What is the ingenuity of a left-handed person? The image and characteristics of Lefty in Nikolai Leskov’s work “Lefty

Nikolai Leskov sought to comprehend and reflect in his work the life of different classes, groups and estates. And he managed to create a complex and multicolored, not fully studied image of Russia in one of the most difficult periods for it - in the second half of the 19th century. An excellent example of this is the story “Lefty”.

Briefly about the plot

Before we begin the analysis of “Lefty” by N. Leskov, let us remember the story itself. The events of "Tale" take place at the beginning of the 19th century. During one of his trips to England, Emperor Alexander was shown a tiny flea that could dance. He brought her to Russia. After the death of the emperor, this curiosity was discovered in his belongings, and the Cossack Platov explained that the sovereign had brought this flea as an example of the skill of English mechanics, and noted that the Russians could do no worse. Emperor Nicholas, who believed in the superiority of the Russians, instructed Platov to go to the Don and visit Tula factories, to look for a craftsman who would answer the call of the British.

Platov called three famous gunsmiths, including Lefty, showed them a strange flea and asked them to come up with something that would be superior to the English work. The craftsmen answered the call - they shod the flea on all its legs. Everyone was delighted and sent the savvy flea back to England to demonstrate the skill of Russian craftsmen. In England, Lefty was shown factories and offered to stay. The workman refused, and on the way back he started an argument with the half-skipper over who would outdrink whom. Upon arrival in St. Petersburg, half the skipper was brought back to life in a rich hospital, and Lefty died without medical care in a hospital for the poor.

Nikolai Leskov’s story “Lefty” ends with the fact that even on his deathbed, Lefty thinks about his homeland. Before his death, he reveals the secret of cleaning guns, but they did not tell the sovereign anything and continued to clean the guns with crushed bricks. If they had listened to Lefty’s advice then, the Crimean War would have had a completely different outcome.

Main character

The main character of the story is a talented Russian artisan, Lefty. He and other craftsmen were commissioned to create a masterpiece to surprise the British. They decided that the nails for the horseshoes were created by Lefty. The author does not attach much importance to the description of his appearance, pointing out that he had a birthmark on his cheek, he was slanted in one eye and had a receding hairline. The skill and skill of Lefty were more important - this is what the author paid attention to. He does not feel like someone significant; when the British offer to stay with them, he refuses. This is caused not so much by love for the homeland, but by disbelief in a better life.

An analysis of the story “Lefty” by N. S. Leskov would not be complete without the image of the main character, so let’s look at his characteristics in more detail. A person so downtrodden that the thought of somehow resisting circumstances does not occur to him, Lefty dies an absurd death. Here the author contrasts Lefty with the English skipper. He was immediately taken to the British embassy, surrounded by care. The author emphasizes how indifferent the country to which Lefty returned is to human life. In fact, a rare craftsman has died, and no one cares. There is a lot of comedy in the description of this character. For example, the master used his squint and left-handedness to good effect - he could do the finest work that could not be seen with the naked eye.

Other heroes

Let’s continue the analysis of Leskov’s “Lefty” by introducing us to other characters in the work. The main characters of “Lefty” are the emperors Alexander and Nicholas, the Cossack ataman Platov and the Russian craftsman Lefty. Alexander Pavlovich is a big fan of Western culture and technology. He admired the works of Western craftsmen, and they invariably pleased him. Having visited England and seen a miracle flea there, he immediately bought it and brought it to St. Petersburg. Patriot Platov said that ours can do just as well. But Alexander, being a shrewd politician, still refrains from showing the work of Russian artisans in England.

Nikolai Pavlovich is the brother of Emperor Alexander and his complete opposite. He is inquisitive and patriotic. If Alexander was sure that Western craftsmen were the best, then Nikolai had no doubt that no one could surpass Russian masters. Having seen the flea and listened to Platov’s explanations, he was not slow in finding masters who could surpass the British. Soon the craftsmen showed their work, the emperor was very upset when he did not see anything unusual. But, looking through the microscope, I saw that the flea was savvy. And he immediately sent Lefty with the curiosity to England to demonstrate Russian skill.

Accompanied the Emperor during his trip to England. Platov was distinguished by his love for everything Russian; he did not understand Alexander’s enthusiasm and exposed the treachery of foreigners. When the British boasted about their weapons, he unscrewed the lock and showed them the inscription that it was made by Russian craftsmen, and sincerely rejoiced at the frustration of the British. But not everything was smooth in Platov’s character - he was cruel to those who depended on him and treated them with contempt.

