The story "The Night Before Christmas" is a work written by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol. It is part of a cycle called "Evenings on a farm near Dikanka". This work was published in 1832, and its action refers chronologically to the period of the reign of Catherine II, more precisely, the last deputation of the Cossacks held in 1775. Events take place in Ukraine, in Dikanka.

Heroes of the work

In the story written by Gogol ("The Night Before Christmas"), there are a number of fairy-tale characters as characters: the devil who stole the month, the witch Solokha, cutting the sky on her broomstick. Another vivid image is Patsyuk, who could cure people of various diseases and strangely ate dumplings, which themselves fell into his mouth, dipped in sour cream.

In the story called "The Night Before Christmas" the heroes - ordinary people - interact with fairy-tale characters. The representatives of the human race in the work include the blacksmith Vakula, Oksana, her father Chub, the head, the clerk, the queen and others.

"The Night Before Christmas" begins with the following events. The last day before Christmas has ended, a starry clear night has come. Through the chimney of one of the houses on a broom, a witch climbed up and began to collect stars. And at this time, the devil stole a month.

He did this, because he knew that Chub was invited to kutya today by the deacon, and his beautiful daughter would remain at home, and at that time the blacksmith would come to her. The devil took revenge on this blacksmith. Beloved daughter Chub, in addition, was a good artist. Once he painted a picture in which, on the day of the Last Judgment, St. Peter casts out an evil spirit from hell. The devil interfered with the work in every possible way, but it was finished, and the board was built into the wall of the church. Since then, this representative of evil spirits has sworn to take revenge on his enemy.

Having stolen the month, he hoped that Chub would not go anywhere in such darkness, and that the blacksmith would not dare to come to his daughter in the presence of his father. Chub, who at that time was leaving his hut with Panas, pondered what to do: go to the clerk or stay at home. In the end, it was decided to go. So the heroes of the work - two godfathers - set off on the road on the night before Christmas. How this story will end, you will find out a little later.

Oksana

We continue to describe the summary. "The Night Before Christmas" consists of the following further events. Oksana, Chub's daughter, was considered the first beauty. She was spoiled, capricious. The lads chased her in droves, but then left for others who were not so spoiled. Only the blacksmith did not leave the girl, although her treatment of him was no better than with others.

When Oksana's father went to the deacon, Vakula appeared in his house. He confessed his love to Oksana, but she only mocks him, plays with the blacksmith. Suddenly there was a knock on the door demanding to open it. The girl wanted to do it, but Vakula the blacksmith decided that he himself would open the door.

Witch Solokha

Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol continues his story ("The Night Before Christmas"). At that time, the witch was tired of flying, and she went to her home, and the devil followed her. This witch was Vakula's mother. Her name was Solokha. The woman was about 40 years old, she was neither good nor bad, but she knew how to charm the Cossacks so that many went to her, not suspecting that they had rivals. Solokha treated Chub best of all, since he was rich, and she wanted to marry him in order to seize the fortune. And so that her son would not get ahead of her in some way, marrying Oksana, the witch often quarreled with Vakula Chuba.

Return of Chub

The following further events constitute a summary. "The Night Before Christmas" continues. When the devil flew after Solokha, he noticed that the girl's father still decided to leave home. Then he began to break the snow in order to start a snowstorm. She forced Chub to return. But since the blizzard was very strong, the godfathers could not find their hut for a long time. In the end, Chub thought he had found her. The hero knocked on the window, but decided, having heard the voice of Vakula, that he had come to the wrong place. Wanting to find out whose house it was and to whom the blacksmith went, Chub pretended to be caroling, but Vakula drove him away, hitting him hard on the back. Chub, beaten, went to Solokha.

Kolyada

The story "The Night Before Christmas" continues. The devil had a month and again rose to the sky, illuminating everything around. Girls and boys came out to carol. They also went to Oksana, who, seeing on one slipper, wanted to have the same ones. Vakula promised to get the best ones, and Oksana swore that she would marry him if he got the queen's slippers.

