“Russian national character in the work of N.S. Leskov “Lefty”. Interesting facts - a left-handed person

The image and characteristics of Lefty in the story "Lefty" help to feel the events of the history of Russia, to understand how and what a simple Tula gunsmith lived.

Lefty's appearance

The left-hander suffers from strabismus. This feature is even more amazing. How did the oblique man manage to forge the smallest details for a miniature flea? What is the acuity of his vision that he works without any microscopes and complex magnifying instruments? Moreover, it performs the thinnest part of the product.

Other special features:

• speck on the face;
• lack of "hair" on the temples.

\"... one oblique Left-hander, a birthmark on the cheek, and the hair on the temples was torn out during the study...\"

The teacher fought for the boy's hair, which means that the guy managed to be not a particularly diligent and diligent student.

A peasant dresses modestly because of poverty:

• peasant's shoes (buttons) worn down;
• Cossack on hooks.

He wears what he was: in shawls, one leg is in a boot, the other is dangled, and the ozyamchik is old, the hooks do not fasten, they are lost, and the collar is torn; but nothing, do not be embarrassed.

The image of talent from the outback

I'm still single.

The character of a hero from the people

Masters are hardworking and persistent. They did not give up the work before completion, not fearing the anger of the chieftain, they brought everything to the end.

Special personality traits

Education. The gunsmith is not literate, not educated, like almost all the peasantry in Russia in those years. His school consisted of two textbooks: "Psalter" and "Dream Book". Talent lives in the master by nature. He managed to open it.

Cunning. A simple craftsman does not betray the ideas that three gunsmiths had about an English craft. He is silent in England, not trusting his thoughts to overseas engineers. Cunning in a kind way, without evil and intent.

Faith in God. The masters did not start the work without the blessing of the higher divine powers. They went to the icon of Nicholas the Wonderworker. Gunsmiths hope for themselves and for help from above.

Decisiveness and courage. The master is not afraid to meet with the Russian emperor. Do not be embarrassed by torn clothes. He knows that, together with his friends, he fulfilled his order, he is ready to answer for the work. He boldly tells the king that they engraved their names on the horseshoes, what his work was.

Left-handers are unique people, no one has any doubts about this. They make up 10% of the world's population, but sometimes it seems that they are forgotten: let's remember all the "right-handed" gadgets, not conveniently equipped desktops for everyone, as well as cutlery that is designed for right-handed use.

What are the causes of the "left-handedness" of a person?

Scientists do not give an exact answer to this question, but studies show a close relationship between genetics and the external environment of a person. There is no exact data on the presence of a “left” gene in a person, however, there is confirmation of the fact that left-handers usually have more “left-handed” relatives than right-handers. In addition, scientists have found differences in the structure of the cerebral hemispheres in left-handers and right-handers.

No matter what makes people use their left hand predominantly, tireless researchers have found a number of qualities that are unique to left-handed people.

We bring to the attention of all left-handers, as well as right-handers with the manners of "left-handed" and "equal-handed" (or with the function of ambidexterity).

An Overview of Facts and Myths About Lefties

1. Left-handed people are more prone to mental disorders

Lefties make up 10% of the population. However, according to research, in the group of people with mental disorders, this rate is higher. Recent studies have shown that 20% of people prone to mental disorders prefer to use the left hand.

Researchers from Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut) and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas examined 107 patients in outpatient psychiatric clinics. In the group with mild disorders like depression or bipolar affective disorder, 11% were left-handed. However, in the group with severe mental disorders, like schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, the percentage of left-handers reached 40%. According to scientists, in this case, interhemispheric asymmetry matters.

2. Health can depend on a more developed hand

According to a study published in 2010 in the journal Pediatrics, left-handed people are more prone to dyslexia (the inability to learn to read and write), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and several other neurological disorders. Researchers cannot explain this phenomenon, but attribute it to the interaction of neural connections in the human brain. The human brain consists of two hemispheres: left and right. Most people (both right-handed and left-handed) use the left hemisphere to master speech.

However, about 30% of left-handers either partially use the right hemisphere, or do not have a dominant hemisphere at all. According to scientists, it is important that only one hemisphere is dominant, which is why left-handed people can experience such mental disorders.

But lefties are more fortunate in other respects. According to a study published in the journal Laterality, left-handed people are at lower risk of developing arthritis or ulcers.

3. Lefties process speech differently.

According to a study by the Georgetown University Medical Center, left-handed people perceive fast-changing sounds more easily than right-handed people.

The researchers found that the left and right hemispheres react differently to different sounds. The left hemisphere, which controls the right hand, is responsible for recognizing rapidly alternating sounds, like consonants, while the right hemisphere, which controls the left hand, is responsible for recognizing intonation modulations and slowly alternating sounds, like vowels.

If you believe the researchers, then when you wave the flag during the solemn speech of a politician, you will perceive his speech differently depending on which hand you hold the flag in.

