The action of the story "Lefty" takes place in Russian Empire during the reign of Tsars Alexander the First 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 with the main character, the Tula master Leftsha, whose views are akin to the imperial ones. They are united by the belief that nothing is impossible for a Russian. The characterization of Lefty from Leskov’s story “Lefty” is an opportunity to understand the essence of a real simple Russian person.
Closeness to the people
With the main character of the work N.S. Leskov does not introduce us right away. Over the course of several chapters, it seems that the main character of the story is the Cossack Platov. The true protagonist appears as if by chance. Perhaps, the author did this deliberately in order to emphasize the essence of the character of Lefty from the story “Lefty” - he comes from the people and himself is their 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 three Tula craftsmen who were given the honor of making something like this to prove to Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich and the self-confident British what the Russian people are capable of.
The generality of the image of Lefty is emphasized not only by his namelessness, but also by a little information about him. As we read, we don't know anything about his age or family. Before us is only his laconic portrait: “Left-handed with an oblique face, a birthmark on his cheek, and the hair on his temples torn out during training.”
The great talent of a simple master
Despite his outward ugliness, Lefty has a great talent that amazed not only the Tsar himself, but also English craftsmen. Lefty, together with two other Tula craftsmen, managed to shoe a miniature flea without any special knowledge or equipment. In this case, Lefty got the most hard work– forge miniature nails for horseshoes.
The quality without which the characterization of Lefty from the story “Lefty” will 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 instructions 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 craftsmen's work 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 due to our poverty we do not have a small scope, but our eyes are so focused.”
Indifference to wealth and comfort
Lefty also showed modesty and indifference to wealth during his trip to England. He did not agree to study abroad; promises of 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 hero’s inglorious death, 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 the deck, which is why he fell ill.
Arriving in St. Petersburg, he was unable to introduce himself and say that he was carrying out the tsar’s instructions. Therefore, he was robbed and was not admitted to any hospital except the simplest one for the poor, where he died. The author contrasted the image of Lefty with the Englishman who sailed with him, who was settled in a good hotel and cured. And Lefty died tragically because of his modesty and simplicity.
Lefty Character Traits
Love for the Motherland and a sense of responsibility to one’s state are the main character traits of Lefty. Master Lefty's last thought was the desire to convey to the Tsar at all costs that there is no need to clean guns with bricks. If he had been able to convey this, Russian military affairs would have been even more successful, but his request never reached the sovereign. Even dying, this simple Tula master remained true to his character, main feature who was primarily thinking 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 dearer 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”.
Work test
Completed by Evgeniy Trubnikov,
student of class 9 “A”
Lyceum No. 369
Scientific director
Epishova Svetlana Fedorovna,
teacher of Russian language and literature
St. Petersburg 2011
Introduction
1. Russian national character
2. Description of Lefty
3. Russian national character of Lefty, the hero of N.S. Leskov’s tale
Conclusion
Bibliography
Introduction
The mysterious Russian soul... She, the subject of admiration and curses, sometimes squeezes a man's fist, crushes concrete obstacles. Otherwise it will suddenly become thinner than a petal, More transparent than an autumn web. Otherwise it flies like on the first day of the fishing season, a desperate mountain river.(E. Dolmatovsky)
There is such a thing as Russian national character. Times change, tsars, leaders, presidents change, our country itself changes, but the features of the Russian national character remain unchanged. Both foreign and Russian thinkers constantly turned to the mystery of the “mysterious Russian soul”, because this topic has always remained and will remain relevant and interesting.
To explore this topic in my work, I chose N.S. Leskov’s work “Lefty” because he, using the form of a tale, tells us the story of a man who personifies all Russian people. " Where “left-handed” is written, you should read “Russian people” - Leskov himself spoke.
“A tale is a type of literary and artistic narrative constructed as a story by a person whose position and speech style are different from the point of view and style of the author himself. The collision and interaction of these semantic and speech positions underlies artistic effect tale”*. A tale implies a first-person narration, and the narrator’s speech should be measured, melodious, and sustained in a characteristic manner. this person manner. There is no narrator as such in “Lefty”, but in other respects the work can well be called a tale. The author’s “reprimand” creates the impression that the story is being narrated by some villager, simple, but at the same time (judging by the reasoning) educated and wise. “Lefty” has a similar subtext to fairy tales, because they often contain an unobtrusive, often good-natured, condescending mockery of “those in power.”
