The composition “Characteristics of Lefty from the story of Leskov. "Lefty is a folk hero"
Performed by Evgeny Trubnikov,
student 9 "A" class
Lyceum №369
Scientific director
Epishova Svetlana Fedorovna,
teacher of Russian language and literature
Saint Petersburg 2011
Introduction
1. Russian national character
2. Description of Lefty
3. Russian national character of Lefty, the hero of the tale by N.S. Leskov
Conclusion
Bibliography
Introduction
Mysterious Russian soul... She, the subject of admiration and curses, Sometimes squeezes a man's fist, Crushing concrete obstacles. And then it suddenly becomes thinner than a petal, More transparent than an autumn cobweb. And then it flies, like on the first day of Putin's Desperate mountain river.(E. Dolmatovsky)
There is such a thing as the Russian national character. Times are changing, tsars, leaders, presidents are changing, our country itself is changing, 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 reveal this topic in my work, I chose the work of N.S. Leskov “Lefty”, because he, using the form of a tale, tells us the story of a man who personifies all Russian people. " Where "left-handed" stands, it is necessary to read "Russian people" - Leskov himself said.
“Skaz is a type of literary and artistic narrative constructed as a story of a person whose position and speech manner are different from the point of view and style of the author himself. The clash and interaction of these semantic and speech positions underlies the artistic effect of a tale”*. A tale implies a narration in the first person, and the narrator's speech must be measured, melodious, sustained in a manner characteristic of a given person. There is no narrator as such “Lefty”, but for other points the work may well be called a tale. The “reprimand” of the author creates the impression that the story is being told by some kind of village dweller, simple, but at the same time (judging by the reasoning) educated and wise. With fairy tales, “Lefty” has a subtext in common, because often they contain an unobtrusive, often good-natured and condescending mockery of “those in power”.
1. Russian national character
Among all the features inherent in the Russian national character, there are some that, in my opinion, are the main ones: hard work and talent, willpower and kindness, patience and fortitude, courage and courage, love of freedom and patriotism, religiosity. I considered it necessary to quote the statements of some foreigners who touched on the topics of the Russian national character, because they see us from the outside and evaluate us without prejudice.
· Hard work, talent.
“Russian people have many talents and abilities in almost all areas of public life. He is characterized by observation, theoretical and practical mind, natural ingenuity, ingenuity, creativity. The Russian people are a great worker, builder and creator.” The quick-witted practical mind of a Russian person is a source of diverse experience and various abilities. Hence - the rich development of the spirit and the abundance of talents. The giftedness of the Russian man manifested itself in the very successful development of science and technical inventions, and the love of beauty and the gift of creative imagination contribute to the high development of Russian art.
· love of freedom
“For the Russian people, freedom is above all.
The word “will”, understood as independence, is closer to the Russian heart,
freedom in the manifestation of feelings and in the performance of actions, and not freedom as a conscious necessity, that is, as a possibility for a person to manifest 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 goodness and willpower, include love for freedom and its highest expression - freedom of the spirit. He who has the freedom of the spirit is inclined to put every value to the test, not only by thought, but even by experience. This property is associated with the search for absolute goodness. In the real world, it does not exist, therefore, each person makes for himself an independent choice of the best way of action, his own path.
Freedom of spirit, breadth of nature, the search for the perfect good, and the testing of values by thought and experience connected with this, led the Russian people to develop the most diverse, and sometimes even opposite, forms and methods. The search for absolute goodness has developed among the Russian people a recognition of the high value of each individual.
The Russian people had to endure many trials in their difficult history, and in each of them they showed courage and courage. Among the primary basic properties of the Russian people is a mighty willpower. The higher the value, the stronger feelings and energetic activity it causes in people with a strong will. From this one can understand 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. Lossky, is also revealed in the fact that a Russian person, having noticed any of his shortcomings and morally condemning him, obeying a sense of duty, overcomes him and develops a quality that is completely opposite to him.