This study can be a valuable aid in the treatment of stuttering or speech disorders.

4. And in the primitive age, left-handers were in the minority

“Right-handedness” is not a trend of our time: a person used his right hand more confidently than his left more than 500 thousand years ago.

Researchers from the University of Kansas recently determined the "handiness" of an ancient man by his jaw (which sounds rather strange, doesn't it?). A study published in the journal Laterality found that when our great-great-great-well, you get the idea-great-grandfathers worked animal skins, they held one side of the skin with their hand and the other with their teeth. By analyzing the wear and tear of prehistoric jaws, scientists were able to determine which hand our ancestors used the most. “One tooth is enough to determine whether a person is left-handed or right-handed,” researcher David Freyer told LiveScience magazine.

And what's the verdict?

"Prehistoric creatures like modern people, used mainly the right hand.

5. Left-handers are more sophisticated and artistic

Left-handers have proudly claimed for years that they are more creative than right-handers. But is this true? Does being left-handed really mean being more creative and proactive?

According to a study published in the American Journal of Psychology, lefties do have at least one advantage in terms of creative development: they have better developed divergent thinking - a way of thinking in which different solutions are simultaneously generated in the brain.

To determine how creatively successful left-handed people are compared to right-handed people, the Left-Handers Club conducted a survey of more than 2,000 left-handed people, right-handed people, and people with the same command of both hands. The study confirmed that left-handed people are indeed more successful in terms of construction careers in the arts, music, sports and information technology.

6. Vote for lefties!

It turns out that it doesn't matter whether our politicians are "right" or "left": unexpectedly, the highest percentage of US presidents are on the "left" side - not in terms of politics, of course.

The list of left-handed presidents turned out to be quite impressive. Let's take as an example at least the last four of the seven US commanders in chief - these are Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Gerald Ford (and remember, in addition, James Garfield and Harry Truman). It was rumored that Ronald Reagan was born left-handed, but at school, strict teachers retrained him to be right-handed. Is it possible to accept the idea that right-handed presidents are simply pretending to be left-handed?

The growing number of left-handed presidents is probably a mere coincidence. However, data from a recent study by Dutch scientists suggests that left-handed politicians have an undeniable advantage in televised debates. Guess why? Usually, ordinary people associate right hand gestures as “correct gestures”, “kind gestures”. Since the television transmission works as a mirror image, the gestures of the left hand in the eyes of the viewer are displayed as movements in a positive direction (in the "side of good").

7. Left-handers win in sports

Golf legend Phil Mickelson, tennis star Rafael Nadal, boxing champion Oscar de la Goya - you have no idea how many of our sports favorites are lefties!

According to the book by Rick Smits "The Many Facets of the World of Lefties", the advantage in combat sports Lefties do have it. But only under the condition of a one-on-one competition. For right-handers, often the “left-handedness” of the opponent turns out to be a surprise for which they are not ready: for the most part, this applies to tennis, boxing and baseball.

8. Lefties get scared more often

According to the British Society of Psychology, left-handers are more susceptible to fear than right-handers.

Under the terms of the study, participants watched an 8-minute episode from the movie The Silence of the Lambs. After viewing, left-handers showed more signs of post-traumatic stress disorder than right-handers, and did more bugs in the description of what he saw.

“It turns out that left-handed people after experiencing stress (even if the stressful situation was in the movie) behave in the same way as people after post-traumatic stress disorder,” said lead researcher Carolina Chaudgerry. She believes that the reasons lie in brain activity. “Obviously, that the two hemispheres of the brain react differently to stress, and the right hemisphere responds more to the fear factor.However, more research is needed before confirming something unequivocally, ”she adds.

9. Left-handers get more angry.

If you're having an argument with your right-handed partner (he may be right about a lot of things), your left-handedness may be the likely cause. Left-handers are more prone to feeling negative emotions, and they tend to take longer to worry and delay reconciliation, according to a flash study in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease.

10. Lefties are easier to discourage.

Lefties are much more prone to self-deprecation. Researchers at Abertay University in Scotland examined 46 left-handers and 66 right-handers for impulsiveness and self-control. It turned out that left-handers react more painfully to statements like "I am afraid to make a mistake" and "I am affected by criticism or ridicule." The combination of left-handers' responses led researchers to conclude that left-handers are more vulnerable, shy, and insecure than right-handers.

"Left-handed people tend to be hesitant, reflective, while right-handed people are more determined and reckless in their decisions and actions," researcher Lynn Wright told BBC News.

11. Left-handers are more likely to pawn behind the collar.

The next time you're stuck at a bar with a tipsy friend, pay attention to which hand he's squeezing his whiskey glass, it's likely to be his left hand.

It has long been believed that left-handers are more prone to alcoholism. There were no reliable facts or convincing evidence in this regard. And only recently, a study conducted in 12 countries with the participation of 25 thousand people, clarified the situation a little. Left-handers do not make up the majority of alcoholics - however, they do drink more and more often than right-handers.

