Materials for literature lessons based on the tale “Lefty” by N.S. Leskov

Goals:

Educational:

to interest students in the personality and work of N.S. Leskov;

give an initial concept of skaz;

promote emotional perception of the story;

teach students to characterize the hero based on his actions and behavior;

Educational:

develop expressive reading skills;

develop the ability to highlight the main thing in work of art;

develop skills artistic retelling a separate episode;

develop students' oral speech;

broaden their horizons by enriching the speech of schoolchildren with new words.

Educators:

to cultivate feelings of citizenship and patriotism in students through reading and analyzing literary texts;

cultivate a sense of pride in a Russian talented person;

cultivate a sense of compassion, love for people and the world around them.

Methodical techniques: teacher's story, expressive reading of the text, explanation of theoretical issues, conversation on issues, selective characterization of characters, teacher's comments.

Lesson equipment:

1. Portrait of N.S. Leskov.

2. Illustrations by artists for the tale “Lefty”.

3. Multimedia presentation for the lesson.

Lesson assignments(preferably given in advance, about a week in advance): all students should carefully read the tale, mark quotes in the text that characterize Lefty.

Individual tasks 2-3 students: prepare expressive reading of passages (for example, portrait characteristic Left-handed people, description of the work of Tula masters - Ch. VI, VII), etc.

During the classes

…He perfectly felt that elusive

what is called the soul of the people.

M. Gorky

I. Organizing time.

II. Introductory speech by the teacher about the life and work of N.S. Leskov.

Nikolai Semenovich Leskov is an outstanding Russian writer. He entered literature in the 60s. XIX century. His name stands next to the great names of N.V. Gogol, I.S. Turgenev, L.N. Tolstoy, F.M. Dostoevsky, M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin. “The tale of the Tula slanting left-hander and the steel flea belongs to the masterpieces of Leskov’s creativity” (Yu. Nagibin). To get to know the writer better, check out presentation (Figure 1)"Life activity of Leskov."

III. Determining the genre of the work.

The writer himself determined the genre of his work: it is a tale. Let's look in the dictionary.

Tale - a narrative with an emphasis on oral speech (from the word “tell”), it is close in form to a folk legend.

Leskov loved the fantastic form. Conversational speech gives the story credibility and persuasiveness. “...the language in which many pages of my works are written was not composed by me, but overheard from a man...”, the writer admitted.

- What elements of folklore did you notice in Leskov’s tale?(There is a beginning in the tale: the king “wanted to travel around Europe and see miracles in different states.” There are repetitions: the emperor is surprised at the miracles, but Platov remains indifferent to them - this situation occurs several times. The ending of the tale has an edification: “And if they brought the left-handers words in due time to the sovereign, - in the Crimea, in a war with the enemy, the turn would have been completely different").

-Who do you think the storyteller could be?(The narrator is most likely a simple person, a craftsman, a craftsman. This is manifested primarily in his speech. There are many irregularities and colloquialisms in it. In addition, historical characters - Alexander I and Platov - are shown from the point of view of a commoner).

IV.Work on the text in chapters.

(We recommend that most of the lessons on Leskov’s “Lefty” be devoted to working on the text in chapters. The examination of each chapter is preceded by vocabulary work. It is necessary to focus on explaining historical realities and interpreting vernaculars).

Vocabulary work, questions for chapter one

Kunstkamera– collection of rarities, museum.

Folder– folding icon.

1. Who accompanies Emperor Alexander Pavlovich on his trip to Europe?

2. What did the Don Cossack Platov constantly warn the sovereign about during these trips?

Next, the teacher can stop the students’ attention on the first phrase of the work: “When Emperor Alexander Pavlovich graduated from the Vienna Council, he wanted to travel around Europe and see miracles in different states.” It would seem that the narrator treats the king with great respect. However, let’s pay attention to the word “drive through.” The prefix “about” makes this word light (cf. skim through a book, take a ride, shed a tear, etc.). Why did the author need this word? Obviously, in order to belittle the figure of the king, emphasize his frivolity as a statesman, and give his image satirical features. The Tsar, the winner, a participant in European events, suddenly decided to “travel around Europe.”

