Old-Fashioned Farmers
The story revolves around a group of old-fashioned farmers who live in rural Russia. They are depicted as being stubborn and resistant to change, clinging to their traditional ways of life despite the encroaching modernity. Their lives are marked by poverty, hardship, and superstition. The farmers are often at odds with the local authorities, whom they view as corrupt and oppressive. The narrative is a commentary on the social and economic conditions of rural Russia during this period, highlighting the struggles and injustices faced by the common people. Through the characters' experiences, the story explores themes of tradition vs. progress, poverty, and the human condition.
By Nikolai Gogol · First published 1832 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Realism, Social Commentary · 10,219 words
First lines
I am very fond of the modest life of those isolated owners of distant villages, which are usually called "old-fashioned" in Little Russia,27 and which, like ruinous and picturesque houses, are beautiful through their simplicity and complete contrast to a new, regular building, whose walls the rain has never yet washed, whose roof is not yet covered with mould, and whose porch, undeprived of its stucco, does not yet show its red bricks. I love sometimes to enter for a moment the sphere of this unusually isolated life, where no wish flies beyond the palings surrounding the little yard, beyond the hedge of the garden filled with apples and plums, beyond the izbás of the village surrounding it, having on one side, shaded by willows, elder-bushes and pear-trees. The life of the modest owners is so quiet, so quiet, that you forget yourself for a moment, and think that the passions, wishes, and the uneasy offspring of the Evil One, which keep the world in an uproar, do not exist at all, and that you have only beheld them in some brilliant, dazzling vision.
What this Textopian page supports
Old-Fashioned Farmers is listed on Textopian as a novel by Nikolai Gogol, dated 1832 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Nikolai Gogol
- Date: 1832 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Fiction, Realism, Social Commentary, Tragedy, Comedy
- Length: 10,219 words
- Structure: 1 section, 106 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Old-Fashioned Farmers by Nikolai Gogol
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Old-Fashioned Farmers?
- How does this novel by Nikolai Gogol fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Literary Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Playing Dead by Richard Harding Davis
- The Calash by Nikolai Gogol
- The Stolen White Elephant by Mark Twain
- The Mantle by Nikolai Gogol
- Gooseberries by Anton Chekhov
- The New Villa by Anton Chekhov
Genres
- Literary Fiction — The work explores deep themes of life, death, and the simplicity of rural existence, focusing on character development and emotional depth.
- Realism — The narrative presents a realistic portrayal of rural life, emphasizing the everyday experiences and struggles of the characters.
- Social Commentary — The text critiques social structures and the impact of modernization on traditional lifestyles, highlighting the contrast between old-fashioned values and contemporary changes.
- Tragedy — The story contains tragic elements, particularly in the themes of loss and the inevitable passage of time affecting the characters' lives.
Tags
Satire · Social Commentary · Russian Literature · 19th Century Fiction · Farce · Comedy of Manners · Critique of Social Class · Rural Life · Peasantry · Slapstick Humor · Absurdity · Irony