Leskov N. Levsha, Folklore traditions in the work of one of the Russian writers of the 19th century
We are presenting a report by a student of the 10th humanities class at the Topaler Readings 2015.
Zhirnova Sasha. Features of the story by N.S. Leskov “Lefty” and its film adaptations
(before the start of the report, a cartoon is displayed on the screen from the beginning until 00:25 sec)
Introduction
Many of us must have been familiar with this old Soviet cartoon based on the story “Lefty” from childhood. However, even those who have carefully read Leskov’s story are unlikely to think about how accurately this seemingly simple film adaptation conveys the main features of not only Leskov’s work, but also the entire so-called “folk epic”.
Features of the genre
To reveal character traits story "Lefty", first of all, one should turn to the genre of the tale in which the story is written. A tale is a genre with a focus on the spoken word (that is, the recreation or imitation of speech), or a genre in which the narrator and the author do not coincide. Most likely, “Lefty” belongs to the second type of tale, which explains the need to publish a preface to the story: “Of course, the preface was an obvious literary device designed to justify the introduction of a personified narrator, a bearer of a special speech structure, that is, to motivate the tale narrative form of the story” (E L. Beznosov, “The Tale of the Tula Left-Hander...” as folk epic»: ).
In a cartoon, unlike a story, the separation of the author and the narrator is not so obvious, because, although they speak different languages, compositionally, the author’s speech is in no way separated from the narrator’s speech and begins almost immediately after it.
(here you need to show the cartoon from 40:50 minutes to the end)
However, we should not forget that the tale is not the only genre to which the story “Lefty” belongs. Leskov does not fit into the “mainstream” of Russian literature of his time at all - there are no so-called “big ideas” in his works, he is interested in an anecdote, which he writes about in his “Literary Explanation”, published after readers, having read the preface, in which said that the author heard the story about Lefty from an old Tula master, they began to reproach Leskov for the fact that his role in the story was purely shorthand. “As for the most knowledgeable English flea from Tula, this is not a legend at all, but a short joke or joke, like the “German monkey”, which “the German invented, but she couldn’t sit down (she kept jumping), and the Moscow furrier took her tail sewn on, - she sat down.” In this monkey and in the flea there is even the same idea and the same tone, in which boasting, perhaps, is much less than gentle irony over his ability to improve any overseas cunning,” he writes.
So what is a joke? First of all, this is an intricate story that does not pretend to be plausible, which is clearly reflected in the story, where there is a lot of implausibility: from anachronisms (Platov’s arrival in St. Petersburg, mentioned in the story, could not have happened before 1826, while Platov died already in 1818, which Leskov certainly knew about) to the fairy-tale elements, which will be discussed below.
Popular print tradition
Speaking about the anecdote in the Russian literary tradition, it is impossible not to recall lubok, or lubok pictures, which were very popular among the third estate in the period from the 18th to the 19th centuries. Distinctive feature Such pictures were characterized by the simplicity of the drawing technique and composition, as well as, depending on the genre, the instructiveness or intricacy of the depicted plot.
(here you need to show several examples of popular prints, for example: “Mice are burying a cat”, “Battle of Kulikovo”:).
The creators of the cartoon very accurately captured the spirit of the story, as if it had come out of one of these popular prints, and filmed “Lefty” in exactly this style.
(here you can turn on the cartoon in one place and compare the image with popular prints)
Epic
But, in my opinion, the most important thing in the cartoon is not even the reproduction of popular print tradition, but the preservation and correct presentation of the features of the folklore-epic genre, which are noticeable here almost more than in the original story.
This applies, for example, to the character and image of the heroes, as A.A. wrote about. Gorelov: “The overturning of the entire Russian historical world into the folklore sphere gave the characters of Leskov’s tale those features that make it possible to see in each owner of a real-historical name not a genuine figure of history, but a certain oral-folk version of his activity, to imply behind each name some kind of merit deserved by its bearer in history, among the people, a reputation, an idea accepted and spread by general rumor.” First of all, we should remember the image of Ataman Platov, who “when he heard that there was such unrest in the palace, he now rose from his couch and appeared to the sovereign in all orders.”
(here you need to show an episode from the cartoon where Platov arrives in St. Petersburg, 13:10)
In the same article, E.L. Beznosov writes: “Platov’s continuous lying on the “annoying couch” and equally endless smoking of a pipe speaks of the same kind of [supernatural] abilities for an incredibly long time from the everyday point of view. This indicates that the narrator of the story about the left-hander puts it in folklore forms, as if he thinks in clichéd folklore images.” These folklore images include Platov’s extraordinary way of riding, which is also reflected in the cartoon.
(episode with a trip to Tula, 14:30)
No less important is the image of a jewel stored in several containers, which can be found in many folk tales and epics (for example, we all remember the fairy tale about Koshchei the Immortal).
