1. Expose the autocratic rule of the czar, satirize and laugh at the arbitrariness, parasitism and ignorance of the ruling class.
Many fables describe the arbitrariness of the powerful and expose the robber logic that the weak are always guilty in front of the strong, such as Wolf and Lamb, Lion Divides its prey, Wolf and Crane, and Plague in the Animal Country.
The Elephant Being an Official, The Bear Taking Care of the Beehive, The Fox Architect, The Village Assembly, etc. expose the cunning tricks of the rulers to oppress the people. The hypocritical nature of legal protection of rulers under the czar's autocratic system has been revealed in Dog Fish, Farmer and Sheep, Farmer and River, Crow and so on.
The Fox and the Marmot, Bees and Flies, Monkeys and Glasses, Goose, and Mouse Meeting all criticized the rulers' antics, such as corruption and bribery, parasitism, ignorance, incompetence, worship of foreign countries, nepotism and so on.
Some fables even point the finger at the czar himself, such as Mutton Sheep.
2. Reflect the powerlessness and exploitation of the oppressed, express sympathy for the people, praise the people's excellent quality and confidence in the people's strength.
Pushkin said that krylov was "the most popular poet". Krylov chose fable as his own creative genre precisely because this popular genre can reach the broadest masses of the people. The most vivid embodiment of the people's nature of his fables is to express the people's love and hate. If krylov in the above fable expresses the people's hatred for the rulers, then in the second fable, he expresses sympathy, love and confidence for the people. Although the people have no right and are oppressed, they are hardworking and simple, and they are the real masters of life.
"Bees and Flies" mocked the flies that were not beneficial to human beings, while the industrious bees "lived very comfortably in their own country".
"The Eagle and the Bee" praised the obscure people engaged in menial labor through bees, praising them for "working for the same interests", and did not want to highlight the lofty spirit of personal labor. Although workers are unknown and live at the bottom, they have endless vitality and creativity, and they support the whole society and rulers.
This dialectical relationship is profoundly revealed in Leaves and Roots. Not only that, the weak can even retaliate against the strong (The Lion and the Mosquito).
And the famous fable "The Wolf Falls in the Dog House", which reflects the Great Patriotic War of 18 12, not only reveals the face of the invaders, but also shows the firm determination and great strength of the Russian people to fight against them.
3. Reflect the daily life phenomenon, get the philosophy of life, and be rich in moral admonition.
There are two situations in this kind of fable: one is of double significance. On the one hand, they criticize and expose rulers or express their love for people. On the other hand, these fables have transcended the historical era at that time and have universal significance. For example, the Quartet was written for the reorganization of the government in that year, but its idea of focusing on the essence of things rather than the form has universal significance.
The Grand Caravan was originally a criticism of the rulers who were dissatisfied with Kutuzov's command of the Great Patriotic War, but today it is also very applicable to admonish people not to command blindly and not to look at others with difficulty. The other is purely moral admonition. Krylov used humor and satire to criticize and laugh at all kinds of defects in daily life, sum up life experience, and then warned people how to improve themselves. The author is involved in a wide range of life phenomena, such as warning people not to listen to flattery (The Fox and the Grapes), not to be too picky and lose the opportunity (The Picky Girl to Marry), not to blame others indiscriminately (The Master and the Mouse), to be cautious about friendship (The Woods and the Fire and the Friendship of Dogs), and to be modest and eager to learn (The Dog Fish and the Cat) Enough is enough (Fish Soup in Demyan), cooperation is needed to do good things (Swan, Dog Fish and Prawn), and unyielding character (Oak and Reed) and so on.