Rhythmic organisation of A. P. Chekhov's prose

Gareeva Liliya Mahmutovna ORCID: 0000-0001-8046-9762 PhD in Philology Associate Professor; Department of Philology; Moscow Financial and Industrial University 'Synergy' Novogireevskaya str., 19/2, sq. 26, Moscow, 111397, Russia liliyagareeva@yandex.ru Kravchuk Tatyana Vitalievna ORCID: 0000-0002-5639-2467 Lecturer; Department of Philology; Moscow Financial and Industrial University 'Synergy' 141591, Russia, Moscow region, village Novaya, Lesnaya St., 39 kravts012596@gmail.com

Touahar Angelina Olegovna ORCID: 0009-0009-7962-0029 Lecturer; Department of Philology; Moscow Financial and Industrial University 'Synergy' 142718, Russia, Leninsky city district, Autonomous Okrug, Butovo, Butovo Park residential complex, 19, sq. 119 a1999god@mail.ru

Introduction. The concept of "rhythm" (Latin. rhythmus –to flow, to strive) in linguistics and literary studies is usually interpreted as a consistent, uniform alternation of certain sound or speech phenomena.

A sufficient number of scientific papers have been devoted to the rhythm of poetry in Russian philology, but many issues related to the rhythmic organization of prose still remain unresolved.

The specific qualities of the rhythm of prose cannot be interpreted with the help of characteristics applicable to the poetic rhythm. In prose, there is neither an accentuated uniformity of speech division, nor a consistently conducted principle of repetition, which covers and compares all the elements of the verse structure. Various types of syntactic repetitions are often found in fiction, however, they manifest themselves only as a trend and are not consistently traced by all writers.

In our opinion, the study of the rhythmic organization of prose works of Russian literature is an urgent and promising area of research, since the rhythm of prose still remains one of the most controversial issues of linguistics. Issues related to the interpretation of the term and the essence of the prosaic rhythm, as well as the very fact of its existence, are debatable. Although most scientists now have no doubts about the latter, as many studies have shown that rhythm is directly related to and affects speech, and this is constantly evident in building the order of words in constructions, in determining the place of logical and phrasal stress. In artistic storytelling, rhythmic organization performs a unique aesthetic function, creating a unique author's style and sound of works.

Literature review. In many works devoted to the rhythm of a prose text (O. I. Baranova, E. T. Boldyreva, F. A. Gibaidullina, M. M. Girshman, E. M. Efremova, V. M. Zhirmunsky, A. R. Kalashnikova, L. V. Kishalova, A.M. Peshkovsky, Boudreault, Gauthier), the minimum rhythmic unit, syntagma or rhythmic group is considered.

V. M. Zhirmunsky's research says that "the basis of the rhythm of prose is various forms of grammatical and syntactic parallelism, more free or more connected, supported by verbal repetitions (especially anaphora). They form the compositional backbone of rhythmic prose, replacing the metrically regular compositional forms of verse" ^{[10, p. 46]}.

In the monograph by G. N. Ivanova-Lukyanova we read: "The rhythm of prose, unlike the rhythm of verse, is a complex phenomenon. It takes into account the uniformity of the alternation of various rhythm-forming elements, namely stressed syllables, inter-syntagmatic (interphrase) boundaries and intonation types. In accordance with this, we distinguish three characteristics in the prose rhythm: syllabic, syntagmatic (phrasal) and intonational" ^{[14, p. 12]}.

Rhythm in the text is embodied as an alternation of constructions of various types, words in phrases, syntagmas, and syllables. This alternation helps the author to create a certain mood and convey the dynamics of the described events. Both functions are important for text perception. A well-chosen rhythm supports the reader's attention, leads him along, allows him to better convey the author's idea and follow its development ^{[6, p. 134]}.

Such researchers as M. Arvinte, N. P. Badaeva, P. Bitsilli, A. A. Belkin, V. Ya. Lakshin, G. N. Ivanova-Lukyanova, N. Ya. Berkovsky, N. M. Fortunatov, A. P. Chudakov, and others paid attention to the specifics of the rhythmic organization of A. P. Chekhov's works.