History of writing

If you analyze Leskov’s work “Lefty” according to plan, you should start with the date and history of writing. The tale of Lefty was first published in 1881 in the magazine “Rus”. In a separate edition, the author made amendments that enhance the severity of the story, emphasizing the arbitrariness of the authorities and the ignorance of the common people. Leskov initially excluded the preface from the collected works; the introduction to the story first appeared in the 1894 edition. Until this time, the reader was given the opportunity to taste all the charm of a story told by a fictional character. By removing the preface, the author wants to puzzle the reader and becomes the narrator’s crafty companion, and in the last chapter he replaces him.

In “Lefty” Leskov’s innovation was once again demonstrated: he does not use the word “fairy tale”, since it does not correspond to the writer’s intentions. After all, there are no fantastic characters here, real historical figures are mentioned here - Emperors Alexander and Nicholas, Empress Elizabeth, Cossack Ataman Platov. The clarification “legend” allows us to better understand the author’s intention - to look at history through the eyes of a person from the people, in this case - a gunsmith. Leskov once again emphasizes the people’s ability to create legends and myths based on real events.

Means of expression

Continuing the analysis of Leskov’s “Lefty”, let us dwell on the artistic means that the author used in his work. A play was filmed based on Leskov’s story, and there is a ballet version of “Lefty.” But the tragic component of the tale is missing here. The narrator in “Lefty” gives free rein to his imagination and wordplay to further excite his listeners. Hyperbole is used as one of the techniques to convey the comic component - the colorful chieftain Platov snores so much that not a single Englishman in the house can sleep. An English flea made of pure steel dances a country dance and cannot be seen with the naked eye.

In literature lessons in the 6th grade, enough time is devoted to the analysis of Leskov’s work “Lefty”. They study in detail the character and actions of the characters, the author's intention, and the means of expression used by the author. Let's look at them in more detail. An example of the use of hyperbole is Platov’s return from the Don to Tula: a description of the impatience of the Cossack chieftain and the work of the Tula craftsmen who shoed the flea and wrote their name on the horseshoe. The writer's play with language in this story goes much further than in other works - it is a celebration of neologisms and baroque expressions. As A. Volynsky noted: “The whole tale seems to be a set of clownish expressions.”

Leskov uses many techniques here, including combinations of two words that sound the same but have different meanings. This technique is based on the tendency of ordinary people to remake unfamiliar or foreign words so that it is understandable. In addition, in “Lefty” there are verbal absurdities: “gags” are socks, “wind cap” is a hood from the wind. The story is dominated by colloquial expressions, strange phrases, and dialecticisms.

The main idea of the work

After this story, critics attacked Leskov, saying that he, in the person of the Tula gunsmith, belittled the Russian people. And only “Bulletin of Europe” understood the main theme and conflict in the tale “Lefty”, as well as the writer’s intention. Leskov portrayed the Russian people, who reject European recipes, and at the same time look limited and dependent on social conditions. It must be admitted that “Lefty” is replete with ironic remarks worthy of attention. When the tsar and his ataman travel across Europe, Platov distracts his attention in every possible way - it’s no worse with us. The chieftain does not want to speak French: “I considered all French conversations to be trifles.” While the British demonstrate their weapons, he says that his fellows won without it.

“Lefty” through the eyes of the author

Of course, the chieftain is a comedic character, and his common sense smacks of limitations. He treats his messengers cruelly. He treats Lefty inhumanely in the episode with the “nymphosoria” and the king’s daughter. When the half-skipper asks him to help, he refuses to do anything for the English master. Without a doubt, the story "Lefty" proves Russian superiority. Lefty says that the Orthodox faith is the most correct, because “our books are thicker than yours.” The author's mockery of nationalism is visible throughout the work; people obsessed with it are unable to see the true value of things. But Leskov wanted to good-naturedly ridicule the bragging of the Russian people, their inability to recognize the value of what was done on the other side.

Continuing the analysis of Leskov’s “Lefty”, it is impossible not to dwell on the opinion of critics. During the years of Soviet power, critics did not fail to emphasize the bitter satire in the story of Lefty. His end is tragic - the flourishing of folk talent is impossible in Russia. The author portrays both kings as comedic characters. Alexander tries to please the British in everything and looks at Russian life superficially. Nicholas does not trust foreigners, but succumbs to the flattery and cunning of the courtiers, who hide the death of Lefty from him. The dying Lefty asked him to tell the king not to clean his guns with crushed bricks, but no one listened to him. The Tsar did not know anything, and the Crimean campaign was lost.

