Distinctive properties of N.S.’s prose Leskov - fairy-tale motifs, the interweaving of the comic and tragic, the ambiguity of the author's assessments of the characters - appeared in full in one of the most famous works writer "Lefty" Behind main character, who outwardly does not stand out in anything special (“there is a birthmark on his cheek, and the hair on his temples was torn out during training”), is at the same time, according to the author himself, the most skillful among Tula gunsmiths. However, Leskov does not idealize the hero, showing that despite his excellent skill, he is not strong in the sciences, “and instead of the four rules of addition from arithmetic, he takes everything from the Psalter and the Half-Dream Book.”

Lefty is a skilled craftsman, one of those who participated in shoeing the flea, personifying the talent of the Russian people. But the savvy flea stops dancing: Russian craftsmen do not have the basic technical knowledge that any English master has. Leskov does not give a name to his hero, thereby emphasizing the collective meaning and significance of his character (“Where “Lefty” stands, one must read the Russian people,” Leskov said). Lefty, while in England, rejects lucrative offers from the British and returns to Russia. He is unselfish and incorruptible, but he is “downtrodden” and feels his own insignificance next to officials and nobles. Lefty is used to constant threats and beatings.

One of the main themes in the story is the theme of the creative talent of the Russian person, which has already been depicted more than once in Leskov’s works (stories “The Stupid Artist”, “The Imprinted Angel”). Talent, according to Leskov, cannot exist independently; it must necessarily be based on the moral and spiritual strength of a person. Lefty, an unprepossessing little man, is not afraid to go to the sovereign, because he is confident in his rightness and in the quality of his work.

The image of Lefty stands among other images of the righteous created by Leskov. He sacrifices himself for the sake of the Fatherland, in the name of the Cause. He goes to England without documents, hungry (on the road, “at each station, his belt was tightened by one badge so that his intestines and lungs would not get mixed up”) to show foreigners his Russian ingenuity and skill, and earns the respect of the British with his reluctance to stay in their country . Lefty has a number of qualities inherent in Leskov’s gallery of righteous people: he true patriot, a patriot at heart, gifted from birth, he is characterized by high morality and religiosity. He went through many trials, but even in his death hour he remembers that he must tell the military secret of the British, ignorance of which negatively affects the combat effectiveness of the Russian army.

According to Leskov, the inattention of the authorities to the fate of national talents, the denseness and lack of education of the Russian people themselves constitute the reason for the backwardness of Russia. It is interesting to compare Nicholas’s conversation with Lefty, to whom the emperor condescends, and the hero’s meeting with the British, who respect him as a master and speak as equals. 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 tsarist government - the reason for the disorder in Russia, according to the author.

From the entire story it becomes obvious that Leskov sympathizes with Lefty and takes pity on him; the author's comments are filled with bitterness. The image of Lefty reflected Leskov’s search for a positive hero, and I think this image is closest to this goal.

Lefty is the main character of the story of the same name by N. S. Leskov, a talented Russian artisan, gunsmith. He, along with two other masters, was tasked with creating some kind of masterpiece involving a steel dancing flea, so as not to be inferior in ingenuity to the British. After much deliberation, the three craftsmen decided to shoe the flea, keeping their plans secret. Lefty himself created nails for horseshoes. The external characteristics of the hero are scanty. All that is known from their tale is that Lefty was oblique, had a birthmark on his cheek and bald patches on his temples.

Particular attention is paid to the talent of the master. He is described as a skilled craftsman and craftsman. At the same time, the hero does not feel significant at all. When the British invite him to stay with them and promise a carefree life, he immediately rejects their offer. His actions reveal not only loyalty to his homeland, but also disbelief in better life in the best conditions. Lefty is such a downtrodden creature that it doesn’t even occur to him to show even the slightest resistance to circumstances. And he even dies somehow absurdly. Returning to St. Petersburg, he ended up in a hospital for people of the lower class. The cabbies, carrying him on a stretcher, dropped him, as a result of which Lefty broke his head. So, a wonderful master died unknown and of no use to anyone.

The tragic fate of Lefty is contrasted with the life of the English skipper who came with him. Immediately upon arrival he was taken to the British embassy, ​​where he was warmly and carefully received. With this contrast, the author wanted to emphasize the indifference to human life that reigns in the country. In fact, a rare craftsman with outstanding talent died, and no one cared. There is a lot of comedy in the description of this hero. For example, being obliquely left-handed, he was able to create the finest work, invisible to the human eye.

