Can one person resist society's arguments? The problem of man and society in Russian literature of the 19th century

Plan

Introduction

The problem of the “new man” in Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit”

Subject strong man in the works of N.A. Nekrasov

The problem of the “lonely and superfluous person” in secular society in the poetry and prose of M.Yu. Lermontov

The problem of the “poor man” in the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment"

The theme of a national character in the tragedy of A.N. Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm"

The theme of the people in the novel by L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace"

The theme of society in the work of M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin “Gentlemen Golovlevs”

Problem " little man"in the stories and plays of A.P. Chekhov

Conclusion

List of used literature

Introduction

people society Russian literature

Russian literature of the 19th century brought to the whole world the works of such brilliant writers and poets as A.S. Griboyedov, A.S. Pushkin, M.Yu. Lermontov, N.V. Gogol, I.A. Goncharov, A.N. Ostrovsky, I.S. Turgenev, N.A. Nekrasov, M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, F.M. Dostoevsky, L.N. Tolstoy, A.P. Chekhov and others.

In many works of these and other Russian authors of the 19th century, themes of man, personality, and people developed; the individual was opposed to society (“Woe from Wit” by A.S. Griboyedov), the problem of the “superfluous (lonely) person” was demonstrated (“Eugene Onegin” by A.S. Pushkin, “Hero of Our Time” by M.Yu. Lermontov), ​​“ poor man" (“Crime and Punishment” by F.M. Dostoevsky), problems of the people (“War and Peace” by L.N. Tolstoy) and others. In most of the works, within the framework of the development of the theme of man and society, the authors demonstrated the tragedy of the individual.

The purpose of this essay is to consider the works of Russian authors of the 19th century, to study their understanding of the problems of man and society, and the peculiarities of their perception of these problems. The study used critical literature, as well as works of writers and poets silver age.

The problem of the “new man” in Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit”

Consider, for example, the comedy by A.S. Griboedov’s “Woe from Wit”, which played an outstanding role in the socio-political and moral education several generations of Russian people. She armed them to fight violence and tyranny, meanness and ignorance in the name of freedom and reason, in the name of the triumph of progressive ideas and true culture. In the image of the main character of Chatsky's comedy, Griboyedov for the first time in Russian literature showed a “new man”, inspired by sublime ideas, raising a rebellion against a reactionary society in defense of freedom, humanity, intelligence and culture, cultivating in himself a new morality, developing A New Look to the world and to human relations.

The image of Chatsky - new, smart, developed person- is opposed to the “Famus society”. In "Woe from Wit" all of Famusov's guests simply copy the customs, habits and outfits of French milliners and rootless visiting crooks who made a living on Russian bread. They all speak “a mixture of French and Nizhny Novgorod” and are dumbfounded with delight at the sight of any visiting “Frenchman from Bordeaux.” Through the lips of Chatsky, Griboedov with the greatest passion exposed this unworthy servility to others and contempt for one’s own:

So that the unclean Lord destroys this spirit

Empty, slavish, blind imitation;

So that he would plant a spark in someone with a soul.

Who could, by word and example

Hold us like a strong rein,

From pathetic nausea, on the stranger's side.

Chatsky loves his people very much, but not “ Famusov society"landowners and officials, but the Russian people, hardworking, wise, powerful. Distinctive feature Chatsky as a strong man in contrast with the prim Famus society lies in the fullness of feelings. In everything he shows true passion, he is always ardent in soul. He is hot, witty, eloquent, full of life, impatient. At the same time, Chatsky is the only open positive hero in Griboedov's comedy. But one cannot call him exceptional and lonely. He is young, romantic, ardent, he has like-minded people: for example, professors Pedagogical Institute, who, according to Princess Tugoukhovskaya, “practice in schisms and lack of faith,” these are “mad people” inclined to study, this is the princess’s nephew, Prince Fyodor, “a chemist and a botanist.” Chatsky defends human rights to freely choose his own activities: travel, live in the countryside, “focus his mind” on science or devote himself to “creative, high and beautiful arts.”

Chatsky defends the “folk society” and ridicules the “Famus society”, its life and behavior in his monologue:

Aren't these rich in robbery?

They found protection from the court in friends, in kinship.

Magnificent building chambers,

Where they spill out in feasts and extravagance.

We can conclude that Chatsky in the comedy represents the young, thinking generation of Russian society, its best part. A. I. Herzen wrote about Chatsky: “The image of Chatsky, sad, restless in his irony, trembling with indignation, devoted to a dreamy ideal, appears at the last moment of the reign of Alexander I, on the eve of the uprising on St. Isaac's Square. This is a Decembrist, this is a man who ends the era of Peter the Great and is trying to discern, at least on the horizon, the promised land...”

The theme of a strong man in the works of N.A. Nekrasov

The theme of the strong man occurs in lyrical works ON THE. Nekrasov, whose work many call an entire era of Russian literature and public life. The source of Nekrasov’s poetry was life itself. Nekrasov positions the problem moral choice a person, a lyrical hero in his poems: the struggle between good and evil, the interweaving of the lofty, heroic with the empty, indifferent, ordinary. In 1856, Nekrasov’s poem “The Poet and the Citizen” was published in the Sovremennik magazine, in which the author asserted the social significance of poetry, its role and Active participation in life:

Go into the fire for the honor of the Fatherland,

For conviction, for love...