True reality

People's life cannot be called pleasant either. Platov treats the Cossacks cruelly and commits arbitrariness with impunity. He beats up Lefty and gets off with an apology. Lefty was thrown in front of the police station, he lay in the cold for a long time, then he was taken half-naked from hospital to hospital and finally brought to a hospital for the poor. The author shows in what ignorance the people vegetate, they are captive of their prejudices and customs. Leskov wrote that he initially wanted to portray Lefty as a symbol of the Russian people with all its shortcomings and advantages: intelligence and ingenuity.

Concluding the analysis of Leskov’s “Lefty”, let’s summarize - did the author succeed in realizing his plan? Was the reader able to understand it? Probably yes. Many amazing things were created by illiterate people, not knowing arithmetic, only the Psalter and the Dream Book. Lefty is like a bird that flew too close to the sun and scorched its wings. And the Russian people are unable to use their talents not only because of ignorance, but also because they are possessed by a sense of superiority. And common sense and prudence are Western concepts. In “Lefty,” the author says that Russian people have two tenacious habits that are ingrained in their blood: drunkenness and fanfare.

“The Tale of the Left-Hander” cannot be called either a pamphlet against the Russian people, or an openly nationalistic work. Leskov talentedly presented here a living and truthful image of reality.

The action of the story “Lefty” takes place in the Russian Empire during the reign of Tsars Alexander the First and Nikolai Pavlovich. The work contrasts the attitude of the emperors towards the Motherland and the achievements of the Russian people. In the story, the author noticeably sympathizes with Tsar Nikolai Pavlovich, as well as with the main character, the Tula master Leftsha, whose views are akin to the imperial ones. They are united by the belief that nothing is impossible for a Russian. The characterization of Lefty from Leskov’s story “Lefty” is an opportunity to understand the essence of a real simple Russian person.

Closeness to the people

With the main character of the work N.S. Leskov does not introduce us right away. Over the course of several chapters, it seems that the main character of the story is the Cossack Platov. The true protagonist appears as if by chance. Perhaps, the author did this deliberately in order to emphasize the essence of the character of Lefty from the story “Lefty” - he comes from the people and himself is their personification, with all his simplicity, naivety, indifference to wealth, great faith in Orthodoxy and devotion to the Fatherland. For the same purpose, the author does not give the hero a name. Lefty is one of three Tula craftsmen who were given the honor of making something like this to prove to Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich and the self-confident British what the Russian people are capable of.

The generality of the image of Lefty is emphasized not only by his namelessness, but also by a little information about him. As we read, we don't know anything about his age or family. Before us is only his laconic portrait: “Left-handed with an oblique face, a birthmark on his cheek, and the hair on his temples torn out during training.”

The great talent of a simple master

Despite his outward ugliness, Lefty has a great talent that amazed not only the Tsar himself, but also English craftsmen. Lefty, together with two other Tula craftsmen, managed to shoe a miniature flea without any special knowledge or equipment. In this case, Lefty got the most difficult job - forging miniature nails for horseshoes.

The quality without which the characterization of Lefty from the story “Lefty” will be incomplete is the modesty of a brilliant master. The folk craftsman did not boast of his achievement and did not consider himself a hero, but simply conscientiously carried out the instructions of the sovereign, and also tried with all his heart to show what a Russian person was capable of. When Emperor Nicholas realized what the craftsmen's work was, which at first he could not see even through his small scope, he was surprised how they could do it without equipment. To which Lefty modestly replied: “We are poor people and due to our poverty we do not have a small scope, but our eyes are so focused.”

Indifference to wealth and comfort

Lefty also showed modesty and indifference to wealth during his trip to England. He did not agree to study abroad; promises of neither money nor fame convinced him. Lefty asked for one thing - to go home as soon as possible. This simplicity and modesty became the reason for the hero’s inglorious death, which no one knew about. He was embarrassed by a comfortable cabin and high society, so he spent the entire journey across the winter sea on the deck, which is why he fell ill.

Arriving in St. Petersburg, he was unable to introduce himself and say that he was carrying out the tsar’s instructions. Therefore, he was robbed and was not admitted to any hospital except the simplest one for the poor, where he died. The author contrasted the image of Lefty with the Englishman who sailed with him, who was settled in a good hotel and cured. And Lefty died tragically because of his modesty and simplicity.

Lefty Character Traits

Love for the Motherland and a sense of responsibility to one’s state are the main character traits of Lefty. Master Lefty's last thought was the desire to convey to the Tsar at all costs that there is no need to clean guns with bricks. If he had been able to convey this, Russian military affairs would have been even more successful, but his request never reached the sovereign. Even dying, this simple Tula master remained true to his character, the main feature of which was to think first of all about the Fatherland, and not about himself.