1. Russian national character
Among all the traits inherent in the Russian national character, we can highlight some that, in my opinion, are basic: hard work and talent, willpower and kindness, patience and perseverance, courage and boldness, love of freedom and patriotism, religiosity. I considered it necessary to quote the statements of some foreigners who touched upon themes of the Russian national character, because they see us from the outside and evaluate us unbiasedly.
· Hard work, talent.
“Russian people have many talents and abilities in almost all areas public life. He is characterized by observation, theoretical and practical intelligence, natural ingenuity, ingenuity, and creativity. The Russian people are great workers, creators and creators.” The sharp practical mind of the Russian person is a source of diverse experience and different abilities. Hence - the rich development of the spirit and an abundance of talents. The talent of the Russian person was manifested in the very successful development of science and technical inventions, and the love of beauty and the gift of creative imagination contribute high development Russian art.
· Love of freedom
“For the Russian people, freedom is above all.
The word “will” is closer to the Russian heart, understood as independence,
freedom in the manifestation of feelings and in performing actions, and not freedom as perceived need, that is, as the possibility of a person expressing his will on the basis of awareness of the law”*.
According to the philosopher N.O. Lossky among the primary properties of the Russian people, along with religiosity, the search for absolute good and willpower, includes love for freedom and its highest expression - freedom of spirit. He who has a free spirit is inclined to put every value to the test, not only in thought, but even in experience. This property is associated with the search for absolute good. In the real world it does not exist, therefore, each person does it for himself independent choice the best way actions, one's own path.
Freedom of spirit, breadth of nature, the search for perfect goodness and the associated test of values through thought and experience led to the fact that the Russian people developed the most diverse, and sometimes opposite, forms and methods. The search for absolute good has developed among the Russian people a recognition of the high value of each individual.
The Russian people had to endure many trials during their difficult history, and in each of them they showed courage and courage. Among the primary basic properties of the Russian people is powerful willpower. The higher the value, the stronger feelings and energetic activity it evokes in people with a strong will. This explains the passion of the Russian people, manifested in political life, and even greater passion in religious life. The willpower of the Russian people, as N.O. writes. Lossky, is also revealed in the fact that a Russian person, having noticed any shortcoming of his and morally condemning it, obeying a sense of duty, overcomes it and develops a quality that is completely opposite to it.
· Kindness
Often Russian people help those whom they should hate with all their souls, with whom they, in theory, cannot have decent relations. For example, the Austrian German Otto Berger, who was a prisoner in Russia from 1944 to 1949, wrote in his book that while living in Russia, the prisoners understood “What a special people the Russians are. All workers, and especially women, treated us as unfortunate people in need of help and protection. Sometimes the women would take our clothes, our linen, and return it all ironed, washed, mended. The most amazing thing was that the Russians themselves lived in monstrous need, which should have killed their desire to help us, their yesterday’s enemies.”. Our Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky agrees with the opinion of a foreigner: “Russian people do not know how to hate for a long time and seriously,” he wrote about Russian kindness.
The kindness of the Russian people in all layers of them is expressed in the absence of rancor. “Often a Russian person, being passionate and prone to maximalism, experiences strong feeling repulsion from another person, however, when meeting him, if specific communication is necessary, his heart softens and he somehow involuntarily begins to show his spiritual gentleness towards him, even sometimes condemning himself for this if he believes that this person does not deserve treat him kindly.”*
· Patriotism
The Russian people have always been distinguished by their patriotism. Russian people could remain dissatisfied with Russia among themselves, but as soon as it was necessary to defend it, to defend the honor of the Motherland, they united and together repulsed the enemy or simply did not allow ridicule of it.
· Patience and Fortitude
“Russians have limitless patience, an amazing ability to endure difficulties, hardships and suffering. In Russian culture, patience and the ability to endure suffering are the ability to exist, the ability to respond to external circumstances, this is the basis of personality”*
· Religiosity
Religiosity is a feature of the Russian national character that practically determined the entire Russian mentality. In my opinion, if the Russian people were not so religious, then, most likely, their history would have turned out differently. After all, many of the defining features of the Russian national character were formed precisely thanks to her. In his book “The Character of the Russian People,” Russian philosopher N.O. Lossky considers the main and deepest feature of the Russian people to be their religiosity and the associated search for absolute truth. “Russians can talk about religion for six hours straight. The Russian idea is a Christian idea; in the foreground there is love for those who suffer, pity, attention to the individual personality…” writes N.O. Lossky in his book.