· Kindness
Often Russian people help those whom they should have hated with all their hearts, with whom they, in theory, cannot develop respectable relations. For example, the Austrian German Otto Berger, who was a prisoner in Russia in 1944-1949, wrote in his book that while living in Russia, the prisoners understood “What a special Russian people. All workers, and especially women, treated us as unfortunate people in need of help and protection. Sometimes women took away our clothes, our underwear and returned it all ironed, washed, mended. The most surprising thing was that the Russians themselves lived in monstrous poverty, which should have killed in them the 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 its layers is expressed in the absence of vindictiveness. “Often a Russian person, being passionate and prone to maximalism, experiences a strong feeling of repulsion from another person, however, when meeting with him, if specific communication is necessary, his heart softens and he somehow involuntarily begins to show his spiritual softness towards him, even sometimes condemning himself for it, if he believes that the person in question does not deserve to be treated 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, protect the honor of the Motherland, they united and together repulsed the enemy or simply did not allow ridicule over it.
· Patience and perseverance
“Russians have boundless patience, an amazing ability to endure hardships, hardships and suffering. In Russian culture, patience and the ability to endure suffering is the ability to exist, the ability to respond to external circumstances, this is the basis of personality ”*
· Religiosity
Religiosity is that feature of the Russian national character, which 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 have developed precisely thanks to her. In his book The Character of the Russian People, the Russian philosopher N.O. Lossky considers his religiosity and the search for absolute truth associated with it to be the main and most profound feature of the Russian people. “Russians can talk about religion for six hours straight. The Russian idea is a Christian idea; in the foreground in it is love for the suffering, pity, attention to the individual personality ... ”- writes N.O. Lossky in his book.
2. Description of Lefty
Distinctive properties of N.S. Leskov - fairy tale motifs, the interweaving of the comic and the tragic, the ambiguity of the author's assessments of the characters - were fully manifested in one of the most famous works of the writer "Lefty".
Introducing us to the main character, the author does not demonstrate his attractiveness, just a few details: “ oblique left-handed, a birthmark on the cheek, and the hairs on the temples were torn out during the exercise. However, Lefty is a skilled Tula artisan, one of those Tula gunsmiths who managed to shoe the English “nymphosoria” and, thereby, surpass the English masters.
When meeting with the king himself, Lefty is not afraid, but “ he walks in what he was: in shawls, one leg is in a boot, the other is dangling, and the ozyamchik is old, the hooks do not fasten, they are lost, and the collar is torn; but nothing, do not be embarrassed". The left-hander, an unsightly little man, is not afraid to go to the sovereign, as he is confident in his rightness, 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 bypassed the British in terms of skill: they shod a steel flea and wrote their names on the horseshoes. This is such a miniature work that you can see the result in a “melkoskop”, which magnifies several hundred times, and the craftsmen, due to poverty, did all the delicate work without a “milkoscope”, because they “have shot their eyes like that”. However, Lefty's name was not on the horseshoes, as he considered himself unworthy of it. In his opinion, he did nothing special, because he worked with parts less than horseshoes: he forged carnations 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 is on the road “ at each station, the belts were still tightened by one badge so that the intestines and lungs would not get mixed up”) to show Russian ingenuity and skill to foreigners, and earns the respect of the British by his unwillingness to stay in their country.
The skill and ability of Lefty caused well-deserved respect among the British, but, unfortunately, he was deprived of the technical knowledge available to English masters, and, as a result, the “nymphosoria”, savvy to Lefty and his comrades, can no longer dance: “ It's a pity- regret the British, - it would be better if you knew at least four rules of addition from arithmetic, then it would be much more useful for you than the entire Half Dream Book. Then you could realize that in every machine there is a force calculation; otherwise you are very skillful in your hands, and you didn’t realize that such a small machine, as in a nymphosoria, is designed for the most accurate accuracy and cannot carry its horseshoes. Through this, now the nymphosoria does not jump and the dance 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 the state power - the reason for Russia's disorder, according to the author.
From the whole story it becomes obvious that Leskov sympathizes with Lefty, pities him, the author's comments are filled with bitterness. The image of Lefty reflected Leskov's search for a positive national hero, and, in my opinion, this image is very close to the goal.
3. Russian national character of Lefty, the hero of the tale by N.S. Leskov
Leskov does not give a name to his hero, thereby emphasizing the collective meaning and significance of his character. The main features of the Russian national character are collected in the image of Lefty.