In the image of Lefty N.S. Leskov showed the full depth of the Russian person: naive, simple and even funny, but for whom there is nothing dearer than the Orthodox faith and native side. Devotion to the Motherland, responsibility for its future and great natural skill - these are the qualities that underlie the characteristics of the hero of the tale “Lefty”.

Work test

Gunsmith Lefty is the main character of N. Leskov’s story. An interesting tale, which has become the plot of animated and feature films, and theatrical productions, conveys the essence of the life of Russian talent.

The image and characterization of Lefty in the story “Lefty” help to understand the events of the history of Rus', to understand how and how a simple Tula gunsmith lived.

Lefty's Appearance

The master gunsmith Lefty remained known to everyone only by his nickname. Nobody knows his real name. The nickname was given for his skillful use of his left hand. It’s even more convenient for a master to cross himself with his left hand. This ability surprised the British. Overseas engineers did not even imagine that one could become a skilled craftsman without using the right hand.

Left-handed suffers from strabismus. This characteristic is even more striking. How did the scythe man manage to forge the smallest parts for a miniature flea? What is his visual acuity that he works without any microscopes or complex magnifying devices? Moreover, it performs the thinnest part of the product.

Other special signs:

spot on the face;
absence of “hair” on the temples.

"...one sideways left-hander, there is a birthmark on his cheek, and the hair on his temples was torn out during training..."

The teacher tore at the boy’s hair, which means the guy managed to be not a particularly diligent and diligent student.

Because of poverty, the peasant dresses modestly:

worn-out peasant shoes (footwear);
Cossack on hooks.

He was walking in what he was wearing: in shorts, one trouser leg was in a boot, the other was dangling, and the collar was old, the hooks were not fastened, they were lost, and the collar was torn; but it’s okay, don’t be embarrassed.

The boy is not shy about his appearance. Got used to it. In the story there is no feeling of discomfort when the boy is changed, that is, clothes mean nothing to him. It's scary to read the pages where he is undressed in the hospital and left almost naked on the cold floor. Some people really liked his new suit.

The image of talent from the outback

Lefty lives in the city of Tula in a small house. A cramped mansion - this is how the narrator characterizes him. The couriers who arrived with Platov tried to enter the hut, but failed. The doors were so strong that they remained standing, withstanding numerous blows from heroic strength. The roof of the house was removed faster, one log at a time. The tightness is proved by the staleness of the air, which, when the roof was removed, rose above the house so much that everyone around did not have enough air. The poor peasant loves his parents. When he is asked to stay in England, the first reason why he refuses new living conditions is his old parents. He affectionately calls his father “daddy” and his mother “old lady”. Lefty does not yet have his own family, he is not married.

I'm still single.

The character of a hero from the people

Lefty is one of the three most skilled craftsmen in the city of Tula gunsmiths. This means that among all the gunsmiths of the ancient city, only those who were very talented were chosen. It’s hard to even imagine how many real artisans live in the city of weapons production. According to the narrator, the entire Russian nation hopes for Lefty and his friends. The task facing the masters is to prove that Russian craftsmen can do everything better than others, in this story, better than the British.

The craftsmen are hardworking and persistent. They did not deliver the work before completion, and without fear of the ataman’s anger, they completed everything to the end.

Special Personality Qualities

The main character has many of his own individual characteristics, but at the same time, his personality traits make Lefty a symbol of the entire Russian people, kind and talented.

Education. The gunsmith is not literate or educated, like almost the entire peasantry in Rus' in those years. His school consisted of two textbooks: “The Psalter” and “The Half-Dream Book.” Talent lives in a master by nature. He managed to open it.

Cunning. A simple craftsman does not reveal the ideas that three gunsmiths had about an English craft. He is silent in England, not trusting his thoughts to overseas engineers. He is cunning in a kind way, without evil or intent.

Faith in God. The masters did not begin the work without the blessing of the highest divine powers. They went to the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Gunsmiths rely on themselves and on help from above.

Determination and courage. The master is not afraid to meet with the Russian emperor. Don't be embarrassed by torn clothes. He knows that he and his friends carried out his order and is ready to answer for the work. He boldly tells the king that he engraved his names on the horseshoes, what his work was.

We must take it thoughtfully and with God’s blessing.

Devoted to the Russian people, the oblique craftsman Lefty did not stay abroad, did not seek benefits for himself, even dying, he thought about how to help the Motherland. The patriotism of a simple peasant is amazing.