Materials and methods. This study examines rhythmic repetitions of the plot, as well as alternating themes and motifs, replicas of the characters in the stories "The Death of an Official" (1883), "The Lady with the Dog" (1898), "Darling" (1899) and the novella "The Steppe" (1888), analyzes the rhythmic and syntactic features of Chekhov's narrative.

The methodological basis of the research was made up of theoretical and practical methods. The theoretical part used general scientific methods (analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, system analysis, generalization), as well as typological and descriptive methods. In order to substantiate the propositions put forward in the practical part, the method of continuous sampling from four works by Anton Chekhov was used, elements of discourse analysis were used, which made it possible to identify the pragmatic essence of rhythm-forming units and their functions in Anton Chekhov's prose.

The results of the study. A specific feature of Chekhov's prose is the close relationship between the rhythmic-speech structure of the narrative and the unfolding of themes, motifs, images, and storylines in the artistic fabric of the work.

In our opinion, N. M. Fortunatov's research contains a number of fair remarks regarding the rhythmic and compositional principles of A. P. Chekhov's prose: "The statement in the exposition of two contrasting emotional and figurative flows, their further "end-to-end" development, complex internal transformations and interactions; finally, the fusion in the reprise in one emotional structure is above all sharply contrasting themes are the typological features of the structural plan of his novels" ^{[15, p. 19]}.

In the studies of A. P. Chekhov's prose, such rhythmic-syntactic features were noted as "the smoothness and symmetry of rhythmic-syntactic constructions due to the predominance of compound sentences; the internal semantic complexity and inconsistency of the connected components of the phrase; the dependence of the rhythm and syntax of the characters' speech on their character; the conditionality of rhythmic changes by subtext" ^{[6, p. 136]}.

The rhythm of the story "The Death of an Official" is created with the help of plot repetitions related to the official Chervyakov's apologies to General Brizzhalov for an unfortunate oversight he made in the theater. Each of these episodes is preceded by Chervyakov's inner speech, which reveals his character and way of thinking. At the beginning of the story, Chervyakov still retains his self-respect and does not regret his "embarrassment" too much. Chekhov uses a syntactic period technique, parts of which are connected internally by lexical repetition: But suddenly his face wrinkled, his eyes rolled up, and his breathing stopped... He took the binoculars away from his eyes, bent down and. apchi!!! Sneezed, as you can see. Sneezing is not forbidden anywhere. Both men and police officers sneeze, and sometimes even privy councillors. Everyone sneezes. Chervyakov was not at all embarrassed, wiped himself with a handkerchief and, like a polite man, looked around him.: Did he bother anyone with his sneezing? ^[19].

Repetition, often found in the works of Anton Chekhov, often rhythms the phrase and creates semantic accents. The author usually uses repetition of sentences and their parts in order to streamline and rhythmize their structure ^{[5, p. 225]}.

The penultimate sentence of the period also contains a gradation that emphasizes Chervyakov's calmness and skillful self-justification: men, police officers, and sometimes even privy councillors. Further, as events unfold, there is less and less self-esteem, which is emphasized by the confused and uncertain inner speech of the character.

Plot repetitions related to the image of the main character play an important role in the rhythmic organization of the story "Darling". Olenka Plemyannikova's love stories are preceded by a brief description of her life before marriage, which explains much about her character (or lack thereof) and allows us to conclude that the author not only mocks the "darling", but also understands her to some extent, sympathizes with her: She constantly loved someone and could not without This one. She used to love her father, who was now sitting ill in a dark room, in an armchair, and breathing heavily; she loved her aunt, who sometimes, once every two years, came from Bryansk; and even earlier, when she studied at the gymnasium, she loved her French teacher ^[18].

