Mikhail S altykov-Shchedrin is the creator of a special literary genre - a satirical fairy tale. In short stories, the Russian writer denounced bureaucracy, autocracy, and liberalism. This article discusses such works by S altykov-Shchedrin as "The Wild Landowner", "The Eagle-Maecenas", "The Wise Gudgeon", "Karas-Idealist".
Features of fairy tales by S altykov-Shchedrin
In the fairy tales of this writer one can meet allegory, grotesque, and hyperbole. There are features characteristic of Aesopian narrative. The communication between the characters reflects the relationships that prevailed in the society of the 19th century. What satire did the writer use? In order to answer this question, one should briefly talk about the life of the author, who so ruthlessly denounced the inert world of the landowners.
About the author
S altykov-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 Militaryministry. Already in the first years of work in the capital, the young official began to languish with bureaucracy, lies, boredom that reigned in institutions. With great pleasure, S altykov-Shchedrin attended various literary evenings, which were dominated by anti-serfdom sentiments. He informed the people of St. Petersburg about his views in the stories "A Tangled Case", "Contradiction". For which he was exiled to Vyatka.
Life in the provinces gave the writer the opportunity to observe in all details the bureaucratic world, the life of the landowners and the peasants oppressed by them. This experience became the material for the works written later, as well as the formation of special satirical techniques. One of Mikhail S altykov-Shchedrin's contemporaries once said of him: "He knows Russia like no one else."
Satirical tricks of S altykov-Shchedrin
His work is quite diverse. But fairy tales are perhaps the most popular among the works of S altykov-Shchedrin. There are several special satirical techniques with which the writer tried to convey to readers the inertia and deceitfulness of the landowner's world. And first of all, this is an 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 motifs. For example, in The Tale of How One Man Feeded Two Generals, they serve as a means of expressing dissatisfaction with the landowners. And finally, when naming Shchedrin's satirical devices, one cannot fail to mention symbolism. After all, the heroes of fairy talesoften point to one of the social phenomena of the 19th century. So, in the main character of the work "Konyaga" all the pain of the Russian people, oppressed for centuries, is reflected. Below is an analysis of individual works by S altykov-Shchedrin. What satirical devices are used in them?
Karas-idealist
In this tale, S altykov-Shchedrin expresses the views of representatives of the intelligentsia. 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 characters is a collective image of representatives of a particular social class.
In the center of the plot of the tale is a discussion between Karas and Ruff. The first, which is already understood from the title of the work, gravitates towards an idealistic worldview, faith in the best. Ruff is, on the contrary, a skeptic, ironic over the theories of his opponent. There is also a third character in the tale - Pike. This unsafe fish symbolizes the powerful of this world in the work of S altykov-Shchedrin. Pikes are known to feed on 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 about possible equality, universal happiness, and virtue. And therefore it dies. Pike, as the author notes, the word "virtue" is not familiar.
Satirical techniques are used here not only to denounce the rigidity of representatives of certain sectors of society. With the help of them, the author tries to convey the futilitymoralistic disputes that were common among the intelligentsia of the XIX century.
Wild Landowner
The theme of serfdom is given a lot of space in the work of S altykov-Shchedrin. He had something to say to readers on this score. However, writing a journalistic article about the relationship of landlords to peasants or publishing a work of art in the genre of realism on this topic was fraught with unpleasant consequences for the writer. That is why I had to resort to allegory, light humorous stories. In "The Wild Landowner" we are talking about a typical Russian usurper, not distinguished by education and worldly wisdom.
He hates "muzhiks" and wants to kill them. At the same time, the stupid landowner does not understand that without the peasants he will perish. After all, he does not want to do anything, and he does not know how. One might think that the prototype of the hero of a 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 stratum as a whole.
To the full, without allegories, S altykov-Shchedrin revealed this topic in "Gentlemen Golovlyov". The heroes of the novel - representatives of a provincial landlord family - die one after another. The reason for their death is stupidity, ignorance, laziness. The character of the fairy tale "The Wild Landowner" expects the same fate. After all, he got rid of the peasants, which he was glad at first, but he was not ready for life without them.
Eagle Patron
The heroes of this fairy tale are eagles and crows. The first symbolizelandowners. The second is the peasants. The writer again resorts to the technique of allegory, with the help of which he ridicules the vices of the powerful of this world. There is also a Nightingale, Magpie, Owl and Woodpecker in the tale. Each of the birds is an allegory for a type of person or social class. The characters in the "Eagle-Patron" are more humanized than, for example, the heroes of the fairy tale "Karas-Idealist". So, the Woodpecker, who has a habit of reasoning, at the end of the bird's story does not become a victim of a predator, but goes to jail.
The Wise Gudgeon
As in the works described above, in this tale the author raises questions relevant to that time. And here it becomes clear from the very first lines. But the satirical tricks of S altykov-Shchedrin are the use of artistic means for the critical depiction of vices not only social, but also universal. The author narrates in The Wise Gudgeon in a typical fairy-tale style: "Once upon a time there was …". The author characterizes his hero in this way: “enlightened, moderately liberal.”
Cowardice and passivity are ridiculed in this tale by the great master of satire. After all, it was precisely these vices that were characteristic of most representatives of the intelligentsia in the eighties of the XIX century. The minnow never leaves his hiding place. He lives a long life, avoiding encounters with dangerous inhabitants of the water world. But only before his death he realizes how much he has missed in his long and useless life.
