It is difficult to reproach the remarkable novelist Mikhail Mikhailovich Zoshchenko for conformism and the nomenclature attitude to creativity. His characters do not at all correspond to the poster images propagating the ideal of the Soviet worker, for which the writer has been criticized many times, accusing him of desecration and excessive caricature. However, some works in a completely accessible form call for the observance of eternal and universal standards of life. For example, Zoshchenko’s story “Trouble”. Analysis of the plot leads to the conclusion about its bright anti-alcohol orientation. This topic was relevant in the 20s, it has not lost its topicality today.
Reasons for the Opal writer Zoshchenko
Yes, Mikhail Mikhailovich got it for his peculiar form of storytelling, but if all the stories described by him were presented in an ordinary, correct and stylistically impeccable language, then they would lose most of their attractiveness. The worst thing that could happen to a satirical writer and a comedian would happen. The reader would stop laughing, but without this, humanity will not part with the past. Posters with edifying calls for sobriety do not work well, if at all you can hope for their effectiveness. During the years of total domination of primitive propaganda, the writer had a tight time, and in 1946, danger completely hung over him. After Zhdanov’s speech, the decision of the Central Committee’s Bureau of Organizations concerning the Leningrad and Zvezda magazines, and expulsion from the Writers' Union, he only had to earn extra money with translations and wait for his arrest. But what does the mentioned story of Zoshchenko (“Trouble”) have to do with it? An analysis of this short work does not allow the author to be accused of attacks on the achievements of socialism, on the contrary, the protagonist, apparently, is an individual peasant who dreamed of his own horse. Or perhaps sedition was also found in this? After all, the horseless is clearly not a fist, not a “world-eater,” but its own, classly close representative of the rural poor.
Nevertheless, one can hardly discern the desire to denigrate the future collective farmer by reading Zoshchenko’s story “Trouble”. A brief summary and subsequent detailed analysis of the work suggests that it is completely different. But first things first.
Plot plot
The story is written in the traditional manner of detached exposition of the plot of events, which was often used by Mikhail Zoshchenko. “Trouble” is the story of the unsuccessful completion of a simple peasant plan. For many years, a man named Yegor with a simple surname Glotov dreamed of a nurse - a horse, which is extremely necessary in the household. For the sake of this goal, a resident of Rotten Prudok (the so-called native village of the hero) denied himself simple human joys, starting from shag and ending with moonshine (the taste of which he had completely forgotten). Having finally collected the necessary amount, Yegor goes to the city to make such an important transaction. A detailed listing of all the victims he made eloquently speaks of the poor inner world of the character, his simplicity (which, as you know, is worse than theft). There is absolutely no mention of who plowed all these long years instead of draft horsepower — apparently, these were members of his family. They, along with the main character, ate “straw”. That’s how Yegor defines his two- or three-year diet.
Adventurer Yegor Glotov
A common speech fills Zoshchenko’s story “Trouble”. The analysis of phraseology suggests an intimate acquaintance of the author with peasant life. But knowledge of psychology is also important. The refusal to purchase a horse from a resident of a nearby village seems to be an irrational decision only at first glance. Indeed, to find out how good the proposed individual was, in this case, not difficult, it was enough to make inquiries among acquaintances, which, obviously, were many, and buy it without risk. But in this case, all the pleasure of such an important event was lost. On some adventurous character of Yegor Glotov, Zoshchenko’s story “Trouble” is built. An analysis of his motives leads to the idea that the peasant is prone to the risk associated with a long journey, the danger of being robbed or deceived. But the adventure is more expensive, and it happened.
Bargain
A suitable horse was soon found, Yegor asked a ritual question befitting the situation, expecting to hear an equally insignificant response. Zoshchenko, whose trouble was the same as the secret of his success, namely, his knowledge of philistine psychology and speech, revealed himself in the trading scene to the full extent of his talent. Egor's initial intention was to hide his interest in every way, but it did not succeed. Already the second phrase, he fully revealed himself, laying out all his hardships, including "grass feeding", as well as a passionate desire to get a horse. The following is a description of the bidding process, the full text of which is omitted in Zoshchenko’s short story “Trouble”. The summary of the negotiations consists in the description of slamming the boot (the money was hidden there), taking off the boot twice, extracting money, god, tears and other weighty arguments in favor of lowering the price, which finally led to consensus.
Joy
The deal took place, and Yegor gave vent to his emotions. He himself liked how persistently and dodgy it was possible to succeed, he was convinced that he managed to "entangle" the seller. Even the suit (obscure, something like manure mixed with clay) he tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to make an occasion for a discount. Now joy was overwhelming, she was looking for a way out, and there was not much money left, and this amount was enough to “wash” the purchase, to chat after a long forced post. Perhaps if the seller had not been so compliant, everything would have ended happily, but fate would have liked to punish the protagonist for intemperance. So the author decided, Mikhail Zoshchenko. The trouble awaited Yegor and soon took on the concrete outlines of an unfamiliar peasant, whom he immediately called “godfather”. And away we go ...
Sad ending
What happened "on the night of Monday to Wednesday," the reader is not known for certain. It remains for him, straining his imagination, to imagine a scene of a stupid revelry, drunken conversations of drinking companions, obsequious faces of taverns and hangover suffering of Yegor. All these descriptions are deprived of the work "Trouble". Zoshchenko intentionally limited to stingy information about the absence of a horse. "Kum" laconic and inertly consoles Glotov, emphasizing the value of memories. It helps a little. Firstly, Yegor, apparently, does not remember anything. Secondly, there really is no horse, and it turns out that two-year efforts were in vain. And Yegor had one question: "How is this and why is wine traded?" The answer to it is sought by many victims in such circumstances ...