One of Gogol’s works, part of the cycle “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka”. Like all fairy tales in this cycle, it contains mystical elements. The plot of the story is based on folk beliefs and legends about enchanted places. The plot of “The Enchanted Place” is based on a sexton’s story about an incident that happened to his grandfather. The grandfather, having found himself in an enchanted place, coveted the free wealth, but it turned into garbage, which indicates that the gifts of evil spirits have no value.
Main characters
Grandfather Maxim | Grandfather Maxim, the main character of The Enchanted Place, is a cheerful and nimble old man. He is a kind, sociable person, very fond of fun, jokes, and all kinds of pranks. He loves his grandchildren with all his heart, with tender and sincere love, and his grandchildren pay him in the same coin. A merry fellow and a jokester, grandfather Maxim loves to dance. One day, while dancing, he discovered an enchanted place, and immediately decided that there must be a treasure there. He found the treasure after experiencing moments of fear, but all this wealth turned into trash. The smart grandfather realized that he had to earn his well-being through his own labor. |
Enchanted place | The place that led Grandfather Maxim into temptation can also be called a hero in “The Enchanted Place”; it lives its own life and has certain abilities. In Gogol's description, it looks like a funny and playful creature who loves to joke and laugh at anyone, in this case, at Grandfather Maxim. It is not evil or cruel, and does not cause any harm. Most likely, it teaches that you should not rely on chance, but act on your own in order to achieve everything you want with your work. |
Characters
From the first lines of the story, it becomes clear that the one who wrote “The Enchanted Place” is close to the habits and life of the ordinary people who inhabited the lands of Little Russia. This is evidenced by:
- preamble;
- language style;
- actions of minor characters.
The narration is told on behalf of Thomas, an old man holding the position of sexton - a minor church employee. The story is based on incredible events from the narrator's childhood that happened to his now deceased grandfather.
Narrator Thomas
The narrator's name is Foma, he grew up in a large family with 3 sons. The father made his living by "chumakovka", the mother looked after the farm, and the grandfather planted a tower near the road, where he grew cucumbers, watermelons and melons.
Children were taught to work from childhood. The brothers helped their grandfather on the tower and drove birds away from the plantings. At the time of the events, Thomas was an eleven-year-old teenager, strong, playful and mischievous, like a young foal. Since the field was located near the roadway, the Chumaks (up to fifty carts a day) stopped near the grandfather’s kuren:
- rest and feed the oxen;
- spend the night;
- enjoy watermelon or melon;
- remember “God knows when.”
Foma loved to sit by the fire and listen to fascinating stories told by passersby and his grandfather Maxim. Often, at the request of his grandfather, the boy entertained those gathered, dashingly dancing the “Cossack” to the sound of a sniffle.
Grandfather Maxim
The old man was still “pretty strong.” Loved work. He spent all day fiddling around in his plot:
- picked ripe fruits;
- protected the ovary from the hot sun;
- made new beds.
He was, as they say now, a sociable and pleasant person to talk to. He had many good friends among the Chumaks and residents of surrounding villages, who not only happily bought watermelons and melons from the chestnut, but also did not miss the opportunity to talk with the wise and good-natured grandfather Maxim.
People were attracted not only by the generosity of kind words and food, but also by the fact that it was difficult to find a more grateful listener. From the outside it seemed like the old man was listening “like dumplings to a hungry man,” but, as you know, the main factor that stimulates and disposes the storyteller is the attention of the listener.
Despite his advanced age, Maxim loves life in all its manifestations. Everything finds a place in his heart and soul:
- The grandchildren, whom he takes under his care during his son’s absence, takes care of them and does not let them get bored.
- Music. He makes his own “pischik” and plays it.
- Fun. He can dance in such a way that it’s “pleasant to watch.”
- Invisible (other world). And not somewhere out there - in the afterlife, but here and now.
If any trouble happens, the grandfather sees it as the machinations of the “enemy of the human race” and in every possible way blasphemes Satan in all his manifestations. Perhaps this position became the reason for the subsequent seductions and trials that befell the old Cossack.
Dark forces
“The damned place,” as grandfather Maxim angrily described it, is a kind of portal into a distorted parallel reality, which cannot be reached except through it, but you can get out on your own. This is a trap of temptation that the devil has prepared for a person, in this particular case, for the narrator’s grandfather.
The story is so densely saturated with mystical events that it is difficult to determine who the main character of the work “The Enchanted Place” is Grandfather Maxim or the evil spirits. The devil is playing with an old Cossack:
- seduces with easy wealth;
- makes you suffer from fear;
- laughs at the disappointment.