· Religiosity
The religiosity of the Russian people is manifested in the episode when the Tula masters, including Lefty, before starting work, went to bow to the icon of “Mtsensk Nikola” - 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, - that our Russian faith is the most correct, and as our right-wingers believed, descendants should also believe in the same way.
· Willpower, courage and courage
Left-hander, among three gunsmiths, worked hard on an outlandish flea for two weeks. All this time they were locked up, keeping their work secret. It is here that the strength of the spirit is manifested, since I had to work in difficult conditions: with closed windows and doors, without rest, so that during work I would never get out of their “close mansion”, in which “ from restless work in the air, such a sweaty spiral became that an unaccustomed person could not breathe even once from a fresh fad.
· Patience and perseverance
Many times Lefty shows patience and steadfastness: and when Platov “ caught the left-hander by the hair and began to ruffle back and forth so that shreds flew ”, and when Lefty, sailing home from England, despite the bad weather, sits on the deck to see his homeland as soon as possible:
“As soon as they left the buffet in the Solid Earth Sea, so his desire for Russia became such that it could not be calmed in any way. The water supply has become terrible, but the left-hander doesn’t go down to the cabins - he sits under a present, puts on his hood and looks to the fatherland. Many times the English came to a warm place to call him down, but he, so as not to be bothered, even began to kick off.
· Patriotism
While in England, Lefty rejects the lucrative offers of the British: to settle in London, learn science, visit factories in practice, get a prestigious job, get married, start a family. (“ Stay with us, we will give you a great education, and you will become an amazing master”, “The British called themselves to send money to his parents”, “we will marry you”), because he loves his Motherland, loves its customs, its traditions. The left-hander cannot imagine his life outside of Russia. “ We, - he says, - are committed to our homeland, and my aunt is already an old man, and my parent is an old woman and used to going to church in her parish, ”and I want to return to my native place, because otherwise I might be a kind of insanity get."
The left-hander 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 at the hour of his death, he remembers that he must tell the military secret of the British, ignorance of which negatively affects the combat capability of the Russian army.
· Kindness
Despite his strong attachment to the Motherland, Lefty refuses the British request to stay very politely, trying not to offend them. He does it in such a way that his refusal not only does not upset the British, but even earns their respect. And he forgives Ataman Platov for his rough treatment of himself. “Even though he has an Ovechkin coat, he still has the soul of a man,” says the “English 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 people. Talent, according to Leskov, cannot exist independently, it must necessarily be based on the moral, spiritual strength of a person. The plot itself, the very history of this tale tells how Lefty, together with his comrades, was able to “surpass” the English masters without any acquired knowledge, only thanks to talent and diligence. Extraordinary, wonderful craftsmanship is the main property of the Lefty. He wiped the nose of the "English craftsmen", shod a flea with such small nails that even the strongest "melkoskop" could not be seen. In the image of Lefty, Leskov proved that the opinion put into the mouth of Emperor Alexander Pavlovich was wrong: foreigners “have such natures of perfection that, as you look, you will no longer argue that we Russians are no good with our significance.”
Lefty's own name, like the names of many of the greatest geniuses, is forever lost to posterity, but his adventures can serve as a memory of an era whose general spirit is captured accurately and truly. The image of Lefty, according to the writer, recalls those times when “inequality of talents and gifts” mattered, and makes us sadly look at the present, when, “favoring the rise of earnings, machines do not favor artistic prowess, which sometimes exceeded the measure, inspiring the people.” fantasy to compose such fabulous legends as the present.
Conclusion
In this work, we examined the Russian national character on the example of the work of N.S. Leskov “Lefty”. Analyzing this work, finding signs of the Russian national character in its protagonist, we found that “Levsha” is a work in which Leskov, an unsurpassed master of the tale, masterfully singled out the main features of the Russian national character and showed them on the example of his heroes, especially Levsha . The author, in order to do this, uses various linguistic means of expression, such as the use of “folk” words (“nymphosoria” - infusoria, “bite” - couch, etc.). This gives “Lefty” a special “charm”.
