Saltykov-Shchedrin: a list of fairy tales. Satire in the fabulous works of Saltykov-Shchedrin

The tales of Saltykov-Shchedrin combine folklore motifs and satirism inherent in all the literary activities of the Russian writer. Most of them were created in the late period of this author. What works did Saltykov-Shchedrin write? The list of fairy tales and their brief analysis are presented in the article.

Social satire

Saltykov-Shchedrin addressed this genre more than once. The list of fairy tales does not include such works as "The History of a City", "Modern Idyll", "Abroad." But they also have fantastic motifs.

It is no coincidence that the writer often resorted to the fairy-tale genre in the eighties. It was during this period that the socio-political situation in Russia became so aggravated that it became increasingly difficult for the writer to use his satirical potential. Folklore stories, the characters of which are often animals and other animals, have become one way to circumvent censorship restrictions.

Science fiction and reality

What did Saltykov-Shchedrin rely on in the creation of small works? The list of fairy tales is a list of works, each of which is based on folk art and satire in the spirit of Krylov's fables. In addition, the traditions of West European romanticism influenced the writer's work. But, despite the borrowing of various motives, the short works created by Saltykov-Shchedrin are completely original in the genre.

List of fairy tales

1. "The hero".
2. "Hyena".
3. "Wild landowner."
4. "Conscience has disappeared."
5. "Wise clerk."
6. "The poor wolf."
7. "Selfless Hare."
8. "Kissel".
9. "Horse".
10. "An unbroken eye."
11. "Idle conversation."
12. "Liberal".
13. "By the way."
14. "Christ's night."

Heroes

In the fabulous works of Saltykov-Shchedrin there are two forces depicted not without a hint of social inequality. One of them is the people. The second is, of course, the elements that exploit simple workers. The people, as a rule, were symbolized by birds and defenseless animals. Idle, but dangerous landowners personified by predators.

In the above list there is a fairy tale "Konyaga". In this work, the main image symbolizes the Russian peasantry. Thanks to the work of Konyagi, ears of bread are eared in the endless fields of the country. But this worker has neither rights nor freedom. His destiny is endless hard labor.

A generalized image of the Russian peasant is also present in the work “The Wild Landowner”. One of the most striking images in Russian literature of the 19th century is a simple humble worker - a character whom you can so often find when reading the short tales of Saltykov-Shchedrin. The list should be supplemented with the following works:

1. "Idle conversation."
2. "Village fire"
3. "Raven-petitioner."
4. "Christmas tale".
5. "Eagle-patron."