According to Kevin Denny, a researcher who conducted a study of left-handers' tendency to alcoholism, the results of which were published in the British Journal of Health Psychology, the main goal of the study was to debunk the myth of left-handed alcoholism. "There is no evidence to suggest that lefties are necessarily prone to excessive alcohol consumption," he notes in an official press release. “And there is no reason to argue that excessive drinking is due to disharmony in the work of the cerebral hemispheres or stressful situations due to the social status of left-handers as a social minority.”

12. Lefties have their own day.

Left-handers all over the world celebrate this day, which, with the help of the "Lefty Club" in Great Britain, became an official holiday in 1992 in order to draw attention to the lifestyle of left-handers and their problems.

According to a statement on the website of the initiative group, "this holiday is a day when left-handed people are proud of their "left-handedness" and try to convey to the rest of their fellow citizens all its advantages and disadvantages."

How can righties celebrate this day? Create a Left-Handed Zone: If you're in a business where a narrow line for left-handed people is possible, do it, design it, even if it's a small thing like left-handed office desks or left-handed cutlery.

Nikolai Leskov sought to comprehend and reflect in his work the life of different classes, groups and estates. And he managed to create a complex and multicolored, not fully studied image of Russia in one of the most difficult periods for her - in the second half of the 19th century. An excellent example of this is the story "Lefty".

Briefly about the plot

Before proceeding to the analysis of "Lefty" by N. Leskov, let's recall the story itself. The events of the Tale take place at the beginning of the 19th century. During one of his trips to England, Emperor Alexander was shown a tiny flea that could dance. He brought her to Russia. After the death of the emperor, this curiosity was found in his things, and the Cossack Platov explained that the sovereign brought this flea as an example of the skill of English mechanics, and noted that the Russians could do just as well. Emperor Nicholas, who believed in the superiority of the Russians, instructed Platov to go to the Don and visit the Tula factories, to look for a craftsman who would answer the challenge of the British.

Platov summoned three well-known gunsmiths, including Levsha, showed them an outlandish flea and asked them to come up with something that would surpass the English work. The artisans answered the call - they shod the flea on all paws. Everyone was delighted and sent the shod flea back to England to demonstrate the skill of Russian craftsmen. In England, Lefty was shown factories and offered to stay. The craftsman refused, and on the way back he started a dispute with the half-skipper over who would outdrink whom. Upon arrival in St. Petersburg, half the skipper was brought back to life in a rich hospital, and Lefty died without medical care in a hospital for the poor.

The story of Nikolai Leskov "Lefty" ends with the fact that even on his deathbed, Lefty thinks about his homeland. Before his death, he reveals the secret of cleaning guns, but nothing was given to the sovereign and they continued to clean guns with crushed bricks. Listen then to the advice of Lefty, in Crimean War it would have been a very different outcome.

Main character

Main character story - a talented Russian artisan Lefty. He and other craftsmen were commissioned to create a masterpiece to surprise the English. They decided that the horseshoe studs were created by Lefty. The author does not attach much importance to the description of appearance, indicating that he had a birthmark on his cheek, he was slanting in one eye and had a bald patch. The skill and ability of Lefty were more important - this is what the author paid attention to. He does not feel like someone significant, when the British offer to stay with them, he refuses. This is caused not so much by love for the motherland, but by disbelief in a better life.

An analysis of the story "Lefty" by N. S. Leskov would not be complete without the image of the protagonist, so let's consider his description in more detail. So downtrodden a person that the thought of somehow resisting circumstances does not occur to him, Lefty dies an absurd death. Here the author contrasts Lefty with the English skipper. He was immediately taken to the British Embassy, ​​surrounded by care. The author emphasizes how indifferent to human life is in the country to which Lefty returned. In fact, a rare craftsman died, and no one cares about that. Much in the description of this character is comical. For example, the master used his strabismus and left-handedness to good use - he could do the finest work that could not be seen with the naked eye.

Other heroes

Let's continue the analysis of Leskov's "Lefty" with an acquaintance with other heroes of the work. The main characters of Lefty are the emperors Alexander and Nikolai, the Cossack ataman Platov and the Russian craftsman Lefty. Alexander Pavlovich is a big fan of Western culture and technology. He admired the work of Western craftsmen, and they invariably pleased him. Having visited England and saw a miracle flea there, he immediately bought it and brought it to St. Petersburg. Patriot Platov said that our people can do just as well. But Alexander, being a shrewd politician, nevertheless refrains from showing the works of Russian artisans in England.

Nikolai Pavlovich is the brother of Emperor Alexander and his complete opposite. He is inquisitive and patriotic. If Alexander was sure that Western craftsmen were the best, then Nikolai had no doubt that no one would surpass Russian masters. Seeing the flea and listening to Platov's explanations, he was not slow to find masters who could surpass the British. Soon the craftsmen showed their work, the emperor was very upset when he did not see anything unusual. But, looking through the microscope, I saw that the flea was shod. And immediately sent Lefty with a curiosity to England to demonstrate Russian skill.

