In a small wing of the hospital there is Ward No. 6 for mentally ill people. The smell there is such that from the first seconds you think you are in a menagerie. There are five mentally ill patients in the ward. The first is a tradesman with roaring eyes. Most likely, he is sick with consumption and grieves and sobs all the time. The second, Moiseyka, went crazy the moment he lost his workshop. He is allowed to go to the city to beg, but everything he returns with is taken by the watchman. The third resident of the ward, a former bailiff, is Ivan Dmitrievich Gromov. He is from the family of an official, but due to his father’s misfortunes, he barely receives an education and a position, and subsequently becomes ill with persecution mania. The fourth is a fat man with a stupid, expressionless face. Most likely, he lost the ability to think and feel anything. And finally, the fifth inhabitant is a thin blond man with a sly expression on his face. He suffers from delusions of grandeur.
The main character is Doctor Andrei Efimych Ragin. As a child, he wanted to become a clergyman, but his father, who devoted his whole life to medicine, forces him to become a doctor. When he arrived at the hospital, she was in a deplorable state. Poverty, unsanitary conditions, Andrei Efimych accepted this with indifference. He did not have the will and did not believe that he could change life for the better. At first, Ragin worked diligently, but after some time he became uninterested in it, he quit and began to attend work less often. Of all the residents of the county, Andrei Efimych communicates only with the postmaster Mikhail Averyanych.
One day, the doctor decides to visit ward No. 6. There he notices Gromov, talks to him and soon gets carried away in interesting conversations. He begins to visit him constantly and talk for a long time. This is how Ragin attracts attention. At the hospital, they begin to discuss constant visits to the doctor. Soon, he is summoned to the city government to give an explanation. This is also done for the purpose that Andrei Efimych has a competitor who is eager to get a position as a doctor, Evgeniy Fedorych Khobotov. Officially, officials are talking about improving the hospital, but, in essence, they are trying to figure out whether the doctor has gone crazy.
After this, Mikhail Averyanych suggests taking a break and visiting Moscow, St. Petersburg, and then Warsaw, but Andrei Efimych realizes that this refers to conversations about his madness. In the end, he is asked to resign from his position. He is indifferent to this and together with the postmaster they head to Moscow. But the trip did not last long, and without reaching Warsaw, they returned home.
Upon arrival, everyone pesters Andrei Efimych about his illness. As a result, the doctor is deceived into being assigned to ward No. 6. Evgeny Fedorych calls him to a consultation, leaves the room and never returns. So Ragin becomes mentally ill. At first he tries to get out of the hospital, but all attempts are in vain. Soon Andrei Efimych dies of a stroke.
“Ward No. 6” is one of the most famous works in the work of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. A mysterious story full of strange coincidences and anxiety - perhaps the most tragic work in the author's work. The plot of Chekhov’s “Ward No. 6” tells the story of the Head Doctor of a psychiatric dispensary, who at some point became his patient. The main character, Doctor Ragin, is one of the key characters in Russian literature, as well as one of the most colorful characters that Chekhov created. “Ward No. 6” is one of the golden works of Russian literature, and, as a rule, is always taught in schools where Russian is taught.
Description added by user:
Artem Olegovich
“Ward No. 6” - plot
In a small hospital outbuilding there is Ward No. 6 for the mentally ill. The ward is inhabited by five people, including the fool Moiseyka and the former bailiff Ivan Dmitrich Gromov. After describing the patients, the author introduces us to Dr. Andrei Efimych Ragin. When he took office, the hospital was in a terrible state. Terrible poverty, unsanitary conditions. Ragin was indifferent to this. He is an intelligent and honest person, but he does not have the will and faith in his right to change life for the better. At first he works diligently, but soon begins to get bored and realizes that in such conditions it is pointless to treat patients. Because of such reasoning, Ragin abandons his work and does not go to the hospital every day. After working a little, more for show, he goes home and reads. Every half hour, he drinks a glass of vodka and snacks on a pickled cucumber or a pickled apple. Then he has lunch and drinks beer. In the evening, postmaster Mikhail Averyanych usually comes. The doctor and the postmaster have meaningless conversations and complain about their fate. When the guest leaves, Ragin continues reading. He reads everything, paying half his salary for books; loves philosophy and history most of all. Reading, he feels happy.