Completed by Evgeniy Trubnikov,

student of class 9 “A”

Lyceum No. 369

Scientific director

Epishova Svetlana Fedorovna,

teacher of Russian language and literature

St. Petersburg 2011

Introduction

1. Russian national character

2. Description of Lefty

3. Russian national character of Lefty, the hero of N.S. Leskov’s tale

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

The mysterious Russian soul... She, the subject of admiration and curses, sometimes squeezes a man's fist, crushes concrete obstacles. Otherwise it will suddenly become thinner than a petal, More transparent than an autumn web. Otherwise it flies like on the first day of the fishing season, a desperate mountain river.(E. Dolmatovsky)

There is such a thing as Russian national character. Times change, tsars, leaders, presidents change, our country itself changes, but the features of the Russian national character remain unchanged. Both foreign and Russian thinkers constantly turned to the mystery of the “mysterious Russian soul”, because this topic has always remained and will remain relevant and interesting.

To explore this topic in my work, I chose N.S. Leskov’s work “Lefty” because he, using the form of a tale, tells us the story of a man who personifies all Russian people. " Where “left-handed” is written, you should read “Russian people” - Leskov himself spoke.

“A tale is a type of literary and artistic narrative constructed as a story by a person whose position and speech style are different from the point of view and style of the author himself. The collision and interaction of these semantic and speech positions underlies the artistic effect of the tale”*. A tale involves a first-person narration, and the narrator’s speech should be measured, melodious, and in a manner characteristic of a given person. There is no narrator as such in “Lefty”, but in other respects the work can well be called a tale. The author’s “reprimand” creates the impression that the story is being narrated by some villager, simple, but at the same time (judging by the reasoning) educated and wise. “Lefty” has a similar subtext to fairy tales, because they often contain an unobtrusive, often good-natured, condescending mockery of “those in power.”

1. Russian national character

Among all the traits inherent in the Russian national character, we can highlight some that, in my opinion, are basic: hard work and talent, willpower and kindness, patience and perseverance, courage and boldness, love of freedom and patriotism, religiosity. I considered it necessary to quote the statements of some foreigners who touched upon themes of the Russian national character, because they see us from the outside and evaluate us unbiasedly.

· Hard work, talent.

“Russian people have many talents and abilities in almost all areas of public life. He is characterized by observation, theoretical and practical intelligence, natural ingenuity, ingenuity, and creativity. The Russian people are great workers, creators and creators.” The sharp practical mind of the Russian person is the source of varied experience and varied abilities. Hence - the rich development of the spirit and an abundance of talents. The talent of the Russian person was manifested in the very successful development of science and technical inventions, and the love of beauty and the gift of creative imagination contribute to the high development of Russian art.

· Love of freedom

“For the Russian people, freedom is above all.
The word “will” is closer to the Russian heart, understood as independence,

freedom in the manifestation of feelings and in the commission of actions, and not freedom as a conscious necessity, that is, as the possibility of a person expressing his will on the basis of awareness of the law”*.

According to the philosopher N.O. Lossky among the primary properties of the Russian people, along with religiosity, the search for absolute good and willpower, includes love for freedom and its highest expression - freedom of spirit. He who has a free spirit is inclined to put every value to the test, not only in thought, but even in experience. This property is associated with the search for absolute good. In the real world it does not exist, therefore, each person makes an independent choice for himself of the best method of action, his own path.

Freedom of spirit, breadth of nature, the search for perfect goodness and the associated test of values through thought and experience led to the fact that the Russian people developed the most diverse, and sometimes opposite, forms and methods. The search for absolute good has developed among the Russian people a recognition of the high value of each individual.

The Russian people had to endure many trials during their difficult history, and in each of them they showed courage and courage. Among the primary basic properties of the Russian people is powerful willpower. The higher the value, the stronger feelings and energetic activity it evokes in people with a strong will. This explains the passion of the Russian people, manifested in political life, and even greater passion in religious life. The willpower of the Russian people, as N.O. writes. Lossky, is also revealed in the fact that a Russian person, having noticed any shortcoming of his and morally condemning it, obeying a sense of duty, overcomes it and develops a quality that is completely opposite to it.

· Kindness

Often Russian people help those whom they should hate with all their souls, with whom they, in theory, cannot have decent relations. For example, the Austrian German Otto Berger, who was a prisoner in Russia from 1944 to 1949, wrote in his book that while living in Russia, the prisoners understood “What a special people the Russians are. All workers, and especially women, treated us as unfortunate people in need of help and protection. Sometimes the women would take our clothes, our linen, and return it all ironed, washed, mended. The most amazing thing was that the Russians themselves lived in monstrous need, which should have killed their desire to help us, their yesterday’s enemies.”. Our Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky agrees with the opinion of a foreigner: “Russian people do not know how to hate for a long time and seriously,” he wrote about Russian kindness.