Go and die flawlessly

You won’t die in vain: the matter is solid,

When blood flows underneath.

Nekrasov in this poem simultaneously shows the power of high ideas, thoughts and duty of a citizen, man, fighter, and at the same time secretly condemns a person’s retreat from duty, service to the homeland and people. In the poem “Elegy” Nekrasov conveys the most sincere, personal sympathy for the people in their difficult lot. Nekrasov, knowing the life of the peasantry, saw among the people true strength, believed in his ability to renew Russia:

Will bear everything - and a wide, clear

With his breast he will pave the way for himself...

An eternal example of service to the Fatherland were people like N.A. Dobrolyubov (“In Memory of Dobrolyubov”), T.G. Shevchenko (“On the Death of Shevchenko”), V.G. Belinsky (“In Memory of Belinsky”).

Nekrasov himself was born in a simple serf-dominated village, where “something was pressing,” “my heart ached.” He remembers with pain his mother with her “proud, stubborn and beautiful soul,” who was forever given to “a gloomy ignorant... and the slaves bore her lot in silence.” The poet praises her pride and strength:

With your head open to the storms of life

All my life under an angry thunderstorm

You stood - with your chest

Protecting beloved children.

The central place in the lyrics of N.A. Nekrasov is occupied by a “living”, active, strong person, to whom passivity and contemplation are alien.

The problem of the “lonely and superfluous person” in secular society in the poetry and prose of M.Yu. Lermontov

The theme of a lonely person who struggles with society is well explored in the works of M.Yu. Lermontov (Valerik):

I thought: “Pitiful man.

What does he want!”, the sky is clear,

There's plenty of room for everyone under the sky,

But incessantly and in vain

He is the one who is at enmity- For what?"

In his lyrics, Lermontov strives to tell people about his pain, but all his knowledge and thoughts do not satisfy him. The older he gets, the more complex the world seems to him. He connects everything that happens to him with the fate of an entire generation. Lyrical hero of the famous “Duma” is hopelessly lonely, but he is also concerned about the fate of his generation. The more keenly he peers into life, the clearer it becomes for him that he himself cannot be indifferent to human troubles. It is necessary to fight evil, not run from it. Inaction reconciles with existing injustice, while simultaneously causing loneliness and the desire to live in a closed world of one’s own “I”. And, worst of all, it creates indifference to the world and people. Only in struggle does a person find himself. In “Duma,” the poet clearly says that it was inaction that destroyed his contemporaries.

In the poem “I look at the future with fear...” M.Yu. Lermontov openly condemns a society alien to feelings, an indifferent generation:

I look sadly at our generation!

Its coming- or empty, or dark...

Shamefully indifferent to good and evil,

At the beginning of the race we wither without a fight...

The theme of a lonely person in Lermontov’s work is by no means determined only by personal drama and difficult fate, but it largely reflects the state of Russian social thought during the period of reaction. That is why in Lermontov’s lyrics a lonely rebel, a Protestant, at war with “heaven and earth”, fighting for freedom, took a significant place human personality, anticipating his own premature death.

The poet contrasts himself, the “living” one, with the society in which he lives - with the “dead” generation. The author’s “life” is determined by the fullness of feelings, even simply the ability to feel, see, understand and fight, and the “death” of society is determined by indifference and narrow-minded thinking. In the poem “I go out alone on the road...” the poet is full of sad hopelessness; in this poem he reflects how far the disease of society has gone. The idea of ​​life as “a smooth path without a goal” gives rise to a feeling of the uselessness of desires - “what is the use of wishing in vain and forever?..” The line: “Both we hate and we love by chance” logically leads to the bitter conclusion: “For a while - not It costs work, but it’s impossible to love forever.”

Further, in the poem “Both Boring and Sad...” and in the novel “Hero of Our Time,” the poet, speaking about friendship, about higher spiritual aspirations, about the meaning of life, about passions, seeks to explore the reasons for dissatisfaction with his destiny. For example, Grushnitsky belongs to a secular society, characteristic feature which is lack of spirituality. Pechorin, accepting the conditions of the game, is, as it were, “above society,” knowing full well that there “are flashing images of soulless people, decently pulled masks.” Pechorin is not only a reproach to all the best people of the generation, but also a call to civic feat.

A strong, independent, lonely and even free personality is symbolized by the poem by M.Yu. Lermontov "Sail":

Alas!- he is not looking for happiness

And he’s not running out of happiness!

The theme of a lonely person, permeated with sadness, unsurpassed in the beauty of its execution, can be clearly seen in Lermontov’s lyrics, determined by his feelings and the society around him.

In the famous novel by M.Yu. Lermontov’s “Hero of Our Time” solves the problem of why smart and active people do not find use for their remarkable abilities and “wither without a fight” at the very beginning life path? Lermontov answers this question with the life story of Pechorin, a young man belonging to the generation of the 30s of the 19th century. In the image of Pechorin, the author presented an artistic type that absorbed a whole generation of young people at the beginning of the century. In the preface to “Pechorin’s Journal,” Lermontov writes: “The history of the human soul, even the smallest soul, is perhaps more curious and not more useful than history a whole people..."

