Rats rarely cause sympathy in humans. Even in the form of fairy-tale heroes, they seem vile and nasty. And if the animal has such negative qualities as the Shushar rat, it does seem ugly at all. By the way, who knows the history of the name of the rodent?
About name
Readers will be surprised, but Alexei Tolstoy immortalized in the name of the rat one of the stations in the suburbs of St. Petersburg. The fact is that the future writer for a long time lived in a city called Detskoe Selo. Today it is the city of Pushkin, which is part of St. Petersburg. Not far from it was the Shushary station, the emphasis falls on the second letter. A barrier was regularly closed there, blocking a railway crossing. Tolstoy had to wait for his discovery for a long time and often, it was here that he had the idea to perpetuate the name of the station in the name of the rat Shushary. What is symbolic is the rodent's place of residence. She guarded the magic door in Papa Carlo’s closet, just like a barrier at a railway crossing.
About stress
A question that worries many readers is how to stress the name of an animal. If it falls on the letter "y", then not quite good associations arise. Shushera called small, insignificant people, punks and "sixes." The writer could hardly have condescended to give the rat a name in honor of insignificance.
As described above, Shushara got its name in honor of the railway station. And it is pronounced as "rat Shushar" - an emphasis on the letter "a".
About the fairy rat
Vile, with a long tail and shabby hair, the old rat is the guard of the magic door in Papa Carlo's closet. This animal has a deep meaning, because its name is associated with swamps, from ancient times known as places associated with darkness and horror.
The fact is that Shushary is translated as "near the swamps." And, symbolically, the fairy-tale rat, named after the station, is strictly vigilant so that Pinocchio remains in a dark cell, unable to get through the magic door, where his joy and bright future await.
The rodent constantly arranges troubles for the wooden boy, regularly tries to eat it or just scares in the presence of Papa Carlo.
Conclusion
Here it is - the Shushar rat from the fairy tale "The Adventures of Pinocchio." At first glance, a disgusting animal, trying to bend its line in relation to the main character. But it’s worth digging deeper, and the understanding comes that Shushara is far from an accidental character invented by Alexei Tolstoy. Behind him is more than the role of the nasty rodent.