Accompanied the emperor during a trip to England. Platov was distinguished by his love for everything Russian, he did not understand Alexander's enthusiasm and exposed the deceit of foreigners. When the British boasted of the weapon, he unscrewed the lock and showed them the inscription that it was made by Russian craftsmen, and sincerely rejoiced at the frustration of the British. But not everything was smooth in Platov's character - he was cruel to those who depended on him, and treated them with contempt.

History of writing

If we analyze the work of Leskov "Lefty" according to the plan, then we should start with the date and history of writing. The tale of Lefty was first published in 1881 in the Rus magazine. In a separate edition, the author made amendments that increase the sharpness of the story, emphasizing the arbitrariness of the authorities and the ignorance of the common people. Leskov initially excluded the preface from the collected works, for the first time the introduction to the story will appear in the 1894 edition. And until that time, the reader was given the opportunity to taste the beauty of the story told by a fictional character. Removing the preface, the author wants to puzzle the reader and becomes the sly companion of the narrator, and in the last chapter replaces him.

In "Lefty" Leskov's innovation once again manifested itself: he does not use the word "fairy tale", since it does not correspond to the writer's intentions. After all, there are no fantastic characters here, real historical figures are mentioned here - the emperors Alexander and Nikolai, the Empress Elizabeth, the Cossack ataman Platov. The clarification "legend" allows us to better understand the author's intention - to look at history through the eyes of a person from the people, in this case, a gunsmith. Leskov once again emphasizes the ability of the people to compose legends and myths, which are based on real events.

means of expression

Continuing the analysis of "Lefty" Leskov, let us dwell on artistic means used by the author in his work. According to Leskov's story, a play was shot, there is a ballet version of "Lefty". But there is no tragic component of the tale. The narrator in "Lefty" gives free rein to the imagination and word game to irritate the audience even more. As one of the techniques for conveying the comic component, hyperbole is used - the colorful ataman Platov snores so that not one Englishman in the house can fall asleep. An English flea made of pure steel dances a country dance and cannot be seen with the naked eye.

At literature lessons in the 6th grade, enough time is given to the analysis of Leskov's work "Lefty". They study in detail the character and actions of the characters, the author's intention, the means of expression used by the author. Let's dwell on them in more detail. An example of the use of hyperbole is the return of Platov from the Don to Tula: a description of the impatience of the Cossack ataman and the work of the Tula masters who shod a flea and wrote their name on the horseshoe. The play of the writer with language in this story goes much further than in other works - it is a celebration of neologisms and baroque turns. As A. Volynsky noted: "The whole tale seems to be a set of clownish expressions."

Leskov uses many tricks here, including combinations of two words that sound the same but have different meanings. This technique is based on the tendency of the common people to remake unfamiliar or foreign words so that it is understandable. In addition, in "Lefty" there are verbal absurdities: "legs" - socks, "wind hood" - a hood from the wind. The story is dominated by colloquial expressions, strange phrases, dialectisms.

The main idea of ​​the work

Critics after this story attacked Leskov, he supposedly, in the person of the Tula gunsmith, belittled the Russian people. And only "Bulletin of Europe" understood the main theme and conflict in the tale "Lefty", as well as the writer's intention. Leskov portrayed the Russian people, who reject European recipes, and at the same time look limited and dependent on social conditions. It must be admitted that "Lefty" is replete with ironic remarks worthy of attention. When the tsar is traveling with the ataman across Europe, Platov diverts his attention in every possible way - we are no worse off. The ataman does not want to speak French: "He considered all French conversations to be trifles." While the British are demonstrating weapons, he says that his fellows won without it.

"Lefty" through the eyes of the author

Of course, the ataman is a comedic character, and his common sense smacks of limitation. He treats his messengers cruelly. Acts inhumanly with Lefty in the episode with the "nymphosoria" and the royal daughter. When the half-skipper asks for his help, he refuses to do anything for the English master. Without a doubt, the story "Lefty" proves Russian superiority. Lefty says that the Orthodox faith is the most correct, because "our books are thicker than yours." Through the whole work, the author's mockery of nationalism is visible, people obsessed with it are unable to see the true value of things. But Leskov wanted to good-naturedly ridicule the bragging of the Russian people, the inability to recognize the value of what was done on a foreign side.

