Class : 9 – Lesson (25) The Beggar

EXPLANATION & SUMMARY

📚 Introduction to the Story
The Beggar by Anton Chekhov, the famous Russian short-story writer, is a realistic and moral tale about the power of compassion, dignity of labour, and human transformation. The story revolves around a beggar named Lushkoff and his encounter with a kind advocate, Sergei, whose tough love and his servant Olga’s compassion change the beggar’s life completely.

👨‍🎨 About the Author
Anton Chekhov (1860–1904) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer. Known for his deep psychological insight and simplicity of style, his works often explore social realities, moral dilemmas, and the transformation of ordinary lives.

💡 Themes of the Story
🟢 Transformation through kindness and labour.
🔵 The dignity of honest work.
🟡 Harsh truth vs. compassion in reforming people.
🟠 Hypocrisy and excuses of the lazy vs. genuine care.
🟣 The role of empathy in moral upliftment.

🎬 Main Episodes of the Story

1️⃣ Encounter with the Beggar
Sergei, an advocate, notices a ragged beggar, Lushkoff, who often approaches people with excuses for alms. First, he claims to be a schoolteacher without work, then later admits he was a singer dismissed due to drunkenness. Sergei is angered by his dishonesty but does not drive him away.

2️⃣ Offer of Work
Instead of giving alms, Sergei offers him the chance to work. He asks Lushkoff to chop wood at his home. At first, Sergei thinks Lushkoff is weak and unfit, but his servant Olga helps him complete the task.

3️⃣ Repeated Help
On several occasions, Sergei offers him simple work, like shovelling snow, carrying parcels, and other household tasks. Each time, Olga helps Lushkoff, often scolding him, crying, or even doing the work on his behalf, but ensuring he receives payment.

4️⃣ Transformation of the Beggar
Over time, Lushkoff changes. He leaves begging, stops drinking, and begins working seriously. Two years later, Sergei meets him again and finds that he is now a notary earning thirty-five roubles a month.

5️⃣ The Truth Revealed
When Sergei congratulates himself for reforming Lushkoff, the beggar reveals the truth: it was not Sergei’s harsh words but Olga’s compassion, tears, and help that changed him. Her kindness touched his heart, inspiring him to abandon his bad habits and work honestly.

🎭 Tone, Style, and Devices
✨ Tone – Realistic, moralistic, and compassionate.
✨ Imagery – Ragged beggar, chopping wood, harsh cold streets.
✨ Symbolism – Work = dignity and self-respect; Olga’s tears = true compassion.
✨ Irony – Sergei thinks he reformed Lushkoff, but in reality, it was Olga’s kindness.

🕊️ Lessons and Takeaways
✔️ True reform comes through empathy and compassion, not punishment.
✔️ Honest work brings dignity and self-respect.
✔️ A kind heart can bring about transformation even in the most degraded person.
✔️ Appearances can be deceptive—lazy beggars may hide behind excuses, but they can still change with help.
✔️ Silent sacrifices (like Olga’s) are often more powerful than words.

🌟✨ Summary (Approx. 150 words) ✨🌟
The Beggar by Anton Chekhov is the story of Lushkoff, a beggar who changes his life through kindness and compassion. At first, he lies about his condition to seek alms, which angers Sergei, an advocate. Instead of charity, Sergei offers him work. Though weak and unwilling, Lushkoff is helped by Sergei’s servant Olga, who often does his tasks but makes him feel ashamed of his laziness. Gradually, Lushkoff reforms himself, abandons drinking, and begins working honestly. Years later, Sergei meets him as a respectable notary, earning thirty-five roubles a month. Lushkoff reveals that it was not Sergei but Olga’s compassion and her tears that changed his heart. The story conveys the moral that true transformation comes through empathy, and honest labour brings dignity and self-respect.

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PASSAGE

📖 Passage
“Sergei looked at the ragged fellow, who shivered in the cold. His eyes were dull and sunken, and there was a red spot on either cheek. He had the appearance of a man who had been drinking heavily and was now in a state of misery.”

🌟 Questions and Answers
1️⃣ Question: Who is the ragged fellow described in the passage?
🟢 Answer: The ragged fellow is Lushkoff, the beggar who approached Sergei for alms.

2️⃣ Question: What do the dull eyes and red spots on the cheeks suggest about him?
🟢 Answer: They suggest that he was weak, unhealthy, and an alcoholic, living a degraded and miserable life.

3️⃣ Question: How does the description reflect the theme of realism in the story?
🟢 Answer: The detailed physical description highlights the harsh truth of poverty and addiction, presenting the beggar’s miserable state realistically.

4️⃣ Question: What does the beggar’s condition symbolise in the context of the story?
🔵 Options:
A. Laziness and dishonesty alone
B. The destructive impact of poverty and alcohol
C. Strength and determination
D. A hardworking man in disguise
🟢 Answer: B. The destructive impact of poverty and alcohol

5️⃣ Question: Assertion (A): Sergei immediately felt pity for the beggar and gave him money.
Reason (R): He believed alms would change the beggar’s life.
🔵 Options:
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
B. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
C. A is false, but R is true.
D. Both A and R are false.
🟢 Answer: D. Both A and R are false.

6️⃣ Question: How does this passage prepare the reader for the transformation of the beggar later in the story?
🟢 Answer: By first showing his degraded and hopeless state, the passage makes his later transformation into a respectable notary more striking, proving the power of compassion and guidance.

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OTHER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: –

1️⃣ Question: Who is the author of The Beggar?
🟢 Answer: The story is written by Anton Chekhov.

2️⃣ Question: What was the name of the beggar in the story?
🟢 Answer: The beggar’s name was Lushkoff.

3️⃣ Question: What false claims did Lushkoff make to earn sympathy?
🟢 Answer: He first claimed to be a schoolteacher without a job and later said he was a singer dismissed for drunkenness.

4️⃣ Question: Why was Sergei angry with Lushkoff?
🟢 Answer: Sergei was angry because Lushkoff lied and misled people to get alms.

5️⃣ Question: Instead of giving money, what did Sergei offer the beggar?
🟢 Answer: He offered him work, such as chopping wood and other small tasks.

6️⃣ Question: Who actually helped Lushkoff with the wood chopping?
🟢 Answer: Sergei’s servant Olga helped him by chopping the wood herself.

7️⃣ Question: How did Olga treat Lushkoff while helping him?
🟢 Answer: Olga scolded, wept, and pitied him, but she always ensured he was helped, showing compassion beneath her harshness.

8️⃣ Question: How did Lushkoff’s life change after working for Sergei?
🟢 Answer: He stopped begging, gave up drinking, and gradually found regular work.

9️⃣ Question: What was Lushkoff’s profession two years later?
🟢 Answer: He became a notary earning thirty-five roubles a month.

🔟 Question: Who was truly responsible for Lushkoff’s transformation?
🟢 Answer: Olga, Sergei’s servant, was truly responsible because her kindness and tears touched his heart.

1️⃣1️⃣ Question: What did Lushkoff confess to Sergei about his change?
🟢 Answer: He confessed that it was Olga’s compassion, not Sergei’s harshness, that reformed him.

1️⃣2️⃣ Question: Why can Olga be considered the true hero of the story?
🟢 Answer: Because she silently sacrificed, helped the beggar, and inspired him with her empathy, leading to his moral and social transformation.

1️⃣3️⃣ Question: What is the central message of The Beggar?
🟢 Answer: The story conveys that true reform comes from empathy and compassion, and honest labour restores dignity and self-respect.
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