In this novel, Lermontov reveals the theme of the “superfluous man,” because Pechorin is the “superfluous man.” His behavior is incomprehensible to those around him, because it does not correspond to their everyday point of view on life, common in noble society. With all the differences in appearance and character traits, Eugene Onegin from the novel by A.S. Pushkin, and the hero of the comedy A.S. Griboyedov “Woe from Wit” Chatsky, and Pechorin M.Yu. Lermontov belong to the type “ extra people”, that is, people for whom there was neither place nor work in the society around them.

Are there obvious similarities between Pechorin and Onegin? Yes. They are both representatives of high secular society. Much in common can be noted in the history and youth of these heroes: first, the pursuit of secular pleasures, then disappointment in them, an attempt to engage in science, reading books and cooling off from them, the same boredom that possesses them. Like Onegin, Pechorin stands at intellectual level superior to the surrounding nobility. Both heroes are typical representatives thinking people of their time, critical of life and people.

Then their similarities end and their differences begin. Pechorin differs from Onegin in his spiritual way of life; he lives in different socio-political conditions. Onegin lived in the 20s, before the Decembrist uprising, at a time of socio-political revival. Pechorin is a man of the 30s, when the Decembrists were defeated, and the revolutionary democrats as a social force had not yet declared themselves.

Onegin could have gone to the Decembrists, Pechorin was deprived of such an opportunity. Pechorin's situation is all the more tragic because he is by nature more gifted and deeper than Onegin. This talent is manifested in Pechorin's deep mind, strong passions and steely will. The hero’s sharp mind allows him to correctly judge people, about life, and be critical of himself. The characteristics he gives to people are quite accurate. Pechorin's heart is capable of feeling deeply and strongly, although outwardly he remains calm, since “the fullness and depth of feelings and thoughts does not allow wild impulses.” Lermontov shows in his novel a strong, strong-willed personality thirsty for activity.

But for all his talent and wealth of spiritual strength, Pechorin, according to his own fair definition, is a “moral cripple.” His character and all his behavior are distinguished by extreme inconsistency, which even affects his appearance, which, like all people, reflects internal appearance person. Pechorin's eyes "did not laugh when he laughed." Lermontov says that: “This is a sign of either an evil disposition or a deep, constant sadness...».

Pechorin, on the one hand, is skeptical, on the other, he has a thirst for activity; the mind in him struggles with feelings; He is both an egoist and at the same time capable of deep feelings. Left without Vera, unable to catch up with her, “he fell on the wet grass and cried like a child.” Lermontov shows in Pechorin the tragedy of an individual, a “moral cripple,” an intelligent and strong person, whose most terrible contradiction lies in the presence of “immense powers of the soul” and at the same time committing small, insignificant actions. Pechorin strives to “love the whole world,” but brings people only evil and misfortune; his aspirations are noble, but his feelings are not high; he longs for life, but suffers from complete hopelessness, from the awareness of his doom.

To the question of why everything is this way and not otherwise, the hero himself answers in the novel: “My soul is spoiled by the light,” that is, by the secular society in which he lived and from which he could not escape. But the point here is not only in the empty noble society. In the 20s, the Decembrists left this society. But Pechorin, as already mentioned, is a man of the 30s, a typical representative of his time. This time presented him with a choice: “either decisive inaction, or empty activity.” Energy is seething within him, he wants active action, he understands that he could have a “high purpose.”

The tragedy of noble society is again in its indifference, emptiness, and inactivity.

The tragedy of Pechorin’s fate is that he never found the main goal worthy of his life, since it was impossible to apply his strength to a socially useful cause in his time.

The problem of the “poor man” in the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment"

Let us now turn to the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment". In this work, the author draws the reader’s attention to the problem of the “poor man.” In the article “Downtrodden People” N.A. Dobrolyubov wrote: “In the works of F.M. Dostoevsky we find one common feature, more or less noticeable in everything he wrote. This is pain about a person who recognizes himself as unable or, finally, not even entitled to be a person, a real, complete independent person in himself.”

F. M. Dostoevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment” is a book about the life of disadvantaged poor people, a book that reflects the writer’s pain for the desecrated honor of a “little” person. Readers are presented with pictures of the suffering of “little” people. Their lives are spent in dirty closets.

Well-fed Petersburg looks coldly and indifferently at its disadvantaged people. Tavern and street life interferes with people's destinies, leaving an imprint on their experiences and actions. Here is a woman throwing herself into the canal... And here is a drunk fifteen-year-old girl walking along the boulevard... A typical shelter for the capital's poor is the miserable room of the Marmeladovs. Seeing this room and the poverty of the inhabitants, the bitterness with which Marmeladov several hours ago told Raskolnikov the story of his life, the story of his family, becomes understandable. Marmeladov's story about himself in a dirty tavern is a bitter confession " dead person, crushed by the unfair pressure of circumstances.”

But Marmeladov’s very vice is explained by the immensity of his misfortunes, the awareness of his deprivation and humiliation that poverty brings him. “Dear sir,” he began almost solemnly, “poverty is not a vice, it is the truth. I know that drunkenness is not a virtue, and this is even more so. But poverty your Majesty, poverty is a vice, sir. In poverty you still retain your nobility of innate feelings, but in poverty, no one ever does.” Marmeladov is a poor man who has “nowhere to go.” Marmeladov slides further and further down, but even in his fall he retains the best human impulses, the ability to feel strongly, which are expressed, for example, in his plea for forgiveness to Katerina Ivanovna and Sonya.