In each of the recurring episodes with her husbands, the veterinarian, and the boy Sasha, one can single out the moment when Olenka "fell in love": In the end, Kukin's misfortunes touched her, she fell in love with him.… Three days later, Pustovalov himself came to visit; he did not sit long, for about ten minutes, and did not speak much, but Olenka loved him, loved him so much that she did not sleep all night and burned as if in a fever.… She echoed the veterinarian's thoughts and now had the same opinion about everything as he did. It was clear that she could not live without affection for even one year and had found her new happiness in her wing. Olenka talked to him, gave him tea, and her heart suddenly felt warm and sweet in her chest, as if this boy were her own son ^[18].

The rhythmic development of the plot repetitions is also connected with the movement of speech: each time, gaining a new heartfelt affection, the heroine begins to speak in the same way as her chosen one. The most striking examples of this are in the episodes with Kukin and Sasha.: – But does the public understand this? – She was saying. "She needs a booth!" ... Is it a joke, yesterday in the first grade they set a fable by heart, a Latin translation, and a task... ^[18].

In the image of Darling, not only primitiveness, spinelessness, naivety and lack of individuality are combined, but also the dream of happiness, love, and the desire to devote his whole life to a loved one. A. P. Chekhov built a dual image of the heroine, which can be traced throughout the work from the beginning of the story, where portrait characteristics are given.: "She was a quiet, good-natured, compassionate young lady with a gentle, gentle look, very healthy" ^[18]. The last clarification is that being very healthy immediately reduces the favorable impression that was beginning to take shape.

Often, Chekhov's significant, even tragic event ceases to be such because of one detail, it decreases: Kukin was buried on Tuesday, in Moscow, on Vagankovo; Olenka returned home on Wednesday, and as soon as she entered her room, she fell on her bed and sobbed so loudly that it could be heard on the street and in neighboring courtyards ^[18].

The drama in this episode is reduced by mentioning a single detail (she sobbed so loudly that it could be heard on the street and in neighboring courtyards).

Among Chekhov's most frequent rhythmic means, syntactic parallelism stands out in particular, in which syntagmas or adjacent sentences have a similar composition of sentence members and their sequence. Let's give examples from the text of the story "The Steppe": But a little time passed, the dew evaporated, the air froze, and the deceived steppe took on its dull July appearance. The grass drooped, life froze... The cloud hid, the tanned hills frowned, the air obediently froze, and only the alarmed lapwings were crying and complaining about their fate ^[20].

Syntactic parallelism here enhances the rhythm due to the matching number of words and repeated accents in symmetrical parts. This creates intonational harmony and even the effect of monotony of narration. However, the same technique is also used by the author to create the effect of constant alternation of sounds of the road, repetition and change of landscapes.: Old men raced over the road with a cheerful cry, ground squirrels called to each other in the grass, and somewhere far to the left, lapwings cried ^[20].

The first paragraph in the story "The Steppe" consists of two complex sentences with different types of separate sentence members and homogeneous members: From N., the county town of the Z province, in the early morning of July, a springless, scalded britzka, one of those antediluvian britzkas, which are now used in Russia only, drove out and thundered along the postal highway. merchant clerks, drovers, and poor priests. She rattled and squealed at the slightest movement; a bucket tied to her back sullenly echoed her– and from these sounds alone, and from the pathetic leather rags dangling from her shabby body, one could judge her dilapidation and readiness to be scrapped ^[20].

Such a monotonous and complex beginning sets the reader in a lyrical mood and gives a special picturesqueness and sound to the narrative. There is practically no plot in the work in its classical sense – with a beginning, a climax and a denouement. The narrative consists of a series of impressionistic scenes and sketches, united by a common plot outline – the journey of Egorushka.

The contrast between the character, the spiritual life of the character and the external circumstances of his existence, his behavior, is also traditional for Chekhov's narrative. This contrast is often emphasized by juxtaposition with the conjunction "but". So, in the story "The Lady with the Dog" we see similar examples.: He was not yet forty, but he already had a twelve-year-old daughter and two high school boys. ... he is a Muscovite, a philologist by training, but he works in a bank; he was once preparing to sing in a private opera, but dropped out, and has two houses in Moscow... And from her he learned that she grew up in St. Petersburg, but got married in St. Petersburg, where she has been living for two years... ^[17].

