Short description thick and thin. Brief retelling of "Thick and thin" Chekhov

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Thick and thin - full version of the story

A very brief retelling of Chekhov's story Tolstoy and Thin
Met once at the station two school friends, fat and thin. Both of them were very happy about this unexpected meeting and began to share about how their life turned out. At first they communicated very sincerely and friendly. Thin, named Porfiry, said that he was a collegiate assessor, complained that the salary was bad. He constantly reminds during a conversation with a friend that his wife is nee Wanzenbach, a Lutheran.
It is evident that this is a matter of pride for him. Everything was going well until the thin one found out that the fat one, Misha, had risen to the rank of Privy Councilor. It's like he's been replaced. He is so servile, smiling with an ingratiating smile. Tolstoy asks him not to behave like this and leave these servility. In the end, tired of this insincerity, the fat man shook his hand in parting and hastily left.
Read the summary of the story Fat and Thin Chekhov
Two old friends, who in the past studied together at the gymnasium, meet at the station of the Nikolaev railway. One of them is thick and the other is thin. The fat man had evidently just finished his dinner, and he smelled of sherry, and his lips were shiny from a good and hearty meal. Slim is all heaped up with suitcases and cardboard boxes. Tolstoy recognizes his former comrade and calls out to him: “Porfiry! Long time no see!" Thin also recognizes him and is very happy to meet him.
He shouts: “Misha, is that you ?!” They hugged, kissed each other three times and began to ask about this and that, how each of their lives turned out. Both of them had tears in their eyes with joy. The thin one asks if the fat one is married and rich. Thin is not alone - with him is his wife and son, a gymnasium student. He introduces the fat man to his family and proudly pronounces that she is a nee Wanzenbach and professes Lutheranism. He also introduces his son Nathanael, a schoolboy, to the fat man.
Thin indulges in pleasant school memories that Misha was called Herostratus because he somehow burned a textbook, and he, thin, was nicknamed Ephialtes because he was sneaky. They tell each other pleasant stories from school childhood with obvious pleasure. Thin again reminds that his wife is a nee Wanzenbach, a Lutheran, with the naked eye it is clear that this fact is a matter of his pride. Tolstoy is interested in his life, asks where he serves. It turns out that the thin one serves as a collegiate assessor, but his salary is bad. In order to have enough money, he also makes cigarettes to order, and his wife teaches music lessons.
Porfiry is also interested in the current situation of the fat man, since he is dressed in the latest fashion and it is clear that he is doing well. Thin asks: “You, probably, have already risen to the rank of state councilor?” To which the fat man replies that he should take higher, and declares that he is already a secret adviser and even has two stars. After the thin one realized that it was no longer just a school friend Misha standing in front of him, but a person superior in rank, he became unrecognizable. How the wind blew away his sincere joy and good-natured smile, which instantly turned into an ingratiating one.
He somehow shrunk all over, it seemed that even his luggage shrunk and became smaller. His wife's face fell, and his son Nathanael straightened up and fastened his uniform with all the buttons. Thin began to fawn, mumble about the fact that, behold, an old friend rose to the highest ranks, calls him “Your Excellency” and shows his respect for rank in every possible way. He begins to rant about how honored it is that such a big man paid attention to them. Once again, but without the previous pride and confidence, he recalls that his wife, a Lutheran, nee Wanzenbach, is standing next to him. He believes that he has no right to stand here and easily talk with the Privy Councilor, that he is unworthy of such a high honor.
The fat one is very surprised by such changes in the behavior of the thin one, with whom just a minute ago they were talking on an equal footing. He asks the thin one to stop such admiration for him, reminding him that they are friends since childhood. For a fat man, it does not matter whether his former comrade has risen to a high position or not, for him he remains the same old friend Porfiry. But the thin one was no longer to be stopped. He firmly believes that if in front of him is a person with a rank higher than his, he simply obliges to grovel. Thin does not imagine how it is possible that he, a representative of the lower ranks, does not bow before such an important person.
He was taught that a person should be judged and perceived according to his position in society. Tolstoy was already sick of the fake, servile smile of the thin one, and he could hardly restrain himself from vomiting from it. He could no longer continue the conversation, shook his hand in farewell. The thin one carefully grabbed it and shook it. The fat man walked away from there. And thin and his family still stood and looked after him with reverence. They were very happy about this meeting.

On the platform of the Nikolaevsky railway station, quite by chance, old school friends met: a fat one (Mikhail) and a thin one (Porfiry). The fat man had a hearty lunch at the station restaurant. It exudes the smell of expensive wine and cologne. Thin, with his wife and son, had just come down from the carriage. Porfiry does not look so well: he himself is forced to carry all kinds of bundles, boxes and cartons, and he smells of "ham and coffee grounds." Mikhail, recognizing his childhood friend, joyfully calls out to him. Both are “pleasantly stunned” when they see each other after so many years: “the friends kissed each other three times and fixed their eyes full of tears on each other.”

Thin is more talkative. He bombards the fat man with questions, introduces his wife and son, emphasizing the foreign origin of his wife and the fact that his son is studying at the gymnasium. Vividly and with pleasure recalls childhood pranks and funny nicknames. The fat one enthusiastically looks at his friend and asks with genuine interest about his life after the gymnasium. Porfiry, not without boasting, reports that he serves as a collegiate assessor and even has some awards, previously served in the department, and is now appointed clerk, in addition, he sells cigarette cases of his own manufacture, and his wife gives music lessons.