Continuing the analysis of "Lefty" by Leskov, it is impossible not to dwell on the opinion of critics. During the years of Soviet power, critics did not fail to emphasize the bitter satire in the story of Lefty. Its end is tragic - in Russia the flourishing of folk talent is impossible. The author depicts both kings as comedic characters. Alexander tries to please the British in everything, superficially looks at Russian life. Nicholas does not trust foreigners, but succumbs to the flattery and cunning of the courtiers, who hide Lefty's death from him. The dying left-hander asked the tsar to tell them not to clean their guns with crushed bricks, but no one listened to him. The tsar did not find out about anything, and the Crimean campaign was lost.

true reality

People's life, too, can not be called encouraging. Platov treats the Cossacks cruelly and commits arbitrariness with impunity. He beats Lefty and gets off with an apology. Lefty was thrown in front of the police station, he lay in the cold for a long time, then he was taken half-dressed from hospital to hospital and finally brought to the hospital for the poor. The author shows in what ignorance the people vegetate, is in captivity of their prejudices and customs. Leskov wrote that at first he wanted to portray Lefty as a symbol of the Russian people with all its shortcomings and virtues: quick wits and ingenuity.

Concluding the analysis of Leskov's "Lefty", let's summarize - did the author succeed in fulfilling his plan? Could the reader understand it? Probably yes. Many amazing things were created by illiterate people, not knowing arithmetic, only the Psalter and the dream book. Lefty is like a bird that flew too close to the sun and singed its wings. And the Russian people are unable to use their talents, not only because of ignorance, but also because they are possessed by a sense of superiority. And common sense and prudence are Western concepts. In "Lefty", the author says that a Russian person has two tenacious habits, ingrained in the blood: drunkenness and fanfare.

The Tale of the Left-hander cannot be called either a pamphlet against the Russian people, or an openly nationalist work. Leskov skillfully presented here a living and truthful image of reality.

Performed by Evgeny Trubnikov,

student 9 "A" class

Lyceum №369

scientific adviser

Epishova Svetlana Fedorovna,

teacher of Russian language and literature

Saint Petersburg 2011

Introduction

1. Russian national character

2. Description of Lefty

3. Russian national character of Lefty, the hero of the tale by N.S. Leskov

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

Mysterious Russian soul... She, the subject of admiration and curses, Sometimes squeezes a man's fist, Crushing concrete obstacles. And then it suddenly becomes thinner than a petal, More transparent than an autumn cobweb. And then it flies, like on the first day of Putin's Desperate mountain river.(E. Dolmatovsky)

There is such a thing as the Russian national character. Times are changing, tsars, leaders, presidents are changing, our country itself is changing, but the features of the Russian national character remain unchanged. Both foreign and Russian thinkers constantly turned to the mystery of the “mysterious Russian soul”, because this topic has always remained and will remain relevant and interesting.

To reveal this topic in my work, I chose the work of N.S. Leskov “Lefty”, because he, using the form of a tale, tells us the story of a man who personifies all Russian people. " Where "left-handed" stands, it is necessary to read "Russian people" - Leskov himself said.

“Skaz is a type of literary and artistic narrative constructed as a story of a person whose position and speech manner are different from the point of view and style of the author himself. The clash and interaction of these semantic and speech positions underlies the artistic effect of a tale”*. The tale implies a narration in the first person, and the narrator's speech must be measured, melodious, sustained in a characteristic this person manner. There is no narrator as such “Lefty”, but for other points the work may well be called a tale. The “reprimand” of the author creates the impression that the story is being told by some kind of village dweller, simple, but at the same time (judging by the reasoning) educated and wise. With fairy tales, “Lefty” has a subtext in common, because often they contain an unobtrusive, often good-natured and condescending mockery of “those in power”.

1. Russian national character

Among all the features inherent in the Russian national character, there are some that, in my opinion, are the main ones: diligence and talent, willpower and kindness, patience and perseverance, courage and courage, love of freedom and patriotism, religiosity. I considered it necessary to quote the statements of some foreigners who touched on the topics of the Russian national character, because they see us from the side and evaluate us without prejudice.

· Hard work, talent.

“Russian people have many talents and abilities in almost all areas of public life. He is characterized by observation, theoretical and practical mind, natural ingenuity, ingenuity, creativity. The Russian people are a great worker, builder and creator.” The quick-witted practical mind of a Russian person is a source of diverse experience and various abilities. Hence - the rich development of the spirit and the abundance of talents. The giftedness of a Russian person manifested itself in the very successful development of science and technical inventions, and the love of beauty and gift creative imagination contribute to the high development of Russian art.

· love of freedom

“For the Russian people, freedom is above all.
The word “will”, understood as independence, is closer to the Russian heart,

freedom in the manifestation of feelings and in the commission of actions, and not freedom as perceived need, that is, as an opportunity for a person to manifest his will on the basis of awareness of the law”*.

According to the philosopher N.O. Lossky among the primary properties of the Russian people, along with religiosity, the search for absolute goodness and willpower, include love for freedom and its highest expression - freedom of the spirit. He who has the freedom of the spirit is inclined to put every value to the test, not only by thought, but even by experience. This property is associated with the search for absolute goodness. In the real world, it does not exist, therefore, each person makes an independent choice for himself. the best way actions, own way.

