The description of the thin of the story is thick and thin. In childhood

In Chekhov's work "Thick and Thin" analysis is impossible without certain knowledge about the era in which the writer lived and worked. In the 6th grade, students are not yet familiar enough with the work of A.P. Chekhov, and in literature lessons, additional information may be needed when analyzing the work. All the necessary information is contained in our article: composition, theme and idea, plot and genre, history of creation and criticism.

Brief analysis

Year of writing- 1883.

History of creation- the story was written at the end of the 19th century “on the topic of the day”, touches on the most acute problems of society. The plot is taken by the writer from the situation or the history of the close environment, rethought and artistically reworked.

Theme- servility, servility, slavish thinking and worldview.

Composition- Chekhov's "Thick and Thin" has a classic composition with a small feature: the plot and development of events are more voluminous, the climax and denouement are laconic, dynamic and especially expressive.

Genre- story.

Direction- critical realism.

History of creation

In 1883, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov wrote the short story "Thick and Thin". The very title of the work gives a hint of facelessness, and hence the generalization of the images of the main characters. What served as the basis of the plot is not known for certain, perhaps an incident from the writer's life or an anecdotal situation told in literary circles. It is important that the realism of the plot is fully justified. Chekhov, as a doctor, saw all the diseases of contemporary society and tried to reveal and publicize the problems, thereby curing people of the worst vices.

It is known that in draft version, the fat one was the direct boss of the thin one and accidentally offended him. In the final version former friends childhood are not bound by official relations, but the thin one fawns over the fat one “out of habit”, and not out of necessity. Critics received the story positively, it was favorably received and noted as a worthy "artistic reflection of the vices of society." The title of the story is built on the antithesis, antonyms-adjectives express the absolute opposite of the heroes of the work, not only physically, but also spiritually. Theme and idea in the story are interconnected and almost identical: the slave that lives in each of us must be defeated by ourselves. This, according to literary critics, is the essence of Chekhov's work.

Theme

An analysis of the work allows us to draw the following conclusions: the author conventionally designates a society of “thin” and “thick”. “Subtle” ones grovel before high ranks, this is their usual system of relations with the world, they do not represent any other interaction with people. The essence of their life is to divide people into superior and inferior.

The "fat" people are used to living simply and easily, not looking back at others, not noticing ranks and positions, they see people. Life has been too kind to them and raised healthy relationships with society. Chekhov emphasizes that once both main characters were children, they lived carefree and were equal to each other. They played pranks, had fun and had the same opportunities in society.

It was the service hierarchy that made the thin man a morally “unhealthy” person. And he raised his child and instilled in his wife his servile views. To understand what the story teaches, it is enough to pay attention to the ending of the story. Main thought- to cause disgust for servility and servility as the lowest ideology in the world. A logical conclusion suggests itself: all people are different, but self-respect is the basis of personality.

Composition

The composition of the story is traditional for the small genre. Analysis of the text “Thick and thin” in terms of compositional structure is not difficult, but has a number of significant points.

A feature of the composition is that the plot and development of events take most volume of the narrative, and the climax and denouement are dynamic, like a shot.

All work is built on opposition, and not only the images of the main characters. If at the beginning the author talks about Tolstoy's delicious breakfast, then at the end he dryly comments on the state of the character (he was sick from the expression on the thin person's face). The work is based on a dialogue between two comrades interspersed with descriptions of the facial expressions of the characters. Occasionally, images of the wife and son of Subtle appear, who change their behavior in accordance with new facts that emerge in the course of the conversation.

main characters

Genre

Chekhov's story is something more than a standard short text with one storyline. It was Anton Pavlovich who made this genre legendary. In addition, Chekhov's story is a surprisingly instructive genre, morality is always on the surface, no hidden meaning. To understand the work, it is enough just to read the text.