The devil at that time was kissing Solokha's hands, but suddenly a voice and a knock of a head were heard. One after another, guests began to come to her house - respected Cossacks. I had to hide in a charcoal bag. Then the clerk and the head had to get into the sacks in their turn. The widow Chub, Solokha's most desired guest, climbed on the deacon. The last guest, the "overweight" Cossack Sverbyguz, would not fit in a bag. Therefore, Solokha decided to take him to the garden and there to listen to why he had come.

Patsyuk

Returning home, Vakula saw the bags in the middle of the hut and decided to remove them. He left the house carrying a heavy load. In the cheerful crowd on the street, he heard the voice of his beloved. Vakula dropped the sacks and went to Oksana, but she, reminding about the slippers, ran away. The blacksmith, in anger, decided to part with his life, but, having come to his senses, went to the Cossack Patsyuk for advice. Pot-bellied Patsyuk, according to rumors, made friends with evil spirits. Vakula, desperate, asked how to get to hell in order to enlist his help, but he gave only vague advice. The pious merchant, waking up, ran out of the hut.

Deal with the devil

The devil sitting in the sack right behind Vakula's back could not, of course, miss this prey. He offered a deal to the blacksmith. Vakula agreed, but at the same time demanded that the contract be fixed and, having crossed the line, deceitfully made him meek. The devil was now forced to take Vakula to Petersburg.

The sacks thrown by the blacksmith were found by walking girls. Deciding to find out what Vakula had done caroling, they went for a sled to take the find to Oksana in the hut. Because of the bag in which Chub was located, an argument broke out between them. Thinking that a boar was sitting there, the godfather's wife recaptured it from the weaver and her husband. To the surprise of everyone, in this bag, besides Chub, there was also a clerk, and in the other - the head.

Meeting with the queen

Vakula, arriving on the line in St. Petersburg, met the Cossacks who had previously passed through Dikanka and went to the tsarina's reception with them. During it, the Cossacks told the empress about their worries. The queen asked what the Cossacks needed. Then Vakula fell to his knees and asked her for some slippers. The queen, struck by the sincerity of the young merchant, ordered to bring Vakula shoes.

The final

The whole farm was talking about the blacksmith's death. And Vakula came to Chub with gifts to woo a girl, fooling the devil. The Cossack agreed, and Oksana ("The Night Before Christmas") greeted the blacksmith with joy, ready to marry him without the slippers. In Dikanka, they later praised the house, wonderfully painted, in which the Vakula family lived, as well as the church, where the devil was skillfully depicted in hell, into which everyone who passed by spat.

This concludes the summary. "The Night Before Christmas" ends on this optimistic note. After all, good always triumphs over evil, including in this work by Gogol. "The Night Before Christmas", the theme of which is the people, their way of life, traditions and customs, proves this. The work is filled with a bright, joyful holiday atmosphere. Reading it, we seem to become its participants.

Introduction. General description of the story, main idea.

"The Night Before Christmas" - an outstanding story by Gogol, was filmed many times and sincerely fell in love with the domestic reader. Included in the cycle of stories "Evenings on a farm near Dikanka". Incredible fantastic events and lively language of description make the story bright and eye-catching. It is literally saturated with folklore, folk tales and legends.

The ideological meaning of the work can be most fully understood by analyzing the views of Gogol. At that time, he thought more and more about the greatness of democracy over the blind patriarchal way of contemporary Russia. It was fueled by progressive trends in the field of literature and science. The life of the landlords, their slow-wittedness and adherence to old ideals irritated Gogol, and over and over again he ridiculed their miserable lifestyle and primitive thinking.

It is very important that in "The Night Before Christmas" good triumphs over evil, and light prevails over darkness. Vakula is courageous and generous, he is not a coward and does not fold his arms in the face of difficulties. It was precisely such, similar to the brave epic heroes, that Gogol wanted to see his contemporaries. However, the reality differed sharply from his idealized ideas.

The author tries to prove, using the example of Vakula, that only by doing good deeds, leading a righteous lifestyle, one can become a happy person. The power of money and the trampling of religious values ​​will bring a person to the very bottom, make him an immoral rotting person, doomed to a joyless existence.

