(417 words) Chekhov often in his works denounced various vices of society. His stories, despite their small size, very clearly and clearly showed one or another bad character trait of the hero.
In his story "Ionych" Chekhov raises a rather important topic, it is especially relevant for modern society. This topic is the spiritual devastation, impoverishment of the personality and its degradation. First, we see Dr. Dmitry Ivanovich Startsev, a bright, kind person who clearly received a good education. He was an excellent doctor, not indifferent to the problems of others. He slowly begins to enter society and learns about the existence of the best family in the city - the Turkins family. And it is precisely this acquaintance with the family that begins to perniciously affect the character and spiritual qualities of Startsev.
We turn to the Turkins family and consider its composition in more detail. According to the author, in the city they were “the most educated and talented” people. Ivan Petrovich, the head of the family, will make everyone laugh with his strange language, which everyone is used to: the words "majority", "not bad", etc. have long come into his everyday life. Vera Iosifovna, the wife of Ivan Petrovich, writes long novels and reads them to her guests. These works of her portray what is not and cannot be in reality. Kotik, the daughter of Ivan Petrovich and Vera Iosifovna, plays the piano, according to many, she is a talented pianist, however, when she plays, the game resembles a rockfall. It is Kotik that evokes tender feelings in Dr. Startsev, but she plays with him. Making a date with him, Kitty herself does not come. The nature of the family throughout the story remains unchanged, which is precisely what Chekhov emphasizes their moral poverty and complete mental impoverishment - vices that Dr. Startsev would later “fall ill with”. Then the author will begin to call him Ionych.
Many years have passed since the meeting that failed with Kotik, Dr. Startsev changed: he now became indifferent to patients, began to think only about money (“About yellow and green papers”). Even the appearance of Startsev has changed: he grew fat, began to breathe heavily, he moves only on the top three with bells. It even seems when he rides that he is some kind of “pagan god”, which in itself tells the readers that we are faced with the manifestation of vice. His voice became sharp and subtle, and while receiving patients, he shouted at them in an unpleasant voice: “Do not talk!” In Dalizh, in the city where the whole action of the story takes place, Kotik was the first and only joy of Startsev, but when he realized who the Turkins really were, all desire to do something, all his noble impulses disappear.
Thus, we can conclude that at the end of the story Chekhov denounces in Ionitch a vice of spiritual emptiness and impoverishment of personality. It shows how the environment adversely affects a person, and that even a strong personality can become a victim of the circumstances surrounding it.