Vocabulary work, questions and assignments for chapter two

Two-seater(vm. double) - a combination of the words “double” and “sit down”.

Busters(vm. chandeliers) – a combination of the words “busts” and “chandeliers”.

Valdakhin(vm. canopy).

Abolon Polvedersky(vm. Apollo Belvedere) is a famous statue that is kept in Rome, in the Vatican.

Storm gauge(vm. Barometer) – a combination of the words “barometer” and “storm”.

1.Where was the king invited by the British?

2.Were the British able to surprise the Russian emperor?

3.Find colloquialisms in chapter two, try to explain their meaning.

Vocabulary work, questions and assignments for chapter three

It is advisable to turn to the sentence: “the sovereign became melancholy from military affairs.” Here the author has combined stylistically incompatible words: the vernacular “done” with the book word “melancholy”, which denotes the passive state of a person’s soul, reluctance to do anything, causeless sadness. The author uses these incompatible words to emphasize the weakness and capriciousness of the emperor’s character.

How did the British surprise the Emperor of Russia?

Below, only questions and assignments for subsequent chapters are offered. The teacher can do vocabulary work based on the model of the previous chapters, and also use the comments that are given for any edition of “Lefty”.

Questions and assignments for chapter four

1. Why didn’t the new emperor pay any attention to the flea at first?

Find in the text: “Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich, at first, also did not pay any attention to the flea, because at sunrise he was in confusion, but then one day he began to look through the box that he had inherited from his brother and took out a snuff box from it, and from the snuff box a diamond nut, and There he found a steel flea, which had not been wound up for a long time and therefore did not act, but lay quietly, as if stiff.”

2.Who helped Emperor NicholasIfigure out what kind of “trifle” was in the snuff box?

Next, the teacher can pay attention to the initial phrase of the passage - the Tsar’s address to Platov, which is associated with the nature of the appeal to folk tales, as well as in “The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish” by A.S. Pushkin. Thus, it is possible to demonstrate to students the connection between Leskov’s tale and folklore.

3.What order was given by the Tsar to Platov?

Questions and assignments for chapter five

1. Find in the text how the Tula gunsmiths responded when Platov “gave them the sovereign’s word”.

You can use the text at the beginning of the chapter: “We, father, feel the gracious word of the sovereign and can never forget him because he hopes for his people, but what we should do in the present case, we cannot say in one minute, because that the English nation is also not stupid, but rather cunning, and art in it has a lot of meaning.”

So, we can conclude that Tula craftsmen are full of dignity, as well as respect for their own and other people’s work. Students should also pay attention to the end of the chapter: ““ “We won’t damage the fine work,” they say, “and we won’t exchange the diamond, and two weeks is enough time for us, and by the time you return back, you will have something worthy of the sovereign’s splendor.” introduce".

Questions and tasks for chapters six and seven

1.How is Lefty described? Find this description in chapters six and thirteen.

2.Read how the narrator talks about the work of the craftsmen.

The answer to the first question is contained in opening remarks teachers. This question can also perform a control function: to check students’ perception of the lecture part of the lesson. In the second task, you need to use the following text: “All three of them came together in one house with the left-hander, they locked the doors, closed the shutters in the windows, lit the lamp in front of Nikolin’s image and began to work.

For a day, two, three they sit and don’t go anywhere, everyone is tapping with hammers. They are forging something, but what they are forging is unknown.” It is possible to refer to other examples.

Note. Chapters six and seven involve some pretty painstaking vocabulary work. For example: “Holy Athos”, “masters of singing with the Babylonians”, “stone-cutting”, “Zusha River”, etc.

Questions and assignments for chapter eight

Why was Platov in such a hurry? Find words in the text where the author explains the haste of the masters and Platov.

Let us turn to the text: “So in those days everything was required very accurately and quickly, so that not a single minute was wasted for Russian usefulness.”

Questions and tasks for chapters nine and ten

1.Why didn’t the masters reveal the secret of their work to Platov?