One spring evening, Ragin accidentally visits Ward No. 6. There he is accused by Gromov of theft and becomes involved in a long conversation. The doctor’s visits to the outbuilding become daily, conversations with Gromov make a deep impression on Andrei Efimych. They are arguing. The doctor takes the position of the Greek Stoics and preaches contempt for life’s suffering, while Gromov dreams of ending suffering and calls the doctor’s philosophy laziness. Rumors spread throughout the hospital building about the doctor's visits to ward No. 6. At the end of June, this becomes known to Dr. Khobotov, a young doctor who apparently wants to take Ragin's place as chief physician. In August, Andrei Efimych receives a letter from the mayor asking him to appear at the council on a very important matter. The conversation that takes place becomes a commission to examine his mental abilities.
That same day, the postmaster invites him to take a vacation and go on a trip. A week later, Ragin is offered to rest, that is, to resign. He accepts this indifferently and goes with Mikhail Averyanych to Moscow, then to St. Petersburg and finally to Warsaw. On the way, the postmaster bores him with his conversations, greed, and gluttony; he loses money at cards and, in order to repay the debt, borrows 500 rubles from Ragin. After this they return home.
At home, financial difficulties and continued talk about Andrei Efimych’s madness await. One day he can’t stand it and, having lost his temper, kicks Khobotov and the postmaster out of his apartment. He becomes ashamed and annoyed at his behavior; in the morning the doctor goes to apologize to the postmaster. Mikhail Averyanych invites him to go to the hospital. That same evening, Khobotov comes to him and asks for advice. Two doctors enter ward No. 6, supposedly for a consultation, Khobotov goes out to get a stethoscope and does not return. Half an hour later Nikita comes in with an armful of clothes. Ragin understands everything. At first he tries to leave the room, but Nikita won’t let him. Ragin and Gromov stage a riot, Nikita hits Andrei Efimych in the face. The doctor realizes that he will never leave the room. This plunges him into a state of indifference, and the next day he dies of apoplexy. Only Mikhail Averyanych and Daryushka are present at the funeral.
Story
The first mention of the story is found in a letter from Chekhov to his publisher A. S. Suvorin dated March 31, 1892:
I lead a predominantly plant-based life, which is constantly poisoned by the thought that I have to write, write forever. I'm writing a story. Before printing, I would like to send it to you for censorship, because your opinion is gold for me, but I have to hurry, since there is no money. The story contains a lot of reasoning and lacks the element of love. There is a plot, a beginning and a denouement. The direction is liberal. Size - 2 printed sheets. But I would have to consult with you, otherwise I’m afraid of adding nonsense and boredom. You have excellent taste, and I trust your first impression as much as I believe that there is sun in heaven. If they don’t rush to print my story and give me a month or two to make corrections, then allow me to send you the proof.
On April 16, Chekhov wrote to I. I. Yasinsky that he had brought the manuscript to Moscow to give it to the editors of the Russian Review. On April 29, Chekhov wrote to L. A. Avilova that he was continuing work on “Ward No. 6”:
I am finishing the story, which is very boring, since it completely lacks a woman and the element of love. I can’t stand stories like this, I wrote them somehow by accident, out of frivolity. I can send you a copy if I know your address after June.
In a letter to A.S. Suvorin dated May 15, he writes that he sent the end of the story and began writing a new one (probably referring to the story “Neighbors”):
I have already read the proofs, sent the end, but there is no answer! They probably won’t pay me, because the affairs and fate of the magazine are closely connected with the collapse of the notary Boborykin. Be patient, I’ll send the debt, because I’m still writing a story.
Reviews
Reviews of the book “Ward No. 6”
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Yulia Olegina
Uma ward...No. 6
I’ve wanted to read “Ward No. 6” for a long time; it’s a well-known work, and I often hear an expression coinciding with the title in everyday life. I won’t describe the plot, but I’ll say a little about the style, characters and overall impression.
