A Humorous Story of Communication Mismatch – A Malefactor

Learning through Literature – Communication Mismatch

A MALEFACTOR

A Classic Anton Chekhov Story

By

VIKRAM KARVE 

Here is a rather light-hearted and amusing story by Anton Chekhov – which is breathtaking in its simplicity – yet so insightful in its meaning. 

I used to always read out this story A MALEFACTOR to my students – in order to drive home the point that communication is a two-way process for which mutual understanding is essential. 

On many occasions when two persons interact – they may speak the same language – yet speak different “languages” – and this may lead to miscommunication and misunderstandings – a communication gap. 

Even in relationships – personal and professional – all stakeholders must be on the “same page” – so to speak – and barriers to effective communication need to be removed – in order to understand each others’ points of view.  

The story has two principal characters: 

an illiterate peasant (who is accused of unscrewing a nut on the railway track, a vital nut which secures the rails to the sleepers) 

and 

a learned magistrate (before whom the peasant is brought for trial) 

The peasant does not comprehend the enormity and consequences of his action of removing the nut to use as sinker weight for bait for his fishing line. 

He does not realize the disaster it can cause. 

The simple illiterate peasant readily confesses to removing the nut from the railway track – because he wants to use the nut as a sinker weight for bait for his fishing line. 

As the flabbergasted magistrate questions him – the peasant keeps blabbering about fishing and types of fish. 

There is a total mismatch in communication between the peasant and the magistrate – which is beautifully portrayed by the witty dialogue. 

Anton Chekhov gives us an illuminating insight into the deep divide in Russian Society of his time.

I love reading this entertaining story again and again. 

This famous story by Anton Chekhov is freely available for reading online on the internet – and – Dear Reader – for your convenience – I have posted the story below for you to read and enjoy.

A Malefactor

By

Anton Chekhov

An exceedingly lean little peasant, in a striped hempen shirt and patched drawers, stands facing the investigating magistrate. His face overgrown with hair and pitted with smallpox, and his eyes scarcely visible under thick, overhanging eyebrows have an expression of sullen moroseness. On his head there is a perfect mop of tangled, unkempt hair, which gives him an even more spider-like air of moroseness. He is barefooted.

"Denis Grigoryev!" the magistrate begins. "Come nearer, and answer my questions. On the seventh of this July the railway watchman, Ivan Semyonovitch Akinfov, going along the line in the morning, found you at the hundred-and-forty-first mile engaged in unscrewing a nut by which the rails are made fast to the sleepers. Here it is, the nut! . . . With the aforesaid nut he detained you. Was that so?"

"Wha-at?"

"Was this all as Akinfov states?"

"To be sure, it was."

"Very good; well, what were you unscrewing the nut for?"

"Wha-at?"

"Drop that 'wha-at' and answer the question; what were you unscrewing the nut for?"

"If I hadn't wanted it I shouldn't have unscrewed it," croaks Denis, looking at the ceiling.

"What did you want that nut for?"

"The nut? We make weights out of those nuts for our lines."

"Who is 'we'?"

"We, people. . . . The Klimovo peasants, that is."

"Listen, my man; don't play the idiot to me, but speak sensibly. It's no use telling lies here about weights!"

"I've never been a liar from a child, and now I'm telling lies . . ." mutters Denis, blinking. "But can you do without a weight, your honour? If you put live bait or maggots on a hook, would it go to the bottom without a w eight? . . . I am telling lies," grins Denis. . . . "What the devil is the use of the worm if it swims on the surface! The perch and the pike and the eel-pout always go to the bottom, and a bait on the surface is only taken by a shillisper, not very often then, and there are no shillispers in our river. . . . That fish likes plenty of room."

"Why are you telling me about shillispers?"

"Wha-at? Why, you asked me yourself! The gentry catch fish that way too in our parts. The silliest little boy would not try to catch a fish without a weight. Of course anyone who did not understand might go to fish without a weight. There is no rule for a fool."