2. Description of Lefty
Distinctive properties of N.S.’s prose Leskov - fairy-tale motifs, the interweaving of the comic and tragic, the ambiguity of the author's assessments of the characters - were fully manifested in one of the writer's most famous works, “Lefty”.
Introducing us to the main character, the author does not demonstrate his attractiveness, just a few details: “ left-handed with an oblique eye, a birthmark on his cheek, and the hair on his temples torn out during training.” However, Lefty is a skilled Tula craftsman, one of those Tula gunsmiths who managed to forge the English “nymphosorium” and, thereby, surpass the English masters.
When meeting the king himself, Lefty is not afraid, but “ he walks in what he was wearing: in shorts, one trouser leg is in a boot, the other is dangling, and the collar is old, the hooks are not fastened, they are lost, and the collar is torn; but it’s okay, don’t be embarrassed" Lefty, an unprepossessing little man, is not afraid to go to the sovereign, because he is confident in his rightness and in the quality of his work. Indeed, there is something to marvel at here - the craftsmen not only did not spoil the curiosity, but also surpassed the British in skill: they shod the steel flea and wrote their names on the horseshoes. This is such a miniature work that you can see the result with a “small scope”, which magnifies several hundred times, and the craftsmen, due to poverty, did all the delicate work without a “small scope”, because they “have such a focused eye.” However, Lefty's name was not on the horseshoes, since he considered himself unworthy of it. In his opinion, he didn’t do anything special, because he worked with parts less than shoeing: he forged nails to nail them.
Lefty is ready to sacrifice himself for the sake of the Fatherland, in the name of the cause. He goes to England without documents, hungry (he’s on the road “ At each station, the belts were also tightened by one badge so that the intestines and lungs did not get mixed up”, to show foreigners Russian ingenuity and skill, and earns the respect of the British by his reluctance to remain in their country.
Lefty's skill and skill aroused well-deserved respect among the British, but, unfortunately, he was deprived of the technical knowledge available to English masters, and, as a result, the savvy Lefty and his comrades can no longer dance: “ It's a shame- the British regret, - It would be better if you knew at least four rules of addition from arithmetic, then it would be much more useful to you than the entire Half-Dream Book. Then you could realize that in every machine there is a calculation of force; Otherwise, you are very skillful in your hands, but you didn’t realize that such a small machine, like the one in the nymphosoria, is designed for the most accurate precision and cannot carry its shoes. Because of this, the nymphosoria now does not jump and does not dance.”
When Lefty returns to his homeland, he falls ill and dies, useless to anyone. Thrown on the floor in a “common people’s” hospital, he personifies the inhumanity, short-sightedness and ingratitude of state power - the reason for the unsettled state of Russia, according to the author.
From the entire story, it becomes obvious that Leskov sympathizes with Lefty, feels sorry for him, and the author’s comments are filled with bitterness. The image of Lefty reflected Leskov’s search for positive national hero, and in my opinion this image hits very close to home.
3. Russian national character of Lefty, the hero of N.S. Leskov’s tale
Leskov does not give a name to his hero, thereby emphasizing the collective meaning and significance of his character. The image of Lefty combines the main features of the Russian national character.
· Religiosity
The religiosity of the Russian people is manifested in the episode when Tula craftsmen, including Levsha, before starting work, went to bow to the icon of “Nikola of Mtsensk” - the patron of trade and military affairs. Also, Lefty’s religiosity is “intertwined” with his patriotism. Lefty's faith is one of the reasons he refuses to stay in England. “ “Because,” he answers, “our Russian faith is the most correct, and just as our rightful fathers believed, our descendants should believe just as accurately.”