It's no secret that a left-handed person differs from a right-handed person not only in that he writes while holding a pen in the other hand. Let's try to find out about the features, characteristics and qualities of a left-handed person.

Today in the world, about 8-15% of people use their left hand as their dominant hand; they are called left-handed.

It is interesting that children choose their leading hand at the age of three, this is manifested in games, creative activities– for example, when drawing, painting, sculpting. It is believed that children who are left-handed right hemisphere brain is predominant (dominant). His work is responsible for the perception of location and orientation in space, artistic perception, creative, including musical, abilities, intuition, imagination, emotions.

Psychologists often note that left-handers are artistically gifted people and have an excellent ear for music. In addition, left-handers tend to have difficulty pronouncing certain sounds and sometimes have delayed speech development. Speaking about other qualities of left-handers, psychologists note stubbornness, the ability to draw, sculpt, sing, and difficulties with reading and writing.

Left-handed children are often trusting, spontaneous, subject to other people's influence and mood. They are also characterized by capriciousness, tearfulness, persistence and tenacity in achieving what they want. The reasons for the difference between right-handers and left-handers is that the right and left hemispheres of the brain are responsible for different areas of mental activity.

Experts also note the connection between temperament and left-handedness. Left-handed people are more emotional than right-handed people and have problems with self-control. Lefties can instantly become angry and lose their temper, but they have logical thinking, the ability to consistently process information, summarize it and analyze it. Left-handers are distinguished by excellent physical mobility, a desire for sports, impressionability and vulnerability, they also have a tendency to fantasize and have excellent memory.

In the past, most children who involuntarily preferred using their left hand were deliberately retrained. Many parents perceive the news that their child is left-handed negatively, but there is no need to be so categorical in your judgments. Today, all experts agree that in no case should a left-handed person be retrained. The process of retraining a left-handed person is a difficult test for his psyche, which will only cause stress and neuroticism in the child.

After retraining, children often suffer from neurotic disorders, including sleep disturbances, appetite problems, headaches, enuresis, and stuttering.

As recommendations for the behavior of adults with a left-handed child, advice is given not to focus on the fact that the child is different from other children because he is left-handed. In a situation where the baby feels that his peculiarity is causing increased interest from others, his self-esteem may decrease and shyness and self-doubt may develop.

Interestingly, when choosing a profession, it is worth considering a person’s left-handedness. Left-handed people have proven themselves excellent in areas such as design, photography, painting, architecture, music, and sports. It has been noted that among left-handed people there are a lot of creative personalities who achieved success, examples include: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Vladimir Mayakovsky, composers Bach, Beethoven, Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe. If a left-handed child appears in the family, you should not retrain him; rather, you should give him a chance to express himself creatively and develop the characteristics and skills that he is good at. Children need and need the support of their parents. Be healthy!

Essay on the topic: “The image of Lefty in the story “Lefty” by N.S. Leskov

"The distinctive properties of N.S. Leskov's prose - fairy-tale motifs, the interweaving of the comic and tragic, the ambiguity of the author's assessments of the characters - fully appeared in one of the most famous works of the writer "Lefty". The title character, outwardly does not stand out in anything special ("on the cheek birthmark, and on the temples the hairs were torn out during training"), is at the same time, according to the author himself, the most skillful among the Tula gunsmiths. However, Leskov does not idealize the hero, showing that despite his excellent skill, he is not strong in the sciences "and instead four rules of addition from arithmetic, everything is taken according to the Psalter and the Half-Dream Book.”

Lefty is a skilled craftsman, one of those who participated in shoeing the flea, personifying the talent of the Russian people. But the savvy flea stops dancing: Russian craftsmen do not have the basic technical knowledge that any English master has. Leskov does not give a name to his hero, thereby emphasizing the collective meaning and significance of his character (“Where “Lefty” stands, one must read the Russian people,” Leskov said). Lefty, while in England, rejects lucrative offers from the British and returns to Russia. He is unselfish and incorruptible, but he is “downtrodden” and feels his own insignificance next to officials and nobles. Lefty is used to constant threats and beatings.