All her life, Katerina Ivanovna has been looking for what and how to feed her children, enduring poverty and deprivation. Proud, passionate, adamant, left a widow with three children, she, under the threat of hunger and poverty, was forced, “crying and sobbing and wringing her hands,” to marry a nondescript official, a widower with a fourteen-year-old daughter Sonya, who, in turn, married Katerina Ivanovna out of a feeling of pity and compassion. Poverty overwhelms the Marmeladov family, but they fight, although without a chance. Dostoevsky himself says about Katerina Ivanovna: “And Katerina Ivanovna was not one of the downtrodden, she could be completely killed by circumstances, but it was impossible to kill her morally, that is, to scare her and subjugate her will.” This desire to feel like a full-fledged person forced Katerina Ivanovna to organize a luxurious wake.

Next to the feeling of self-respect, another bright feeling lives in Katerina Ivanovna’s soul - kindness. She tries to justify her husband, saying: “look, Rodion Romanovich, she found a gingerbread cockerel in his pocket: he’s walking dead drunk, but he remembers about the children”... She, holding Sonya tightly, as if with her own breast wants to protect her from Luzhin’s accusations , says: “Sonya! Sonya! I don’t believe it!”... She understands that after the death of her husband, her children are doomed to starvation, that fate is unkind to them. So Dostoevsky refutes the theory of consolation and humility, which supposedly leads everyone to happiness and well-being, just as Katerina Ivanovna rejects the consolation of the priest. Her end is tragic. Unconscious, she runs to the general to ask for help, but “their lordships are having dinner” and the doors are closed in front of her, there is no longer hope for salvation, and Katerina Ivanovna decides to take the last step: she goes to beg. The scene of the poor woman's death is impressive. The words with which she dies, “they drove away the nag,” echo the image of a tortured, beaten to death horse that Raskolnikov once dreamed of. The image of a strained horse by F. Dostoevsky, N. Nekrasov’s poem about a beaten horse, M. Saltykov-Shchedrin’s fairy tale “The Horse” - this is the generalized, tragic image of people tortured by life. The face of Katerina Ivanovna captures a tragic image of grief, which is a vivid protest of the author’s free soul. This image stands among the eternal images of world literature; the tragedy of the existence of the outcast is embodied in the image of Sonechka Marmeladova.

This girl also has nowhere to go and run in this world, according to Marmeladov, “how much can a poor but honest girl earn by honest labor.” Life itself answers this question in the negative. And Sonechka goes to sell herself in order to save her family from hunger, because there is no way out, she has no right to commit suicide.

Her image is contradictory. On the one hand, he is immoral and negative. On the other hand, if Sonya had not violated moral standards, she would have doomed the children to starvation. Thus, the image of Sonya turns into a generalizing image of eternal victims. Therefore, Raskolnikov exclaims these famous words: “Sonechka Marmeladova! Eternal Sonechka...

F.M. Dostoevsky shows Sonechka’s humiliated position in this world: “Sonya sat down, almost trembling with fear, and timidly looked at both ladies.” And it is this timid, downtrodden creature who becomes a strong moral mentor, F.M. speaks through his lips. Dostoevsky! The main thing in Sonya's character is humility, all-forgiving Christian love for people, and religiosity. Eternal humility and faith in God give her strength and help her live. Therefore, it is she who forces Raskolnikov to confess to the crime, showing that the true meaning of life is suffering. The image of Sonechka Marmeladova was the only light of F.M. Dostoevsky in the general darkness of hopelessness, in the same empty noble society, in the entire novel.

In the novel “Crime and Punishment” by F.M. Dostoevsky creates an image pure love to people, the image of eternal human suffering, the image of a doomed victim, each of which was embodied in the image of Sonechka Marmeladova. Sonya's fate is the fate of a victim of abominations, deformities of the proprietary system, in which a woman becomes an object of purchase and sale. A similar fate was in store for Duna Raskolnikova, who had to follow the same path, and Raskolnikov knew it. In very detail, psychologically correctly depicting the “poor people” in society, F.M. Dostoevsky pursues the main idea of ​​the novel: we cannot continue to live like this. These “poor people” are Dostoevsky’s protest to that time and society, a bitter, difficult, courageous protest.

The theme of a national character in the tragedy of A.N. Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm"

Let us further consider the tragedy of A.N. Ostrovsky "The Thunderstorm". Before us is Katerina, who alone is given the opportunity in “The Thunderstorm” to retain the fullness of viable principles folk culture. Katerina’s worldview harmoniously combines Slavic pagan antiquity with Christian culture, spiritualizing and morally enlightening old pagan beliefs. Katerina’s religiosity is unthinkable without sunrises and sunsets, dewy grasses in flowering meadows, birds flying, butterflies fluttering from flower to flower. In the heroine's monologues, familiar motifs of Russian folk songs come to life. In Katerina’s worldview, the spring of primordially Russian song culture beats and acquires new life Christian beliefs. The heroine experiences the joy of life in the temple, bows to the sun in the garden, among the trees, grass, flowers, morning freshness, awakening nature: “Or early in the morning I’ll go to the garden, the sun is just rising, I’ll fall on my knees, I pray and cry, and I don’t know what I’m praying for and why I’m crying; That’s how they’ll find me.” In Katerina’s consciousness, ancient pagan myths that have entered the flesh and blood of the Russian folk character awaken, deep layers are revealed Slavic culture.

