Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin is the creator of a special literary genre - a satirical fairy tale. In small stories, the Russian writer denounced bureaucracy, autocracy, liberalism. This article discusses such works by Saltykov-Shchedrin as “The Wild Landowner”, “The Eagle-Patron”, “The Wise Gudgeon”, and “Crucian Idealist”.
Features of the tales of Saltykov-Shchedrin
In the tales of this writer, you can meet allegory, and grotesque, and hyperbole. There are features characteristic of the Aesopian narrative. In the communication between the characters reflected the relationship that prevailed in the society of the XIX century. What satirical tricks did the writer use? In order to answer this question, we should briefly talk about the life of the author, who so mercilessly exposed the inert world of the landowners.
about the author
Saltykov-Shchedrin combined literary activity with public service. The future writer was born in the Tver province, but after graduating from the lyceum he left for St. Petersburg, where he received a position in the Ministry of War. Already in the first years of work in the capital, the young official began to languish with the bureaucracy, lies, boredom that prevailed in institutions. With great pleasure, Saltykov-Shchedrin attended various literary evenings, which were dominated by anti-serfdom moods. He informed Petersburgers about his views in the novels "Confused business", "Contradiction". For which he was exiled to Vyatka.
Life in the province enabled the writer to observe in detail the bureaucratic world, the life of the landowners and the peasants oppressed by them. This experience became the material for later written works, as well as the formation of special satirical techniques. One of Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin’s contemporaries once said of him: “He knows Russia like no other.”
Satirical receptions of Saltykov-Shchedrin
His work is quite diverse. But almost the most popular among the works of Saltykov-Shchedrin are just fairy tales. We can distinguish several special satirical techniques with which the writer tried to convey to the readers the inertness and deceit of the landowner world. And above all, this allegory. In a veiled form, the author reveals deep political and social problems, expresses his own point of view.
Another technique is the use of fantastic motives. For example, in The Tale of How One Man Fed Two Generals, they serve as a means of expressing dissatisfaction with the landlords. And finally, calling Shchedrin's satirical devices, one cannot fail to mention symbolism. After all, the heroes of fairy tales often point to one of the social phenomena of the 19th century. So, in the main character of the work "The Horse" reflects all the pain of the Russian people, oppressed for centuries. The following is an analysis of individual works by Saltykov-Shchedrin. What satirical techniques are used in them?
"Crucian idealist"
In this tale, the views of the intelligentsia are expressed by Saltykov-Shchedrin. The satirical techniques that can be found in the work “Karas the idealist” are symbolism, the use of folk sayings and proverbs. Each of the heroes is a collective image of representatives of one or another social class.
In the center of the plot of the tale is the discussion of Karas and Ruff. The first, which is already understood from the title of the work, gravitates to an idealistic worldview, belief in the best. Ruff is, on the contrary, a skeptic, ironic over theories of his opponent. There is a third character in the tale - Pike. This unsafe fish symbolizes in the work of Saltykov-Shchedrin the powers that be. Pikes are known to feed on crucian carp. The latter, driven by better feelings, goes to the predator. Karas does not believe in the cruel law of nature (or the established hierarchy in society for centuries). He hopes to reason with Pike with stories of possible equality, universal happiness, and virtue. And therefore it perishes. Pike, as the author notes, the word "virtue" is not familiar.
Satirical techniques are used here not only to expose the rigidity of representatives of certain segments of society. With the help of them, the author tries to convey the futility of the moralistic disputes that were prevalent among the intelligentsia of the 19th century.
"Wild landowner"
The theme of serfdom has been given a lot of space in the works of Saltykov-Shchedrin. He had something to tell readers about this. However, writing a journalistic article about the relations of landowners with peasants or publishing a work of art in the genre of realism on this subject was fraught with unpleasant consequences for the writer. And therefore it was necessary to resort to allegories, easy humorous stories. In "Wild Landowner" we are talking about a typical Russian usurper who is not distinguished for his education and worldly wisdom.
He hates the "men" and dreams of lime. Moreover, the stupid landowner does not understand that without the peasants he would die. After all, he does not want to do anything, and he does not know how. You might think that the prototype of the hero of the fairy tale is a certain landowner, whom perhaps the writer met in real life. But no. This is not about any particular gentleman. And about the social layer as a whole.
In full, without allegory, Saltykov-Shchedrin revealed this topic in "Golovlevs". The heroes of the novel - representatives of a provincial landowner family - die one after another. The reason for their death is stupidity, ignorance, laziness. The character of the fairy tale "Wild Landowner" expects the same fate. After all, he got rid of the peasants, which he was glad at first, but was not ready for life without them.
"Eagle Patron"
The heroes of this tale are eagles and crows. The first symbolize the landowners. The second is peasants. The writer again resorts to receiving allegory, with the help of which he ridicules the vices of the powerful. The Nightingale, Magpie, Owl and Woodpecker are also present in the tale. Each of the birds is an allegory for the type of people or social class. The characters in the "Orel-philanthropist" are more humanized than, for example, the heroes of the fairy tale "Karas the idealist." So, the Woodpecker, who is used to reasoning, at the end of the bird story does not become a victim of a predator, but falls into jail.
The Wise Gudgeon
As in the works described above, in this tale the author raises questions that are relevant for that time. And here it becomes clear from the very first lines. But the satirical methods of Saltykov-Shchedrin are the use of artistic means to critically portray vices of not only social, but also universal. The author leads the narration in the “Wise Sandman” in a typical fairy-tale style: “Once upon a time ...”. The author of his hero is characterized in this way: "enlightened, moderately liberal."
Cowardice and passivity are ridiculed in this fairy tale by the great master of satire. After all, these vices were characteristic of most representatives of the intelligentsia in the eighties of the XIX century. Gudgeon never leaves his refuge. He lives a long life, avoiding encounters with dangerous inhabitants of the aquatic world. But only before death does he realize how much he missed during his long and worthless life.