“Brigadier” Fonvizin in brief summary
Characters
- The foreman; Ivanushka, his son; The brigade leader; Adviser; The counselor, his wife; Sophia, the daughter of a councilor; Dobrolyubov, the lover of Sophia; The servant is a counselor.
The action takes place in the village of the adviser, to which, when driving from St. Petersburg home, the brigadier drove with his wife and son.
Action first
The estate of the councilor. The room is decorated in a rustic style. The brigadier, in a frock coat, walks and smokes tobacco. His son, in desabilia, crooning, drinking tea. The Counselor, in the Cossack office, looks at the calendar. Near the tea table sits the counselor in desubilia and, piquing, pours tea. The brigadier is sitting in a duffel and knitting a stocking. Sophia also sits a donkey and sews.
The conversation is about the close wedding of Sophia and Ivanushka. The councilor, Avdotya Potapevna, believes that the stepdaughter was lucky, “she is following the one who was in Paris.”
The servant enters and announces the arrival of Dobrolubov. They all go out into the garden. In the room are the counselor and Ivanushka. The counselor complains about the stupidity and limitations of her husband. She dies of boredom in this backwater, all day trying on headgear and guessing herself on maps. Ivanushka taunts his parents, sighing, says that he does not live with his parents for twenty-five years, but with animals. They thickly pepper
Dobrolyubov and Sophia enter. Councilor and Ivanushka removed. Sophia seems that “apart from the brigade leader, everyone is in love here.” “The difference is that their love is ridiculous, shameful and makes them dishonorable.” Our love is based on honest intent, “Dobrolyubov replies. He complains about his small wealth, because of which the adviser does not agree to give him Sophia. The girl “a small prosperity does not frighten”. Dobrolyubov hopes that soon his situation will change for the better thanks to the won lawsuit. In order not to raise unnecessary suspicions, lovers return to the guests.
The second action
The advisor and Sophia enter. She tells her father that she does not want to marry Ivanushka. The counselor is convinced that “the father and the children should think alike.” He says that earlier the son was responsible for the father, and the father for the son and remembers the times when he was the judge. “The guilty one used to pay for his guilt, and the right for his truth, and so in my time everyone was happy: the judge, the plaintiff, and the defendant.” Our brother, the judge, for common good, manners for twenty-one decrees can interpret “- says the adviser. He tells Sophia that she “did not explain the decree to marry in accordance with the judicial practice”, but would go, as ordered, for Ivanushka. “Just imagine my misfortune: I will be a wife such a fool who is stuffed with French foolishness, which has not only love, not even the slightest respect for me,” says Sofya. The adviser answers it, that the groom has a good dignity – a fair village, and Sophia must honor the groom and please her mother-in-law. Then the counselor makes the daughter: “Go to the guests and as if from yourself, tell your mother-in-law the future that I, I instruct you to please her.”
Sophia leaves. The adviser remains alone and admits to himself that he gives the daughter against the desire for Ivanushka “for that only, so that I can meet with my beloved svoya more often by kinship.” The brigade leader comes in. The counselor begins to tell her about her sins and “weak flesh.” The brigade leader can not understand his hints. Then the adviser kneels and admits to the brigade leader in love. At this time Ivanushka enters. The adviser sees him and jumps up, and Ivanushka laughs and applauds. The adviser, dumbfounded, leaves. The brigade leader still does not understand anything. Ivanushka explains to his mother that the counselor is “cupping” with her. The brigade leader is offended.
An adviser enters. Ivanushka laughingly describes to her the scene he witnessed. They whisper. At this time the brigade leader is going to go to her husband and tell him everything. Son and counselor grab her by the floor. They convince the brigade leader that Ivanushka joked. Brigadiersha calms down and leaves. The adviser and Ivanushka remain alone. The adviser accuses Ivanushka of frivolity – if the brigadier learned about everything, he would take his wife and son from the estate. Ivanushka states: “I have frivolity, but I would imitate the French badly.” He tells the counselor that he would like to go with her to Paris. The adviser tells Ivanushka that the brigadier is in love with her. Ivanushka threatens to call his father to a duel, because in Paris, too, was such a case.
The brigadier enters to invite the guests to the table. He sends his son to the bride to stay with the counselor alone. Ivanushka does not want to leave. The adviser gives him a hand, and Ivanushka, crouching, leads her to the table. The brigadier, harboring an evil on his son, is walking behind.
Action third
The brigadier comes in with his son. The brigadier is ashamed of his son. Ivanushka is unhappy that he wants to marry a Russian. “My body was born in Russia, but my spirit belongs to the crown of France,” he declares to his father and adds that he must not respect his father. The brigadier is angry and threatens to beat his son with a stick. The brigade leader comes in. The brigadier tells her that his son has completely lost his mind. He scolds his wife for spoiling her son, did not let him write it to the regiment. Ivanushka yawns. The brigadier threatens to snatch two ribs from Ivanushka.
A counselor enters and intercedes for Ivanushka. She is delighted with Ivanushka and asks him to tell about his stay in Paris. “In Paris, everyone revered me the way I deserved, where everyone did not see me, everywhere all the joy was on their faces, and they often declared it with such extraordinary laughter that directly showed what they thought of me,” says Ivanushka. The councilor and the brigade leader are in admiration. The brigadier does not know whether to laugh or cry. Ivanushka, irritated, leaves. Brigadiersha rushes after him.