"So you say you unscrewed this nut to make a weight for your fishing line out of it?"

"What else for? It wasn't to play knuckle-bones with!"

"But you might have taken lead, a bullet . . . a nail of some sort. . . ."

"You don't pick up lead in the road, you have to buy it, and a nail's no good. You can't find anything better than a nut. . . . It's heavy, and there's a hole in it."

"He keeps pretending to be a fool! as though he'd been born yesterday or dropped from heaven! Don't you understand, you blockhead, what unscrewing these nuts leads to? If the watchman had not noticed it the train might have run off the rails, people would have been killed -- you would have killed people."

"God forbid, your honour! What should I kill them for? Are we heathens or wicked people? Thank God, good gentlemen, we have lived all our lives without ever dreaming of such a thing. . . . Save, and have mercy on us, Queen of Heaven! . . . What are you saying?"

"And what do you suppose railway accidents do come from? Unscrew two or three nuts and you have an accident."

Denis grins, and screws up his eye at the magistrate incredulously.

"Why! how many years have we all in the village been unscrewing nuts, and the Lord has been merciful; and you talk of accidents, killing people. If I had carried away a rail or put a log across the line, say, then maybe it might have upset the train, but. . . pouf! a nut!"

"But you must understand that the nut holds the rail fast to the sleepers!"

"We understand that. . . . We don't unscrew them all . . . we leave some. . . . We don't do it thoughtlessly . . . we understand. . . ."

Denis yawns and makes the sign of the cross over his mouth.

"Last year the train went off the rails here," says the magistrate. "Now I see why!"

"What do you say, your honour?"

"I am telling you that now I see why the train went off the rails last year. . . . I understand!"

"That's what you are educated people for, to understand, you kind gentlemen. The Lord knows to whom to give understanding. . . . Here you have reasoned how and what, but the watchman, a peasant like ourselves, with no understanding at all, catches one by the collar and hauls one along. . . . You should reason first and then haul me off. It's a saying that a peasant has a peasant's wit. . . . Write down, too, your honour, that he hit me twice -- in the jaw and in the chest."

"When your hut was searched they found another nut. . . . At what spot did you unscrew that, and when?"

"You mean the nut which lay under the red box?"

"I don't know where it was lying, only it was found. When did you unscrew it?"

"I didn't unscrew it; Ignashka, the son of one-eyed Semyon, gave it me. I mean the one which was under the box, but the one which was in the sledge in the yard Mitrofan and I unscrewed together."

"What Mitrofan?"

"Mitrofan Petrov. . . . Haven't you heard of him? He makes nets in our village and sells them to the gentry. He needs a lot of those nuts. Reckon a matter of ten for each net."

"Listen. Article 1081 of the Penal Code lays down that every wilful damage of the railway line committed when it can expose the traffic on that line to danger, and the guilty party knows that an accident must be caused by it . . . (Do you understand? Knows! And you could not help knowing what this unscrewing would lead to . . .) is liable to penal servitude."

"Of course, you know best. . . . We are ignorant people. . . . What do we understand?"

"You understand all about it! You are lying, shamming!"

"What should I lie for? Ask in the village if you don't believe me. Only a bleak is caught without a weight, and there is no fish worse than a gudgeon, yet even that won't bite without a weight."

"You'd better tell me about the shillisper next," said the magistrate, smiling.

"There are no shillispers in our parts. . . . We cast our line without a weight on the top of the water with a butterfly; a mullet may be caught that way, though that is not often."

"Come, hold your tongue."

A silence follows. Denis shifts from one foot to the other, looks at the table with the green cloth on it, and blinks his eyes violently as though what was before him was not the cloth but the sun. The magistrate writes rapidly.

"Can I go?" asks Denis after a long silence.

"No. I must take you under guard and send you to prison."

Denis leaves off blinking and, raising his thick eyebrows, looks inquiringly at the magistrate.

