The Cherry Orchard image of Gaev briefly. Speech characteristics of the characters in the play “The Cherry Orchard”

The prototypes of Ranevskaya, according to the author, were Russian ladies who lived idly in Monte Carlo, whom Chekhov observed abroad in 1900 and early 1901: “And what insignificant women... [about a certain lady. - V.K.] “she lives here with nothing to do, just eats and drinks...” How many Russian women die here” (from a letter from O.L. Knipper).

At first, Ranevskaya’s image seems sweet and attractive to us. But then it acquires stereoscopicity and complexity: the lightness of her stormy experiences is revealed, exaggeration in the expression of feelings: “I can’t sit still, I’m not able to. (Jumps up and walks around in great excitement.) I won’t survive this joy... Laugh at me, I’m stupid... The closet is my dear. (Kisses the closet.) My table...” At one time, the literary critic D. N. Ovsyaniko-Kulikovsky even asserted, referring to the behavior of Ranevskaya and Gaev: “The terms “frivolity” and “emptiness” are no longer used here in a common and general way , and in a closer - psychopathological - sense, the behavior of these characters in the play “is incompatible with the concept of a normal, healthy psyche.” But the fact of the matter is that all the characters in Chekhov’s play are normal, ordinary people, only their ordinary life and everyday life are viewed by the author as if through a magnifying glass.

Ranevskaya, despite the fact that her brother (Leonid Andreevich Gaev) calls her a “vicious woman,” oddly enough, evokes respect and love from all the characters in the play. Even the footman Yasha, as a witness to her Parisian secrets and quite capable of familiar treatment, does not occur to him to be cheeky with her. Culture and intelligence gave Ranevskaya the charm of harmony, sobriety of mind, and subtlety of feelings. She is smart, capable of telling the bitter truth about herself and about others, for example, about Pete Trofimov, to whom she says: “You have to be a man, at your age you have to understand those who love. And you have to love yourself... “I am above love!” You are not above love, but simply, as our Firs says, you are a klutz.”

And yet, there is much that evokes sympathy in Ranevskaya. Despite all her lack of will and sentimentality, she is characterized by a breadth of nature and a capacity for selfless kindness. This attracts Petya Trofimov. And Lopakhin says about her: “She is a good person. An easy, simple person."

Ranevskaya’s double, but a less significant personality, is Gaev in the play; it is no coincidence that in the list of characters he is presented by belonging to his sister: “Ranevskaya’s brother.” And he is sometimes able to say smart things, sometimes be sincere, self-critical. But the sister’s shortcomings - frivolity, impracticality, lack of will - become caricatures in Gaev. Lyubov Andreevna only kisses the closet in a fit of emotion, while Gaev makes a speech in front of him in “high style.” In his own eyes, he is an aristocrat of the highest circle, Lopakhina does not seem to notice and tries to put “this boor” in his place. But his contempt—the contempt of an aristocrat who ate his fortune “on candy”—is ridiculous.

Gaev is infantile and absurd, for example, in the following scene:

“Firs. Leonid Andreevich, you are not afraid of God! When should you sleep?

Gaev (swatting away Firs). So be it, I’ll undress myself.”

Gaev is another version of spiritual degradation, emptiness and vulgarity.

It has been noted more than once in the history of literature, the unwritten “history” of the reader’s perception of Chekhov’s works, that he allegedly experienced a special prejudice towards the high society - towards noble, aristocratic Russia. These characters - landowners, princes, generals - appear in Chekhov's stories and plays not only empty, colorless, but sometimes stupid and poorly mannered. (A.A. Akhmatova, for example, reproached Chekhov: “And how he described representatives of the upper classes... He didn’t know these people! He didn’t know anyone higher than the assistant station manager... Everything is wrong, wrong!”)

However, it is hardly worth seeing in this fact a certain tendentiousness of Chekhov or his incompetence; the writer had a lot of knowledge of life. This is not the point, not the social “registration” of Chekhov’s characters. Chekhov did not idealize representatives of any class, any social group; he was, as we know, outside of politics and ideology, outside of social preferences. All classes “got it” from the writer, and the intelligentsia too: “I don’t believe in our intelligentsia, hypocritical, false, hysterical, ill-mannered, lazy, I don’t believe even when it suffers and complains, because its oppressors come from its own depths.” .

With that high cultural-moral, ethical-aesthetic demands, with that wise humor with which Chekhov approached man in general and his era in particular, social differences lost their meaning. This is the peculiarity of his “funny” and “sad” talent. In The Cherry Orchard itself there are not only idealized characters, but also absolutely positive heroes (this applies to Lopakhin (Chekhov’s “modern Russia”) and to Anya and Petya Trofimov (Russia of the future).