The foreman and counselor remain alone. The counselor says that he is too rude to his son. The foreman threatens: “Sooner or later I’ll kick the French spirit out of him.” He says that “his son’s stories are a wasteland.” Taking advantage of the moment, the brigadier hints at the counselor about her feelings. The adviser pretends that she does not understand the hints. Then the brigadier admits: “Your eyes are more terrible to me than all the bullets, cores and canister.” One of their first shot shot through my heart, and before they kill me, I surrender to your prisoners of war. ” The adviser still pretends to be uncomprehending. “I’m like a brave military commander, and you’re my fortress, which, however strong, however, I can make it all up in it,” the brigadier states.
The adviser and Dobrolyubov come in. He informs the adviser that his case has already been decided in his favor. The brigadier, frustrated, leaves. Dobrolyubov informs the adviser and counselor that he now has two thousand souls. The attitude of the adviser to Dobrolyubov changes at once. “If anyone has two thousand souls, then it seems to me that they can award all the vices,” he says. The adviser tells Dobrolyubov that it’s time for him to get married. “I do not want to marry anyone, when you do not agree to give me your daughter for me,” says Dobrolyubov. The adviser answers that now he is not against this marriage, but now he can not decide anything and postpones the solution of this issue until the morning.
Step Four
Dobrolyubov and Sophia are alone. Dobrolyubov hopes that his matchmaking with Sophia will have a happy outcome. Sophia doubts this. She knows that her father is in love with the brigadier. “Covetousness makes of man the same miracles as love,” Dobrolyubov tells her. “Covetousness seldom wins love,” objected Sophia.
The brigadier comes in, wiping away her tears. She complains that her husband scolded for nothing or anything. Sophia and Dobrolyubov are outraged by the attitude of the brigadier towards his wife. Enter the counselor and Ivanushka. The adviser offers Ivanushka to play a game of cards. They serve a card table. The councilor, Ivanushka, Sophia and Dobrolyubov begin to play in the quadrille. The brigadier does not know this game. She sits on the sidelines and watches.
The brigadier and adviser come in and start playing chess. The brigadier does not understand anything in the quadrille. She begins to remember how she used to play marjage, fools and pigs. Then he grabs the map from the table and runs up to the adviser to show how they play the pigs. The counselor looks at her with tenderness. The foreman throws chess. Ivanushka jumps up and complains that it is impossible to play. “Listen, my wife, you’re everywhere you come, you’re always nagging.” Whoever does not have a mind, he can come to one and stop everything, “the brigadier said. The adviser intercedes for the brigade leader. The brigadier and counselor tell him not to go into their own business. The brigade leader steps aside. The councilor sends Sophia to her.
The adviser tells the brigadier that he is “very bad with his wife.” “She is not to the point of sadness, not to the good of the cheerful, was alive, a lot of sin, inappropriately” – the brigadier answers him. Ivanushka says that you do not want to die, not even a dog, not just your mother. The brigadier calls his wife a fool and accuses her of having brought up a worthless son. The adviser again intercedes for the brigade leader, argues with the brigadier. “She is humble, like a lamb, hardworking, like a bee, is beautiful, like a bird of paradise and faithful, like a turtledove” – sighing, says the adviser.
The adviser and Ivanushka come out, and the brigadier and adviser continue to argue. Each of them believes that the wife of the other is the best. Soon they find that they are alone and decide to go where everyone is.
Step Five
Brigadiersha persuades Ivanushka to marry. He replies that he would like to be from her a hundred miles French, when it comes to his marriage. “Our job is to find you a bride, and your business is to marry,” says the brigade leader Ivanushka. Ivanushka is indignant at these words. He begins to speak with his mother in French, understanding at the same time that she does not know this language. The brigadier is offended and leaves.
An adviser enters. It seems to her that the brigadier is jealous of her to her son. The adviser tells Ivanushka that their love needs to be hidden. Ivanushka answers that the brigadier is not going into his business. The counselor complains about her husband, then asks Ivanushka who taught him French. “Before leaving for Paris, I was here at a boarding house with a French coachman, and I owe him one for the love of the French and the coldness towards the Russians,” Ivanushka answers. The counselor declares: “From this hour on I will remain in my heart true respect for the French coachmen.” Your happiness and mine, that you fell for the French coachman. ” Then she again reminds Ivanushka of caution.
At this time the brigadier and counselor enter and see Ivanushka rushing to the knees in front of the adviser. They are indignant to the depths of the soul. Ivanushka jumps up from her knees. The adviser angrily scolds him. The brigadier is going to beat his son. The adviser complains that his wife-villain deprived him of his honor.
At this time, the brigadier, Sofya and Dobrolyubov are entering. The brigadier tells his wife about the tricks of her son. The brigadier does not believe this, she does not allow the thought that the son can love someone other than Sophia. “For such a trifle, honest people can not get angry.” Among people who know the light, they laugh at this, “says Ivanushka. The brigadier replies that he would have brushed aside those who would have been dragging behind his wife. The adviser threatens to sue Ivanushka and declares that he does not want to have him as his son-in-law anymore. Then Ivanushka says that he saw an adviser on his knees in front of the brigade leader. The brigadier threatens to mutilate the adviser. He, frightened, asks for forgiveness. At this time, the counselor can not stand and tells how the brigadier prayed for her about love. The brigadier and counselor quarrel definitively. “This minute we shall leave from such house where I, the fair person,
There remain an adviser, counselor, Dobrolyubov and Sophia. Dobrolyubov asks Sophia’s hands. The adviser answers with the consent. “Be you prosperous, and I, for all my sins, are rather punished by the Lord: here is my Gehenna!” – he says. “I wish you a happy fortune, and I am condemned to death to death: here is my tartare,” says the counselor. Sophia and Dobrolyubov are happy. The adviser appeals to the public: “They say that it is bad to live with a conscience: but I myself have now learned that to live without conscience everything in the world is worse.”
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