So, a little about the heroes. The main one is Andrei Efimych - the head doctor of the hospital, an old man who has already lost all interest in life and work. It’s interesting that at first this man seemed quite ambitious to me, but over the course of history he seemed to “wither” like a flower. It’s the same with his friend Mikhail Averyanych. At the beginning, his image is interpreted as that of an intelligent, educated, comprehensively developed person, but still quite secretive. In conversations he only agrees, but I think deep down he always has his own point of view. But then in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Warsaw this person changes very much. He begins to lose large sums of money, go on a rampage, and talk a lot. And while reading it, you yourself begin to get nervous from his useless chatter. Well, of course, one cannot help but mention Ivan Dmitrich. I believe that this is the same person whom the mental hospital finally cured. It is a pity that he was never able to find spiritual freedom and peace of mind, although he was an interesting and intelligent person. There were also Khobotov and a paramedic - but these were greedy people who did everything for themselves and their own benefit.
General impression. Read, definitely read! The story or short story (whichever you prefer?) is very instructive and really makes you think about the meaning of our lives and, forgive me, about the sometimes incredible stupidity of those around us. For those who are already familiar with Chekhov's work, I will say this: the ending will not surprise you.
Thank you for your attention, I give the book 9 out of 10 (removed a point for the ordinariness of the ending). And so, I highly recommend reading!
This article will examine one of the most talented, amazing, complex and controversial works - “Ward No. 6”. Chekhov, a recognized master of intellectual and satirical prose, was, as always, able to notice and expose the most terrible ulcers on the body of society.
History of creation
The story was written in 1892. This was still the reign of Alexander III, marked by a struggle with the intelligentsia and thinking people. “Ward No. 6” became a response to these events. Chekhov was able to portray not only the suffering of people rejected by the authorities, but the fear and hatred of ordinary people towards them. Tragedy, hopelessness and despair reign in this story. The author demonstrates that an enlightened person is powerless to prove anything to people whose brains are ossified in primitivism.
Brief retelling: the beginning (Chekhov, “Ward number 6”)
We begin the brief summary with a description of the hospital courtyard and the outbuilding located here. The local watchman, an old soldier, always sleeps in the entryway on a pile of old rubbish. Nikita, that’s the watchman’s name, is short, wiry and lean, his worn-out face and drooping eyebrows make him look like a steppe shepherd dog, but he has “big fists” and an impressive posture. He belongs to those stupid and dutiful people who respect order above all, therefore he is convinced that in order to maintain it, it is necessary to beat his charges.
Inhabitants of the chamber
In the outbuilding there is a room with beds screwed to the floor, where five mentally ill people are kept, one of them belongs to the noble class, and the rest belong to the bourgeois class. Chekhov always created unique and lively characters (stories), “Ward Number 6” was no exception. Let's take a closer look at its inhabitants.
“Ward number 6”, Chekhov: analysis
The theme and idea of the work are inextricably linked with the life story of Andrei Efimych himself. Chekhov has always been the one who denounced immorality, vulgarity and conniving philosophy, which Ragin preaches. And using the example of a doctor, the author showed what indifference and refusal to fight leads to in a good thinking person. Vulgarity, baseness and ossification won victory and destroyed the only one who stood out from the others for the better.
Ward No. 6 becomes a symbol of a society where some suffer from misunderstanding, while others do not even try to help them. Thus, those who are on the other side of the door of the ward for the mentally ill (Nikita, paramedic, postmaster, Khobotov) do not consider the patients of ward No. 6 to be full-fledged people who may suffer physically and mentally, who need to be taken care of. And this is fully justified by their position in life - we will all die anyway. And Ragin, in his reflections, also comes to this simple philosophy. However, Andrei Efimych was still tormented by his conscience; he thought about the degradation of people, about the fact that he himself had deceived his patients. Gradually, the doctor begins to want only one thing - to find an intelligent interlocutor, who is found in ward No. 6. And for this discovery, Ragin pays a high price - he himself finds himself among the insane and dies.