Gaev's place in the system of images of the work

To understand Chekhov’s perception of the nobility, it is necessary to consider the characterization of Gaev in the play “The Cherry Orchard,” the brother of the main character, practically Ranevskaya’s double, but less significant. Therefore, in the list of characters he is designated “Ranevskaya’s brother,” although he is older than her and has the same rights to the estate as his sister.

Gaev Leonid Andreevich is a landowner, “who spent his fortune on candy,” leading an idle lifestyle, but it is strange to him that the garden is being sold for debts. He is already 51 years old, but he has neither a wife nor children. He lives in an old estate, which is being destroyed before his eyes, under the tutelage of the old lackey Firs. However, it is Gaev who is always trying to borrow money from someone in order to cover at least the interest on his and his sister’s debts. And his options for repaying all the loans are more like pipe dreams: “It would be nice to receive an inheritance from someone, it would be nice to marry our Anya to a very rich man, it would be nice to go to Yaroslavl and try your luck with the aunt countess...”

The image of Gaev in the play “The Cherry Orchard” became a caricature of the nobility as a whole. All the negative aspects of Ranevskaya found an uglier attitude in her brother, thereby further emphasizing the comedy of what was happening. Unlike Ranevskaya, Gaev's description is mainly in stage directions, which reveal his character through actions, while the characters say very little about him.

Characteristics of Gaev

Very little is said about Gaev's past. But it is clear that he is an educated man who knows how to express his thoughts in beautiful but empty speeches. He lived all his life on his estate, a regular at men's clubs, where he indulged in his favorite pastime, playing billiards. He brought all the news from there and there he received an offer to become a bank employee with an annual salary of six thousand. However, for those around him it was very surprising, the sister says: “Where are you!” Sit already...” Lopakhin also expresses doubts: “But he won’t sit still, he’s very lazy...”. The only person who believes him is his niece Anya “I believe you uncle!”. What caused such distrust and, in some ways, even disdainful attitude on the part of others? After all, even the lackey Yasha shows his disrespect for him.

As has already been said, Gaev is an empty talker; at the most inopportune moments he can launch into a rant, so that everyone around him is simply lost and asks him to remain silent. Leonid Andreevich himself understands this, but it is part of his nature. He is also very infantile, unable to defend his point of view, and cannot really formulate it. He so often has nothing substantive to say that his favorite word “Whom” is constantly heard and completely inappropriate billiard terms appear. Firs still follows his master like a little child, either shaking off the dust from his trousers, or bringing him a warm coat, and for a fifty-year-old man there is nothing shameful in such care, he even goes to bed under the sensitive gaze of his lackey. Firs is sincerely attached to the owner, but even Gaev in the finale of the play “The Cherry Orchard” forgets about his devoted servant. He loves his nieces and his sister. But he was never able to become the head of a family in which he was the only man left, and he cannot help anyone, since it doesn’t even occur to him. All this shows how shallow the feelings of this hero are.

For Gaev, the cherry orchard means as much as it does for Ranevskaya, but, like her, she is not ready to accept Lopakhin’s offer. After all, dividing the estate into plots and renting them out is “off”, largely because it will bring them closer to such businessmen as Lopakhin, but for Leonid Andreevich this is unacceptable, since he considers himself a true aristocrat, looking down on such merchants. Having returned in a depressed state from the auction at which the estate was sold, Gaev has only tears in his eyes, and as soon as he hears the blows of the cue on the balls, they dry up, once again proving that deep emotions are simply not characteristic of him.

Gaev as the final stage in the evolution of the nobility in the works of A.P. Chekhov

Gaev closed the chain consisting of images of nobles created by Chekhov throughout his creative life. He created “heroes of his time,” aristocrats with an excellent education, unable to defend their ideals, and it was this weakness that allowed people like Lopakhin to occupy a dominant position. In order to show how small the nobles had become, Anton Pavlovich understated the image of Gaev as much as possible, bringing him to the point of caricature. Many representatives of the aristocracy were very critical of this depiction of their class, accusing the author of ignorance of their circle. But Chekhov didn’t even want to create a comedy, but a farce, and he succeeded.

Reasoning about the image of Gaev and a description of the features of his character can be used by 10th grade students when writing an essay on the topic “Characteristics of Gaev in the play “The Cherry Orchard”.”

Work test

The central character of A.P. Chekhov's play is Leonid Andreevich Gaev. He is one of the owners of a beautiful old garden.

The image and characterization of Gaev in the play “The Cherry Orchard” were created by the author to penetrate the complex problem of changing the nobility. Representatives of the noble class do not keep up with the development of the country and are left without the property accumulated for them by their ancestors.

Character image

Leonid Gaev is Ranevskaya’s brother. The bankrupt landowner Gaev is not yet old. He is 51 years old, but the man does not have the acumen or entrepreneurial spirit. He, playing with a candy, admits that he ate “his entire fortune.” In fact, the man eats and drinks a lot. The landowner has a special love for children's candy. The landowner sucks them almost constantly. The author’s most frequent remark to describe the behavior of this character is: “Puts a lollipop in his mouth.”