· Willpower, courage and courage
Lefty, one of three gunsmiths, worked hard on the strange flea for two weeks. All this time they sat locked up, keeping their work secret. This is where the strength of spirit manifests itself, since I had to work in difficult conditions: with closed windows and doors, without rest, so that during work you would never leave their “cramped mansion”, in which “ the breathless work in the air created such a sweaty spiral that an unaccustomed person with a fresh wind could not breathe even once.”
· Patience and Fortitude
Many times Lefty shows patience and perseverance: and when Platov “ caught the left-hander by the hair and started tossing it back and forth so that tufts flew.”, and when Lefty, sailing home from England, despite bad weather, sits on the deck to quickly see his homeland:
“As soon as we left the bay into the Solid Earth Sea, his desire for Russia became such that it was impossible to calm him down. The flooding has become terrible, but the left-handed man doesn’t go downstairs to the cabins - he sits under the gift, pulls his cap down and looks towards his fatherland. Many times the English came to a warm place to call him down, but so as not to be bothered, he even began to lash out.”
· Patriotism
While in England, Lefty rejects lucrative offers from the British: to settle in London, study science, visit factories for practice, get a prestigious job, get married, start a family. (“ Stay with us, we will give you great education, and you will become an amazing master”, “The British named themselves so that they could send money to his parents”, “we will marry you”, because he loves his homeland, loves its customs, its traditions. Lefty cannot imagine his life outside of Russia. “ “We,” he says, “are committed to our homeland, and my little brother is already an old man, and my parent is an old woman and is accustomed to going to church in her parish,” “but I would rather go to my native place, because otherwise I might go crazy.” get it.”
Left-handed is a true patriot, a patriot at heart, gifted from birth, he is characterized by high morality and religiosity. He went through many trials, but even in his death hour he remembers that he must tell the military secret of the British, ignorance of which negatively affects the combat effectiveness of the Russian army.
· Kindness
Despite his strong attachment to his homeland, Lefty refuses the British's request to stay very politely, trying not to offend them. He does this in such a way that his refusal not only did not upset the British, but even earned them respect. And he forgives Ataman Platov for his rude treatment of himself. “Even though he has Ovechkin’s fur coat, he has the soul of a man,” says the “Aglitsky half-skipper” about his Russian comrade.
· Hard work and talent
One of the main themes in the story is the theme of the creative talent of the Russian person. Talent, according to Leskov, cannot exist independently; it must necessarily be based on the moral and spiritual strength of a person. The plot itself, the very history of this tale tells how Lefty, together with his comrades, was able to “outdo” the English masters without any acquired knowledge, only thanks to talent and hard work. Extraordinary, wonderful skill is the main property of Lefty. He wiped the noses of the “Aglitsky masters”, shod the flea with such small nails that you couldn’t see it even with the strongest microscope. In the image of Lefty, Leskov proved that the opinion put into the mouth of Emperor Alexander Pavlovich was incorrect: foreigners “have such a nature of perfection that once you look at it, you will no longer argue that we, Russians, are no good for our importance.”
The proper name of Lefty, like the names of many greatest geniuses, is forever lost to posterity, but his adventures can serve as a memory of an era, the general spirit of which is accurately and accurately captured. The image of Lefty, according to the writer, recalls those times when “inequality of talents and talents” mattered, and makes one look with sadness at the present time, when, “while favoring an increase in earnings, machines do not favor artistic prowess, which sometimes exceeded the limit, inspiring folk imagination to compose fabulous legends similar to the current ones.”
Conclusion
In this work, we examined the Russian national character using the example of N.S. Leskov’s work “Lefty”. Analyzing this work, finding signs of Russian national character in its main character, we discovered that “Lefty” is a work in which Leskov, an unsurpassed master of the tale, skillfully identified the main features of the Russian national character and showed them through the example of his heroes, especially Lefty . To do this, the author uses various linguistic means of expression, such as the use of “folk” words (“nymphosoria” - ciliates, “ukushetka” - couch, etc.). This gives “Lefty” a special “charm”.
Lefty is a symbol of the Russian people. Lefty personifies the Russian people; he is religious, patriotic, hardworking, kind and freedom-loving. Leskov is truly presented great person: talented master, with with a broad soul, with a warm loving heart, with deep patriotic feelings.