The answer from the Tula masters was complete human dignity and professional pride: “It’s in vain that you offend us like that - we, as the sovereign’s ambassador, must endure all insults from you, but only because you doubted us and thought that we were even capable of deceiving the sovereign’s name - we are keeping you a secret We won’t tell you our work, but if you please, take us to the sovereign - he will see what kind of people we are and whether he is ashamed of us.”

2.What did Platov do with the Tula people?

“... he reached out his hand, grabbed the sideways Lefty by the collar with his stubby fingers, so that all the hooks from his Cossack flew off, and threw him into the stroller at his feet.” You can draw students’ attention to the epithet “kutsapymi,” which emphasizes Platov’s rudeness. As for the description of Lefty, the word “shivorotok” is Leskov’s and indicates the sympathy of both the narrator and the author for the hero.

Questions and assignments for chapters eleven, twelve, thirteen

1. Did the king believe that his masters had deceived him?

2.What did the king see in the diamond nut?

Questions and tasks for chapter fourteen

1.Why was Lefty’s name not on the horseshoe? How did he explain it himself?

2.What was the order of the sovereign?

Questions and assignments for chapters fifteen, sixteen, seventeen

1.How was Lefty received in London?

2.Why didn’t Lefty agree to stay in England? How did he explain this? Find it in the text.

3.What did the hero like about the British?

4.How was Lefty sent to Russia? What happened to him on the road?

Questions and assignments for chapters eighteen and nineteen

1. How did your native land greet Lefty?

2. What worried the Tula master most before his death, what did he ask to convey to the sovereign?

You should refer to the text: “Tell the sovereign that the British don’t clean their guns with bricks: let them not clean ours either, otherwise, God bless war, they’re not good for shooting.”

Questions and assignments for chapter twenty

1. How does this chapter differ from the previous ones?

3. Why do workers “remember the old days... with pride and love”?

You should pay attention to the final phrase of the chapter: “This is their epic, and, moreover, with a very “human soul.” “Little man”... A strange word: quiet, fragile, somewhat timid. Not at all from that carnival: not from the “parat” of St. Petersburg and not from that stinking hut where everyone fell unconscious ...” (Anninsky L. Leskovskoe necklace. - M.: Book, 1982. - P. 160).

V. Final words from the teacher.

Every year Leskov's popularity grows, more and more readers comprehend the wisdom and charm of his books. The writer's works have been translated into many languages ​​of the world.

VI. Homework: prepare a coherent story

“Lefty” is a touching story about a master who devoted his entire life to working for the good of his homeland. Leskov creates many literary images living and acting in the atmosphere of bygone days.

In 1881, the magazine “Rus” published “The Tale of the Tula Lefty and the Steel Flea.” Later, the author will include the work in the collection “The Righteous”.

The fictional and the real are intertwined into a single whole. The plot is based on true events, which allow us to adequately perceive the characters described in the work.

Thus, Emperor Alexander I, accompanied by the Cossack Matvey Platov, actually visited England. In accordance with his rank, he was given due honors.

The true story of Lefty unfolded in 1785, when two Tula gunsmiths, Surnin and Leontyev, by order of the emperor, went to England to get acquainted with weapons production. Surnin is tireless in acquiring new knowledge, and Leontyev “plunges” into a chaotic life and “gets lost” in a foreign land. Seven years later, the first master returns home to Russia and introduces innovations to improve weapons production.

It is believed that Master Surnin is the prototype of the main character of the work.

Leskov makes extensive use of folklore. Thus, a feuilleton about the miracle master Ilya Yunitsyn, who creates tiny locks, no larger than a flea, is the basis for the image of Lefty.

Real historical material is harmoniously integrated into the narrative.

Genre, direction

There are discrepancies regarding genre affiliation. Some authors prefer the story, others prefer the tale. As for N. S. Leskov, he insists that the work be defined as a tale.

“Lefty” is also characterized as a “weapon” or “shop” legend that has developed among people of this profession.

According to Nikolai Semenovich, the origin of the tale is a “fable” he heard in 1878 from some gunsmith in Sestroretsk. The legend became the starting point that formed the basis of the concept of the book.