"How do you mean, to prison? Your honour! I have no time to spare, I must go to the fair; I must get three roubles from Yegor for some tallow! . . ."

"Hold your tongue; don't interrupt."

"To prison. . . . If there was something to go for, I'd go; but just to go for nothing! What for? I haven't stolen anything, I believe, and I've not been fighting. . . . If you are in doubt about the arrears, your honour, don't believe the elder. . . . You ask the agent . . . he's a regular heathen, the elder, you know."

"Hold your tongue."

I am holding my tongue, as it is," mutters Denis; "but that the elder has lied over the account, I'll take my oath for it. . . . There are three of us brothers: Kuzma Grigoryev, then Yegor Grigoryev, and me, Denis Grigoryev."

"You are hindering me. . . . Hey, Semyon," cries the magistrate, "take him away!"

"There are three of us brothers," mutters Denis, as two stalwart soldiers take him and lead him out of the room. "A brother is not responsible for a brother. Kuzma does not pay, so you, Denis, must answer for it. . . . Judges indeed! Our master the general is dead -- the Kingdom of Heaven be his -- or he would have shown you judges. . . . You ought to judge sensibly, not at random. . . . Flog if you like, but flog someone who deserves it, flog with conscience." 

--------------

Whenever I read this story – I appreciate why Anton Chekhov is known as a master storyteller – simple theme, uncomplicated plot, authentic setting, well-sketched characters, effortless narration, entertaining dialogue and a powerful message delivered with a sense of humor. 

The result: A Superb Story.

I trust you have read about all my favorite stories. 

In case you haven’t – do read them right here in my blog.

Happy Reading 

________

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:

1. This story is a fictional spoof, satire, pure fiction, just for fun and humor, no offence is meant to anyone, so take it with a pinch of salt and have a laugh.

2. All Stories in this Blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved) 

 

This is a repost of a blog I wrote many years ago and have posted online in my various blogs a number of times including at urls: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2012/07/malefactor-classic-anton-chekhov-story.html  and http://creative.sulekha.com/my-favourite-short-stories-part-5-a-malefactor_531474_blog  and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2011/07/my-favourite-short-stories-part-5.html and http://karvediat.blogspot.com/2018/03/learning-through-literature.html etc 

Rankophilia – excessive love of rank (or rank-consciousness)

Military Officers being overly rank-consciousness while in service is boorish behaviour. 

But – Military Veterans trying to flaunt their ranks after retirement looks ridiculous – because once you retire – most people don’t give a damn about who you were in the past. 

Whenever I see rank-conscious armed forces officers and military veterans – I remember this article I had written a few years ago on the subject...

RANKOPHILIA – FAKE “OLQ” 

A Spoof

By

VIKRAM KARVE

RANKOPHILIA 

RANKOPHILIA means Excessive Love of Rank (or Rank-Consciousness).

The greek word “philia” means excessive liking or love.

So rankophilia means excessive love of rank (or rank-consciousness).

And – an overly rank conscious officer may be called a “rankophile”.

If you have served in the Defence Services – you will have come across “rank consciousness” – especially in the highly regimented Army – where even some Army wives are excessively rank-conscious.

I have seen some such Rank Conscious Wives (RCWs) vitiate social life in the services.

We thought that as society becomes more egalitarian – the Army would also become more “modern” – and – “rank-consciousness” would decrease.

But – surprisingly – the opposite has happened – the Army is becoming more and more rank conscious – as more and more senior officers are being afflicted by the disease of “rankophilia”.

You may recall – that – sometime ago – a picture of a General delivering a speech while standing at a lectern decorated with a vehicle star plate went viral on the social media.

A few days later – there was another hilarious picture on the social media – this time a dignitary and his wife (both in civilian clothes) were sitting on a boat (pontoon) which had an army vehicle star plate fixed proudly displaying 3 stars.

