A.N. Ostrovsky in 1849 wrote a play in four acts, "Our People - Let's Count." Interestingly, the comedy's working titles were Bankrupt and Bankrupt Debtor. The literary work belongs to the genre of realism and makes fun of the merchants of Moscow of their time, in which deception flourished, for the sake of profit, and the absolute impoverishment of spiritual values.
Before proceeding to the description of the brief content of the play “Our People - Let's Count, ” you should familiarize yourself with the acting characters who are involved in it.
Podkhalyuzin Lazar Yelizarych - marries Lipochka and later becomes her husband, works as a clerk for Bolshov. A calculating and selfish person who is ready to resort to any deception because of the benefits.
Lipochka (Olimpiada Samsonovna Bolshova) is the daughter of Bolshova, who managed to get some education and is striving for high life with all her might.
Bolshov Samson Silych - Lipochka's father, a merchant. A characteristic phrase that accurately describes the hero: "If they hit anything in their head, you won’t get Ottedov out of nothing."
Agrafena Kondratyevna - the wife of Bolshov and the mother of Lipochka.
Ryspolozhensky Sysoy Psoych - solicitor.
Ustinya Naumovna is a matchmaker.
Act One (12 appearances)
Sitting at the window, Lipochka is engaged in a discussion of dancing. It can be seen that she is proud of the acquired baggage of thematic knowledge, consisting of twenty lessons. But she is overcome by doubts that the year and a half that has passed since then may embarrass her in front of her future spouse. She carefully tries to restore once memorized movements.
Agrafene Kondratyevna does not like her daughter's occupation. And the girl begins to resent the "disgusting concepts" of her parents, for which she often has to blush.
For Lipochka they can’t find a chosen one, and she is very upset by this fact. After all, "all friends have long been with husbands, and I’m like an orphan!" She even declares in her mother’s rage that she can secretly get married to any hussar who has turned up under her arm.
The matchmaker comes, and Lipochka and her mother ask her about the groom. Ustinya Naumovna grumbles that in this situation, "you will not soon figure out" how to resolve the issue. After all, Samson Silych demands a rich man, his mother needs a merchant and “wished” and “baptized his forehead in the old way”, and the bride herself dreams of a noble one.
Olympiad Samsonovna does not want her husband to come from a merchant estate, like her father. Her argument boils down to the fact that "merchants have no ambition." The matchmaker confidentially informs Lipochka’s mother that she has in mind the “diamond” groom, the “nobleman” of noble blood.
The owner of the family talks with the solicitor about his affairs. He has a lot of debt to creditors and Rispolozhensky persuades to transfer the property to "strangers", referring to the clerk, and to lay or sell shops. Samson Silych likes the candidacy of the man whom he characterizes with the phrase "small with a concept and a capitalist." Sysoy Psoych stipulates the terms of the transaction, according to which after the mortgage on the house you need to write a "registry" at 25 kopecks per ruble. And then you can go to creditors.
Lazar Yelizarych comes with the news. According to the "public announcements, " it turns out that many respected merchants were actually bankrupt. He persuades Bolshov to accept his help in order to get out of a difficult situation. He promises Podkhalyuzin "a share of the profits." The clerk assures the owner that he owes him his whole life, because Samson Silych accepted him to work as a boy.
Act Two (ten phenomena)
Podkhalyuzin is overwhelmed by gloomy thoughts that after the bankruptcy of the owner he will "trade dust in the passage". Suddenly, he realizes that without a dowry, Lipochka will not be taken as a wife, and she is an educated young lady and an enviable party for himself.
Sysoi Psoych informs Lazar Yelizarych that Bolshov promised a raccoon coat and a thousand rubles to the solicitor. The clerk immediately realizes how to turn things around in a profitable way. He promises Rispolozhensky two thousand for changing plans.
The newly baked bridegroom persuades the matchmaker to refuse the candidate she found for Lipochka’s hand. They solve the problem of the ignoble origin of Podkhaluzin by the fact that "the Olympics themselves are not a noblewoman." Lazarus sums up: "Well, you see - for a merchant, she should be much more decent for her." The agreement is sealed with a promise to the matchmaker of a sable fur coat and two thousand rubles.