Thus, at the end of this work, it should be said that the Russian national character certainly has its own character traits, different from the features inherent in other peoples and so incomprehensible to them. Ta inner strength, the spirituality and sacrifice of the people, their kindness, spiritual simplicity, compassion and selflessness and, at the same time, inertia, illogicality and irrationality of actions, behavior justified most often only by intuition, all this makes the Russian people unlike any other people in the world. Russia, where such an extraordinary people lives, is unlike any other country in the world.
work left-handed Russian national character
Bibliography
1. Leskov N.S. Lefty. - Astrel, AST, 2006
2. Vyunov Yu.A. “A Word about Russians.” M., 2002.
3. Vereshchagin E.M. Kostomarov V.G. “Language and Culture”. M, 1990.
4. Ter-Minasova S.G. “Language and intercultural communication.” M., 2000.
5. “Big” Soviet encyclopedia" M, Soviet Encyclopedia, 1970.
6. Lossky N. O. About the Russian character. M., 1990.
Distinctive properties of N.S.’s prose Leskov - fairy-tale motifs, the interweaving of the comic and tragic, the ambiguity of the author's assessments of the characters - appeared fully in one of the most famous works of the writer “Lefty”. The title character, who outwardly does not stand out in anything special (“there is a birthmark on his cheek, and the hair on his temples was torn out during training”), is at the same time, according to the author himself, the most skillful among the Tula gunsmiths. However, Leskov does not idealize the hero, showing that despite his excellent skill, he is not strong in the sciences, “and instead of the four rules of addition from arithmetic, he takes everything from the Psalter and the Half-Dream Book.”
Lefty is a skilled craftsman, one of those who participated in shoeing the flea, personifying the talent of the Russian people. But the savvy flea stops dancing: Russian craftsmen do not have the basic technical knowledge that any English master has. Leskov does not give a name to his hero, thereby emphasizing the collective meaning and significance of his character (“Where “Lefty” stands, one must read the Russian people,” Leskov said). Lefty, while in England, rejects lucrative offers from the British and returns to Russia. He is unselfish and incorruptible, but he is “downtrodden” and feels his own insignificance next to officials and nobles. Lefty is used to constant threats and beatings.
One of the main themes in the story is the theme of the creative talent of the Russian person, which has been depicted more than once in Leskov’s works (stories “The Stupid Artist”, “The Imprinted Angel”). Talent, according to Leskov, cannot exist independently; it must necessarily be based on the moral and spiritual strength of a person. Lefty, an unprepossessing little man, is not afraid to go to the sovereign, because he is confident in his rightness and in the quality of his work.
The image of Lefty stands among other images of the righteous created by Leskov. He sacrifices himself for the sake of the Fatherland, in the name of the Cause. He goes to England without documents, hungry (on the road, “at each station, his belt was tightened by one more badge, so that his intestines and lungs would not get mixed up”) to show foreigners his Russian ingenuity and skill, and earns the respect of the British with his reluctance to stay in their country . Lefty has a number of qualities inherent in Leskov’s gallery of righteous people: he is a true patriot, a patriot in his soul, gifted from birth, he is characterized by high morality and religiosity. He went through many trials, but even in his death hour he remembers that he must tell the military secret of the British, ignorance of which negatively affects the combat effectiveness of the Russian army.
According to Leskov, the inattention of the authorities to the fate of national talents, the denseness and lack of education of the Russian people themselves constitute the reason for the backwardness of Russia. It is interesting to compare Nicholas’s conversation with Lefty, to whom the emperor condescends, and the hero’s meeting with the British, who respect him as a master and speak as equals. When Lefty returns to his homeland, he falls ill and dies, useless to anyone. Thrown on the floor in a “common people’s” hospital, he personifies the inhumanity, short-sightedness and ingratitude of the tsarist government - the reason for the disorder in Russia, according to the author.
From the entire story it becomes obvious that Leskov sympathizes with Lefty and takes pity on him; the author's comments are filled with bitterness. The image of Lefty reflected Leskov’s search for positive hero, and I think this image is closest to this goal.
It's no secret that a left-handed person differs from a right-handed person not only in that he writes while holding a pen in the other hand. Let's try to find out about the features, characteristics and qualities of a left-handed person.
Today in the world, about 8-15% of people use their left hand as their dominant hand; they are called left-handed.
