History of creation
The so-called plot foundation for the story of Nikolai Semenovich Leskov became reliable events that took place under Emperor Nicholas the First.
The images of the heroes of the work were copied from real people of that era (Miller, Kokoshkin, Svinin), who actually carried out public service and participated in the events described by the author.
The debut publication of The Man on the Clock dates back to 1887. The work was published in the printed publication “Russian Thought” under the title “The Salvation of the Perishing.” After some time, the writer abandoned the original title.
Moral problems in the stories of N.S. Leskova presentation for the lesson (grade 6) on the topic
Topic: “Moral problems of the story by N.S. Leskov "Man on the Clock" (1887)"
Goals:
· Analyze with students the main problems of Leskov’s story
· Determine the idea of the work
· Establish a connection between this story and the previously studied tale about the Tula Lefty
· Develop skills in working with the text of a work of art
· Develop students’ skills in determining the author’s position in a work, the role of irony in revealing an idea
· Enrich students’ vocabulary (familiarity with new words “humanism”, “liberalism”)
· Foster a sense of true patriotism using examples of classical literature
· Foster a culture of speech
· Develop the ability to listen to the answers of classmates, giving them the opportunity to express their thoughts.
Equipment:
· Lesson summary, text of the story, portrait of the writer (on the board), board with key dates of the era of the 20-30s of the 19th century, multimedia projector, screen, computer, floppy disk with a photo of the monument to Leskov
· Text of the story, writing materials, notebook, diary
Lesson summary
Lesson steps
Content
Sample answers
students
Note
Don’t forget to prepare notebooks, diaries, the text of the story “The Man on the Clock”
Setting lesson goals
For today's lesson you should have read Leskov's story “The Man on the Clock.” The purpose of our lesson is to identify the main problems of the story and determine the idea of the story.
The story “The Man on the Clock” was published in 1887 in the magazine “Russian Thought” under the title “The Salvation of the Perishing.” Later the name was changed. Why the author changed the name – we’ll try to answer at the end of the lesson.
Determining the topic of the lesson
Let's write down the topic of the lesson in our notebooks: “Moral problems of the story by N.S. Leskova "Man on the Clock"
Creating a problem situation
You have read the story. Briefly answer, what is the story about?
Each hero in this story faces the problem of choice, name the heroes.
The action of each hero characterizes him from a moral point of view. Let's try to understand the reasons for the actions of each hero, but first we will get acquainted with the characteristic features of the historical era discussed in the story.
About how a guard saved a drowning man by violating an order.
Postnikov, disabled service officer, Miller, Svinin, Kokoshkin, Bishop.
Teacher's opening speech
Introduction to the historical era:
Why do you think the author indicates the exact date?
Prove with text: when and where did the incident told by the author occur?
Are there any other references in the text to the fact that the narrative claims to be the reality of what is depicted?
What events took place in the immediate vicinity of this date?
The era of universal fear has arrived. The gendarmes kept the entire country under surveillance; the majority were afraid of doing anything to anger the tsar. Soldiers who were guilty of anything were beaten with sticks, driven through the ranks, and the officers made sure that the soldiers beat their comrade with all their might. Often after such punishments a person died. The common man felt completely powerless.
The story is based on actual events.
“In winter, around Epiphany. »
In 1839, in St. Petersburg
Yes, the story mentions historical characters:
Miller Nikolai Ivanovich - lieutenant general, director of the Alexander Lyceum during the reign of Nicholas 1.
Kokoshkin Sergei Aleksandrovich - in 1830 he was the St. Petersburg chief of police, then a senator.
Mention of the Grand Duke and Emperor.
1825 – death of Alexander 1, Decembrist uprising
1826 - coronation of Nicholas 1 (continuous supervision of those dissatisfied with the tsarist government was organized, the censor service was tightened, the third police department was organized, which monitored ordinary people)
1837 - death of Pushkin, poem “Death of a Poet” by Lermontov, exile of Lermontov
1841 – death of Lermontov
Dates are written on the board in advance, children name events
The essence
The events take place in 1839 on the territory of St. Petersburg, before the Epiphany frosts. Although that year the winter turned out to be warm, and by Epiphany a thaw had begun.