The writer’s love for the people, admiration for their talents and ingenuity are embodied in the relief characters. The work is full of elements fairy tale, catchphrases and expressions, folk satire.

The essence

The plot of the book makes you wonder whether Russia can truly appreciate its talents. The main events of the work clearly indicate that the authorities and the mob are equally blind and indifferent towards the masters of their craft. Tsar Alexander I visits England. He is shown the amazing work of the “Aglitsky” masters - a dancing metal flea. He acquires a “curiosity” and brings it to Russia. For some time they forget about “nymphosoria”. Then Emperor Nicholas I became interested in the British “masterpiece.” He sent General Platov to the Tula gunsmiths.

In Tula, a “courageous old man” orders three craftsmen to make something more skillful than the “Aglitsky” flea. The craftsmen thank him for the sovereign’s trust and get to work.

Two weeks later, Platov, who arrived to pick up the finished product, without understanding what exactly the gunsmiths had done, grabs Lefty and takes him to the Tsar’s palace. Presenting himself before Nikolai Pavlovich, Lefty shows what work they have done. It turned out that the gunsmiths had shod the “Aglitz” flea. The Emperor is happy that the Russian fellows did not let him down.

Then follows the order of the sovereign to send the flea back to England in order to demonstrate the skill of Russian gunsmiths. Lefty accompanies the "nymphosoria". The British welcome him warmly. Having become interested in his talent, they are doing everything possible to ensure that the Russian craftsman remains in a foreign land. But Lefty refuses. He misses his homeland and asks to be sent home. The British are sorry to let him go, but you can’t keep him by force.

On the ship, the master meets the half-skipper, who speaks Russian. The acquaintance ends with drinking. In St. Petersburg, half a skipper is sent to a hospital for foreigners, and Lefty, a patient, is imprisoned in a “cold quarter” and robbed. Later they are brought to die in the common people's Obukhov hospital. Lefty, living his last hours, asks Doctor Martyn-Solsky to tell the sovereign important information. But it does not reach Nicholas I, since Count Chernyshev does not want to listen to anything about it. This is what the work says.

The main characters and their characteristics

1. Emperor Alexander I- “enemy of labor.” He is inquisitive and a very impressionable person. Suffering from melancholy. He admires foreign wonders, believing that only the English can create them. He is compassionate and compassionate, builds a policy with the British, carefully smoothing out the rough edges.
2. Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich- an ambitious martinet. Has an excellent memory. Doesn't like to concede to foreigners in anything. He believes in the professionalism of his subjects and proves the inconsistency of foreign masters. However, he is not interested in the common man. He never thinks about how hard it is to achieve this mastery.
3. Platov Matvey Ivanovich- Don Cossack, count. His figure exudes heroism and sweeping prowess. A truly legendary personality, a living embodiment of courage and bravery. He has enormous endurance and willpower. He loves his native land immensely. A family man, in a foreign land he misses his family. Insensitive to foreign creations. He believes that Russian people can do anything, no matter what they look at. Impatient. Without understanding it, he can beat up a commoner. If he is wrong, then he certainly asks for forgiveness, since behind the image of a tough and invincible chieftain hides a generous heart.
4. Tula masters- the hope of the nation. They are knowledgeable in metal work. They have a bold imagination. Excellent gunsmiths who believe in miracles. Orthodox people are full of church piety. They hope for God's help in solving difficult problems. They honor the gracious word of the sovereign. Thank you for the trust you place in them. They personify the Russian people and their good qualities which are described in detail Here.
5. Left-handed oblique- a skilled gunsmith. There is a birthmark on the cheek. He wears an old “zyamchik” with hooks. In the modest appearance of a great worker hides a bright mind and kind soul. Before taking on any important task, he goes to church to receive a blessing. The characteristics and description of Lefty are described in detail in this essay. He patiently endures Platov’s bullying, although he has done nothing wrong. Later he forgives the old Cossack, without harboring resentment in his heart. Lefty is sincere, speaks simply, without flattery or cunning. He loves his fatherland immensely and would never agree to exchange his homeland for prosperity and comfort in England. It is difficult to bear separation from home.
6. Half skipper– an acquaintance of Levsha who speaks Russian. We met on a ship heading to Russia. We drank a lot together. After arriving in St. Petersburg, he takes care of the gunsmith, trying to rescue him from the terrible conditions of the Obukhov hospital and find a person who would hand him over to the sovereign important message from the master.
7. Doctor Martyn-Solsky– a true professional in his field. He tries to help Lefty overcome his illness, but does not have time. He becomes the confidant to whom Lefty tells the secret intended for the sovereign.
8. Count Chernyshev- a narrow-minded Minister of War with enormous self-esteem. Despises the common people. He has little interest in firearms. Because of his narrow-mindedness and narrow-mindedness, he substitutes the Russian army in battles with the enemy in the Crimean War.