At the Nikolaevskaya railway station railway two friends met: one fat, the other thin. The fat one had just dined at the station, and his lips, covered with oil, were shiny like ripe cherries. He smelled of sherry and fleur-d "orange. The thin one had just left the car and was loaded with suitcases, bundles and cartons. He smelled of ham and coffee grounds. A thin woman with a long chin peeked out from behind him - his wife, and a tall, narrow-eyed schoolboy is his son.

Porfiry! - exclaimed the fat one, seeing the thin one. - Is that you? My dove! How many winters, how many years!
- Fathers! - the thin one was amazed. - Misha! Childhood friend! Where did you come?
The friends kissed each other three times and rushed at each other. friend's eyes full of tears. Both were pleasantly surprised.
- My dear! - began thin after kissing. - That's not expected! Here's a surprise! Well, take a good look at me! Just as handsome as ever! The same soul and dandy! Oh you, Lord! Well, what are you? Rich? Married? I'm already married, as you can see... This is my wife, Louise, nee Wanzenbach... a Lutheran... And this is my son, Nathanael, a student of the third grade. This, Nafanya, is my childhood friend! We studied together in high school!
Nathanael thought for a moment and took off his hat.
We studied together in high school! - continued the thin one. - Do you remember how you were teased? You were teased by Herostratus because you burned a government book with a cigarette, and I was Ephialtes because I loved to slander. Ho-ho... They were children! Don't be afraid, Nafanya! Come closer to him... And this is my wife, nee Wanzenbach... a Lutheran.
Nathanael thought a little and hid behind his father.
- Well, how are you, friend? the fat man asked, looking enthusiastically at his friend. “Where do you serve?” Reached the ranks?
- I serve, my dear! I have been a collegiate assessor for the second year and I have Stanislav. The salary is bad ... well, God bless him! My wife gives music lessons, I privately make cigarette cases from wood. Excellent cigarette cases! I sell for a ruble. If someone takes ten pieces or more, that, you understand, is a concession. Let's get some fun. I served, you know, in the department, and now I have been transferred here as a clerk in the same department ... I will serve here. Well, how are you? Probably already a civilian? AND?
- No, my dear, raise it higher, - said the fat one. - I have already risen to the secret ... I have two stars.
The thin one suddenly turned pale, petrified, but soon his face twisted in all directions with the broadest smile; it seemed as if sparks were falling from his face and eyes. He himself shrank, hunched over, narrowed... His suitcases, bundles and cartons shrank, grimaced... long chin wives became even longer; Nathanael stretched out in front and buttoned all the buttons of his uniform ...
- I, Your Excellency ... Very pleased, sir! A friend, one might say, of childhood, and suddenly turned out to be such grandees, sir! Hee hee s.
- Well, it's full! the fat man grimaced. “What is that tone for? You and I are childhood friends - and what is this veneration for!
- Excuse me ... What are you ... - the thin one chuckled, shrinking even more. - Your Excellency's gracious attention ... it seems to be life-giving moisture ... This is, Your Excellency, my son Nathanael ... wife Louise , Lutheran, in a way ...
The fat one wanted to object something, but the thin one's face was written with such reverence, sweetness and respectful acidity that the Privy Councilor vomited. He turned away from the thin one and gave him his hand in parting.
The thin one shook three fingers, bowed with his whole body and giggled like a Chinese: "hee-hee-hee." The wife smiled. Nathanael shuffled his foot and dropped his cap. All three were pleasantly surprised.

Mastery humorous story inherent in A.P. Chekhov. It is revealed in his work through the details, symbols and images that remain at the hearing of several generations of grateful readers. The moral embedded in these concise prose works, is still a reliable guide for moral choice free thinking person.

The action begins with a meeting of two friends at the station. One of them is fat - Michael ( Privy Councilor), another thin one is Porfiry. Already at the beginning, Chekhov contrasts the two heroes.