Lefty is a symbol of the Russian people. The left-hander personifies the Russian people, he is religious, patriotic, hardworking, kind and freedom-loving. Leskov presents a truly great man: a talented master, with a broad soul, a warm loving heart, with deep patriotic feelings.
Thus, at the end of this work, it should be said that the Russian national character, of course, has its own characteristic features that are different from those inherent in other peoples and are so incomprehensible to them. That inner strength, spirituality and sacrifice of the people, their kindness, spiritual simplicity, compassion and selflessness, and, at the same time, inertness, illogicality and irrationality of actions, behavior, most often justified only by intuition, all this makes the Russian people unlike any other people. in the world. Russia, in which such an extraordinary people lives, is unlike any other country in the world.
product left-handed Russian national character
Bibliography
1. Leskov N.S. Lefty. - Astrel, AST, 2006
2. Vyunov Yu.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. "Great Soviet Encyclopedia". M, Soviet encyclopedia, 1970.
6. Lossky N. O. About the Russian character. M., 1990.
"Lefty" N.S. Leskov is a very special work of Russian literature. It was it that became the first in a series of works about Russian masters, craftsmen and artists from the people. Here we can recall the "Dumb Artist" of the same Leskov, and the "Inexhaustible Chalice" by I.S. Shmelev, and the tales of P.L. Bazhov.
But none of them contain that amazing fusion of admiration for the talent of an ordinary person, pain for his fate and pain for the Fatherland: after all, the main character Leskov is not just a virtuoso of "metal work", he is faithfully devoted to his "Fatherland", until the last minute of his life he thinks before everything about him and in any circumstances remains a Russian person.
The left-hander is the beacon that every young person in our Fatherland needs today. The lessons devoted to this work not only bring up patriotism, love and respect for one's people, but also develop state thinking.
Two lessons are given to study the work: in the first, we give a general idea of the story "Lefty", talk about its background, introduce the concept of a tale, determine the main storylines and analyze those related to state power; the second lesson is completely devoted to the Tula masters and the main character Lefty.
We begin the first lesson with an introduction to the introductory article of the textbook about N.S. Leskov, and then supplement it with a message about the background of the story.
The idea of "Levsha (The Tale of the Tula Oblique Left-hander and the Steel Bpokha)" came from Leskov by 1878.
According to the testimony of his son, A.N. Leskov, his father spent the summer of this year in Sestroretsk, in the house of a gunsmith. Leskov, who was acquainted with the assistant to the head of the local arms factory, Colonel N.E. Bolonin, discussed with him a joke about how “the British made a flea out of steel, and our Tula people shoed it and sent it back to them.” Never knowing 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.
Today, none of the historians doubts that Lefty is a Tula character. Leskov uses many local names (for example, he mentions Moscow and Kiev outposts, an armory settlement in Zarechye, etc.)
Usually sixth-graders like the entertaining plot of "Lefty", its main character is a skilled craftsman, they rejoice at the victory of Russian skill over foreign; attracted by their unusual language of the story, in which there are many unexpected funny words.
double (carriage) - double;
melkoscope - microscope;
buremeter - barometer;
impermeable - waterproof raincoat;
ceramide - pyramid;
prelamut - mother of pearl;
couch - couch;
nymphosoria - ciliates;
whistling - news;
the hardland sea - the mediterranean sea;
multiplication table - multiplication table.
These words recreate the living folk speech, convey its features. On the one hand, they testify to the ignorance of people from the people, but on the other hand, their accuracy and wit help to replace difficult-to-pronounce words and expressions, the meaning of which they understand well, with their own, more understandable, accurate and expressive. Why are only a melkoscope, a buremeter, a multiplication dolbit!
This is where the time comes to introduce students to the concept of a tale. A tale is a type of literary and artistic narration that imitates the style of folklore works, their specific intonation and lively folk speech in general.
- And what folklore works does "Lefty" imitate? Justify your answer.
To help students, the necessary literary concepts are displayed on an interactive map.
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.
The legend tells about real people and events that took place in the past. Legend (from lat. / egenda - reading, readable) - one of the varieties of fairy tale
prose folklore. A written tradition about some historical events or personalities.
A folk tale is an oral fantastic story about fictitious events in the folklore of different peoples.