The contradictory sentences with the conjunction "but" here also convey contradictions between the age and other characteristics of the hero and the facts of his biography.

The opposite of the semantic content of the parts within a single phrase is often used by Chekhov to enhance the comic effect: He [Kukin] was happy, but since it was raining on the wedding day and then at night, the expression of despair did not leave his face ^[18].

An important feature of Chekhov's rhythmics is the deployment of various themes and plans, including those opposed to each other, and their harmonious and symmetrical distribution. So, in the story "The Steppe," the narrative of the tragic events in Egorushka's life is replaced by a bleak urban landscape: When her grandmother died, they put her in a long, narrow coffin and covered her eyes with two nickels, which did not want to close. Before her death, she was alive and carried soft bagels sprinkled with poppy seeds from the market, but now she sleeps, sleeps... And beyond the cemetery, the brick factories were smoking. Thick, black smoke billowed out from under the long reed roofs, flattened to the ground, and rose lazily upward. The sky above the factories and cemetery was dark, and large shadows from clouds of smoke crept across the field and across the road. People and horses covered with red dust were moving in the smoke near the roofs... ^[20].

Another characteristic feature that creates a special rhythm in Chekhov's stories is the repetitive detail. So, in the story "The Lady with the Dog", the descriptions of the interior, landscape and appearance of the heroine are dominated by objects and details of gray color: gray fence, gray eyes, gray dress, gray blanket, etc. The color emphasizes the boredom and hopelessness of the characters' lives, helps to recreate the monotonous and measured rhythm of their lives: Gurov slowly went to Staro-Goncharnaya, found a house. Just opposite the house was a long, gray fence with nails. "You can run away from such a fence," Gurov thought, glancing first at the windows and then at the fence ^[17].

Chekhov's narrative also has a characteristic way of presenting the hero to the reader. When the character first appears, the author constantly resorts to isolation, often using clarifying or explanatory phrases that provide information about the hero's family, status, profession, age and appearance, clothing details, etc. Sitting in Vernet's pavilion, he saw a young lady, a short blonde, wearing a beret, walking along the embankment. A white Pomeranian was running after her… She was a tall woman with dark eyebrows, straight, important, respectable, and, as she called herself, thoughtful... Together with Anna Sergeevna, a young man with small sideburns, very tall, stooped, came in and sat next to her; he shook his head at every step and seemed to bow constantly ^[17].

In the story "Darling", the most striking recurring motif is the tea party motif. This motif always carries an additional semantic load in Chekhov. When his characters drink tea, and their empty and worthless lives pass, the reader understands all the vulgarity and meaninglessness of these people's existence.

From the very beginning, the lyrical motif of the Tivoli amusement garden appears in the story, the owner of which was Kukin, the first husband of Olenka Plemyannikova. With this motif, the author conveys the inner state of the heroine, her mood in her youth, before marriage, and after the death of her second husband and the departure of the veterinarian: ... in the evenings and at night, she could hear music playing in the garden, rockets popping, and it seemed to her that it was Kukin who was at war with his fate and She was attacking her main enemy, the indifferent public; her heart was sinking sweetly, she didn't want to sleep at all; ... obviously, the best years had already passed, were behind her, and now some kind of new life was beginning, unknown, which it was better not to think about. In the evenings, Olenka sat on the porch, and she could hear music playing and rockets exploding in the Tivoli, but this no longer caused any thoughts. She looked blankly at her empty yard, thought of nothing, wanted nothing, and then, when night fell, she went to bed and dreamed of her empty yard. She ate and drank as if she couldn't help it ^[18].