Tolstoy, in turn, talks about his current situation. Contrary to the subtle assumption, he is not a civilian, but a privy councillor, and even has two stars. The high rank of a fat man had a stunning effect on Porfiry, and he immediately forgets how a minute ago he had a casual conversation with Mikhail: “his face twisted in all directions with the widest smile ... He himself shrank, hunched over, narrowed ...”. A striking change seemed to affect the whole environment of the thin one: the bundles and suitcases were wrinkled, the chin of the Lutheran wife became even longer, the son-school student, who had not previously shown much respect for his father’s schoolmate, buttoned up all the buttons and “stretched out harmoniously.” The friendly tone of communication turned into self-abasement and fawning.

And now there are no two friends, but there is a miserable collegiate assessor and an all-powerful privy councillor. Fatty is trying to stop the flow of miserable servility, but in the nauseating swamp of respectful acid and sweet splendor, all his joy from an unexpected meeting instantly dissolved, and he prefers to quickly say goodbye to former friend, nevertheless holding out his hand in parting, which the thin one out of "most perfect respect" emphatically allows himself to shake only three fingers.

Year: 1883 Genre: story

Main characters: 2 friends

The work "Thick and Thin" was written in 1883 and is attributed to the writer's early work. Despite the small size of the story, everything is perfectly combined and presented in it. Critical realism is hallmark story, the author managed to combine everything into best manner. The theme of the story can be considered a meeting of two friends who were previously classmates, one of them is fat, the other is thin. At the beginning of the story there is a description of the characters and the place where they are located.

Read the summary of Chekhov's story Thick and Thin

The work begins, the author brings together two old friends, they crossed paths on the Nikolaev railway. The description of the first comrade, referred to as "fat" begins with a description, he had recently eaten and there was still butter on his lips, he smelled of sherry and orange blossom.

His friend is the complete opposite. appearance, he was "thin" and literally just arrived and got off the train, he had a lot of suitcases, he smelled of freshly eaten ham and coffee. He did not come alone, but with his wife and son, the author also focuses on them, the woman was thin and with a long chin, the son also had a thin physique and studied at the gymnasium.

Misha, that was the name of the "fat" was the first to see an old friend and pounced on him full of joy. Porfiry was stunned by this meeting, they were both full of tears and joy of the meeting.

Porfiry communicates with the fat man, says that such a handsome man remained, as he was before. He asks if he is rich or married. Without waiting for an answer, the thin one boasts of his wife, praises her and her son as best he can, and introduces them to Mikhail, introducing him as a friend from the gymnasium. The thin one went on and on talking, he recalled the times of his studies, how they called the fat one Herostratus, and how he was Ephialtes. From time to time he again remembers his wife and praises her.

Then the fat man asks how his friend lives, how he does what he does, whether he serves, how he earns. Thin serves as a collegiate assessor, complains about his title, but what can you do, his wife gives music lessons, and they live like that, has a thin part-time job, makes cigarette cases and sells for a ruble apiece. Tolstoy, having listened, says that he has already risen to two stars.

To this, the thin one reacted quite sharply with his family, the author describes how his face twisted, how he cringed. Up to this point, Porfiry's conversation with Mikhail had proceeded calmly and without tension. But after he learned about the achievements of the Tolstoy, he immediately changed not only in his face, but also in conversation, he began to address Misha as you, as a boss. This attitude became disgusting to the fat one, because he was actually interested in the life of a comrade, so after the thin one began to behave in a very strange way, Mikhail shook his hand in farewell and left.

The story teaches and shows how not to be. Of course, all the heights that you have achieved are good, but it's not right to brag. How does Porfiry behave when meeting a friend? At first he rejoices and immediately begins to brag, the reader immediately notices this boasting, then how fixated he is on himself and his "wonderful" family, Mikhail, in turn, carefully listened to his friend, and told his story without any hints or attempts to humiliate his friend with his achievements. He simply answered the thin one's question and told how he lives.

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"Thick and thin"

(Story)

retelling

Two friends met at the station of the Nikolaev railway. One thick one is Misha, and the other thin one is Porfiry. Porfiry was with his wife, son and a bunch of bags, bundles and knapsacks. Friends rejoiced at the meeting. Porfiry began to represent the family: “This is my wife, Louise, nee Wanzenbach… a Lutheran… And this is my son, Nathanael, a student of the third grade.” Porfiry remembered how they studied at the gymnasium together with Misha: “Remember how you were teased? You were teased by Herostratus because you burned a government book with a cigarette, and I was Ephialtes because I liked to tell tales. Ho-ho ... They were children! Then the fat one asked about the service, to which the thin one complained that he had been serving as a collegiate assessor for the second year and had Stanislav. True, the pay is bad. My wife gives private music lessons. And he makes his own cigarette cases. That's how they live. He served in the department, and now he was transferred to the head of the clerk in the same department. Porfiry asked how Misha's service was going, he was probably already a civilian. Tolstoy replied: "I have already risen to the secret ... I have two stars." The thin one fell silent, turned pale, and then suddenly smiled: “I, Your Excellency ... Very pleased, sir! A friend, one might say, of childhood, and suddenly turned out to be such grandees, sir! Hee-hee-s." The fat one began to object, but the thin one began to fawn: "Your Excellency's gracious attention ... it seems to be life-giving moisture ..." Tolstoy became sick of the respectful acid. He held out thin hand. He shook three fingers and giggled like a Chinese bobblehead. The wife smiled. Nathanael shuffled his foot and dropped his cap. All three were pleasantly surprised.