All description is permeated with deep author's humor. Just remember with what mocking irony he describes the court environment of the empress. Gogol depicts the cloisters of the Petersburg Palace as ingratiating and servile people, looking into the mouths of their superiors.

History of creation

The book "Evenings on a farm near Dikanka" was published in 1831, at the same time "The Night Before Christmas" was written. The stories of the cycle were born in Gogol quickly and naturally. It is not known for certain when Gogol began work on the story, and when he first had the idea of ​​​​creating it. There is evidence that he put the first words on paper a year before the book was published. Chronologically, the events described in the story fall on a period of about 50 years earlier than real time, namely the reign of Catherine II and the last deputation of the Cossacks.

Analysis of the work

Main plot. Features of the compositional structure.

(Illustration by Alexander Pavlovich Bubnov to N.V. Gogol "The Night Before Christmas")

The plot is tied to the adventures of the protagonist - the blacksmith Vakula and his love for the eccentric beauty Oksana. The conversation of young people serves as the plot of the story, the first beauty in the village promises Vakula marriage in exchange for royal little boots. The girl is not at all going to fulfill her word, she laughs at the young man, realizing that he will not be able to fulfill her instructions. But, according to the construction of the fairy tale genre, Vakula manages to fulfill the desire of the beauty, the devil helps him in this. Vakula's flight to Petersburg for an appointment with the Empress is the climax of the story. The denouement is the wedding of young people and the reconciliation of Vakula with the father of the bride, with whom they had a broken relationship.

In terms of genre, the story gravitates more towards the fabulous type of addition. According to the laws of a fairy tale, we can see a happy ending in the end of the story. In addition, many heroes originate precisely from the origins of ancient Russian legends, we observe the magic and power of dark forces over the world of ordinary people.

Images of the main characters

Blacksmith Vakula

The main characters are real characters, residents of the farm. The blacksmith Vakula is a real Ukrainian man, quick-tempered, but at the same time exceptionally decent and honest. He is a hard worker, a good son for his parents and, for sure, will become an excellent husband and father. He is simple in terms of mental organization, does not hover in the clouds and has an open, rather kind disposition. He achieves everything thanks to the firmness of character and unbending spirit.

Black-eyed Oksana is the main beauty and enviable bride. She is proud and arrogant, due to her youth has a quick temper, is not serious and windy. Oksana is constantly surrounded by male attention, loved by her father, tries to dress in the most elegant dresses and endlessly admires her own reflection in the mirror. When she learned that the lads in chorus proclaimed her the first beauty, she began to behave in a proper manner, constantly annoying everyone with her whims. But such behavior only amuses young suitors, and they continue to run after the girl in a crowd.

In addition to the main characters of the story, a lot of equally bright secondary characters are described. Vakula's mother, the witch Solokha, who also appeared in the Sorochinskaya Fair, is a widow. Attractive in appearance, a flirtatious lady, twisting tricks with the devil. Despite the fact that she personifies a dark force, her image is described very attractively and does not repel the reader at all. Just like Oksana, Solokha is full of admirers, including an ironically depicted clerk.

Conclusion

The story immediately after the publication was recognized as unusually poetic, exciting. Gogol so skillfully conveys the whole flavor of the Ukrainian village that the reader seems to be able to stay there and immerse himself in this magical world while reading the book. Gogol draws all his ideas from folk legends: the devil who stole the month, the witch flying on a broom, and so on. With his characteristic artistic manner, he reworks the images in his own poetic way, making them unique and vivid. Real events are intertwined with fabulous ones so closely that the thin line between them is completely lost - this is another feature of Gogol's writer's genius, which permeates all his work and gives it characteristic features.

Gogol's work, his stories and novels filled with the deepest meaning are considered to be exemplary not only in domestic, but also in world literature. He so captured the minds and souls of his readers, managed to find such deep strings of the human soul that his work is deservedly considered as ascetic.

The events of the story "The Night Before Christmas", belonging to the cycle "Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka", are incredible, fantastic and similar to a fairy tale. The entire plot narrative is saturated with a folklore spirit, reminiscent of original ancient legends and fairy tales.