In the dead of night, the alarm was sounded in the Winter Palace because the soldier Postnikov left his post without permission to save a man drowning in the wormwood. Having performed a heroic act, the wet and chilled soldier returns to stand guard again. Naturally, Postnikov’s feat did not evoke admiration in military circles. Moreover, such behavior was deeply frowned upon.
Officers and colonels are doing everything possible to prevent information from reaching the sovereign himself, otherwise everyone will get it. As a result, the situation is brought to the point of absurdity, and the valiant deed of the young soldier remains classified. Postnikov receives two hundred blows with rods as punishment (Here, additionally, read a brief retelling of the work “The Man on the Clock” for the reader’s diary).
"Man on the Clock" reader's diary
“The Man on the Watch” is a story about a simple soldier, a guard who, at his own risk, left his post and hurried to the aid of a drowning man.
Summary of “The Man on the Clock” for the reader’s diary
Title : Man on the Clock
Number of pages : 12. Leskov N. S. “The Man on the Clock.” Publishing house "IG Lenizdat". year 2014
Genre : Story
Year of writing : 1887
Time and place of the plot
The story takes place in St. Petersburg in 1839, shortly before Epiphany. According to the author himself, this story, based on real facts, is a reflection of the morals of the 30s of the 19th century in Russia.
Main characters
Postnikov is a private in the Izmailovsky regiment, a guard, kind, compassionate, decent, a man of duty.
Miller Nikolai Ivanovich - captain of the Izmailovsky regiment, a young, educated officer, humanist.
Svinin is a lieutenant colonel of the Izmailovsky regiment, a kind and fair man, for whom service was above all else.
Kokoshkin is a general, chief police officer, who managed to correct a difficult situation.
The officer is a palace officer, vile, deceitful, hypocritical, ambitious.
Please note that we also have:
Plot
The winter of 1839 turned out to be surprisingly warm, and on the eve of Epiphany there was a strong thaw. The guard in the Winter Palace was occupied by a company of the Izmailovsky regiment under the command of the well-educated young officer Nikolai Ivanovich Miller.
It got dark, the palace fell into sleep, but unexpectedly at night the alarm was raised - the sentry, soldier Postnikov, left his post to save a man drowning in the wormwood. Postnikov took the oath, and under no pretext could not leave his service at the post. But the cries for help tormented his heart so much that he rushed to the aid of the drowning man. Handing the gun to the man, he pulled him ashore, and then, completely wet, stood guard again.
Just then, as luck would have it, a palace officer passed by and witnessed Postnikov’s absence. He took the rescued man with him, brought him to the house of the Admiralty unit and said that with his own hands he had saved him from certain death.
Postnikov frankly confessed everything to Miller, describing all the details, including the officer’s trip with the rescued man to the Admiralty unit. Nikolai Ivanovich understood that he was not able to make amends for this matter, and the entire authorities would inevitably fall under the distribution. He wrote a note asking for help to his battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Svinin - not an evil man, but an extremely strict and demanding man. Having heard Postnikov's story, he immediately sent him under arrest to a barracks cell. He saw the only way out of this situation in a conversation with Chief Police Chief Kokoshkin, who reported to the sovereign every morning about the events that had taken place.
Kokoshkin summoned the disabled officer and the rescued one. To save Postnikov and Miller from terrible reprisals, he closed his eyes to the obvious lies of the disabled officer and promised him a reward for saving the man. Postnikov received two hundred blows with rods as punishment, but he was very pleased that he got off so easily - at that time, by the verdict of a military court, the perpetrators endured much more terrible punishments. Svinin personally visited Postnikov and treated him to sugar and tea.
Conclusion and your opinion
The work touches on many important topics: human kindness, mercy, injustice, meanness. The act of General Kokoshkin at first glance may seem unfair and even vile, but it was thanks to his tact and cunning that many innocent people managed to avoid punishment. Postnikov could have been executed for his act. He understood this perfectly well, and was very happy that he got off with corporal punishment. At the same time, he was such a kind and merciful person that he did not consider his act a feat. He saved the man only because his conscience told him so.
the main idea
Good deeds must be done selflessly for the sake of good, and not for the sake of reward and glory.