But ward number 6 revealed a lot to Andrei Efimich. Analysis of the episode when the doctor realizes the horror of living in such a place makes it possible to be convinced that a person can only realize something by experiencing it himself. No matter how beautifully Ragin spoke about the fact that the main thing is freedom of thought, having lost his bodily freedom, he fell into apathy and suffered an incredible shock.
Thus, Chekhov touched upon such problems as hypocrisy, violence, disinterest in spiritual development, and the callous attitude of social workers and doctors towards people. The story also touches on philosophical issues: the search for the meaning of life, the purpose of the human mind and the role of suffering in people's lives. It is interesting to think that denying suffering is tantamount to denying life itself, and the mind is the only source of happiness and pleasure.
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov deservedly had great success during his lifetime. “Ward No. 6,” the reviews of which were mostly positive, did not leave anyone indifferent. So, for example, N. S. Leskov responded about this work: “In “Ward No. 6” our general orders and characters are depicted in miniature. “Ward No. 6” everywhere.”
Image of Ivan Gromov
The main characters require special attention (“Ward number 6”). The biography of Ivan Dmitrievich has already been described in detail above, so let’s proceed straight to the analysis. Gromov is an intelligent, morally high, kind and delicate person who loves to read books. According to his convictions, he can be classified as a liberal: he has compassion for the poor, hates well-fed and indifferent townspeople, believes in a bright future, the triumph of truth and the human mind. He is so sure of the latter that he is convinced that someday people will achieve immortality.
Even after being hospitalized with a diagnosis of persecution mania, he did not lose his kindness and desire to help people. His convictions were so strong. This is why Ragin is attracted to this strong character.
The author’s attitude towards his characters is ambiguous, just as the work “Ward No. 6” itself is ambiguous. But critics agree on one thing - Chekhov undoubtedly sympathized with Gromov. It is not for nothing that Ivan Dmitrievich is in many ways opposed to Ragin: he criticizes the doctor’s life and his philosophical position of connivance. Gromov also has his own idea of a person. According to this concept, people are made up of cold, hunger, loss, resentment and fear of death. Therefore, human nature itself favors reacting with tears to pain, indignation to meanness, and disgust to abomination. Ivan Dmitrievich does not accept Ragin’s philosophy of stoicism; moreover, he says that Andrei Efimych has no right to draw any conclusions because he does not know real life in general and Russian life in particular. And indeed, compared to the life of a doctor, Gromov managed to endure many losses, feel hunger and fear.
However, the suffering of Ragin himself does not make any impression on Ivan, it does not touch him at all. Gromov even gloats a little, urging the doctor to remember his previous philosophy. After Ragin's death, Ivan's only consolation is the belief that after death he will appear to all those who torture people and frighten them.
Image of Andrey Ragin
We continue the analysis of the story “Ward number 6”. Chekhov, whose heroes were always incredibly realistic, creates a type of person that is quite common among the intelligentsia - a thinker who philosophizes about life. However, this thinker knows little about the hardships of reality. Ragin's existence centers on his inner thoughts.
The Doctor gradually rejects the outside world. Chekhov, with his characteristic laconicism, depicts how quickly and at the same time naturally this process occurs. At first, Ragin resigns himself to the turmoil reigning in the hospital, then he ceases to conscientiously treat his patients. Gradually, his philosophy begins to boil down to one thing - why do anything if you are going to die anyway. Any collision with reality that does not satisfy him leads to Ragin falling into apathy and stopping talking, completely withdrawing into himself.
Ragin is unable to withstand the collision with reality. It was in this episode that Chekhov's famous, very life-like irony manifested itself. His hero, who preaches stoicism and values only freedom of thought, finds himself in the position of a prisoner. Here, it would seem, Ragin’s views should fully realize themselves, but he is unable to follow his own life concept. Andrei Efimich's philosophy leads him to his own death.
conclusions
Thus, Chekhov’s story “Ward Number 6” appears to be a deeply philosophical work, which not only reflected the problems of its century, but also raised universal questions.