Freedom of spirit, breadth of nature, the search for the perfect good, and the testing of values ​​by thought and experience connected with this, led the Russian people to develop the most diverse, and sometimes even opposite, forms and methods. The search for absolute goodness has developed among the Russian people a recognition of the high value of each individual.

The Russian people had to endure many trials in their difficult history, and in each of them they showed courage and courage. Among the primary basic properties of the Russian people is a mighty willpower. The higher the value, the stronger feelings and energetic activity it causes in people with a strong will. Hence the passion of the Russian people, manifested in political life and even greater passion in religious life. The willpower of the Russian people, as N.O. Lossky, is also revealed in the fact that a Russian person, having noticed any of his shortcomings and morally condemning him, obeying a sense of duty, overcomes him and develops a quality that is completely opposite to him.

· Kindness

Often Russian people help those whom they should have hated with all their hearts, with whom they, in theory, cannot develop respectable relations. For example, the Austrian German Otto Berger, who was a prisoner in Russia in 1944-1949, wrote in his book that while living in Russia, the prisoners understood “What a special Russian people. All workers, and especially women, treated us as unfortunate people in need of help and protection. Sometimes women took away our clothes, our underwear and returned it all ironed, washed, mended. The most surprising thing was that the Russians themselves lived in monstrous poverty, which should have killed in them the desire to help us, their yesterday's enemies.. Our Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky agrees with the opinion of a foreigner: “Russian people do not know how to hate for a long time and seriously,” he wrote about Russian kindness.

The kindness of the Russian people in all its layers is expressed in the absence of vindictiveness. “Often a Russian person, being passionate and prone to maximalism, experiences a strong feeling of repulsion from another person, however, when meeting with him, if specific communication is necessary, his heart softens and he somehow involuntarily begins to show his spiritual softness towards him, even sometimes condemning himself for it, if he believes that the person in question does not deserve to be treated kindly.”*

· Patriotism

The Russian people have always been distinguished by their patriotism. Russian people could remain dissatisfied with Russia among themselves, but as soon as it was necessary to defend it, protect the honor of the Motherland, they united and together repulsed the enemy or simply did not allow ridicule over it.

· Patience and perseverance

“Russians have boundless patience, an amazing ability to endure hardships, hardships and suffering. In Russian culture, patience and the ability to endure suffering is the ability to exist, the ability to respond to external circumstances, this is the basis of personality ”*

· Religiosity

Religiosity is that feature of the Russian national character, which practically determined the entire Russian mentality. In my opinion, if the Russian people were not so religious, then, most likely, their history would have turned out differently. After all, many of the defining features of the Russian national character have developed precisely thanks to her. In his book The Character of the Russian People, the Russian philosopher N.O. Lossky considers his religiosity and the search for absolute truth associated with it to be the main and most profound feature of the Russian people. “Russians can talk about religion for six hours straight. The Russian idea is a Christian idea; in the foreground in it is love for the suffering, pity, attention to the individual personality ... ”- writes N.O. Lossky in his book.

2. Description of Lefty

Distinctive properties of N.S. Leskov - fairy tale motifs, the interweaving of the comic and the tragic, the ambiguity of the author's assessments of the characters - were fully manifested in one of the most famous works writer "Lefty".

Introducing us to the main character, the author does not demonstrate his attractiveness, just a few details: “ oblique left-handed, a birthmark on the cheek, and the hairs on the temples were torn out during the exercise. However, Lefty is a skilled Tula artisan, one of those Tula gunsmiths who managed to shoe the English "nymphosoria" and, thereby, surpass the English masters.

When meeting with the king himself, Lefty is not afraid, but “ he walks in what he was: in shawls, one leg is in a boot, the other is dangling, and the ozyamchik is old, the hooks do not fasten, they are lost, and the collar is torn; but nothing, do not be embarrassed". The left-hander, an unsightly little man, is not afraid to go to the sovereign, as he is confident in his rightness, in the quality of his work. Indeed, there is something to marvel at here - the craftsmen not only did not spoil the curiosity, but also bypassed the British in terms of skill: they shod a steel flea and wrote their names on the horseshoes. This is such a miniature work that you can see the result in a “melkoskop”, which magnifies several hundred times, and the craftsmen, due to poverty, did all the delicate work without a “milkoscope”, because they “have shot their eyes like that”. However, Lefty's name was not on the horseshoes, as he considered himself unworthy of it. In his opinion, he did nothing special, because he worked with parts less than horseshoes: he forged carnations to nail them.

Lefty is ready to sacrifice himself for the sake of the Fatherland, in the name of the cause. He goes to England without documents, hungry (he is on the road “ at each station, the belts were still tightened by one badge so that the intestines and lungs would not get mixed up”) to show Russian ingenuity and skill to foreigners, and earns the respect of the British by his unwillingness to stay in their country.