The man is a talker

Gaev is a chatterbox and idle talker, he says nonsense so often that people stop perceiving his speech and often stop it at the beginning. Interlocutors and close people ask Leonid Andreevich to talk less, but he does not hear their requests. The nieces suggest that the uncle remain silent, but the man does not restrain his emotions and continues to praise him for no reason. Gaev can talk not only with living people, Leonid addresses furniture, food, trees. The landowner's speech has a howling character. She is solemn and sublime. His words are public appearances, vivid speeches that convey the feelings that fill the “being” of a man. He doesn’t try to hold back, he expresses all his thoughts to the listener. Why is it being cut off? The speeches have no meaning, no ideas, just a bunch of words. Leonid does not keep his promises. Words spoken out loud do not linger in the soul. Gaev’s oath to preserve the garden is proof of its impracticality. All the actions that he pronounces remain only words: we will pay interest, we will not allow an auction. The solemn oath is pathetic. What does the landowner swear by: honor, happiness, being. But nothing happens by itself. The auction for the sale of the estate took place, Gaev spends the money on expensive food.

Another feature of the character’s speech is the use of billiards game terms. These phrases make you smile; they are awkward and incomprehensible to your interlocutors. Few of them represent the game, rules and attributes.

Character character

The complexity of the hero's character is confirmed by the remarks of other characters. On the one hand, Anya claims that everyone loves and respects him. The niece believes in her uncle and hopes that he will find a way out of the difficult situation with the estate. On the other hand, the landowner is lazy. Lopakhin believes that Gaev will not be able to work in a bank for 6 thousand a year. Perseverance is not his trait, but it is what is required in banking work. Lopakhin calls Leonid a woman, what is hidden behind this word: weakness, lack of desire to act, fear or laziness? There is no efficiency or practicality in the man’s character. He is frivolous and short-sighted. When the new merchant offers a way out: to cut down the cherry trees and sell the land to summer residents, Gaev moves on to the moral characterization of the act: vulgarity. He does not calculate the benefits, does not look for opportunities to preserve the estate and part of the garden. Leonid does not try to take action on his own. The landowner calculates where or from whom he can borrow.

Character Role

In the play, Gaev plays one of the main roles. The author calls the character an aristocrat. There is a sense of negativity and hidden irony in this characteristic. Leonid may only be externally similar to the aristocracy. In fact, he does not have a single positive feature of this class. But this is a striking difference between the Russian aristocracy, people who are not able to work. For them, even thinking is work. Gaev is all in dreams, cut off from life, unable to solve simple everyday problems. The servant, old Firs, takes care of him like a small child. Gaev cannot do basic things without help: undress, sit in a chair, choose clothes according to the weather. A kind attitude towards the owner does not find an answer. Ungrateful landowners forget the old man in the house, again only in words they think of help for him, deciding his fate outside the estate: we will send him to the hospital. Frivolity and meaninglessness shine through in all actions. It's not hard to imagine the future of the "trashy person." I have to agree with Lopakhin. Gaev will leave the service and try his luck with a rich aunt-countess, settling in her service. If she doesn’t let him in, then poverty awaits him.

A.P. Chekhov turned to the genre of dramaturgy already in his early work. But his real success as a playwright began with the play “The Seagull.” The play “The Cherry Orchard” is called Chekhov’s swan song. It was with this that the writer’s creative path was completed. In “The Cherry Orchard” the author expressed his beliefs, thoughts, and hopes. Chekhov believes that the future of Russia belongs to people like Trofimov and Anya. In one of his letters, Chekhov wrote: “Students and female students are good and honest people. This is our hope, this is the future of Russia.” It is they, according to Chekhov, who are the true owners of the cherry orchard, which the author identified with his homeland. “All of Russia is our garden,” says Petya Trofimov.