(episode with buying a flea, 9:57)
Bottom line
All these and many other features of the story, reflected in the film adaptation, serve one purpose, and this purpose is not to humiliate the Russian people, as some thought, and not to flatter them, as others thought, but to explore (namely explore) the amazing Russian character depicted not even in the nameless left-handed master, but in the epic nature of the narrative, which is created in the cartoon with the help of detail, general style and adherence to Russian traditions.
The work “The Tale of the Tula Oblique Lefty and the Steel Flea” was written by the famous Russian writer of the 19th century N. S. Leskov in 1881, 20 years after the abolition of serfdom. These difficult years were a difficult period in the history of our country and they are reflected in the work of the prose writer.
“Lefty,” like most of the author’s other works, is dedicated to ordinary Russian people. When the story was first published in the magazine “Rus”, N. S. Leskov left a preface in which he called his creation “a specially gunsmith’s legend” and a “tale”, but later removed it, since criticism took his words literally and considered the work to be a record of a truly existing one legends.
The work is a story stylized by the author as a fairy tale, and its plot is written based on both real and fictional events. Why did Leskov call his creation a folk legend? Most likely, the writer tried to draw the attention of readers to the development of the plot outline, to make his hero in tune with the characters of ancient Russian epics. Perhaps the fact that Leskov wanted to create the appearance of his non-involvement in the history of Lefty in order to make his image more popular also played a role. Despite the fact that the work contains fairy-tale motifs, the story belongs to the genre of critical realism, since when creating it the author focused on the problems national character: autocracy, the difficulties of the life of Russian people, the confrontation of our world in those years with the civilized Western one. The interweaving of the comic and the tragic, fairy tales and reality is distinctive features Leskov's creations.
Leskov's colorful style of writing makes his works a real museum of Russian dialects. His style does not contain the elegant classical forms with which the speech of Pushkin or Turgenev was rich, but there is a simplicity characteristic of our people. The worker and the sovereign speak completely differently, and this difference only emphasizes one of the themes that the author identified: the problem of social inequality, the split between the top and the bottom, which was observed in Russia at that time.
After Leskov removed the preface from “The Tale of the Tula Oblique Lefty and the Steel Flea,” the composition of the story lost its integrity, since initially the main plot was framed by the preface and the final chapter.
Main compositional technique There is a contrast in the story. The author draws attention not so much to the differences between English and Russian life, but to the difference between ordinary workers and the top of the government, which in the work is represented by the sovereign. The writer reveals his portrait, consistently showing the attitude of the emperor towards his subordinates.
In “The Tale of the Tula Oblique Lefty and the Steel Flea,” the main character is a skilled craftsman, personifying the hard work and talent of the Russian people. Drawing the image of Lefty, Leskov portrays his character as a righteous man and a national hero. He is ready to sacrifice himself in the name of the Fatherland. The main features of this person are high morality, patriotism, and religiosity. He is not attracted by the riches of England; being in another country, he constantly thinks about his homeland. However, when Lefty returns to Russia, he falls ill and dies, of no use to anyone. The author deeply sympathizes with his hero; his lines show bitterness towards a man whose merits and name have been forgotten.
But Leskov is not the only one who pays attention to Lefty. The problem of a gifted person is not the only one raised by the author in this story. The contrast between a simple craftsman and an emperor can be read in many episodes of the work. The scene of Lefty’s conversation with the sovereign is indicative, in which the latter defiantly condescends to be an ordinary worker. Next, the author depicts the meeting of the protagonist with English masters, who treat Lefty without a hint of arrogance. This antithesis proves Leskov’s desire to show the conflict not so much between two states, but rather between different social strata.
An extensive list of problems raised by N. S. Leskov in the story “Lefty” was reflected in Everyday life Russia at that time. The indifference of the authorities to their subjects, the lack of education of the Russian people, the cultural and economic backwardness of the country from the West - all this was of acute relevance in late XIX century. It is in the inattention of the highest ranks to the destinies of real geniuses that Leskov sees the reason for social disorder in Russia.
Although more than a hundred years have passed since the publication of the work, many of the themes posed by the author in “The Tale of the Slanting Tula Lefty and the Steel Flea” are relevant in our modern life. N. S. Leskov created a story that is complex in its content, which provides answers to the pressing questions that concern us.
- “Lefty”, a summary of the chapters of Leskov’s story
- “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk”, analysis of Leskov’s story
The core of my essay “Lefty – a People’s Hero” (as well as the idea of N.S. Leskov’s tale itself) is an unquenchable faith in the Russian people, his decency, loyalty to the fatherland and incomparable skill. The personification of the collective image of the folk hero in the story of Nikolai Semenovich is the simple Tula master Lefty.
The similarity of the image of Lefty with folk heroes
The image of Lefty in Leskov’s work echoes the heroes of the Russian folk art, where the generalized image personified the characteristic features, identity and aspirations of the Russian people. Lefty's closeness to folk heroes is also evidenced by his namelessness. After all, we do not know his name or any biographical information. The namelessness of the hero emphasizes the fact that in Rus' there were many people just as devoted to the state - unsurpassed masters and the real sons of their land.