It is interesting that children choose their leading hand at the age three years, this manifests itself in games and creative activities - for example, when drawing, painting, modeling. It is believed that in children who are left-handed, the right hemisphere of the brain is predominant (dominant). His work is responsible for the perception of location and orientation in space, artistic perception, creative, including musical, abilities, intuition, imagination, emotions.
Psychologists often note that left-handers are artistically gifted people and have an excellent ear for music. In addition, left-handers tend to have difficulty pronouncing certain sounds and sometimes have delayed speech development. Speaking about other qualities of left-handers, psychologists note stubbornness, the ability to draw, sculpt, sing, and difficulties with reading and writing.
Left-handed children are often trusting, spontaneous, subject to other people's influence and mood. They are also characterized by capriciousness, tearfulness, persistence and tenacity in achieving what they want. The reasons for the difference between right-handers and left-handers is that the right and left hemispheres of the brain are responsible for different areas mental activity.
Experts also note the connection between temperament and left-handedness. Left-handed people are more emotional than right-handed people and have problems with self-control. Lefties can instantly become angry and lose their temper, but they have logical thinking, the ability to consistently process information, summarize it and analyze it. Left-handers are distinguished by excellent physical mobility, a desire for sports, impressionability and vulnerability, they also have a tendency to fantasize and have excellent memory.
In the past, most children who involuntarily preferred using their left hand were deliberately retrained. Many parents perceive the news that their child is left-handed negatively, but there is no need to be so categorical in your judgments. Today, all experts agree that in no case should a left-handed person be retrained. The process of retraining a left-handed person is a difficult test for his psyche, which will only cause stress and neuroticism in the child.
After retraining, children often suffer from neurotic disorders, including sleep disturbances, appetite problems, headaches, enuresis, and stuttering.
As recommendations for the behavior of adults with a left-handed child, advice is given not to focus on the fact that the child is different from other children because he is left-handed. In a situation where the baby feels that his peculiarity is causing increased interest from others, his self-esteem may decrease and shyness and self-doubt may develop.
Interestingly, when choosing a profession, it is worth considering a person’s left-handedness. Left-handed people have proven themselves excellent in areas such as design, photography, painting, architecture, music, and sports. It has been noted that among left-handed people there are a lot of creative personalities who achieved success, examples include: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Vladimir Mayakovsky, composers Bach, Beethoven, Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe. If a left-handed child appears in the family, you should not retrain him; rather, you should give him a chance to express himself creatively and develop the characteristics and skills that he is good at. Children need and need the support of their parents. Be healthy!
Nikolai Leskov sought to comprehend and reflect in his work the life of different classes, groups and estates. And he managed to create a complex and multicolored, not fully studied image of Russia in one of the most difficult periods for it - in the second half of the 19th century. An excellent example of this is the story “Lefty”.
Briefly about the plot
Before we begin the analysis of “Lefty” by N. Leskov, let us remember the story itself. The events of "The Tale" take place in early XIX century. During one of his trips to England, Emperor Alexander was shown a tiny flea that could dance. He brought her to Russia. After the death of the emperor, this curiosity was discovered in his belongings, and the Cossack Platov explained that the sovereign had brought this flea as an example of the skill of English mechanics, and noted that the Russians could do no worse. Emperor Nicholas, who believed in the superiority of the Russians, instructed Platov to go to the Don and visit Tula factories, to look for a craftsman who would answer the call of the British.
Platov called three famous gunsmiths, including Lefty, showed them a strange flea and asked them to come up with something that would surpass English work. The craftsmen answered the call - they shod the flea on all its legs. Everyone was delighted and sent the savvy flea back to England to demonstrate the skill of Russian craftsmen. In England, Lefty was shown factories and offered to stay. The workman refused, and on the way back he started an argument with the half-skipper over who would outdrink whom. Upon arrival in St. Petersburg, the half-skipper was brought back to life in a rich hospital, and Lefty died without medical care in a hospital for the poor.
Nikolai Leskov’s story “Lefty” ends with the fact that even on his deathbed, Lefty thinks about his homeland. Before his death, he reveals the secret of cleaning guns, but they did not tell the sovereign anything and continued to clean the guns with crushed bricks. If they then listen to Lefty's advice, Crimean War there would have been a completely different outcome.