But in the Kabanovs’ house, Katerina finds herself in the “dark kingdom” of spiritual unfreedom. “Everything here seems to be from under captivity,” a stern religious spirit has settled here, democracy has evaporated here, the cheerful generosity of the people’s worldview has disappeared. The wanderers in Kabanikha’s house are different, from among those bigots who “due to their weakness did not walk far, but heard a lot.” And they talk about " the last times", about the coming end of the world. These strangers are strangers clean world Katerina, they are in the service of Kabanikha, and that means they can have nothing in common with Katerina. She is pure, dreaming, a believer, and in the Kabanovs’ house “she almost can’t breathe”... It becomes difficult for the heroine, because Ostrovsky shows her as a woman who is alien to compromise, who longs for universal truth and will not agree to anything less.

The theme of the people in the novel by L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace"

Let us also remember that in 1869, from the pen of L.N. Tolstoy published one of the brilliant works of world literature - the epic novel War and Peace. In this work main character- not Pechorin, not Onegin, not Chatsky. The main character of the novel “War and Peace” is the people. “For a work to be good, you must love the main, fundamental idea in it. In “War and Peace” I loved popular thought, as a result of the War of 1812,” said L.N. Tolstoy.

So, the main character of the novel is the people. The people who rose up in 1812 to defend their Motherland and defeated liberation war a huge enemy army led by a until then invincible commander. Major events The novel is assessed by Tolstoy from a popular point of view. The writer expresses the popular assessment of the war of 1805 in the words of Prince Andrei: “Why did we lose the battle at Austerlitz?.. We had no need to fight there: we wanted to leave the battlefield as quickly as possible.” The Patriotic War of 1812 for Russia was a fair, national liberation war. Napoleonic hordes crossed the borders of Russia and headed towards its center - Moscow. Then the whole people came out to fight the invaders. Ordinary Russian people - the peasants Karp and Vlas, the elder Vasilisa, the merchant Ferapontov, the sexton and many others - greeted the Napoleonic army with hostility and showed due resistance to it. The feeling of love for the Motherland gripped the entire society.

L.N. Tolstoy says that “for the Russian people there could be no question whether things would be good or bad under the rule of the French.” The Rostovs leave Moscow, giving the carts to the wounded and leaving their home to the mercy of fate; Princess Marya Bolkonskaya leaves her native nest Bogucharovo. Dressed in a simple dress, Count Pierre Bezukhov arms himself and remains in Moscow, intending to kill Napoleon.

With all this, not all people united in the face of war. Individual representatives of the bureaucratic-aristocratic society, who in the days of national disaster acted for selfish and selfish purposes, evoke contempt. The enemy was already in Moscow, when court life in St. Petersburg was going on as before: “There were the same exits, balls, the same french theater, the same interests of service and intrigue.” The patriotism of the Moscow aristocrats lay in the fact that instead of the French dishes they ate Russian cabbage soup, and for French words a fine was imposed.

Tolstoy angrily denounces the Moscow governor-general and commander-in-chief of the Moscow garrison, Count Rostopchin, who, due to his arrogance and cowardice, was unable to organize reinforcements for Kutuzov’s heroically fighting army. The author speaks with indignation about careerists - foreign generals like Wolzogen. They gave all of Europe to Napoleon, and then “they came to teach us - glorious teachers!” Among the staff officers, Tolstoy identifies a group of people who want only one thing: “... the greatest benefits and pleasures for themselves... The drone population of the army.” These people include Nesvitsky, Drubetsky, Berg, Zherkov and others.

To these people L.N. Tolstoy contrasts the common people who played the main and decisive role in the war against the French conquerors. The patriotic feelings that gripped the Russians gave rise to the general heroism of the defenders of the Motherland. Talking about the battles near Smolensk, Andrei Bolkonsky rightly noted that Russian soldiers “fought there for the Russian land for the first time,” that the troops had such a spirit as He (Bolkonsky) never saw that Russian soldiers “repelled the French for two days in a row, and that this success increased our strength tenfold.”

“People's thought” is felt even more fully in those chapters of the novel that depict heroes close to the people or striving to understand them: Tushin and Timokhin, Natasha and Princess Marya, Pierre and Prince Andrei - all those who can be called “Russian souls.”

Tolstoy portrays Kutuzov as a man who embodied the spirit of the people. Kutuzov is a truly people's commander. Thus, expressing the needs, thoughts and feelings of the soldiers, he appears during the review near Braunau, and during Battle of Austerlitz, and especially during Patriotic War 1812. “Kutuzov,” writes Tolstoy, “with all his Russian being knew and felt what every Russian soldier felt.” Kutuzov is his own for Russia, dear person, he is the carrier folk wisdom, an exponent of popular feelings. He is distinguished by “an extraordinary power of insight into the meaning of occurring phenomena, and its source lies in the national feeling that he carried within himself in all its purity and strength.” Only his recognition of this feeling made the people choose him, against the will of the tsar, as commander-in-chief of the Russian army. And only this feeling brought him to the height from which he directed all his strength not to kill and exterminate people, but to save and feel sorry for them.

Both soldiers and officers - they are not all fighting for St. George's crosses, but for the Fatherland. The defenders of General Raevsky’s battery are amazing with their moral fortitude. Tolstoy shows extraordinary tenacity and courage of soldiers and the best part of officers. At the center of the story guerrilla warfare stands the image of Tikhon Shcherbaty, who embodies the best national traits Russian people. Standing next to him is Platon Karataev, who in the novel “personifies everything that is Russian, folk, and good.” Tolstoy writes: “... good for those people who, in a moment of trial... with simplicity and ease, pick up the first club they come across and nail it with it until in their soul the feelings of insult and revenge are replaced by contempt and pity.”