The narrator testifies that many years later the devilish place retained its power and authority in the material world. The grandfather had already died, and the father leased the land to hunters from local residents, who rejoiced at its fertility, but “nothing good” ever grew in the enchanted place.
Minor characters
Chumaks | These are experienced people engaged in trade. Cheerful, campaigning people who love to joke around and remember the past. Mostly acquaintances of Grandfather Maxim. When meeting with an old acquaintance, they immediately begin to reminisce and talk about the news. We are mutually glad to meet, the grandfather will smell the Chumaks with afternoon tea and melons with his melons, and his Chumaks with new stories. |
Grandfather Maxim's grandchildren | Boys, grandfather's beloved grandchildren. They love their old man very much, they know all his weaknesses, they treat him condescendingly, like a little one. He is very dear to them, they respect and honor him. His grandchildren appreciate his innocence and good nature, his open and friendly disposition. They follow his example in many ways and learn life from him. |
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To help a schoolchild
The school curriculum for literature and Russian language in grade 5 includes writing an essay on the topic “The Enchanted Place” by Gogol. The description of the characters cannot preserve the artistic drawing of the storyline built by the author on the basis of direct speech and specific linguistic turns, but it fully reveals their images.
When analyzing the work, one should take into account the features of the enchanted place . It shows its strength only in combination with negative emotions and desires of a person. But this is the power of deception and delusion. The place opens up a seemingly quick and easy path to wealth and fame, but the one who is tempted as a result has “squabbles and is ashamed to say what it is.”
The grandfather swore and swore to his grandchildren to believe the devil (the temptation of easy money), since there is no truth in it “not even a penny.”
Analysis
The plot of the work
Based on folklore, with which Nikolai Vasilyevich was very familiar from childhood. Legends and beliefs about “enchanted places” and treasures exist among most peoples of the world. The Slavs had a belief that treasures could be found in cemeteries. A candle flared above the grave with the treasure. It is a traditional and popular belief that ill-gotten wealth turns into trash.
The story is rich in rich, bright, original Ukrainian folk language, which is sprinkled with Ukrainian words: “bashtan”, “kuren”, “chumaki”. Folk life is depicted as accurately as possible, Gogol's humor creates a unique atmosphere. The story is structured in such a way that you get a feeling of personal presence, as if you yourself are among the sexton’s listeners. This is achieved through the narrator's precise comments.
The plot is based on the story of the deacon of the local church, Foma Grigorievich, familiar to many readers from the story “The Missing Letter,” about an incident in the life of his grandfather. His story, vivid and memorable, is full of humor. It was no coincidence that the author gave the story the title “Enchanted Place.” It intertwines two worlds: reality and fantasy. The real world is represented by the way of life of people, the fantasy world is a grave, a treasure and devilry. The sexton's memories take him back to childhood. The father and his eldest son went to sell tobacco. A mother with three children and a grandfather remained at home. One day, having gone on a spree with visiting merchants, the grandfather began to dance in the garden until he reached one place in the garden and stopped, rooted to the spot, near a bed of cucumbers. I looked around and didn’t recognize the place, but realized that it was located behind the clerk’s threshing floor. Somehow I found a path and saw a candle flare up on a nearby grave. I noticed another grave. A candle flashed on it too, followed by another.
According to folk legend, this happens where the treasure is buried. Grandfather was happy, but he had nothing with him. Having marked the place with a large branch, he went home. The next day he tried to find this place, but found nothing, only accidentally hitting the cucumber bed with a spade, he again found himself in the same place, near the grave on which the stone lay.
And then the real devilry began. Before the grandfather had time to take out the tobacco to smell it, someone sneezed behind his ear. He started digging and unearthed a pot. “Ah, my dear, that’s where you are!” And after him the same words were repeated by a bird, a ram's head from the top of a tree, and a bear. The grandfather got scared, grabbed the cauldron and ran away. At this time, his mother and children began to look for him. After dinner, the mother went out to pour out the hot slop and saw a barrel crawling towards her. Deciding that these were naughty children, the woman poured slop on her. But it turned out that it was my grandfather who was walking.
We decided to see what kind of treasure the grandfather had brought, opened the pot, and there was garbage “and it’s a shame to say what it is.” From then on, the grandfather began to believe only in Christ, and fenced off the enchanted place with a fence.