The skill and ability of Lefty caused well-deserved respect among the British, but, unfortunately, he was deprived of the technical knowledge available to English masters, and, as a result, the “nymphosoria”, savvy to Lefty and his comrades, can no longer dance: “ It's a pity- regret the British, - it would be better if you knew at least four rules of addition from arithmetic, then it would be much more useful for you than the entire Half Dream Book. Then you could realize that in every machine there is a force calculation; otherwise you are very skillful in your hands, and you didn’t realize that such a small machine, as in a nymphosoria, is designed for the most accurate accuracy and cannot carry its horseshoes. Through this, now the nymphosoria does not jump and the dance does not dance.

When Lefty returns to his homeland, he falls ill and dies, useless to anyone. Thrown on the floor in a "common people's" hospital, he personifies the inhumanity, short-sightedness and ingratitude of the state power - the reason for Russia's disorder, according to the author.

From the whole story it becomes obvious that Leskov sympathizes with Lefty, pities him, the author's comments are filled with bitterness. The image of Lefty reflected Leskov's search for a positive national hero, and, in my opinion, this image is very close to the goal.

3. Russian national character of Lefty, the hero of the tale by N.S. Leskov

Leskov does not give a name to his hero, thereby emphasizing the collective meaning and significance of his character. The main features of the Russian national character are collected in the image of Lefty.

· Religiosity

The religiosity of the Russian people is manifested in the episode when the Tula masters, including Lefty, before starting work, went to bow to the icon of “Mtsensk Nikola”, the patron saint of trade and military affairs. Also, Lefty's religiosity is "intertwined" with his patriotism. Lefty's faith is one of the reasons he refuses to stay in England. “ Because, - he answers, - that our Russian faith is the most correct, and as our right-wingers believed, descendants should also believe in the same way.

· Willpower, courage and courage

Left-hander, among three gunsmiths, worked hard on an outlandish flea for two weeks. All this time they were locked up, keeping their work secret. It is here that the strength of the spirit is manifested, since I had to work in difficult conditions: with closed windows and doors, without rest, so that during work I would never get out of their “close mansion”, in which “ from restless work in the air, such a sweaty spiral became that an unaccustomed person could not breathe even once from a fresh fad.

· Patience and perseverance

Many times Lefty shows patience and steadfastness: and when Platov “ caught the left-hander by the hair and began to ruffle back and forth so that shreds flew ”, and when Lefty, sailing home from England, despite the bad weather, sits on the deck to see his homeland as soon as possible:

“As soon as they left the buffet in the Solid Earth Sea, so his desire for Russia became such that it could not be calmed down in any way. The water supply has become terrible, but the left-hander doesn’t go down to the cabins - he sits under a present, puts on his hood and looks to the fatherland. Many times the English came to a warm place to call him down, but he, so as not to be bothered, even began to kick off.

· Patriotism

While in England, Lefty rejects the lucrative offers of the British: to settle in London, learn science, visit factories in practice, get a prestigious job, marry, start a family. (“ Stay with us, we will give you a great education, and you will become an amazing master”, “The British called themselves to send money to his parents”, “we will marry you”), because he loves his Motherland, loves its customs, its traditions. The left-hander cannot imagine his life outside of Russia. “ We, - he says, - are committed to our homeland, and my aunt is already an old man, and my parent is an old woman and used to going to church in her parish, ”and I want to return to my native place, because otherwise I might be a kind of insanity get."

The left-hander is a true patriot, a patriot in his soul, gifted from birth, he is characterized by high morality and religiosity. He went through many trials, but even at the hour of his death, he remembers that he must tell the military secret of the British, ignorance of which negatively affects the combat capability of the Russian army.

· Kindness

Despite his strong attachment to the Motherland, Lefty refuses the British request to stay very politely, trying not to offend them. He does it in such a way that his refusal not only does not upset the British, but even earns their respect. And he forgives Ataman Platov for his rough treatment of himself. “Even though he has an Ovechkin coat, he still has the soul of a man,” says the “English half-skipper” about his Russian comrade.

· Hard work and talent

One of the main themes in the story is the theme of the creative talent of the Russian people. Talent, according to Leskov, cannot exist independently, it must necessarily be based on the moral, spiritual strength of a person. The plot itself, the very history of this tale tells how Lefty, together with his comrades, was able to “surpass” the English masters without any acquired knowledge, only thanks to talent and diligence. Extraordinary, wonderful craftsmanship is the main property of the Lefty. He wiped the nose of the "English craftsmen", shod a flea with such small nails that even the strongest "melkoskop" could not be seen. In the image of Lefty, Leskov proved that the opinion put into the mouth of Emperor Alexander Pavlovich was wrong: foreigners “have such natures of perfection that, as you look, you will no longer argue that we Russians are no good with our significance.”