In the county town, in a small hospital outbuilding, there is Ward No. 6 for the mentally ill. There “it stinks of sauerkraut, wick burning, bedbugs and ammonia, and this stench at first gives you such an impression as if you were entering a menagerie.” Five people live in the ward. The first is “a thin tradesman with a shiny red mustache and tear-stained eyes.” He is apparently sick with consumption and is sad and sighs all day. The second is Moiseyka, a cheerful fool who “went crazy about twenty years ago when his hat workshop burned down.” He alone is allowed to leave the ward and go to the city to beg, but everything he brings is taken away by the guard Nikita (he is one of those people who adore order in everything, and therefore beats the sick mercilessly). Moiseika loves to serve everyone. In this he imitates the third inhabitant, the only one “of the noble ones” - the former bailiff Ivan Dmitrievich Gromov. He is from the family of a wealthy official, who from a certain moment began to be haunted by misfortunes. First, the eldest son, Sergei, died. Then he himself was put on trial for forgery and embezzlement and soon died in a prison hospital. The youngest son Ivan was left with his mother without funds. He studied with difficulty and got a position. But suddenly he found himself ill with persecution mania and ended up in ward No. 6. The fourth occupant was “a fat, almost round man with a dull, completely meaningless face.” He seems to have lost the ability to think and feel; he does not react, even when Nikita brutally beats him. The fifth and final occupant is “a thin blond man with a kind but somewhat sly face.” He has delusions of grandeur, but of a strange nature. From time to time he informs his neighbors that he received “Stanislav of the second degree with a star” or some very rare order like the Swedish “Polar Star”, but he speaks about this modestly, as if he were surprised.
After describing the patients, the author introduces us to Dr. Andrei Efimych Ragin. In his early youth, he dreamed of being a priest, but his father, a doctor of medicine and surgeon, forced him to become a physician. His appearance is “heavy, rough, peasant,” but his manners are soft, insinuating, and his voice is thin. When he took office, the “charitable institution” was in a terrible state. Terrible poverty, unsanitary conditions. Ragin was indifferent to this. He is an intelligent and honest person, but he does not have the will and faith in his right to change his life for the better. At first he worked very hard, but soon he got bored and realized that in such conditions it was pointless to treat patients. “And why stop people from dying if death is the normal and legitimate end of everyone?” Because of these considerations, Ragin abandoned his work and began to go to the hospital not every day. He developed his own way of life. After working a little, more for-
I see he goes home and reads. Every half hour he drinks a glass of vodka and snacks on a pickled cucumber or a pickled apple. Then he has lunch and drinks beer. In the evening, postmaster Mikhail Averyanych, a former rich but ruined landowner, usually comes. He respects the doctor, but despises other ordinary people. The doctor and the postmaster have meaningless conversations and complain about their fate. When the guest leaves, Ragin continues to read. He reads everything, paying half his salary for books, but most of all he loves philosophy and history. Reading, he feels happy.
One day Ragin decided to visit ward No. 6. There he meets Gromov, talks with him and soon becomes involved in these conversations, often visits Gromov and finds strange pleasure in conversations with him. They are arguing. The doctor takes the position of the Greek Stoics and preaches contempt for life’s suffering, while Gromov dreams of ending suffering and calls the doctor’s philosophy laziness and “sleepy stupor.” Nevertheless, they are attracted to each other, and this does not go unnoticed by others. Soon the hospital begins gossiping about the doctor's visits. Then he is invited to an explanation at the city government. This also happens because he has a competitor, assistant Evgeny Fedorych Khobotov, an envious man who dreams of taking Ragin’s place. Formally, the conversation is about improving the hospital, but in reality the officials are trying to find out whether the doctor has gone crazy. Ragin understands this and gets angry.