Thin immediately begins to describe how beautiful he is, what kind of wife Louise he has, what kind of son Nathanael is. The fat one looks enthusiastically at his friend, while Porfiry, having learned that Mikhail is a secret adviser, suddenly turned pale and petrified. The plot of the story "Thick and Thin" half consists of demonstrating the change in the attitude of the unfortunate hero to a childhood friend. The author describes in great detail how the character and his family are changing: “He himself shrank, hunched, narrowed ... His suitcases, bundles and cartons shrank, wrinkled ... His wife's long chin became even longer; Nathanael stretched out in front and buttoned all the buttons of his uniform ... ". After all, the son at first also assessed his father's friend, whether it was worth greeting him, and as a result hid behind Porfiry's back. The same one immediately began to be kind to his old friend, addressing him “to you”, calling him “your excellency”, while he himself cringed more and more. Mikhail tried to explain that there could be no servility between friends, but all was in vain. And from all this “reverence, sweetness and respectful acidity, the Privy Councilor threw up. He turned away from the thin one and gave him his hand in parting.

main characters

1. Tolstoy (Mikhail) - successful and prosperous. He rejoices at the meeting, is interested in the life of a friend, is disappointed that the comrade turned out to be a servile hypocrite. His position is Privy Councilor (a fairly high rank in tsarist Russia). Chekhov gives an ironic description of his character: "Tolstoy had just had lunch at the station, and his lips, covered with oil, were shiny like ripe cherries." The carefree life of the hero also did not hide from the reader: who will drink during the working day if there are some important things at work? This means that the official lives idle and at ease, not knowing worries, therefore cordiality and friendliness have been preserved in him. He welcomes the opportunity to demonstrate his liberal views to the public and willingly recognizes his old comrade as an equal, although he realizes that this is not so. In addition, Mikhail goes through life alone, we do not see his family. This means that his fate develops measuredly and comfortably, no one burdens him with troubles. The characteristic of Tolstoy is laid down in his portrait, the peculiarity of which was noticed by Gogol: full officials know how to get settled, use their positions for personal enrichment, but skinny ones do not.
2. Thin (Porfiry) - humiliated, servile and loaded. He bends under the weight of his burden, questions his friend absently and superficially, flatters and humiliates himself before him when he learns that a friend is a privy councillor. His position is a petty official, perhaps a copyist of papers. The author described him as follows: "Slim just got out of the car and was loaded with suitcases, bundles and cartons." Before the mind's eye appeared a portrait of a tortured, fussy man, on whom life presses from all sides, like bundles and bundles. The difficult lot of Porfiry, the hardships and care for the family, taking into account the low salary, are shown through the suitcases and bags with which he is loaded like a donkey. The hero is not initially free, he is burdened by family affairs and responsibilities, maybe that's why he occupies a lower position. His servility is the cost of the profession. Without it, he will lose even the modest position that he occupies. The writer emphasizes the typical character of his character, implying that all seemingly untidy officials cannot arrange their lives differently: they bend under the authorities and never straighten out, and remain on the lower rungs of the career ladder.

Chekhov's attitude to the heroes of the work is neutral. He tells the story and brings it to the judgment of the readers, but does not pass moral sentences on it. He is impartial in his concise manner of presentation.

the most important stylistic figure in the book is the antithesis, which is stated by Chekhov already in the title. The heroes of the story "Thick and Thin" symbolize the social inequality that people themselves create among themselves. Throughout the work, the antithesis persists: the rich smell of “sherry and fleur-d’orange,” while the poor smell of “ham and coffee grounds.” When Tolstoy is delighted, his comrade turns pale. Mikhail turns to his friend “for you”, and Porfiry, having learned the rank, begins to address him “for you”. The characterization of heroes is based on comparison. If one is shy before the rank, then the other has already learned to swell with complacency. If one has vanity and flickering in life, then the other has comfort and idleness.

Not only the attitude changes, but also the speech. Both Thin and Tolstoy use colloquial vocabulary: “My dear”, “My dear”, “Fathers”, “darling”. When Porfiry recognizes his friend's position, he switches to an official and respectful address: "your excellency", "you-sir", "pleasantly-sir."