Topics and issues

1. Theme of Russian talents runs like a red thread through all of Leskov’s work. Lefty, without any glass magnifiers, was able to make small nails to nail the horseshoes of a metal flea. There are no limits to his imagination. But it's not just about talent. Tula gunsmiths are workers who do not know how to rest. With their diligence, they create not only outlandish products, but also a unique national code that is passed on from generation to generation.
2. Theme of patriotism deeply worried Leskov. Dying on the cold floor in the hospital corridor, Lefty thinks about his homeland. He asks the doctor to find a way to inform the sovereign that guns cannot be cleaned with bricks, since this will make them unusable. Martyn-Solsky tries to convey this information to the Minister of War, Chernyshev, but everything turns out to be in vain. The master’s words do not reach the sovereign, but the cleaning of the guns continues until the Crimean campaign. This unforgivable disregard of the tsarist officials for the people and their fatherland is outrageous!
3. The tragic fate of Lefty is a reflection of the problem of social injustice in Russia. Leskov's tale is both cheerful and sad. The story of how Tula craftsmen shoe a flea is captivating, demonstrating a selfless attitude to work. In parallel with this, the author’s serious thoughts are heard about the difficult destinies of brilliant people who came from the people. The problem of attitude towards folk craftsmen at home and abroad worries the writer. In England, Lefty is respected, they offer him excellent working conditions, and they also try to interest him in various wonders. In Russia, he faces indifference and cruelty.
4. The problem of love for one's native places, To native nature. The native corner of the earth is especially dear to man. Memories of him captivate the soul and give energy to create something beautiful. Many, like Lefty, are drawn to their homeland, since no foreign blessings can replace parental love, the atmosphere of their father’s home and the sincerity of their faithful comrades.
5. Attitude problem talented people to work. Masters are obsessed with finding new ideas. These are hard workers, fanatically passionate about their work. Many of them “burn out” at work, because they devote themselves completely to the implementation of their plans.
6. Problems of power. What is the true strength of a person? Representatives of the authorities allow themselves to ordinary people go beyond what is “permissible”, shout at them, use their fists. Craftsmen with calm dignity withstand this attitude of their masters. The true strength of a person lies in balance and perseverance of character, and not in the manifestation of intemperance and spiritual impoverishment. Leskov cannot stay away from the problem of heartless attitude towards people, their lack of rights and oppression. Why is so much cruelty used against the people? Doesn't he deserve humane treatment? Poor Lefty is indifferently left to die on a cold hospital floor, without doing anything that could somehow help him get out of the strong bonds of illness.

the main idea

Lefty is a symbol of the talent of the Russian people. Another bright image from the gallery of Leskov’s “righteous people”. No matter how difficult it is, the righteous always fulfills his promise, gives himself to the fatherland to the last drop, without demanding anything in return. Love for one’s native land, for the sovereign, works wonders and makes one believe in the impossible. The righteous rise above the line of simple morality and selflessly do good - this is their moral idea, their main idea.

Many statesmen do not appreciate this, but in the memory of the people there always remain examples of selfless behavior and sincere, selfless actions of those people who lived not for themselves, but for the glory and well-being of their Fatherland. The meaning of their life is the prosperity of the Fatherland.

Peculiarities

Bringing together bright flashes of folk humor and folk wisdom, the creator of “Skaz” wrote a work of art that reflected an entire era of Russian life.