The guys find in the story there were signs (bygone times): the focus of attention in the story is an unusual case, how the Tula people shod a flea, and its main character is a simple man. From the legend in the work - participation in the events of real historical persons (Russian emperors Alexander the First and Nicholas the First, Cossack Platov), references to specific historical events (Patriotic War of 1812, the Congress of Vienna), real geographical names (Tula, St. Petersburg, London, Mtsensk , Vienna).
It is close to the legend by the story of the unsurpassed skill of the Tula masters, which statesmen need to glorify. It is noteworthy that Leskov himself, in the preface to the second edition of the story, called it in the subtitle "a workshop legend", arguing that he "recorded this legend in Sestroretsk from the words of an old gunsmith, a native of Tula" and that it "expresses the pride of Russian gunsmiths."
Well, the story is close to the fairy tale with wonderful events associated with the main character, who in some ways resembles Ivanushka the Fool, unsightly in appearance, but in fact the most talented and savvy. All these features are compressed in the "Lefty".
- When does it take place?
After the victorious end of the Patriotic War of 1812, namely in 1814.
- What places is this action connected with? (These are the cities of Tula, St. Petersburg, London).
- Which of the cities is the most important in the tale? Why? What is the semantic meaning
each of the cities?
Petersburg is the capital of what was then Russia, London is the capital of England, each of these cities embodies state power, and London also claims to be the capital of civilization. Tula in the story is the semantic center, because it is from there that unsurpassed craftsmen and craftsmen come from, it is here that the labor glory of the Russian people is forged, but this glory depends not only on folk talents, but also on the attitude of state power towards the artisan people.
Let's see how the relationship of talented craftsmen with those who personify power develops.
In the story we have two Russian emperors - Alexander the First and Nicholas the First.
“Which of the two emperors knows and appreciates his people better?”
Of course, Nikolai Pavlovich.
Next to the emperors, the legendary Matvey Ivanovich Platov, ataman of the Don Cossack army (since 1801), cavalry general (1809), who took part in all the wars of the Russian Empire in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, was a hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. After graduation, he, together with Alexander Pavlovich, went to London.
- Why did Platov not like the behavior of the emperor abroad?
He did not approve of his sovereign’s admiration for everything foreign: “And as soon as Platov notices that the sovereign is very interested in something foreign, then all the escorts are silent, and Platov will now say: so and so, and we have our own house no worse, - and bring something back."
What is he proud of?
First of all, the military victories of the Russian army: “My Don people, well done, without all this, they fought for twelve languages.” And also - the talents of Russian masters: "the sovereign thought so that the British had no equal in art, and Platov argued that ours would look at what they could do, but only they had no useful teaching." Explain the last sentence.
Platov means that there are many talents in Russia, but Russian masters lack education.
- What do you think, which of them - Alexander Pavlovich or Ataman Platov - behaves correctly? Who really cares about national, state interests?
Reasoning sixth graders are very interesting. Some say that the emperor is doing the right thing, as he is interested in good relations with England, so he should be a diplomat. “Please don’t spoil politics for me,” he says to Platov and blames him: “Why did you embarrass them very much, I feel very sorry for them now.” But most children believe that Platov has the right line of conduct, because he prefers Russian to everything foreign. That's why he's a patriot...
Let's correct this one-sided concept of teenagers about patriotism. We will invite students to think about whether it is good to elevate their people above others, not to be interested in the achievements of others, knowingly believing that “we are better anyway”, will this benefit the people and the Fatherland?
On reflection, the sixth graders say that a golden mean is needed: respect for other countries and peoples, borrowing the best from them and love for one's own people, faith in it, respect for it - only on this basis can success be achieved.
Platov seems to be proud of his people, but this is abroad. And how does he treat him at home? What is it expressed in? Platov does not trust the Tula craftsmen, he is afraid that they may appropriate the diamond nut, treats them rudely, even dissolves his hands. But he, like the emperor, saw the heroism of the people in the war, was proud of the victories, but here he seems to forget that these are all the same people. Is it possible to treat those on whom everything rests in this way?
Of course no. A people capable of sacrificing itself for the sake of the Fatherland deserves respect, and its skilled craftsmen and workers deserve reverence.