Speaking about the results of the Battle of Borodino, Tolstoy calls the victory of the Russian people over Napoleon moral victory. Tolstoy glorifies the people, who, having lost half the army, stood just as menacingly as at the beginning of the battle. And as a result, the people achieved their goal: motherland was cleared by Russian people from foreign invaders.

The theme of society in the work of M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin “Gentlemen Golovlevs”

Let us also recall such a novel about public life as “The Golovlevs” by M.E. Satykova-Shchedrin. The novel presents a noble family, which reflects the decay of bourgeois society. As in bourgeois society, everything in this family collapses moral relations, family ties, moral standards of behavior.

At the center of the novel is the head of the family, Arina Petrovna Golovleva, an imperious landowner, a purposeful, strong housewife, spoiled by her power over her family and those around her. She herself single-handedly disposes of the estate, dispossessing the serfs, turning her husband into a “hanger-on,” crippling the lives of “hateful children” and corrupting her “favorite” children. She increases wealth without knowing why, implying that she does everything for the family, for the children. But she always repeats about duty, family, children, rather in order to hide her indifferent attitude to them. For Arina Petrovna, the word family is just an empty sound, although it never left her lips. She took care of her family, but at the same time forgot about it. The thirst for hoarding, greed killed the instincts of motherhood in her, all she could give to her children was indifference. And they began to answer her in kind. They did not show her gratitude for all the work that she did “for them.” But, always immersed in troubles and calculations, Arina Petrovna forgot about this thought.

All this, together with time, morally corrupts all the people close to her, like herself. The eldest son Stepan became an alcoholic and died a failure. The daughter, whom Arina Petrovna wanted to turn into a free accountant, ran away from home and soon died, abandoned by her husband. Arina Petrovna took her two little twin girls to live with her. The girls grew up and became provincial actresses. Also left to their own devices, they ended up embroiled in a scandalous trial, later one of them poisoned herself, the second did not have the courage to drink the poison, and she buried herself alive in Golovlevo.

Then the abolition of serfdom dealt a strong blow to Arina Petrovna: knocked off her usual rhythm, she becomes weak and helpless. She divides the estate between her favorite sons Porfiry and Pavel, leaving only capital for herself. The cunning Porfiry managed to defraud his mother of capital. Then Paul soon died, leaving his property to his hated brother Porfiry. And now we see clearly that everything for which Arina Petrovna subjected herself and her loved ones to hardship and torment all her life turned out to be nothing more than a ghost.

The problem of the “little man” in the stories and plays of A.P. Chekhov

A.P. also speaks about the degradation of man under the influence of the passion for profit. Chekhov in his story “Ionych,” which was written in 1898: “How are we doing here? No way. We get old, we get fatter, we get worse. Day and night - a day away, life passes dimly, without impressions, without thoughts...”

The hero of the story “Ionych” is a familiar, narrow-minded fat man, whose peculiarity is that he is smart, unlike many others. Dmitry Ionych Startsev understands how insignificant the thoughts of the people around him are, who happily talk only about food. But at the same time, Ionych didn’t even have the thought that he had to fight this way of life. He didn't even have the desire to fight for his love. In fact, it is difficult to call his feeling for Ekaterina Ivanovna love, because it passed three days after her refusal. Startsev thinks with pleasure about her dowry, and Ekaterina Ivanovna’s refusal only offends him, and nothing more.

The hero is possessed by mental laziness, which gives rise to absence strong feelings and experiences. Over time, this mental laziness evaporates all that is good and sublime from Startsev’s soul. Only the passion for profit began to possess him. At the end of the story, it was the passion for money that extinguished the last light in Ionych’s soul, lit by the words of the already adult and intelligent Ekaterina Ivanovna. Chekhov writes with sadness that a strong light human soul It can only extinguish the passion for money, simple pieces of paper.

A.P. writes about a person, about a little person. Chekhov in his stories: “Everything in a person should be beautiful: his face, his clothes, his soul, and his thoughts.” All writers of Russian literature treated the little man differently. Gogol called for loving and pitying the “little man” as he is. Dostoevsky - to see the personality in him. Chekhov looks for the guilty not in the society that surrounds a person, but in the person himself. He says that the reason for the little man’s humiliation is himself. Consider Chekhov's story "The Man in a Case." His hero Belikov himself has sunk because he is afraid of real life and runs away from it. He is an unhappy person who poisons the lives of both himself and the people around him. For him, prohibitions are clear and unambiguous, but permissions cause fear and doubt: “No matter what happens.” Under his influence, everyone began to be afraid to do something: speak loudly, make acquaintances, help the poor, etc.

With their cases, people like Belikov kill all living things. And he was able to find his ideal only after death; it is in the coffin that his facial expression becomes cheerful, peaceful, as if he had finally found that case from which he could no longer get out.

The insignificant philistine life destroys everything good in a person if there is no internal protest in him. This is what happened with Startsev and Belikov. Next, Chekhov strives to show the mood, the life of entire classes, layers of society. This is what he does in his plays. In the play "Ivanov" Chekhov again turns to the theme of the little man. The main character of the play is an intellectual who made huge life plans, but helplessly lost to the obstacles that life itself put in front of him. Ivanov is a little man who, as a result of an internal breakdown, turns from an active worker into a broken loser.