In places in “Lefty” it is difficult to determine where good ends and evil begins. This reveals the “cunning” of the writer’s style. He creates characters that are sometimes contradictory, carrying positive and negative traits. Thus, the courageous old man Platov, being of a heroic nature, could never raise his hand against a “little” man.

“The Wizard of the Word”—that’s what Gorky called Leskov after reading the book. Vernacular the heroes of the work - their vivid and accurate characteristics. The speech of each character is figurative and original. It exists in unison with his character, helping to understand the character and his actions. Russian people are characterized by inventiveness, so they come up with unusual neologisms in the spirit of “folk etymology”: “trifle”, “busters”, “peck”, “valdakhin”, “melkoskop”, “nymphosoria”, etc.

What does it teach?

N. S. Leskov teaches fair treatment of people. Everyone is equal before God. It is necessary to judge each person not by his social affiliation, but by his Christian actions and spiritual qualities.

Only then can you find a diamond glowing with righteous rays of warmth and sincerity.

Interesting? Save it on your wall!

Literature lesson in 6th grade on the topic:

N. S. Leskov. "Lefty."

Lesson topic : Life experienceN. S. Leskova - the basis of his creativity. "Lefty."

Tale as a form of storytelling. Reading Chapters I – III.

The purpose of the lesson :

Subject: show the historical and cultural context of the time, familiarize students with fragments of biography and creativity

N. S. Leskova, tell about the history of the creation of the work, draw

attention to the genre of the work; give an initial idea of ​​the tale genre;

identify the features of the language of the work;

Metasubject : be able to accept and maintain a learning task.

Lesson objectives:

Educational:

Develop skills in individual and group work.

Develop written and oral speech; monologue speech skills.

Develop the ability to highlight the main thing in a work of art, extract the necessary information from the text, and artistic retelling of a separate episode;

Ability to justify your answer.

Educational:

Briefly introduce the biography and work of N.S. Leskov

To develop students’ skills to see a work in the unity of content and form

Develop the ability to analyze text, find genre features and determine genre uniqueness

Educational:

Generate interest in the writer’s work.

Develop self-esteem.

Develop a respectful attitude towards others.

To cultivate feelings of citizenship and patriotism in students through reading and analyzing literary texts;

Lesson type: learning new material;

Lesson equipment – textbook, diagram, illustrations; presentation.

During the classes

Org moment.

Motivation for learning activities.

Name the types of literature.

What does the genre of a work mean?

Is a story a genre or genre of work? The genre and gender is epic.

Update stage.

Do you love fairy tales? What types are they?

How can a tale differ from a fairy tale?

Formulate a topic.

Lesson topic...

Teacher's story .

Nikolai Semyonovich Leskov belongs to the best writers of the 19th century.

The writer himself in his “Autobiographical Note” writes about himself:

“By origin I belong to the hereditary nobility, but young and insignificant. Our family comes from the clergy: my grandfather and his father and grandfather and great-grandfather were all priests. My father “did not become a priest,” stopped his spiritual career, was kicked out of the house by my grandfather, and with 40 kopecks of copper came to Orel, where he became a teacher in the houses of local landowners.

I was born on February 4, 1831 in the village of Gorokhov, where my grandmother lived. We lived in a tiny house, which consisted of one large peasant log house covered with straw.

In the village I lived in complete freedom. With my peers, peasant children, I lived and got along soul to soul. I knew the life of the common people to the smallest detail and understood to the smallest shades how the landowners from the large manor house treated it.

I was undoubtedly gifted with great abilities, I was polite, did not shy away from people, had decent manners, and spoke French at an early age. I studied well at the gymnasium...”

Time passed... In 1847 he entered the service of the Oryol Criminal Chamber, in 1749 he transferred to the Kyiv State Chamber, in 1857 he transferred to a private commercial company and traveled all over Russia on official business. In 1860, he briefly served as an investigator in the Kyiv police, but Leskov’s articles in the weekly “Modern Medicine”, exposing the corruption of police doctors, led to a conflict with his colleagues. As a result of the provocation they organized, Leskov, who conducted the official investigation, was accused of bribery and was forced to leave his service. In January 1861 he moved to St. Petersburg.