As you can see, although Platov reproached Emperor Alexander for worshiping foreigners and belittling his own people, he himself did not go far from him. Yes, and Emperor Nicholas is not consistent enough in relation to his people. He remembers him when he needs to establish the prestige of the state, to prove its superiority over others - this is where the Tula masters were needed. But when the task is completed, the talented master is forgotten, and no one is interested in his fate.
We turn to the main theme of the work - the fate of a talented person in Russia.
- Why did the emperor and Platov turn to the Tula people?
Tula was famous throughout Russia for its craftsmen. "Tulyaks, smart people and knowledgeable in metal business ..."
- Remember with what words they answered Platov's request. How do these words characterize them?
“We, father, feel the gracious word of the sovereign and we can never forget it because he hopes for his people, but how we should be in the present case, we cannot say in one minute, because the English nation is also not stupid, but rather cunning, and art in it with great meaning. Against it, they say, it is necessary to take it with thought and with God's blessing.
According to these words, it is clear that they are people of faith, responsible, understand the importance of the task assigned to them, honor the sovereign, respect the achievements of the British, and therefore are in no hurry to answer.
- What and why did the masters do before they got down to business? Why do they go to Nicholas the Wonderworker for help?
Precisely because the masters are accustomed to being responsible for their words and work, they understand the complexity of the task - to surpass the English masters in order to assert the significance of Russia, they first of all go to bow to Nicholas the Wonderworker: "Saint Nicholas is generally the patron of trade and military affairs, and" Mtsensk Nikola " in particular, and it was to him that the Tula people went to bow.
They served a prayer service at the very icon, then at the stone cross, and finally returned home “at night” and, without telling anyone anything, set to work in a terrible secret. All three of them came together in one house to Levsha, locked the doors, closed the shutters in the windows, lit the icon lamp in front of Nikolai’s image and began to work.
They count on the help of the Wonderworker (by the way, one of the most revered saints in Russia), they understand that without God's help, which they hope to receive through the prayers of Nikolai Ugodnik, they cannot solve a difficult task, therefore they work under his image, and he seems to next to them, inspires and supports them.
They completely immersed themselves in their work, gave themselves up to it, shutting themselves off from the outside world: “For a day, two, three, they sit and do not go anywhere, they all tap with hammers. They forge something like that, but what they forge is unknown.
Everyone is curious, but no one can find out anything, because the workers do not say anything and do not show themselves outside. Different people went to the house, knocked on the doors under different forms to ask for fire or salt, but the three artisans do not open up to any demand, and it is not even known what they eat. They tried to scare them, as if a house was on fire in the neighborhood, - would they jump out in a fright and then show up what they had forged, but nothing took these cunning craftsmen; once only Lefty leaned up to his shoulders and shouted:
- Burn yourself, but we have no time, - and again he hid his plucked head, slammed the shutter, and set to work. Only through small cracks it was possible to see how the light glistens inside the house, and you can hear that thin hammers are pounding on ringing anvils.
Nothing can stop them from doing what they love. And the masters did something incredible: they shod a flea!
"The Emperor asked:
“Where is your melkoscope with which you could produce this surprise?”
Lefty 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.”
Here it is - virtuoso skill: without a small scope, forge tiny horseshoes, write names on them and nail fleas to the paws with miniature carnations! And Lefty forged these miniature carnations!
Why do you think Leskov made the most skilled craftsman left-handed? Yes, even
and oblique?
It is incredibly difficult to perform jewelry miniature work with the right hand, but with the left? .. The left is hard to imagine! By making the most skilled craftsman oblique left-handed, the writer wanted to emphasize his virtuosity: this is what a Russian craftsman is capable of, even with physical disabilities ...
Why didn't Leskov give this hero his own name?
This question causes difficulty for children, they sometimes put forward the most ridiculous assumptions. Let's help them figure it out.
– Think about it: the author made the most remarkable master a slanting left-hander in order to glorify the art of Russian masters, but in addition, for some reason, he did not give him a name. What did he mean by this? When does a person's name remain in history and in the memory of the people?
