the policeman: "Take off, Eldyrin, my coat is hot," and then he says to the injured Khryukin: "You must have poked your finger with a nail!"
At this time, the policeman begins to doubt that this is the general's dog: "he has more and more cops." Ochumelov is changing before our eyes, and now he is resolute again: “I myself know. The general's dogs are expensive, thoroughbred, and this one - the devil knows what! You, Khryukin, suffered and do not leave this case like that! " A voice from the crowd shouts: "Apparently, the general's!" Ochumelov doubts again. “Put it on, Eldyrin, my coat ... the wind blew in,” he asks the policeman, and says to Khryukin: “Fool, put your hand down! You don't need to stick your stupid finger! Himself to blame! "
General's chef Prokhor is walking across the square. When asked if it was their dog, he replies: "We never had such a thing!" Ochumelov says: “I told you! She's a stray! Exterminate, that's all. " And Prokhor continues: "This is the general's brother." Ochumelov's face is filled with a smile of affection: “But has their brother come, Vladimir Ivanovich? So this is their dog? I am very glad ... The dog is wow ... She is so nimble ... A pin of this for a finger! " Prokhor takes the dog. The crowd laughs at Khryukin, and Ochumelov threatens him: "I will get to you!" - and continues on its way through the marketplace.
The police overseer tries to fulfill his official duty, but the inculcated rank worship prevents him.
The police overseer Ochumelov and the red-haired policeman Eldyrin are walking through the market square. Suddenly they hear indignant screams and dog squeals. They see a dog running out of the wood-burning warehouse, looking around, running out on three legs, followed by a half-drunk man, goldsmith Khryukin. Khryukin grabs the dog by the hind legs, a crowd gathers around them, "as if they have grown out of the ground". In the center of the crowd is Khryukin, showing a bloody finger and a puppy he has caught.
Ochumelov and the policeman go to investigate what happened. Khryukin complains to the policeman that the dog bit him. Ochumelov threatens to fine the owner of the dog and exterminate the dog. Upon learning that this is General Zhigalov's dog, the policeman quickly changes his mind and attacks Khryukin. Eldyrin notes that the general does not have such dogs. Ochumelov again changes his mind to the opposite, tells Khryukin not to leave this case like that. The policeman, lost in thought, says that perhaps she is the general's, he saw a similar one in the general's yard the other day. Ochumelov again changes his mind, orders Eldyrin to deliver the dog to Zhigalov and say that it was he, Ochumelov, who found it.
Prokhor, a passing general's cook, is asked if this dog is theirs, to which Prokhor replies - no. Ochumelov wants to exterminate the dog again. The cook continues to speak, and it turns out that this is the dog of the general's brother Vladimir Ivanovich. The police overseer is moved and lets Prokhor take the dog away without hindrance. The crowd laughs at Khryukin, Ochumelov threatens him and, wrapping himself in an overcoat, continues his way through the market square.
Chameleon - a short story (even a feuilleton) by A.P. Chekhov, whose problems, alas, are not outdated even today.
Chekhov, with his characteristic humor, shows the base, dual nature of the inner world of a person invested with power - in this case, a policeman.
The plot of the story
In the center of attention is an overseer with the speaking surname Ochumelov, who walks around the city, accompanied by his faithful comrade - the policeman. Ochumelov notices some kind of crowd in the street and comes up to sort it out.
It turned out that a certain person - a simple, from the "ignoble class", was bitten by a dog. The overseer is eager to punish the culprit, but it is not so easy to establish him.
At first, he reasoned sensibly that the owner of the dog was to blame for not keeping track of his animal. However, when he is told that the dog is most likely a general, Ochumelov changes his face and “turns the arrow” to the victim.
Then someone declares that the dog cannot belong to the general, and Ochumelov again changes in character. This happens several times, everyone comes to the conclusion that the dog is a stray and needs to be exterminated.
Finally, Prokhor, the general's cook, appears and explains that the owner of the animal is not a general, but his brother, who recently came to visit. At this news, the warden breaks into a smile, promises to come and see, and reprimands the victim and leaves, stating that he will “get to him”.
The meaning of the story
Works about "double morality" and hypocrisy are very characteristic of Russian literature of that period. In "Chameleon", two semantic layers are noticeable:
- External - ranks, titles, as well as items of clothing of the characters (such as Ochumelov's coat
- Internal - the changeability of character and attitude towards others, depending on the alleged belonging of the ill-fated dog.
As in other Chekhov's stories, the main emphasis in "The Chameleon" is placed on the state of mind of the characters, and not on the external situation. It is the person himself who humiliates and exalts himself, not the circumstances - this is what the writer wants to convey.
If in The Death of an Official the title of Chervyakov is deliberately not indicated (but it is clear that in the Table of Ranks he does not occupy the last place), here Ochumelov personally changes the status of his title when it comes to different people: with the injured worker and with by the assembled common people, he speaks as a representative of power, and when he mentions the general, he turns into a "small fry", while he fawns even at the general's cook - a man whose social status is even lower than that of the victim (he is a general's "slave", not a free employee).
Ochumelov's changeable character is reinforced by a characteristic detail, which is played by his coat: he then orders to take it off, then put it on again. He is "chills", then throws in a fever. The overseer himself, it seems, does not have his own "color" at all, that is, simply a personality, changing according to circumstances.
To humiliate the weak and exalt the strong - this is his only credo. As already mentioned, the "chameleons" today both in the government and in the police are exactly the same as they were a hundred years ago, so Chekhov's story is absolutely modern. However, it is not even a matter of the position held: such specimens are constantly found among ordinary people.