One of the main themes in the story is the theme of the creative talent of the Russian person, which has been depicted more than once in Leskov’s works (stories “The Stupid Artist”, “The Captured Angel”). Talent, according to Leskov, cannot exist independently; it must necessarily be based on the moral and spiritual strength of a person. Lefty, an unprepossessing little man, is not afraid to go to the sovereign, because he is confident in his rightness and in the quality of his work.

The image of Lefty stands among other images of the righteous created by Leskov. He sacrifices himself for the sake of the Fatherland, in the name of the Cause. He goes to England without documents, hungry (on the road, “at each station, his belt was retightened by one badge so that his intestines and lungs would not get mixed up”) to show foreigners his Russian ingenuity and skill, and earns the respect of the British with his reluctance to stay in their country . Lefty has a number of qualities inherent in Leskov’s gallery of righteous people: he 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 in his death hour he remembers that he must tell the military secret of the British, ignorance of which negatively affects the combat effectiveness of the Russian army.

According to Leskov, the inattention of the authorities to the fate of national talents, the denseness and lack of education of the Russian people themselves constitute the reason for the backwardness of Russia. It is interesting to compare Nicholas’s conversation with Lefty, to whom the emperor condescends, and the hero’s meeting with the British, who respect him as a master and speak as equals. 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 tsarist government - the reason for the unsettled state of Russia, according to the author.

From the entire story it becomes obvious that Leskov sympathizes with Lefty and takes pity on him; the author's comments are filled with bitterness. The image of Lefty reflected Leskov’s search for a positive hero, and I think this image is closest to this goal.


Article menu:

The image of Lefty in Leskov’s work is quite interesting and unusual. There are very few people like him, and even more so in our time. He goes with the flow, changes practically nothing, his fate is tragic, but he still enjoys life.

Lefty - a talented Tula gunsmith

When Nikolai Pavlovich, the Russian Emperor, ordered the improvement of the flea brought from England by the previous Emperor Alexander Pavlovich, Lefty did the hardest work.

He forged the smallest detail that even the human eye cannot see. Of the three masters who performed the operation to improve the flea, he was the most diligent, resourceful, and talented.

Modest, inconspicuous and ugly

Despite all of Lefty's work, many underestimated him. This was usually due to appearance.

He was inconspicuous, ugly-faced, askew, and even left-handed. Almost no one knew what enormous potential was hidden in this seemingly ordinary peasant.


But, as I already said, you don’t often meet people like our hero.

Dear readers! We bring to your attention which was written by N. Leskov.

In his place, many would probably demand monetary compensation for moral damage, or a personal workshop, or some other reward for the enormous quality work done.

But Lefty wasn't like that. He calmly floated with the flow. I didn't go anywhere. Perhaps he even underestimated himself. He did not demand anything at all, although he did not live so luxuriously.

He didn’t even sign the flea’s legs, but simply made the work twice as difficult as the other craftsmen who forged the flea with him. So none of those who saw the creation of the joint work of Russian and English masters knew that not two masters, but three, worked on the work of art. And the name of the third remained unknown to the world.

Lefty's special patriotism

Despite all the difficulties that Lefty endured, he never betrayed his homeland. No matter how much he was underestimated, he always remained loyal to his beloved country. When he went to England, one can assume that he really liked it there. They offered him to stay, promising him all the necessary and comfortable conditions.


He knew that his work would be appreciated there. But Lefty remembered that he was closer than motherland, there is practically nothing for him, and it doesn’t matter what kind of people there will be. The main thing is that you are at home. I had to refuse. For some this may be business as usual, but for Lefty it was a huge choice.

Dear readers! We offer in the story of Nikolai Leskov “ Old genius”

Just imagine: a homeland where no one needs you, and then you are invited to another, more progressive country, where you will be appreciated...

Lefty dies

Upon arrival in Russia, something terrible happens. Our hero becomes very ill. The pain is so severe that I have to go to the hospital. His name has already been forgotten. What he did is also forgotten. Everyone has already forgotten who he is. Lefty was admitted to a hospital for the poor. While they were carrying him on a stretcher, they dropped him and the guy broke his head. That's how he died in the hospital. None of those who saw him, none of those who surrounded him or carried him in a stretcher suspected that a great master gunsmith with whom almost no one could compare was dying before their eyes. But he is still happy with what he has. This is how Lefty's life ends tragically.