Main character
Main character story - a talented Russian artisan Lefty. He and other craftsmen were commissioned to create a masterpiece to surprise the British. They decided that the nails for the horseshoes were created by Lefty. The author does not attach much importance to the description of his appearance, pointing out that he had a birthmark on his cheek, he was slanted in one eye and had a receding hairline. The skill and skill of Lefty were more important - this is what the author paid attention to. He does not feel like someone significant; when the British offer to stay with them, he refuses. This is caused not so much by love for the homeland, but by disbelief in a better life.
An analysis of the story “Lefty” by N. S. Leskov would not be complete without the image of the main character, so let’s look at his characteristics in more detail. A person so downtrodden that the thought of somehow resisting circumstances does not occur to him, Lefty dies an absurd death. Here the author contrasts Lefty with the English skipper. He was immediately taken to the British embassy, surrounded by care. The author emphasizes how indifferent people in the country to which Lefty returned are human life. In fact, a rare craftsman has died, and no one cares. There is a lot of comedy in the description of this character. For example, the master used his squint and left-handedness to good effect - he could do the finest work that could not be seen with the naked eye.
Other heroes
Let’s continue the analysis of Leskov’s “Lefty” by introducing us to other characters in the work. The main characters of “Lefty” are the emperors Alexander and Nicholas, the Cossack ataman Platov and the Russian craftsman Lefty. Alexander Pavlovich is a big fan of Western culture and technology. He admired the works of Western craftsmen, and they invariably pleased him. Having visited England and seen a miracle flea there, he immediately bought it and brought it to St. Petersburg. Patriot Platov said that ours can do just as well. But Alexander, being a shrewd politician, still refrains from showing the work of Russian artisans in England.
Nikolai Pavlovich is the brother of Emperor Alexander and his complete opposite. He is inquisitive and patriotic. If Alexander was sure that Western craftsmen were the best, then Nikolai had no doubt that no one could surpass Russian masters. Having seen the flea and listened to Platov’s explanations, he was not slow in finding masters who could surpass the British. Soon the craftsmen showed their work, the emperor was very upset when he did not see anything unusual. But, looking through the microscope, I saw that the flea was savvy. And he immediately sent Lefty with the curiosity to England to demonstrate Russian skill.
Accompanied the Emperor during his trip to England. Platov was distinguished by his love for everything Russian; he did not understand Alexander’s enthusiasm and exposed the treachery of foreigners. When the British boasted about their weapons, he unscrewed the lock and showed them the inscription that it was made by Russian craftsmen, and sincerely rejoiced at the frustration of the British. But not everything was smooth in Platov’s character - he was cruel to those who depended on him and treated them with contempt.
History of writing
If you analyze Leskov’s work “Lefty” according to plan, you should start with the date and history of writing. The tale of Lefty was first published in 1881 in the magazine “Rus”. In a separate edition, the author made amendments that enhance the severity of the story, emphasizing the arbitrariness of the authorities and the ignorance of the common people. Leskov initially excluded the preface from the collected works; the introduction to the story first appeared in the 1894 edition. Until this time, the reader was given the opportunity to taste all the charm of a story told by a fictional character. By removing the preface, the author wants to puzzle the reader and becomes the narrator’s crafty companion, and in last chapter replaces him.
In “Lefty” Leskov’s innovation was once again demonstrated: he does not use the word “fairy tale”, since it does not correspond to the writer’s intentions. After all, there are no fantastic characters here, real ones are mentioned here historical figures- Emperors Alexander and Nicholas, Empress Elizabeth, Cossack ataman Platov. The clarification of “legend” allows us to better understand the author’s intention - to look at history through the eyes of a person from the people, in in this case- gunsmith. Leskov once again emphasizes the ability of the people to compose legends and myths based on real events.
Means of expression
Continuing the analysis of “Lefty” Leskov, let us dwell on artistic means which the author used in his work. A play was filmed based on Leskov’s story, and there is a ballet version of “Lefty.” But the tragic component of the tale is missing here. The narrator in “Lefty” gives free rein to his imagination and wordplay to further excite his listeners. Hyperbole is used as one of the techniques to convey the comic component - the colorful chieftain Platov snores so much that not a single Englishman in the house can sleep. An English flea made of pure steel dances a country dance and cannot be seen with the naked eye.