Main Topics

1. In the story "Thick and Thin" the theme social inequality takes center stage. It gives rise to such ugly forms of opportunism as flattery and hypocrisy.
2. The writer wanted to emphasize how important it is for a person to maintain individuality, so he touched on the subject of individual freedom in the work. "Thin" people are accustomed to servility, they no longer have their own "I". The hero was not obliged to change his tone, because this is his friend, but he is so used to the accepted clichés that he can no longer do otherwise.
3. The theme of moral choice is also evident. Porfiry is also a human chameleon who changes color depending on the situation. It is not morality or intelligence that governs him, but miserable prudence. His choice is to achieve the favor of his superiors at the cost of his own dignity.
4. At the same time, the author showed that state system in Russia of that time simply forces people to become reptiles and defend themselves from attack at all costs. The lower one is completely dependent on the higher one, and there is no place to find arbitrary control. The theme of the unjust political structure This is not the first time Chekhov has been worried.
5. In general, the author tries to devalue the vices by ridiculing them. Satire has a good purpose: to destroy poor quality personality, showing people how ridiculous it is. The humor in the story can be traced even on language level: the writer intentionally uses colloquial expressions, adjacent to clerical speech patterns, to cause a comical effect.

Main idea and meaning of the story

The author wanted to ridicule the vices so that people would be ashamed to behave this way. Society had to squeeze out hypocrisy, which, alas, has become an integral part of career development and success in life. Thin is hypocritical already on the machine, he does not even realize it, like his whole family. This is no longer a private disadvantage, it is global problem, which needs to be solved. The idea of ​​the story "Thick and Thin" is that hypocrisy is more likely to destroy a person A, and not help him. It is always noticeable and disgusting. People turn away from the hypocrite, as Michael turned away from Porfiry. They see that insincerity is common for liars and do not want to be deceived. In addition, the hypocrite is ridiculous and insignificant, he has nothing to respect and hard to love. By his behavior, he crosses out his reputation.

One must be able to distinguish between personal and work ties without infringing on any of these areas of life. Even if the career did not work out, and you need blat, you should not sell your personal space, your dignity. Having sold them once, a person is forever deprived of honor and becomes a reptile. the main idea in Chekhov's work lies in the fact that the life of a hypocrite ceases to have significance for himself, its price is lower than the price of money, and other people feel this, so their attitude changes for the worse. For example, at first Tolstoy was sincerely glad to meet a friend, but then he turned inside out from the disgusting spectacle of servility. If at first he himself thought about helping his comrade, then in the finale he is ready to run away from him as fast as he can, as contempt rolls over him.

What does Chekhov teach?

The satirist ridicules servitude, which turns people into nonentities and deprives them of their dignity. The author wittily showed how it destroys friendship and turns comrades into Thin and Tolstoy, separating them forever. Such a division by rank is unjustified, because good people are everywhere, no matter what position they occupy and how much their salary is. The writer understands that sycophancy, or its opposite, contempt, only harms society, and does not streamline it, so he betrays these vices to ridicule.

The author bequeaths to his descendants the well-known wisdom: "Every day, drop a slave out of yourself." It is worth devoting oneself to this work, otherwise conventions, prejudices, public opinion or petty tyrants one post higher can break the will, eradicate individuality and leave a spineless person at the mercy of the winner. A free person, on the other hand, develops harmoniously and acquires independence of views and judgments, which allows her to choose her own path.

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Analysis of the story by A.P. Chekhov

teacher of Russian language and literature

MOU " secondary school No. 14"

Kimry, Tver region.

Chekhov knows how to write

to words

it was tight

and thoughts are spacious.

M. Gorky

Write in your notebook:

this is a small work, containing a small number of characters, and also (most often) having one storyline.

Story -

Artistic detail -

it is one of the means of creating artistic image, which helps to present the picture, object or character depicted by the author in a unique individuality. It can reproduce features of appearance, details of clothing, environment, experience or deed.

