Go to sleep, Bogatyr! Analysis of the tales of Saltykov-Shchedrin

Such a genre as a fairy tale is familiar to everyone from childhood. Becoming more mature, we begin to understand that many moments in these magical stories can not be so unambiguous as we thought in our youth. A number of fairy tales, especially the author's, and not the folk tales, have a clear underlying implication. Literators often turned to this genre in order to be able in an allegorical way to convey to the audience those thoughts and ideas that, being directly expressed, might seem seditious. An example of one of these works is the tales of Saltykov-Shchedrin "Bogatyr", written in 1886. Like his other works, this one is addressed to the children of "the age of the fair" - in other words, adults will get to the heart of the story. Even a superficial analysis of the Saltykov-Shchedrin fairy tale allows us to understand that under the upper "popular-folk" layer, a deeper and more exciting author's meaning is hidden. Writer in a special manner, rather caustically and cleverly, ridiculed the vices of the then society and its shortcomings.

Before analyzing the tales of Saltykov-Shchedrin, it is worth recalling that the author lived and worked in Russia in the 19th century, he came from a noble family of nobles. Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin (1826-1889) for a long time combined writing with the state service, working as an official. Later, he was a well-known editor and publicist of various publications.

The very work "Bogatyr" is small in volume. Therefore, it may seem that analyzing Saltykov-Shchedrin's tale will be a simple occupation. But, like the author's other works, this one is not at all easy. Outwardly - it's a story about a strong man who slept through his whole life in a hollow, instead of protecting his people from the brutal raids of strangers. But under the guise of Bogatyr, who frightened everyone in the district with his snoring, another idea embedded by the writer is seen. Here, the short-sightedness of the ruling class is exposed, the discrepancy between the actions of the leadership and the expectations and needs of ordinary people.

Having begun the analysis of Saltykov-Shchedrin's fairy tale, the reader first of all observes that its external similarity with the folded people by byliny is quite large. Here we will meet familiar fairy-tale heroes - Babu Yaga and her son - Bogatyr, the owner of the noble silice, the oak woods of the forest crusher. We recognize the well-known folk motives, spirit and speech of the Old Russian. Recognized are also the reflections and deeds of "their own", who are afraid even of snoring heroic, but only to protect it and rely. Understandable and "foes", which sounded scandalized, and robbed neighbors for a thousand years did not dare, while the defender was asleep. In a land of fabulous, while Bogatyr was sleeping, "their own" themselves were so harassed that they would not even "dream". When the enemy forces attacked the country where the strongman was in a hollow rest, it turned out that he had died long ago, and the snakes ate his body in the hollow where he slept. The hopes of the people against the unknown hero do not materialize. No one will save ordinary people from invaders, as they do not rely on defenders of fairy tales.

So, even a superficial analysis of the tales "The Bogatyr" by Saltykov-Shchedrin shows the author's attitude to the situation in what was then Russia. The situation described in the allegory reveals the idea: relying on loud promises of high-ranking defenders, the people deceive themselves. Not protection, but looting only bears the upper strata of society for common people. And rotten it, in the root. And you can not forget about it, so that in the days of disaster you can not be unprepared or weakened by your own rulers.

In the days of severe censorship, through which then any work should have passed to be published, such tales seem more daring than the most outspoken statements of modern journalists who criticize the current authorities. Besides, wondering whether the actuality of Saltykov-Shchedrin's works is so lost today, will we be able to give a positive answer, without deceiving the soul?