Tie-climax-denouement

The main action of the work "The Night Before Christmas", the heroes of which are mostly residents of Dikanka, revolves around the main character - the blacksmith Vakula, and the permanent hero of popular beliefs - the devil. The plot of the original plot can be considered a conversation between the obstinate beauty Oksana and Vakula, who is in love with her to the point of unconsciousness. The girl promises to go down the aisle with the blacksmith only if he gets her the cherished little slippers worn by the Empress.

The culmination of the action is called the blacksmith's flight on a demon to St. Petersburg and back. And in the denouement, the protagonist not only obtains the coveted shoes, but also reconciles with the father of his beloved, after which he is united by marriage.

Folk beliefs as the basis

Almost all readers who plunged into the exciting fairy-tale world of literature noted the extraordinary charm and poetry of N.V. Gogol's texts. A distinctive feature of the story "The Night Before Christmas", whose characters are familiar to everyone since childhood, is the widespread use of this trend can be seen both in the plot twists and in the images of the characters. It is from folk beliefs that Solokha and the devil appear. A demon who managed to steal the month, and a witch flying out of the chimney of a rural hut and having fun with the stars. You can also draw a parallel between folk legends and the blacksmith's magical flight. In his work, the author plausibly reflects the spirit of the Ukrainian village, the hinterland.

Solokha

"The Night Before Christmas" in an amazing way combines the real with the fictional, the stories are unique and colorful. Among women, the mother of the protagonist, Vakula, stands out especially. Describing this image, we recall that Solokha is “a woman of Balzac age”, she is “no more than forty years old”.

The charismatic Gogol heroine is hard not to remember. Although, according to the author's description, she is neither ugly nor pretty, a large number of representatives of the strong half of the village are her fans. Moreover, the woman is so smart, or rather, insidious, that none of the admirers could even imagine that he had a rival. The explanation for such dexterity can be the fact that Solokha is a witch. And, as befits a representative of this "craft", she is fluent in the art of seduction, however, as well as the skills of flying on a broomstick. This character cannot be called a model of virtue, but he charms the reader no less than the beautiful Oksana, the deacon Osip Nikiforovich or Sverbyguz.

outlandish name

Many admirers of the story are concerned about the question of why Vakula's mother's name is so unusual - Solokha. This name is outlandish even for a witch, perhaps Gogol specially invented it for his heroine? It turns out that it doesn't. This name has existed since ancient times. Its echoes are preserved in modern surnames like Soloshyn, Solokhov or Soloshenko. Most likely, this name is derived from some other Christian one.

As for the origin of the name, there are several different versions. Perhaps Solokha is a derivative of Sophia, which means "wise, wisdom." And if we take into account that the witch means "knowing", possessing secret knowledge, wisdom, then the name of the heroine is the most suitable and symbolic for the sorceress. According to another version, this is a derivative of Solomonida, a female variation of the name Solomon, which is uniquely associated with the image of the legendary king, known throughout the world for his infinite wisdom.

Combination of the real with the fabulous

The traditional characterization of Solokha is predominantly negative. It is distinguished by cunning, hypocrisy, readiness to commit vile acts in order to satisfy its own interests. The woman welcomed only wealthy boyfriends, while giving preference to the richest among them - the Cossack Chuba, as she dreamed of taking over his household, fantasizing about how she would live when she became a full-fledged mistress.

The author deliberately portrayed this character in a close intertwining of fantasy and reality: she is both a clever rural woman, and a daring witch flirting with both the devil and the deacon. All rural women secretly envy her. Solokha does not frighten or repel the reader; she cannot be called a negative character. In the image of this heroine, a sly mockery created by the great writer is seen. In her, this portly and attractive woman, Gogol wanted to show the reader various human vices: treason, self-interest, greed, constant deceit.

Enchanted World

In the story "The Night Before Christmas" the reader is presented with a special world with its own laws and rules, traditions. Real situations so organically merge into fantastic, fabulous ones that it begins to seem: this is how it should be. Both worlds in the work, intertwined, merge into a single whole. And sketches of the surrounding reality contribute to the creation of a fabulous atmosphere. Many come to life in an enchanted world: "the stars looked", "the month rose majestically into the sky." In the work "The Night Before Christmas" Gogol's skill was fully manifested.