Write in your notebook:

Humor -

(from English - comedy, whim, disposition) - a comic and at the same time good-natured attitude to the serious; friendly laughter, the purpose of which is to improve something, to cleanse from shortcomings.

satire -

a special way of artistic reproduction of reality, which sets as its task impartial criticism, denunciation, ridicule, depiction of the inconsistency of its various phenomena.

The meaning of the title

What the title reflects:

topic or main idea?

According to Chekhov, the title is the semantic core of the work. The title should be simple, clear, concise and modest.

Name this story unique, relevant to the content.

Theme. Problem.

Determine the theme and problem of the story.

Meeting of two former classmates at the station.

Problem

officials

Composition

What is the peculiarity of the composition of the story "Thick and Thin"?

It lacks action development.

exposition

What literary method

used in exposition?

Nikolaev railway

exposition

The exposition is strong, because already in the description of the characters there is a huge difference in potentials, which sets the reader up to expect an inevitable conflict. One is fat, the other is thin, one is satisfied, the other is exhausted, one is light, without companions, the second is burdened with both belongings and family. It's not just a contrast, it's - antithesis . We guess the antagonists.

"Two friends met at the station of the Nikolaev railway: one fat, the other thin."

tie

Find the beginning of the story.

- Porfiry! - exclaimed the fat one, seeing the thin one. - Is that you? My dove! How many winters, how many years!

climax

Find the climax of the story.

- Well, how are you? Probably already civilian? AND?

- No, my dear, raise it higher, - said the fat one. - I have already risen to the secret ... I have two stars.

denouement

Find the ending to the story.

"So much reverence, sweetness and respectful acidity was written on the face of the thin one that the secret threw up."

Portrait

Compare portraits of fat and thin. What details of the portrait does the author draw the reader's attention to?

The portraits are given through an enumeration of bright external signs - not only visible ones. It even indicates what smells accompany each hero: the fat one smells of orange blossom (exquisite cologne fleur d "orange - French" orange flower ") and sherry (wine infused with herbs). From the thin one, who was driving, as you might guess, not in the first class - ham and coffee.That is, an appeal to the reader's various senses: sight, hearing, smell.

Numerous cartons and boxes with which the thin one is hung are evidence that he cannot afford to take a porter. And further words dialogue confirm that Porfiry is short of money.

Which of the characters is the first to rush to a friend?

The fat one is the first to rush to a friend,

while experiencing true joy.

What does the thin one call the fat one?

- Fathers! - the thin one was amazed. - Misha! Childhood friend! Where did you come?

The friends kissed each other three times and fixed their eyes full of tears on each other. Both were pleasantly surprised.

Who is the first to start a conversation after a greeting? How does he begin his story?

I'm already married, as you can see... This is my wife, Louise, nee Wanzenbach... a Lutheran... And this is my son, Nathanael, a student of the third grade.

What does the thin one remember? Why does the fat man, at the behest of the author, not pronounce

not a single phrase during a thin monologue?

- We studied together in high school! - continued thin.

- Remember how you were teased? You were teased by Herostratus because you burned a government book with a cigarette, and I was Ephialtes because I loved to slander. Ho-ho... They were children!

Tolstoy, Herostratus, in childhood was an ambitious man who did not think about the consequences of his actions.

Thin, Ephialtes, in childhood he was a sneak, an informer, that is, servility was a feature of his character from childhood .

What phrase does the fat one push the thin one to talk about the service?

- Well, how are you, friend? asked the fat man, looking enthusiastically at his friend.

- Where do you serve? Reached the ranks?

What does thin tell about his service?

- I serve, my dear! I have been a collegiate assessor for the second year and I have Stanislav. The salary is bad ... well, God bless him! My wife gives music lessons, I privately make cigarette cases from wood. Excellent cigarette cases! I sell for a ruble. If someone takes ten pieces or more, that, you understand, is a concession. Let's get some fun. I served, you know, in the department, and now I have been transferred here as a clerk in the same department ... I will serve here.

How the thin and his relatives change when they find out about the official position of the fat one.

Why did they suddenly change?