He saw life in all its disorder, listened to stories about the joys, but more about the troubles of people different classes, both rich and poor.

IN 1860 STARTS WRITING AND PUBLISHING ESSAYS ABOUT LIFE.

Later, in response to a newspaper reporter's question: "Where do you get your material for your writing?" - Leskov pointed to his forehead: “From this chest.” Here are the impressions of my commercial service, when I had to travel around Russia on business, this is the most best time my life, when I saw a lot and lived easily.”

Working with the class.

Read on page 225 about how Nikolai Leskov wrote and who was the hero of his works?

Read on page 226 what is Leskov grieving about?

Work in notebooks.

Write it down.

Nikolai Semenovich Leskov (1831, Oryol province - 1895, St. Petersburg)

Heroes of his works - representatives of different classes and the writer says everything in his own way, and not in a literary way; Theytalk about their lives .

And we will see this today, because we will get acquainted with a work that is unusual in its genre.

This is “The Tale of the Tula oblique left-hander and the steel flea”

Write it down.

"Left-handed" or " Taleabout the Tula oblique left-hander and the steel flea" written in 1881,

the idea arose in 1878, when Leskov was staying in the house of a gunsmith in Sestroretsk.

The work is based on the joke “how the British made a flea out of steel, and our Tula people shod it and sent it back to them.”

Skaz is a genre of epic based on folk tales and legends; Skaz - “to tell”, i.e. to tell

The narrator of the tale is a person from the people with his own special speech.

The narrator changes the words so that it is “more understandable” to an illiterate person.

The story is similar to a fairy tale:

extraordinary events happen to the characters; there are “wonderful” objects;

there is a beginning and an ending; repetitions; dialogues are like in a fairy tale.

A tale differs from a fairy tale in that it is based on real people, places and events:

• Alexander I – Emperor, Matvey - Ataman of the Don Cossacks,

Empress Elizabeth, Emperor Nicholas I,

• Europe, England, Russia, Tsarskoe Selo, Tula, Taganrog, St. Petersburg, Sestroretsk, Don, Orel, Kyiv, Moscow

• The action takes place in Russia and England after the Napoleonic War, after 1812.

  The Congress of Vienna of 1814-1815 is mentioned.

  Trip of Alexander I with Platov to London.

  The Decembrist uprising of 1825, called “confusion,” is mentioned.

  The stage of incorporating what has been learned into the knowledge system.