The story "The Night Before Christmas" also belongs to the cycle "Evenings on a farm near Dikanka". The events in the story are unusual, fantastic, like a fairy tale. The narrative is thoroughly saturated with the spirit of folklore, fairy tales and legends. The main action is centered around a resident of Dikanka - the blacksmith Vakula, "a strong man and a kid anywhere", and the hero of all Russian beliefs - a demon. The plot of the story can be considered the conversation of Oksana, the first beauty of the village, with Vakula, who is in love with her to unconsciousness. Oksana gives the blacksmith a promise to marry him if he brings her little shoes - such as the Empress herself wears. The culmination of the story, no doubt, is the wonderful flight of Vakula on the line to St. Petersburg and back. As a result, he gets his beloved shoe. In the denouement, Vakula reconciles with Oksana's father, with whom he was at odds, and marries a beautiful woman.

Almost all readers who have ever plunged into the fairy-tale world of "Evenings on a Farm" noted the extraordinary poetry and charm of N.V. Gogol's texts. Where does the writer get such color, such skill? A distinctive feature of the story, as, indeed, of all the stories of the cycle, is the widespread use of folklore. This is manifested, first of all, in the events themselves and the images of the work. From folk ideas, Gogol draws images of the devil, who planned to steal the month, after all, we, flying out through the pipe, depicts their flight, the witch's pampering with the stars. Researchers of Gogol's work draw parallels between the magical flight of Vakula and folk legends. In the story, Gogol reproduces the spirit of the Ukrainian depths, gives, according to A. S. Pushkin, "a living description of a singing and dancing tribe, a fresh picture of the Little Russian nature, this cheerfulness, simple-hearted and crafty at the same time."

N.V. Gogol has an amazing ability to combine the real with the fabulous, fictional. A special world appears before us with its own rules and laws, with its own traditions: according to the old merry custom, on the night before Christmas, boys and girls go caroling, they sing carol songs, wish the owner and mistress health and wealth, respected and revered Cossacks go to visit each other. And the fairy-tale world is so organically merging into this very real world that it seems as if it should be so. These two worlds in the story merge into a single inseparable whole. And now it already seems that there is nothing more common than a witch flying into a chimney, a moon dancing in the hands of the devil, and even the devil himself ... The image of the demon in the story is endowed with quite specific features, both external and internal. The author explains his actions to us, talks about his thoughts, in addition, he endows him with a special charm, which, contrary to folk traditions, does not cause us feelings of disgust or fear.

Natural sketches help create a fabulous atmosphere. Many natural phenomena come to life in this enchanted world. “The stars looked. The moon rose majestically into the sky to shine for good people and the whole world.

The heroes of the story are the most ordinary people whom you, it would seem, can meet as soon as you turn the corner. V. G. Belinsky considered this property "the first sign of a truly artistic work." With all the characters of "The Night Before Christmas" you seem to have known each other for a long time. But these people are described by the author with such warmth and love that you involuntarily admire them. However, this does not mean at all that a gallery of ideal people passes before us. No. Gogol endows his heroes with ordinary qualities. Here is the beautiful Oksana. Well, why not ideal? Meanwhile, she is arrogant, wayward, capricious, proud. Respected by all the head, revered Chub - they go to Solokha.

And Vakula himself is often unrestrained. So, for example, he is ready to “break off the side of the first person who comes across with annoyance” after a conversation with capricious Oksana.

It's all about the poetic style that tells about the inhabitants of Dikanka.

