One of the best literary works by I.S. Turgenev is a cycle of stories or essays (experts have not decided on the genre of works included in it) "Notes of the hunter." In them, the writer addresses important issues relating to the life of peasants and serfdom. Ivan Sergeyevich was known for his liberal views, so there is nothing surprising in the fact that he decided to make ordinary people the main character of the works. Below is an analysis of “Ferret and Kalynich”.
Publication history
An analysis of the story “Ferret and Kalynich” is worth starting with the fact that he is the most famous of the whole cycle. This story opens the "Notes of the Hunter"; it was published in 1847 in the journal Sovremennik. "Ferret and Kalinych" was placed on the page with advertisements for the sale of agricultural items.
The writer compared the life of the peasants of the Oryol and Kaluga provinces. The author with great attention reacted not just to how ordinary people live, but he was interested in the identity of these people. The writer's favorable attitude towards the peasants, a detailed examination of their habits, life beliefs - all this was new to the reader.
In the analysis of “Ferret and Kalinych,” it should be noted that Turgenev’s decision to make the central characters of the peasants was perceived by readers as a progressive outlook on life, as a new direction in literature. Therefore, the story became the most famous in the series "Notes of the hunter."
Main characters
The analysis of “Ferret and Kalynich” should be continued with a brief description of the characters in the story.
- Hunter - narration is being conducted on his behalf. He loves not only hunting, but also to study the habits and lifestyle of other people. Sympathizes with the common people.
- Polecat is a prosperous peasant. Practical and rational person, hardworking.
- Kalinych - a peasant, trained in literacy. Idealist, romantic. He loves nature, animals, responds to everything beautiful.
- Mr. Polutykin is the owner of Khorya and Kalinych. A good man, but an idle lifestyle pampers him.
Description of the peasants
In the analysis of “Ferret and Kalynich,” the main characters need to be described in more detail. Hunter tells the reader what he noticed - the standard of living of peasants in the Kaluga province is higher than that of the Oryol. And as an example, the author cites two peasant friends, Khorya and Kalinych. Despite the difference in characters and their views on life, they are friendly.
Polecat is a prosperous peasant. Thanks to his pragmatic and rational mindset, he was able to separate from all the other peasants, to live apart from them. He could become free, but he doesn’t consciously do this, so he pays a large rent on time to his master. During conversations, he evades answers to the hunter's questions, so he decides that the Pole is a man on his mind.
Kalinych is the exact opposite of his friend. He pays much more attention than the Poor to his master. Because of this, he does not have time for other things. Even in the appearance of Kalinych, there is some sloppiness, he wears bast shoes all year round, even on holidays. He is a simple and honest man, subtly feeling the human nature and beauty of nature.
conclusions
In the analysis of “Ferret and Kalinych” Turgeneva I.S. it is necessary to briefly note the conclusions made by the main character from observations of two peasants. During a conversation about what the hunter has seen, Kalinych is interested in details related to the description of nature, the customs of other people. Khoria, on the other hand, is more concerned with practical issues: how the way of life of people is structured, especially the state system.
Khor has a large family, but only one child has a diploma. Kalynich is lonely, but literate trained. And this helps him to better perceive some vital phenomena and expand his horizons. Before us are people who do not have such rights and freedoms as Mr. Polutykin. However, they are closer to the world around them, they understand simple things more deeply. And an idle lifestyle is the reason for Polutykin's quirks. Labor allows a person to train not only the body, but also the mind.
In the analysis of the work "Poor and Kalynich" it is worth noting that in the story there is a place and a certain amount of romanticization of the common people. But this does not contradict the real image of the peasants. Author I.S. Turgenev first made the central characters of serfs, showing that they feel and perceive the world in the same way as rich people. Labor and proximity to nature helped them better and more subtly understand the world around and the nature of man.