Another recurring detail of the story, the night telegram, gives special importance to the open ending. Appearing for the first time in the episode, when Olenka finds out about the death of her first husband, this detail returns in the finale of the story: Suddenly there is a strong knock on the gate. Olenka wakes up and does not breathe from fear; her heart is beating violently. Half a minute passes, and there's another knock. "This is a telegram from Kharkov," she thinks, starting to tremble all over. – Sasha's mother wants Sasha to come to Kharkov... Oh, my God!" She is in despair; her head, feet, and hands are getting cold, and it seems that she is the most unhappy person in the whole world. But another minute passes, and voices are heard.: It's the vet who came home from the club ^[18].

The introduction of this detail in the finale allows us to assume that the heroine's life is far from over and everything can happen again. Perhaps Darling has been striving all her life for her archetypal embodiment – the role of a woman-mother, and love for someone else's child is the most powerful feeling in her life.

Rhythmic changes and transitions in Chekhov's prose are often caused by the peculiarities of the distribution, deployment and connection of narrative lines. At the same time, rhythmic motifs, themes and plans are harmoniously combined and logically resolved in the finale. So, the three recurring episodes in the story "Darling" (with the husbands and the veterinarian) logically lead to the fourth. Outwardly, the events in the fourth episode follow the same pattern as in the previous ones: she met, fell in love, adopted speech, habits and opinions, etc. But in the fourth episode, the heroine finally finds her true vocation – motherhood. Only in the finale is the true essence of this woman revealed, kind, caring, who does not see the shortcomings of her child. The author's irony becomes kind here: She stops and stares after him, unblinking, until he disappears into the entrance of the gymnasium. Oh, how she loves him! ^[18].

If in previous plot repetitions there was more irony in the author's attitude, there was even sarcasm, then closer to the finale the author begins to feel more sympathetic towards his heroine, in the finale the irony disappears completely: None of her previous attachments was so deep, never before had her soul been so selflessly, selflessly and with It was such a joy, as it was now, when her maternal feeling was becoming more and more inflamed. For this boy who was a stranger to her, for his dimples on his cheeks, for his cap, she would have given her whole life, she would have given it with joy, with tears of emotion. Why? And who knows why? ^[18].

Many of A. P. Chekhov's short stories tend towards a romanized structure. One short story traces most of the hero's life. A significant burden falls on the organization of the associative background, especially on the creation of a subtext, in which rhythmic changes and repetitions play an important role. The author does not directly express his attitude towards the hero or the event, it is often noticeable only from the subtext.

An important role in creating an associative background is played by combining adjectives with opposite, contrasting semantics within the same syntactic construction: The veterinarian's wife arrived, a thin, ugly lady with short hair and a moody expression, and with her a boy, Sasha, small beyond his years (he was already in his tenth year), full, with clear eyes blue eyes and dimpled cheeks ^[18].

Expanding the time range of the plot, creating an associative background and the effect of understatement in the finale, A. P. Chekhov romanizes a short story or short story, deduces their meaning and meaning beyond the specific plot. The development of the rhythmic-event component of the narrative is extremely significant for the artistic world of Chekhov's short stories.

Discussion and conclusions. Thus, the final resolution of a complex rhythmic-speech connection in an internally contradictory narrative with an even, structurally verified external organization of the text is characteristic of Chekhov's prose works.

In the works, we often find ourselves facing an endless eventless and unpromising existence, nevertheless leading to its awareness by the characters, creating tension and exacerbating their understanding of the need for change. And in this repetition of themes, motives and everyday realities, Anton Chekhov conveys the painful monotony of life, the growing sorrow of passing life.

As a result of analyzing the rhythmic features of a number of Chekhov's stories, we came to the conclusion that the rhythm in them is closely related to the events described, but may come into internal conflict with them. It should also be noted that an important feature of Chekhov's prose is the close relationship between the rhythm of the narrative and themes, motifs, images, and plot episodes in the compositional unity of the work. The speech of the author and the characters, the development of the plot and the rhythmic organization of the text are inextricably intertwined, which is an important feature of Chekhov's artistic world.