The kindness of the Russian people in all layers of them is expressed in the absence of rancor. “Often a Russian person, being passionate and prone to maximalism, experiences a strong feeling of repulsion from another person, but when meeting him, if specific communication is necessary, his heart softens and he somehow involuntarily begins to show his spiritual softness towards him, even sometimes condemning himself for this if he believes that the person in question does not deserve to be treated kindly.”*

· Patriotism

The Russian people have always been distinguished by their patriotism. Russian people could remain dissatisfied with Russia among themselves, but as soon as it was necessary to defend it, to defend the honor of the Motherland, they united and together repulsed the enemy or simply did not allow ridicule of it.

· Patience and Fortitude

“Russians have limitless patience, an amazing ability to endure difficulties, hardships and suffering. In Russian culture, patience and the ability to endure suffering are the ability to exist, the ability to respond to external circumstances, this is the basis of personality.”*

· Religiosity

Religiosity is a feature of the Russian national character that practically determined the entire Russian mentality. In my opinion, if the Russian people were not so religious, then, most likely, their history would have turned out differently. After all, many of the defining features of the Russian national character were formed precisely thanks to her. In his book “The Character of the Russian People,” Russian philosopher N.O. Lossky considers the main and deepest feature of the Russian people to be their religiosity and the associated search for absolute truth. “Russians can talk about religion for six hours straight. The Russian idea is a Christian idea; in the foreground there is love for those who suffer, pity, attention to the individual personality…” writes N.O. Lossky in his book.

2. Description of Lefty

Distinctive properties of N.S.’s prose Leskov - fairy-tale motifs, the interweaving of the comic and tragic, the ambiguity of the author's assessments of the characters - were fully manifested in one of the writer's most famous works, “Lefty”.

Introducing us to the main character, the author does not demonstrate his attractiveness, just a few details: “ left-handed with an oblique eye, a birthmark on his cheek, and the hair on his temples torn out during training.” However, Lefty is a skilled Tula craftsman, one of those Tula gunsmiths who managed to forge the English “nymphosorium” and, thereby, surpass the English masters.

When meeting the king himself, Lefty is not afraid, but “ he walks in what he was wearing: in shorts, one trouser leg is in a boot, the other is dangling, and the collar is old, the hooks are not fastened, they are lost, and the collar is torn; but it’s okay, don’t be embarrassed" Lefty, an unprepossessing little man, is not afraid to go to the sovereign, because he is confident in his rightness and in the quality of his work. Indeed, there is something to marvel at here - the craftsmen not only did not spoil the curiosity, but also surpassed the British in skill: they shod the steel flea and wrote their names on the horseshoes. This is such a miniature work that you can see the result with a “small scope”, which magnifies several hundred times, and the craftsmen, due to poverty, did all the delicate work without a “small scope”, because they “have such a focused eye.” However, Lefty's name was not on the horseshoes, since he considered himself unworthy of it. In his opinion, he didn’t do anything special, because he worked with parts less than shoeing: he forged nails to nail them.

Lefty is ready to sacrifice himself for the sake of the Fatherland, in the name of the cause. He goes to England without documents, hungry (he’s on the road “ At each station, the belts were also tightened by one badge so that the intestines and lungs did not get mixed up”, to show foreigners Russian ingenuity and skill, and earns the respect of the British by his reluctance to remain in their country.

Lefty's skill and skill aroused well-deserved respect among the British, but, unfortunately, he was deprived of the technical knowledge available to English masters, and, as a result, the savvy Lefty and his comrades can no longer dance: “ It's a shame- the British regret, - It would be better if you knew at least four rules of addition from arithmetic, then it would be much more useful to you than the entire Half-Dream Book. Then you could realize that in every machine there is a calculation of force; Otherwise, you are very skillful in your hands, but you didn’t realize that such a small machine, like the one in the nymphosoria, is designed for the most accurate precision and cannot carry its shoes. Because of this, the nymphosoria now does not jump and does not dance.”

When Lefty returns to his homeland, he falls ill and dies, useless to anyone. Thrown on the floor in a “common people’s” hospital, he personifies the inhumanity, short-sightedness and ingratitude of state power - the reason for the unsettled state of Russia, according to the author.