Tolstoy is a secret adviser, he has 2 orders, the highest rank.

Thin - 8th grade, close to lower rank. That is, thin achieved almost nothing . Thin began to behave like an official, and not like a childhood friend .

How does the meaning of the title change now?

Thick and thin is not only external signs. Tolstoy is a man who has achieved high position. And the behavior of the subtle speaks of the insignificance, insignificance of the hero.

How did the fat one react to the changes in the behavior and appearance of the thin one, and why?

The fat one wanted to object something, but the thin one's face was written with such reverence, sweetness and respectful acidity that the Privy Councilor vomited.

How did childhood friends say goodbye?

He turned away from the thin one and gave him his hand in parting.

The thin one shook three fingers, bowed with his whole body and giggled like a Chinese: "hee-hee-hee." The wife smiled. Nathanael shuffled his foot and dropped his cap. All three were pleasantly surprised.

So, a fat man is both a person and an official. The author laughs at subtle and in general over servility. It seems to indicate that the problem of a petty official is connected with servility, servility, which is typical for the society of the 19th century. So at the station childhood friends met, and two ranks parted . Between them lay an invisible abyss.

"All three were pleasantly stunned"?

with irony

Why are the images of the thin wife and son introduced, since the fat one is shown alone?

The son does not honor his father. At first he thought, only then he took off his hat and hid behind his father. The wife pleases her husband in everything. A wife and a son are given in order to expand the characteristics of the subtle.

Why does Chekhov persistently call the characters fat and thin, although the reader recognizes their names in the second paragraph?

hint at social status in society

(respect for the rank, not for the person).

What is funny and what is sad in this story?

The story “Thick and Thin” causes both a smile and sadness in all readers, because it is always and everywhere unpleasant and sad to see when only one official remains from a person, whether he is thin or fat.

The scene at the station leaves an unpleasant feeling not only for a childhood friend, but also for the reader. It is a pity that the joy of meeting was so stupidly and irreparably spoiled.

Chekhov always advocated respect for human dignity in man. Which of the heroes forgot about it and when?

Slim appreciates him most in a person status, bends before top official. He is ready for any humiliation to show his ability to please a noble person. This psychology of the slave, which ruled in tsarist Russia, is described by

A.P. Chekhov in his story "Thick and Thin".

Main idea

What is the main idea of ​​the story

In everyone, first of all, you need to see a person, and not his rank; derision of servility the mighty of the world this, the idea that the problem of a petty official is connected with the veneration of rank, characteristic of the society of the 19th century .

That is, by showing the meeting of two classmates, Chekhov showed the whole system of Russian life.

Dialogue

What is the role of dialogue in a story?

Dialogue is the main event of the story. Structurally, it is divided into two main parts:

in the first, thin, choking with complacency, lists his, frankly, not too great achievements;

in the second, he presents these same achievements as something completely insignificant. If we draw an analogy with military operations, in the first phase the thin one advances, in the second it shamefully retreats and admits its defeat.

your relationship with the characters?

1. Speech. Tolstoy's lines are short, which speaks of his confidence. The remarks of the thin one are long, which indicates servility, because he is used to proving, making excuses.

2. gradation – "shrunken, hunched, narrowed."

3. Estimated words « turned pale", "petrified ».

Vocabulary.

What other features are thin. originality of the story

Chekhov, except for antithesis, speech characteristics

heroes, evaluative words, gradation, can be determined?

personification

(« His suitcases, bundles and cartons shrank, grimaced")

(« like a Chinese", "like ripe cherries »)

Comparisons

(more verbs used,

since they convey a change of action)

Parts of speech

obsolete words

(“kissing”, “private”, “nobles”)

colloquial evaluative words

(“my dear”, “fathers”, “kissed »)

Syntax.

(2 times used “were pleasantly stunned”, “This is ... my son ... wife Louise ...”)