In the following plays by A.P. Chekhov's "Three Sisters", "Uncle Vanya" main conflict develops in the clash of morally pure, bright personalities with the world of ordinary people, greed, greed, and cynicism. And then people appear who replace all this everyday vulgarity. This is Anya and Petya Trofimov from the play " The Cherry Orchard". In this play A.P. Chekhov shows that not all little people necessarily turn into broken, small and limited people. Petya Trofimov, eternal student, belongs to the student movement. He has been hiding with Ranevskaya for several months. This young man is strong, smart, proud, honest. He believes that he can correct his situation only through honest, constant work. Petya believes that his society and homeland have a bright future, although he does not know the exact lines of change in life. Petya is only proud of his disdain for money. The young man influences the formation life positions Ani, daughter of Ranevskaya. She is honest, beautiful in her feelings and behavior. With such pure feelings, with faith in the future, a person should no longer be small, this already makes him big. Chekhov also writes about good (“great”) people.

So, in his story “The Jumper” we see how Doctor Dymov, good man, a doctor who lives for the happiness of others dies while saving someone else's child from illness.

Conclusion

This essay examined such works of Russian writers of the Silver Age as “The Thunderstorm” by Ostrovsky, “Hero of Our Time” by Lermontov, “Eugene Onegin” by Pushkin, “War and Peace” by Tolstoy, “Crime and Punishment” by Dostoevsky and others. The theme of man and people in the lyrics of Lermontov, Nekrasov, and the plays of Chekhov is explored.

To summarize, it should be noted that in Russian XIX literature century, the theme of man, personality, people, society is found in almost every work of the great writers of that time. Russian authors write about the problems of the extra, new, small, poor, strong, different people. Often in their works we encounter tragedy strong personality or a small person; with the opposition of a strong “living” personality to an indifferent “dead” society. At the same time, we often read about the strength and hard work of the Russian people, to whom many writers and poets are especially touching.

List of used literature

1.M.Yu. Lermontov, “Selected Works”, 1970.

2.A.S. Pushkin, “Collected Works”, 1989.

.A.S. Griboyedov, “Woe from Wit”, 1999.

.A.P. Chekhov, “Collected Works”, 1995.

.M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, “Gentlemen Golovlevs”, 1992.

.L.N. Tolstoy, “War and Peace”, 1992.

.F.M. Dostoevsky, “Crime and Punishment”, 1984.

.ON THE. Nekrasov, “Collection of poems”, 1995.

.A.N. Ostrovsky, “Collected Works”, 1997.