From the entire story, it becomes obvious that Leskov sympathizes with Lefty, feels sorry for him, and the author’s comments are filled with bitterness. The image of Lefty reflected Leskov’s search for a positive national hero, and, in my opinion, this image is very close to the goal.

3. Russian national character of Lefty, the hero of N.S. Leskov’s tale

Leskov does not give a name to his hero, thereby emphasizing the collective meaning and significance of his character. The image of Lefty combines the main features of the Russian national character.

· Religiosity

The religiosity of the Russian people is manifested in the episode when Tula craftsmen, including Levsha, before starting work, went to bow to the icon of “Nikola of Mtsensk” - the patron of trade and military affairs. Also, Lefty’s religiosity is “intertwined” with his patriotism. Lefty's faith is one of the reasons he refuses to stay in England. “ “Because,” he answers, “our Russian faith is the most correct, and just as our rightful fathers believed, our descendants should believe just as accurately.”

· Willpower, courage and courage

Lefty, one of three gunsmiths, worked hard on the strange flea for two weeks. All this time they sat locked up, keeping their work secret. This is where the strength of spirit manifests itself, since I had to work in difficult conditions: with closed windows and doors, without rest, so that during work I would never leave their “close mansion”, in which “ the breathless work in the air created such a sweaty spiral that an unaccustomed person with a fresh wind could not breathe even once.”

· Patience and Fortitude

Many times Lefty shows patience and perseverance: and when Platov “ caught the left-hander by the hair and started tossing it back and forth so that tufts flew.”, and when Lefty, sailing home from England, despite bad weather, sits on the deck to quickly see his homeland:

“As soon as we left the bay into the Solid Earth Sea, his desire for Russia became such that it was impossible to calm him down. The flooding has become terrible, but the left-handed man doesn’t go downstairs to the cabins - he sits under the gift, pulls his cap down and looks towards his fatherland. Many times the English came to a warm place to call him down, but so as not to be bothered, he even began to lash out.”

· Patriotism

While in England, Lefty rejects lucrative offers from the British: to settle in London, study science, visit factories for practice, get a prestigious job, get married, start a family. (“ Stay with us, we will give you great education, and you will become an amazing master”, “The British named themselves so that they could send money to his parents”, “we will marry you”, because he loves his homeland, loves its customs, its traditions. Lefty cannot imagine his life outside of Russia. “ “We,” he says, “are committed to our homeland, and my little brother is already an old man, and my parent is an old woman and is accustomed to going to church in her parish,” “but I would rather go to my native place, because otherwise I might go crazy.” get it.”

Left-handed is a true patriot, a patriot at heart, gifted from birth, he is characterized by high morality and religiosity. He went through many trials, but even in his death hour he remembers that he must tell the military secret of the British, ignorance of which negatively affects the combat effectiveness of the Russian army.

· Kindness

Despite his strong attachment to his homeland, Lefty refuses the British's request to stay very politely, trying not to offend them. He does this in such a way that his refusal not only did not upset the British, but even earned them respect. And he forgives Ataman Platov for his rude treatment of himself. “Even though he has Ovechkin’s fur coat, he has the soul of a man,” says the “Aglitsky half-skipper” about his Russian comrade.

· Hard work and talent

One of the main themes in the story is the theme of the creative talent of the Russian person. Talent, according to Leskov, cannot exist independently; it must necessarily be based on the moral and spiritual strength of a person. The plot itself, the very history of this tale tells how Lefty, together with his comrades, was able to “outdo” the English masters without any acquired knowledge, only thanks to talent and hard work. Extraordinary, wonderful skill is the main property of Lefty. He wiped the noses of the “Aglitsky masters”, shod the flea with such small nails that you couldn’t see it even with the strongest microscope. In the image of Lefty, Leskov proved that the opinion put into the mouth of Emperor Alexander Pavlovich was incorrect: foreigners “have such a nature of perfection that once you look at it, you will no longer argue that we, Russians, are no good for our importance.”

Lefty's own name, like the names of many of the greatest geniuses, is forever lost to posterity, but his adventures can serve as a memory of an era, the general spirit of which is accurately and accurately captured. The image of Lefty, according to the writer, recalls those times when “inequality of talents and talents” mattered, and makes one look with sadness at the present time, when, “while favoring an increase in earnings, machines do not favor artistic prowess, which sometimes exceeded the limit, inspiring folk imagination to compose fabulous legends similar to the current ones.”