Lazar Yelizarych assures Father Lipochka that it is necessary "to add for the time and time Alimpiyad Samsonovna for a good man." He reports the news that the "noble bridegroom" changed his mind due to the state of affairs of Bolshov. The assurance of great and ardent love is used. The merchant decides the case in favor of the clerk and promises that Lipochka "for whom I command, will go for that."
Act Three (eight phenomena)
Parents with Lipochka are waiting for the “noble” groom promised by the matchmaker. But Ustinya Naumovna says that he shows indecision. Bolshov tells his daughter his decision - he himself will find the groom.
Lazar Yelizarych comes to visit the Bolshovs, and Samson Silych announces to the family that he chose Podkhalyuzin as his daughter-in-law. Lipochka declares that she does not want to go "for such a nasty thing." And the father strongly argues that his decision is not in doubt, assuring: "I command, and you will marry a janitor." Podkhalyuzin is trying to calm the newly-found mother-in-law with the words that he respects her and is ready to brighten up old age.
Being alone with Lazarus, Lipochka calls his counterpart "an uneducated fool" and refuses to become his wife. He, in turn, assures the bride that all the noble turned away from her, and all the property of the Bolshoi family has already been transferred to him. The Olympics are surprised at Podkhaluzin’s phrase: “Thank God, we have more money than some noble one.” The groom assures his beloved that in the future she will only go in silk, ride Oryol horses, and he will "walk in a tailcoat and cut in fashion."
After some deliberation, Olympiad Samsonovna asks Lazar Yelizarych to take her away from here. She is indignant that “Mommy has seven Fridays in a week, ” and “the little aunt is as drunk as she is silent, but as drunk as she is, she’ll look at that, ” summing up: “What is all this to endure with a young lady ?!”. The groom promises to move to his own house. Lipochka is happy and declares: "We will start everything in fashion, and they - as they want."
Podhalyuzin informs everyone present about Lipochka’s consent to marry him. The father of the family gives him a house and shops as a dowry, plus he promises "what else to count from cash." The only thing he asks of his son-in-law is "to feed them with the old woman, and creditors to pay ten cents per ruble." Lazarus promises: "Our people - count!"
Act Four (five phenomena)
The new house of Podkhaluzin. A furnished living room where Olympics Samsonovna is located in a fashionable silk blouse. Spouses discuss new purchases and their upcoming trip to Sokolniki. The wife speaks a phrase in bad French, which makes her husband very happy.
Ustinya Naumovna comes to visit Podkhaluzin. Olympiad Samsonovna begins to show her her new outfits, and she asks Lazar Yelizarych to give the promised fee. Podkhalyuzin says: "It’s not enough that I promised! I promised to jump from Ivan the Great, if I marry Alimpiyad Samsonovna. And to jump?” The matchmaker promises to "glorify them throughout Moscow."
The next visitors of the Podkhaluzin are the father-in-law with the mother-in-law. Bolshov complains that he got into a debt hole, and a soldier accompanies him through the streets. The daughter intervenes in the conversation with a remark: "Well, little thing, they are sitting better than us."
Samson Silych recalls the debt to creditors "at 25 cents per ruble." The son-in-law refers to a lack of money and speaks of "10 kopecks per ruble." The husband is supported by the Olympics. Bolshov complains that he will be sent to Siberia. Agrafena Kondratyevna scolds Lazarus, but the Olympics interrupts her with the phrase: "The day will not pass, so as not to bark anyone." The Bolshovs leave Podkhaluzin in frustrated feelings.
The next visitor to Lazarus is the solicitor. Podkhalyuzin gives him 5 rubles each instead of the promised two thousand. His logic is unforgiving - "owes nothing for fraud." Rizpolezhensky leaves with the words of the promise "to put a bad name on and run off to Siberia."
The final scene. Podkhalyuzin turns to the audience sitting in the hall: “You don’t believe him, he’s what he said, sir, he’s lying all this. None of this happened. He must have dreamed in a dream. But we are opening a shop, mercy we’ll ask you to send a small child - we won’t take it into account in the bulb."
