Summary “Chekhov’s Thick and Thin”


Once, two old friends met at the station in the crowd of passengers of the Nikolayevskaya railway. The fat passenger could see that he had just had a delicious dinner at the restaurant, and his lips were still glossy with oil. He also smelled of wine and the fresh fragrance of expensive spirits. The thin whole was hung with knots, suitcases and cardboard, and smelled of ham and coffee. Next to him stood a lean woman, his wife, and a tall guy in gymnasium uniform, his son.

A meeting

The summary of Tolstoy and the Thin continues with the fact that the fat one, seeing the thin one, exclaimed with joy: “Porphyry, is it you?” “My dear fellow, how long have we not seen each other?” Subtle rose in amazement and, too, recognizing his friend, was delighted at once, shouted: “Misha, father. Where did you come from, childhood friend?”. In such a touching situation, stunned by the unexpected meeting, the fat and thin with the tears in their eyes

embraced and, as expected, three times kissed.

Intimate talk

Slim was very pleased with this surprise. He began with interest to look at the fat one and shower it with compliments. After all the noisy greetings, he brought his wife Louise to him, whom he introduced under the maiden name of Wenzenbach and indicated that she was a Lutheran. And then the turn came to the son, whom the subtle one introduced to Nathanael and said that he was a third-grade student.

Then the lean turned to his family and announced that he had met a friend of his childhood, who had studied at the gymnasium together. Nathaniel immediately took off his hat as a greeting.

Two long-lost friends began to remember their pranks and tricks in the gymnasium and who, what is to say, “became famous”.

Thin About Me

Now the fat took the initiative and began to question the subtle where he serves and what ranks he has. Slim began to tell that the second year he works as a collegiate assessor and even has the Order of St. Stanislaus, the salary is bad, but he earns money by making cigarette cases made

of wood that he makes himself. Then he talked about his wife, who teaches music lessons, that he used to serve in the department, and now he’s transferred here as chief of staff.

Thick About Me

And then the thin asked how his friend’s affairs were going, and it was not up to the State counselor who he grew up. Thick, without thinking twice, said that he would take higher, and that he had already become a secret and had two stars. And here the brief content of “Tolstoy and the Thin” takes on a little gloomy colors, as something unthinkable happened. After these words, the subtle was changed. At first he became petrified, then abruptly turned pale, hunched over, cringed and narrowed even more. His face showed a grimace, spreading out in a broad smile. Wives long chin stretched out even more, and son Nathanael buttoned up all the buttons of the uniform to the end and stretched out in the counter “quietly”.

Here such an original satire decorated Chekhov story “Thick and thin.” But this is not the end.

Scratchiness and awe

Further, the short content of Tolstoy and Slim notes that the subtle immediately changed his tone and began to babble helpful words before the fat one, and he turned to him only as “Your Excellency… it’s very pleasant-with… such grandees-with… “. Tolsty frowned and admitted that he did not need such rankings for anything, because they are friends since childhood.

But the thin only giggled nervously and cringed even more. And again, only in a more formal tone, he began to imagine his fat Lutheran wife, and then Nathanael’s son, a schoolboy.

Tolstoy did not like all this. He was about to say something, but finding himself in subtle reverence and squeamishness, and then, feeling nauseated by his behavior, he decided to immediately retire. Tolsty gave the thin guy a farewell. He shook three fingers, bowed, and giggled again ingratiatingly. His wife only managed to smile, and Nathanael dropped his cap in fright. In general, it was clear that all three of this pleasant news for them stunned.

The work “Thick and thin” Chekhov in itself is remarkable. After all, in every such literary masterpiece Chekhov ridicules human vices.

What a story? Thick and thin in a secular society

The story describes an unexpected meeting of two long-standing friends. One fat, which immediately shows that he takes the proper rank and lives safely. And another thin, who does not even have money for a porter. Therefore, he was buried under his own luggage. They were so glad to meet until the conversation turned to work, positions, achievements in life. That’s where it all went wrong. Subtle begins to literally fawn in front of the fat and find the right words, than immediately pushes away from him a fat, who, saying goodbye, soon disappears.

“Chekhov’s thick and thin” contains a moral, which consists in the fact that one should not rush to show off his achievements to the one who has achieved more, but he should not be humiliated in front of him either. And when you talk with your long-standing friend, who occupies a high position, then talk to him as a friend, and not as a high-ranking person. Chekhov’s story “Thick and thin” dedicated exactly to this, he, like no one, understands that without genuine sincere and friendly relations, people can lose their human appearance.


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Summary “Chekhov’s Thick and Thin”