The Crocodile (short story)
The crocodile - An unusual event (Russian: Крокодил, crocodile) is a satirical story by Fyodor Dostoevsky. He took in the economic principle and capitalism on the grain, in which man has no honor more next to the profit. Swipes distributed Dostoevsky on the quixotic Russian administration and the rigid social structures. The story was published in the magazine Epoca, published Dostoevsky and his brother Mikhail; the first episode was released in February 1865. because Dostoevsky was bankrupt and Epocha was set in June, the story remained unfinished.
Action
A German showmen presented to the Moscow audience his sensation: the giant crocodile Carlie. The officer Ivan Matveyitch, his wife Yelena Ivanovna and her family friend Semyon Semjonowitsch are curious to see the curious animal, and embark on the spot. As Yelena Ivanovna the " attraction" finally sees she is disappointed and find the animal hideous. They also do not believe that it lives; to convince them of the contrary, the German teases it with a stick. Ivan Matveyitch is cocky and teases the crocodile also, whereupon he is promptly swallowed. Yelena Ivanovna requires that the animal is slit, but the German and his mother summoned they threaten to sue if Carlie damaged. Since penetrates from the body of the creature Ivan Matwejewitschs voice out - he survived. Since he himself is medium-sized and proud of it, he immediately takes party to the cause of the Germans: the economic principle takes precedence. His job as a civil servant he could, since it must be so in the future obviously, also exercise in the stomach of a crocodile.
Adaptations
Anton Marti has directed out in a Yugoslav television movie crocodile, which was first aired in 1960. Jury Everhartz has an opera composed according to the material, which was premiered in 2004.
Expenditure ( selection)
- All narratives. 9th edition. Piper, Munich, Zurich, 1987, ISBN 3-492-10338-3, pp. 388-431. Translated by E. K. Rahsin, Paperback
- The Players - The Eternal Husband - Notes from the Underground - The Crocodile - Bobok - The Gentle - Dream of a Ridiculous Man. 15th edition. Piper, Munich, Zurich 1996, ISBN 978-3-492-04009-9. Translated by E. K. Rahsin, Hardcover
Audio book
- The crocodile. Litraton, 2003, ISBN 978-3-89469-592-7. Read by Dieter Hildebrandt, 2 Audio CDs