Read more: N.V. Gogol “The Enchanted Place”: plot and summary of the story
Essay Real and fantastic in Gogol’s story “The Enchanted Place”
Real and fantastic in N. V. Gogol’s story “The Enchanted Place”
Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol’s story “The Enchanted Place” is a sexton’s story about an incident from his life. It is written in a surprisingly lively and interesting way. With each line, reading this story becomes more and more exciting. Even the sexton himself, who reluctantly began the story, was so carried away by his narration that he reproached the listeners for inattention: “What really!.. Listen like that!”
The main character of the story is the sexton's grandfather. His image is very bright and memorable. By telling us the story that happened to my grandfather, the sexton tries to convey to us all the details, and this makes the story more reliable.
It is impossible not to notice the humor with which the sexton tells his story. He calls his grandfather “an old devil,” laughs at how his grandfather danced, how he tried to find a treasure, how his mother poured slop on him. The grandfather, in turn, called his grandchildren “dog children” and scolded them. But we feel that the characters truly love and appreciate each other.
According to the sexton, most of all the grandfather loved to listen to the stories of the Chumaks passing by: “And to the grandfather it’s like a hungry dumpling.” And we understand that the hero himself was a cheerful, interesting person, it’s not for nothing that the sexton says: “It happened, he decided to…”
But the best way to understand the grandfather’s character is to describe the search for the treasure. His speech and thoughts are full of unusual expressions: “What a disgusting face!”, “Well, guys, now you’ll have some bagels!”
It was not by chance that Gogol gave the story such a title - “The Enchanted Place”. After all, the work combines two worlds: real and fantastic. Everything fantastic is connected with a grave, treasure and devilish power.
The real world is everyday life. Depicting the ordinary life of people, Gogol uses Ukrainian words, for example “Chumaks”, “kuren”.
The description of the characters’ way of life is interesting, how the grandfather grows watermelons, “covers them with burdock,” and digs “a new bed for late pumpkins.”
Or about how he determines the weather: “There will be a big wind tomorrow!” thought the grandfather.” Gogol admires the pictures of this people's life, the creative work of his heroes.
The whole story is written very brightly and colorfully. Sometimes it seems that you yourself are among the sexton’s listeners, because the narration is interrupted by his comments. From the narrator’s speech it becomes clear that he himself is already old. But the sexton, like the grandfather, remains at heart the same young, interesting and unusual person.
At the end of the story, the sexton says that instead of treasure, the grandfather brought “rubbish, squabbles...”. After this, the hero began to believe only in Christ, and “... he blocked off that damned place where they didn’t dance with a fence, and ordered them to throw everything that was indecent...”.
We can say that with these lines the author is making fun of his grandfather. After all, in this story Gogol says that good can only be acquired through one’s own labor.
In addition, using the example of his grandfather, he teaches us to believe in the bright, pure: “So this is how the evil spirits of man fool!”
Searched here:
“Enchanted place”
Gogol N.V. fairy tale “The Enchanted Place”
Genre: literary mystical fairy tale
The main characters of the fairy tale “The Enchanted Place” and their characteristics
- Narrator, sexton in his youth. A boy, cheerful and mischievous.
- Grandfather Maxim. Important, angry, serious. I wanted to find a treasure.
- The narrator's mother. I poured slop on my grandfather.
- The sexton begins the story
- Grandfather and his chicken
- Arrival of the Chumaks
- Dancing
- Enchanted place
- Grave with candle
- Searching for a grave
- Again at the grave
- Fear and horror
- Removing the boiler
- Hot slop
- Garbage in the boiler.
- Don't trust evil spirits.
- The sexton remembers his youth, how he lived with his grandfather in a smoking area near the road.
- Once the Chumaks arrived and the grandfather began to dance, but suddenly he found himself in an unfamiliar place.
- Grandfather saw a candle on the grave and realized that there was treasure there.
- A day later, the grandfather again stood in the cursed place and found himself near the grave.
- He was frightened by evil spirits, but he pulled out the cauldron and brought it home.
- The mother doused the grandfather with slop, and there was garbage in the cauldron.
Plan for retelling the fairy tale “The Enchanted Place”
The shortest summary of the fairy tale “The Enchanted Place” for a reader’s diary in 6 sentences
The main idea of the fairy tale “The Enchanted Place”
Never believe what evil spirits promise you.
What does the fairy tale “The Enchanted Place” teach?
The fairy tale teaches not to try to get rich quickly, not to look for treasure, but to work. Teaches not to believe in evil spirits. Teaches that there are many mysterious and incomprehensible things in the world. Teaches you to be brave and firm in faith.