In literature lessons in the 6th grade, enough time is devoted to the analysis of Leskov’s work “Lefty”. They study in detail the character and actions of the characters, the author's intention, and the means of expression used by the author. Let's look at them in more detail. An example of the use of hyperbole is Platov’s return from the Don to Tula: a description of the impatience of the Cossack chieftain and the work of the Tula craftsmen who shoed the flea and wrote their name on the horseshoe. The writer's play with language in this story goes much further than in other works - it is a celebration of neologisms and baroque phrases. As A. Volynsky noted: “The whole tale seems to be a set of clownish expressions.”
Leskov uses many techniques here, including combinations of two words that sound the same but have different meanings. This technique is based on the tendency of the common people to remake unfamiliar or foreign words so that it is clear. In addition, in “Lefty” there are verbal absurdities: “gags” are socks, “wind cap” is a hood from the wind. The story is dominated by colloquial expressions, strange phrases, and dialecticisms.
The main idea of the work
After this story, critics attacked Leskov, saying that he, in the person of the Tula gunsmith, belittled the Russian people. And only “Bulletin of Europe” understood the main theme and conflict in the tale “Lefty”, as well as the writer’s intention. Leskov portrayed the Russian people, who reject European recipes, and at the same time look limited and dependent on social conditions. It must be admitted that “Lefty” is replete with ironic remarks worthy of attention. When the tsar and his ataman travel across Europe, Platov distracts his attention in every possible way - it’s no worse with us. The chieftain does not want to speak French: “I considered all French conversations to be trifles.” While the British demonstrate their weapons, he says that his fellows won without it.
“Lefty” through the eyes of the author
Of course, the chieftain is a comedic character, and his common sense smacks of limitations. He treats his messengers cruelly. He treats Lefty inhumanely in the episode with the “nymphosoria” and the king’s daughter. When the half-skipper asks him to help, he refuses to do anything for the English master. Without a doubt, the story "Lefty" proves Russian superiority. Lefty says that Orthodox faith the most correct one, because “our books are thicker than yours.” The author's mockery of nationalism is visible throughout the work; people obsessed with it are unable to see the true value of things. But Leskov wanted to good-naturedly ridicule the bragging of the Russian people, their inability to recognize the value of what was done on the other side.
Continuing the analysis of Leskov’s “Lefty”, it is impossible not to dwell on the opinion of critics. In the years Soviet power critics did not fail to emphasize the bitter satire in the story of Lefty. His end is tragic - the flourishing of folk talent is impossible in Russia. The author portrays both kings as comedic characters. Alexander tries to please the British in everything and looks at Russian life superficially. Nicholas does not trust foreigners, but succumbs to the flattery and cunning of the courtiers, who hide the death of Lefty from him. The dying Lefty asked him to tell the king not to clean his guns with crushed bricks, but no one listened to him. The Tsar did not know anything, and the Crimean campaign was lost.
True reality
People's life I wouldn’t call it gratifying either. Platov treats the Cossacks cruelly and commits arbitrariness with impunity. He beats up Lefty and gets off with an apology. Lefty was thrown in front of the police station, he lay in the cold for a long time, then he was taken half-naked from hospital to hospital and finally brought to a hospital for the poor. The author shows in what ignorance the people vegetate, they are captive of their prejudices and customs. Leskov wrote that he initially wanted to portray Lefty as a symbol of the Russian people with all its shortcomings and advantages: intelligence and ingenuity.
Concluding the analysis of Leskov’s “Lefty”, let’s summarize - did the author succeed in realizing his plan? Was the reader able to understand it? Probably yes. Many amazing things were created by illiterate people, not knowing arithmetic, only the Psalter and the Dream Book. Lefty is like a bird that flew too close to the sun and scorched its wings. And the Russian people are unable to use their talents not only because of ignorance, but also because they are possessed by a sense of superiority. And common sense and prudence are Western concepts. In “Lefty,” the author says that Russian people have two tenacious habits that are ingrained in their blood: drunkenness and fanfare.
“The Tale of the Left-Hander” cannot be called either a pamphlet against the Russian people, or an openly nationalistic work. Leskov talentedly presented here a living and truthful image of reality.
