“Suicide” by Erdman in the summary
The play takes place in Moscow in the 20’s. our century. Semen Semenovich Podsekalnikov, unemployed, awakens his wife Marya Lukyanovna at night and complains to her that he is hungry. Marya Lukyanovna, indignant that her husband does not allow her to sleep, although she works all day “like a horse or an ant”, nevertheless offers Semyon Semyonovich a liver sausage left over from dinner, but Semyon Semyonovich, offended by his wife’s words, from sausage refuses and leaves the room. Maria Lukyanovna and her mother Serafima Ilinichna, fearing that Semyon Semyonovich, as if out of balance, did not commit suicide, search for him across the apartment and find the door to the toilet locked. Tapping his neighbor, Alexander Petrovich Kalabushkin, asked him to break the door. However, it turns out that in the toilet was not the Podsalnikov, but the old woman-neighbor.
Semyonovich is in the kitchen when he puts something in his mouth, and when he sees the newcomers,
Aris – tarkh Dominikovich Grand-Skubik is on the table, he sees a suicide note on the table and offers him, if he really shoots, to leave another note-on behalf of the Russian intelligentsia, who is silent, because they make her keep silent, and you will not make a dead silent. And then Podsekalnikov’s shot will wake up the whole of Russia, his portrait will be placed in the newspapers and will arrange a grand funeral for him.
After the Grand Scuffle comes Cleopatra Maksimovna, who
In the summer garden restaurant – a banquet: singing gypsies, guests drink, Aristarkh Dominikovich delivers a speech glorifying Podsekalnikov, who constantly asks what time is – time is steadily approaching twelve. The undersecretary writes a suicide note, the text of which was prepared by Aristarkh Dominikovich.
Serafima Ilinichna reads a letter addressed to her from his son-in-law, in which he asks her to carefully warn his wife that he is no longer alive. Marya Lukyanovna sobs, at this time the participants of the banquet enter the room, who begin to console her. The dressmaker who came with them immediately takes off her measure for sewing a mourning dress, and the modist offers to choose a hat for this dress. The guests leave, and poor Marya Lukyanovna exclaims: “Senya was – there was no hat, the hat became – There’s no shadow, Lord, why do not You give everything at once?” At this time, two unknown people are bringing in the lifeless body of the dead drunk Podsekalnikov, who, having come to himself, imagines that he is in the next world. After a while with a huge wreath is a boy from the funeral procession bureau, and then bring a coffin. The underlings are trying to shoot themselves, but can not – courage is not enough; hearing the approaching voices, he jumps into the coffin. A crowd comes in, the father of Elpidius commemorates.
Grave speeches are heard at the cemetery at the freshly dug grave. Each of those present maintains that Podsekalnikov shot himself for the cause he defends: because they close churches or shops, for the ideals of the intelligentsia or the arts, and each of the ladies present – Raisa Filippovna and Cleopatra Maksimovna – claims that the deceased was shooting because of her. Touched by their speeches, Podsalnikov suddenly emerges from the coffin for all and declares that he really wants to live. Those present are dissatisfied with Podsekalnikov’s decision, but he takes out his revolver and offers everyone to take his place. No one is interested. At this moment Victor Viktorovich runs in and informs that Fedya Pitunin shot himself, leaving a note: “The underlings are right: it’s really not worth living.”
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