The language of Gogol's works requires special attention. It is with the help of a colorful language rich in lyricism that the writer draws pictures of Ukrainian life in his works. And how much delight, how much rapture in his story, how much love and tenderness! material from the site

A distinctive feature of the story is the presence of life-giving and cheerful laughter. And indeed, how many comical scenes in their nature are in "Night ..."! Isn't the respectable villager, the rich merchant Chub revered by everyone, who on the night before Christmas, in front of all honest people, crawls out of a bag! Worthy of a smile and a head, also caught in a bag. Well, how not to laugh heartily at that strange dialogue between them: “And let me ask you, what do you grease your boots with, lard or tar? - Tar is better! the head said. Humor is impregnated, it would seem, the whole story: a description of the miracles of the witch, the devil, the squabble of women, not for life, but for death arguing about how the blacksmith died, drowned or hanged himself. Here Gogol's laughter is still far from the unchanging formula that people used to call his artistic method - "laughter through tears." It will come to him later. In the meantime, we laugh to tears at the ingenuous heroes of his Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka.

In the story "The Night Before Christmas" there is one feature that distinguishes it from other stories in the cycle. There is a very definite historical background here. There are real historical figures in the text: Prince Potemkin, Catherine II, Fonvizin, he is guessed, but not called directly. All this allows us to talk about the approximate time frame of the work. This is the second half of the 18th century.

Plan

1. Exposure. The appearance of the devil and the witch. The devil steals the month.
2. A conversation between the blacksmith Vakula and the beautiful Oksana. Oksana asks for slippers, which the queen herself wears. For this he promises to marry Vakula.
3. Vakula goes for advice to Patsyuk, a Cossack.
4. Vakula subjugates the devil and flies to Petersburg.
5. Vakula at the Empress.
6. The return of the blacksmith and a happy explanation with Oksana.

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/ / / The image of Chub in Gogol's story "The Night Before Christmas"

The collection "Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka" by Nikolai Gogol was highly appreciated by both the author's contemporaries and descendants. What is the secret of this work's success? The fact that Gogol skillfully and truthfully managed to depict the life of the common people of Ukraine with their beliefs and traditions. In addition, the author describes his native places with special love. Since as a child he visited the Dikanka farm.

One of the most memorable stories in the collection is "The Night Before Christmas". In it, the writer managed to show the spirit of Christmas, some enchanting magic of this holiday for the inhabitants of Dikanka. The gallery of images of the story is very bright. There are real and fantastic characters here. The author does not try to expose his characters, but very subtly notices all their weaknesses and vices. And also emphasizes the dignity of its main characters.

Cossack Chub belongs to real images. This is a well-known rich man on the farm, who has a beautiful marriageable daughter. Her name is Oksanka, and she drove all the guys crazy, but because of her wonderful character, they are afraid to marry her. And only one blacksmith Vakula continues to seek her favor. But Chub is against such a son-in-law, because he is not rich. Even considering this fact, it becomes clear what kind of person the Cossack Chub is. He looks down on the poor, because he himself is rich enough. For him, the real feelings of neither his daughter nor Vakula are important. The decisive argument is only money and connections. Indeed, in addition to money, Chub believes that he occupies a solid position in society, that everyone respects him.

The hero makes many demands on other people, but he himself is not an ideal. He loves to have a tasty meal and have a fun chat with a pleasant woman, Solokha. He often visits her secretly, believing that he is the only one with her. And there were reasons for this - Solokha always smiled at him and obsequiously bowed, more than the rest. But he was in no hurry to get married. The author shows that for Chub - morality exists only in words, but in reality - the main thing is that no one finds out about anything. And so when one day the son, Vakula, returns home ahead of time, he agrees to hide in a bag. Chub exposes himself as a coward in this situation, because he is afraid to catch the eye of Vakula, with whom he did not have the best relationship. And the publicity about his gatherings at Solokha's was useless to him.

The image of the Cossack Chub is ambiguous, it shows a comic contradiction. He considers himself a respectable pan who has the right to teach others. However, the hero himself is essentially insignificant, cowardly and loves entertainment. The hero believes that all the inhabitants respect him, but in fact he is hated by many. After all, rich people like him always oppressed the common people, thinking that by giving someone a generous look, they did them a favor.

After he was able to get laces for Oksana, thereby becoming a hero for the whole farm, the Cossack Chub is forced to agree to their wedding. The hero adapts to the situation, and therefore does not have his own position.

Cossack Chub is not the embodiment of evil in the story, but he does not bring much good to anyone either.