On the same day, the postmaster invites him to go together to unwind in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Warsaw, and Ragin understands that this is also connected with rumors about his mental illness. Finally, he is directly offered to “rest”, that is, to resign. He accepts this indifferently and goes with Mikhail Averyanych to Moscow. On the way, the postmaster bores him with his conversations, greed, and gluttony; he loses Ragin's money at cards, and they return home before reaching Warsaw.
At home, everyone again begins to bother Ragin with his imaginary madness. Finally, he can’t stand it anymore and drives Khobotov and the postmaster out of his apartment. He feels ashamed and goes to apologize to the postmaster. He persuades the doctor to go to the hospital. In the end, he is placed there by cunning: Khobotov invites him to ward No. 6 supposedly for a consultation, then goes out supposedly to get a stethoscope and does not return. The doctor becomes "sick". At first he tries to somehow get out of the room, Nikita won’t let him in, he and Gromov start a riot, and Nikita hits Ragin in the face. The doctor understands that he will never leave the room. This plunges him into a state of complete hopelessness, and he soon dies of apoplexy. Only Mikhail Averyanych and Daryushka, his former servant, were present at the funeral.
“Ward No. 6” is one of the most famous works of the Russian classic Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. The cult story tells the story of the inhabitants of one provincial hospital for the mentally ill. In fact, the medical facility is a masterful allegory for modern Russia.
“Ward No. 6” is one of 19 stories written by Chekhov during his creative career. It is one of the most famous along with “The Steppe”, “Drama on the Hunt”, “A Boring Story”, “Duel”. The work was published in 1892 in the magazine “Russian Thought”. “Ward No. 6” was created as if on a whim, simply out of the need to write something. In a letter to Jerome Ieronimovich Yasinsky, a writer, literary critic, journalist, Chekhov reported that he was finishing an incredibly boring story, which was full of reasoning, lacking a woman and the element of love.
No matter how much the writer blasphemed his creation, “Ward No. 6” created a huge resonance. Over time, the expression “ward No. 6” became a household word. It is used when they want to characterize something abnormal, out of the ordinary.
Chekhov “Ward number 6”: summary
Characteristics of heroes
In a town forgotten by God, a town that can be found in huge numbers on the map of vast Russia, there is a hospital for the mentally ill. There, in the old wing, there is ward number six. The medical institution has a depressing appearance: the plaster, which had been put in place for some time, was crumbling and covering the walls in ugly pieces, the roof was rusty. Everything here, even the nails of the lopsided gray fence, has a cursed look. The dirty windows of the sixth ward are tightly closed with thick iron bars, making the hospital look like a prison.
There are five patients in ward No. 6:
The first is a thin tradesman with a red mustache and tear-stained eyes. For days on end he sits, propping his head on his fist, looking at one point and sighing sadly about something.
The second is a fat man with a stupid, meaningless face. He doesn't react to anything, doesn't speak to anyone, and seems to have completely lost the ability to think.
The third is a thin blond with a kind and at the same time cunning face. He has delusions of grandeur, the blond is very talkative, he loves to tell everyone about his fictitious achievements accomplished in a past life, before he was hospitalized.
The fourth is the fool Moiseika. This old man with a pointed beard and curly black hair, like a Negro’s, went crazy about twenty years ago, when his hat workshop burned down. Moiseika is very kind, selfless, helpful, generous. People like him are usually called blessed, God's people.
The fifth occupant of the ward, Ivan Dmitrievich Gromov, is the only intellectual among the patients. He is 33, a former bailiff, officially diagnosed with persecution mania. It is in Gromov that the head physician of the hospital, Andrei Efimovich Ragin, finds an excellent interlocutor.
Andrei Efimovich Ragin is a talented doctor, squandering his vitality and talent in a provincial town and a terrible hospital. Seeing the deplorable state of the medical institution, the head physician decides not to change anything, because he sees no point in the pathetic attempts of one person to change for the better something that needs radical reworking. Soon Ragin's lifestyle comes down to vodka with cucumbers, empty conversations with the postmaster Mikhail Averyinich and reading books. But one day Dr. Ragin entered ward No. 6, where he began a conversation with patient Gromov.