I do not know where it is proper to display army star plates and where it is improper – but – we were told that – even while sitting in a vehicle – star plates are to be displayed only when the officer is proceeding on duty dressed in proper uniform.

A fellow “Fauji” Veteran told me that “rankophilia” is reaching epidemic proportions – and nowadays – Generals are using their ingenuity at displaying their stars in all possible ways – even while in civilian clothes and in civilian areas – on golf carts, golf caps, sporting hats, mugs, jackets, doors – almost everywhere where it is possible. 

(A witty veteran commented that soon Generals will tattoo stars on various parts of their bodies including on their “xxx” – Ha Ha – I leave it to your imagination...!!!)

For military officer – being rank conscious may be fine – while he is in service.

But – some of these snobbish types even try to throw around their “erstwhile” rank after retirement. 

(Ha Ha – some veterans will object to the use of the term “erstwhile rank” – and say that rank is for lifetime – okay – fine – but surely – after retirement – a senior officer becomes an “erstwhile” senior officer – actually – he becomes a civilian – since your rank has no authority/power once you retire – and – you are on par with any other veteran or civilian citizen)

A few years ago – I witnessed an amusing spectacle of a retired erstwhile senior army officer trying to pull rank and jump a queue for renewing his CSD Canteen Card – despite the fact that he was now a “retired nobody”.

Of course – he was put in his place by those veterans around him – and he was curtly told to get into the queue. 

The chastened rank-conscious snob beat a hasty retreat.

A friend told me that a similar scene happened in a bank during the annual “life certificate ritual” for pensioners – when a bank employee curtly told a retired General to get into the queue – while saying that – as far as the bank was concerned – all pensioners were equal.

I have seen some of these “rankophile” officers being totally ignored at veterans’ meets.

Some “smell the coffee” and mend their ways – and they mix around with everyone – while others withdraw into their shells and get isolated – and are never seen again at these veteran get-togethers.

I can say from my experience that the navy is much better than the army in this respect – and – even very senior officers quickly forget about their rank after retirement – and interact freely with everyone (In fact – many officers are not rank-conscious even while in service).

TYPES OF OFFICERS

When I was in the Defence Services (Navy) – I observed that there were Two Types of Officers:

1. GOOD OFFICERS (Genuine OLQ)

These were the confident type of officers – who carried themselves with poise and dignity – they were well-bred, polished, cultured and courteous.

These “good officers” were honest, transparent, fair and upright in their conduct – and quite humble, modest and down-to-earth in their behaviour. 

These officers did not need the “crutches of rank”  

In fact – by their exemplary demeanor – these officers enhanced the dignity of the rank they held. 

They always put “service before self...”. 

These “good officers” were role models for their juniors to admire and emulate.  

They truly epitomized the term: “An Officer and a Gentleman”. 

These Officers displayed Genuine “Officer-Like-Qualities” (OLQ)

2. CAREERIST STATUS CONSCIOUS SNOB (Fake OLQ) 

Then there were the insecure type – who were excessively rank conscious – haughty show-offs who believed in the dictum: 

“Boot your Juniors and Boot-lick your Seniors...” 

They were unabashed ambitious careerists – who put “self before service...” 

For them – their rank and status were everything.

For these insecure types – rank, promotion and their military career was the “be-all and end-all” of their life. 

They knew – in their hearts – that they lacked genuine “Officer Like Qualities” or OLQ.

So they faked OLQ.

These snobs faked OLQ by using bluff and bluster, pulling rank and overdoing the “Rank Has Its Privileges” or RHIP syndrome. 

These Officers displayed FAKE Officer-Like-Qualities (OLQ)

For these “Fake OLQ” types – rank was everything – because they knew – that – without the crutches of rank – they were Zero.

So – they wanted to get promoted at any cost – and they were prepared to go to any extent – and stoop to any level – in order to achieve their sole aim of getting promoted to high rank. 

It is this insecure and ambitious type of careerist officers – who often misuse their rank – and get involved in scams, scandals and unethical acts and tarnish the good name of the service. 