Conclusion

In this work, we examined the Russian national character using the example of N.S. Leskov’s work “Lefty”. Analyzing this work, finding signs of Russian national character in its main character, we discovered that “Lefty” is a work in which Leskov, an unsurpassed master of the tale, skillfully identified the main features of the Russian national character and showed them through the example of his heroes, especially Lefty . To do this, the author uses various linguistic means of expression, such as the use of “folk” words (“nymphosoria” - ciliates, “ukushetka” - couch, etc.). This gives “Lefty” a special “charm”.

Lefty is a symbol of the Russian people. Lefty personifies the Russian people; he is religious, patriotic, hardworking, kind and freedom-loving. Leskov presents a truly great man: a talented master, with a broad soul, a warm loving heart, and deep patriotic feelings.

Thus, at the end of this work, it should be said that the Russian national character, of course, has its own characteristic features, different from the features inherent in other peoples and so incomprehensible to them. That inner strength, spirituality and sacrifice of the people, their kindness, spiritual simplicity, compassion and selflessness and, at the same time, inertia, illogicality and irrationality of actions, behavior justified most often only by intuition, all this makes the Russian people unlike any other people in the world. Russia, where such an extraordinary people lives, is unlike any other country in the world.

work left-handed Russian national character

Bibliography

1. Leskov N.S. Lefty. - Astrel, AST, 2006

2. Vyunov Yu.A. “A Word about Russians.” M., 2002.

3. Vereshchagin E.M. Kostomarov V.G. “Language and Culture”. M, 1990.

4. Ter-Minasova S.G. “Language and intercultural communication.” M., 2000.

5. “Great Soviet Encyclopedia”. M, Soviet Encyclopedia, 1970.

6. Lossky N. O. About the Russian character. M., 1990.

Lefty and his role in the story

In Nikolai Semenovich Leskov’s story “Lefty,” pride for the Russian people and bitterness for the attitude of officials towards ordinary people are intertwined.

In a brief description of Lefty from the story “Lefty,” the author speaks of him as one of the gunsmiths who promised to fulfill the royal order. The work doesn't even contain Lefty's real name.

Together with two other craftsmen, Lefty took on the task to prove to the British that our craftsmen are no worse than English craftsmen and can do any complex work.

Lefty's appearance and his relationship with the characters in the story

N. S. Leskov Lefty, whose description the author gives very briefly, introduces him as the main character almost in the middle of the story. Here is what the author writes: “there are three gunsmiths, the most skilled of them, one is left-handed with an oblique eye, there is a birthmark on his cheek, and the hair on his temples has been torn out during training.” And only from this moment the plot already revolves around Lefty.

In the work, the gunsmiths appear before the reader as calm and self-confident craftsmen, respectful of the king and each other. The phrase “the king’s word will not be put to shame for our sake” says a lot. It seems that only the “royal word” sounds, but behind this expression one can hear “the honor of the Motherland,” for which the masters, without saying loud words, are ready to stand up.

Platov’s bad attitude towards Lefty changed only after Lefty explained how you need to look at a flea in order to see and appreciate the skill of Tula gunsmiths.

When sending Lefty with a messenger to England, neither the Tsar nor Platov even thought about the fact that a person was traveling so far without documents. And no one bothered to write out some paper for Lefty just in case. The main thing is for the British to understand “that this is not surprising to us.”

The Russian authorities' disdain for ordinary people runs throughout the story. They didn’t even bother to feed the left-hander, so they sent him to England hungry, only they gave him a caftan so that “it would look like he had some kind of paid rank.”

Lefty as the personification of Russian masters

All the simple working people of Russia appear in the description of Lefty from Leskov’s story “Lefty”. Hard-working, reverent of authority, ready to obey any order from his superiors, and at the same time full of dignity, patriotism and self-confidence, Lefty seems to personify Russian masters.

No English blessings tempt Lefty. He remains faithful to his homeland to the end.

Lefty's Patriotism

Returning to Russia, Lefty fully felt the “love” of his Motherland. Not having a “tugament” with him, he ended up in the “common people’s Obukhvin hospital, where everyone of an unknown class is admitted to die.”

Neither Platov nor anyone else even moved to save the master, and only thanks to the English half-skipper they brought a good doctor to Lefty. But before they had time, having caught a cold from lying on the cold floor, with a split head, Lefty died in the doctor’s arms.

And in the scene where the death of Lefty is described, the author fully reveals the character of the master. After all, even dying such a terrible death, Lefty remained faithful to his homeland. And the last words: “Tell the sovereign that the British don’t clean their guns with bricks: let them not clean ours either, otherwise, God forbid war, they are not suitable for shooting” - the best confirmation of the patriotism of the Russian craftsman.