Despite the fact that Gromov was on the other side of the hospital bars, he called for people to fight for their rights and passionately yearned to change the world for the better. The philosophy of the patient from the sixth was contrary to the theory of contemplation, which Ragin adhered to. However, the discussion with an intelligent, intelligent man interested and excited the doctor so much that he began to visit the ward almost every day to talk with his pet.
This behavior of the doctor could not help but attract attention, and soon rumors spread throughout the hospital that the doctor had gone crazy. The spread of slander was greatly contributed by the district doctor Evgeny Fedorovich Khobotov, who is actively vying for Ragin’s place. In the end, Andrei Efimovich is offered to “go on vacation.” Ragin understands perfectly well that he is being survived. This undermines his mental strength, he becomes impulsive, irritable and one day kicks his friends out of the apartment.
Soon Raina is invited to a consultation at the hospital. Khobotov deceives Ragin into ward No. 6 and leaves him there. The watchman Nikita, who specializes more in brutally beating patients, brings a hospital uniform and hits the demoted doctor in the face. Andrei Efimovich understands that his life and philosophy have cracked. Ragin no longer sees the meaning in existence, and therefore life leaves him - soon Ragin dies of apoplexy.
main idea
The controversy between Gromov and Ragin was based on a clash of two points of view. Ragin positioned himself as a contemplative. He called life a vanity of vanities and did not consider it advisable to interfere in the current course of events. There is no point in fighting. Gromov, on the contrary, believed that life is a struggle. A thinking person cannot stand aside when chaos is happening around and other people are suffering. The patient called the doctor’s philosophy “the philosophy of a Russian couch potato.” “It’s a convenient philosophy,” Gromov noted passionately. “And your conscience is clear, and you feel like a sage.”
The author brings the reader to the realization that serious social problems concern every person. Life will not change for the better as long as people remain deaf, as long as the concept of “other people's grief” exists.
Chekhov observes the discussion of his heroes as if from a distance, allowing both the doctor and his patient to speak out. However, the final events of the story prove the inconsistency of Ragin's philosophy. Unpredictable life may turn out in such a way that you find yourself in a position of oppression, and then others will begin to philosophize while you tearfully ask for help.
Analysis of the work
Starting from the central idea of action and inaction, Chekhov also dissects current social and philosophical problems:
- violence against the human person;
- rights and disenfranchisement;
- values of human life (to be precise, the problem is devaluing life);
- lack of rights of modern people (the oppressed, disadvantaged, unfairly accused simply have nowhere to seek protection).
Chekhov's Chamber No. 6 is a smaller copy of modern Russia. The residents of the ward and hospital are Russian citizens who make up society. There is a place in it for the unfortunate destitute, blind slow-witted people, blessed fools (Moiseika), executioners, stupid warriors (watchman Nikita), hypocrites and careerists (Khobotov), irresponsible revelers (postmaster), idle philosophers (Ragin) and, of course, enthusiastic romantics, desperate daredevils (Gromov). By the way, thanks to the latter, our world still exists.
"Ward No. 6" in cinema
The cult story of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov has been filmed several times. The first film was shot in Germany in 1974. The film was directed by Karl Fruchtman. This was followed by two film adaptations from Poland and Yugoslavia.
In 2004, the first Russian film called “Ragin” was released. The project was led by Kirill Serebryakov (“Diary of a Murderer” (t/s), “St. George’s Day”). The role of Ragin was played by Alexey Guskov, Gromov was played by Alexander Galibin.
The most famous film was released in Russia under the same name “Ward No. 6”. The creative tandem of masters of Russian directing Alexander Gornovsky (“Son”, “Fifth Blood Group” (t/s)) and Karen Shakhnazarov (“Courier”, “We are from Jazz”) worked on the film. The roles of Ragin and Gromov were performed by Alexander Ilyin and Alexey Vertkov The project was also attended by stars of Russian cinema - Alexander Pankratov-Cherny, Evgeny Stychkin, Viktor Solovyov, Alexey Zharkov and others.