Author's aphorisms
“...he knows that he is a sentry, and the sentry never dares to leave his booth under any pretext...”
“...It’s scary to hear how another person is dying, and not to give this dying person help...”
“...An incomplete truth is not a lie. But the least of this..."
Interpretation of unclear words
Courtier - associated with the court, with staying or serving at the court.
The seashore is the part of the sea surface adjacent to the shore.
Spitsruten is a long, flexible and thick rod made of willow.
A gangway is a portable board with special strips to prevent shoes from slipping.
A paramedic is a specialist with secondary specialized medical education.
New words
A polynya is an area of clean water in the ice cover of a river.
A humanist is one who recognizes the value of man as an individual, his right to freedom and happiness.
The guard is an armed unit that performs the combat mission of guarding and defending military banners, military and government facilities.
A sentry is an armed guard who performs the combat mission of protecting and defending the post assigned to him.
The theme of Leskov's work is the man on the clock. Analysis of the story “The Man on the Clock” (N
The story was written in 1887 and published in April of the same year in the magazine “Russian Thought” under the title “The Rescue of the Perishing.” The writer classified the hero of the story, the soldier Postnikov, as a “righteous person,” that is, as a type of positive character, as he seemed to Leskov.
In a letter to the editor of the Historical Bulletin magazine in April 1887, he writes: “... I would advise adding to those two (“Cadet Monastery” and “Skomorokh” - L.K.) “The Salvation of the Perishing” from “Russian Thought” ”, for he also belongs to the “righteous” - is not great, everyone likes him quite well and is unknown anywhere except the Moscow magazine... I would really like for all these good-natured people to get together, and this will just make up a volume (“Cadet Monastery” , “The Buffoon” and “The Deceased...”).”
The last version of the title of the story - “The Man on the Clock” (“The Man on the Clock (1839)”) - gave it a broader, generalizing meaning, more accurately expressed the focus of the work: for Leskov this is not a simple description of an ordinary incident from the life of a big city, but formulation and a unique solution to the philosophical problem - man and his duty.
The chronicle form of the story (mention of historical figures - Svinin, Miller, emperor, metropolitan and others, as well as an indication of the year and even the time of year when the described events occurred: “in winter, around Epiphany, in 1839 in St. Petersburg”), is, on the one hand, it is a means of artistic representation familiar to the writer, giving the appearance of historical authenticity, and on the other hand, it is intended to divert the attention of the censor from the actual nature of the work.
The event described in the story, according to the writer, is “touching and terrible,” although none of its participants lose their lives.
The “horror” of what happened lies in the fact that, due to the callousness of the laws that existed at that time, human dignity was violated and humiliated, the norms of justice were violated, which, according to the writer, is almost worse than death itself.
The triumph of untruth and evil is blessed by the “lord”, in whose image Leskov not only copied the portrait of Metropolitan Philaret Drozdov, but satirically depicted the type of clergyman - a bigot and an opportunist.
“An incomplete truth is not a lie,” the “lord” consoles Lieutenant Colonel Svinin. “For a warrior to endure humiliation and wounds for his feat can be much more useful than to be exalted by a badge.”
The writer himself is on the side of the humiliated. He not only justifies, but also welcomes the action of the soldier Postnikov, who left his post at the imperial palace to save a man drowning in the river.
Clarifying the idea of the story, Leskov in conclusion says that he meant “those mortals who love good for its own sake and do not expect any rewards for it, anywhere.”
P. 419. Miller Nikolai Ivanovich (died in 1889) - lieutenant general, inspector, then director of the Alexander Lyceum.
Guardhouse - guardhouse, guardhouse.
Flooded - here: drowning.
P. 424. ...at that time “humanism” had not yet fully emerged... - a hint at the Decembrist sentiments that remained in society.
P. 435. An insightful bishop - we are talking about the Moscow Metropolitan Filaret Drozdov.
:The book includes: “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk”, “The Enchanted Wanderer”, “Lefty”, “The Stupid Artist” and other works by N. S. Leskov.
help me write, “Analysis of the work, Man on the clock. help! and got the best answer
Answer from Nikolay Moiseev
[newbie] can’t you write less?