Inversion

(« two friends met”, “a woman looked out”, “exclaimed a fat one” - indicates the importance of the actions of the heroes)

Offer type

( exclamatory and interrogative, because a lot

impressions at the meeting)

Stylistic features

stories by A.P. Chekhov:

1. Simple, extremely short title.

2. Dialogue construction of stories.

3. Traditional composition (starting, climax, denouement).

4. Brief tie: indicated characters, time and place of action. .

5. The individuality of the characters' speech as the basis of their originality.

6. Portrait as a means of characterization of the hero.

7. Brevity and conciseness: simple sentences, the practical absence of epithets, the abundance of verbs, since the main thing is the description of actions, metaphors, brought to the grotesque.

8. “ Talking detail” replacing the detailed description.

9. Rejection digressions and descriptions.

Independent work

Write a description of the hero according to the plan.

Option 1 -

characteristic

Option 2 -

characteristic

thick

1. The place occupied by the hero in the work. 2. The position of the hero in society. 3. portrait characteristic. 4. speech characteristic. 5. Character traits.

A. P. Chekhov- recognized master little story. The phrase "Brevity is the sister of talent" was the writer's favorite. His short stories were very bright in content. They are distinguished by uncomplicated plots, clear compositional construction, the presence of bright artistic details, speaking names and surnames, dynamism of action, stage dialogues. They are filled with humor and vivacity.

Chekhov is an incomparable artist. And the dignity of his work is that it is understandable not only to every Russian, but to a person in general.

L. N. Tolstoy

The main characters of “Thick and Thin” are childhood friends, they once studied together, played pranks together, both retained many warm memories of that carefree period. The description of the appearance of the characters is the main antithesis in the work. The author does not immediately introduce the names of the characters into the story, at first he calls them “thick and thin”. This emphasizes not only the external, but also the internal characteristics of the characters, setting the reader up for the fact that they met people between whom misunderstanding is inevitable. In Chekhov's story "Thick and Thin" servility, the habit of kowtowing before higher ranks. The instant metamorphosis that happened to the “thin” and his entire family is so disgusting and irreversible that the “fat” tends to leave his old friend, he is “sick”.

Characteristics of the heroes “Thick and thin”

main characters

Fat (Misha)

A full, good-natured person who loves to eat well. Behaves easily and naturally. He rose to the rank of Privy Councilor, has "two stars". He recalls school pranks with joy, sincerely glad to meet a childhood friend. Despite his position, he keeps himself simple, does not recognize servility among old friends.

Thin (Porfiry)

A thin man with a mountain of bags of suitcases and cardboard boxes in his hands. His family is his reflection. From the memoirs of Porfiry himself, we learn that in the gymnasium he was teased because he was sneaky. Talking about himself, he complains about low income, dissatisfied with his position. It seems that Porfiry is sincerely glad to meet his friend, but something keeps him in suspense. How to behave with Mikhail, his family cannot decide. They hide behind the head of the family. After Porfiry finds out that Misha has become a secret adviser, his face changes beyond recognition, and apart from nervous giggles and stutters, he can’t squeeze anything out of himself.

Minor characters

Louise, wife of Porfiry	The husband introduces her several times, the heroine herself is silent, hiding behind her husband. Gives paid music lessons, which replenishes the meager family budget.
Nathanael	The son of Porfiry, a high school student, is in the third grade, a silent character. When meeting a friend of his father, he did not immediately take off his cap, he thought (apparently, like his father assessed the status of a person). Upon learning that Mikhail is a secret adviser, he straightens up and drops his cap. He is stunned, as if in front of him is a holy being, and not a simple person.

In the work “Thick and Thin”, the characters meet by chance at the station, the “second” acquaintance occurs at the moment when Mikhail informs his friend about what post he occupies. At this moment, the image of Porfiry undergoes such grandiose changes that a new person. The transformation so strikingly reveals the character of the "subtle" and his family that further dialogue between friends is impossible. The situation positively characterizes the well-fed and well-to-do Mikhail, who turns out to be more humane and simpler than Porfiry, who wishes for life. The author urges to keep dignity, self-respect, and do not evaluate a person by status in society.