Review of the fairy tale “The Enchanted Place”
I really liked this story, which the author called a true story. Of course, I didn’t quite believe this story; it still seemed like a fairy tale to me, but it was interesting to read. And the description of the evil spirits at the grave even brought a smile, although I wouldn’t want to encounter something like that myself at night.
Proverbs for the fairy tale “The Enchanted Place”
The devil is strong, but there is no will. There would be a swamp, but there would be devils. If you get involved with the devil, you have yourself to blame. Pray to God and don’t give a damn. The devil is not as scary as he is painted.
Unfamiliar words in the fairy tale “The Enchanted Place”
Chumak - driver Bashtan - melon Kavun - watermelon Levada - vegetable garden Khustka - scarf Kukhva - barrel Read the summary, a brief retelling of the fairy tale “The Enchanted Place”
The sexton tells an incident from his youth. His father took him to sell tobacco, and the narrator, grandfather, mother and two brothers remained at home.
For the summer, the grandfather went to live in a kuren near the road, and took the boys with him. And then one day the Chumaks, six carts, appeared along the road. Ahead walked a chumak with a large gray mustache. He recognized his grandfather and said hello. The grandfather was delighted with his old acquaintances and went in to kiss. Everyone sat down, took watermelons, and the grandfather ordered them to play the nozzle and dance.
And even my grandfather’s legs were bursting to dance. And so he could not stand it and rushed to trim his knees. I accelerated, reached the middle, but my knee didn’t work out. He turned around, came back, reached the same place again - it didn’t work. The grandfather swore at Satan, and lo and behold, the place around was unfamiliar. The grandfather took a closer look, saw the priest’s dovecote, and got out onto the path.
It goes on, and the night is dark, impenetrable. Suddenly a candle was lit at the grave - there was treasure there. The grandfather regretted that there was neither a shovel nor a spade, he piled a huge log on the grave and went home. I came home, the Chumaks had already left, and my grandfather fell asleep. The next day, towards evening, the grandfather took a shovel and went to the priest’s garden. He walked and wandered, but couldn’t find the grave.
And then it started to rain. Grandfather came home wet, lying there, swearing with the last words. The next day, the grandfather walked through the melon patch as if nothing had happened, covering the watermelons. And in the evening I walked past the enchanted place with a shovel, couldn’t stand it, walked into the middle and hit it with a spade. And again I found myself in the same place near the grave. And the candle burns again.
The grandfather approached the grave. He sees a huge stone lying on it. The grandfather dug up the stone and pushed it off the grave. The grandfather stopped to take a break, poured tobacco on his fist, just brought it to his nose, someone behind him sneezed, he sprayed it all over the grandfather. Grandfather turns around - no one is there. Grandfather began to dig. I dug up the pot and was delighted. “Here you are, my dear,” he says.
And the bird's nose repeats the same words. And then a ram's head from the top of the tree. And a bear from behind a tree. Grandfather became scared, and the bird's nose, the ram and the bear all repeated after him. The grandfather got scared and looked around. And the night is terrible - no month, no stars. Yes, some mug peeks out from behind the mountain, his eyes are red, his nose is like fur in a forge.
Grandfather threw the cauldron and was just about to run when everything disappeared, everything became quiet. The grandfather understood that evil spirits only frighten. With difficulty he pulled out the cauldron and ran as fast as he could. And only at the priest’s garden he stopped. Meanwhile, everyone at home was wondering where grandfather had disappeared to.
The mother had already come from the farm with dumplings, everyone had already dined, and the mother washed the cauldron and was looking for a place to pour the slop. He looks like a barrel is coming, someone must be pushing it from behind. The mother decided that the boys were playing around and poured the hot slop directly into the barrel. When someone starts yelling in a deep voice, lo and behold, it’s grandfather. He wiped himself off, had a fight, and puts out the boiler. Wealth promises.
He opens it, and there is rubbish, garbage, dirt. The grandfather spat and ordered never to believe in evil spirits. As soon as he appeared, he immediately began to be baptized. And he ordered to throw rubbish and rubbish onto the damned place. Good watermelons grew there.
Drawings and illustrations for the fairy tale “The Enchanted Place”
Quotes
“I was still a fool then” Grandfather .
“At least turn to the side when you want to sneeze!”, “No, he doesn’t like tobacco, obviously!”, “He’s a fool, and neither his grandfather nor his father ever smelled such tobacco!” Grandfather.
“It’s scary to say a word here!” Grandfather .
Read more: N.V. Gogol “The Enchanted Place”: quotes from the hero and author of the story