The meaning of the work “The Man on the Clock” by N.S. Leskova
When a person is born, he does not understand his purpose at all. This is a long meaningful road to your happiness. Often a person spends his whole life searching for the meaning of his existence. We search, analyze, doubt, choose. Not only our lives, but also those around us depend on some of our steps.
N.S. Leskov, in his story “The Man on the Clock,” tried to create collective images of heroes to show how different people are. The work touches on several topics.
The theme of compassion for one's neighbor
The soldier acted as his conscience dictated. Yes, he left his post. However, human life depended on his choice and actions. Could he have done anything differently? Has he become a hero in the eyes of others? Postnikov saved the man, but thereby signed his own death sentence. The hero did not listen indifferently to the groans of the one in trouble. Leaving his post, he ran to help. A difficult situation. On the one hand, the military regulations. On the other hand, human life. The choice is obvious for those who have a big, sincere heart.
The meaning of the work “Man on the Clock” is to show the generosity and self-sacrifice of an ordinary soldier. Postnikov could not listen to cries for help without doing anything. He did not think about his future fate. The hero suddenly realized that human life is priceless.
Theme of arbitrariness and injustice
Senior military officials feared for their future careers. Campaigners tried to hush up Postnikov’s heroic act. They were absolutely not interested in human life. The characters thought only of themselves. They were ready to blame anyone, but go unpunished themselves. With this approach to leadership, the rank and file always became the extreme. All responsibility for what was done fell on the shoulders of ordinary military personnel.
Theme of indifference
Did the rescued drowning man appreciate Postnikov’s act, since the character did not even say words of gratitude to the serviceman? He was just glad they let him go. For the sake of this character, Postnikov gave up his future career. However, if the hero knew about such an outcome, he still would not change his decision.
Theme of morality
This theme runs throughout the story. Postnikov is not chasing fame. He doesn't need everyone around him to talk about his heroic deed. The hero acted according to his conscience; he could not do otherwise. He does not consider what he did to be something noble. For Postnikov, it is obvious that any honest and decent person would have done the same. There is peace and tranquility in the hero’s soul, because he saved the life of a drowning man.
Summary of the story “The Man on the Clock”
In January 1839 there was a strong thaw in St. Petersburg. Polynyas formed on the ice-covered Neva. Postnikov, a soldier of the Izmailovsky regiment, standing guard at the Winter Palace, suddenly heard cries for help from a man who had fallen through the ice. But according to the regulations of the guard service, the sentry must stand at his post and under no circumstances leave it.
The sensitive soul of the soldier suffered because he was forced to listen to screams, but could not help. And there is no one around to save the drowning man. Understanding full well that by deciding to pull a man out of the icy river, he is exposing himself to a military trial and hard labor, Postnikov succumbs to the dictates of his heart.
Now the man is already on the shore, but where should we put him, wet and exhausted? Suddenly an officer appeared, riding past in a sleigh. He stopped and began asking what happened.
For the sentry who left his post, this could turn out both for the better (the rescued person could be left to him) and for the worse (the officer witnessed an offense). Therefore, the soldier quickly returned to the booth.
And a random eyewitness decided to appropriate the glory of the savior and took the clueless man to the police station. However, they didn’t really believe him and began to ask for detailed details of what happened.
The wet sentry told his captain about the incident. Miller reported to the lieutenant colonel, who ordered Postnikov to be placed under arrest. This offense could have harmed many in the regiment and ruined Svinin’s career. Therefore, without waiting for the morning, he went to Chief of Police Kokoshkin to decide what to do next.
The general summoned the police bailiff, the officer and the reveler pulled out of the water. The false “savior” really wanted to receive a reward, and he continued to brazenly lie that, risking his life, he pulled the man out of the water. Kokoshkin, fortunately for everyone, decided to stick to this version.
The former drowning man was glad that he was finally released. The disabled officer received the desired medal. Svinin avoided the danger of harming his career. He ordered the soldier to be flogged, and then even visited him in the infirmary and gave him a pound of sugar and a quarter of a pound of tea.
Kokoshkin was pleased that the incident would not become known to the sovereign. The culprit was happy that he would not be sent to hard labor for his offense.