Individual traits in the image of the Tula master
The hero has only two features. The main feature is the extraordinary 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 work, Lefty got the most difficult part - forging microscopic nails for horseshoes.
The second individual feature of the hero is his natural feature - he is left-handed, which has become the character’s common name. This fact, which simply shocked the British, only emphasizes his uniqueness - being able to create such a complex invention without having 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 the two kings - Alexander and Nicholas, during 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 Russian people were not capable of anything 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.
Nikolai Pavlovich’s attitude towards ordinary Russian people is perfectly illustrated by the case of Lefty. When Platov could not understand what the invention of the Tula craftsmen was, deciding that they had deceived him, he sadly reported this to the tsar. However, the emperor did not believe it and ordered to send for Lefty, expecting something incredible: “I know that my people cannot deceive me. Something has been done here beyond the pale.”
And the Russian people, in the form of Lefty, did not disappoint the sovereign.
Simplicity and modesty, indifference to wealth and fame, the namelessness of the character and great love to the fatherland allow us to consider Lefty as a collective image of the Russian people in the work. People's hero Lefty is the personification of the true soul of a simple Russian man, for whom the work of serving the fatherland, although it cost his life, but he managed to justify the trust placed in him and prove the power of skill.
Work test
Leskov N. S.
An essay on a work on the topic: Folklore traditions in the work of one of the Russian writers of the 19th century. (N. S. Leskov. “Left-handed.”)
Few writers of the nineteenth century used folklore and folk traditions so widely in their work. Deeply believing in the spiritual power of the people, he is nevertheless far from idealizing them, from creating idols, from “idol liturgy for the peasant,” using Gorky’s expression. The writer explained his position by the fact that he “studied the people not from conversations with St. Petersburg cab drivers”, but “grew up among the people” and that “it was not appropriate for him to either raise the people on stilts or put them under his feet.”
Confirmation of the writer’s objectivity can be “The Tale of the Tula Oblique Lefty and the Steel Flea,” which was assessed at one time by critics as “a set of clownish expressions in the style of ugly foolishness” (A. Volynsky). Unlike other fairy tale works by Leskov, the narrator from the folk environment does not have specific features. This anonymous person speaks on behalf of an indefinite multitude, as its unique mouthpiece. There are always various rumors among the people, passed on from mouth to mouth and in the process of such transmission acquire all sorts of conjectures, assumptions, and new details. A legend is created by the people, and it appears in “Lefty” that it is so freely created, embodying the “voice of the people.”
It is interesting that in the first printed editions Leskov introduced the following preface to the story: “I wrote down this legend in Sestroretsk according to a local tale from an old gunsmith, a Tula native, who moved to the Sister River during the reign of Emperor Alexander the First. The narrator two years ago was still in good health and with a fresh memory; he readily recalled the old days, greatly honored Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich, lived “according to the old faith,” read divine books and bred canaries.” The abundance of “reliable” details left no room for doubt, but everything turned out to be true. a literary hoax, which was soon exposed by the author himself: “...I composed this whole story in the month of May last year, and Lefty is a person I invented.” Leskov will return to the question of the fictionality of Lefty more than once, and in his lifetime collection of works he will completely remove the “preface.” Leskov needed this very hoax to create the illusion that the author was not involved in the content of the tale.
However, with all the outward simplicity of the narrative, this story by Leskov also has a “double bottom.” Embodying popular ideas about Russian autocrats, military leaders, about people of another nation, about themselves, the simple-minded narrator knows nothing about what the author who created him thinks about the same thing. But Leskov’s “secret writing” makes it possible to clearly hear the author’s voice. And this voice will tell that the rulers are alienated from the people, neglecting their duty to them, that these rulers are accustomed to power, which does not need to be justified by the presence of its own merits, that it is not the supreme power that is concerned with the honor and fate of the nation, but ordinary Tula men. They protect the honor and glory of Russia and constitute its hope.
However, the author will not hide the fact that the Tula craftsmen, who managed to shoe the English flea, essentially ruined the mechanical toy, because “they were not good at science,” that they, “deprived of the opportunity to make history, made jokes.”
England and Russia (Oryol region, Tula, St. Petersburg, Penza), Revel and Merrekul, the Ukrainian village of Peregudy - such is the “geography” of Leskov’s stories and tales in just one book. People of different nations enter into the most unexpected connections and relationships here. The “truly Russian person” sometimes puts foreigners to shame, sometimes he finds himself dependent on their “system.” Finding the universal in life different nations and trying to understand the present and future of Russia in connection with the course of historical processes in Europe, Leskov was at the same time clearly aware of the uniqueness of his country. At the same time, he did not fall into the extremes of Westernism and Slavophilism, but maintained the position of objective artistic research. How did a “through-and-through Russian” writer and a man who passionately loved Russia and his people manage to find a measure of such objectivity? The answer lies in Leskov’s work itself.
http://www.