Composition

A person, like a drop of water, reflects the entire society: best qualities and his vices. Today, for the first time, people have the opportunity not only to speak out, but also to speak out. Throw out everything that has accumulated in your soul. And everyone could see how much dirt suddenly appeared. It was not the healing spring that clogged, but the abscess that burst through. Russia has lost Russia In Russia, writes Yevgeny Yevtushenko in the poem “Loss”. How relevant these lines are! There is no need to prove that our society is sick, that it is experiencing spiritual starvation. And a person is looking for a form of self-expression. He is looking for a form of manifestation of his own “I”. At all times, people have strived to know themselves, to find their place in life, despite all kinds of social disasters. Literature, painting, and music always came to the rescue. When I listen to Tchaikovsky, I forget about everything, standing on the threshold of a majestic spiritual world. I don’t understand how it was possible to express all this wealth, the cosmic depth and height of the soul with seven notes, seven symbols on a sheet of music, and I think about one thing: in this soul what was given from God was fully manifested. But this man’s life was passionate, there were often falls in it, but we don’t remember any of this - we only hear music. The result of this life is the result of colossal efforts, a gigantic struggle... And here is the soul modern man. Empty, unspiritualized and not comprehending itself. When there is a struggle in it, the desire to show the world one’s “I” - this most often ends in inhumane and cruel actions. Let us remember the words of Voltaire: “He who is good only for himself is good for nothing.” Forgetting these words, we can pass by a person, essentially our brother, who has become ill on the street and urgently needs help. We remain silent when healthy guys, fully capable of earning a living by honest work, engage in robbery. Man and society... This problem remains topical, pressing throughout all centuries, leaving no one indifferent. And a true citizen writer cannot help but respond to the questions of our time. V. Rasputin's story "Fire" is a deep, talented analysis of modern reality. The short work shows a fire in a taiga village, the personal experiences of the main character, and the lack of spirituality of people who, in a difficult moment for the village, think not about saving the people's property, but about personal gain. The story forces us to take a closer look at these phenomena, it calls: stop, look into yourself, is this how we live? After all, life is given to realize oneself as a person among people: happy, kind, wise. The main character of V. Astafiev’s work “The Tsar Fish” understands all this. last minute. And only when, in a trembling voice, he asks for forgiveness for everything he has done in life, then the king fish quietly leaves him. Scary story, which makes us think about every step today. Our world is cruel. Look how many suicides there are around! How many of my peers are committing suicide! Who is to blame: family, school, friends! Sorry, but life is yours, given to you. Life is a gift from God! Imagine that some kind of animal or plant will disappear from the face of the Earth. Ecological catastrophy! But suicide is almost a big catastrophe, although we are talking about just one soul... No matter how difficult and disgusting this life may be, we are obliged to fight for it, to save it. A person in whom a good beginning is alive is capable of this. Conscience. And only she tells a person the exact course. And only conscience indicates: here it would be necessary to consult with a senior, more experienced person. Yes, now we ourselves are not able to put everything on the shelves, in order - we don’t have enough strength, spiritual strength first of all. But you can give examples when these efforts are enough not only to not fall, but to give your whole life right direction. This is Pushkin, Yesenin, Shostakovich, in very early age who understood that talent requires tireless work. The Church could also give examples from its number of names. Venerable Sergius Radonezh, Seraphim of Sarov already in childhood chose the path of monasticism and priesthood and at the end of their lives they were surrounded by numerous brethren. They had enough patience, obedience, work, and strength - and they reached spiritual heights. I think that everything or almost everything is determined by our upbringing. Our society, from generation to generation, raises people who have no upbringing. They have not absorbed anything, they are frail in spirit and soul. It is the generation that is stamped, not the individual. Remember Andersen's The Steadfast Tin Soldier? All the soldiers looked alike, but he stood out, was one-legged... But people didn’t tin soldiers. Each one is one and only. This is what we were taught in literature lessons at school. We got acquainted with the works of Gogol, Tolstoy, Chekhov. I would also have included in the school curriculum, if not the Lenten prayer itself, then its arrangement made by Pushkin - “The desert fathers and the blameless wives...” These verses are in any collection, you can take it and read it yourself. I would parse this text slowly, one word at a time - like a sentence is parsed in a Russian language lesson. But school program provides very few hours for the perception of our daily bread - the fruits of the world literary field. Therefore, we ourselves must think about this. There is an old, old book, known to hundreds of generations under short name"Bible". It carries within itself eternal, enduring moral principles, observing which, a person knows how to remain a person, despite any trials, a wise and strong person, reliable and healthy, kind and merciful. Note: I called the “Bible” a book, one might add: for reading, for teaching, for repetition, even for worship, for a man - if he, I repeat, is a man! - It is always natural to worship books that teach good. Don't make a face when you hear the word "teach". Only bad books are sweet and edifying, while good books can teach gradually, unobtrusively and captivatingly. One wise man said: “There is no past - it has passed, and we will not be able to change anything in it. The future is not in our power. Use the current moment to do good to people. Hurry to do good!” And if we manage to convey goodness today, if we make it a rule for every day, we will be justified before history and before people. Yes, wisdom is for all times, for all minutes of life. No one will be able to refute this truth. Time passes, our strength is depleted, good impulses fade. At some point we realize it’s too late. The words of Chaadaev, who wrote back in the 19th century, are increasingly coming to mind that Russia was created so that the whole world could see how not to live, and, indeed, the fate of Russia has always been difficult. But I believe: they will come better days, and society will be reborn through the improvement of the soul of each person. And not only beauty will save the world, according to F. Dostoevsky, but also kindness, mercy, humanism. We are knee-deep in blood in such fogs. Stop punishing us, God. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Are we really extinct? Or haven't you been born yet? We are born again, and again - even harder. E. Yevtushenko.

Comment to open thematic areas 2017/18 school year, prepared by specialists from the Federal State Budgetary Institution "FIPI"

1. “Loyalty and betrayal.”
Within the framework of the direction, one can talk about fidelity and betrayal as opposite manifestations of the human personality, considering them from a philosophical, ethical, psychological points vision and referring to life and literary examples.
The concepts of “loyalty” and “betrayal” are at the center of the plots of many works of different eras and characterize the actions of heroes in situations of moral choice, both in personal relationships and in a social context.

2. “Indifference and responsiveness”
Topics in this area focus students on understanding different types a person’s relationship to people and to the world (indifference to others, reluctance to spend mental strength on someone else’s life or a sincere willingness to share his joys and troubles with his neighbor, to provide him with selfless help).
In literature, we meet, on the one hand, heroes with a warm heart, ready to respond to other people’s joys and troubles, and on the other, characters who embody the opposite, egoistic type of personality.

3. “Goals and means”
The concepts of this direction are interrelated and allow us to think about a person’s life aspirations, the importance of meaningful goal setting, the ability to correctly correlate the goal and the means of achieving it, as well as the ethical assessment of human actions.
Many literary works feature characters who deliberately or mistakenly choose unsuitable means to realize their plans. And it often turns out that a good goal only serves as a cover for true (base) plans. Such characters are contrasted with heroes for whom the means of achieving a high goal are inseparable from the requirements of morality.

4. "Courage and Cowardice"
This direction is based on a comparison of opposite manifestations of the human “I”: readiness for decisive actions and the desire to hide from danger, to avoid resolving difficult, sometimes extreme life situations.
On the pages of many literary works presents both heroes capable of courageous actions and characters demonstrating weakness of spirit and lack of will.

5. “Man and Society”
For topics in this direction, the view of a person as a representative of society is relevant. Society largely shapes the individual, but the individual can also influence society. Topics will allow you to consider the problem of personality and society with different sides: from the point of view of their harmonious interaction, complex confrontation or irreconcilable conflict. It is equally important to think about the conditions under which a person must submit social laws, and society – to take into account the interests of each person. Literature has always shown interest in the problem of the relationship between man and society, the creative or destructive consequences of this interaction for the individual and for human civilization.