(When he did something outstanding, special.) Then, it turns out that Lefty did nothing special? (No, he did, but there are a lot of masters like Lefty in Russia, which is why the skilled craftsman has no name ...)
Why was Lefty sent abroad?
- He had to personally present the work of Russian craftsmen. “The Sovereign immediately ordered this savvy nymphosoria to be laid down and sent back to England - like a gift, so that they would understand that this was not surprising to us. And the sovereign ordered that a special courier, who was learned in all languages, carried the flea, and that Lefty was with him and that he himself could show the British the work and what kind of masters we have in Tula.
- Has anyone thought about the desires and further fate of Lefty?
No, he was not asked if he wanted to go, if he had his own plans. They collected it so hastily that they did not even give him any “tugameng” (document), which later became the cause of the tragedy of Lefty.
- Compare Lefty's behavior abroad with the behavior of the emperor and Platov. Which of them would you call a true patriot? Why?
Left-handed, as in his time to Emperor Alexander, they show all the achievements of science and technology: “he watched all their production: metal factories, and soap mills, and all their economic arrangements he really liked, especially about the working content. But most of all, of course, he was interested in weapons. “He was not so interested in how new guns were made, but in what form the old ones were. Everything goes around and praises, and says:
- This is what we can do.
And as soon as he gets to the old gun, he puts his finger in the muzzle, moves along the walls and sighs: “This,” he says, “is unlike ours, the most excellent.”
As you can see, he knows how to see both advantages and disadvantages and measure them with himself and his country, unlike Alexander Pavlovich, who only admired the British, and from Platov, who did not want to see other people's achievements and boasted exclusively of his own. The left-hander appears before us as a real patriot.
Why did the English like Lefty so much?
They immediately appreciated his talent, modesty, self-esteem, curiosity. They liked the master so much that they began to persuade him to stay in England, which Lefty flatly refused: “We didn’t get into the sciences, but only faithfully devoted to our fatherland.
And the English say to him:
- Stay with us, we will give you a great education, and you will become an amazing master. But Lefty did not agree to this.
“I have,” he says, “I have parents at home.
The British called themselves to send money to his parents, but Lefty did not take it.
“We,” he says, “are committed to our homeland, and my aunt is already an old man, and my parent is an old woman and used to going to church in her parish, and it will be very boring for me here alone, because I’m still in the bachelor rank. “You,” they say, “get used to it, accept our law, and we will marry you.”
“That,” Lefty replied, “can never be.
- Why is that?
“Because,” he answers, “our Russian faith is the most correct, and as they believed
our right-wingers, the descendants must also believe in the same way.
- How did Lefty explain his refusal of the tempting offers of the British?
He is “committed to his homeland”, he has parents there, he is faithful to the traditions and customs of the Fatherland, the Russian faith and will not exchange them for anything. Therefore, with all the blessings, he is sad in a foreign land.
When did he especially hurry home?
When Lefty realized that the British do not clean their guns with bricks, and therefore the guns are good even in a worn condition, which means that England can fight well even with old weapons. And he hurried home to inform the statesmen of this secret, important for the defense and security of the country, and even, being already on his way home, he could not sit in the cabin and kept looking out for his native Russian land:
“... his desire for Russia became such that it was impossible to calm him down. The water supply has become terrible, but Lefty does not go down to the cabins - he sits under a present, pulls his hood and looks to the fatherland, "Hurry up to tell the secret of national importance! And here it is, the native Fatherland ... How did they meet a person who aspired to him with all his heart, who glorified him with his skill? What does it make you think about?
No one expected him, he was long forgotten. Moreover, not a single hospital accepts a sick master: “they brought him to one hospital - they don’t accept him without a tugament, they brought him to another - and they don’t accept him there, and so on to the third, and the fourth - until the morning he was dragged along all the remote crooked paths and everything was transplanted, so he was beaten all over.
Then one assistant doctor told the policeman to take him to the common people's Obukhvinsk hospital, where everyone of an unknown class is accepted to die. Then they ordered to give a receipt, and put Lefty on the floor in the corridor before disassembly, "It turns out that his homeland does not need him. We used his skill at the right time, and then forgot it as unnecessary.
Is it so? Or maybe it's still needed? Then to whom? And to whom, it turns out, he is indifferent?
