A. P. Chekhov, "Horse surname": summary

The article provides a summary of Chekhov’s Horse Name. It also explains some of the details mentioned in the story for better understanding. Provides versions of the origin of the plot and data on the publication of the work.

Publications

This joke story was accepted for publication by the young Chekhov and was first published in Petersburg newspaper, No. 183 for 1885. In the subtitle was marked "scene", and the author was listed A. Chekhonte.

Later, a slightly modified version of the story was included in the collected works. The writer himself made several amendments: he replaced the colloquial “old-timer” in the words of the clerk with the neutral “happened”, “sichas” with “now”, added several variants of horse names, and also removed the name “Horses” from the text, which was invented by the governess.

Next, we move on to a brief summary of Chekhov’s short story “Horse surname”.

Plot

Major General Buldeev is suffering from toothache. The doctor suggested pulling out a tooth, but the tooth general is sorry. The improvised means cannot calm the pain. The clerk Ivan Evseich proposes to turn to the Saratov healer, such, as they say, a wizard, that by telegraph will help easily. Spit, whisper - and there is no pain. Only now a telegram with a request must be sent, and the clerk forgot his last name. His surname is supposedly simple, connected with a horse.

Further, throughout almost the entire story, many variants of surnames on the subject of “horses and everything about them” are sorted out: from Kopytin and Merinov to Troykin and Uzdechkin. In the "invention" of the surnames, the general's general household, including the nobleman, is involved. For the "found" surname, the unfortunate general even appoints a five-ruble prize, but the clerk says that all the proposed options are "not the same."

Denouement

The next morning, the tormented general, who could not sleep, the doctor still removes the tooth. The pain goes away. And then, finally, when the departing doctor tries to bargain with Ivan Evseich about the feed for his horse, he recalls: "Yes, Ovs is the name of that healer, Ovs!"

With this good news, he ran to the general. But he, in response to the words of the clerk, showed him two cookies at once:

“I don’t need your horse surname now!” Mowing!

Form and name

The content of Chekhov’s short story “Horse Name” does not need to be summarized, in general, because it is written as a joke. These are many of the stories of young Chekhov (“the era of Antosha Chekhonte,” as researchers later call this biography period). What does it mean? There are no descriptions and reasoning in the text, formally it really looks more like a scene - the main role in plot formation belongs to dialogs.

The popularity of the story was so great that its name became a steady expression. "Horse surname" - this is what they say about something or about someone whose name or name hangs on the tip of the tongue, spins, but it never comes to mind.

And even this phenomenon itself - spinning at the tip of the tongue - is known in psychology, and one of the researchers of the phenomenon (Bennett Schwartz) illustrated it in his work with the help of this story by Chekhov: a person cannot remember a word, but I'm sure that it is somehow connected with horses.

Characters

Major General Buldeev.

By the will of the author, an important person becomes a comic character. His surname is clearly consonant with the "bastard." The actions are absurd, although quite understandable - perhaps their inconsistency can be excused by the general’s bad tooth. He is convinced that conspiracies are deceit and swindle, but agrees to send a telegram asking for help to some healer, who can save him from the disease by telegraph. Captured by the general excitement of the "search" of the surname, he even appoints a prize for the find. But in the end, I have to agree to tooth extraction, since the sorcerer’s name is still not announced.

The entire content of Chekhov’s short story “Horse surname” is based on this dental trouble that happened to the general.

Prikazik Ivan Evseich.

Patronymic is shortened from full Yevseyevich to everyday, colloquial (similar options are Vasilich, Sanych, Sergeich, etc.), used "for their own." The character is very important for the plot, since only he holds "at the tip of the tongue" the name of this Saratov Ovsov, thus being a kind of conductor to the correct option. The comic climax is built on its sudden insight, which, although belatedly, still occurs.

Healer.

Thanks to Ivan Evseich, the missing character is quite fully characterized: he is a former tax official (excise), lives in Saratov with his mother-in-law, speaks his teeth in a first-class way, a vodka lover, a "curser" and a "miraculous lord". The latter characteristic, apparently, properly motivated the sick general to "search" for the correct version of the surname.

Doctor.

Actually missing from the story. All that is known about him is that he came to the general on a chaise and bargained with the clerk about oats (this is a turning point, and he is very important in the plot). Formally looping the plot, arriving at the beginning and at the end of the story with visits to the sick general.

Plot Origin Versions

As one of the main versions of the origin of the plot, the Taganrog funny incident, also known to Chekhov, was mentioned. He is about two inhabitants from Taganrog, very prominent and not poor gentlemen. And then they happened to somehow settle in one hotel. And in the furnished rooms at that time, before the entrance, on special boards, the names of the guests were written in chalk, so they were written down one after another: Kobylin and Stallions. Their surnames were like that. For a long time, they laughed at this almost anecdote in Taganrog.

Analyzing the possible origins of Chekhov’s short story “Horse Surname”, literary critics also give a folklore short story about a bird and a willow. This Ukrainian tale is mentioned in its works, in particular, the literary critic N.P. Andreev and fairy tale collector A.N. Afanasyev.

Chekhov’s knowledge of this story is confirmed by the recollection of one of the writer’s acquaintances, E.K. Sakharova-Markova, who later told how Chekhov let her read a draft version of this work. The surname in it was "bird". She, like in the final version, "spun in the tongue" of the character and never came to mind. The Petukhovs, Vorobyevs, Sinitsyns, Chizhovs got over ... He shook his head at all the proposed options: they say, not that, it's not that. Finally, he exclaimed: “Well, Verbitsky! I remembered the force!” - “Excuse me,” they asked him in amazement. “It seems you said that the last name is bird?” “Of course,” he answered, not at all embarrassed, “because a bird sometimes sits on a willow.”