Such careerists may get promoted to high rank – but by their unethical conduct – they terribly damage the reputation of the entire service.

Snobbish and pretentious behaviour is a sign of Low Self-Esteem.

Yes – Low Self–Esteem that is the root cause of RANKOPHILIA (Excessive Love of Rank or Rank Consciousness)

FAKE OLQ

Rankophilia is “Fake OLQ”

As I told you at the beginning – the greek word “philia” means excessive liking or love.

So – “rankophilia” means excessive love for rank 

And – an overly rank-conscious officer may be called a “rankophile”

A STORY FOR RANKOPHILES

Do you see individuals with inflated egos,  status-conscious people, pompous persons, egotistical snobs and rankophiles around you – individuals who seem to be afflicted with rankophilia...?

Maybe you can tell them this “inspirational story” – in the hope that they will introspect, reflect – and change for the better.

DROP YOUR EGO

(AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY FOR STATUS CONSCIOUS SNOBS)

Keichu, the great Zen teacher of the Meiji era, was the head of Tofuku, a cathedral in Kyoto.

One day the Governor of Kyoto called on him for the first time.

He gave his visiting card to the attendant and sought audience with Keichu.

The attendant went inside and presented the visiting card of the Governor to Keichu.

The visiting card had the following words engraved on it: 

Kitagaki

GOVERNOR OF KYOTO

The Zen Teacher Keichu looked at the visiting card and said to the attendant: 

“I have no business with such a fellow. I do not want to meet him. Just tell him to get out of here...”

The attendant carried the visiting card back to the Governor with apologies.

The attendant told Governor Kitagi what the Zen Teacher Keichu had said. 

Governor Kitagi said: 

“I made a mistake. I will correct my error...” 

The Governor asked the attendant for a pencil. 

The attendant gave the Governor a pencil.

Then – Governor Kitagi took the visiting card – and – with the pencil – Governor Kitagaki scratched out the words “GOVERNOR OF KYOTO”.

Yes – Governor Kitagi scratched out the words “GOVERNOR OF KYOTO” 

Now – the visiting card carried only his name: 

“Kitagaki”

Governor Kitagaki then gave the visiting card back to the attendant and said to him: 

“Please take this visiting card to your teacher – and ask him again – if he would please give me an audience...”

The Zen Teacher Keichu saw the visiting card and exclaimed with happiness: 

“Oh – it’s that Kitagaki...? I want to see that fellow. Send him inside immediately...”

_______

MORAL OF THE STORY

So – that’s the secret of how to overcome rankophilia.

If you want to get rid of RANKOPHILIA – just DROP YOUR RANK and DROP YOUR EGO.

Yes – while in service – and – especially after retirement: 

DROP YOUR RANK  – and – DROP YOUR EGO

Why is everyone so obsessed with rank, status, power, wealth, fame and other egoistic trappings...?

Your INDIVIDUAL QUALITIES matter much more than your RANK. 

Your EXTERNAL RANK will go away one day

but 

Your INTRINSIC WORTH will remain with you forever – and maybe – it will be remembered as your LEGACY. 

And – once you retire – what matters more are your PRESENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS – rather than your PAST RANK – which is irrelevant in modern egalitarian society. 

Dear Reader: Do you agree...?  

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:

1. This blog post is a spoof, pure fiction, just for fun and humor, no offence is meant to anyone, so take it with a pinch of salt and have a laugh.

2. All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the story are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved)

This is a Revised Version of my Article Posted Earlier in my Academic and Creative Writing Journal Blog by me Vikram Karve at 7/11/2013 04:45:00 PM at url: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2013/07/rankophilia-love-of-rank-or-rank.html  and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/01/humor-in-uniform-rankophilia-fauji.html and http://karvediat.blogspot.com/2017/04/rankophilia-fake-olq.html  and http://karvediat.blogspot.com/2020/11/rankophilia-fake-olq.html