  Few nineteenth-century writers made such extensive use of folklore and folk traditions in his creativity. Deeply believing in the spiritual power of the people, he is nevertheless far from idealizing them, from creating idols, from “idol liturgy for the peasant,” using Gorky’s expression. The writer explained his position by the fact that he “studied the people not from conversations with St. Petersburg cab drivers”, but “grew up among the people” and that “it was not appropriate for him to either raise the people on stilts or put them under his feet.”
  Confirmation of the writer’s objectivity can be “The Tale of the Tula Oblique Lefty and the Steel Flea,” which was assessed at one time by critics as “a set of clownish expressions in the style of ugly foolishness” (A. Volynsky). Unlike other fairy tale works by Leskov, the narrator from the folk environment does not have specific features. This anonymous person speaks on behalf of an indefinite multitude, as its unique mouthpiece. There are always various rumors among the people, passed on from mouth to mouth and in the process of such transmission acquire all sorts of conjectures, assumptions, and new details. A legend is created by the people, and it appears in “Lefty” that it is so freely created, embodying the “voice of the people.”
  It is interesting that Leskov, in the first printed editions, prefaced the story with the following preface: “I wrote down this legend in Sestroretsk according to a local tale from an old gunsmith, a Tula native, who moved to the Sister River during the reign of Emperor Alexander the First. The narrator two years ago was still in good health and with a fresh memory; he readily recalled the old days, greatly honored Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich, lived “according to the old faith,” read divine books and bred canaries.” The abundance of “reliable” details left no room for doubt, but everything turned out to be... a literary hoax, which was soon exposed by the author himself: “... I composed this whole story in May last year, and Lefty is a person I invented... “Leskov will return to the question of the fictionality of Lefty more than once, and in his lifetime collected works he will completely remove the “preface.” Leskov needed this very hoax to create the illusion that the author was not involved in the content of the tale.
  However, with all the outward simplicity of the narrative, this story by Leskov also has a “double bottom.” Embodying popular ideas about Russian autocrats, military leaders, about people of another nation, about themselves, the simple-minded narrator knows nothing about what the author who created him thinks about the same thing. But Leskov’s “secret writing” makes it possible to clearly hear the author’s voice. And this voice will tell that the rulers are alienated from the people, neglecting their duty to them, that these rulers are accustomed to power, which does not need to be justified by the presence of its own merits, that it is not the supreme power that is concerned with the honor and fate of the nation, but ordinary Tula men. They protect the honor and glory of Russia and constitute its hope.
  However, the author will not hide the fact that the Tula craftsmen, who managed to shoe the English flea, essentially ruined the mechanical toy, because “they were not good at science,” that they, “deprived of the opportunity to make history, made jokes.”
  England and Russia (Oryol region, Tula, St. Petersburg, Penza), Revel and Merrekul, the Ukrainian village of Peregudy - such is the “geography” of Leskov’s stories and tales in just one book. People of different nations enter into the most unexpected connections and relationships here. The “truly Russian person” sometimes puts foreigners to shame, sometimes he finds himself dependent on their “system.” Finding the universal in life different nations and trying to understand the present and future of Russia in connection with the course of historical processes in Europe, Leskov was at the same time clearly aware of the uniqueness of his country. At the same time, he did not fall into the extremes of Westernism and Slavophilism, but maintained the position of objective artistic research. How did a “through-and-through Russian” writer and a man who passionately loved Russia and his people manage to find a measure of such objectivity? The answer lies in Leskov’s work itself.

  Features of the genre of the tale “Lefty” by N. S. Leskova

  Nikolai Semyonovich Leskov wrote “The Tale of the Tula Oblique Left-Hander and the Steel Flea” in 1881. The author’s original intention was to “pass off” his work as a folk legend that he had written down. But designated as a story by an old gunsmith, “The Tale ... of a Left-Handed Man” turned out to be so talented that many readers mistook it for a work of oral folk art.

  The word “skaz” itself suggests that the story is told orally. Listeners perceive the narrator’s intonation, speech, free from the norms of literary language, filled with colloquial words and phrases.

  The first thing readers pay attention to is the lively spoken language of the work. The narrator and the characters use words in the wrong meaning: internecine conversations are conversations among themselves, sounds are distorted (“horny nose” instead of humpbacked, “bow” instead of “bend”). They connect unfamiliar words (“busters” combined busts and “chandeliers”, “Melkoscope” - “microscope” and “finely”). Foreign words are reinterpreted into Russian (“pudding” becomes “studing”, “microscope” becomes “melkoskopom”).

  However, Leskov’s neologisms tell the reader more than correctly used words. They evoke whole figurative pictures in our minds. So, the word “busters” did not just combine two words. It’s as if we see a ballroom in a palace, bright and majestic. This speaks of the richness and imaginativeness of people's thinking.

  The history of left-handedness itself is closely connected with folklore. After all, even before Leskov’s work, there were legends about Tula masters.

  The choice of a man from the people as the main character is also not accidental. Lefty embodied the best national traits: talent, intelligence, honesty, nobility, love for the homeland. However, his death also symbolizes the fate of an ordinary person, unnecessary and forgotten by the state.

  The opposition between power and people is characteristic of the folklore tradition. The people are depicted as gifted and brilliant, and the authorities are self-willed and cruel to them. Lefty loves his homeland and, dying, thinks that he shouldn’t clean his gun with a brick, “otherwise<…>they are not suitable for shooting.” The authorities are indifferent to to the common man, worry only about their own well-being.

  It is no coincidence that readers mistook Leskov’s “Lefty” for a folklore work. Not only the language of the tale, the image of its main character and the main ideas turned out to be understandable to the common man. Author's attitude, indifference and sympathy for the people's lot, perhaps, bring the work closer to the reader than all artistic techniques.

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