Lefty's own name, like the names of many of the greatest geniuses, is forever lost to posterity, but his adventures can serve as a memory of an era whose general spirit is captured aptly and truly. The image of Lefty, according to the writer, recalls those times when “inequality of talents and gifts” mattered, and makes us sadly look at the present, when, “favoring the rise of earnings, machines do not favor artistic prowess, which sometimes exceeded the measure, inspiring the people.” fantasy to compose such fabulous legends as the present.

Conclusion

In this work, we examined the Russian national character on the example of the work of N.S. Leskov “Lefty”. Analyzing this work, finding signs of the Russian national character in its main character, we found that “Lefty” is a work in which Leskov, consummate master tale, masterfully singled out the main features of the Russian national character and showed them on the example of his heroes, especially Lefty. The author, in order to do this, uses various linguistic means of expression, such as the use of “folk” words (“nymphosoria” - infusoria, “bite” - couch, etc.). This gives “Lefty” a special “charm”.

Lefty is a symbol of the Russian people. The left-hander personifies the Russian people, he is religious, patriotic, hardworking, kind and freedom-loving. Leskov is presented truly great person: a talented master, with a broad soul, a warm loving heart, with deep patriotic feelings.

Thus, at the end of this work, it should be said that the Russian national character, of course, has its own character traits, different from the features inherent in other peoples and so incomprehensible to them. Ta inner strength, spirituality and sacrifice of the people, their kindness, sincere simplicity, compassion and unselfishness and, at the same time, inertness, illogicality and irrationality of actions, behavior, most often justified by intuition, all this makes the Russian people unlike any other people in the world. Russia, in which such an extraordinary people lives, is unlike any other country in the world.

product left-handed Russian national character

Bibliography

1. Leskov N.S. Lefty. - Astrel, AST, 2006

2. Vyunov Yu.A. "Word about Russians". M., 2002.

3. Vereshchagin E.M. Kostomarov V.G. "Language and Culture". M, 1990.

4. Ter-Minasova S.G. “Language and Intercultural Communication”. M., 2000.

5. "Great Soviet Encyclopedia". M, Soviet encyclopedia, 1970.

6. Lossky N. O. About the Russian character. M., 1990.

AiF.ru collected 20 interesting facts about lefties:

1. Almost 90% of people on the planet are right-handed, and only 3-5% have a "leading hand" - the left. The rest are ambidexters.

2. The number of lefties is decreasing all the time. In the Stone Age they were 50%, in the Bronze Age - 25%, and now - only 5%. About 2,500 left-handers die each year in accidents involving the use of right-handed items.

3. The southern hemisphere of the Earth is more "left-handed": among the population of South Asia, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia, there are much more left-handed people than in other ethnic groups around the world, while among the population of Western and Northern Europe, Africa Left-handers are much less common.

4. At different times, left-handedness was considered as bad habit or even as a sign of the devil, then as a sign of a neurosis or a rebellious character. Later, it came to be seen as a sign of creative and musical ability.

5. In Japan, until the twentieth century, the wife's left-handedness was considered sufficient grounds for divorce.

6. In many languages, the word "left" has a negative connotation and is synonymous with the words "awkward", "false", "insincere", "suspicious". AT English language synonyms for the word "left-handed" are "clumsy", "inept", "ambiguous" and "doubtful".

The French "gauche" means not only "left", but also "dishonest".

7. Stuttering and dyslexia (inability to read) are more common in left-handers.

8. Right-handers live an average of 9 years longer than left-handers.

9. Left-handers use their right hand much more often than right-handers use their left.

10. The probability of having a left-handed child, if both parents are right-handed, is only 2%. If one of the parents is left-handed, the probability rises to 17%, both left-handed parents have left-handed children in 46% of cases.

11. Lefties are most common among identical twins.

12. Left-handed children are usually much more stubborn than their right-handed peers, and their period of stubbornness is of a protracted nature.

13. Many left-handed people have good musical abilities and perfect pitch.

14. Often, left-handed children begin to speak later than their peers and have difficulty pronouncing certain sounds.

15. "Forced left-handedness" occurs due to injury right hand in young years. It also happens that a child imitates one of the left-handed parents, and as a result, left-handedness becomes a habit.

16. Lefties often choose the professions of artists, artists, writers, they are especially valued in boxing, fencing and swimming.

17. 40% of the gold medals in boxing are left-handed. A left-handed boxer has an advantage when hitting the liver, but loses the advantage of a right-handed boxer when hitting the heart.

18. Left-handers are more often men than women.

19. Among those who graduated from college, left-handed men are 15% richer than right-handed men, and among those who received higher education left-handed men are richer than right-handed men by 26%. In women, there was no correlation between salary and left-handedness.

20. The terms "left-handed" and "right-handed" apply not only to people, but also to animals. Among cats, the majority are right-handed, among mice 44% are right-handed, 28% are left-handed, and the rest are ambidexters, and all polar bears are left-handed.