The owners of the cherry orchard are the hereditary nobles Ranevskaya and Gaev. The estate and garden have been the property of their family for many years, but they can no longer manage here. They are the personification of Russia's past; there is no future for them. Why?
Gaev and Ranevskaya are helpless, idle people, incapable of any active action. They admire the beauty of the blooming garden; it evokes nostalgic memories for these people, but that’s all. Their estate is ruined, and these people cannot and do not try to do anything to somehow improve the situation. The price of such “love” is small. Although Ranevkaya says: “God knows, I love my homeland, I love it dearly.” But the question arises, what kind of love is this if she left Russia five years ago and has returned now only because she suffered a fiasco in her personal life. And in the finale of the play, Ranevskaya again leaves her homeland.
Of course, the heroine gives the impression of a person with an open soul, she is warm-hearted, emotional, and impressionable. But these qualities are combined with such traits of her character as carelessness, spoiledness, frivolity, bordering on callousness and indifference to others. We see that in fact Ranevskaya is indifferent towards people, even sometimes cruel. How else to explain the fact that she gives the last gold to a passerby, and the servants in the house are left to live from hand to mouth. She thanks Firs, inquires about his health, and... leaves the old, sick man in a boarded-up house, simply forgetting about him. This is monstrous to say the least!
Like Ranevskaya, Gaev has a sense of beauty. I would like to note that he gives the impression of a gentleman more than Ranevskaya. Although this character can be called exactly as inactive, careless and frivolous as his sister. Like a small child, Gaev cannot give up the habit of sucking lollipops and even in small things counts on Firs. His mood changes very quickly; he is a fickle, flighty person. Gaev is upset to the point of tears that the estates are being sold, but as soon as he heard the sound of balls in the billiard room, he immediately cheered up, like a child.
Of course, Gaev and Ranevskaya are the embodiment of a past passing life. Their habit of living “in debt, at someone else’s expense” speaks of the idleness of the existence of these heroes. They are definitely not the masters of life, since even their material well-being depends on some chance: either it will be an inheritance, or the Yaroslavl grandmother will send them money to pay off their debts, or Lopakhin will lend them money. People like Gaev and Ranevskaya are being replaced by a completely different type of people: strong, enterprising, dexterous. One of these people is another character in the play Lopakhin.
Lopakhin embodies the present of Russia. Lopakhin's parents were serfs, but after the abolition of serfdom, the fate of this man changed. He rose to prominence, became rich, and is now able to buy the estate of those who were once his masters. Lopakhin feels superior to Ranevskaya and Gaev, and even they treat him with respect, because they realize their dependence on this man. It is clear that Lopakhin and people like him will very soon oust the well-born nobles.
However, Lopakhin gives the impression of a person who is the “master of life” only for a given, short period of time. He is not the owner of the cherry orchard, but only its temporary owner. He plans to cut down the cherry orchard and sell the land. It seems that, having increased his capital from this profitable enterprise, he will still not occupy a dominant place in the life of the state in the future. In the image of this character, Chekhov masterfully managed to portray a bizarre and contradictory combination of features of the past and present. Lopakhin, although proud of his current position, does not forget for a second about his low origins; his resentment towards life, which, it seems to him, was unfair to him, is too strong. Very soon the reader and viewer understands that Lopakhin is just an intermediate step between the past and future generations.
In Chekh'bva's play we also see characters contrasted with the destructive activities of Lopakhin and the inaction of Ranevskaya and Gaev. This is Anya and Petya Trofimov. According to the author, the future of Russia lies with such people. Trofimov is an ardent seeker of truth who sincerely believes in the triumph of a just life in the near future. Student Petya Trofimov is poor, suffers hardships, but as an honest person he refuses to live at the expense of others. He talks a lot about the need to restructure society, but has not yet taken any real actions. But he is an excellent propagandist. This is one of those whom young people follow and believe in. Anya is carried away by Trofimov’s call to change her life, and at the end of the play we hear her words calling to “plant a new garden.” The author does not give us the opportunity to see the fruits of the activities of representatives of the new generation. He only leaves us with hope that the words of Petya Trofimov and Anya will not diverge from their deeds.
Chekhov portrayed three generations of people in his play “The Cherry Orchard,” and each character personifies the life of Russia: Ranevkaya and Gaev - the past, Lopakhin - the present, Trofimov and Anya - the future. Time has shown that Chekhov was absolutely right - in the near future, a revolution awaited the Russian people, and it was people like Trofimov who made history.

Leonid Andreevich Gaev is one of the main characters in Chekhov’s play “The Cherry Orchard”, the brother of the landowner Ranevskaya. He is a man of the old school, like his sister - sentimental. He is very worried about the sale of the family estate and the loss of the cherry orchard.

By nature, Gaev is an idealist and romantic. He is not particularly adapted to the “new” life. He considers himself to be a people of the 80s of the 19th century. He is artistic and sincere. He can even confess his love to a closet, which for him has been the guardian of the family for almost a century. He talks a lot, sometimes not to the point. Therefore, he realizes that what he said was inappropriate, but then repeats everything from the beginning. To hide his worries about the estate, he often inserts words into his speech like “who?” or "from the ball to the right into the corner" (an expression used in billiards).

They make unrealistic plans about preserving the cherry orchard and keep dreaming that someone will leave them a rich inheritance. And also, he dreams of marrying off his niece Anya. But this is only in words, but in reality, he did not lift a finger to save the estate.

After Lopakhin buys their house and garden, he gets a job at a bank for six thousand a year. At the end of the work, Lopakhin says that this will not last long, since Gaev is terribly lazy.