First of all, he is indifferent to the state, which resorts to the help of the people in difficult times (as, for example, in war) or when it needs to somehow raise its prestige (as in the case of Lefty), but as soon as the need for this help disappears, so the people or an individual representative of it fades into the background and no one cares about it. But the people themselves always remember their heroes, masters, the righteous and compose songs, epics, legends about them. It is the people that are the main embodiment of their homeland, it is not without reason that the words homeland and people are of the same root ... Therefore, he remembers the nameless oblique Lefty, who glorified the skill of the Russian people. The people and the Fatherland will always need him.
- What did Lefty remember until his last minute, what did he worry about? How does this characterize him?
The left-hander only thought about how to convey to the sovereign the main secret that he learned in England: “Tell the sovereign that the British don’t clean their guns with bricks: even if they don’t clean ours, otherwise, God forbid, they are not good for shooting ". That is, until his last breath, he was "committed to the Fatherland" and took care of its welfare.
- And how did they react to the words of Lefty, which he nevertheless tried to convey to the authorities
doctor, statesmen?
“Martyn-Solsky immediately went, reported this to Count Chernyshev in order to bring it to the sovereign, and Count Chernyshev shouted at him:
“Know,” he says, “your emetic and laxative, and don’t interfere in your own business: in Russia there are generals for this. The sovereign was never told, and the purge continued until the very Crimean campaign. At that time, they began to load guns, and the bullets dangle in them, because the barrels were cleared with bricks.
Here Martyn-Solsky reminded Chernyshev of Lefty, and Count Chernyshev said:
“Go to hell, placid pipe, don’t interfere in your own business, otherwise I’ll admit that I never heard about this from you, and you’ll get it.”
- Why didn't the state officials listen to the words of the doctor, and, consequently, to the testament of Lefty? What were they worried about?
They were only worried about their position and did not at all care about the well-being of the state ... It was "thanks" to such officials that often talented people of Russia suffered and then died in poverty and obscurity, despite everything they did for the Fatherland. And Russia has always been rich in talents.
We end with a question:
- Why are monuments to him erected not only in Tula, but also in other cities?
Remarkable craftsmen live in all corners of Russia, and the people highly appreciate their art and their work. The monuments to the masters are our tribute to the talented, hardworking Russian people.
2 / 5. 2
Doesn't get to know us right away. For 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 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 one's state are the main traits of Lefty's character. 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 the Russian Empire during the reign of the 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 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 a better life in better 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. Lefty 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 in the tale are real, but are described from the point of view of a commoner. For example, General Platov is represented by a 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.
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 fabulous tales of a new addition”, which, by the definition of the writer himself, would be “pictures of folk art about emperors: Nicholas I, Alexander II and Alexander 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, criticism did not understand the artistic value of the story; 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 Levsha’s journey (in a letter to Aksakov in October 1881, Leskov said that “the best part is still at 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 creative tasks (associated with the approval of one hero and the debunking of others), and 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 past history, which tells about the three Tula masters and tells the story of Lefty (the reality of whose existence only the narrator knows), and a 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 of 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 Kashcheev’s hidden death: 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 in a neighborly way, 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. The simple Tula master Lefty is more concerned with 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 trust the Tula craftsmen, he demands that the English work is not spoiled and the diamond is not replaced. 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 an English house and left on the floor in the “common people’s” hospital Lefty is the antithesis that determines the unique attitude towards the individual on the part of the royal authorities. 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. A tale as a genre of oral prose implies a focus on oral speech, narration on behalf of a participant in an 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 artlessly 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, various types of neologisms, etc., then already in the sixth chapter (in the story about the Tula masters) the narrative 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. You can also notice 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 got caught and now they will drive him out of the palace, because they couldn’t stand him for courage” (end of chapter 12).
It is impossible not to note the use of various techniques that characterize 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”, “tubby”, 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 (.merblue cloaks - camel cloaks, etc.), the state of the heroes (waiting - waiting and agitation, an annoying couch on which Platov lay for many years, 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). The artistic originality of "Lefty" is due to the task of finding special forms of expression of the author's position in order to assert the strength of the national character.