The work "The Town in a snuffbox": genre and short content

The work "The Town in a snuffbox" belongs to the pen of Vladimir Fedorovich Odoevsky. This is one of the first Russian writers, which can be ranked among the founders of Russian children's literature.

Vladimir Fedorovich Odoevsky

Prince, senator, Russian writer, thinker and philosopher, translator, art critic, public figure - this is not a complete list of titles, titles, professional skills that Vladimir Fedorovich possessed.

Odoevsky's literary work is characterized by innovative ideas and research. This was immediately noticed by the writer's contemporaries and highly appreciated by his descendants.
Odoyevsky's works are forced to reflect, they allow us to look at the usual phenomena of life differently, advancing the reader in their development forward. All that is said fully applies to what was created by the writer specifically for children. Unsurpassed writer's composition is considered to be a fairy tale "Town in a snuffbox". The author of it up to our days is among the best children's writers in world literature.

Works for children

In 1833, Odoevsky's first works for children were published. The collection was called "Motley Fairy Tales." In 1834, a separate publication was printed "Town in a snuffbox." The genre of this work was also defined as a fairy tale.

A high evaluation of literary tales for children who left the pen of Odoevsky, gave NV Gogol. He believed that the imagery of the language, tonality and his melodiousness are unparalleled not only in Russian, but also in world children's literature. Perhaps, in comparison can only be the works of the great storyteller Hans Christian Andersen.
During the next years of work on writing works intended for the children's reading circle, Odoevsky tried to maintain the bar set by him. Great interest in the work of the writer was shown by the true connoisseur of literature V. Dal, who considered the language of his works as the standard of Russian literature.

In 1838 "Fairy tales and stories for children of my grandfather Irenaeus" were published. Many of the works from the collection were immediately included in the list of textbooks and remain those after 177 years. It is this fact that is an indicator of the literary talent of VF Odoevsky.

Uncle Ireney's mask (and later grandfather's) Odoyevsky was successfully used throughout the period when he was engaged in children's literature. Thanks to a well-chosen image, a favorite children, the author could talk about complex life phenomena with the children in a language they understand.

"Town in a snuffbox." Genre of the work

The cycle under the general title "Tales of Grandfather Irenaeus" includes several works for children. Included here and "Town in a snuffbox." The genre of the work is defined as a cognitive tale.

Reading the work, the child not only gets acquainted with the fabulous inhabitants of the musical snuffbox, but also learns about the mechanism of its work. The process is described quite accurately without distorting the facts, the work contains a large amount of cognitive material. An entertaining form of description, which Odoevsky uses, makes it possible to classify a work in the genre of a fairy tale.

The combination in one work of scientific encyclopedic information and magic, a fiction inherent only in fairy tales, was unusual for the literature of the first half of the XIX century. VF Odoevsky managed to combine this together. The reception was very successful, it was appreciated not only by small readers and their parents, but also by literary critics.

The main characters of the work

The main actor of the fairy tale is the boy Misha, to whom his father presented a musical snuffbox. At the beginning of the narrative the boy's father tells how to use the casket. Misha learns that the thing is very complicated and requires careful treatment.

Like any other boy at his age, Misha wants to understand the secrets that hide inside the snuffbox. From this moment miracles begin. Thanks to them, the boy gets acquainted with the unusual inhabitants of the magic country, which the author calls the Town in a snuffbox.

Fairy tale, her magic captures not only Misha, but also every reader. The heroes of the work are becoming more and more - they are residents of the fairy-tale country. Each of them has its own responsibilities, which they must strictly follow, otherwise the way of life of the town will be destroyed.

The idea of a fairy tale

Vladimir Fedorovich Odoevsky, realizing the important role played by literature in people's lives, strove to develop the best character traits of small readers through his works written for children. To the full, this task is answered by "Gorodok in snuffbox".

The genre of the cognitive tale is the best way to develop the curiosity of the child, it gives an opportunity to acquire new knowledge for him. For example, Misha, while traveling around the city, learns some laws of visual arts and prospects. He understands how the casket works, where music is born.

In addition, throughout the entire work the author points out the important qualities of Misha's character. The boy is persistent, inquisitive, obedient, polite. Odoyevsky appreciates this in the child. Also the author draws attention to the fact that everything is interconnected in life. Only with well-coordinated work and complete mutual understanding can you achieve certain successes in life.

The modern edition of the work

Perhaps none of Odoevsky's fairy tales had such a large number of publications as "The Town in a Snuffbox".

The cartoon, filmstrips, created based on the fairy tale motifs, the illustrated editions of the book are very popular among children today. That is why the fairy tale is placed in many literary collections, it is also published as a separate book.

Some authors of modern textbooks on literature have included VF Odoevsky's fairy tale "The Town in a Snuffbox" in the list of works intended for compulsory study at school lessons. When working together on a fairy tale, children learn the world around them, learn to understand the beauty of their native language, express their attitude to what they read.